I want to begin by thanking everyone who has shown support and encouragement as I have prepared for this summer. I can not express how much your prayers and enthusiasm has ment to me.
I thought that I would share a little of the journey I have taken to make it to West Africa for my first update.
About 4 years ago God made it clear that he was calling me to go to West Africa before I turned 20. Abigail Bone was present when I heard God's call and can testify to how clearly I heard this call. I had never been interested in Africa. I had never really considered foreign missions and certainly didn't have Africa on my radar. In one night my attitude changed. I began to look into mission organizations that took teenagers to Africa. After a little research I found that this wasn't going to be easy. I still hadn't talk to my parents about the idea either. I began to get a little frustrated when nothing came to fruition and I let the dream fizzle out.
Several years passed and in the fall of 2010 I found myself living in Birmingham, Al attending Samford University. One of my top priorities when I moved to Birmingham was to find a church that was glorifying God. I was looking for a faith family that I could accompany in expanding God's kingdom. Everyone told me that I just HAD to visit the Church at Brook Hills and, although I was a little skeptical of the "mega church," I went. Needless to say the preaching of God's truth is contagious. I have been attending every Sunday since that first visit. At the end of my first semester the church released the upcoming global mission opportunities. I was immediately interested in the mid term (2 months- 2 years) opportunity in East Africa. I figured that it was the same continent, close enough! I began to look into the trip a little more. I got some information to bring home to my parents. I knew that they were going to be less than thrilled that after spending my first year 11 hours from home I wanted to spend my summer across the atlantic ocean. There first reaction was "absoutly not."
I had expected that. So I went back to school and decided to pray about it. I knew that if this was the opportunity God had called me to He would make it work. I found out that the trip had been moved to West Africa. I consider that the first confirmation that God's hand was guiding me to this opportunity. I continued to pray for my parents asking God to burden their hearts for the spread of the gospel so they would let ME go. Little did I know God had different plans. I received an email from my mom a few weeks later that said that God had been working on her heart and that her heart had been burdened for the spread of the gospel in our community and... The rest of the world! She was preparing to answer God's call to a foreign mission trip.
Not only did they allow me to continue to pursue the West Africa opportunity, they are preparing for their own mission trip to Honduras this coming winter! God answered my prayers beyond what I could have asked for.
Even though I had permission to go, I didn't have the funds to get there. As always, God provided exactly what I needed to answer his call. Between scholarships from school, church, family donations, and an unexpected baby sitting job every cent was provided.
God even blessed me with the opportunity to meet with several missionaries that served in the same area that I will be serving with the same people group I will be living with!
All through the process of getting to West Africa God has directed my steps. When I got discouraged it never failed that he would send some confirmation my way. When plans seemed to fall apart God provided our team exactly what we needed. When I least expected it God called me to follow him and he has sustained me thus far. Only by the grace of God I have been invited to advance his Good News and I am constantly reminded that it has nothing to do with me! I don't deserve to be a part of God's plan but he has extended his grace to me and I have the honor of proclaiming the hope I have in Christ to a people who have never heard.
I appreciate your prayers so much and I can not wait to see how God will move among the Hausa people this summer!
