not just yet

Change of plans. Or more like, God has different plans.

Today my family, Rachel and I left Lynchburg at 3:00 in the morning to head to Roanoke for our first flight. The plan was to fly out of Roanoke at 6:15, meet up with Mary at our layover in Detroit, then we would all fly to Tokyo and then finally to Bangkok.

We got to the airport and had some issues with check-in. We were told that we were required to have a visa to stay in Thailand for more than 30 days.
Our (amazing) team leaders got some very early morning phone calls and what it came down to was that we would have to go home and delay our flights until we can get our visa's, which should be very soon. We can't start that process until Monday but plan to get them overnighted and head out on the first flight to Thailand that we can get after we get our visa's.

Of course, it could be easy to be disappointed that we didn't get to leave today. But, I really just trust that God knows what He's doing and for whatever reason, did not want us to go today. Things had been up in the air all week with whether or not it was still going to be safe for us to go because of the violence that was going on in Bangkok. But, that calmed down and all signs were still a go until we got to check-in. While we were praying about what to do about our trip while all of the violence was going on, I really didn't feel stressed about whether or not we were going to be able to go this week because I know that none of that was a surprise to God. I feel the same way about the situation with our visa's.

Please be praying that we will be able to get our visa's quickly and get the flights rescheduled (in God's timing).

On another note, our Thailand team is awesome.

They had a dinner for us this Tuesday and prayed over us and for the trip.



It was really great to be able to spend time with them and join together in prayer for what God's going to do in and through us this summer.

I'm SO excited to go. But for now, we wait.

the cool thing

I've always loved 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ's power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults,
in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So, I've definitely had moments when I've been thinking about this summer that I've asked God, "Hey... are you sure you know what you're doing? Do you really want me to go work with beginnings and minister to girls in the bars in Bangkok? That just sounds a little intense sometimes and, lets be honest, are you sure I've got what it takes? I could just stay back and pray. I'm sure there's someone better, more qualified..." There have been times where I've just felt a little bit like, who do I think I am that I think I can do this? But what I'm forgetting is that it doesn't matter if I can do it, because God can. It's like I limit God and forget for a second that the areas that I fall short aren't going to stop him from using me. The cool thing about God is that he's great at using weak people. He does it all the time and I love watching it. I love it when something is totally impossible unless God steps in and moves, and He always does.

I read this verse today and found it really encouraging.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.
Not many of you were wise by human standards;
not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;
God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -
and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are,
so that no one may boast before him.
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who has become for us wisdom from God - that is,
our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Therefore, as it is written:
"Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
1 Corinthians 1: 26-31