Dang, God is GOOD.

So, God's generosity and faithfulness absolutely astounds me.

For quite some time now, I have struggled in my faith when it comes to financial stability. I have been asking God to challenge and grow me in this way and felt His nudge to quit my job back in September, in order to more adequately perform my duties at my full-time social work internship and to pour into people that God had put into my life. This was a huge leap of faith, as I had numerous bills to pay and a $4400 goal to reach for Zambia, but not surprisingly, God got me through it! Since finishing my internship, He has provided in enormous ways and I want to give you a brief idea of how He has done so!

-Well over 100% of my $4400 Zambia goal was taken care of through generous donations from family and friends. (Approximately $5000 was donated!!!!)

-I have had nearly twenty opportunities to babysit for several families over the past couple months, which has significantly helped me financially. I also had a chance to dog-sit for a week and help clean a couple of houses! (Thank you to the families who gave me these opportunities!)

-Felt God giving me the nudge to ask for a donation of an acoustic guitar to bring to Zambia, so that I could teach someone how to play and then give them the guitar when I leave there. Within an hour of posting this request on Facebook, I was given a brand new guitar. The next day I was given a donation to help buy items like guitar strings, a tuner, picks, etc. to go along with it.

-God provided an opportunity to travel to Zambia with an amazing family from my home church, rather than travelling alone.

-I received money from my college graduation to create a financial cushion for when I get back from Zambia, until I find a job.

-I have been given countless words of encouragement and prayers for my trip and overall well-being.

-A handful of letters have been sent to me, to be opened in Zambia when I am wanting a little reminder of home!

-I was given all the essentials that I will need for my trip (bug spray, travel-sized stuff for the plane rides, sunscreen, books, etc.) as Christmas presents.

-While my car usually gives me a lot of troubles in the winter and ends up costing me a lot of time and money, I have had virtually NO problems with it, thus far. HUGE blessing.

-I've been given God's peace in nearly every aspect of my trip and in life when I get back.

-I will have the opportunity to spend some time back at home before I leave, to hang out with family and friends there.

-God has grown me in insane ways; especially in the areas of humility and faith.

This is only scratching the surface of what God's been up to! What an amazing feeling, to be used by God and to see Him working in light of that obedience. Continuing to pray that everything that comes from my mouth, every work from my hands, every bit of strength would be used to glorify Him who has provided it all out of His grace and mercy. (Ultimately wanting to live out 1 Peter 4:11).

Thank you thank you thank you to all who have supported me in any way. Seriously can't say thank you enough. Please let me know if there is anything I can be doing to pray for you!

The good, the bad, the ugly.

There are officially 12 days until I graduate from college. Woah nellie. 

A lot of people have been asking me, "So, what are you up to these days?" and "So, what comes next after graduation?" Here are some updates to satisfy any curiosity you may have.

Let's just say that God has been up to some amazing stuff in my life and in the lives of those around me.

Zambia

Last April or May I started to get a strong urge to look into going over to Zambia for a longish-term mission trip/internship after I graduated. In the past several months, nearly $5,000 has been donated by friends and family who have stepped out in faith to support what God will be doing through me when I go. I will be leaving on January 14, and I will be fortunate enough to travel with another family from my home church who has created a non-profit organization that is working to provide computers to college students at the International Bible College of Zambia. Travelling with these guys is a HUGE answer to prayer, as I was terrified to travel over there by myself. 

Over there I will be working with Jeff and Heidi Smith and their family, who have been full-time missionaries out in Zambia for about a year now. This will be an amazing opportunity to work on social work skills, as I will be able to work in orphanages and preschools with little kiddos and possibly also go into the capitol city of Lusaka to interview social workers to see what their system looks like there in comparison to here. I will also get firsthand knowledge and experience of what full-time missions looks like and hopefully see if that is something I would like to do in the future. 

Post-Zambia

I have started the process of applying to go to graduate school at UNI, which would start this summer. Praying that I get accepted into this year-long program! So I will be sticking around Cedar Falls and finding a job, likely working with kids in a school setting. My goal in getting a Master of Social Work degree is to one day become either a play therapist or an elementary school counselor. 

The Good

As I've already said, God has been up to crazy stuff lately. The biggest theme in His teaching as of late is that ultimately this life is not about making us feel comfortable - it is about God being glorified. God has been urging me over and over again to get out of my comfort zone and it has been extremely rewarding. While I have already begun to make plans for my future, I know that God can (and probably will) change these plans to better suit His need. I am excited to see what He has planned and am regularly praying for my desires to become one with His. 

The Bad and the Ugly

While there have been an abundance of blessings and joyous occasions as of late, there have also been some struggles. There have been moments in which I have wavered in my faith and struggled with doubt because of certain circumstances. That said, I could use some prayer when it comes to leaning on God - particularly in the areas of financial stability and health concerns of some of my loved ones. It can be so difficult to let go of control and I wrestle with that daily.

Long Story Short

PRAISES: Fully funded for Zambia, won't be travelling alone, potential job             opportunities when I return, an amazing church family in Waterloo, countless chances to get out of my comfort zone, supportive friends and family, potentially going to grad school, a gracious and loving God that never ceases to provide.

PRAYERS: Renewed faith and reliance on God for the things I can't control (everything), safety in travel to and from Zambia.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!