Thursday, December 27, 2007

My desire......South America

You know how when you have your mind so set on something....its all you can think about.....but in the midst of the worrying "how am I going to be able to do this?" "how do I get there" "what if...", God keeps hinting at something else so totally different to what you think you want to and should be doing and then you ask yourself "have i just been wasting my time making my own plans when in the end it is God who directs my paths?" Well if not, it's okay....just wanted to put it as a rhetorical question because my English teacher says that it grabs the audiences attention. And you are the audience........is your attention grabbed?? lol.
Well that is exactly what has been going on with me lately. I thought I knew what I want to do and I can't really say it on my blog because in the odd chance that I really do end up doing it, everyone would know and then I'd have to kill ya! ;) Just kidding.
All my life God has been telling me that I'm supposed to be in Missions work and I thought well...now we're in Africa, being missionaries.....is this what He was talking about? Maybe now that I'm here, I'm doing what He's called me to do and then after school I can do what I want. Now that I go to a really good school, where doors and possibilities have been opened and maybe will be opened where before I would have never had them. e.g....getting a scholarship to a prestigious university after schooling here. These are thoughts that have been running through my head and honestly I have been so stressed lately because I know what I want to do, but I've been telling myself that I don't know what God wants me to do. But all along, He has been hinting it....missions, missions, missions.
I personally don't see myself in Africa in the future, after school, though if God specifically tells me to be here I will. The place that has always been on my heart is South America, maybe even Mexico. Every time I talk about it I get this feeling in my heart, I can't explain it, it's like a yearning, a desire to be there. Before we came to Africa, my dad had always wanted to go to South America for missions work, but God led him and our family to a totally different place, somewhere we never once imagined we'd be and I know His purposes for my parents, maybe even us, are at work every day here.
With the thing that I want to do , there is no yearning, I want to do it because it sounds exciting and I'd get to travel a lot and learn other cultures and ways of life, but with missions work, being an Ambassador for Christ, I would get all the excitement, though I know from experience, it isn't always fun or easy, plus the travel, plus learning other ways of life, while also taking part in the advancement of God's kingdom. That is the most important thing that could ever be done.
My mind is set on doing something....but my heart is yearning to be in South America. The Holy Spirit has confirmed this to me in so many ways.....through other people, through my journal entries that I have recently looked over from 3 years ago......and simply through the fact that I want to walk in His perfect will for my life. I feel Him pulling me one way, and yet I still try to pull another and I don't even know why. Maybe I'm stubborn, maybe afraid, maybe confused. I just pray that each day I become closer to Him and I pray that He will open doors where they need to be opened in order for His purposes to be put to work in my life. I don't want to do something without Him in the centre. I want to be where He wants me and though I do not know exactly where it is, He will show me in His timing.
Please pray for me. God has already opened doors for me to be able to go to South America on a missions trip, we know some really cool missionaries there. I need to raise support to be able to do it though. Please ask the Lord if He would use you to help support me.
God bless!!

6 comments:

Jean Ohlerking said...

Gabby...I am so proud of who you are and who you are becoming, seeing your heart's desire is to serve Jesus and others...and as you daily keep in step with Him, he will direct your paths. He will not hide his plan for your life from you.

But like Pop always says, "When you are driving to New Orleans from Baton Rouge at night, you can't see all the way there. The headlights of the car give you just enough light to be safe on the road. This is the way God opens up His way for you. Just enough to keep going."

Knowing the exact "hows" and "whens" aren't important right now. Just knowing you are aimed the right direction, following the Light, will get you there, a day at a time.

I'm convinced you will be a dynamo wherever God places you.

We continue to pray for you...and love you dearly.

Meemaw

Vicki Ohlerking said...

Hey, girl. We are definitely praying for you. Sometimes the hardest part of knowing God's will is not the "knowing" it, but the "doing" it. I bet that God has an adventure ahead of you that you cannot even imagine at this point. You are amazing and have such a huge heart for people--God needs you out there representing His love to people who need it desperately. Just follow His lead... love ya!

Susan Rodgers said...

Jesus, please guide Gabby with Your peace. She's Your child; we trust You with her. Thank you for blessing our lives with her. We know You have great plans for her life.

We love you, Gabby!
Susan and family

Anonymous said...

gaaaabby I missy youu. Sorry if my spelling I'd a little off I'm typing on an iPhone and it keeps correcting me. LOL. So I think I might be coming to Swazi land at the end of may :) cant wait to see you love. Love love love josi

showstopper said...

love you!!!! You are awesome!!! Follow His voice, one step at a time...He will speak, clearly, and when you are not sure, it's ok to wait ;-)...can't wait to see the awesome things He will do in and through you!!! Stalker buddies forever!! ;-)

Cajun Tiger said...

Sorry that I'm just reading this now, but when I returned after my Christmas vacation, work over here been super busy and I haven't been able to visit many blogs.

Being my secret clearance allowed me to know more of the full story w/o being killed...lol =) I can totally relate to your situation from both sides.

For me living in DC and now working in Iraq has been an amazing adventure. I felt for a long time that this would be how I would make my mark in the political world while living for Jesus.

More and more along the way, missions has popped up on the radar, but "I" kept telling myself, I'm doing something very important and we need good Christians doing this.

However, more and more I'm seeing that while I know I'm where I'm supposed to be at the moment, this isn't my long term future. My future is full time missions and soon. I'm taking the first major step in that direction when I'm done here. Fall '09 I'm gonna start Elevate at HPC on the missions track and then when done with that, it's off to where ever he sends me and Mimi.

Some have already said, "but you can do so much more in what you do know" At first I sorta believed that, but if I'm not where God wants me, I can't do anything of real eternal importance.

And then I also just look at your grandparents and all the adventures they have had that in many ways are very similar to the other role you are considering yet with much more eternal consequences.

All that to say, until you have a very clear path keep all options open b/c you never know what He will do and which path He will take you down to get you there.

Finally...shoot me an email to let me know how to support your trip to South America =)