"The world to see Your life in me"

This morning we toured around a lovely museum in Bremen which showcased “The World”. I, of course, spent a great deal of time learning more about Africa and Tanzania! My sweet mom got this picture of me looking at the map. For lunch we made our way to one of Michaela’s favorite parks that had the cutest little restaurant in the middle! 

We drove over to Michaela’s parents house where we had a German BBQ!! The food was amazing and it felt so great to be back at their house once again. I feel so welcomed and loved here no matter the time that passes between our visites. 

I couldn’t be more thankful to be spend six days in Germany with Michaela before going on to Africa! Even though I’ve only visited here 2 other times, Germany really does have a way of making me feel at home. 

At the airport in Bremen the security guy stopped use to question why we had so many bags, what were in the bags, and for how long we were staying in Germany. Y’all should have seen his face when I said we were here for only six days. The man thought I was crazy even after I explained that I was going to be in Africa for three months after our time in Germany. 

We are off!! The guy at airport security saw me crying and handed me some Kleenex. I can’t express how grateful I am to have such a loving group of family and friends to make saying “see ya later” so hard. 
I’ve always been told that I have a very big heart. I’m excited to see how my heart is going to handle being in love with two different places half way across the world from each other.  

I am so excited!!! I am also very sad to be away from my family and friends for the summer. Charlie turns 3, Nathan 14, Josh 20, and Amanda 28. There’s Father’s Day, trips to lake, day hikes, evening thunderstorms, BBQ’s and so much more that I’ll miss about being away from Montana during the summer.

As I’ve been preparing for this trip and praying over it, I felt Jesus tell me, “it’s good to do hard things”.  I’ve never been away from home for 3 months. This is a “hard thing” for me, but I know I’ll grow in my faith so much over the summer by doing this.  I can already look back and see personal growth just in the past 30 days!  I sold my car, rented out my bedroom, and am no longer making any money – just to list a couple of things that have happened the last month. All really big stuff for me to move forward with and trust that this is what God has planned for me right now.

THANK YOU to everyone who has come along side me and shown so much love and support.  I know I couldn’t do any of this without my people! Like on Grey’s. Meredith has “her person”.  I have “my people” because Jesus = community.

 

The College-age group that I am a part of at my local church put on this great night of worship and a message downtown at a coffee shop on Sunday evening.  It was so awesome to be in the community and “do church” outside of the four walls most people think of when they think “church”.

We sang a lot of worship songs that talked about God and His love for us.  I noticed that in most of these songs, to help us understand how great, big, mighty, and powerful His love for us is, the writer of the song would refer to a storm.  Lyrics like: “Your love is crashing over me, surging like a raging sea, immerse me in the wonder of Your love. A downpour of unending grace, consuming all my reckless ways, my sins submerged,
Your love has saved my soul”  And  “Like the wind come have Your way”.

Per normal spring time in Billings, we had a thunderstorm roll in right before our event got started.  I personally thought it was pretty awesome to be in a room full of people singing “like the wind come have Your way” as the rain was pouring down.  We can’t silence the wind.  We can’t stop the rain. We can’t control a raging sea.  Just like in our lives, we can’t plan how every minute is going to go, because our God is bigger and His plan for us is wilder than we will ever wrap our heads around.  COME HAVE YOUR WAY, GOD! That’s all He wants us to say. That’s all He wants us to do is let His way be done in us.

My most favorite part of the whole night was when we were packing up all of the sound equipment.  I watched all of the great male leaders from our college group run out in the rain over and over to get all of the equipment loaded in cars.  They were soaked to the bone.  I saw Jake, the worship pastor, take his jacket off and put it over some of the sound equipment so it wouldn’t get wet.  I’m sure he didn’t think twice about himself getting wet but knew that the sound equipment took first priority.  In that moment all I could think to myself was “what a servants heart”.  A truly selfless thing to do. I hope that reading this is a good reminder of what needs to take first priority in your life.  To be more selfless and always remember to have a servant’s heart even when the wind is blowing and the sea is raging.

Well done, good and faithful servant.

 

 

 

Time sure is flying by!  Before I know it my mom and I will be on our way to Africa.  I will be overseeing all of the volunteers at Neema for the summer.  We are booked at 30 people for three months straight! How awesome is that?! Our sweet babies will be getting lots of extra love and it gives much needed relief to the nannies who are with the kids day in and day out.  It truly does bless the staff when people take time out of their busy lives to come to Neema and volunteer. I’ve been telling everyone I know to GO TO NEEMA!

It’s good for the soul to get out of our own little worlds and serve people. One thing I love so so so much is serving God’s people doesn’t only happen when you fly 10,000 miles across the word.  It happens when you smile at your neighbor while getting the mail, ask your co-worker how they are doing, pay for someones groceries, pass out coffee to homeless people on a cold night. Our job as Christ followers is to love people. End of the story.  All we must do is be open to how God want’s to use us.  I am blown away that, for me, this means going to Tanzania and working at a orphanage.

“How can it be, You chose someone like me, to declare Your praise for the glory of Your name”   –  I Can’t Believe by Elevation Worship.

Thanks for choosing this for me, Lord.

 

My very first blog post!! If you don’t already know, I will be spending the summer of 2017 at Neema Village – an orphanage in Tanzania! I hope to use this very cleverly named blog site ( emily-abroad-bent.me …get it???)  I’m going “abroad” AND my middle name starts with an A, so its really just my full name typed out with a few dashes here and there – hahaha) .  Check back often for updates on my summer adventure and the going on’s in Africa.

Stay tuned for more lovely travel photos like the ones posted because who really looks good after traveling for 36 hours?!!! Not me.