Taiwan for sure!

It has been a long time since I've posted on my blog. I'm sure that by now you have all heard that I have been officially accepted to go to Taiwan this coming July. Now the preparation must begin! Since I have been so focused on getting through finals and graduation and a wedding, I have not really thought that much about Taiwan until now. Now, however, I am beginning the process of preparing, both physically, spiritually, and emotionally for this upcoming adventure! I am trying to find odd jobs to help earn the money that I'll need for the next year as well as beginning to look into learning the language. I am borrowing "Learning Mandarin" from the local library. I have barely looked at it yet since I've been out of town for the past two weeks. But now I'm going to have to start diving into language learning! One thing that is going to keep me motivated is that my whole purpose in babysitting or whatever odd job I find, as well as all of the other preparation is so that I might be able to have the chance to be a witness for Jesus. I found such an amazing verse in Habakkuk:

"Look at the nations and watch- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” (Habakkuk 1:5)

I can't wait to see what God is going to be doing through me and my teammates in Taiwan this next year! I pray that I will be amazed!

I am in need of $5000 at least before I leave. God has already provided me with a portion of that through the money that I received through graduation and gifts from friends and family for my trip, but if you do feel led to help provide my way to be a light in a very dark country, please make your tax deductible checks out to The Christian and Missionary Alliance, with my name on the check, and mail to:
The C&MA/Global Ventures
PO Box 35000
Colorado Springs CO 80935

I also covet your prayers during this time. I have so much that needs to be done before I leave, and so much growing that needs to take place in my life. God is going to have to do an amazing work in order to provide the finances that I need, but since He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, I'm pretty convinced that He will provide the way if this is really His plan for my life! Pray that I will trust Him and grow closer to Him every day in preparation of leaving everything that I know behind.

One thing that God has taught me lately:
I just came from a friend's wedding. I left, after saying many, many goodbyes and told God that I was ready to get married and have a "forever friend." I am ready to have someone who will go with me forever, and I won't have to leave him when I go on missions trips or wherever. And God very clearly said to me "I AM that forever friend! Allow me to take that place in your life." I have a long way to go in my friendship with God, but I am convinced that He is the one that will never leave me or forsake me.

"When the storms are raging all around me. You are the peace that calms my troubled seas. And when the cares of this world darken my day, You are the light that shines and shows me the way. Oh the beauty of your Majesty! On the cross you showed Your love for me!"

I woke up this morning to the sounds of rain dripping outside of my window. The sky was dreary and dark. I've thought a lot lately about how this could be what my outlook on life looks like. My plans seem to be continually changing for me, and I really don't have any control over it. Who knows what the next steps in my life are going to look like. I recently found out that the team going to Taiwan will not leave the States until the end of July. I also found out that this means that I may have to miss Julie's wedding. By the time that I found out about the time change in the trip, it was too late for me to get the job that I had originally lined up for the summer. And to add to all of that, there is still the chance that I won't even be accepted to the program at all. For awhile it was easy for me to give into the "what if's" and question whether or not God really knows what He is doing here. Missing Julie's wedding is like missing my sister's wedding. I mean even my Dad is performing the ceremony!

However...No matter what I am feeling right now, I can look back and see that every time the future looked bleak or scary, God always pulled through on His end. There has never been a wasted hard time that I have gone through. I can trust that God will remain faithful to His promise to complete the good work that He began in me. It may be crazy to say this, and I'm really not asking God to put me through any more trying times, but I am thankful for the hard things that God has guided me through, so that I can walk through the next tough spot and say "yes, I know He has been faithful, and I trust Him to be faithful again."

With graduation in less than two weeks and a whole lot of changes and uncertainties in front of me, and I am super glad that I have a God that loves me enough to die on the cross for me. If He loves me that much, I'm pretty sure that He loves me enough to take care of all of the little details of my life.