Now that you know some of the details of what led me to consider a mission trip and why it took so long to finally participate in one, I want to share with you some of the reasons why my faith has been tested and refined immensely over the last several months. For me, the biggest setback in my faith walk was when it came to financial situations. I have been completely on my own for several years, so had developed the mentality that if I wanted something done, I would have to do it by myself, not rely on others (including God). After some not so pleasant years living with that independence and stubbornness, I found my way back to God and have been getting closer to Him ever since. It took me finally realizing that the empty feeling I had in me could not be filled with work, relationships, or anything else I was trying to do/accomplish. Sometimes you have to figure it out the hard way, but God is the only way to truly be whole no matter what you do or have done in your life.

Anyway, once I made the committment to this trip, God knew that I needed to be tested and refined in the financial aspects of my faith. The first 2 payments that were due came up quickly, but, with the income I was bringing in because of the holidays, they were easy to make. My first test came with needing to get a passport and as quickly as possible (sometimes it takes a few months to process the application). The extra money that I had at that time (late December) was just enough to make the second payment, but not enough to also pay for the passport. Then, a couple from my Monday night small group surprised me with a check at church and told me to use it for whatever I needed it for to prepare for the trip. The check was for $100 and that is what I needed to get the passport done. At that time, I was also facing the fact that business was starting to slow down at the restaurant, which meant I was being moved around and not going to be bringing in as much extra income during the month of January. That caused me to question if I was truly being led to join this team. That check was my first confirmation that this was the right time for me to go and it was almost like God was telling me to stop worrying, that He would take care of everything.

Not only did God provide the money for my passport, but when I applied for it (December 28th), I was told that it would take about 3-4 weeks to process and I got it in a week and a half!!!!