HE IS FAITHFUL!!

Our amazing God and Father has provided my VISA for Bolivia!  I am so blessed by His faithfulness!  I am excited and overwhelmed all at the same time.  The journey begins and I just pray that the Lord continues to provide for my needs as I journey to Bolivia and while I am there.

I have a flight that leaves Little Rock, AR at 2:55 on Saturday and I will arrive in Santa Cruz, Bolivia at 7:40 on Sunday morning.  This is a blessing and answer to prayer.  Thank you all for you support and prayers!  Please continue to pray for my travels and my transition in Santa Cruz!  I can't believe it is finally here!

Praise be to the Lord our God who provides for his children in every way!

Frustration, Habbakuk, and Circles of Prayer

I am not going to lie and say that this past week or two has been easy, because it hasn’t.  I have been very frustrated with my delayed departure to Bolivia.  You see, since the beginning of this journey, I have been planning to be in Bolivia by August 1^st and here it is August 30^th.  Monday, the 27^th, was the first day of school at SCCLC, and my students have started their school year with a substitute.  This past week and a half I have been on my knees in tears, mad at God, frustrated at my presence in the United States, sad I am not there to greet my students or get to know my coworkers.  It has been a week of ups and downs.  Don’t get me wrong, I love being around my family and being able to have lunch somewhere besides in a school building.  I have been called by God to go and he has provided the funds for me to get on the plane and even have an apartment that I can rent in Bolivia, yet this one big thing called a visa is standing in my way.  Why?  I have asked God this many times in the last week or so, and the answer varies each time I ask it.  

Many of you may not know that I am not a reader, but instead listen to books.  I have spent many a road trip from Atlanta to Searcy listening to hours of books.  This week in my despair and frustration, I went back and found a book that I downloaded weeks ago thinking it would be great to listen to on the trip to Bolivia, but instead God needed me to hear it this week.  The book is called The Circle Maker: Praying circles around your biggest dreams and greatest fears.   Mark Batterson starts by telling the story of Honi, the circle maker who being in an area of severe drought for 7 years drew a circle in the sand, knelt down in it praying for the Lord to bring the rain.  He stayed there, praying, and expecting God to deliver…and the Almighty did.  Batterson shared other answers for those that circled promises in scripture, dreams, fears, and needs in prayer.  In my listening, I was taken to Habbakuk.  As I read the book of Habbakuk, it became clear to me that he wrestled with God.  He argued with God asking him why he was allowing Judah to fall deeper and deeper into their evil ways.  He pled with God to show up and do something about it.  He poured out his heart to God, and God answered him.  

In the beginning of Habbakuk 2,

    Habbakuk says, “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts, I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

   The Lord answered him saying, “Write down the revelation… For the revelation awaits an appointed time, it speaks of the end and will not prove false.  Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” (2: 1-3)

One might say to this verse that it has delayed and the appointed time has come and gone, but they would be wrong.  My reaction after reading this small portion of Habbakuk was to giggle and sit with my mouth open for 10 minutes as I thought it hilarious that God used a book of the Bible that I had hardly even laid eyes on to speak to me in this moment of doubt and frustration.  Reading through the remainder of the book allowed me to see that Habbakuk and I are very similar.  We both expressed our concerns, doubts of His power, frustration in why He has not dealt with the situation on our time, and we both received a word from the Lord that allowed us to regain hope in the Almighty Jehovah Jireh who provides what is necessary in the appointed time.  I am so thankful that the word of the Lord is alive!!  

So now I station myself watching and waiting as I pray circles around this visa, those handling it in the Bolivian government, the school, and more importantly the promise of my God to provide it in His time.  I also pray circles around the city of Santa Cruz de la sierra, Bolivia that, as you can see in the picture to the left, is laid out in concentric circles.  Someone long ago was praying circles around this place and didn't have a clue how God would use these circles.  FYI, the definition of concentric circles...circles that have a common center.  I will be praying circles around this city and those in it to allow Christ and his ways to be their common center.  Please join me in praying circles around this city, its people, and my visa!

Update on the visa: Monday, I got a call that the board of directors for SCCLC had a connection in the government in La Paz that was going to help speed the process along. 

What is He teaching me in my WAITING!

