New Chapter

   

   
Here is an update on what God has been doing in my life. As you all know from my last email, I have been in language school for four weeks in Antigua. Language school was incredible and I learned a lot of Spanish. I can now say that I can effectively communicate and get my point across in Spanish…(This is a huge accomplishment if you heard me trying to speak four weeks ago) I am so excited to be able to put into practice what I have learned and know God will open doors with opportunities to use it. 

   For some time now I have felt God placing a word on my heart to move back to Cashiers, NC. At first I was very confused and had no idea what to think as I had the thought that God wanted me in Guatemala for a year. However, the more I pressed into God and searched Him for His will for my life, I knew He was calling me back home. He made that very evident in my alone time with him. It was during this time that God asked of me, when life and circumstances don’t make sense, will you still follow my call? When it would be easier to stay put and not rock the boat, will you still follow my call? When you have to put down your pride, past words spoken, and humble yourself, will you still follow my call? This is where I realized my answer was, and will forever be, yes. Yes I will follow God to whatever extent it takes. It didn’t make sense to come back to Cashiers, but it doesn’t have to make sense when God is calling you. So after prayer and guidance from pastors and family, I am now back in the states and am in Cashiers, NC. I was asking God the correct timing to leave and that is when he provided a way back yesterday. Through this entire process I am continually reminded of Gods faithfulness in His timing and how it is always perfect in His eyes even when it doesn’t make sense to us. 

   I know this email may come as a surprise to many as you believed that I would be down in Guatemala for a year. Trust me, as I stated above, it came as a shock to me when God first told me. Please take your time to allow this to sink in. I do want to say that the past six months has been such an incredible time in my life. God brought so many different people into my life to minister to and show His love to. He worked on my character in more ways than I will probably ever know. I have no doubt that God called me down to Guatemala for these past six months to fulfill His purpose. 

   So now what? Looking into the future I do not know all the specifics that God is calling me too, but for right now, I am so excited to be home and in my community continuing my call to follow God. I want to be able to use my Spanish speaking skills and reach the hispanic community in Cashiers, NC. God has confirmed that my joy and passion is to be teacher and with students. It’s funny, my whole life I felt like God was calling me to be a missionary and as a child you envision life in the jungles and reaching the unreached villagers. But God showed me that that is just one story and one way to be a missionary. Replace the jungle with a school and the villagers with students and that is the mission that I now realized I am called to. I’m so excited because I honestly don’t know what is next for me, but I know that God has something so beautiful because of following in His will for my life.