Well, dear friends! What a while its been!!
I know this blog ended up quite empty for the last few months of my Gap Year but I hope you can understand that things were truly crazily busy and I simply didn't have time amongst other issues which prevented me from posting.
Buuuuut, IM BACK! I don't know how long for, but I figured that this blog is the best way to keep all of you, who were and hopefully still are interested in the adventure God is leading me on, up to date :)
There were oh so many things that God taught me whilst I was away in Guatemala and Canada surrounding a whole range of things, but what I wish to discuss today are the ways in which he guided me and has since been guiding me, towards his future plans for me.
In my last two months or so of my time in Guate, I thought quite a lot about what God had in store next. I didn't want to just get back to England and stop serving the people he has given me a passion to help. In this thought there was a particular organisation and country I couldn't get off my mind and felt drawn to exploring, but every time I started thinking seriously about it I just felt God urge me to wait, it wasn't the right time. So after some struggle with understanding why, I let it be and trusted that God would reveal his intentions to me when the time was right.
And just that he did! But let me give some more info first....
In September I began my course in Social Work at the University of Nottingham. For the many who don't know, God had a very directional hand in my winding up on this course, in this city. As with many God influenced life events, there were many times when I really didn't understand his purpose and got frustrated and impatient and confused... but I can honestly put my hands up in shame and declare how silly I was to yet again doubt that God didn't have it all worked out for me perfectly! Nottingham is literally ideal for me! I'm in a church that I love with all my heart which keeps me in the exact spiritual place that God taught me to be in whilst I was away. Along with this and all the amazing friends God has gifted me here, there is an organisation here called Jericho Road which basically does exactly the same work as the ministry in Canada did. Im currently in the application process for volunteering with them and hopefully soon will be able to join them on the streets of Nottingham a few nights a month and in their day centre a couple of days a month, to reach out to the broken women that need to know Gods love here in England.
Whilst I absolutely love and am thankful for the way in which God is using me here in Nottingham I know that Nottingham is not where God wants me forever and that this set-up of life is only temporary. I don't know how long I'll be based in Nottingham, or at least England, before God calls me away to the work he has prepared for me over-seas but I am certain that when the time is right, whether thats in 1 year after graduating or 10 or 30, it will happen.
Due to still feeling quite definitely that Gods plans for me haven't changed but are still heading towards this goal I want to continue pursuing this and pushing doors to see where they and God will lead me.
This brings me back to what I discussed before. Long story short is that basically in December, the small CU group for my halls (Nine20) had a missions night where a few of us who had taken gap years shared a little about our experiences and what God taught us and challenged us with. One of the girls in our group had previously done mission with an American, who happened to be in England, and so he happened to do a little talk for us as well as share his testimony (it was pretty incredible!). Now he had never met me before, and in none of what I shared with the group did I mention future plans or even the years of Gods direction leading up to my gap year, so he basically had no information on me other than what I had shared about my time in the refuge and the ways I was challenged personally. After the evening had finished, he asked me if he could prophesy over me and I said yes. In his prophesy he spoke out some really amazing things and declared some incredibly scary but exciting ideas.
For the few months prior to this event I had been praying a lot about Gods next steps for me and just thinking a lot about where God intends for me to be based. I didn't share these thoughts with anyone. On my heart was East Asia, especially Thailand, Cambodia and The Philippines. I was doing loads of research into projects and organisations in these countries but just didn't felt spiritually led to any of them. All but one. God placed back in my mind the desire (that I referred to before) of working in Thailand with an organisation called Nightlight. I had been seriously considering taking a trip to Thailand this summer to work with them and serve and just test the waters to see if Thailand, or Nightlight could be in Gods plans for me, or even to allow myself to make connections through the experience to other opportunities. But I really wasn't sure and just didn't feel like I was hearing a definitive answer from God, despite my fervent prayer.
But then I had the prophesy, and no word of a lie, he said, 'I just really feel like Gods pleased with you for considering a trip in the Summer and he wants to say just go for it and do it... and I also just have the sense that he wants you to go to Thailand and theres an organisation I know called Nightlight and I just think he wants you to go there and serve there'.... and he continued on to say some other things but OH MY GOLLY GOODNESS?! I can't really get it any clearer than that can I?!
(Sorry, I didn't really tell you that story in short, haha - you should remember from before how much I waffle so you can't say you weren't warned ;)
But now we come to the conclusion of all of this...)
Im currently waiting on a response from Nightlight in Bangkok to an email that I sent to them discussing my situation and my desire to serve with them. Until I hear back from them I'm just in a state of waiting. And this is where you guys come in. If you feel led to, then I would love and appreciate nothing more than you guys praying for me in this exciting but uncertain time! Please pray for patience and peace as I wait to hear back from them, and ultimately please be praying that Gods will be done.
If things don't work out with Nightlight, it will be pretty confusing and frustrating but I have faith that all of this is working towards something greater and so I'm just trying to look at the bigger picture.
I want to keep you all as updated as possible so I will try and send out updates when I have them :)
From experience with Guatemala, I know that when God wants something to happen he will provide the means for it to happen. A big obstacle for these potential plans is money. As a student, despite my dedication to minimal living, I only just have enough money to live on, and so consequently there isn't any spare to be spending on a trip to Thailand... I have faith that God will sort this out, but I would love for you to all be praying in faith alongside me concerning this matter. Finance can be a source of great stress so please pray that I would remain faithful and reliant on my Father who looks after me. Whilst I don't feel comfortable asking directly for financial support for this trip, bearing in mind so many of you made such generous contributions to my gap year, I instead just ask you to consider over the next months as this all unfolds whether there are any ways in which you can potentially support me if a trip in the summer is to occur, both financially and in other ways...
Thats about it for now - sorry it was a long one but that was never going to change was it, haha! ;) Love you all and hope that everyone is in good health and spirits as we head on into February tomorrow.
Blessings,
Elle :) xxx
