Hi Everyone!
And Happy Mother's Day to all the mother’s reading this newsletter! Thank you all so much for everything you do!
Ministry
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
Proverbs 16:9 ESV
While I was hoping to have gotten a call from the embassy that my visa was approved before the end of the month that wasn’t God’s plan. The visa process has taken a lot more time than I ever anticipated, which I believe God has been using to teach me patience and trusting his timing not my own.
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 ESV
This verse came to mind as I was writing this newsletter I believe as a reminder that God has plan and his ways are higher than mine, so I can trust him and his timing. God has a plan on getting me prepared for Eastern Europe and when my visa will be ready, so I can trust him since he never leaves things unfinished. I know it will happen in due time in accordance with his will. Once my visa is ready I will leave in a week or two (depending on flights and family) after it gets back to me so I should leave, God willing, in May.
My team has started including me in planning meetings for the summer camps and it has been fun getting to meet my team mates over video calls. They already have plans and ideas about what they will have me do over the next few months which is exciting and I will get to be more hands on once I get there.
Learning the language has been a bit of an adventure the last few weeks. Some days it makes sense and is similar to Russian so it flows smoothly, while other days it is just different enough that I forget what word belongs to which language because the words are just different enough that I can’t use it interchangeably or they have different meanings even though they are almost the same word.
Personal
Life has been good these last few weeks. I have gotten to have hangouts with friends and see an MLB game with parents which was fun since I have only been to one other game MLB game as an adult (and back then I did not care for baseball, but I really enjoy it now). Over the last few months I have spent a lot of time thinking about what things stir my affections for the Lord, what things are apathetic, and what leads me away from Him. I started taking walks in the park which has been really good for my soul and has given me a lot of time with God with very few distractions. Being in nature and getting to the see the beauty that God gave it has been a blessing and stirred my affections for God, which is great because the city where I will be living has lots of parks.
Praises
- I am fully funded!!!
- I am on the last step of the visa process!
- God is faithful, gracious, and merciful in all his ways!
Prayers
- That my visa is approved soon in accordance with God’s timing and will.
- I say goodbye to friends and family well.
- I will worship and love God in everything I do.
- God prepares my heart and the hearts of the people I will encounter.
- For my protection and safety as I leave the US and go to Eastern Europe.
Thank you so much for reading my April newsletter and hearing about what God has been doing this past month!