But my personal quirks aside, there's a lot of news to share.
A couple months ago, I was faced with a really difficult decision. (I'll try to make this shorter and less complicated than it actually was.) When I was hired at AG headquarters last November, it was with the understanding that I would be leaving in early September or October 2008. They wanted me to stay longer, but at the time, that was my target departure date for Thailand. Over the course of this summer, I realized my budget probably wasn't going to be raised by October of this year, which would have been fine, except with the role my job plays in General Council preparations, I didn't have the option to just stay until my budget was raised. My department either needed to hire somebody in the early fall or I needed to stay until after General Council in August 09.
For weeks I spent a lot of time praying, and admittedly worrying, about what to do. With only having around 20 percent of my budget raised at the time, it didn't seem practical to just quite my job and have no source of income while I tried to keep raising my budget. But, I also didn't want to discount the fact that God can do miracles and provide in ways we could never imagine. But as June and early July progressed, the more I prayed, the more peace I felt about pushing back my Thailand departure. There were times in prayer when I really sensed God telling me "wait." Yes, there were some feelings of fear and worry that I had disappointed or let down the missionaries and my supporters, but once again God was faithful. When I talked to Michele Dove (the missionary I'll be working with) she was tremendously supportive and understanding of my decision to wait. I also spoke with a handful of people who have supported me in prayer and financially and they too, were encouraging. In everything, God seemed to be guiding the hearts of everyone involved in my future ministry in Thailand. So, in case I haven't been clear, I made the decision to stay in Springfield and at headquarters until after General Council next August. I believe God will continue to provide for all of my needs and that come early September next year, I will be on a plane to Thailand.
In the meantime, I am praying for the women of Thailand and those who are already ministering there. Michele and I have also talked about me starting to write and edit some articles for the magazine, so that I can help her even while I'm in the U.S. Thanks to the power of the Internet and email, I think that will work out well.
Throughout the past few months God has continued to provide encouragement at just the right time. Whether it's been an aptly timed sermon at church or a new contribution to my budget, God's reminded me that he has indeed called me to Thailand for a year. I am so appreciative of all the support that people have given. I've never been one who's been good at asking for help, so as I've mentioned before, the budget raising is truly the most challenging aspect of this journey. But time and time again, generous people have provided support. If you are one of the many who's helped, please know what a tremendous blessing you have been. Words can't express how much everyone's support means. It's incredibly humbling (and a honestly, a little bit scary) to know that God and others have entrusted me with the task of sharing His love in Thailand. With your prayers and continued support, I will do my best to serve Christ on the other side of the world. I am so thankful that He will be my source of strength and wisdom as I prepare and once I arrive.
