My final blog-I'm back in the States!!!!

By the way, the picture shown above is some of the precious, precious girls at our guesthouse who are being adopted! One of them stayed at our guesthouse with her dad, while the other two stayed at a guesthouse down the road with their dad. The dad's happened to meet each other, both going thru the adoption process, both had wives back in the States, both Christians, and the little girls had fun playing together...so the dad's would get together at our guesthouse every evening for coffee and talk, while the little girls would play! Really cool! Interestingly enough, their situation is actually a part of one of my future visions with mission work :)

I'm actually writing the first half of this blog while sitting on the plane from Amsterdam to Atlanta, on my last long stretch!! I'm sitting here shivering under a sweatshirt, socks, and 2 blankets...I really haven't been exposed to air conditioning the past 5 months :) I can't explain the emotional breakdown I'm going through!! I'm so torn between two places...it's really, really tough! A part of me can't stop thinking about my classmates and the international team and people back at the guesthouse. Some classmates wrote me letters, which I was unable to read before I left, so I'm catching up now, and they are just blessing and humbling me! The people who you think you have no effect on...the most unexpected people...those are the ones who are "secretly" watching your every move and tell you what an impact you have made and what a blessing you are...so humbling and unexpected!! Then, there's another part of me that's so excited to see my small group, my friends, and my co-workers in Florida...and whatever else God has waiting for me there! I don't think He brought me back to Florida "coincidentally". I'm pumped and ready to go :) I have no idea how long I will be there, but I will faithfully and joyfully serve there until I get commissioned elsewhere :) I admit that I'm nervous about the reverse culture shock that might lie ahead?!?!

Oh yeah, so you know I didn't have an exit visa to get out of the country...the only visa I had stamped expired a month ago! So, I stood in the airport and prayed one last prayer before getting in line to clear through. There were 2 people behind the glass, sitting at the desks checking visas/passports. I stepped up and handed my passport to the man administrator and I hear the woman administrator talking to another passenger about Watoto church being her home church! Ummm yeah, that's the church I just spent the last 5 months working for!!!! Do not hesitate, do not breathe...get in on that conversation as quickly as possible!!! We are over an hour away from Watoto church...this was not by chance, this was divine intervention, favor, and grace that this woman was working tonight and was a member of Watoto church...and I was going to accept this Godly favor!!! The man administrator started to give me a hard time, but I was confident that the Lord's hand was all over this, and I ended up getting thru just fine without having to purchase another visa!!! Those who have been on mission trips know the corruption, especially towards Americans, so this was a miracle and blessing that I got through with no issues, no visa, and no payments!!! Totally God!

Ok, I've now been back in Florida for 3 days now, and I'm ready to finish writing my very last blog on "Off to discover more of Him". Boy did I do this the last 5 months!!!!!! It's been an amazing journey and although I'm back in the States, I know my journey isn't over...my life IS a journey! When you live your life for the Lord, life becomes a journey, a good and exciting journey :) I've struggled quite a bit since being back, hitting major reverse culture shock (more than I anticipated!!). Been infiltrated with the western world, yet I've continued to have an unresounding peace and calmness within myself. It's as if the people and world around me are running at a million miles an hour and I'm standing still watching them go by with a smile on my face...I don't let anyone or anything affect the joy and peace within me! It's a very different pace here and people's lifestyles, thought process, concerns, and worries are just very different here! However, I'm very excited to see people and I do like the conveniences of the western world. Before I got in the car at the airport, I already had 2 cups of frozen yogurt, one in Atlanta and one in Tampa airport :) I'm not kidding you! I can use nice bathrooms actually sitting on toilets, have air conditioning, power is always on, hot showers, eat whatever I want, drive to the store to get whatever I need!!! Although this was my 8th mission trip and I've seen not just poor lifestyles, but poverty before; I've never realized how convenient and easily accessible EVERYTHING is in the States!! I'm sorry, but it really, truly is! So now when I hear people grumble and complain about things here, I see things from a whole new perspective and no longer see things through those eyes (my old eyes). I can't make judgments like that, from that viewpoint! (I'm now held to a new standard, yikes!!) "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more". Luke 12:48. This is where I start to realize I've been changed, and I will never be the same again. Some speculate and say it's just a phase and will slowly fade away. But, I disagree entirely! I know I've been molded and changed into His likeness for good! But, it's not my words that will convince you, it's my actions and the way I continue to live my life!! One of my closest friends in Uganda would say that you may not be able to keep a bird from flying over your head, but you sure can keep it from landing on your head and making a nest!! How true is that? :) I don't have to let "junk" land and nest on my head, whereas before I didn't think I could move out of the way, but now I know I have the power and authority (in Christ) and self-control to!! I can control what I allow to come in and affect/effect me! I have been taught so much in Uganda, I have seen so much in Uganda, and I have been molded and changed so much in Uganda! If you put junk in, you are going to get junk out! Simple and easy concept. Simple things like, I'm now more aware and careful about the TV shows, movies, video games, making time to spend with the Lord, etc (there's a cool fiction book called “Blessed Child” by Bill Bright and Ted Dekker, check it out!).

I'm now working at a new normal!!! I've had more paradigm shifts happen on this trip and my mind has been transformed and conformed, than I can write in a blog!! But like I said, it's not my words or blog that matter, it's how I live my life!! I've been radically changed! I'm full of life and love. I know who I am and who I am in the Lord. I'm more fearless and bold in the Lord than ever before. I've got direction, with the Lord directing my steps. I've got a peace and joy that not only can I not describe, but that I've never experienced before!

Thank you so much for faithfully reading my blogs each week, continually praying for me, the encouraging emails/text messages, the financial contributions, and the love!!! I am fully dependent on the Lord, but must stay connected to the body of Christ, "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another..." Hebrews 10:25. God has used you all to speak to me! I so appreciate your obedience, faithfulness, patience, and love. If you want to hear more stories (there are tons) from my trip or more about what I experienced, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me :) (Obviously I'm a bit busy, but will make time if you sincerely want to hear!). If you want to hear more about this Jesus that I've talked so much about, please contact me too!! But, don't wait too long, I've been given some amazing visions, I'm on fire for the Lord, and will be on the move again "soon" :)

I'm signing off this blog for the last time :)

Living to know Him more and more,

Michelle