Great Expectations

     Throughout the past few years, I have had very few constants in my life. I don't say this to draw pity or express complaint. In fact, I say this to help display God's faithfulness! Over the past month, I have seen how God has prepared me specifically for this time, in this place, with these people, to do this work. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 ESV) Oh, how God has worked all things together in my life for His purpose!
     During college, I lived on campus in a dorm room for 4 years. I shared a single room with another individual for 4 years. I shared a single bathroom, toilet, and shower with 3 other individuals for 3 years (1 year was fun with a community bathroom...). Every Christmas and summer break, I moved home for 1-3 months only to return back to dorm life. Please don't get me wrong, I loved dorm life! Dorm life just made making roots more difficult due to it's long-range nomadic nature. Also, during college, I got my degree in education. I learned how to prepare, organize, and teach a lesson. I learned how to address different learners and how to adapt to people and situations on the fly, mid-lesson.
     After college, I struggled with being very lonely. I went from being surrounded by close friends all of the time to not having a close friend within 30-45 minutes of where I was living. This was a very tough time for me. Though I consider myself an introvert, I longed for relationship. It was during this time that God taught me to become more dependent on Him to meet my need for relationship first and foremost. I learned to wait on God's timing for relationships around me to develop instead of trying to force them. I am thankful that this period only lasted a few months and that God has brought some amazing relationships into my life in Montgomery, in His time.
     Also, after college, God closed some doors in order to open the door for me to serve at AUM's BCM. During my time so far at AUM, God has provided godly people to pour into my life to teach me and grow me as a Christian and as a young woman. Our Campus Minister, Lee, has taught me the importance of knowing what I believe and why I believe it. He has also helped me to understand that every issue in our lives comes down to a matter of our hearts. Lee has challenged me to depend on the Gospel and to love the Gospel. Our Administrative Assistant, Mrs. Diane, has taught me how to lead better and how to serve better. She has taught me the importance of delegating and has pushed me to implement this in my leadership. Mrs. Diane has taught me, by example, how to be a better listener and how to speak with truth and love. Our BCM President, Justin Law, has taught me the importance of making a person feel welcome and included and the impact a smile can have on someone's life. He has encouraged me to follow my gut, but depend on the Lord's guidance. Justin was my first friend when I moved back to Montgomery and his brotherhood has been a positive example of a godly relationship with a brother in Christ.
     I list all of these things to show how God has prepared me, by His sovereignty, to be in Poland this summer as a JV intern. This summer, I have traveled to and stayed in 8 different cities with at least 1-3 roommates at each location. (dorm life) I have spoken and/or taught in at least 7 different schools, often times with little idea of what level of English is spoken in each class. (degree in education) I have traveled to a foreign country with zero relationships developed prior to arrival, where there is a language barrier with nationals. (from loneliness to dependence on God) I have been thrown into relationship with a team of 9 other interns. (God's timing in development) I have encountered Polish students with different religious beliefs that often focus on works-based religion as opposed to repentant heart change and relationship with Christ. (relationship with Lee) I have had to delegate tasks to be accomplished with fellow interns and have developed relationships with students through listening and loving. (relationship with Mrs. Diane) I have met a lot of new people and will be meeting a lot of new campers who desire to feel welcome and included. I have also been placed in relationship with 5 male interns who are my brothers in Christ. (relationship with Justin)
     Notice one thing I did not list: soccer. When I first signed on with Josiah Venture, I signed on to be a part of a soccer intern team that would put on soccer camps in Poland. As time passed, it came to be that only one camp would be soccer-oriented and the others would be English-oriented. I was asked to prepare to head up the soccer camp that would take place in Jastrzebie. Now, I am finding out that there will most likely be no soccer-oriented portion of this camp. Teaching soccer was a major draw for me when it came to Poland. I don't honestly know if I would have been interested in this opportunity if soccer were not a part. God obviously has other plans for me! I am certain, however, that this is exactly where I am supposed to be and He knew exactly what it would take for me to get to this place.
     Today marks one full month in Poland. On May 30th, I landed in Krakow and began this incredible adventure with a handful of expectations and a heart full of unknowns! Tomorrow, we will lead our first camp of the summer in the city of Jastrzebie. All of us have some type of expectations for this English camp, including myself. However, as I was warned and have seen come to fruition, expectations and reality rarely match up. This fact leads myself and my fellow interns to a crucial state of mind: FLEXIBILITY! Despite many great expectations, we must remain flexible and open to the option that God may have different plans that are GREATER THAN our expectations!

     "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

(Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV)