Starting out with a bang!

As you know, I left Chicago on Friday with a grand farwell at the train station. Lots of tears and many people to miss! Well, after a two hour train ride I made it to Kenosha, WI and started to load myself up with my many bags (heavy backpack, small duffle bag, and three other small bags). As I was heading to the door to exit the train (kenosha is the last stop).....the doors shut!!! Me and another lady frantically looked around for anyone or anything to get the door opened....no luck. Then, the train started moving again. The lady started walking through the train cars with me trying to follow with all of my stuff (this is one reason why I like to travel light and everyone who knows me- knows I travel light!). The train finally stopped a few blocks from the station in the middle of the tracks and we found an emergency button that opened one of the doors. This meant that we had to JUMP off the train (and I was wearing cheap flip flops, not good adventure shoes!). The other lady took off and I looked around to make sure no trains were coming and had to throw the duffle bag off the train and then jumped off onto the tracks with everything else!!! I felt like I was in a movie! I walked along the tracks a bit then found some train worker stairs that I climbed down to street level and walked a few blocks with all of my stuff and found some grass and dropped everything and sat down under a tree! I couldn't believe what happened and had to tell someone!! After resting a while & making a few phone calls, I decided to load up again and make my way to the coffee shop a few more blocks away where I was to wait for my friend Jackie to pick me up after she was done at school. Thankfully the coffee shop over looked Lake Michigan and had a great deck to rest in the sun! So, it was quite a start to my new adventure and I was only two hours into it! I wonder what other adventures are around the corner!?!?

Getting Ready....

I'm to the counting down stage now! I've got my plane ticket to LA and am in the down sizing and packing mode!!! I can't believe how fast this summer has gone. Its strange to be planning last visits with people and especially at Sunshine where we are planning different events and I know I won't be here for them. Twelve years is a long time to wrap up. Every birthday I seem to reflect on the last year and think ahead to the new one, wondering what it will bring.....I definitely didn't see all this transition in my future so soon! In November I'll be turning 30 and will be living in LA with no car or real address and not sure what I'll be doing!!! And yet, I am very excited and am learning in many ways just how faithful God is and how strong He is when we aren't! He can surely take care if me, He's the Great God of the Universe who created and sustains everything for all of time! I have had some big challenges lately and am always encouraged and reminded by Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand!" Yeah God!!!

New Adventure

God has been so faithful to me over the years at Sunshine. I have been thinking back through the last nine years that I have been involved at Sunshine and seen how often God has provided, protected, and blessed me. There are so many people who God has used to touch my life in such unique ways. I want to thank each one of you for your role in my life and ministry!
While at Sunshine, people would always ask “how long I planned on staying”. And I always new so strongly that God had me here and that I would stay until He made it very clear otherwise. Over the last few months, God has brought together many confirmations that this is such a time, that He has something new for my future in ministry. I have been doing a study on the book of Daniel and how faithful he was to God and all the big things that God did in his life in response to his obedience and faith. This has gotten me thinking and praying about how fear can hold us back from stepping out in faith. I have been convinced that God wants me to step out in faith and follow Him to a new place. The place isn’t clear yet, but I know God wants to teach me some new lessons and stretch me in a way that He can’t do here. I’m sure you’re surprised by this, as was I. I keep thinking how big this is and yet God keeps reconfirming and encouraging me in the process. I love Sunshine and all my friends here and this will be a huge transition, as I have spent my whole adult life in Chicago and mostly at Sunshine.
So, the plan is to finish my time here at the end of September and embark on a “vision trip” of sorts to a few places that God has kept in the back of my head for a while. The first is to stay with my sister in LA for two months and check out her church there and see if there would be some type of role for me. Then travel to Uganda for two months and stay with some friends of mine who are missionaries and see if there would be a role for me there. After that, I’m not sure what’s next, maybe God has something for me that’s not ready yet. I will definitely keep everyone posted on what God is doing and the whole process till I know where I will be long term. Come October, I will still have travel expenses and a few ongoing bills if you feel led to continue supporting me directly. I may or may not need to raise support again depending on where God leads me. I still plan to be in ministry in a diverse setting, connected to the local church and in a warm climate!!! Please pray for me as I finish my time in Chicago and as I travel to each new place!

As I start on these journeys, I wanted to keep everyone updated and so I decided to start this blog!!! I hope you enjoy my crazy life and pray for me as I seek to follow God on this new adventure!!!