Welcome!
This page is where I am raising support for my upcoming trip to Mongolia. I will be leaving for Mongolia mid-June and returning late July (I will be gone a total of 5 1/2 weeks!). While there, I will spend my time teaching English and partnering with long-term teams on their current projects. Below I describe a little more of my developing heart for missions and how this all came about- please read through it if it interests you!
My heart for missions grew after particpating in two Perspectives classes and a Launch Global group over the span of the last few years. I also spent 10 days in Germany and the Netherlands during the 2016 and 2017 summers doing street ministry. After participating in the Launch group though I began to attend a weekly prayer group on Mondays before work.
In October, after one of these prayer meetings I had a seemingly random thought of "Muslims in Mongolia" pass through my mind. My immediate response was, "That's pretty weird. I wonder where that came from?". In my questioning, I felt a strong pressing on my heart that I believe to have been the Spirit. Everytime I tried to put the thought of "Muslims in Mongolia," away the pressing on my heart seemed to strengthen. I didn't know if these people existed but I felt so strongly that God was speaking to me. I decided to research the thought later that evening. In my search I discovered the Kazakh people group and started to research and pray both for this country and this people group.
In January the prompting of a friend led me to emailing inquiries to several organizations. OMF quickly responded and from there "doors" seemed to just open and make this trip possible. I call all of the steps and emails back-and-forth of this process doors because of the metaphor my Dad has used when I've made past decisions.
The metaphor is great because it both acknowledges our free-will in decisions but also God's sovereignty over our decisions. In Revelations 3 it is said to the church at Philadelphia, "I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." We may search and knock on doors throughout life that never open to us because it isn't the will of God. We may try to force and pry open doors that we believe should open for us but that only leads to weariness and defeat. When our plans align with the plans of the Lord He does the work of opening doors, we don't have to.
The emails I sent in January very much felt like a knock on my part. I could still be obedient in my prayers without going. I could love from afar and have a very comfortable summer in Dallas enjoying my friends and family. I decided early on that I would obey the Lord whatever the response I received.
So I waited with open-hands but I didn't wait that long and things started to come together. In my skeptical mind, I started wondering when the door would close. I didn't fully believe that my heavenly Father saw me as a tool to be used for "going". Several times I anticipated that the trip would have to be changed and that doors were closing; as complications arose God seemed to open the doors even wider for me to walk through.
Hudson Taylor said, "It does not matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies -- whether it comes between you and God, or whether it presses you nearer His heart.”
As I progressively stopped waiting for everything to fall through I started to imagine and see myself the way I believe my Father sees me. This process has helped me to further grasp the great love that He has for me and even what obedience to Him looks like. "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love."- 2 John 1:6.
I so deeply want to share that with others. I want others to know of His love for them and I want them to see themselves as He sees them. I want them to know the name of Jesus and call Him their savior just as I do. "May His name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through Him, and they will call Him blessed."-Psalm 72:17
So here I am anticipating that Summer 2019 will be one for the books! I am excited (and a little anxious) about the trip but also deeply desirous to see His work and meet His people in Mongolia. I am asking for both prayer and monetary support as I go this summer. Traveling around the globe is not cheap and being anywhere for 5 1/2 weeks is also costly. Any gift amount will help. I am looking to raise around $2,325.00 to cover my expenses and additional travel fees.
For those of you wanting to join me in this endeavor monetarily you can donate to the right to help cover trip expenses. If you are curious about what these look like more specifically feel free to email me.
In addition the trip will be mentally, emotionally and physically challenging for me as an individual because there is a lot of "new" involved. There is also the long-term team, the people of Mongolia, and probably many challenges to come. My hope is that these people and things will be drenched in prayer before I go, while I'm there, and after I leave.
For those of you who would like to commit to supporting me with prayer: Please email me! I will put your name on a list to receive updates and will contact you with more specifics for what this will look like as plans come together.
As you may be able to tell from what I've shared above, this whole process I have felt like the Father was doting on me in His goodness and revealing so much. I can't imagine what is yet to come from this but I am eager to know. I am so thankful for anyway you choose to support me. Even if that's simply reading this rambling tale and making it to this point. If you do choose to join my team in support, please know that I am grateful for your generosity and I pray that your donation blesses you as much as it is blessing me.
