This whole journey started about a year and a half ago when I first started praying about how God would possibly use me after I finished with my 3-year contract at my current job. I was certain that God wanted me to move to some hut in the remote jungles of Africa. And to move to huts, time and preparation are needed. Therefore, I started praying about how exactly all this would come to fruition. And it was in that process that God showed me that He has a completely different plan for me.
During this time of praying and searching, God gave me many signs to let me know that Africa isn't what is in store for me at this time. After prayer and discussion with my accountability partner, she encouraged me to search for other mission opportunities. We looked at the NAMB (North American Mission Board) website, and they were featuring NYC that day. I laughed because to me, being a missionary meant living somewhere you hated, giving up the pleasures of material things, not knowing the language, etc. Never in a million years would God call me to live in a city that my family had come to LOVE over the years. The city my family vacations to. The city that has many sports teams that my family cheers for. The city that is full of culture and life and opportunity that I adored. Never would God call me to somewhere like this. Never.
Wrong. Through much prayer and seeking the wisdom of others in my life, I realized that God is calling me to the city that my heart has loved for many years. God is calling me to minister to the city that my heart yearns for. God has been preparing my heart for this for years. But what would it look like for me to minister to a city like NYC?
The huge focus for NAMB right now is church planting. They are all about living, being, working in a community. Through building community they are urging to plant churches in the cities where Christ is desperately needed. Since I am not a male, not married, and have never been to seminary, I am not necessarily qualified or equipped to start a church. I am however qualified to live in a city, work in a city, live in community in a city, and support a church plant that has already been established in a community.
So that is exactly what I am going to do. I am going to live in the Washington Heights area, work (hopefully) in the Washington Heights area, get to know my neighbors in the Washington Heights area, and go to church in the Washington Heights area. And ALL of this is because of Christ.
I am not one to make a big move like this to a big city, away from my parents, not knowing anyone, taking a huge leap of faith with finances and housing. So all of this is Christ. I am currently in the process of applying/interviewing for a job. There is a certain job that recruiters called me about asking me if they could put my application in for. If it works out, it is TOTALLY a God thing. (I'll let you know more when I find out).
The big thing that God is teaching me in all of this is that He is in control. He knows what is best for us even when it doesn't make sense at the time. He is working all things out to fulfill His ultimate purpose in our lives-to bring Him glory. I pray that through this whole process God is glorified. Even if this is an Abraham-giving-Isaac-as-a-sacrifice type of situation, I pray that I give God all the glory and that I have the faithfulness and willingness of Abraham.
