Seeking God's Calling

Seeking God's calling

"Your understanding of Latin American culture and global missions will deepen as you receive cross-cultural training and mentoring. You will be challenged to broaden your ability to communicate your faith & better understand God's call upon your life."

    Over the past few months I have really learned the value of identifying your gifts, passions, and talents and asking the Lord to reveal to you, in His timing, these unique traits that he has given you to use in building His Kingdom. At first I thought I had to find out exactly where and to what God is calling me for my life, but I learned something quite different after reading through a great book called The Finishers by Roger Hershey and Jason Weimer (I recommend anyone who has a heart for missions to go and buy this book ASAP because there are some truths and insights that really transformed my thinking and drew me closer to the Lord in this book). One of the things that Roger Hershey said in the book that really transformed my thinking was, "Let me reiterate my definition of calling: my unique way of serving Christ in the world and in the Church by being who He has created me to be. It's not about a career or an occupation; it's not about what we do. It can be expressed many different ways, and we ought to do so while seeking first His Kingdom and righteousness, obeying His clearly stated commands. As Finishers, I encourage you to express your calling with a world-Christian mindset- living in such a way so that the nations can be blessed and the work of the gospel can be finished." 

    I am really looking forward to developing my understanding of God's call on my life, especially in the context of global missions. We received our information packets for the summer program in the mail a couple of weeks ago and I found out that I should prepare my testimony in Spanish and practice giving it. They also gave us a list of Bible verses in Spanish to memorize before we get there so we can start preparing to be equipped for evangelism in Mexico. I think I never really thought about it before they gave us these instructions, but some nervousness certainly hit me when I realized I would be sharing my faith in another language. I already get somewhat nervous sharing the gospel in English, so how much more challenging will this be in Spanish! But I am excited deep down because I know this will only strengthen me as a laborer for Christ and grow my relationship with the Lord as I learn how to trust Him even more when I experience the language and cultural barriers that must be overcome in addition to whatever other barriers in sharing the gospel with the lost and broken in Mexico City. 

     The following is one of my favorite passages of scripture as it has really guided me through my past couple of years at college, and I know this will continue to be a source of comfort and encouragement as I go into this next season in Mexico City: 

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers,be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

-2 Peter 1:3-11

What's unique about Avance? - Culture Immersion

    For the next few posts, I will be reflecting on the seven unique aspects of the Avance program that LAM identifies on their website. I want to take the opportunity to give more details to you about the program and also share my hopes, fears, thoughts, and just vision in general for each of these aspects.  So, for the first:

Cultural Immersion

"Modeled after Jesus’ incarnational ministry, where He took on flesh and dwelt among us, Avance places you to live with a national family. You'll learn and minister directly in Spanish, study the host culture and interact daily with the people you intend to reach."

    This is probably the aspect that I am most excited and scared about. 
I am excited because I absolutely love experiencing other cultures in an authentic and genuine manner. I was very blessed growing up in having many opportunities to go on international mission trips to Honduras, Jamaica, Bahamas, and Canada (my freshman year of college), as well as participating in a global theatre festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. This passion for learning about foreign cultures ultimately led me to Syracuse University, where I was accepted into a unique freshman study abroad program in which I studied abroad for my first semester of college my freshman year.  Many people questioned why I would want to do something so drastically different for my first semester of college, and my response is still pretty much the same today as people question why I would want to graduate from college a year early- because I like adventure and if such a unique opportunity presents itself I am going to take it and trust in God and not this world's expectations. I love to travel and see new places, taste new foods, meet new people, and just grow in my understanding of truly how diverse this world is. 
     While this wasn't necessarily true of my mindset when I went to Florence (because of my lack of a regenerate heart at that point in my life), today I am so deeply passionate about living with and ministering with other cultures than my native culture because my eyes are opened to an even more beautiful revelation of who God is and how the body of Christ globally makes up His beloved bride and works corporately to advance His Kingdom in all the earth. I am deeply impacted and transformed by the experiences I have in worship, prayer, fellowship, and outreach with people who are from a different culture, and in ways that I would never encounter if I were to remain in my comfort zone.
     But the whole topic of my comfort zone leads me into why I am also very nervous about this aspect of culture immersion. I do speak Spanish but really only conversationally, and I haven't been practicing the language for a few months now so I am very slow to process when listening and responding. The whole language barrier doesn't intimidate me in terms of living with my host family and having every-day conversations. I am most nervous about what it will be like to share the gospel, work in ministry, and share my testimony in this second-language for me. I already get nervous trying to effectively communicate the gospel or my testimony in English, and I have no idea what to expect of my ability to do the same in Spanish. 
     This is also why I love the way this program is structured in that during the summer portion, the primary focus is on learning the Mexican culture, language, and just adjusting to life in Mexico City. As much as I would love to just jump right in and prove to people that I can do anything I set my mind to, this program and this next season of my life is not about "building my resume" or making much of myself anymore. I know the Lord has placed this desire for international missions upon my heart, and I have fully surrendered everything I am and have to His will for my life. I have learned that my decisions have lasting impacts beyond what I can see in my temporary circumstances, therefore I must be the best steward to the gifts which God has entrusted to me for the work of His Kingdom. I know this foundation-laying time in this program will be extremely beneficial for my potential spiritual growth throughout the program and also just the fruitfulness of my growing in ability to labor for the Lord's Kingdom in a foreign place. Although I will be in a completely unfamiliar place going through experiences unbeknownst to me right now, I have found increasing peace in the assurance of God's faithfulness to His promises:
  

   In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession —to the praise of his glory. 

   For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

- Ephesians 1:11-23 

An open door that no one can shut

Originally from my other personal blog: The Lord is faithful

Posted on March 8, 2013

See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut 

    Today I found out that I have been officially accepted into the Avance program with Latin America Mission. This is a 14 month missions immersion program in Mexico City where I will live with a host family, work in a local NGO in ministry under the leadership of the local people, and grow with the body of Christ in the Latin Church, while also learning about cross-cultural ministry and how to be the best steward of the gifts God has given me in serving Him through long-term missions.

    I don’t even know where to begin. So many thoughts and emotions. Excited but terrified. Expectant yet completely clueless. Hopeful and humbled that the Lord is allowing me to be a part of his global mission in this way.

    I think back to my life this time three years ago when I was a senior in high school and I am so amazed at how drastically the Lord has moved mountains and changed me. Never could I have imagined that I would be sitting here tonight ready to go where the Lord is sending me- to a place I honestly cannot imagine living in and would never have desired to go to in the first place. But yes, that is often where God calls us. It isn’t cliche, but continual evidence of God’s desire for us to deny ourselves and follow Him. How can you truly deny yourself when you decide to go to a place you already desire to go and would be completely content in regardless of God’s placing you there? The moving of the Holy Spirit should be the marker of our lives, not our own desires and decisions that follow suit. 

“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
 These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” 

- Revelation 3:7-8