Answered Prayer.. and another, and another...

I'm always amazed when God answers prayers. I know I shouldn't be, since He is all-powerful and loving. But when a prayer is answered, and the details of His plans all fall into place so easily, I'm totally blown away.

For a while now I've felt called to missions. After high school I started looking for opportunities to serve. While I waited, I decided to take college classed at Ivy Tech, get a job, and see what happened. Two years went by, and nothing really came my way. I sort of gave up, guessing that God wanted me here in Indiana, working and going to school. I was bummed, but I decided to be content with God's plan for me.

But as a sophomore in college, I still had not picked a major. I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up. I didn't like having to go to work day after day, go to class, do homework, and then go to bed. I was, I'll admit, bored out of my mind.

I heard about a program called Gap Year through some missionaries in my church. 12 weeks of missionary training in Wales, and then six entire months on a placement with a missionary team somewhere in the world. It sounded amazing, but I was smack in the middle of college and I had a steady job (not an easy thing to find). So I prayed about it. I told God that if He wanted me to pursue Gap Year- to take an entire year out of college, out of country, and serve Him this way- to show me, and I would go for it.

The very day I prayed this prayer I walked into work, worked a full day, and was promptly laid off five minutes before my shift ended. "We have to cut back on staff", they said. "We're so very sorry, but our policy is last one in, first one out. That's you."

The mighty hand of a God who has a sense of humor, more like. I thought it was all very funny, and I had to try very hard to not laugh while I was being laid off. It didn't seem entirely appropriate.

Needless to say, I applied for Gap Year. I was accepted Monday, and I leave for Wales in September. :)

Next step: fundraising. A LOT of fundraising. Everyone tells me that God will raise the money, I only have to trust Him. But there was that fact that I no longer had a job that made me uneasy. So I prayed another prayer! God, send me the money I need to go. Somehow.

A phone call! (The DAY AFTER I was accepted to the Gap Year program.) Someone is selling their house, and they need help cleaning, organizing, driving kids, helping in general. We heard you are going overseas and could use the money. Are you interested?

Let it never be said that God does not answer prayers. Or lacks a sense of humor.