Africa Is Where My Heart Is

Ok, as promised, here is the background story to my calling to Africa! Sorry it's so long!

This story actually starts in 1994 when I was 8 years old! After my family moved back home to Fort Worth from Overton, Nevada where my dad had been a pastor for 6 years, the first organization I got involved with at our new church, North Fort Worth Baptist, was Girls in Action (GA's). Each summer, the GA's attend a summer camp at Riverbend Retreat Center. My first GA camp was life changing. It was where I came to know Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, and also where I developed a passion for Africa, specifically the country of Kenya. Our missionaries at GA camp were from Kenya. They told us their stories, what God was doing, showed us artifacts from the country and even taught us some words and songs in the Swahili language that I STILL remember! I remember I could not wait for the next GA camp so I could hear more missionary stories. The missionaries the next summer were from China. While I was still interested because of my passion for missions, I was not as captivated by this country as I had been with Kenya.

From that time on, Africa has been in my heart and a constant influence in my life. In high school, a few friends of mine were able to go on mission trips to Africa and I remember not being exactly jealous, but definitely wishing that I could go. In my second year of college, my mom and I attended the Women of Faith conference in Oklahoma City. World Vision was a sponsor and of course, a video of Africa was shown as they asked for volunteers to donate and get involved. The video pricked something in my heart and brought me to tears. The tears continued as we drove back to the hotel that night. I told my mom that I knew God wanted me to go to Africa, but that I was scared. My fear caused me to push Africa to the back of my mind.

2 years ago, my brother Matthew, you guessed it, went to Africa! While I was so excited for him and supportive of God calling him to go...I wanted to go!!! Matthew brought us all gifts back from Africa, but my gift could not have been more perfect. At GA camp 14 years earlier, one of the missionaries had brought tire shoes for us to look at and explained how these flip flops were literally made out of old rubber tires. I knew that if I ever went to Africa, I wanted a pair of these fascinating shoes! Fast forward to 2 years ago when Matthew came home from Niger with gifts...I had never told him of how I wanted tire flips flops, but guess what he brought home for me!!! I was floored and could not wipe the smile off my face as I told him how much I had wanted tire shoes from Africa. Passions were stirred and Africa has been heavy on my mind for the past 2 years. I knew I was going to get my chance, I just had to wait for God's timing and provision.

It's time!!! Everyday, God unfolds a little bit more of how He has been working to prepare me, and orchestrate my first trip to Africa this summer - and He did it all without my help or knowledge of what He was doing!! This time last year, I did not know that I was coming to the end of a long line of bad decisions, bad dating habits/choices and the start of a lot of brokenness and God putting me back together. This time last year, I had NO idea that the dream of going to Africa was so close to becoming a reality. As I've mentioned in several blog posts, God used 2009 to turn me inside out, clean out the junk in my life, and restore what was broken in me. He is so good and faithful to take care of His own! I know now that He was and is preparing me for this trip. My heart was not in any shape to serve Him and others in a foreign country, and my Father certainly knows that better than I do. I still have a long way to go and I'm so glad that He is never finished with us.

Over the course of refining me this past year, God has blessed me with 3 very godly wise ladies to provide wise counsel and godly encouragement in my life. In December, I transitioned to start meeting with Jessica in order to provide continued counsel and encouragement. I thought that I was good to go and really did not see myself meeting with her that often, if at all. But God had a bigger plan. God had been making Africa HEAVY on my mind through December, and now into January, and I knew I was supposed to go THIS summer. But how, where and with who??? I did not have answers to any of these questions, I just knew I was going! As I tried to answer these questions for myself, the Lord kept whispering, "talk to Jessica...." Around the 2nd week of January, I shared with Jessica my calling. Her first words were, "look up Family Legacy!" Jessica had served with FLMI in Lusaka, Zambia the summer after her college graduation and could not say enough good things about the experience. She gave me the website and I went straight home to look it up and actually started filling out the application the next day! However, the filling out of the application came to a screeching halt when I saw the price tag...yikes! I did not have $4300! I planned to graduate in May and wanted to start my career job this summer. My mind raced, "What if, in this economy, my new job wasn't willing to wait for my to get back from Africa and chose to hire someone that would start immediately after graduation? What if I couldn't raise the money? What if it wasn't God's will and I made all of it up in my head because I wanted to go? What if I get on the plane and terrorists take over or we crash???" Suddenly all the worldly details were very overwhelming and discouraging. I still wanted to go, but just did not see how it was going to happen.

