almost 2 months since i've been back in Cocoa. It's been interesting, and amazing. I am loving being here.
My purpose of moving here:
Go to School and obtain a nursing degree
Raise monthly Support
Work in Overland Offices full time
I am having the hardest time getting into school. I'm almost certain it may not be possible to spring semester..which in all reality really really makes my heart ache.
Monthly support isn't coming in quite as well as i had expected...but that's also expected being the Holiday season and all
I am working full time in the Overland Office..
I also am working part time at a telemarketing place..yeah..i know.
I'm currently living at a friend's house in their spare bedroom...i'm supposed to find a perminate place to live by January...it's hard.
My thought has been...either i'm RIGHT where i need to be...and that's why it's not been as easy as anticipated...or i'm not at all. But i'm pretty confident i'm right where i need to be. It's ok to question that. I've been moving around alot this year..and i'm here now..
Last night I decided my most accurate label for myself would be:
Uneducated, Homeless, Telemarketer that works for a volunteer missions organization...
And last night near mid night as i pulled away from the offices to head back to my current home i said to myself "and it's all worth it"
No doubt...Working at a telemarketing agency so i can survive, Not going to school (though i really am praying i can.), being unstable in living accommodations...it's more then worth it...
Last night my friend said "Amanda..sleep well..dream of distant shores...and all the countries you will go to and preach in...because you are a uneducated, homeless, telemarketer that works for a volunteer missions organization" and my heart filled with peace beyond understanding...Everyone here could be out making money..Katey could be a Dr., Leah could be writing for some huge publishing company, Dan could be engineering, etc... instead they, We, choose to do this...those who choose to surrender all of it to see that woman reached in the village...These people know what it's like to live.
So as for this uneducated, homeless, telemarketing missionary...I have no idea what's happening tomorrow...I know i'm going home for Christmas to be with my favorite kids in the world...I may not be a nurse in 3 1/2 years....but I'm ok with that...He's promised me alot of things, and i know i'll see them come to pass :)
Merry Christmas friends.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Back where the adventure started
I've decided not to move to Colorado due to some personal issues (money). I spent nearly 2 months back home at my parents house. It was good to be able to visit my church, friends, and especially my family...i didn't realize just how much i've missed them over these last couple of years. Since i moved up to cocoa nearly 2 years ago i havn't spent more then 2-3 days in a row with my little siblings so it was nice being with them and actually watching them grow a bit :) They are wonderful.It was an eventful couple of months. I got a job helping take care of a sick woman who was once a youth leader at my church. I went to new york for overland's 1st northeast conference. I turned 21. During these couple of months i've really been seeking the Lord on where to go. In Africa I know i felt Him saying "it's your choice" so many options and not one could really be wrong. I thought about staying home..i thought about moving to cocoa..i thought about taking out huge loans and moving to colorado still..cocoa gave me peace...so i moved on that. I am here now, i'm excited about being here. I'm in the process of raising monthly support so that i am able to continue working in the overland offices while going through school..it's my passion..my heart literally beats for the Nations...and i want to be doing this..i want to be doing this while I go through school..also as a motivation for why i'm going to school in the first place...i want to be doing this long after i'm finish with school..but more extensively, traveling more places, for longer periods of time. Hopefully some day with a special someone whom i may not even know yet ;) It's good, i've really really enjoyed this week, being back with my friends...serving in the office...i'm blessed.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Going back so i can move forward...
I just returned to Florida thursday evening for the 1st time in 6 months. I got back from Africa July 20th, and for the past month and a half have been hanging out in colorado, and several other states with several different people on my long road trip home. I drove it by myself, and wouldn't trade it for the world. It was a great trip visiting friends along the way, and such a sweet time with the Lord. I went to Kansas City, MO for 3 nights, Tulsa Oklahoma for 2 nights, Shawnee Ok for 3 nights, San Antonio Texas for 3 nights, The Colony Texas for 1 night, Fort worth Texas for 4 nights, Columbus GA for 2 nights, Kennesaw GA for 1 night, Cocoa Florida for 1 night and returned back to Port Saint Lucie. It's been an adventure as the Lord has been showing me how to seek, listen, react, love and to be loved. I've recently made one of the hardest decisions i've ever had to make. I've left working full time with Overland Missions to return home...back the the place where let's face it...2 years ago ran fast from. I believe the Lord is calling me to go to school full time....I believe He is calling me to find out who i really am...apart from my parents...apart from overland missions...who i am in Him. So i'm back in Port saint lucie to visit with family, visit with friends, make some money, and to prepare to move to Colorado for a few years of school. I've been called to a life time of missions...no doubt. I will be traveling when i have the oppertunity still...and believe once i've finished nursing school i'll be able to head out beyond just my 3 month trips. I'm so excited. I'm so nervous...this is good though. I love the people i lived with Cocoa...but I love the Lord more...and where He wants me to be...is where i want to be. So here I go. I have no idea what tomorrow even holds...but i'm ready for it :)
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
To africa and back
This is my first time posting on this thing, i've seen that several of my friends have been doing it so i figured i had to also ;)
I just returned home from one of the best 4 months of my life. I left America on March 27th to fly across the world to Africa for the third time since 2005. I spent most of my time in Zambia but also had the chance to ride up in the overland truck from south africa, through botswana, and into Zambia. I got to do a 1 week recon mission to Namibia with a small group in a land rover. I got to spend a couple of months on the mission base that we've been building since my 1st trip there in 2005. The base looks amazing. We have 4 1/2 buildings up now. At a couple of points during the 4 months out there we hit a total of 84 people on the base at one time. There was an amazing group of people out there doing our 1st ever Advanced Missions Training. I got to go into villages a couple times and help with teams and preach the Gospel. So many healed, so many saved, so many ebraced with the undertsanding of how much He loves them.
