Post-Ghana Adventures

Nearly two months ago, I shared about how I read a book (Finish the Mission) that made me want to go around the world telling people the good news about the love of God demonstrated in Jesus. At that time, I was struggling between choosing to return to Ghana or join a new Cru intern team known as the "Expedition Team" that will travel throughout Eastern Europe and Russia.

My time in Ghana has been hard. I can't even describe the depth of the difficulty or count the tearful nights. It has been so hard. A few months in, I dubbed it "the desert year." Yet, in all of the hardness, it's been a good year. It's been a year of learning more about God's compassion, love, and provision. I love Ghana. I struggle with Ghana, but I still love Ghana.

I also love Eastern Europe and Russia even though I have never been there. Russia has been very close to my heart these last four years. I've heard others share about their experiences with mission trips to Eastern Europe, and their words held me captive. 

As I was consulting the LORD asking where he desires me to be next year, I realized that my main motivation to return to Ghana wasn't to serve Him but to serve the next team. I wanted to continue to serve the young women with whom I regularly met. I wanted to serve the Ghanaian staff team. Even though those things are good, they're not necessary. Ghana doesn't need me. I need to accept that. 

Eastern Europe and Russia don't need me either. But I realized that maybe God's trying to indulge my desires and allow me to experience Russia, the country that is consistently my answer to the question, "If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?" I mean, if God doesn't give me a clear answer concerning  a particular country, can't I just put my personal preference as my first choice and declare my willingness to go elsewhere?

So I did just that. Then I was accepted to re-intern with Cru. My assignment would be announced later. Yesterday, "later" came. 

It is with immense joy that I announce that I will be spending next year in Eastern Europe and Russia working with Cru's Expedition Team!

I will be with four other people, and we will spend approximately one month in each city we visit. There, we will reach out to unreached people groups (people who haven't heard about Jesus) by meeting with college students. To learn more about what we'll be doing, click here.

Between September and June, we will go to 9 different cities. Unless things change, our map will look like this:

We will go to:

1. Rovno, Ukraine
2. Gomel, Belarus
3. Nizhni Novgorod, Russia
4. Budapest, Hungary
5. Koszalin, Poland
6. Târgu Mureș, Romania
7. Timisoara, Romania
8. Osijek, Croatia
9. Bitola, Macedonia

I still don't know when I'll be home, and I just shared ALL of the details I know about my life next year with you. And somehow, even though there's great uncertainty, I'm learning more about patience and am very excited to see how this unfolds. I have a feeling next year will include great community, epic adventures, growth in packing skills, a greater understanding of God's heart for the world, new friends, and more brothers and sisters in Christ!