Missions, Near and Far

A week or so ago, I started to freak out as the cost of my possible Mongolia trip started to get...really high.  To the point that I actually thought, "Hm, maybe I shouldn't go?"  Which is stupid, because this is the culmination of me asking God whether I should look into orphanage work and Him bringing me a friend from halfway around the world who knows someone who works in an orphanage.  I'm not going to be the one to stop this trip from happening.

A couple days after I freaked out, my boss asked if I could take on some extra hours at the library to cover for a woman who just quit.  And today Cheryl called to ask if I would take pictures for the Pauli's.  I love this so much, because it shows so wonderfully how God's sovereignty and my free will work together.  I needed more money.  God providentially provided not one, but two ways that I could make it.  No free money falling from the sky.  I have to give up my free time in order to get it, but that in no way makes it any less of a gift from God.  Awesome.

In similarly awesome news, I am just thrilled to pieces (and slightly overwhelmed to pieces) with stuff that's happening at the church.  I talked to my junior high girls yesterday about missions, and while I may have come off as a bit harsh ("YOUR EXCUSES ARE LAME!  GO SERVE GOD OVERSEAS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE LITTLE TO NO KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS!" is only a slight hyperbole) they seemed really excited to get in on some mission work themselves.

They came up with the idea of working at the Esther House, so hopefully we'll do that soon.  And they also wanted to support overseas missionaries in some way.  I love the Forsythes (obvs), but they are getting a lot of love from Woodland right now.  So my brain went to the Petrous, who I also love, and who might actually need the money even more desperately.  I'm going to talk to my girls about doing a fundraiser of some kind for them.

And then!  There are about a million mission opportunities getting thrown the college group way.  Continuing the clothes distributions.  Helping at the Sweetheart Dinner (we're like the B-Team...if the high schoolers don't step up, we are ready to swoop in?).  Doing/leading the 30 Hour Famine.  Painting at the Harrison Homes.  Helping fill in for the Chinese Church's youth leader.

So much!  It's very exciting, since I was always uber-pessimistic about local missions.  Mostly because I just wasn't consistently involved in any growing up.  But hopefully I can learn from my misfortune and help the slightly younger generation get off to a better start!

Good times.