A year's gone by. I am so amazed by all the wonderful, crazy happenings and events of the last year.
Right off the bat, I was headed to Uganda and Kenya for two months of uncertainty, God's grace, and miracles. What remains with me the most is how vast God's creativity and glory is. How we can all experience Him, and how there is not only one way to worship and glorify His name. It was here I first remember recognizing my love for urban ministry and truly embarking on the journey I'm on today.
After my graduation from YWAM, I found myself working two months or so back at Dairy Queen, where I had been for about three years. I can honestly say I can't pinpoint any specific memories of those shifts, but I remember being back to worship at my home church, being able to help out at the Faith Bible Camp retreats, and my sister's graduation from high school. I volunteered at a local library, starting what I think may be my longest lasting project as I continued, today, with assigning genres to every book in the collection. During this time, I focused on just being with God and what that was like in the everyday world. I was able to serve and help those around me, because I had only a few commitments. It was a time of rest and peace for me, which I didn't fully take advantage of because only God knew what the next ten weeks held.
The end of May through August 1st, I lived in Rolla, Missouri working at Camp David of the Ozarks. As a support staff leader, I worked all day with six hours of sleep a night, and barely enough time to myself to take a shower. Halfway through the summer, I was blessed by another member joining our team, who was able to supervise my staff for an hour or so a day so I could get some alone time. I honestly saw him as a complete angel from God, because without this extra person, I would have gone absolutely crazy, but God provided exactly what I needed. That was probably the biggest lesson of my summer, that God is always there and He will always provide. In the midst of lice and bed bugs (both of which now eradicated), two horses passing away, broken showers and washers and dryers, almost not having a nurse a few weeks, mowers and other equipment breaking, pipes in the dish room backing up due to grease build up, getting chased by a snake, plus a few other surprises I'm probably forgetting, God was always there to give patience, health, ideas, wisdom, a person, a need, among so much else that only he could have provided and cared for. I learned I definitely was not doing my jobs based on my strength, but based on God's. I also learned that He will place me exactly where I am needed, because this summer was the first summer camp ran across lice, and I happened to be a lice expert, having combed through my own hair and my sister's many a time when we were younger and other various instances, when no one else had even seen the annoying little critter before. This is only one example of a time when I saw a unique strength of mine be needed and was able to use it to help the camp function and achieve our goal of reaching children of prisoners, so I know God meant for me to be there.
Recently, since August, things have been slow. Well, slow for me anyway. My first semester of community college went by easily, as I finished with a 4.0 for the semester. I'm working at the college library and continue to babysit, as well as work nursery at Mom 2 Mom and volunteer with Junior High ministry. I've been counseling the retreats at camp and recently helped plan a college retreat, the second one camp has had. Personally, I am starting to learn what it means to initiate spiritual conversations and to be responsible for my own growth and faith, to seek out challenge and help. In this, I sought to find a college ministry, but have not yet in my area. I also prayed for a mentor and God provided me with a fantastic woman who has been challenging me to answer the real questions and to see my true self in the mirror. I'm learning to be diligent in my devotions and self disciplined, because quiet time in life isn't mandated by the world or structured into the schedule.. I have to set aside time for God, and it can be so easy to let other things get in the way.
As I think on to this next year, I hesitate to even reflect on what little plans I do have, because I know how quick and positive God can change them. Currently I am scheduled for spring semester at Carl Sandburg College, and I have the intent to transfer somewhere else next fall, to study Urban ministry/studies and social work. I don't know what college yet, but I currently have 11 applications out, so something should come through! With summer, I am waiting for a yes or no answer to an application I sent to a Christian organization that does work in urban cities all over the United States. I have undergone the second interview and will find out after the holidays of my acceptance or not.
The overarching theme of the last year, in my life, has been relationships and community. I started out the year fearful of friendships and of people, waiting for them to give up on me or lie to me because of some instances that happened near the end of 2014. I didn't want to trust anyone or give them a piece of my heart, because it could so quickly and without warning be lost. I had to learn this wasn't a reflection on me, that there wasn't anything wrong with me. I learned to be confident in how God made me and in my Savior and the Spirit's guidance. I learned that relationships come and go, that personalities are different and that means all relationships will look different. While I wish I had a friend that dated longer than a year or two, I'm at peace with it and don't blame myself. Some people come and go in life, following the plan God has for us all.
3 countries and 9 states (I think) later, 2015 comes to a close. I can't even begin to imagine what will happen in this next year and don't have a clue about where I will be a year from now, but I am excited for a continuation of the journey Christ is leading me on.
Thank you for all of your continued prayers!
Merry Christmas, and a Safe and Happy New Year
Victoria
