This is the Start of something New...

  So I am back in my village now and getting ready to jump back into ministry and pretty much anything God has for me this year.  I have to be honest though, my heart is a little torn.  On the one hand I just left home so I'm missing all my friends and family there, but on the other hand I'm so happy to back with my friends and "family" here.  I don't know what the next year holds, but I have a feeling that feeling of being "torn" is only going to continue to grow.  So I guess the best strategy will be to learn to just live in the moment and breathe it all in as it comes.  God knows the future and he's given me this present, so I should just enjoy the moment and be grateful for it!
  That being said, I'm really excited about this year.  I don't know why but I have a feeling this is going to be a huge year for me in terms of personal growth.  There are so many things I want to do this year too, that I almost wish there were more hours in the day.  But more than just "things" I want to do, I feel like there's a deeper intimacy with God that I am being called to.  Last year when I first came to the field I was forced by circumstance to learn a lot about relying on God and turning to Him instead of people to sustain me.  This year I feel like I'm setup to build on that reliance and grow more in just how I relate to God and how I allow Him to speak to me and through me.
  The next three days my teammates and I have set apart for a time of prayer.  Maybe it's wrong to have such high expectations for a time such as this, but I truly believe that this time is going to be a sacred moment that will have a huge impact on everything we do from here on out.  I'm not saying that it's going to be easy...I mean we all want to hear from God but taking the time to just sit and BE with Him isn't something that tends to come naturally to us humans (or at least to this human).  Plus moments like these, God tends to use to stir things up in us....and stirring has the tendency to bring our struggles to the surface. That's a good thing....but hard none the less.
  So pray for us over the next few days that God would really speak to each of our hearts and help us to grow closer to Him.  Pray for clarity of vision and that we would have ears to hear and eyes to see God's vision and not just our own.  And pray for me that I would stay open and allow God to do the work He needs and wants to do in me, both this week and through out this year!  Amen!