A Peak Into My Mission Life

In 47 days I will be saying farewell to family and friends and will headed with Daddy and Mama to be dropped off at the Seattle airport to start my journey to Uganda. I sit here thinking about how time has seemed to slip by so fast. It seems like just the other day I was sitting down at the river telling God that He was crazy if He thought I was going to Uganda... and here I am going through all the final stages of preparation for my trip. It certainly has not been an easy journey and I know that Satan will try to stop me in any way he can but if there is one thing in my life I'm certain of, without doubt, is that Uganda is calling my name. This is what my life is about, spreading the gospel, sharing the lifesaving truth as I know it. Following God's lead and letting Him use this little small town girl for a bigger purpose than she ever dreamed of.

Getting into missions nobody ever warned me of how hard it is. I never realized how much was involved, how much time spent just getting everything ready so you can go. I didn't know how hard Satan fights you when you are doing crazy things for God. All the little details that have to be figured out. How very few people really understand what it's like to feel this burning passion in my heart and think I'm somehow wasting my life. How you come back from a mission trip kind of feeling like a foreigner in your own country. Things in your life change and you don't really even know how to live like a "normal" college age kid. These are things nobody tells you. But one thing I can say with confidence. Getting into missions has been one of the most fulfilling, satisfying, addicting things I have ever done. I don't regret my obedience to follow God for a moment because I know through all the hard stuff God is doing great things and He is granting me permission to be a part of that.

It's almost been ten months since I told God that I would follow Him to Uganda. Hours of time have been spent pouring over books, Bible passages, packing list, blogs from other missionaries, filling out forms, getting vaccinations, waiting for emails, writing letters, fundraising, shopping, finding suitcases, finding out information such as required shots to enter country, baggage limits, flight dates, coordinating to be dropped off and picked up at airports, preparing mentally, physically and spiritually to go to Africa for a month. Now comes down to all the last details, Malaria medicine, making sure all the money is where it's supposed to be, packing suitcases, finishing shopping for items I need, thank you cards to supporters, making sure all my flight stuff is right. Printing copies of everything to leave with my family, making sure I have enough funds, paying bills for while I'm gone, making luggage tags... all the while still trying to keep up with the rest of my life. Working my full time job, spending time with family, having time for devotions, teaching children's church. The list goes on. That is a little snapshot into my life.

The thing is, though sometimes all those details and the small things that have to be worked out here are sometimes very frustrating and overwhelming, the desire and passion for missions in my heart continues to grow. I know there is no better way I would rather spend my life. So maybe I don't go to college... maybe I won't get married... or have my own kids... maybe I will never own a house, a fancy car or have a retirement. Perhaps I'll never know what it's like to be a "normal" twenty-one year old. Who knows, maybe I will but regardless of anything that my flesh desires if even one child comes to Christ through my testimony, if even one single person accepts Jesus into their heart from my whole life in missions it will be a life worth living.

So though I know saying farewell to my family to travel over 8,000 miles to a foreign country will be one of the hardest things I ever do (and will probably do over and over) I am excited, and feel myself eager to step onto the plane, I feel the passion growing the closer I get to leaving, the more I know about Uganda, the more I see God work, the more my heart aches to be there. So many emotions. I know leaving Uganda will be really hard as well but will look forward to sharing God's testimony with my friends, family and neighbors here when I return.