Graduation and so much more!

Well I’ve finished all the classes, I’m waiting for the final
grade to come in, transfer that back to UT and then officially graduate! Even though I’ve already gone through the graduation ceremony, it doesn’t seem like
this part of my life is nearly finished. Im still working on campus (and will
until the school is back in session for UT). Right now I’m sitting in the
middle of a computer lab at UT trying to think of ways to express my heart to
all of you. I just checked out my friend Ian’s blog and I am reminded of the
short amount of time I have until I leave on my own adventure, until I go where
God has been calling me. I’ve done this many times in this particular computer
lab. If I had an hour or more between classes I would come here, sometimes to
finish some work, other times to check out how my friends are doing around the
world. Over the past year or so I’ve had two in Asia, three in Africa, many
living around the US and two changing every month doing missions with the World
Race. Even while trying to keep up with my foreign friends, I’m trying so hard
to be present here, to soak up the Lord through the community of believers here,
where it is familiar to me. I’m trying but it’s difficult when my excitement is
growing each day as my leave date comes closer! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been
nervous, worried, and fearful but that is slowly being overweighed as I take
the time to seek what the Lord has to say.  He didn’t give us a spirit of fear, no matter
how many times we feel that being the first emotion to surface.  But He did show us and instilled in us a power
to love that can outweigh any fear or worries we have. (2 Timothy 1:7) No I’m not
talking about the healthy fear of doing something that we all know is a bad
idea, I’m talking about the paralyzing fears and worries that we dwell on. It’s
these fears and worries that have been on my mind the last few weeks and days and I don’t believe God intended them to be there. But as I’ve slowly been giving
those over to Him that I’ve been feeling more peace and more excitement than I
have in quite some time!

I’m sure part of this excitement is due to AIM making a final
list of possibilities for our outreach location (aka what country I will be in,
in Africa). The complete list can be found here. As you can see if you click on
the link, they have asked us to pray (x3), research, and then submit our top
three requests. After some prayer, mine are Swaziland, South Africa, and ???
Now the obvious choice would be Uganda as that’s the only country left in
Africa and if it’s what God confirms then great I’ll put it down. But I know
Momma isn’t going to be happy, it’s not really southern Africa, and the least
of my thoughts, I’ll have to get another shot. So I’m asking all of you to join
me. Please if you can, take some time to join me in this prayer and let me know
what you are hearing.