Blessings and confirmation

So, I think I've already mentioned that I'm going to Africa this summer as an intern with Back2Back Ministries. (You can check them out at www.back2backministries.org). This was a pretty tough decision for me because I'm the type of person who really wants things spelled out before I take any kind of a leap. With this one, it was more of a quiet nudging by the Holy Spirit over the past year to be more globally focused. As I've journeyed through this nudging, however, I had no idea where it was going to take me. I've been going to Mexico with B2B now for 4 years and I suppose in my small brain I just assumed that whatever God was doing He was going to lead me to Mexico. But as I followed the leading I felt more and more of a burden for Africa on my heart...and I really have no idea why...the extent of my knowledge before January was what I have seen on TV. I had never researched what was going on in Africa or how I could even begin to be a part of it. Even the child I sponsor through Compassion is on this side of the world in Ecuador.
And yet, Africa just kept coming up. So I threw up another prayer and filled out an application with B2B to spend a month there this summer. And within a week I had heard back that I was accepted and if I still wanted to do it, I was off to Africa. After that phone call came the initial excitement...and then the initial fear. Excitement because God had answered a prayer and I was being offered the opportunity of a lifetime. Fear because in order to make it happen I'd have to raise almost $3,000...more than half of which would have to be raised by the end of March so I could buy an airline ticket.
Now, understand that when you work at a church, you don't want to just walk around asking people for money...especially when your church is going through a huge capital campaign and the economy is not at its best. So, I began praying again for a confirmation that I was really supposed to go on this trip. Well, as of this week, I am excited to report that God has confirmed it. I have over half of my support raised and I honestly did not ask one person to support me. It is so cool to see God working and confirming what I've felt in my heart for some time.
I cannot wait to get to Nigeria and find out what God really has in store...and how I can be a part of His amazingly huge plan for His world.