I'm always sweetly surprised by how perfect God's timing truly is. A week ago, I had several friends over for a "girls night in" and as we sat around my kitchen table sharing delicious pizza (nope, I wasn't even about to cook on a Friday evening after a LOOONG week!)....we predictably landed on the subject of missions. Annie and I went to India together just last September, Linn will be going to Dominican in June for a few weeks, Kristen is awaiting her work Visa to return to south India to teach...and well, Katie mentioned a trip to India with the church in June. It will be working with slum kids--about 800-900 of them from four different slums--in a vacation bible school type setting. Delhi, I asked? Yup, Delhi, she replied...In JUNE...and oh by the way, the deadline to sign up is this TUESDAY!!
My mind raced through "MY" plans for my summer. And quickly proved I had none. I had wanted to travel to Kenya on a medical trip. And to S. Africa with another church. I had heard about an opportunity to return to Dominican and possibly meet my Compassion child. But my heart had skipped a beat over India...again so soon?? I couldn't begin to imagine.
Annie sounded pretty convinced she was going to sign up. After all, June is slow for the accounting world. I never have a "slow" time. And how in the world was I to ask permission in a DAY? "SO Mr. Boss....I'd like to know if I can go on such and such a trip. Oh, and I need to know by tomorrow. Got it?" Yeah.....
Well, I spent the weekend in prayer and attempting to email the above mentioned trip possibilities. Four of them, to be exact. And I stayed inside. And I stayed quiet.
By Sunday evening after church, I had three emails in my inbox. All from the leader of the India trip. The first was about a page and a half long with multiple exclamation points. This lady was pumped about her trip!!! And she sounded so fun! I had heard some great things about her as she had only recently stepped down from the childrens leader position at our church. Everyone who knew her said she was a ball of energy and super wonderful. The remaining emails had to do with our ministry partners and the details of their ministry, both of which I knew well since I had only just been there.
I sat there staring at the computer screen, thinking aloud. I can't think of a reason NOT to go on this trip! I will be in the same city, with the same stellar mission organization, with the same people I've already built relationships with, and even traveling with Annie again, who happens to also be in my bible study here on Tues nights (so we know what each other have been learning in the Word and have been sharing fellowship biweekly since mid summer). Plus the fact that I've truly desired to meet more older women in our church and would love to see my sponsor child again. It will all come down to my boss. Lord, you can shut this door tomorrow if I am not supposed to go. You can fling it wide open at the same time. Use him to steer me toward or away from this trip according to your purpose.
So, as my thoughts above became reality, I addressed my boss with my day deadline in approving this trip. And then, I slept on it.
Tuesday was a full and busy day of eight surgeries, all total joint replacements. I was exhausted when I walked sheepishly into my office managers office...with the look of ...well??? Oh, he said, I talked to the docs and they said it shouldn't be a problem.
And so, the rest of the evening consisted of me getting my application notarized, deposit check, and paperwork to the church and in the safe deposit through rush hour traffic in the rain at 530pm.
I'M GOING BACK TO INDIA!!!!!!
