About 7 years ago, I began to struggle with my job...Was I impacting others...Should I be doing something different?  I had the desire to do something with children and thought about working at a camp or school so that I could still do accounting but also be around kids.  However, I continued with my job but I found things outside of work to do with kids like volunteering at the Holland Rescue Mission child care and helping with children’s activities here at Noordeloos like VBS, Sunday School and Kids Club.

 Then a few years ago, I thought about going to a third world country and visiting an orphanage but the thought of going by myself scared me.  I was very excited when I learned that Noordeloos was going to have an international mission trip to Nicaragua.  One of the reasons I signed up was that I was hoping to visit an orphanage and even though I was not sure we would, I felt God was leading me to go on this trip.

Several things on the mission trip impacted and challenged me.  For one of my own personal devotions, I read Matt 4:18-22 and Matt. 9:35-38 and the verses that stuck out to me were “Come, follow me.  At once they left their nets and followed him.” And “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.” In one of our group devotions, we talked about stepping out of our comfort zones and what are we going to do differently when we get back home. The last church service we attended in Nicaragua was regarding work – is your work impacting others and how is your work glorifying God?  Following the service, I was talking with another individual on our team and she asked if I enjoyed my work.  Had I been honest with her and myself, I would have said “NO” but I told her “YES” because I was not ready for that conversation.

 After being home for a few weeks, I went out for lunch with the 3 young ladies that went on the trip with me.  On the way home, one of them asked me what my dream job would be if I could do anything.  That question really caught me off guard!  My first thought was to work in an orphanage.  However, I figured that was probably not going to happen so I responded that my dream job would be to do something with children – even though that was not at all close to my current position.  I knew from these conversations and others and from songs and sermons that God was trying to get my attention.  I began to earnestly pray and seek God’s direction to where he was leading me.
 

God has led me on an incredible journey over the past year.  I have seen His hand working in so many ways in my life.  This includes the timing of the Nicaragua mission trip, which had it have been a week earlier; I would not have been able to attend because of work.  I could also see Him working in the situation Barb, Lucy, Laura, and I were in when we ended up separated from the rest of the team and ended up flying to Nicaragua by ourselves.  That flight experience prepared me to fly to Haiti by myself.   In addition to preparing me to fly by myself to Haiti, He brought to my mind the verse “do not fear for I am with you” Isaiah 41:10 since I had heard that verse so many times.  I knew God was with me during this time and felt His presence next to me. 

 I knew God was calling me but I struggled in responding to His call.  I often questioned “why me Lord? Why not pick someone who is better qualified and one that would do a better job?” – I then saw a quote that said “God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called”.  When I was struggling with the possibility of getting sick down there, that very Sunday we sang the song “God will take care of you.”  I was again reminded that God is in control and that He will take care of me.  God spoke very clearly to me through the sermons of our pastors and guest pastors and through devotions and songs.

 Then in September, I went to visit COTP for a week.  I knew when I returned that God was calling me there but yet it scared me.  (I was perfectly fine w/ staying in MI and making an impact on the kids here and I wasn’t ready to leave friends and family) But God did not give up on me and continued to speak to me.  There have been so many sermons that seemed to have been written just for me!  I knew God wasn’t going to give up until I said “YES”.

 So I said “YES” and have committed to being at COTP for one year.  My job with COTP will be doing their accounting part time and helping in their preschool the other part of the time.   I will be teaching English to the kids so they will be able to adjust easier when they get adopted.  I leave on May 21 and will be living at the orphanage with the other long term staff.

I want to thank everyone who has been there for me on this journey and has walked beside me – praying for me and encouraging me.  God used many wonderful people to encourage me because there have been many days when I have thought about returning to my normal life just b/c it was easier.

I would greatly appreciate your prayers as I prepare to leave this next month and transition to life in Haiti.  A couple specific prayer requests that I have are:

·         That my preparations will be completed smoothly

·         For safety as I travel to Haiti

·         For good health while I’m down there

·         That I will form good bonds with the children and with other long term staff

·         And most importantly, that I will be the hands and feet of Jesus to all I meet