Life in...Raleigh

So, someone told me they were confused by a blog post about where I am currently so to clear that up you should know I'm still in Raleigh. And it's great.

I had it hyped up in my head that if I didn't get to Costa Rica September 1st that I might burst and although it's been a bit of a challenge, I'm still here and I haven't exploded.  There are days of disappointment and a lack of direction, or so it feels, but that's when I know I have to lean in a little deeper to the promises of our faithful Father and know I am right where I'm supposed to be.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't pray for continued peace because like I said I have my days but I think we can praise for the peace that I have since felt and not exploded.

You may have noticed we were so close to 60% and then all of a sudden we fell back to 56% so I wanted to explain.  A few weeks ago some of my donors had to cancel or reduce their gifts for their own financial reasons and I have to say I am thankful it happened now and not once I've already deployed.  It showed me that I had been relying too much on the numbers and not as much on the movement of the Lord.  It showed me that I still tend to rely on the things of this world more than I should so I am thankful it happened and those donors are still great friends of mine.

The plan for the fall you ask?  Well, through no doing of my own, I have a great place to stay through December for free.  It's a young married couple in Raleigh with a beautiful house and a cute little shitzu named Stella.  They love the Lord, Young Life and the Wolfpack - what more could you ask for!?  OH! And Ryan has worked on the coffee farm attached to the YL camp in Nicaragua when he was in high school so he has a firsthand idea of what I'll be doing/where I'll be! AMAZING.

I am still fundraising and I don't have a deployment date picked out anymore but I would love nothing more to get to leave this fall still, if not this fall than the new trimester of language school starts in January.  UNTIL THEN I get to visit Nicaragua in OCTOBER and I couldn't be more excited.  It's an International Schools YL Staff retreat at the beach.  My teammates Pratt & Ashley who are currently in Nicaragua will be there, my teammate Ella (from SC) will make the trip along with staff from Costa Rica and the support staff from the US.  What a great gift it will be to spend time with these people.  It was also a great gift that a friend donated his frequent flier miles to help me get my round trip ticket!

To say the Lord has not showed up would be a bold face lie.  He has provided for me in ways I didn't even know I needed and given me great gifts like new friends/roommates and a ticket to Nicaragua.  He is faithful.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

And because this is my favorite picture...

What! not help you?

I will soon write a post about life still in Raleigh and how the Lord has shown up in every part of it.  I will soon fill you in on the plan for what's to come with my work in the ministry.  I will even explain to you why we went from so close to 60% back to 56% if you want to know.  But today I just want you to read, reread and own this prayer by Charles Spurgeon that was a part of the sermon at my church on Sunday.

Let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us: “I will help you.  It is but a small thing for me, your God, to help you.  Consider what I have done already.  What! not help you? Why, I bought you with my blood.  What! not help you?  I have died for you; and if I have done the greater, will I not do the less?  Help you!  It is the least thing I will ever do for you; I have done more, and will do more.  Before the world began I chose you.  I made the covenant for you.  I laid aside my glory and became a man for you; I gave up my life for you; and if I did all this, I will surely help you now.  In helping you, I am giving you what I have bought for you already.  If you had need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it to you; you require little compared with what I am ready to give.  ‘Tis much for you to need, but it is nothing for me to bestow.  Help you? Fear not!... O my soul, is not this enough?  Do you need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity?  Do you want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit?  Bring here your empty pitcher!  Surely this well will fill it.  Haste, gather up your needs, and bring them here – your emptiness, your woes, your needs.  Behold, this river of God is full for your supply; what can you desire beside?  Go forth, my soul, in this your might.  The Eternal God is your helper! …. Spurgeon

Amen.