What I learned!

Goodness, a lot can happen in a week! It's weird to think that I was driving home from the Seattle airport at this time last Saturday. I wanted to post a blog so I can remember what God taught me during my time in Laos. (This is more for my own documenting, but maybe it'll interest others too...?)

I learned more specific ways to intercede in prayer for both missionaries & non-believers.

I learned the importance of "sitting" with Jesus in order to have the strength to stand & walk with Him, too. Not only did He teach me this through a great little book on Ephesians called Sit, Walk, Stand, but He also helped me recognize how dry/empty I feel when I haven't spent time with Him. There were some days that I didn't get to spend time with Him like I'd hoped, and I didn't like that feeling. It wasn't a guilty conscience feeling like I used to get when I was a little. It was more of a feeling you get when you haven't talked to someone in a really long time. (Except in this case, it had only been a day or two since spending time with Jesus...)

I found even more ways of how blessed I am--particularly in education. I've been able to consider even more why God has chosen to give me those specific gifts and how I can show true thankfulness by blessing others with those gifts rather than simply saying "Thank You."

I found once again that it is God and God alone who gives me the desire to do what pleases Him. (Phil. 2:13) He definitely gave me the desire to come back and get back to productivity again & more doing. 


I was reminded how blessed I am to have the relationship I have with my sister. That we can have fun together & laugh together, but also have deep conversations about Jesus & life & family & friends & guys & money & politics & careers & our callings & passions. We encourage each other & hold each other accountable & call each other out on things. Yep, my sister's the best. :]

Every other time I've gone on a trip, I'd been so busy building a school in Central America or doing touristy things, that I never really got around to thinking about anyone back home. This trip was a little different. Not only was I less busy, but I guess you could say that after nearly 3 weeks of absolutely no communication with Matt, I was pretty super excited to see him again. ;] Which made me think of a sermon I heard last semester about my excitement to see Jesus again someday. I learned what it feels like to have great anticipation to see someone again and it made me desire to long for Jesus like that even more.

Oh! and I remembered how much I love singing little kid songs along with other great praise songs again :] I did a lot of riding around the city on the back of Christa's motorbike, and it gave me a bunch of time to sing "This Little Light of Mine" and "Our God is an Awesome God" and "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and all different sorts. It definitely didn't sound as good as the songs on my CD's in the car but I sure enjoyed it. ;]