A terrible blogger

It's true.  I'm TERRIBLE at keeping my blog up to date.  But right now I feel very reflective and Britnie has been talking about blogger, so I'm blogging.

Since, March (and my last post) life has been crazy busy.  First there was the end of my second semester of seminary which finished a few days early as I madly packed, worked, took finals, moved stuff to storage, and drove to Panama City Beach for camp.  Camp has always is busy.  It was my first summer as a Development Director.  I enjoyed it a ton!  Loved my new Fuge family and as always am extremely humbled and grateful for the many ways God has spoken to me through camp and used me to reach out to others.

August was basically a blur and a nightmare.  My car which started having problems over the summer died and ended at a junkyard.  A dear family friend and my grandmother were diagnosed with cancer.  School started.  Work started.  My dad's car went to the junk yard.  Things were crazy.  Somehow though September showed up and I was now driving my brother's car, working 20.5 hours every week, and trying to manage 9 hours of seminary that seems like its 15.

September and October, still blurs but better.  More of a routine.  But the one constant from March and my trip to Africa until right now at the end of October, is my desire to move overseas and specifically to Cambodia.

My one take away from Africa - God has not called me to Africa but to Asia.  Without a shadow of doubt, I know that God has called me to live overseas, to declare His name boldly, and to be in Cambodia.  During the summer, God answered the prayer for a short-term opportunity (or at least the beginning of an answer) by introducing me to Shively Baptist and their connection with missionaries in Cambodia.  The chance to go on a short-term trip is still there but many, many details still have to be worked out.

I am taking a Global Studies class this semester that focuses on South and Southeast Asia.  My professor is working on getting me in touch with IMB missionaries in Cambodia.  Connections are SO important when it comes to trying to get a job for the IMB.  But honestly, I just want to know people that live there.  People that can share with me about the people of Cambodia.  So I can learn more about these people that I already love and desire to live among.  Dr. Ewart (Global Studies professor) during one class made a statement about how the people in the class had already made that commitment to living overseas for at least a short time but that he knew that it would take a desire, a longing to be overseas that is greater than staying where you are or closer to family.  If you know me at all, you know I LOVE my family.  I'm a home girl and just like to be at home.  I love talking with my family and spending time with them.  However, I long to living in Cambodia.  I know that moving to Cambodia means that I will miss holidays and birthdays and just time with my family.  I realize how difficult that it is going to be but I know that is where God is calling me.

I'm currently working on a research project on Cambodia for my Global Studies class.  I love just reading about and learning about this country.  I love hearing any bits of news that I can as well as learning statistics and facts.  I just want to know and learn because at this point God has told me he wants me to go there but not yet.  He has told me to wait. I know that I am not fully prepared for the work that he has planned for me and that I am in that stage of preparation right now.  I know that seminary is a huge part of it.  So is living in Wake Forest and the community that I am in in my apartment, at church, and at work.  There are so many things that I am learning but in the midst of it all I'm learning that I will be always be learning.  It is a never ending process.

So even though I'm a terrible blogger and life is busy, not much has changed.  Cambodia is still on my heart.  I continue to pray for the day that God says "now." Now is the time to move and live with the people I have called you to.  Until then, I pray, I learn, I study, and I wait.