Another Year, Another Plunge

Well, a new year is underway, 2012. I'm grateful for a new season. I had a wonderful time in the USA with my family. What a “tribe” God has blessed me with.

My parents :-)

Noel enjoying the USA

Me amazed at the snow :-)

Well, as my plane took off from Dayton on Sunday afternoon heading back to Africa, I brushed a few tears from my eyes at saying goodbye to my family. This was another big leap. I felt like I was jumping off the edge of a great big cliff, again. What would this next chapter of my life be like? When I came back this way, how would I be different?

This jump back into Ethiopia was God's call. So I felt peace from that as our plane took to the skies. An excitement was deep in my spirit too that this year, this season, would be my greatest yet. Maybe my greatest time of learning or greatest time of stretching, or serving. Not sure. But something was up and something was going to happen. God would back me, fill my gaps, like He has before when He's asked me to do big jumps, leaps of faith. I sat in wonder of it all. But as my plane continued to soar, a few times hitting turbulence, I did feel some feelings of doubt arise, fear the unknown, some anxiety...all which I think are natural with changing seasons. It's funny the memories that flooded through my mind of crazy jumps in the past and the similar emotions I felt with those. I thought for a long time of my first year in youth ministry and the first mission trip I did transitioning into this new role. It was a trip to the Caribbean in 2003. I remember thinking- youth leader- you've got to be kidding. You want me to do that God? Right. Then, our mission trip was initially supposed to be to Haiti, which is like a second home to me so I was confident then- thinking- this will be a piece of cake. But, at the last minute because of security issues in Haiti, our trip was changed to go to the Dominican Republic. Which is very different than Haiti, though being right next door. I felt like I was jumping into a big unknown with students following me. Lovely. This was going to be interesting...I remembered thinking. What a crazy jump it all was. Then our team actually ended up jumping off a literal cliff on that trip. Yep. One girl came out with bruises from hitting the water too hard, another came out limping from landing on sea urchins.

Now, I'm not a fan of high jumps into large bodies of deep water, also not a fan of bruises or stings or bites from fish or any kind of animal. So, I thought my life would end on that jump. I remembered thinking- this is it. Do or die though Holly, youth people should be able to do this. I secretly thought- I will do this but I will die, not live. The two student lifeguards who were part of my team advised me to go in straight as possible to avoid smacking the water. And they said, we will pull you up right after you go under. My stomach knotted, I prayed a prayer, eyed the horizon, then I took the plunge. And I lived. Barely. :-)

I thought of all these memories and others during the long flights back to Addis. 

God sure does love it when we leap in faith at His call, when we take a plunge for Him. Trusting Him to catch us. That we're willing to risk- injury, even death, to follow in His footsteps, His example. That we go to the hard places when He says to. (which can be extremely poor places or extremely rich places and every where in between). God is needed in all. Are you willing to “plunge” in, wherever it is, if He asks you to?

I pictured the straight “position” we are to take on these leaps is the position of the cross....a life lived crucified/surrendered. And that if I hold that position, cling to Jesus, united with Him, He can be trusted in the jump, in the landing, in the ripples your life will make and the legacy you leave.

As I took rest on Tuesday in the warm sun of Ethiopia and began teaching on Wednesday, my prayer has been to stay with Him, holding to Him...very tightly to my Savior, Deliverer, the lover of my soul, my faithful friend and great High Priest who has never and will never let me go. The One who laid down His life for me so I could live and so I could do the same for others.

May I trust Him with this new plunge, this new field of service. 

And may the year 2012 be my greatest for the kingdom. 

John 12:24-26

Truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. 

Onward...no turning back. What an honor to serve “in the fields.”

I have many praises and prayer requests to share.

I give praise for...

-a wonderful holiday time with my parents and sister in the USA

-my business visa and needed documents were processed successfully, in a very short amount of time

-a safe return to Ethiopia

I ask prayer for...

-good health and a good transition back into Ethiopia

-to find a connection with a good church and small group to be part of here

-the students and staff that I work -serve for and with, that God will use me to serve here

-Noel's final week in the USA, then transition next week back to the Czech- for good health, safety

-that I will have a deeper time of study in the Word

-I'd like to start writing a book this year, that God would give me grace for that if the time is now

Thank you for following my blog, and for praying for me and my family!

May we do our best and give Him our all, in the field (or water) He calls us to.

If He's called you to take a plunge, DO IT! He will back you and see you through. 

And will give you a great story to tell. 

Blessings from Ethiopia,

Holly