Last Post

I don't really know how to end this blog. For eight months I have been chronically the journey God has been taking me on. From acceptance to apprehension to preparation to completion, God has been guiding my ways.

I've been praying about the next right step. What would God have me do? A month since the journey, this is what has changed:

1. I'm seeking a smaller church community to get involved with. I loved the close knit feeling of the group I work with and for a long time have not felt that at my current church. However, size is the only reason for the change. I desire a church that is serious about loving God and loving people.

2. I've been seeking out opportunities that might use my gifts to their fullest ability. They seemed to all pop up within the last two weeks. Opportunities in this city and beyond. I'm not sure where this will take me, but I will follow where God leads.

3. I'm making a trip out to see Jes and Jeremy for Labor Day and they are coming to Michigan in October. God has really blessed me with their friendship. Needless to say, I'm very excited to reconnect with them.

Life seems to be in a bit of a transition right now, but there excitement in change. There is purpose in change. Their is life in change. Thank you for coming on the journey. Thank you for your prayers and support. God has used you in mighty ways.

As life changes and opportunities arise you can follow them at http://amanda-thejourney.blogspot.com/.
So for now, this is Amanda Waldron signing off.

Amazing-Part 5

What I've Learned:

1. God is constant: He does not change from day to day or from country to country. He is faithful.

2. Listen is an outreach: For the most part I feel I'm a pretty good listener. I enjoy hearing stories and connecting with others in this way. Everyone wants to be heard and understood. Something John taught me was that listening can be an outreaching. His word struck me, "No one's ever just sat and listened to me." I'm not always the best talker or the most eloquent, but I can listen and I will do that for God.

3. My weaknesses don't have to over shadow my strength: I've always taken comfort in the passage that speaks of Christ being the strength in our weaknesses. It's always been the weaknesses that seem so present, accept in Ireland. To the contrary, I felt my strengths shone through. It was amazing to me that I could teach and play and love with such freedom. Now that I have an example of what that can be like, I hope to integrate it into the everyday.

4. I know what it means to be fully alive: I know what brings fulfillment to my days and now that I know, I want more. I'm in the process of taking this step further into every region of my life.

A lot of exciting things have happened since the trip and I hope to elaborate a little more in one last post.

Do you have any questions? Please let me know if there's anything I can answer for you. Just leave a comment.

Amazing-Pics 2

Here are the rest of the pics. I'm not sure why I didn't include them all.

Dublin and Let the work begin.
Throughout the week.
Friday and Saturday.
Sunday
Wrapping Up: Lacken House

Amazing-Pics

This week has been a little hectic, but I hope to get some stories on here at the beginning of next week. Also, thank you letters are coming...as soon as my printer stops malfunctioning. :)

Until then here's a link to some picture from the trip, for you viewing pleasure.

Amazing-Part 4

Answered Prayers:
As I sat in my hostel in Edinburgh reflecting on my trip, it suddenly occurred to me the number of prayer God had answered. I had many fears and doubts before going and I expressed several on this blog. God's faithfulness covered this trip.

Each Day Sponsor received a prayer card with the following six requests. Here is how God answered:

1. Please pray that flights are on time and the journey there and back is a calm one.
The drive to the Detroit airport churned my stomach. No matter how much I had researched or been told, I was sure something would go wrong. Security back ups, lost luggage, missing my flight, made my imagination run wild. However, the worry was for nothing, as all my flights went smoothly and all my luggage made it to its destination. YAY!

Hour 11 of my 24 hour travel day on July 18.

2. Pray for the team; for unity, safety, and health.
God is amazing. I've expressed before just how much this team has meant to me. Over and over again the image of the Body of Christ comes to mind. We were united and worked magnificently together. It amazes me how God coordinated all our journeys to meet up in Ireland.

The larger group, as a whole, had a united spirit and a shared mission. Our days would often end well after midnight because we loved spending time with one another. The last night of the trip, instead of going to bed and waking up for our 5:15a bus to the airport, a group of us stayed up through the night, talking and laughing.

God's showed me what it like to live in community. He provided me with people to encourage me. Usually it takes me a while to warm up to so many new people, but I never once felt out of place. Common feelings were wiped out and replaced by the knowledge that God led me here and his timing is perfect.

3. Please pray for the churches that our hosting us.
Hosanna House received many prayers from our team as we worked with them. We asked that truth would be presented and the Holy Spirit would guide and direct us.

4. Please pray that I allow God to work through my weaknesses, that I may show others His strength.
During this time, God showed me what my strengths are. All sense of weakness was masked by who God was telling me I am. I got to lead, and teach, and show love to children. I got to listen, and encourage and be. The experience liberated me from myself and from some lies I had believed. I can see a permanent change. I felt God's encouragement from day to day.

5. Please pray for ears to hear and eyes to see. Both for those we minister to and the team.
God opened many doors; with John, Mary, Jean, and the children we connected with. Though sometimes their questions proved challenging to us, is seemed that if one member could not think of something to say, another would jump in. Or it seemed that at just the right time, God would supply us with word. His faithfulness was evident.

6. Please pray that our passion shows others the freedom, transformation, and hop of Christ and that God is glorified in all we do.
In all things I tried to listen to the prompting of God. I strove to show other His love with a listening ear, a kind word, or a scripture. I pray my actions revealed a little more about who God is.

Next time: final reflections.