Lunch with my new Team!

I didn't have my support raised unfortunately in time to report on my original deadline, Aug. 22nd. The team that I am joining, Global Leadership Development, was having its team retreat starting on the 22nd and my boss really wanted me to be able to join them for this time. But since I didn't have all of my support in yet I wasn't able to attend the meetings. I was able to join them though for lunch on Tuesday during one of their breaks to meet and get to know the team a bit.

I baked some cookies the day before to take with me to share with my new teammates, which they all loved. They said I was trying to butter them up and make them like me, and then they said it had worked. Hahaha. I think I'm really going to like being apart of this team and working with my boss, Andrea Buczynski. She's the VP for the Global Leadership Development team. She's really good at what she does and really nice too.

Also on my team are two other single ladies, Karen and Sandy. Sandy was in Korea this summer and she's really fun. The Chynoweth's are on the team as well. They are my parents age, they were in Africa when we were, just in a different country and they moved to the states a little before us I think. They actually live down the street from us and I used to go over to their house in High School for Wed. morning Bible studies. It is weird to think that I will now be working with them! Then there are the Rush's. They are another couple that I have know since we moved to Orlando. They used to work with my parents on the IUR team. Laura played soccer with their daughter when they were younger. My senior year I actually led a Bible study with their daughter in it. She was a freshman at the time. Both the Chynoweth's and the Rush's have known me since I was 11 years old!

Then there is a new couple on the team, the Spencer's. They just moved to Orlando from East Asia, they have three kids, the oldest is a sophomore or junior in High School I think. It was my first time meeting them. They seem really nice and I Iook forward to getting to know them better. I think there are maybe one or two other people on the team, but they weren't at the meetings.

I found out that I have my own desk waiting for me at the office!! I have a desk! And I get to decorate it. I think it is actually more like a little cubicle space right next to Andrea's along VP Row (that's what they are calling it know). They just rearranged the whole office area and all the VP's are now in offices along the window with their assistants right next to them. Then the team space is right across this little hall space. I'll have to take some pictures when I go in next time and show you what it looks like. I can't wait to be able to set up my space!!

So I ate lunch with my team and they asked all kinds of questions about me. I felt a little like I was on trail!! (not really, but I don't do well when in larger groups when someone just asks me to share about myself, I prefer direct questions and more one-on-one conversations). So I had them ask me more specific questions and tried to answer those. I felt comfortable though, many of these people I have known for more than 11 years or atleast meet a couple of times before.

Before I left after lunch they prayed for me and my support. It is so encouraging to know that they really want me on their team, they are praying for me, and they can't wait till I can start work. They almost seem more excited about it than I am!! haha.

God's amazing provision

These past couple of weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, both emotionally and spiritually. I am still in the process of raising my support for STINT. The support trip to Spartanburg went okay, not as much support raising took place as I had hoped. I have had a super hard time getting appointments set up, even here in Orlando. But one thing through all of the ups and downs of the past few weeks, shoot, the past couple of months, that I have always been able to come back to is the knowledge that God will provide. Even when times seem dark, I can trust what God has shown me in the light. Isn't it amazing that no matter what God does not change, he is steadfast and his promises are sure.

I have definitely grown a lot through this process of letting go and giving everything up to God. Because that is all I can do. No matter how hard I work, how many phone calls I make and how many letters I send, the only way my support will come in is to completely rely on God and His provision. It's funny, but as I take these steps of faith to trust Him with my support and ministry, I find it easier to trust Him with other areas of my life as well. I am definitely still a major work in progress though.

But as concerns my support, a miracle took place this week. For weeks now my support has been crawling, and I mean crawling in. But this last week I finally made it to 64%, and then in the space of a day God brought in 10% more. So know I am at 74.5%!!! I only have about $560 a month left to raise. Please, if you are reading this, pray that God will bring in the rest of it quickly, and that I will be faithful to keep working hard on it. It is so tempting to just give up and rest for a while, looking at what has been accomplished. But I have only one week left to be at a more stable point so that I can report and start work. I would truly love to be at 100% by the end of this week. I know that God can do it, he has already done so much, and He is the God of Miracles!!

So here it is, God is our Provider. He clothes the lily's of the field, He provides food for the birds, will He not also provide for our needs, whom He loves more than the lilies or the birds. Will He not also provide for the dreams that He has given us, and show us the path to take to follow His calling.