Longing

I find myself longing for this place...I've only been there once & only for a week...but it holds a very special place in my heart.  Nicaragua is a very beautiful country full of beautiful, precious people.  

 We spent the week providing medical care, dental care, and sharing the love of Jesus with the people of a small Nicaraguan village of San Fransisco.  Before this trip I had never led anyone to salvation before, and I had that amazing opportunity while there.  It was an experience like no other.

 I can't wait to go back...hopefully I'll have the change to go back next September.  Until then I will continue to pray for the opportunity to go back & pray for the people whose lives we touched while we were there.

Clarity

I'm thinking that God is telling me "No" to Nicaragua.  Since I got the email with the opportunity to go, I had been battling myself about what I'm supposed to do.  Yesterday morning at church I kind of felt like I should go down and be prayed over about it but I didn't go.  And then Sunday night, I felt like that again, so I went down and got our missions pastor to pray over me.  After that, I felt at peace.  I still didn't have an answer, but I felt peace. 

 
Ever since the opportunity came up I was thinking how much I wanted to go back and on the other hand I was thinking about how I didn't have the finances.  But the thing is, neither one of those had anything to do with what God wants me to do.  My mind was so clouded by all my thoughts, I couldn't find God's will.  It's like after our missions pastor prayed for me I had clarity.  All my thoughts and worries had been pushed away so I could hear God.  Then this morning I was praying about it and in the back of my head I heard "no".  Ever since then I kind of have been disappointed that I'm not going, but at the same time I feel happiness with the "No" decision.

I think God has plans for me to return to Nicaragua, and maybe even other places, to do medical missions but just not this year.  Right now I'm feeling pretty positive about going next year, and I'm excited to see what opportunities God brings my way & which ones He says "Yes" to.

To Go or Not to Go?

Last September, I went on a medical mission trip to Nicaragua.  It was the most amazing experience.  God showed up and showed out and taught me a lot.  Well, I have been presented with an opportunity to back this September.  I want to go, I really do.  The thought of serving the Nicaraguan people and showing them God's love agian excites me.  But God hasn't told me to go yet.   Since I am in school and unemployed, I am unable to afford this trip on my own this year.  I know that if God calls me to go that He will provide, so I'm trying not to let that small fact cloud my eyes and ears. 

If I do decide to make the trip this year, it won't be with the same exact group of people.  The amazing couple who led our trip won't be leading it this year, but I do believe they will be going.  But we will join with another small group that is based out of a town near ours.  That fact really doesn't affect my decision, I'm kind of excited about getting to meet new people who have the same passion for serving our God as I do. 

Last year when I signed up to go on this trip, I just KNEW I had been called.  When I first saw the announcement on our church bulletin, I immediately thought "maybe I should go there" and then a few minutes later, my sister was like look, you should go on this trip.  After that I just knew I was going.  I didn't know a single other soul that was going on this trip, and as it turned out I was the youngest on our trip with the majority of the group being a good bit older than me.   This thought absolutely terrified me.  I had never been out of the country, much less with a group of people I didn't know.  But, God gave me comfort & strength and friends through this trip.

This year, when I first read the email about the prospect of going, at first I was like yeah, let's go...but immediately after I thought, well I can't afford it right now.  The trip is in September and I will finish school the first week of August, so that doesn't present an issue.  Last year, the majority of my trip was paid for by donations from friends & family.  I just don't know if I could ask them to do that again.  But like I've said earlier, God provides when He calls. 

So all you praying bloggers, I ask you to be in prayer for an answer from God, to go or not to go.