I’ve been attending Aldersgate UMC for a few months now, and one of my favorite parts of service is a Time for Prayer. During this time, the worship team plays a prayer song before and after our time of sharing our prayers, to focus our hearts.

I’ve been praying lately that I would have a prayer song come into my heart for my trip to Zimbabwe. Something that would lead and guide my heart in preparation for the trip, but also as I discern where God is leading me with missions.

Today, I believe I have found my prayer song.

“Oceans (Where My Feet May Fail)” by Hillsong United:

My favorite line is this:

“Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior…”

WOW. I still get “God-bumps” (as my Daddy likes to call them) each and every time I hear that song and read those lyrics. This is my prayer as I journey into an unknown place, across the ocean, further than I ever dreamed or imagined my feet would take me.

Do you have a prayer song? Or is there a song that has guided you in a time of need, heartache, growth, etc.? I’d love to hear!

I received a very special letter with a donation this week from one of our United Methodist churches. Upon opening the letter, I was in tears almost immediately. Here’s part of the letter…

Dear Ashley,
An anonymous gift and a very special $10 that was handed to me by a very special 11 year old boy. Patrick is working to pay his own way to three weeks at Casowasco this summer, and took this $10 from his earnings because he thinks what you are doing is so important and exciting.

The first thing that tugged at my heart was reading “anonymous” and “11 year old boy.” These two people have never met me, and yet, they want to help ME and donate to my mission trip!

Secondly… this little boy is taking from his saving for summer camp because he believes in me and thinks what I am doing is “so important and exciting”. Wow! And he’s not just attending any camp, but the camp I have called home since I was 11 years old myself.

I could never imagine myself reaching out as a kid and wanting to give up my hard earned cash to a complete stranger.

I cried reading the letter not just because these two are strangers, but because I wish I had faith like their’s. They don’t know me. They have never met me. They’re taking a chance on me and this call I have felt in my heart since January.

Yep! I know I have a lot of growing and trusting to do in my own heart. I will be following up here when I am able to process these thoughts and prayers about the changes going on in my heart.

In the meantime, I can’t wait to return from Africa and meet Patrick. I anticipate the moment I am able to share with him about my adventure and what his $10 meant to me.

“Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4

Morgue File Image

When I talk about my upcoming mission trip to Africa with friends and family, I’m often told, “I don’t know how you’re doing it!” “I could never go to a new country for 2 weeks.” “I don’t like new places, new things.”

I find it rather hilarious that people express those concerns about themselves to me, because in all honesty… I feel the same way! If I can’t picture myself in a new place, with new people, I get anxious, panicky. While I’m often described as bubbly, outgoing, friendly, I have a fear of new experiences. In new situations, I clam up. I become this silent, shy girl.

But when I was asked about pursing this mission opportunity to Zimbabwe in January, something told me to get out of the boat, to move beyond my comfort zone, face my fear of new things. Last week at our mission team meeting, I led the devotional (way out of my comfort zone since I’m still learning members of the team!). Each time I began to prepare something inspirational to say, I kept coming back to Matthew 14, when Jesus and Peter walk on water. It reminded me of the book by John Ortberg, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. And given my current fears, hesitations, this quote jumped out:

“I believe there is something – Someone – inside us who tells us there is more to life than sitting in the boat. You were made for something more than merely avoiding failure. There is something inside you that wants to walk on the water – to leave the comfort of routine existence and abandon yourself to the high adventure of following God.”

Yep. That’s me. I do believe I’m made for something more. I believe we all are! If that means stepping so far of out of my comfort zone, getting on a plane for 18 hours, and sharing God’s love to those in Zimbabwe, Africa… then I’ll go! I’m ready for this new adventure.

One of my favorite songs recently is by Josh Wilson, “I Refuse.” The chorus always rings so true:

“…’Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care. I don’t want to say another empty prayer. I refuse to Sit around and wait for someone else To do what God has called me to do myself. I could choose Not to move but I refuse…”

2013 has started off with a bang! When I wrote my last post I had no idea what was in store for me as 2013 began.

I made a declaration to myself Jan. 1, 2013 that this year was the year I wasn’t going to plan. Nope. No plans. I said I was going to leave my calendar open, stop being so tedious about planning out my whole life, and just live. Little did I know, God already had plans for me in the works.

This past December, I came across a posting on Facebook about one of our Upper New York VIM team’s creating a group to go to Zimbabwe, Africa. I interact on a pretty regular basis with the team leader to update their webpage and figured I would send an email to get some more information from her.

After some correspondence with the team leader and discussion with Trevor, I thought, “Eh, maybe it’s not for me,” and left it at that.

About a month later, I received another email from the team leader with some web updates and a little “P.S” at the bottom saying:

PS – Are you still thinking about coming to Zimbabwe with us? Love to have you!

I went home that same day, with the application in hand and said to Trevor, “I think I’m going to do it. I’m going to go to Africa.”

Isn’t it crazy when something just starts to line up? When you stop making plans and God starts to fill in the details of your life?

For the first time, I’ve started to step back and truly rely on God. I need get out of my own way, to stop being so controlling, acting like the boss (as my loving family can attest to), and let God guide me.

So, yep. I leave for Zimbabwe, Africa July 13, 2013. I  couldn’t be more excited (or more scared!) to see what God has laid out for me!

I’ll continue to blog about Africa in these coming months as we lead up to July 13! I can’t wait to share in this journey.