Family

A friend and I were recently discussing my call to missions and me possibly moving out of the country in the near future.  She said, what about all the people; all the relationships you will leave behind; you won’t know anyone there……  Well, it is not like I thought I could bring all of my “family” with me but I guess I kind of blocked out that part. 

First of all when I use the term family, the reason I put it in quotes is because for me many of the people who I think of as “family” are those that I do everyday life with.  My biological family, my church family, my work family, my charlotte family, my neighborhood family.  For those of you that do not know I really do think of all of you as part of a family that God has chosen to give me and I cherish each of these relationships. 

Part of my “family” is preparing to head to the mission field full time in Nicaragua, 16 days from now if I am counting correctly.  Of course I wish them all the best and know they are following God, but I will still miss them.  As I was thinking and praying about them leaving and maybe me leaving in the future at first I was sad.  I kept praying and God in His perfect timing gave me some answers.  I have had the amazing opportunity to interview two full time missionaries for my world missions class and one of them without knowing I was having this struggle showed me the answer.  Mark 10:29-30 “²⁹ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel ³⁰ will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.”  This missionary shared that as he was teaching this verse in a bible study on the other side of the world he shared with those around him that he looked at them as family that God had given him to replace those left behind in the United States.  Now, I am not saying my family here is replaceable, but what God has shown me is that I need not fear.  He will provide for me a new family wherever He places me. 

Thank you for all your prayers and please keep them up.  I have been accepted to go with a medical team to The Gambia West Africa this September  with Association of  Baptists for World Evangelism.  Please pray for the trip, for those that are leading it and for the full time missionaries there that we may serve them well.  I will keep you informed on fundraising and the trips progress.  I had the honor of serving with the 4 year olds at West Cabarrus Church today and we all survived.  Yesterday, I started volunteering with part of Charlotte Rescue Mission and some of the people they serve.  God is so good and I am feeling very blessed. 

I am praying for each of you that God will show you where He wants you to be and will use you in a mighty way.