Reflections!

I have been home from Kenya now for almost 3 weeks.  I am finally able eat regularly (the transition from Kenyan food to American food took a little time for me to adjust to).  Plus, I am back into my regular schedule with some postitive changes made along the way. 

I started thinking about what this trip meant to me.  What did I learn and how did God speak to me.  When I went to Peur a few years back, God spoke to me in a very plain a loud voice.  In fact, I think he actually yelled at me so that I would be sure to hear every word he said.  Plus, I was only in Peru for a week, so God had to speak quickly.

God did not yell at me in Kenya.  He spoke in a softer voice.  I really had a lean in some so I could be sure to hear him.  I was also there for an entire month and a lot was going on, so sometimes in the chaos of life, I think I failed to hear Him all together.  So now, as I reflect back and write all this in my journal (journal of life as my son calls it), I begin to see how God spoke to me and to see what it was He taught me. 

Lesson 1:  My plans are definitely not God's plans.  I can not tell you how many times I come up with some idea in my head and think to myself, without much prayer, that surely God will approve of this idea that I came up with.  After all, it is a great idea, how could he possibly say "No!" 

My Plans:
Before leaving for Kenya, I had my ideal of what I would be doing.  I was sure that I would be staying in a decent hotel the entire time that I was there, choosing my food from a menu each evening with a continential breakfast in the mornings and having internet access at my finger tips so that I could stay in touch with my family and friends. 

I had my lessons prepared, four days worth of lessons knowing that I would be speaking to the women only three days.  I wanted to make sure I had a back up plan.  I was also told I would be visiting a few schools so that I could speak to the children and share God's love with them.   It was all perfectly pictured in my head.  I was happy and this was going to be an easy trip to make. 

Our first breakfast at the hotel in Nairobi, George, our leader, said to me and my dad, "Tomorrow morning Pastor Shem will be here to pick you both up.  You will be staying with him and his family for the duration of the tirp."  Well now, that threw a big kink in my plans! 

God's Plans:
We we arrived at Pastor Shems, and I realized that we were going to be well taken care of by the Pastor and his wife, we will be well fed of what the Pastor and his wife eat regularly (no menu choices!) I will have a comfortable bed to sleep in and free transportation.  There was only one problem.  I had no internet! It's funny how we rely so much on the internet, Facebook and text messaging!  Over time, I have taken all that for granted knowing that it will always be at my finger tips. 

At our very first conference, I again relized that God had a complete different plan for me than what I had planned out.  I was not going to speak for 3 glorious days to the women nor was I always going to have an hour to speak, but less than an hour.  Plus, God tells me, "All those lessons you stuggled to prepare before coming, just keep them in your backpack because you won't be needing them.  I have something different I want you to talk about."  The truth of the matter, the messages were a little different at each conference. 

The "several" schools I was suppose to speak at ended up only being one school.  At first thought, I was a little disappointed, but when that day came to speak at the one school God had planned for me to speak at, was totally worth it.  It was like speaking to several schools all in one.  600 girls were there that night and I was able to share God's love with each one of them!   

Lesson learned:
Leave the planning to God!  As good as our plans may sounds at times, they may not correspond with what God has already paved for us to do.  Therefore, before plunging into Our pefectly thought out plan, pray first and be extremely flexible because God may have a different route for us to travel!

Proverbs 16:9
A man's heart plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.
NKJV

Proverbs 19:21
any are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.
NIV

Jeremiah 29:11-12
 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
NIV