Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Ok, so maybe I don't want all snow to melt....
I have to admit I am getting a bit tired of snow and cold. But then I saw this picture sent by the missionaries I will be staying with. These are the Himalaya Mountains taken from one of the villages surrounding Mussoorie. Beautiful.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Abandon...does that word create unease in anyone else?
Last week I went to Thursday night chapel. Mostly because I missed two chapels last week (for legitimate reasons I might add!) It was debatable whether I would go or just take a skip. I was tired. Thursdays are long days because of morning clinical, plus it is the end of the week, with a ton of work still left to be done. I don't know about you but it is when I feel the most doubt or hesitancy towards spending time with my Savior are the times I need to spend time with Him. They are also some of the times when He speaks most clearly to me.
This past week here on campus we had missions week. Missionaries and missions organizations come from all over the nation and the world to speak about their particular area of service. Maybe it is my C&MA upbringing but I love these times. Anyways (I promise this long story has something to do with India!) at chapel on Thursday night the speaker was half of our missionary in residence team Mike Helvie (the other half is his wife Cindy...). They were missionaries in Africa. Mike told the story about how he has always loved to jump. It started when he was a baby and then as he grew older he found a love for diving boards. He worked his way up from a 3ft board all the way up to a 21ft board. Then once he conquered that he heard about this bungee jumping experience. Apparently this is the oldest bungee jump in the world. Basically you jump off the side of a gorge. I don't know how to explain it to you but from the movie he showed this was quiet a jump. A lot bigger then the 21ft diving board. Well he did it. He said he screamed and held onto the rope the entire time. When he got home he was convicted by God to do the jump again this time without holding on. Mike said it was one of the greatest things he had ever done. God did this to show him that he was to live in total abandon of what felt "safe". God was calling him to a new mission field.
Mike and his family left their current position in Africa to serve unreached people groups around the area. All the while Mike was talking God is speaking to my heart "Anna, that's you! I am calling you to serve this unreached people group in India. Are you ready to let go and let me do the planning? Are you ready for what is in store for you? I promise you it will be beyond anything you can imagine." Mike then talked the first missionaries who were sent out. They would pack their things in coffins because they knew they would not be coming back. What kind of commitment is that? Before they would sign their names in a book showing their dedication to what Christ had called them to do. He had books for us, who felt we had been called to minister for some portion of our lives to unreached people groups. I knew what I needed to do, what I had been called to do but I am a doubting Thomas and suffer from a huge pride issue. I like my control (even when its not possible) and I like my box. I can't take any of these on my adventure with God to India. After a debate with myself and God, I went up and signed the book. After we had signed we were given bookmarks to sign to remind us of our commitment. The commitment on the bookmark is in the post below.
I know that now I have committed in total abandon to go forward with this trip I am one with a huge target painted on my back that Satan is aiming for. Please pray that I will daily be submitting my plans to the One who has far bigger plans then I can imagine. Pray that everything that needs to be done in order for me to leave the country will be done. There is way more to do then I ever even considered. Lastly today pray for the people in Mussoorie may their hearts be opened to hear about the One who wants to give them a life far greater then they know.
~"Safe?, said Mr. Beaver, "..."Course he [Aslan] isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."~ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
This past week here on campus we had missions week. Missionaries and missions organizations come from all over the nation and the world to speak about their particular area of service. Maybe it is my C&MA upbringing but I love these times. Anyways (I promise this long story has something to do with India!) at chapel on Thursday night the speaker was half of our missionary in residence team Mike Helvie (the other half is his wife Cindy...). They were missionaries in Africa. Mike told the story about how he has always loved to jump. It started when he was a baby and then as he grew older he found a love for diving boards. He worked his way up from a 3ft board all the way up to a 21ft board. Then once he conquered that he heard about this bungee jumping experience. Apparently this is the oldest bungee jump in the world. Basically you jump off the side of a gorge. I don't know how to explain it to you but from the movie he showed this was quiet a jump. A lot bigger then the 21ft diving board. Well he did it. He said he screamed and held onto the rope the entire time. When he got home he was convicted by God to do the jump again this time without holding on. Mike said it was one of the greatest things he had ever done. God did this to show him that he was to live in total abandon of what felt "safe". God was calling him to a new mission field.
Mike and his family left their current position in Africa to serve unreached people groups around the area. All the while Mike was talking God is speaking to my heart "Anna, that's you! I am calling you to serve this unreached people group in India. Are you ready to let go and let me do the planning? Are you ready for what is in store for you? I promise you it will be beyond anything you can imagine." Mike then talked the first missionaries who were sent out. They would pack their things in coffins because they knew they would not be coming back. What kind of commitment is that? Before they would sign their names in a book showing their dedication to what Christ had called them to do. He had books for us, who felt we had been called to minister for some portion of our lives to unreached people groups. I knew what I needed to do, what I had been called to do but I am a doubting Thomas and suffer from a huge pride issue. I like my control (even when its not possible) and I like my box. I can't take any of these on my adventure with God to India. After a debate with myself and God, I went up and signed the book. After we had signed we were given bookmarks to sign to remind us of our commitment. The commitment on the bookmark is in the post below.
I know that now I have committed in total abandon to go forward with this trip I am one with a huge target painted on my back that Satan is aiming for. Please pray that I will daily be submitting my plans to the One who has far bigger plans then I can imagine. Pray that everything that needs to be done in order for me to leave the country will be done. There is way more to do then I ever even considered. Lastly today pray for the people in Mussoorie may their hearts be opened to hear about the One who wants to give them a life far greater then they know.
~"Safe?, said Mr. Beaver, "..."Course he [Aslan] isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."~ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
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