So It Continues!

I might be going to Mongolia this summer!

So when I got my job at the library, it felt very much like it was handed to me from God, which got me thinking: what is God teaching me through this?  Especially since it was directly contradicting my own plans of never working with kids or teaching them.  And on my way to Memphis for Erin and Tim's wedding, I thought, maybe I should work in an orphanage.

That is very easily found out, so I decided to look for a short term mission trip to an orphanage, so I could experience it and see what happened.  In September, I became friends with Gany, who is from Mongolia, and whose pastor started an orphanage there.

A month ago I emailed her and asked if I could come and work there for awhile, but she didn't write back.  I had given up on the idea, and I was starting to look into InnerChange.  But I felt like God was telling me to wait on that until January, which isn't so far away, so I agreed.

Then yesterday Gany replied (she'd been home on vacation without internet) and said they would love to have me!  I talked to my boss, and she said I could have up to three weeks off!

I'm so excited to be back on the mission track.  This patience thing is really hard, and I tend to get stuck in whatever rut I find myself.  Even though my plan last summer was "short term mission trip in August, long term sometime after," I was starting to think nothing would happen, which is stupid, because look!  My plan (God's plan?) is coming true!

And it's so comforting that I had that doubt, and wanted to move on to another option, but God stopped me.  It's so nice to know He is behind this, in some way.

Though it is kind of scary to plan a trip by myself!  I don't know how to do that, but I imagine I will just buy a plane ticket and show up.  Done.  I love adventure.

Oh my word, it is so encouraging just to have the hope of a real mission trip in my future.  I didn't quite realize how necessary that is to my happiness.  (But at the same time, I'm glad this is only short term, because I'm not sure I'm ready to give up Peoria long term yet....selfishness or God's timing or both, I don't know.)