March 24, 2011

How do I even begin to write my feelings on this step I am about to take? There are so many emotions rocketing through my soul, that each day I feel is triumphant if I can just separate the "me" feelings from the "God" feelings. Every day is a little different in how I feel, but overall I know it will all be worth it because I am stepping out into my destiny.

When I was a little girl, my family went to many many churches. It seemed we always left each church in the midst of some sort of political split. I was saddened each time we had to leave, and did not understand how these adults just couldn't work things out amongst each other.

One day, we moved into a house on a street that ended in a culdesac (sp?). At the end of the circle, there were two churches. My dad wanted to try them both out. So, we ended up, first, in a church called "The Other Side". I sat in the chair at that church and listened to the pastor preach for a couple of weeks. I began to make friends at that church, and of course my parents began to get nit picky about things. My parents left, but since the church was so close to home I, at the age of 8, got myself up every Sunday and rode my bike to church. All I knew was that I was going to settle into a church and stay there as long as I could. I was tired of church hopping.

One Sunday morning I was listening to the Pastor's wife talk about a missions trip she had taken. She went to a country called Albania and was telling the story about how she became involved there. It seems her grandpa was Albanian and had told her stories about the tiny nation as she was growing up. She had a vision from God when she was 8 years old that she would start a ministry work in Albania. Sitting in that chair listening to her, I was hit by one single thought, "I am eight years old". If God called her at eight, maybe He could me too. After that I listened intently to every story they told about Albania, I was excited every time my pastors took a trip to Albania, and every time I even thought about Albania (even as just a child) something inside me screamed out that I COULD change the world.

I have had an intense passion for Albania and for missions since my Pastor's wife first told that story when I was eight years old. That passion only intensified when I got to go to Albania for the first time. I was 17 years old and I had been working at Chick Fil A in Ridgmar Mall for three years. I had save up almost two thousand dollars and I was more than excited to go. Amazing things happened on that trip, and when I came back I was blessed to be enrolled in Bible College, tuition paid. It forever changed my life.

Since then, I have been to Albania 6 or 7 times (I am beginning to lose count). I see the need of the people there and it pulls at my innermost being. I know I can make a difference there. On one of my trips a young lady in the church (about 16 years old) took me out for a coffee. We talked about what life expected of a young girl in Albania: marriage and children. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is so disheartening to see a young girl believe she has no other future than that. She seemed a little disappointed about it too. I told her that I was sure she would have those things one day and I was sure that they would make her happy. Then I began to suggest the idea that she could have something more.

I told her that it is hard to change a nation, but at some point someone has to stand up and do things differently. I told her that I really hate to see young people leave Albania to get better education in Greece, Italy or even the US and then never come back. I told her it was great to seek out the best education possible, but I suggested that maybe that awesome education could be used in her home country. We talked about how it is amazing that the USA is so successful. We also talked about the work that the early Americans put in to our great country to make it work. I told her it worked because our ancestors had no where to run to. We had no choice but to make it work. When it got hard, people didn't run away to some other, better developed nation. They stayed and worked at it. All paid a price, some gave their life. It was not an easy way to live, but look at what it produced.

A few months ago God gave me a plan. You can read about its specifics in one of my earlier blogs. Basically He gave me a plan on how to get to Albania and spend time there long term. He gave me a plan on how to reach the young people of Albania. It is my heart to instill a passion for God and a passion for hard work and integrity into them. I have an opportunity to effectively touch a generation who could literally turn a nation. What an honor. I do not take it lightly.

My head is spinning, and to be honest I am a little bit terrified of the unknown that lies ahead of me. I do not know what I am doing, but I know that God has given me a plan. Who am I to question Him?

Thanks for reading!

Julie


PS- If you are interested in giving towards the youth group that I am building, please go to Glory International's website or send me a message and I will send you my mailing address. We can change the world right now. Will you be a part of it?