One Week to Go!

Here we are in the final countdown! This is always the weird part for me, because it usually means that the thought most commonly on my mind is..."this time next week I'll be..." In this case, this time next week I will be spending my first day in Santa Cruz. At this exact time, I may be trying to catch a quick nap, depending on how tired I am from the flight, otherwise I'll be unpacking. Of course, things don't always go exactly as planned and I could end up spending time with friends or shopping for groceries and a cell phone, but you get the idea!

I have a couple of very exciting things to share with you about how God has truly blessed me this week! There is a verse in Ephesians (3:20), which has been in my mind a great deal over the last several days. It says, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." This week I have had the pleasure of seeing God do "immeasurably more" than I have asked or imagined! Let me share these things with you briefly so that you can join me in giving Him glory for His goodness, provision, and protection!

1. I think I mentioned last week that I was going to be meeting with the mission's committee from the church here in Suffolk (Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church) where I have been attending with my parents. After the opportunity to share a little about SAM, what I was doing in Bolivia during the last 3 years, and the calling God has laid on my heart for future ministry there...Westminster offered to begin providing the remainder of my monthly financial support! This means that God has now provided 100% of my financial need! Now, as I mentioned before, He actually did "immeasurably more" than that! The church offered to provide enough above what I needed in order to help out with some of my seminary classes and allow for a buffer during months when others may struggle to complete their pledge! God is truly faithful in providing for our every need!

2. Yesterday, I made a trip into Washington D.C. because I needed to get my visa and to file some paperwork so that Chiquito (my dog) could return to Bolivia with me. Of course, just stating that I was going to Washington D.C. makes it sound so simple...for me...I was nervous! I'm not much of a big city girl and this trip was going to involve driving to Richmond, staying the night with a friend, taking the train to D.C., taking the metro to the Bolivian consulate office, turning in paperwork and things, reversing the steps to get back home, and then waiting a few days for them to process and mail me the documentation (hopefully before Monday's date of departure)! Needless to say, getting to Richmond and staying with my friend Amy were the least of my worries...that part I knew I would enjoy and I did! However, I realized how nervous I really had been, because I didn't sleep well Sunday night for fear of oversleeping and missing the train! Anyway, without going into a great amount of detail...I had no problems whatsoever with transportation! God gave me the strength and wisdom to get to all of the places where I needed to go without going the wrong direction first, etc. I was a little uncomfortable in the consulate office mostly because for awhile I was the only female (and incidentally North American) in the waiting room so I stood out like a sore thumb! However, everyone was very helpful and friendly so I had no issues getting the paperwork done! Like I said before..."immeasurably more"...the woman in the consulate office handled all of my paperwork on-sight so that nothing would have to be mailed and I could bring it all home with me. I now have my visa and Chiquito's needed documentation! Interestingly, I even saw someone that I knew in Bolivia...while I was in the office. He was a student at the learning center for a little while and his mom and I are good friends. She is a North American and lives in Bolivia. This teenager is now living in the states with his dad, who is Bolivian. It was so much fun to see a familiar face! If this weren't enough...God made all of this happen before noon so I still had time to have lunch and do a little shopping in Union Station before catching the train back to Richmond! Praise Him for His provision and protection on this journey out of my comfort zone!

As you can imagine, I'm exhausted today...trying to catch up on the sleep I missed the other night, but I'm feeling so blessed to have such strong confirmation from God that I am returning to Bolivia and that Chiquito is to return with me! Thank you so much for your prayers! They are certainly being felt during this time! I still have about 2 or 3 pages to write on my research paper, then my coursework will be done. After that, it will be packing up, stocking up on needed favorites, and organizing things! I'll try to up-date my blog one more time next Monday morning...then...future up-dates will come from Bolivia! Thanks again for your support and prayers, God is using you in more ways than you may know! Blessings to you all!