Thursday, November 29, 2007
India - by Jessica Atteberry
Two months and counting. How close does a date have to be before you start counting down? I guess it depends on a person.
I feel like I've been slowly counting down the months ever since I found out that I would be leading our January Discipleship Training School (DTS). I found out in June, so its been a long time of waiting, prepping and emailing. Now I have two short months – or so it seems.
Crazy things have been happening - we have a crazy God. I was speaking to a friend the other day and she asked the question "what would you do or what would it be like if God sent you an email saying 'from now on everything will be predictable and in your timing'". Would that be pleasing to us, to me, to you? NO! I would get so bored so fast- I wouldn't know what to do. So God is a God of the last minute- the unpredictable. And that is how I like Him.
I've been having interesting staffing issues - which is what brings up that question. Having faith is more than planning. Its actually trusting God...which I'm getting a lesson in.
Something exciting: For some reason (probably God!), these past few years I've had this desire to go to India - to see the country, the people, the culture, the music, the religion, the Taj Mahal, the clothes, the dancing…need I go on? There is just something about that country that strikes my interest and my heart. I've had random conversations about taking teams there or just taking some time off and going. But now it seems that God wants to bless me and says 'Go to India on outreach'.At this time, we're not sure if an outreach to India will be taking place on Closkelt's January school or if its something we're meant to look into for future schools. We are still in the preliminary phase of deciding on where to go should we take a team - but it's really promising. But the contacts, the students, the staff - many things are falling into place and are just too good to be true - God again. And with that comes my excitement. How many people can say that they would like to go to a country that God has placed on their heart, talk about it for years, and then one day you get released to do it?
Its pretty amazing!