Believing and Trusting

Mission trips, I think no matter WHERE you go, God can use you.
I think no matter WHERE God calls you, God can use you.
That is how I have been feeling.

I have thought many a times about our mission trip to Belize these past few days. I have thought about our mission trip to Alaska and what a life-changer that was. I have thought about our recent mission trip to Benton Harbor. I have thought a lot.

Moving to St. Joseph, only 1 hour and 10 minutes from where I grew up, was a stretch for me. I remember the first two weeks there, I felt like a hermit because I didn’t know very many people, I didn’t know where anything was, and getting groceries was a big outing for me. Quickly I learned it was a sink or swim factor and before I knew it, I was well adjusted.

Moving to Minnesota, which is 10 hours from St. Joseph and 11ish hours from where I grew up, was a stretch for both of us. The first few weeks were spent figuring out how to move to a different state (boy there was a LOT to learn), setting up our home, and figuring out what we needed to set up a home (we were living with Dan’s parents for 5 months so they had everything we ever needed). Getting groceries, once again, was a big outing for me. Quickly though, we learned that THIS is where God wants us. Not to say that there weren’t struggles – it is hard moving to a community where you don’t have any family and are meeting so many people for the first time. Yet we soon realized that even though the people here aren’t family by blood, we feel a part of the “family” here. I cannot say enough about the love that we have been shown. Many times Dan and I either sat in tears or speechless in response to the love given us.

Exercising in Minnesota is refreshing – if you want open country, P-burg is where you can find it! I have had more intimate moments with God in the wide-open country than I can remember – reflecting on where He has taken us and how He is using us. In all of those thoughts, I keep coming back to GOD CAN USE EVEN US. Last fall, in a time in our life where we did not have a lot of self-worth because of things we had been told and through various events, we questioned whether youth ministry is what God wants us to do. Looking back, mild depression was a part of our life. Yet looking back, we knew that even through the tough times, THIS is what God was calling us to.

Do you ever feel that way? Where you question what God has called you to?

Then God sends the gentle reminders. He knew we had to move. He knew the perfect place for us because His plans are only perfect. He knew what we needed. He knew the friends and “family” we would meet out here.

And to this day, I am continually grateful.

After a CRAZY summer thus far, we are looking forward to being home. Home in Minnesota. Home will always exist in Michigan too, but home is now in Minnesota. When we got home from our mission trip, I just kept thinking “it feels so good to be HOME.” We have been gone a week, home a week, for the past 7 weeks and we are ready to continue life here in P-burg. We feel so blessed to be a part of our youth group kids’ lives and getting to know them through retreats and mission trips. We feel honored that God would bring us here. We feel humbled that God would continue to call us into youth ministry.

As we look forward to the next few days, weeks, and months, we look forward to continuing life here in Minnesota. And I must say, even though we are quite far north, we are not exempt from the heat – real feel temps close to 100, so if you think we only ever get snow and have cooler summers, forget all of that. Then in the winter, when you think that all we get is snow, that I am sure is true :).

God can use even YOU. When you question whether God has you where He wants you, remember that God’s plans are perfect and HIS timing is perfect – not ours. We may not always understand the events that lead up to a certain situation, but believing and trusting that He WILL lead us down the path He already set out for us, brings much hope and peace.

Continue the journey. The journey may take you up the mountain and down into the valley, but as Proverbs 3:5-6 says “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight”…hold onto this as God’s promise to you.