I started researching other less expensive options and looked up multiple churches and organizations who were also going to various places in Africa this summer. None of them excited me the way going to Zambia with FLMI had. I wasn't called to go on other trips, I was called to go to Zambia. Every time I thought about Africa and tried to figure out on my own, the whisper was there, "wait, and talk to Jessica." Of course Jessica had felt the same way and done exactly what I did when she saw the price tag to go with FLMI to Zambia. She then told me her incredible story, which ends in God providing ALL the funds in THREE days! I left feeling encouraged, hopeful, and knowing more than ever that I did not need to look for a cheaper trip, I needed to take a step of faith, send in my application and let the God of the universe show me how much bigger He is than $4300.

And so, I have taken that giant step of faith. I received my first donation check last night and cried over it as I thanked God for providing and being faithful even when I doubt. He's never, ever even come close to failing me, so why do I still doubt? It's something I'm definitely frustrated with myself about, but also something I am learning to give over to my Father. There have been so many instances of confirmation this past week and from the time I submitted my application, I have felt a deep peace that I am doing God's will.

In the past, I always thought that I would get married and THEN go to Africa to do missions. I still pray that I marry a man who shares my passion for missions and I still feel confident that I will get to serve with him on the mission field at some point. But I'm not putting my life on hold, waiting around for that to happen. I'm going! One of the most exciting aspects of this trip is that I am going by myself! I do not know one person on my team, and that's ok. Because I am not truly going alone, my First Love is taking this trip with me and is making all the arrangements for us to go. My prayer this past year has been that God would be my everything. That He would fill every desire and truly satisfy me so that I do not need a man in my life. My prayer is that I would know, feel and experience that HE is Enough. I desire to come to a place where I am still satisfied and fully content if I never have another boyfriend, never marry and never have children. I definitely desire these blessings, but more than that, I desire my Creator. Please pray with me as I prepare and go on this journey, that I would know that He is Enough.

I promise not all of my blogs about Africa will be this lengthy! If you've stuck with me to this point, please continue to pray for this adventure. Pray for God to protect me mentally, emotionally, spiritually & physically from Satan's lies, discouragement and attacks. I could not do this without the love, prayers and support of my family, friends & church family. So thank you and I love you!

Shannon is Going to Africa!

I wanted all of my friends and family to know that God has called me to serve in Africa this summer! I am so excited about this calling and all God is going to do in and around me. I was introduced to Family Legacy Camp Life which helps to organize weekly summer camps for orphans in Zambia. You can read mo...re about Camp LIFE at http://www.legacymissions.org/camp-life/. I will be gone a total of 10 days from June 3-June 13. I am asking everyone that is willing to join me in praying over this opportunity. I will be updating my blog with news about Africa periodically so that everyone interested can keep up with my progress. My first post about Africa will be the background story of my calling and passion for Africa...stay tuned, coming soon. :)

A few specific prayer requests:
*That God would prepare me for what He has planned next.
*That God would already be working in the lives of the orphans, staff, translators and volunteers that will be involved in Camp LIFE.
*That God would provide financially to get me to Zambia. The total trip of the cost is $4300. I know I do not have this money, but I am so excited to see how God blows me away with His provisions for this seemingly huge sum of money. It puts me at ease to know that God is much bigger than $4300!

I have 10 business days to send in my $1000 deposit. That means the deposit money is due Friday, February 5. The rest of the money is due by April 2.

As you pray, if you feel led to donate to this mission trip, you can do so in several ways...

You can visit the Family Legacy website at http://www.legacymissions.org/donate/ and donate funds now this trip (go the ‘Donate Now’ page, select ‘Sponsor a Short-term mission trip participant’ and type in my name).

