A Ship...That Made Me Think...

Me at the wheel...scary! Good thing it was at port!
Me, Mike and Colm, and our fabulous host!
Love these guys already...I mean "I heart these guys"!
Way up top...me and the Logos Hope

This week I traveled to Koge Denmark...the temporary home of OM's newest ship Logos Hope. My assignment was to get familiar with the ship ministry (never had been on a ship before in my life) and to meet and brainstorm with the ship's line up team assigned to Ireland for its upcoming sail to Dublin and Cork.  The line up team is a mixture of administratively gifted individuals who speak my language...they are detail and logistic junkies just like myself.  I loved my time there...I felt as if I were back in my job at Woodstock...except Woodstock was floating on water! Even my boss...Mike...who used to be a ship officer...saw me in my element and said "Girl...this is a perfect fit for you".  Can I just stop and say that I have the best boss in the world (other than GOD)...Mike is such an encourager and is so sold out for God's plans for people and helping them see their full potential in working for HIM!  

See...the ship is almost ready to sail but it is short people.  When you are on the field you truly see the workers are few.  One area they are extremely short...is in the Public Ministry area and specifically the line up team.  These are the people that are sent out to the different ports the ship is to sail (they do about 15-20 per year all around the world).  These people take car of all the logistics such as getting approvals from port authorities, visas, getting the press involved etc.  Right now they are so short they are finding people who have any administrative gifting and trying them on for size in this role.  Some of these people are only in their 20's and have never had any project planning/coordinating experience.  I am sure God's hand will be on them...but they really could use some experienced people.  God has blessed me with many years of experience...which if He directs...I would be delighted to take part in this ministry in the future. 

Mike asked me if I could see myself being on the ship. I told him that as much as I felt so comfortable being with my fellow logistic junkies...I felt that my assignment right now is to help buildup Lacken House...its rescources...accomodations...basically getting it organized and ready to run as a well oiled machine (we have plans to make it into a major sending and training field one day with the build out of our accommodation block).  I honestly feel with the hand of GOD that has been on that place (the people He has put in place and how we have been able to accomplish so much in such a short period of time)...Lacken House could be almost fully operational within six months to a year.  

I also responded to Mike's question about me being on the ship...that it would be me simply going somewhere that is COMFORTABLE. Basically it would be moving from the great Woodstock to the great Logos Hope.   It has the resources...a lot of people...and is up and running...sure I would love to step into something like that...but I need to really pray about what all tasks God wants me to accomplish here in Ireland first!  So there is a major prayer request...that God would make it clear to me what He would like me to accomplish here for Him and also to give me a glimpse into the future...of me staying in Ireland or continuing on to the ships and a timeline on that...do I complete my two years here or do I give some of that time to the ship.  

When I came home yesterday I became very sad. I could not pin point it...but I just felt an overwhelming sense that I was going to "miss out" on things back home (the States)...that I was going to terribly miss my family...not get to see my niece and nephews grow up.  I am still tearing up as I write this.  I finally realized this morning...that me even thinking about the possibility of going on the ship after Ireland...means that I may not be going back "HOME" anytime soon.  And I feel broken about that.  But on the other hand I am excited about the possibilities in the future.  Then the Lord sweetly reminded me of a verse I have been meditating the entire time I was on the ship...and didn't really get it until this morning.  

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sister or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.  Matthew 19:29

This world is not our home...so we need to "loosely" hold onto things...give those to God to look after and handle.  And just be open to wherever it is that God might be leading us.  We don't know what is going to happen even by the end of today...but at least we know that God has a plan for our lives and we just need to be open and obedient to do what He asks us...even if it does hurt.  

So there you go.  I would love to hear from you all...is God leading you somewhere?  

Check out the ship at www.logoshope.org

Heaviness Lifted

Me and Claybird...eating out...what else would we be doing? We were there with his sweet parents!
Me and Rebekah...had a great time with her sweet family...playing dutch blitz of course...also got to spend some QT time with my good friend Kelly...who I didn't get a picture with :O(
Me, Kerri, and Rebecca...at my favorite place...chik fi la!  It was so sweet for these girls to meet with me and pray over me.
Me and my Dad and chew bear. I was able to see him for a few hours and it was great....except I was still getting over the flu and slept some of the time he was home! :O(
Me and the kids...my niece and nephews at Christmas!

Hello sweet friends.  Well its been a couple of weeks since I have written to you.  I was blessed to go home to the States for a short visit over the holidays. It was great to see family and friends...and to get things you take for granted like eye drops!  I had a rough beginning to my trip as I was diagnosed with the Flu 2 days prior to leaving for my journey.  During my travel back home...our flight was delayed due to bad weather...we had to make a pit stop in Maine for refueling...I missed my connecting flight and had to spend the night in Philly...and then finally made it home after two days of travel (with the flu) to my sweet Mama.  But hey...I was able to sit in first class...the first time in my life...because I was so sick...I guess they had mercy on me...or wanted me to keep away from the other passengers! :O)

Now it is hitting the ground running...as I returned the my house where the Creech family is temporarily staying until the find a home of their own.  It was great to catch up and tell them a little of my heart.  I will spend the next few weeks helping them acclimated to the area.  I am also trucking along in the office.  I am currently working on an employee handbook and training coming up the end of this month.  By February...we will have 7 new team members!

Then next week I will be heading to Denmark to visit the Logos Hope Ship...where I will be meeting with people about the ships voyage to Ireland and all the logistics of making that a reality.  I am also coordinating an up coming golf clinic here in town in which we are partnering with FCA in the states.  We will end the week with a mini ryder cup...should be fun...but lots of work to put all that together...so please pray God's wisdom and direction as I do just that!

During my trip home people kept asking "How's it going?"  "What is it like?"  I wanted to scream if I was asked that one more time. One morning I spent some time with the Lord...because it really bothered me that I was so worked up about people asking me what I thought were such simple questions.  I learned that the only way I could sum up what I was feeling or experienced while on the field was "HEAVINESS".  Although things had been very productive with our pioneering ministry getting up and running in new offices...and great relationship had been formed with my neighbors...I still felt this weight on my shoulders.  I realized that I am just scratching the surface  and a small part of God's doing here in Ireland and the world.  I also learned that there is a real need for people..."the workers are truly few".  

But the cool thing I have learned...that God is a BIG God...in that He can take all the world's hurt, pain, frustration...etc and He is the only one who can handle it.  I couldn't get that across to people for some reason...but if I could go back...that is what I would say...Heavy is my heart for the world...but HE is in control. 

One morning I was reading in Matthew chapter 8 (The Cost of Following Jesus) how the disciple ask Jesus if he could go and bury his father first...and Jesus replied.. "Follow me and let the dead bury their own dead".  Matt 8: 21-22. I realized there is nothing any of us could do really from our home or in a country far away...except look to God with amazement and pray how He could use us. Situations are out of our control...but if we look to Him...He will take care of the fine details.  

I came to the conclusion that I was so frustrated when people asked me simple questions...because I was not fully yielding my heart to hear from HIM.  I was realizing...here I am over in Ireland (as well as for my family and friends back home)...carrying this burden as if it were mine...but had to let go of that...and just Praise GOD!!!  When you don't know what to do...praise GOD!  The best way for me is through song.  I had a song pop up in my mind when I was writing this called "When I Think About the Lord".  Here is the video...take a moment to stop and listen to the words and really think about what God has done for you.  Happy New Year!  Please copy and paste this link into your web browser... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kha9S2_f6w