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.   Micah 7:7 

His mercies are new every morning!

 

Here I am sitting on my parents' couch still WAITING... waiting for the Lord to provide my visa for Bolivia.  Since I woke up this morning, He has continually reminded me to TRUST in Him, WAIT for Him, HOPE in Him, TRUST some more, PRAISE Him for what He has done, and REJOICE in my waiting.  

The last week has been a struggle for me.  My longing for Bolivia and my new chapter there has been a constant dwelling place for me.  I have been on my knees in tears asking for the Lord to provide my way to  Bolivia.  I have asked for the prayers of my friends and family.  I have constantly been in prayer for the Lord to move those Bolivian fingers and hearts to grant a visa in time for me to get there for the first day of school.  Some moments I thought the Lord may have forgotten me, but along the way I have remembered that He works things out for the good.  I am here for a reason.  Here are some of those reasons:

• I have gotten to spend some TIME with my parents that I would have not had if I were in Bolivia!
• I was needed to watch my nieces and nephews for two days when James and Jordan had no one to watch them.  I loved every minute of it!  Being a part of their lives for a short time has been pure JOY!
• I needed some much needed time with my friend, Ashley.  I needed to hear her story of how our God has provided for her.  I needed to hear that maybe I am hear because I need to REST.
• I got to CELEBRATE my mom on her birthday when I haven't been able to the last few years because of the start of school.
• I got to welcome two my trail guide girls to college and to be a familiar face for them away from home...what a BLESSING to be able to hug them just one more time!
• I have spent some much needed time with my sister-in-law Jordan.  I ENJOY having her as a friend here!
• I got to enjoy a meal with Kathy, her daughter, her sister, and my mom after she came home from the hospital.  PRAISE the Lord she is being healed!
• I have enjoyed reading about our Father's faithfulness through blogs, Facebook posts, and emails from my TeachBeyond friends all over the world!  He truly is FAITHFUL to provide!
• I got to visit and kiss on my nephew Isaac one more time and allow his sister Leigha to know me a little more!  I LOVE these little people!

Making silly faces...haha!

These are only a few of the reasons I am still here in Arkansas and the United States! He is working it out for the good, and I still HOPE and TRUST in the FAITHFULNESS of my Lord and Savior.  He brings JOY, CONFIDENCE, STRENGTH, and BLESSING as I continue to surrender this life to HIM.

He continues to give me hope in His word, through the book "Jesus Calling", and through music.  Here are some promises from His word that is alive and speaking to my heart.

 “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.

1 Kings 8:23

 
“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

Jeremiah 17:7

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.   

Isaiah 40:31

 
The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. 

Nahum 1:7

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.  

Psalm 130:5

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

 Lamentations 3:24-26

GOD IS GOOD!

Your PRAISE and PRAYERS are NEEDED!

Since my last post, my mom's friend, Kathy has started her recovery process.  She seems to be getting better day by day, but like I said last time has experienced those moments of anxiety and uncertainty. I praise the Lord for her continued progress toward total healing!  I pray that the moments of uncertainty would be overwhelmed with peace that passes understanding!  

We have also celebrated 3 birthdays (Jordan, James, and my mom), and my mom and I have enjoyed taking care of James and Jordan’s three children (Gintry, Georgia, and Jensen).  They have so much more energy than I ever remember having.  It has been great to be a part of their lives again!

I have also had a garage/yard/carport/tag/whatever you want to call it sale here at my parents' house since my last post.  People from their church donated items and my mom, dad, brothers, sister-in-law, and I worked from 5pm Friday night until later in the day Saturday night setting up, retrieving items from storage, selling, cleaning up, and giving a lot of the leftovers to the neighbor down the road.  It was a busy two days, but we made $475 for all our hard work.  I praise the Lord for a family that will devote time to helping me in this journey, for the time spent with them, and for the provision of $475 that the Lord brought.  I pray that our time spent in conversation and the items we sold and gave away were a blessing to those who came.

Now for the great and not so great news:

GREAT NEWS:  I am at 90.1% (according to my calculations)!  I am ready to buy that plane ticket....Whoop! Whoop!  I praise my Jehovah Jireh for His provision!!

