How I'm Going: a Story of God Pushing Me Out the Door.

I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!! Why am I excited? Well, this summer I get to go to Skjolden, Norway on a mission trip for 5-6 weeks. God has been so awesome and amazing in the whole process of preparing for this trip and I just feel like I need to write it down and share my joy with the world :).

So, I didn't have any plans. My summer was looking quite drab and plain. I wanted to DO something, but I didn't know what... I could apply to be a leader at STP, I could work, I could do classes, I could work. Nothing was "jumping" out at me. I didn't know how I could use my summer, but I knew I wanted to USE it. Then I went to the Nav Missions short-term page.

I was just putzing around the page, looking at different trips, not being really intrigued by anything in particular. Then I saw a little gray dot on Norway. "Norway?" (I thought to myself). Hmmmmmm. I started thinking about it, but I didn't know. A mission trip? Did I want to spend my summer out of the country? Did I want to spend weeks raising the funds? And then I thought the Question: Did I want to give God the opportunity to use me in the lives of others and give him the time (and space) to work in my life in radical ways? Well, in the case that you might not know me personally, my immediate thought was "Wait, say what????".

I spent the next few hours in an internal battle. I didn't know if Norway was for me, I didn't know if I wanted to leave the country for that long, I didn't know if I could commit to this. Then, in talking with a dear friend, I realized: Was it fair of me to close this door on God and not give him the opportunity to work through me and in my life? I realized, I shouldn't close this door in God's face if He wanted to use it for me, it wasn't fair, to myself or Him. So, I spent the next 24 hours getting my application together. (Did I mention that all of this occurred 24 hrs. before application deadline? Well, it did). 24 hrs. later, I was sitting in my living room, thinking: "I just applied for a missions trip to Norway... What in heaven's name have I just done?"

I spent the next few days in a sort of daze. I have never been outside of the Continental U.S. (I don't really count the few days I've spent in Canada). I was pretty intimidated by what God would do through me and to me this summer. Not to mention, I am accident prone and going to a foreign country would definitely open some doors to new injuries. I didn't know exactly how my parents would feel. I prayed that if I was supposed to go to Norway, that everyone that I talked to about it would be excited for me. I prayed that I would get excited about going to Norway. I laid out my fleece like Gideon.

Over the next week, I just was swallowed by God's faithfulness. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, that I talked to about my trip was excited for me. My mom, my sisters, my grandma, my friends, my co-workers, everyone that I mentioned my trip to wanted to know more and was excited for me. My potential team leaders called me to introduce themselves and I got more and more excited. God was answering my prayer in ways that I hadn't expected.

Then, a week after applying, I got the e-mail. I was accepted to the trip. I screamed for joy in the car ride to Ignite. I called my mom, she was so excited. I called my sister, she was sooo happy for me. My dad was on the phone and he asked the dad question: "How much does it cost?". I was crushed. I felt that this was him not being excited for me. I thought my fleece was dripping wet on the soaked ground. I was suddenly so torn. I didn't know if this was indeed God's plan for me. Was I supposed to go to Norway. I spent the next evening torn and frustrated, listening to talks about going into the nations (the theme of our conference).

Then, my fleece was dry again. My dad called me the next day and said that if I was going to Norway, there were some things I needed to get and know and do. He was being supportive in his own way. He made sure I knew what the climate was like and he had done his own research into the region I would be in, where I would be staying, the climate, the recreational activities. He was being a dad and making sure that I knew what I was getting into. He approved of my trip and he was excited for me, in his own way. I told him that it meant the WORLD to me that he did that and he said, "If you believe that this is what the Lord is calling you to do this summer, then your mom and I will support you in the best way that we can." God had answered my prayer. Everyone was excited and supportive. My fleece was dry and the ground was wet around it.

And then it hit me in the face: I was going to Norway, that was where God wanted me, and He was going to change my life this summer.

That's where I'm at right now. I am going to Norway, I am fundraising, I am going with a pretty snazzy group of teammates. God has been answering prayers before and during this whole crazy process. I have to fundraise $4750, but God's got this one.

I am so excited. Not just that I'm going, but that I get to see how God is using my funding to work in  my faith. I will get to see God use me in the lives of my team and the others that I come into contact with. I will get to spend the summer in Norway, who gets to do that?

If you want to know more about my trip, I would love to talk to you. Call, text, e-mail, message, I would love to talk to you about it. I would love to tell you about how God is moving in my life. I can't wait to see where this crazy road takes me and I'd love to bring you along :).