Africa & moving forward...

As I write this, Africa is only 5 weeks away...5 weeks and 5 days.  I'm overwhelmed at the the thoughts, the excitement, the planning...the blessing.  We prayed as a group today--there are 10 of us going and it was an AMAZING time where God moved among us...knitting us in unity as a group and moving and speaking to each of us individually.  This is a team that I'm so blessed and honored to be part of...and I can't wait to see what God is going to do in and through each person as we travel to Nigeria for our first trip together.  I'm also so grateful and thankful for the blessing of those that have partnered with me financially and prayerfully to support this work with the Adassa Foundation in Africa.  I'm on my way to raising a third of my support, and believing God for the rest!  I covet your prayers most of all--please be in prayer for continued financial provision for everyone traveling on this trip, peace and comfort for our families while we're gone, protection--both physical and spiritual--for EVERY member of the team and those we are in contact with while we are in Africa, and that the impact of what God will do will spread throughout Emure-Ekiti, to the rest of Nigeria, and the entire continent!  I won't be taking my laptop with me, but I will take a journal that I will "blog" in each day and share it all with you when I return.  We leave January 16th...

God has been dealing with me a lot on "moving" and getting rid of the old, making room for the new...my lease is up in January while I'm in Africa, and as I get ready to pack my things and my apartment up before I leave, this new chapter feels very interesting.  I've moved A LOT since the beginning of my life...you don't even want to know how many times!  When I got my "first house" that I personally had ever owned ready for the market and sold it a few years ago it was probably the most physically demanding move, and the hardest to adjust to mentally.  I didn't get it on the market "in time" based on what everyone was telling me such as, "If you don't sell it this summer you won't sell it--people don't buy in Williamson County in the middle of the school year...it's going to be harder the longer you go and the closer you get to the fall,"  etc, etc.  (My personal favorite was "the face"...you know the one, when someone thinks you should've done something already because of the risk and fear they feel will be there if you didn't, and they do the "Is your house listed yet??  Oh, it isn't? Oooohhh. ___insert cringe face here___) The reason I didn't get it listed quickly is because I was doing repairs myself and continuing to work full time and serve at church.  I remember mowing the grass that entire summer, walking back and forth across the lawn while praying and fighting the fear the enemy would try to bring.  I KNEW my house would sell when the timing was right and prayed for the buyer even then.  God had already been providing in miraculous ways in the midst of bad circumstances and I was still IN my house by HIS grace and provision, so I knew it would sell and I didn't listen to the negative.  Anyway, fast forward to September/October of that year...I have a cousin who is a wonderful agent, and I had prayed so many months that I just knew it would sell.  The "for sale" sign went up one day, the same day we had our first showing, and THAT is the person who bought my house.  Everything was final and sold in 3 days--God DOES move mountains!!  :)  The reason I share that testimony is because I need to remind myself of it all over again as I face another huge change and adventure of the unknown!  (And the question of whether or not to buy a condo next year as I would like to live by myself for the first time... :)  God is the same yesterday, today and forever, so I don't expect anything less than another miraculous testimony.

I'm once again learning something all over again spiritually, and applying it physically as well.  I was reminded of a teaching that a very wise woman did earlier this year on boxes and clutter in our lives.  (watch for the Janna Pastin blog, coming soon. ;)  What I've taken away from the past few weeks is this--unless I get rid of the clutter in my "house"...my mind, heart, spirit...there isn't room for the new things to move in as I'm moving forward.  I'm holding on loosely to my own ideas, my own plans, and things so that God can change them to what HE sees...just as I'm letting go of old furniture, clothing, pictures, and miscellaneous "stuff," I pray to get rid of the old stuff in me as well.  Anything that would cause a block in the path God has for me, I want it gone!  Today's encouragement in the word from the Lord was SO on point...in the midst of all of this upheaval, I feel such peace and calm.  He's got me...he's got you...and that's all that matters.  We don't have to figure it all out on our own, but can just rest in Him and trust!