If you would like to mail in your donation, please send it to:

Family Legacy Missions International
5005 W. Royal Lane, Suite 252
Irving, TX 75063

Please write my name on the check memo so that Family Legacy knows which missionary you are supporting.

To make a donation via phone, please call (972) 620-2020 ext. 141.

Family Legacy is a federally registered 501©3 tax-exempt public charity. All contributions are fully tax deductible to the maximum extent of the law.

Please do NOT feel like you have to donate money. All I really would ask for is your continued prayer and support. I have all the faith and confidence that God will provide for every need if it is His will for me to make this trip. I am truly blessed beyond measure with wonderful people in my life and I'm grateful for you all! Thank you in advance for your love, prayers & support! ♥

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." ~Isaiah 6:8

More than Enough

I love when God speaks truth in the morning to get you through your day! He is so faithful to answer when we call on Him.

This morning I read 1 John 4. I love reading about God's love in 1 John and how we are to imitate it. But the verse that really got a hold of me this morning was vs. 12:

No one has ever seen God but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.

WOW! The fact that Sovereign God chooses to display His love through imperfect humans never ceases to amaze me. I realized this morning how complete I am...when my mom hugs me, God is in that hug. When my brother spends time with me, God is in that time. When my youngest brother makes me smile, God is in that smile. When a friend follows through for me, God is in that loyalty. He is everywhere and I have never felt so complete! It's not a boyfriend, engagement ring, wedding, husband, children, huge family or tons of friends that make me complete. I am already complete. If God chooses to bless me with a husband, children or more friends and a bigger family, it will not be the people themselves that complete me, but God's love through them that brings greater satisfaction to the fulfillment that I have already obtained. That's huge!

We have all we need in our all-sufficient Father God. He will not withhold His best, and so I can trust that He is enough without all the other stuff. In Christ we find acceptance, security, adequacy, love, freedom, value, competency, protection, endowment of His Spirit, provision, knowledge, understanding and His divine, holy, all-knowing, all-capable power that fills every need and makes HIM more than enough.



Side Note: I just finished reading i am not, but i know I AM, by Louie Giglio. Tremendous book and I highly recommend it!

Welcome Home

The new year is of course a time of reflection from the past year as well as a time for resolutions to be made for the coming year. What a year it has been... 2009 started out the way I thought I wanted it to, and brought unexpected, deep heartbreak instead of the happily ever after I was expecting. 3 years of ignored heart issues came to service and demanded to be dealt with. I am indebted to my wonderful, godly counselors who helped me unpack years of pain and issues that I had been denying. The wounds are still healing, but I can't say thank you to God enough for turning my world upside down, turning my heart inside out and shedding the light of His truth on the lies Satan had trapped me in. In 2009, this insecure, hurting girl found her worth, confidence, self-value, fulfillment, satisfaction & deepest desires in a Heavenly Father. And none of that has anything to do with me, but everything to do with my gracious, merciful, loving Father God.

The day after Christmas, our family traveled to Richardson to visit my Aunt and her sweet, new hubby. They live in an adorable house that they are in the process of remodeling one room at a time. The kitchen looks fantastic! As we took the grand tour around the house and listened to plans for future remodeling, my aunt made the statement, "we're not going anywhere. This is it. Might as well make it home!"

My prayer for 2010 is that God would continue to make my heart His home. It's not going anywhere. I pray that He would move in, remodel and make Himself a permanent home that He will find joy and delight in; a heart that reflects His very own.

I'm leaving the bad of 2009 behind and only taking the good with me into 2010. The year has started out quiet, and I have no idea what it holds. With graduation FAST approaching, I'm expecting a lot of change - and I am not the biggest fan of change! It's a huge comfort to know that the truths revealed to me this past year will not change and that I can take them with me wherever I go.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The Lord works everything for His own ends...In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines His steps. ~Proverbs 16:3-4, 9

LOVE this song:
Welcome Home - Shaun Groves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRMyAPW0bDg