Less than a week

We have less than a week left in the United States. Only one day left in Harrisonburg. Now is the time for being overwhelmed, stressed, scared, and anxious.

Strangely, those words don't describe us. Our brains know that others expect that from us, and frankly, we anticipated describing our thoughts and feelings that way. But, those feelings haven't made their way to the front of our consciousness. That's not to say we haven't thought them, but so far we feel calmer than you would expect.

Why? Because there is a blessed assurance in knowing that you are following God's will. In our minds, there is no doubt that we are taking this step because it is what God desires for us. He has shown us in many ways that He wants us in Managua. That knowledge can quiet any fear.

• "What about being in a country that speaks another language? You won't be able to communicate with people, so even the simplest task will be fraught with difficulty!"

• "What about trying to find a way to interact with children and staff at the orphanage you want to be a part of? Dropping in and forcing yourself into the daily life of an institution won't be easy!"

• "What about having only three months of preparation before beginning your school year? When January arrives, you'll have to teach and talk with co-workers IN SPANISH! You don't know very much; do you think you'll be ready in three short months?!?"

• "What about trying to find your way around the city? Managua is confusing, it doesn't use addresses or street names, and you don't speak the language of bus drivers or bus riders. How are you possibly going to find your way to language classes and back each day?"

• "You expect to feel safe there? You're going to stick out like a sore thumb. People say that no one should be out after dark, especially not white norteamericanos, and darkness falls around 6:00. All you can do safely is sit in your house; everything else will be more dangerous than you should risk."

Yes. Those are all legitimate fears. We can be completely paralyzed by all the bad things that might happen and all the hard things that will face us in the first few months. Or, we can have faith that God has called us to Managua with a purpose. A purpose that is worth striving toward.

A purpose that does not avoid the above fears. A purpose that embraces difficulty and hard work. There is no way to move to a foreign country without difficulty. We will have to work extremely hard to see progress. We will be overwhelmed, stressed, scared, and anxious, plus very tired, on a daily basis. At the same time, we know that God did not call us to Managua for a cakewalk.

God called us to Managua so that we could serve. BUT, He also called us so that we could learn. There is so much that we can gather from the people around us and from the hardship we face. If we go down there looking for ease and comfort, we are going to be sorely disappointed. For us who have lived nowhere else, nothing will be easy in a country that is not the United States. We know that, we embrace that, and we look forward to the benefits we will receive in the long run.

We write this now so we can look back in the hard times and remember this: "Even though this is difficult in the moment, we have chosen this path so God can work in us and through us. Hard work and struggle are not things to shy away from."

Pray that we will remember this when difficulties arise.

Make it a great day,

Mitch and Lauren