Praying and Preparing

Well hello, blog world!  Nice to finally meet you!  So, the news is official...I am moving to Tegucigalpa, Honduras in August!!!!  Crazy, right?!?  Never in a million years would I have imagined my life taking this direction.  It wasn't long ago that I was in the car with my family and I was in tears because my heart was longing for "something" but still was hearing just silence from God.  I have gone my entire life hearing everyone say, "It's all about timing...things will happen when the timing is right...blah, blah, blah."  I can now honestly say, they were all right.  With all the mess, both beautiful and not, God has led me to this moment and I am so in love and in awe of Him.

For those of you who don't know the "story", I don't mind to share...

In March, I took an 8-day trip to San Ignacio, Honduras with a team from my church in Canton.  Up until that time, I had been feeling very unsettled about my plans for the future.  I had been planning on leaving Charlotte and moving back to Canton, but my heart did not feel at peace about that decision.  I was praying and yearning that God would just speak to me.  I remember praying, "God just show me where You want me to be.  I'm here...waiting."  From the moment I stepped on the ground in Honduras, I fell in love.  I have never met more beautiful people.  Outside of the daily struggles, poverty, sickness, and what we may see as hopelessness, I discovered the liveliness of God.  For those of you who know me, you know I tend to be a little, how should I say....high maintenance?  Bugs, cold showers, and random power outages are not usually my thing, however, those were the smallest of things compared to the beautiful blessings I received.  My heart has never been more at peace, calm, and sure of God in my entire life.  As we were preparing to leave, I shared with my team that I felt God calling me into missions.  Now, for all you teachers out there, I have seen teaching as my mission field and continue to see that it as a mission field for all of us, but it was time for God to use me in another way.  When arriving back to the U.S., I called my mom and tearfully told her that I felt God calling me to the mission field and possibly back to Honduras.  After many minutes, hours, and days of talking to God, I knew this was a door that God would have to open.  If He wanted me in Honduras or in the mission field of some sort, He would have to provide the opportunity.  Not even two weeks later, I was talking to my roommate's aunt about my plans for next year.  I mentioned my trip to Honduras and shared with her that if I could do anything, I would move to Honduras and teach.  Her eyes grew large and she cupped her mouth...and this is where God just loves to show His awesomeness...she then told me that her husband's family started a mission group in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and their school has been looking for American teachers to come to their school.  Yeah, crazy!!!!!  Long story short, she contacted her family, who then contacted me, we talked and talked, and I have accepted a teaching position at the Honors Academy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras!!  

My heart and soul are just busting at the seams in excitement!  I'm not going to deny that I'm a little terrified...I'm leaving my family, friends, and everything comfortable, but am so humbled that God would choose me to do something like this.  

So, as God is continuing to prepare me for this journey, I ask that you would pray for me.  And if you are someone who is searching for God and His direction for your life, don't give up...keep praying!  Trust me, He's listening!

<3 Lauren