We will host an ESL/sports/music/art camp for the teenagers at the orphanage and little ones from the village who have school off for the Chinese new year (they get like a month off to celebrate!) This year the Chinese new year falls on February 9th which coincidentally is my 22nd birthday... I will be in China, on their new year, on my birthday!! Only God could write something like that into being. But even cooler was the process of joining this team and what a stretching of faith and gracious blessing it has been. The Lord has moved in such awesome ways to bring this about that I feel the need to share the story that it may encourage your hearts also (Colossians 4:7-8) as God challenges you to be available for His work.
I first learned about the trip this summer while I was in Colorado. I was looking at the upcoming trips on the Journey117 Website (branch of World Orphans that does short term trips) which I am in the habit of checking periodically. I was scrolling through like normal when the post about doing a camp in China grabbed my attention in a unique way that the other postings had not. I prayed about it, however I was pretty unsure because the dates of the trip were right in the middle of the spring semester which according to the "plan" is my last semester of my college career.
I put off a decision, and to be honest, I doubted my place on that trip. Was it was the adventurer in me trying to find my next big journey or was it genuinely the Lord pressing it upon my heart to go?
The summer came to an end, and I returned to A&M for fall classes and a new internship at a local magazine here in Bryan/College Station which meant that my mind was in a million places. I had almost forgotten about the China trip at that point when early one Monday morning as I was driving, I all of the sudden remembered the trip and felt led to pray about it again. That's weird. Surely I missed the deadline, but out of nowhere (aka the Holy Spirit) I had a renewed urge to pursue being a part of this team I knew minimal information about.
When I got home, I scrambled for my laptop and searched for the posting to see the deadline to apply. It had already passed but I felt such a strong sense of God pushing me forward anyways that I emailed them and explained how I felt to see if there was any possibility that they still needed to fill space on the trip.
I got a call THAT afternoon. Turns out they still needed one or two more people for the trip, particularly with experience doing camps and with teaching ESL (English as a second language). Thankfully God has given me a ton of camp experience between attending my whole life, coaching baseball camp in Germany and being a counselor at Sky Ranch. I also have some experiences with teaching English to international students at A&M as a conversation partner and Bible study leader for them. The only thing holding me back was the fact that I would miss two solid weeks of class. The Lord told me to trust Him and move forward with the process step by step.
So I did and was encouraged exponentially in my faith. I had not heard from my professors for two weeks after contacting them about the trip. At this point, I was signed up, committed to the team and ready to go with deposit down because the professors I had asked originally were on board but by the time registration rolled around in November, I was unable to get those classes so I had contacted all new professors. This was a scary place to be in. I was fully committed to China, no turning back, and I still did not know if my professors would cooperate with me. The Lord was seriously testing my trust in Him!
Sunday came around and my pastor, Eric Evje, had given me permission to share what God was doing in my life in regards to sending me to China in front of our church family at Living Hope Bryan. I shared about what we would be doing, God's heart for the orphan and prayer requests for favor with professors, financial provision and for our team as we prepared. Before I left the stage Eric asked the women to come forward to lay hands on me as he led the rest of the congregation in praying over my journey. I felt the Lord's peace wash over me and His spirit remind me that He was working out a plan and would make a way.
I was humbled as people approached me after the service offering more prayers and encouragement. I cried as one of the women that I look up to immensely from our church, Judy Moss, held me and prayed for my heart to be prepared and for God to move. Two precious ladies that I had never even met approached me with hugs and money straight from their pockets. I am so moved by these lovers of Jesus that were so willing to join with me on this mission.
Later that afternoon, I received an email from one of the professors I had anxiously been waiting to hear from saying that she would be willing to excuse my absences. The next day I received similar replies from the remaining professors. Talk about direct answer to prayer! So exciting to see God answering the prayers of my friends, family and World Orphans staff to move the necessary obstacles. God's heart for His good news to be spread and for the orphan is so big that He does the humanly impossible to accomplish His work.
This is but one large example among many other smaller but equally as special ways that God has provided for this trip. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who have given, prayed and encouraged me throughout this time. I am blessed to be surrounded by so many generous and caring hearts. My prayer is that the Lord in turn will bless you for these things, which I know He is faithful to do.
I cannot wait to see all that God has in store. I will do my best to blog again as the days get closer.
