Hey, go Figure...

So, I am having an absolute blast with God’s providence…and why are we amazed when God answers prayer? Well, maybe it’s just me.

Background…
In September I was talking with God when I had a random thought, and I talked it over with Him for a moment. My thought was, “Hey, LORD, what if I pray for strategic dates where I have a certain amount of my budget?” (The deal with the budget is that I must have people and churches commit to give a certain amount of money every single month in order for me to live and minister in Nigeria. When I have this full commitment I will be at 100% of my monthly budge, and I can go.) So, I said, “God, I want to be within Your time-table for me to leave to Nigeria. If that means it takes me 5 years to get to 100% of my budget, I’m okay with that. So, within Your will, and because I want to pray big, I’m asking for a certain amount by these dates:
• November 40% of my budget taken care of…
• December 50% of my budget
• January 60% of my budget
• February 70-80% of my budget
• March 31st 100% of my budget…buying my plane ticket, God!
“So, my Father, if it’s Your will, I’d love to meet these deadlines. Amen.”
Thus I prayed, and then promptly put this in the back of my mind. I would not think on these dates and deadlines again until November (good thing I wrote them down, huh).

November…
Fast forward to November 4th. I was talking with my boss over the phone when he told me that I had reached 41% of my budget. I remembered my prayer and list. My Response: “What!?!” Are you serious!?!”

November 21st…
I was talking again to my boss when he again informed me of my budget status…47%.

Astonished…
God is really doing this! My quick and forgotten prayer delivered to my LORD three months ago is coming about. Now I sit in anticipation of 50% on December 1st, 60% on January 1st, and so on, ‘cause you know what, my friends? My God is big enough to do this.

Back from Chicago, and Winded.

I just returned from Chicago, and what a whirlwind week it was. We were there for training.

The “we” are the 14 missionary appointees who were all commissioned in June together, myself included. We come from all parts of this great nation, and we are called to all parts of the globe, and we are all following the same path: We are on a journey to follow the will of God in prayerfully discovering whom He has called to partner with us in our perspective ministries…and they are all just as weird as I am, if not weirder.

Anyhow, it was so much fun to be together again...Late nights. Computer chats when we should be paying attention during discussions and lectures. Cameras and waaaaay to many embarrassing pictures. Objects in Katherine’s nose, and more pictures. Food and beanies. Hilarity ensued.

All in all, I’m feeling relaxed, refreshed, trained…and tired :). So, I’m taking a day off and getting ready for more God-stuff to happen.

…And a support update: 41% of my budget raised and counting!!!