So I asked...the story of HOW...

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15

So, after years of watching others go on missions trips, watching them come home, and watching their lives change once they came back, I said to myself "I want to go and serve. I have seen an entire family (husband and wife, 5 year old, 3 year old and 8 month old) go from the east coast to New Mexico. I have seen a small group go to Jamaica, to teach Vacation Bible School and put a roof on a church, while sleeping on the church's floor at night. I've seen a large group of teenagers go to the Dominican Republic, and help a church start a youth program similar to the one we have at our church, of which they went into the neighborhoods and brought their DR peers to church. And last year, I witnessed 81 people, from teens to the elderly, go to the slums of Mathare Valley, Nairobi, Kenya, to do a number of things. They taught sewing classes, so that people could start and run businesses. They taught Bible classes to children. They had leadership workshops, and went door to door, trying to get people to come and get AIDS testing done.

One group even went to different homes (shacks, to us here in the USA), to 'bring light'. See, each home is basically 4 walls, made of whatever building materials the occupants could find...be it plywood, cardboard, tin sheets...anything. The roof is usually made of a slab of tin. They have a door to get in and out, which stays open most days to let the light in. This one group actually went into the home, cut a hole in the roof, and installed a square of plexiglass to let light into the home...so often, we take for granted that we can open our curtains to let the sun inside. For me, a twist of my wrist opens the blinds...yet there are people around the world who do not have this. Amazing.

So after being inspired when the Kenya team returned home, and shared their stories, I decided that it was finally time for me to go and serve. Of course, their stories were not pretty AT ALL. In Kenya, the smell (I'm told) is worse than any sewer or garbage dump, and it was hard to not let it show on the team's face. They saw what the citizens were living in, how the water was contaminated with both human and animal waste, and how the children still played in it regardless, because it is all they have. The people who call this home are used to it, and are proud of what they have, so the team could not be rude and turn up their noses, as that is not what Jesus would have done. Jesus accepted everyone for who they were, and came to them, wherever they were, with open arms. If we are to be the Hands and Feet of Him, then we must do the same.

After much praying and fasting, discussion and thought, I decided that I was going to Kenya to continue the works where the 2011 team left off.

When it came time to begin missions applications for 2012, I did what I was supposed to. I went to the information session; heard about all of the trips that were being offered, asked a few questions and picked up my application. I prayed before filling it out, and asked that I be sent to serve where I can best be used.

So I began filling it out. When it asked which trip I was applying for,in choice 1 I put Prague, choice 2 was Mexico. Once I had filled it out, I thought I had made a mistake, since I wanted to go to Kenya. At the time, I didn't have any white out on me, so I figured I would take it to work with me the next day, and make my corrections then. I completed my application, and readied my reference letters. Then I prayed again that He "send me where I can best serve His needs".

The next day, I forgot my application at home. The day after, I took it to work, but forgot to make the changes. I then made sure to set a reminder on my Outlook to make the change...but set it for 9p.m. instead of A.M. It took me a minute...and then I realized that maybe I wasn't supposed to make that change, and that this was the Holy Spirit's way of letting me know...and who am I to argue with the Holy Spirit? Yep...NOBODY.

So I prayed to submit to the Spirit, and be glad that I am fit for service. I began the drive to the church, to drop off my application, and prayed along the way. When I took the application into the office, the woman taking it was happy to receive it from me, and asked me where I was applying to go to. With a smile, and a heart of gladness, I was able to tell her "the European trip, to Prague to serve with the Mudriks".

You know, when people say "Let Go and Let God", I always think 'how cliche'...though its a true statement. Sometimes, we get in the way of what the Spirit wants for us. We have our own wants, and we think that our want is whats best for us, so we focus on it. The fact that I made known to Him the desire of my heart (wanting to go and serve), He has heard (Psalm 20:4). He has also heard me ask to be sent to where I can best be used to serve...and while I thought I knew where that was, He knew better (Hebrews 12:9).