No More My God, I Boast No More

So I have finally surrendered the idea that this blog is my own. As with every other area in my life, I must to come to this place to be fully dependent on the Lord. There have been so many emotions and stories, good and bad, that I have wanted to share with everyone.....that is who I am. The whole process of starting an update one day and then changing it ten times before actually publishing it was tiring and just plain frustrating. It was then that the Lord very gently reminded me that He desires to speak and give life and encouragement through me, including through my writing. He led me back to one of my favorite verses, 1 Peter 4:11:
"If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves he should do it with the strength God provides so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

Honestly, I could write pages about all of the changes that have taken place over the last two weeks. I don’t really know how to shorten the story so I will simply say that we ran into some security issues in Tessaoua that resulted being evacuated back to the capital, Niamey, after only 4 days. Back in Niamey, Auburn made it clear to me that if I wished to continue with my internship that I must relocate to a non-travel warning country.





I flew into Johannesburg, South Africa last Tuesday. I will be serving the remainder of my HandsOn term here in the city. Everything is different! I’ve moved from the poorest country in the world to a city that I have heard compared to New York or LA. I’ve been through culture shock all over again. I live in a flat with two other girls from my orientation, Courtney and Dawn. We are having an incredible time getting to know each other and doing ministry together.




This move has been hard in many different ways. As I have always said, “The Lord is sovereign and He is over all things.” I know that He has ordained the steps I am taking. This is He pleasing and perfect will……but do my thoughts line up with these truths? It has been a challenge to really rest and trust. God has taught me all over again to Trust. He called me to believe Isaiah 30:21 and Isaiah 42:16 back when I was getting ready to leave Niger, but I could read those verses and find no comfort if I didn’t trust Him to fulfill his promises. Even now He is constantly reminding me that I must trust in Him in EVERYTHING and showing me more and more what this looks like lived out.

Isaiah 26: 3-4
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.”

Isaiah 30:15
“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.”

And finally Psalm 46:10
“Be still (cease striving), and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

How refreshing it has been to come back to the basics (some of you will appreciate that I just broke out into song singing “The Bear Necessities”), to be reminded that God is God, and that is enough! How freeing and humbling to just sit in His presence and know that He will be exalted with or without me! How exciting to know with out a shadow of a doubt that He has moved me to Jo’burg to allow me to be a part of His eternal plan!


(Hanging out at Soccer City)


Right now my life in Johannesburg consists of going around and checking out the different ministry opportunities I have here. Praise God that there are so many! Both Courtney and Dawn have beautiful hearts for children and middle school age kids. The first two days I was here we spent time at an orphanage and at a school. If you know me at all then you might have guessed I was miserable. Ok miserable is a strong word, but I was definitely longing to be ministering to women in some form or fashion. Praise God for Friday!! Friday was the first time I have felt useful in a long time. I had the opportunity to work along side two other women that have started an AIDs support group for local women. They go every Friday and share a Bible story with the women and answer any questions they might have. It was incredible to sit and talk with these women in English about my Savior, and the grace and mercy that God has for them through faith in Jesus!

The girls and I are apart of Edenvale Baptist Church (http://www.ebcsa.org.za/). I am so thankful to be surrounded by such an incredible body of believers. I have missed Auburn so much! Another facet of our ministry here is to do outreach within our apartment complex and connect the people we meet with believers from our church. This is challenging because our neighbors pretty much keep to themselves. The girls and I are planning to pass out cookies this Saturday and invite our neighbors to a game night at our place on Tuesday. Some of our friends from church are very excited to be a part of this.

I am meeting with a lady named Marlene tomorrow. She is the director of the counseling facility that runs through our church. She is very excited about me working with her, and has already asked me if I would like to do some counseling under her. My first response was, “Woah, I don’t have a degree yet!” My dad very quickly challenged me to step out in faith and allow the Lord to stretch me and use me as He sees fit. All by His power!! We will see what exactly she has planned, but I am thrilled. This is my heart and what I know the Lord has called me to! God is soo good!

Isaiah 50:4
“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.”







From left to right: Stacie, my supervisor and "best facilitator in the world; Courtney, my fellow Alabamian who is sadly a bama fan (boo); Dawn, who is from Virginia; and myself!