Above all the adventure that this summer held, i'd have to say one of the best part of it was the growth that i got endure in my own life, and in my walk with the Lord. I left Africa this year with a greater understanding then i have ever had before, of how much He loves me. It has been so nice enjoying that...enjoying loving Him, and even better, being loved BY Him. I freaked myself out almost the whole summer about "what's next"...what the next step would be after leaving africa...should i go to school, should i move to colorado, should i stay in Florida, should i start school in the spring...etc etc....just thought after thought envading my mind. It finally came down to this...God has me at a point where He's giving me so many options...so many open doors to go through, and not one of them could be the wrong choice...it's like a friend of mine described it...he's saying "What do YOU want to do"...So i'm resting in that. People keep asking me what's next...and my answer is "I don't know". I've been back in America for about 4 days and havn't thought much past today. All i know is for now, i'm moving forward. I'm just going to do SOMETHING.
I met some incredibly amazing individuals this summer. I had such a great time getting to know all of the AMTers. I wasn't even apart of AMT, but so much connected to each one of them. Amazing people with one huge thing in common...a desire to grow closer to the heart of God, and to bring it to the Nations.
Shad
Sharon
Lindsay
Abbey
Jessica
Meghan
Stephen
Joe
Bob
Cherie
Jessie
Chris
Kimberly
Gina
Jennifer
Mike
Joy
John
Luke
Nigel
Pray for these guys as they are all ending their training this week and are all departing to different areas of the world...some in Zanzibar, some in Malawi, some in Northern Zambia, some back to America....wherever they go, they will make a difference...they will change SOMEBODY'S world. you guys are more then my friends, you're family :)
Africa was amazing...every part of it...even the hard times. I miss the faces already...I miss the faces of the smiling zambians as you walk through town...i miss driving through songwe village...i miss waking up to the breath taking veiw of the Botaka Gorge....I miss Africa. But this is good too. I'm moving forward, not knowing in the least "what's next"....but it's a good feeling...because i'm loved...and i'm passionatly IN love with my God, i know whatever is next is going to line up with his plans and desires for my life.
I just returned home from one of the best 4 months of my life. I left America on March 27th to fly across the world to Africa for the third time since 2005. I spent most of my time in Zambia but also had the chance to ride up in the overland truck from south africa, through botswana, and into Zambia. I got to do a 1 week recon mission to Namibia with a small group in a land rover. I got to spend a couple of months on the mission base that we've been building since my 1st trip there in 2005. The base looks amazing. We have 4 1/2 buildings up now. At a couple of points during the 4 months out there we hit a total of 84 people on the base at one time. There was an amazing group of people out there doing our 1st ever Advanced Missions Training. I got to go into villages a couple times and help with teams and preach the Gospel. So many healed, so many saved, so many ebraced with the undertsanding of how much He loves them.
Above all the adventure that this summer held, i'd have to say one of the best part of it was the growth that i got endure in my own life, and in my walk with the Lord. I left Africa this year with a greater understanding then i have ever had before, of how much He loves me. It has been so nice enjoying that...enjoying loving Him, and even better, being loved BY Him. I freaked myself out almost the whole summer about "what's next"...what the next step would be after leaving africa...should i go to school, should i move to colorado, should i stay in Florida, should i start school in the spring...etc etc....just thought after thought envading my mind. It finally came down to this...God has me at a point where He's giving me so many options...so many open doors to go through, and not one of them could be the wrong choice...it's like a friend of mine described it...he's saying "What do YOU want to do"...So i'm resting in that. People keep asking me what's next...and my answer is "I don't know". I've been back in America for about 4 days and havn't thought much past today. All i know is for now, i'm moving forward. I'm just going to do SOMETHING.
I met some incredibly amazing individuals this summer. I had such a great time getting to know all of the AMTers. I wasn't even apart of AMT, but so much connected to each one of them. Amazing people with one huge thing in common...a desire to grow closer to the heart of God, and to bring it to the Nations.
Shad
Sharon
Lindsay
Abbey
Jessica
Meghan
Stephen
Joe
Bob
Cherie
Jessie
Chris
Kimberly
Gina
Jennifer
Mike
Joy
John
Luke
Nigel
Pray for these guys as they are all ending their training this week and are all departing to different areas of the world...some in Zanzibar, some in Malawi, some in Northern Zambia, some back to America....wherever they go, they will make a difference...they will change SOMEBODY'S world. you guys are more then my friends, you're family :)
Africa was amazing...every part of it...even the hard times. I miss the faces already...I miss the faces of the smiling zambians as you walk through town...i miss driving through songwe village...i miss waking up to the breath taking veiw of the Botaka Gorge....I miss Africa. But this is good too. I'm moving forward, not knowing in the least "what's next"....but it's a good feeling...because i'm loved...and i'm passionatly IN love with my God, i know whatever is next is going to line up with his plans and desires for my life.
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