Hello all!
I felt the need to update you all on what's been going on lately. It's been a long while since I posted, and there has been great transition, and quite honestly, many 180 degree turn arounds in the past five months or so. Since about June of this past summer, I have been digging deep into God's Word and have begun serving in student ministry at Church of the Highlands. With no other way to put it, I have fallen head over heels in love with Jesus, and as a result, have changed my major and flipped my life upside down for the better. After months of going out, making mistakes and letting my grades drop, my Creator has shown me the meaning of surrendered life and my worth in Him. God has worked through me to be a light to so many people already, and having the opportunity to minister to and disciple my group of sixth grade girls has been a blessing beyond measure.
Then, about two months ago, something huge and terrifying and life-altering occurred. I had been thinking about mission work in Nepal earlier in the summer, and it had slipped from my mind for a while. For my birthday, one of my very close friends gave me a present that, little did she know, would be my word from God. I was given a notebook that was made in Nepal--and as crazy as this is going to sound-- as soon as it touched my hands, my heart raced. My hands tingled. I got this feeling.
Feeling the Spirit moving in me, I went home and did some research. What I found simply blew my mind: there was a trip to Nepal through the same organization I had been wanting to do mission work for for years now... and it took place the exact same dates for the internship I had been planning to do in New York...and I would be able to minister through art and creativity... and I would be working with women in beauty salons (two things I am incredibly passionate about). "Surely," I prayed, "God couldn't be calling me to spend two whole months in a nation halfway across the earth for my first mission trip." But the feeling wouldn't relent. As quickly as I wanted to say "THIS IS IT! I MUST APPLY NOW", I thought I couldn't do something so impulsive without some sort of confirmation.
I buried myself in Scripture every day for over a month. I prayed relentlessly over this call that weighed heavier on me every day. About two weeks later, my mom informed me that we would no longer be going on vacation at the beginning of June, and though I was first upset, that ended up being my first confirmation, as the dates of our family vacation were going to conflict with the dates of the Nepal trip. I kept praying. I kept reading.
I came across Luke 9:62 where Jesus says, "Anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit to serve the Kingdom." Confirmation number two. How could I have heard something so clearly from God and turn my back on it? How could all of these things be a coincidence?
About a week later, I wrecked my car. $500 of my savings was drained. Sitting at the repair shop, all I could think was, "You're not going to Nepal. There's simply no way now that you've let this happen." But I went home, and I settled in prayer. And, as clear as ever, the Lord said, "Apply. Trust me."
So I did. After losing nearly half my savings account, I applied for a $5,000 two month mission trip, surrendering and trusting with all I knew how to.
A few days later, confirmation number three occurred. Months before, I had volunteered to do some artwork for a close friend of mine, and for no reason at all, she paid me for it. I refused to accept it, but she refused to take no for an answer. In that moment, God moved in my heart to say, "You trust, I provide." What a blessing my friend was on that day.
Two weeks later, after numerous back and forth arguments with myself of "I can't do this" and "I can't ignore such a clear calling," I received a most obvious confirmation: I was accepted! And I had two weeks to put down my $100 deposit. This was pressure. This was urgency.
As crazy as the next two weeks were, you all would get bored reading every detail, but I can tell you that nearly once a day I encountered something that had "confirmation" written all over it. From my boss telling me a story about living for God in the here and now, to encouragement from nearly every person I talked to about the trip, every arrow pointed to GO.
Telling my mom was nerve-racking. She's my best friend. She's the one person I so desperately seek support from, and I expected her timidity. I knew she couldn't be excited by any means because of the risk that this trip would be and the circumstances surrounding our family. But this was the one time that, though she wasn't necessarily happy about me going, I knew I had to lean on what I heard from my Creator. I had to look to Him for support and provision. This was, and still is, the most difficult part of pursuing this trip: being torn between honoring my mother's wishes and following a calling that was simply too loud to be ignored.
So I made my deposit. Every day, it is the prayer, "Lord, I don't know how You will make this happen, but I trust that you will." I came to the realization that I can pray for the ability to make the money and I can pray for the wisdom to touch the people of Nepal, but it is ultimately my God who does these things. He has put me in these circumstances that make this trip seem virtually impossible so that when my feet hit the ground in Nepal, I will have no choice to say, "God and God alone got me here. All the glory and praise goes to Him."
One of my best friends gave me an insight that she had from Scripture that gave me such encouragement. In the book of Matthew, James and John dropped EVERYTHING to follow Jesus with only the words, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Eleven words. Eleven words was all they needed to drop everything they had and everything they knew to follow their Savior. So why was it taking me any more than the initial call and numerous confirmations afterward to drop it all and simply follow? It was time for me to stop looking for the big neon sign and stop searching for yet another assurance because, as my friend put it, "Every search for confirmation is another opportunity for God to say yes, but it is also another opportunity for the enemy to tell you no." And that was my tipping point. I decided that I have to stop doubting and searching and simply follow.
So here I am! I am currently 1.96% funded, I am currently following God into complete darkness, and I am currently praying for a financial and spiritual miracle. I don't necessarily feel ready for two months in Nepal, and I don't necessarily feel qualified to minister to anyone, but I remember every day that God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called.
If you made it through this whole post, you rock; but laying out this timeline was necessary to see every detail of God moving so pertinently in my heart. I am so excited to spread the Good News to a nation that is earthquake shaken and targeted by human trafficking and so desperate for the love of our Creator. Nepal is only about 10% Christian, but the church is on the rise there. And with so many ears who have not heard the name of Jesus, I can't wait to be a vessel for God to mend hearts before my very eyes.
If any of you feel moved to support me in this venture, financially and/or prayerfully, I'm providing the link below where you can make donations to my fund. I keep telling myself that if 50 people donate $100 I will be fully funded! But any amount that the Lord may put on your heart to give is an absolute blessing.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE
Much love to all, I will be posting more often to update you guys on how God moves in this!
xo Savannah
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