Romans 10:13-15 "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?
Unless they are sent. I am not simply going out on my own to be a missionary. I am being sent in a multitude of ways - people are sending me by confirming my calling, people are sending me financially, people are sending me with their prayers and their encouragement. I am beginning to realize that being a missionary is not a solitary act but rather the act of a community shown publicly through an individual.
Sometimes I am tempted to brush aside my life here at Wheaton, to fast-forward a few months to August. It's hard not to be cynical and think, "This doesn't matter in the long run" or "I'm not helping anyone by being here, therefore this is inferior." I am working on accepting that we live life in seasons, and this is a season of both endings and preparation for new beginnings. As my Paul of Tarsus professor likes to put it, I am living in a little "already-not-yet" time (without any eschatological connotations, of course). Living in the tension can be hard and confusing, but I am also beginning to find the unique joy of both being present here at school and thinking about the island and my life there.
Here I am.
In just over five months, I will embark on a new adventure as a missionary. I will be serving with Kids Alive International in the Dominican Republic for 2 years. As of now, I will return to Caraballo, the village on the North Coast where I worked as a Kids Alive intern during summer 2007 on SMP.
Of course, being a missionary doesn't just start when I land on the island. I have already begun preparations for my trip, and there will be much more to come these next few months. (I thought I liked logistics...) On August 3rd, I will leave for 3 weeks of missionary training in Colorado, come home for 2 weeks, go to Guatemala for 6 weeks of Spanish school, and then move to the DR!
The most important part of my preparation is building a support base for both prayer and financial support. I need to have all my support either donated or pledged before I can leave. That means I have 5 months to raise $37,220. Wow. This is a huge test for me in trusting God. I know intellectually that God provides, but do I actually believe it? If I am meant to do this, God will make a way. He will.
I am so excited to have this opportunity to serve - to return to the DR and to the children I love so dearly! I am also excited to share this journey with all of you. I will do my best to keep you all updated, and I hope that you will pray for me and consider if and how you could support me.
Specifically right now, I would love prayer for me to be able to balance finishing school with preparing for the DR. I want to be able to be fully present in my classwork and in my relationships here and make the most of these last two months, but I also have preparations that need to get done and my mind drifts to the island a lot...
Jehovah Jireh.
Romans 10:13-15 "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?
