Like a Child

Yesterday, I had the super fun privilege of sharing in children's church about medical missions and about Ethiopia. There were about 75 kids there and they were so attentive and excited about missions!

I shared about what I do as a nurse/missionary associate and about why medical missionaries are important. I also shared about Ethiopian culture and some of my experiences. The best part of the morning was when I told the story about the man who could not walk, but the Lord healed at the clinic in Mekele. You could have heard a pin drop. When I finished the story, there was a quiet pause and then this little girl in the front row started to clap for Jesus. I could've melted. The whole room broke into applause about what God had done for the man and his family. The child-like faith and excitement for what Jesus did was like a breath of fresh air. Where a room full of adults would be cynical and try to logically figure something out, an 8-year-old just put her hands together out of sheer delight at what God had done.

" 'Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.' And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them." Mark 10:15-16

After I finished, the children's pastors did a Q & A time where the kids could ask me questions. It was so funny. Here are my two favorite questions (complete with answers for your enjoyment):

Q: How old are you?
A: 26.
(Then another girl pipes up, "You're young.") lol.

Q (from a 9 - 10 year old boy): When you go to Ecuador, will you bring me a monkey?
A: Nope. All the monkeys I bring home I intend to keep for myself.

Commissionings

Last week (March 8-12), I attended pre-field orientation at the Assemblies of God headquarters in Springfield, Missouri. It was a week filled with education about travel, budgets, and the missional life. I had the privilege of meeting a ton of really great people who are also going to be MAs. No one has an assignment quite like mine, but it was still neat to connect with people who have such a passion for missions. The last night of the conference we had a special service where all the MAs were commissioned by leadership of the Assemblies of God World Missions.

Today was a "missions emphasis" at my home church. Our pastor had me come to the front of the church and he gave me a charge and a commissioning of blessing from our local church body. Then he asked retired and current missionaries in our church body to gather around me and join him in prayer. I was surrounded by great men and women of faith who have given their lives to the spreading of the gospel around the world. Many of these couples have known me since I was a child and have been very influential in my love for foreign missions. What a blessing to have them bring my life and my future before the throne of God!

"Who is a Missionary? It is a person who's heart breaks at the thought of one soul perishing without the Lord and that love compels them to tell the world that Jesus loves them." - Elaine Bennett -

Excited.

"There are different kinds of excited. There is the kind of excited where you're jumping up and down and screaming. And then there is the kind of excited that is more like a quiet confidence, knowing you are absolutely taking the next right step God has for you." - Laurel Fisher -

Circumstances and Providence

"The circumstances of a saint's life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by his providence brings you into circumstances that you cannot understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands. God is bringing you into places and among people and into conditions in order that the intercession of the Spirit in you may take a particular line. Never put your hand in front of the circumstances and say -- I am going to be my own providence here . . . All your circumstances are in the hand of God, therefore never think it strange concerning the circumstances you are in . . ." - Oswald Chambers --