Taking Action!

I've been really seeking God this week and praying about the call that is on my life. I so cherish my alone time with God. I love God's Word -- I love chewing on the meat of His Word. 

Did you ever notice that when Jesus preached to crowds He found that the multitudes needed "milk" -- they needed/wanted an easy Word because there were many babes in the Lord among the crowds. But then Jesus would leave the multitudes and go away somewhere, and the disciples would follow Him. And He would spend quiet time ministering to His disciples and His disciples to Him. And He would give them a tough word, speaking from the realm of eternity, and these words did not always immediately make sense to the disciples, but it was meat to chew on. 

And so I am learning how to cherish this special time that I have with God as a single woman, and I am learning to let God be my first love, as He should be. And I just treasure that. 

God has shown me A LOT of things this week. Tonight He confirmed my call to go to Swaziland. I have to be honest that up until about an hour ago I didn't really know for sure that that was where God wanted me to go. I really felt that it was, but I was hesitant because it wasn't a clear commissioning like Ethiopia was. I didn't have a miraculous Moses/burning-bush moment so to speak. But as I was studying tonight and listening to a podcast from a mission summit report by Zion Bible College, where my cousin Melissa goes to school, everything I envisioned was confirmed, and God has given me this special passion and burden for a people group -- something that I so desired. 

I NEED to go to Swaziland. I am crying as I write these words. There are people in Swaziland -- children, mamas and daddies -- who are lost and dying and who have never heard the name of Jesus. They deserve to hear about Jesus. Have we forgotten how far we've come by the grace of God that we do not remember the place that God has brought us out of? The place He rescued us out of? If I only touch one person while I am there with the Gospel, it is all worth it. And so I am going after that one person, that one lost sheep because this is a lost and dying world, and if we don't go, WHO WILL? This is the message God has laid on my heart.

Isaiah had a vision where He saw the Lord sitting on a throne and angels were ministering to Him, and it was like the Lord and His angels were looking out over the Earth searching for someone who would go.

Then Isaiah heard the Lord asking the angels, "Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?"

And then Isaiah said, "Here I am. Send me."

And the Lord said, "Yes, go..."

(Isaiah 6)

Tonight, again I say, I am willing. Send me! I hear Jesus saying this today, and I am responding to His call. A call requires obedience, and that obedience requires action. And I take action today to be His hands and feet in this world so that God's purpose can be accomplished.

I just need help to get there. I know God is in control, and He will provide. I do know this, and I know that He will speak to someone to help, and I pray that those He speaks to would be obedient to His calling and to what He asks. Praise Jesus someone responded today to a letter I wrote. The first response I have received, with a check for $50. Thank you Lord, and thank you so much to the giver. I have to raise $600 more by April 30 to meet this deadline. I will need $2,000 after that. A lot of money in this natural realm? Yes. But who can quantify a soul for God's Kingdom? And so I don't look at dollar amounts in this aspect, because my eyes are on eternity. Eternity is not only futuristic, but eternity is now. 

Precious Savior, You know my needs, and You know what it will take to accomplish Your will, not just in me, but Your will for the nations. You have a purpose for the nations. You have a purpose for Swaziland. You have a purpose for each and every one of us. Each person has a name, Lord, and You know them all. I have sent out Your Word tonight, Lord, and I read in the Bible that Your Word shall not return to You void, but it will accomplish that which You sent it out to do. I commit this situation to Your hands, and I thank You in advance for everything You are about to do in Swaziland and in the nations. Thank you for allowing me to be Your vessel, Jesus. I pray Your glory would be revealed on this Earth in its fullness. And i pray that each person who reads this message will respond and take action to whatever Your purpose is for their life. In Your precious name I pray, Jesus, the Messiah. Amen.

Swazi is ON!

I am just soo excited! I found out that the mission trip to Swaziland is definitely going to happen (I figured it would, but it was nice to actually hear the words "Swazi is on!")! 

Forty-one people have signed up to go! Twenty people volunteered when I went to Ethiopia, and many of us still keep in touch today. They are really like my family. It's amazing the bonds that were created in such a short amount of time. Several of the people from the group have really become my best friends, and I love them all so much. 

So...I am just really looking forward to making 40 new friends! It's actually going to be pretty cool because about eight of my friends from the Ethiopia trip will be going to Swaziland...so this time I'll be going into it knowing others, which is incredibly exciting. It's going to be an awesome time, and I know God's going to do such great things!

I also found out my roommate is 18 years old, and she has traveled overseas before. I'm very excited to meet her. :)

On another note, I am really praying for opportunities to minister to the people in Swaziland -- please keep them in your prayers. The language barrier is difficult, but I've found that demonstrating the love of Jesus transcends language. It's a beautiful thing.

Also, I need to raise $650 in the next three weeks for my second payment for the trip. God knows my needs. I just keep trusting Him because I know it is His will for me to go. 

You know, when I was working on the DVD I made about my time in Ethiopia, God revealed something to me that was really life changing. I came to a point when I needed to start a new segment in the video, and I was searching and searching and searching for the right scripture. I would find one that applied, and then I'd find another one, and I just couldn't choose; I just wanted it to be the right one. So I said a quick prayer asking God to give me the right words, the right scripture because this is not my story I'm trying to tell, it is His. So I'm flipping through the New Testament and almost immediately God shows me John 15:16 -- "You did not choose Me, but I chose you..." Wow!

I just teared right up. It was an incredible moment. That scripture came alive to me in that moment. God breathed upon those words and they became real to me. It was an awesome revelation!

God chose me to go, and He chose others to give, because God's will needs to be accomplished in the Earth. He is just looking for willing, obedient vessels.