Safety

"Safety lies not in our distance from danger, but in our nearness to God"
I saw this quote on the bottom of a guys email yesterday and it struck home!!! We hear mortars and gunfire almost daily, but I know that with God, I’m completely taken care of! I’m ashamed to admit it, but at first I didn’t want to deploy. I even thought of having kids to get out of deployment. One day I finally came to the realization that God would take care of me no matter where I was, and no matter what I was doing. Not only that, but it’d be better if I deployed than someone who wasn’t a Christian (due to the fact it is a dangerous area). Plus, this place is a great mission field. Lots of people are hurting and need encouragement. I hope that when people see me happy, they’ll know it’s not me, but the power of God who grants peace, patience, and happiness!
Today I was told by one of my team that I’m doing a great job b/c I challenge them to work harder, but also encourage them and let them know that they are doing a great job and having a large impact on the mission here. That really meant a lot to me because I’ve never been a leader of people older than me! I am fascinated by helping people and finding out what motivates people to improve themselves and achieve more! I give God all the glory because I can see how easy it is to lose heart over here. Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement – it’s truly a blessing!