Long awaited greetings from London! My parents and I arrived to 5 degrees Celsius yesterday morning and rejoiced that it hit double digits today. How wonderful it was to be reunited with my familiar bed and I awoke this morning feeling that I had never left, as if the last 7 months drifted by with the clouds. Of course, the last 7 months are real and I praise God for all that He has done in that time! Indeed, 2011 started with a bang setting certain wheels into motion and for those of you who have been following my movements closely, yes, I'm definitely moving to Melbourne next month. In fact, I booked my tickets yesterday (please consult my itinerary below for more details)!
As I look back on 2010, I marvel at the way God had taught me a little bit more about waiting on Him, about patience and about faith. Not that this year doesn't involve waiting, patience or faith because indeed those are all important and ongoing lessons but there is definitely a sense that it is time to move. The time to just sit and listen and wait is over and now is the time to get up and go. How appropriate that the new recruits' conference is called the 'GO Conference'. Of course, I'm not just moving blindly and last year was where God had patiently revealed each step leading up to this. Part of His reassurance has been through you, your words of encouragement and your generosity. Just a quick update to those who have been praying, I am really thankful to the Lord for the way He has provided about 40% of the overall financial support that I need through friends and family. Please pray that I will see God continue to provide.
I realise I'm talking as if I'm ready to go already but in truth, there is still much to be done before that too. Even as I type this I'm looking at the mess my room is in and wondering how I'm going to pack everything. Though part of me is done waiting, another part is also not ready to move... kinda ironic. Especially with the likes of Facebook, email, msn, Skype and whatever else, it is so incredibly easy to distract myself from the task at hand. My dad has been reminding recently that "procrastinating is sin in slow motion". When God says move, I don't think He means "dawdle", nor "take your time and move whenever it is most convenient", I'm pretty sure He means "move now". Perhaps it is too easy to become comfortable with the familiar even if that familiar is "Egypt" till we complain about the road to the "promise land". Anyway, I think I just convinced myself that I need to start packing...
Just wanted to again, thank you all for taking the time to read my updates and to pray for me and for my family. Thank you also to those who have written back as I do also desire to be able to pray for you too. As you similarly move as Christ leads you, I hope, trust and pray that this year's adventures with Jesus will be even more surprising, even more exciting and even more thrilling.
Moving with Christ into new adventures,
Debbie
'And He said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will five you rest." Then he said to Him, "If Thy presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that I have found favour in Thy sight, I and Thy people? Is it not by Thy going with us, so that we, I and Thy people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?"'
-Exodus 33:14-16
ITINERARY:
17-29 January GO Conference in Mosbach, Germany
7 February Flying to Singapore
15 February Flying to Melbourne, Australia
PRAYER & PRAISE POINT SUMMARY:
- Praise God that both my parents are in much better health. Please continue to pray for both of them as their schedule this year looks quite demanding in terms of travel though praise God also for the many new and exciting open doors!
- Pray for me as I pack up in London and then in Singapore and move to Melbourne that the transition will be smooth and that God will use me wherever He leads.
- Praise God for providing about 40% of the support needed but continue to pray for more funds to come in. For more information about how to send me support, please email me.
- Praise God for the fruitful time back in Singapore the last couple of months and for the many answers to prayer in that time