Not so great news:  I can't get a plane ticket until I have my visa, and that does not seem to be coming any time soon.  My papers for my visa were submitted on August 9th and they say that it takes a minimum of 4 weeks for the visa to be processed.  This puts me in Bolivia the first week in September... more waiting!!  However, I KNOW AND BELIEVE THAT MY GOD IS BIGGER than the Bolivian government, and He can get it processed sooner. I pray once again for the provision that only He can give!

I long to be in Bolivia setting up my classroom and my apartment, meeting new people, laying eyes on those I have only talked to on Facebook or email, and diving into the Bolivian culture, yet I sit in a bedroom in Searcy, AR waiting in frustration for that time to come!  I desire my new life in Bolivia!  I desire friends and community!  I long for His peace and presence in my waiting, dreaming, and longing for the Bolivia I desire to call home! Thankfully, the board of SCCLC has decided to delay the start of school until August 27^th to allow for all the new teachers that are waiting on visas.  They agreed that the amount of subs needed to start the year on the 14th would not benefit the students.  I am thankful for this wise decision and praise the Lord for providing wisdom and discernment to the board!

Please join me in praising the Lord for all He has done thus far and all that He will do in the future!  Please pray for His peace in waiting, the speedy processing of my visa along with all the other new teachers’ visas, and for the beginning of the school year at SCCLC to be smooth and successful!

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."  Ephesians 3:20-21

"For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!"  Isaiah 64:4

The Valley of Transition

 This morning I woke up to news that a precious woman who holds a special place in my heart and one of my mom’s good friends, Kathy, had had a heart attack and gone through triple bypass surgery in the wee hours of the morning.  I took a shower, and my mom and I were headed out on an hour drive to Conway, AR.  When we arrived Kathy’s daughter filled us in on what happened.  Throughout her telling of the story she shared how she already knew that God was in it.  He brought her to Conway, to a hospital where there was a surgeon who did this type of surgery.  He provided a neighbor that helped in calling 911 and sat with her until friends arrived, and throughout the day He continued to bring people, phone calls, emails, and Facebook messages of those praying for her.  Tonight on my way home as I thought and prayed about Kathy, her daughter Emily Ann, and her sister Becky, who is going to be with her through recovery, I was reminded of a lesson on transition by Howard Dueck at my TeachBeyond training and how it applied to both me and Kathy.

He used Psalm 23 to describe what our transition would be like.  Here it is to refresh your memory…

"The Lord is my shepherd,^(A) I lack nothing.^(B)
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,^(C)
3     he refreshes my soul.^(D)
He guides me^(E) along the right paths^(F) for his name’s sake.^(G)
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,^[a](H)
I will fear no evil,^(I) for you are with me;^(J) your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table^(K) before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;^(L) my cup^(M) overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love^(N) will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Here is what I remember Mr. Dueck sharing (with the help of my notes): 

The Lord has given us moments of refreshment, providing for us every step of the way all the while preparing us and leading us to the dark valleys (vs.1-3).  He has brought us to that hard, dark place to allow us to see that there is something so much better than what He has already given us, and in that dark place, when we truly lean on Him, we get to know Him even better while getting to know ourselves (vs 4-5). When He has brought us through that dark valley, we will feast with Him.  In His unfailing love we find our dwelling place, the place where we all (even if we do not admit it) long to truly be (vs. 6).

Although Kathy and I are going through two totally different types of transitions, we are both in the beginning steps through our valley; a valley of uncertainty, of knowing something tough is coming but not really knowing how it will turn out, and even a valley of loss.  I know we will both go through strong emotions of frustration, anger, fear, guilt, and anxiety as we travel through this valley, and I pray that in every emotion we experience that our God reveals himself to us in ways we would never imagine.  I pray that His presence is seen and felt in those places.  I pray that His promise of a feast in His presence is mine and Kathy’s hope.  We are both peering down this long, dark intimidating road, but I believe that we are both on these roads to glorify and to be touched by our Jehovah-Rophe (The Lord our healer) and sing only His praises!

What an amazing God we serve that He not only walks with us through the valley but leads us to it so that He can be glorified by the changing and molding of our lives in that valley!!!  How precious is the life you have given us!  Jehovah- Shammah (The Lord is there)!

