Looking Back and Hopeful for What's Ahead.

Here's a post from September 20th of last year. Crazy to see whats happend in this last year.

A year from now...
I've been thinking what I'll be doing a year from now. I have absolutely no idea. A year ago I was making 150 bracelets for the kids at the AGC church in Kenya and getting so pumped up about going over there for 2 weeks. So much has happened in this past year. Kenya completely changed my life. God's given me such a passion for his children overseas. I feel called to work in orphan ministry. I don't know how long or where I'm going yet but I think a year from now, life could possibly be completely different. A year from now, I'll be the big two O, hopefully doing missions in a country where the need is great. Im hopeful for what God has in store over this next year. Im almost halfway done with cosmetology school and excited to be done:) I think I can use this profession for God's glory. I've got some ideas jumpin around in my head :) haha. God is faithful and Im so excited to see what he has in store for me this next year as I hopefully head off into a new chapter of my life working with orphans.

.....This is just crazy to me. I talked about how I wanted to do missions overseas and I didn't know where or how long. I ended up going to Moldova for 2 months. "hopefully doing missions in a country where the need is great"... As I started working with Operation Mobilization I prayed specifically that God would send me where the need is great and He put me right in the middle of a ton of need in Moldova. My favorite part of this entire blog "I think I can use this profession for God's glory." I'm just smiling, amazed at how God has worked. How He has used this profession to bring himself glory. A few days ago an article was published on the work God did through me in Moldova. It started off the the OM Moldova website then went to the OM News website. Then some missions national news rewrote an article on the article and posted that. And since then another website posted that same article on their website. I'm amazed how God used what little I had to bring such glory to Himself! People are emailing me because they have read the article. They are hearing about what God did and how He used hair to bring people to him.

As I read this blog back, I am just amazed by how faithful God is and how now I see that He placed those desires in my heart last year around this time and to see how He accomplished those ideas. He opened the door with Operation Mobilization, sent me where the need is great, and used hairdressing as a way to bring glory to Him. It's awesome to see how God's worked through every event in the past few years. Going way back to sophomore year in high schoool...God placed this country of Kenya on my heart. Then our church started working with the baby center and I was able to go there. I had a desire to go into long term missions then, but God said wait. I went to beauty school and graduated. Then somehow, I ended up in a little country I had never heard of until a few months before I went to live there for the summer. God has just used every little detail and I can see a little now of why He did what He did. I was so hurt and confused when Icouldn't go to Kenya, but I see it now. He was saving me from something and somewhere I needed to be. At times when I can't see the big picture, I have learned that I can and have to trust God completely. He always sees the big picture and knows what's best for me.

So a year from now. Life will be different. I see myself overseas for long term missions. I see this ministry of using hairdressing, growing and expanding. I see me learning a new language and culture. I still want to be where the need is great. This will always be my prayer. I can't wait to see what God has in store for this next year. There is one thing I know..."If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it...matthew 10:39" I can't think of anything better for right now than giving up my life here and radically and obediently following Christ. This may mean missing my brother and sister "grow up" as Kylee graduates this year and goes to college and zach graduates next year. This may mean I leave my paying job as a hair stylist here to go do hair for free. This may mean losing friendships here because I will be gone for a year or two. But living life comfortably is no way to live when I know that if I give my life up now, I will have treasure in heaven. I'm so excited to continue on this journey with Christ. I know He has big things in store.

Click here to read the article published by OM.
Click here to read the article rewritten at Mission Network News.