To Italy

Right now, I have absolutely no idea what the reason could possibly be that God would suddenly take Iceland away and send me to Italy, a country I really haven’t been crazy to visit.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I was numb. I can’t really remember much from those days except how completely weighed down I was with discouragement. On Friday night at CEF headquarters here in Warrenton, MO I was still a little spacey and disengaged. I honestly just wanted to drown in my misery and whine and say God, you have no idea what you’ve just done to me. I’m giving up and going home. But he sent me a friend. We hardly knew each other but she could see that I was down and needed some encouragement. She came alongside me and spoke words that she could not have known I needed into my heart. She prayed for me and hugged me and I really began to feel significantly better.

For the next several days, it seemed that everything that was said in chapel or in group times spoke directly to my struggle to accept Italy as my new destination. Over and over again the idea that God would take our expectations and turn them upside down and once we trusted him, he would work mightily were brought up. Again and again we were encouraged to trust trust trust God.

And now I’m there. I don’t know what God’s up to but I am there. I am fully engaged, looking forward eagerly to God working huge ways in my heart and in my life this summer. I am repreparing mentally for Italy and I am getting really excited to work with the kids there. God has never let go of me and he’s not about to now. I can’t wait to see what’s next.