I love you Kathy, Emily Ann, and Becky, and I pray for our Jehovah-Jireh (The Lord our provider) to provide all you need through this transition!  

Please pray for this family and their transition as you pray for me in mine.

Past, Present, and Future

This blog post is long overdue!!!

In the last week and a half, I have...  moved to Arkansas, filled my parents living room with my stuff, gone through my memories in my closet, helped take care of my sweet nieces and nephew, enjoyed the lake, sent off for my visa, celebrated birthdays, caught up with old friends, gained more support, missed my ATL friends... A LOT, and waited!  

In my waiting and remembering, I have been able to reflect on what He has done in my life from high school to now!  I have also been able to dream about what He will do in the future!

Past Katie:
As I cleaned out my closet at my parent's house, many memories came flooding back.  The amazing friends I gained when I moved my junior year in high school and how I thought it was the most devastating thing to move in the middle of high school.  God allowed me to grow in so many ways from humbling me by being manager of the basketball team instead of playing.  He allowed me to enhance my gift of encouragement through managing, being Pep Club president, and befriending some that were not well-liked.  He also allowed me to gain friendships that have lasted a lifetime with women that have encouraged and challenged me through some of the most difficult times of my life.  He is my provider!!

Thinking about college, He went before me and prepared people, experiences, and places that allowed me to grow in who I am in Him and to know that I am loved!  I found class notes from some of my favorite classes Missionary Anthropolgy and History of Missions with Monte Cox and Gospel of Luke with Ross Cochran.  He was already shaping me for this journey then.  He allowed me the experiences of being a counselor at Gander Brook Christian Camp and campaigning to Toronto, Calgary, New Mexico, Germany, and Switzerland with some great people.  He allowed me to encourage and to be loved and cared for my two social clubs.  What a joy it is to be His and to receive His love on a daily basis!  He is my molder!

My 9 years of teaching and my life in Atlanta has been a growth experience in itself!  Last Monday night, I sat in a room with some of my best friends to receive their love and prayers as I told them bye!  I am a different person because of them.  I am more like Christ because of love, challenges, and grace that they bestowed upon me!  They have stuck by me in my poopiness, in my craziness, and in my sadness.  They have rejoiced in my happiness, in my accomplishments, and in my being me.  They taught me more about Jesus.  They taught me how to be still and listen to our Lord!  They built me up and allowed me to find the courage to step out answering the call, all the while having full confidence in their support and love. He has allowed me many laughs and many tears with my dear sweet friends in the ATL, and I will be forever grateful!  I can't say enough how much I love you all! How great is our Lord that He would give such wonderful, faithful relationships here on Earth!  He is my joy!!

Present Katie
Who am I now? 
I am and always have been a daughter of Christ, His beloved!  I am truly loved by a faithful, comforting, and amazing Savior who wants the best for me! 

What is going on in my flesh? 
Frustration in the visa process, worry of not getting there on time, sadness in leaving friends and family, wanting just one more hug from...EVERYONE, longing to have a place to settle into, and desire to know what it will be like in Santa Cruz both in life and work

What has he said to my spirit? 
"I have gone before you to prepare a place just for you, people to love, comfort, and hug you, to provide community.  I am with you, your family, and friends.  I know exactly when I want you there.  I know just how you need to be introduced to the culture, people, and school.  I have got it!  I love you and know what is best!"

I am laying it at His feet on a daily basis!  He is in control!  I am enjoying my time in Arkansas with family, catching up with old friends, and making new friends.  I am especially loving the moments I have with my favorite little buddies (Gintry, Georgia, Jensen, Leigha, and Isaac), being an aunt is the best!!

Future Katie
How exciting it is to think about what God will do in my life in Bolivia, in my classroom, on an airplane, or in a restaurant!!
Some of my friends and my dad have gotten words, pictures, or had dreams about me.  I love how He speaks to us through others.  Words of provision and strength.  Pictures of a joyful woman and me dancing with Jesus.  A dream of me with my children.  Through all of these, He promises to provide what I need, and only He really truly knows what I need!  He has given me a chance of a lifetime to follow His leading to Bolivia, and I know that the Katie that comes out of this experience will be forever changed.   

HE IS ALIVE AND WORKING!!