and God got a little crazy......

So a lot has happened since the last time I posted. I was once talking about leaving the country to do some mission work and what do you know? I'm going. January 12th is my last day at Crowder after 3 years and 4 long months of faithful employment. God did some crazy things over the past couple of months to really show me that this whole thing was right. There are probably about three really solid things that I believe are pretty strong confirmations for me. I find it absolutely fitting that God didn't give me any of these messages until AFTER I had stepped out and really said YES, I'll go. Saying YES was really manifested in me talking to my boss about going which was the hardest part of the whole trip. I had always placed so much weight on my job and allowed it to deter me from doing something like this. I had bought in to this idea that working for one company for your whole life or at least a really long time and I have since taken said idea and stomped on, chewed up, thrown out, and proverbially peed it the whole thing. I don't mean to say that it is completely wrong to work for one company for your whole life, but to feel as if you 'have to' and to allow that to stop you from doing greater things is absolutely upsurd. I don't know why I felt like that but I'm very thankful that I have gotten over it.

So that said, My favorite thing that God did to show me that he was right in the middle of my decision to go to Nicaragua is the "Here Am" I shirt. When I sent my initial email to Vision Nicaragua's board to inform them of my desire to come I placed in the subject line, "Here Am I". I was a little hesitant to do this b/c it does sound a bit arrogant and although I can be that way I didn't want to purposefully place it into my very first email which was sure to make impressions on the people that would read it. So I went on with the email and forgot what I had originally placed in the Subject Line and then I ended up sending it just like that to the entire board of Vision Nicaragua and didn't think much of it after that. Well, nearly a month later; I was in my bathroom at 5:00 AM and I was getting ready to leave for the airport to catch a plane to Managua when I noticed the back of shirt that everyone wears as they travel to Nic with Vision Nicaragua. The shirt says in big capital letters, "HERE AM I, SEND ME". I was already blown away and I hadn't even left my bathroom yet. There was at least two other things that were pretty big time and I'll try to get to them later. Anyway, Christmas was good and if you're reading this; I hope your's was too.

later,
alan