July and August have been very full months of ministry. It’s been wonderful and confirming.
I had the privilege of traveling to Cameroon at the end of July to work with missionaries there to do a teacher training and Vacation Bible School (VBS) event. In Cameroon some teammates and I went with the intention of teaching at a children’s minster teacher training for one week then doing a Vacation Bible School event at a local church plant. I was very excited about all these things, especially the teacher training since that is my heart. Upon arrival we found out about a fuel shortage in the country of Cameroon; because of this, there was a possibility that we would not be able to attend the teacher training (because it was a 6-hour drive). Our team leaders in Cameroon waited as long as they could to make the call. The final decision maker was that our vehicle that would be taking us arrived and was not the one ordered, this one was much less safe and secure. My team leaders made the wise, yet difficult, choice for us to stay back in the city. We were able to send the local pastor to the village and he was able to do some teaching with the people who came.
This was a very unscheduled and unexpected change to our plans. But first, this is Africa and things can change quickly, second, we must trust that God has a plan and if we are listening to His voice and trusting His leading, He will use it all for His glory. During this time of waiting for the Vacation Bible School week we were able to have very good, valuable, life-giving conversations with the missionaries hosting us, and make more preparations for our VBS.
Our second week in Cameroon for the VBS was very much looked forward to by all. The night before it started, I got some kind of stomach bug (possibly literally? lol). I was unable to attend three of the four days of VBS. I was very disappointed and really struggled with all the changes and disappointments of this trip. However, I chose to seek the Lord while I was recovering and He spoke clearly, confirming this call of missions to Africa, confirming this mission of teaching and training about children’s ministry, and confirming in my heart that I’m supposed to do missions at all.
I wasn’t questioning my call to missions, He has continuously confirmed throughout my life, however, as I come up on the one-year anniversary here in Cote d’Ivoire I am looking ahead to the future and am unsure how to proceed. There is such a great need here in Africa, where do I go, where do I begin, where do I do my next term, what country, what city, etc.? The reminder during this trip to Cameroon was that He has been faithful before, He has spoken clearly and led without question, He will do it again. Every season of trusting Him looks a little different and every season refines me a little more. I am thankful for this trip to Cameroon. I am now well and was able to attend the last day of VBS! I saw my teammates thrive in the areas they worked in throughout the day. I also had the privilege of teaching children’s church Sunday morning! It was wonderful!
Often, we can set a plan whether it be to travel to a different country to do children’s ministry or just our plan for the day. What is our reaction or attitude when things don’t go according to that plan or are completely different? Are we able to trust the Lord completely and allow Him to lead? What if something awful was waiting for us on the road to the training and He kept us safe, what if I would have begun to question this call had I not had that extra time alone with the Lord? I don’t know that either of these are real things that could have happened but we can’t hold on so tightly to our plan or our way.
Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
It’s so comforting to know that He is with us, for us, guiding, and leading us. When things don’t go our way, ask the Lord what He’s doing, get out of the way, out of your head, and follow Him.