Happy holidays!
December is one of my very favorite months. The crisp air, the radiant lights, the Christmas music, the warm drinks to crave… What a magical season! I pray you are experiencing a blissful period in your life, full of love and warmth.
Have you ever thought about what it would feel like to go back to your spiritual DNA, in order to fully focus on Christ and trust Him in the capacity that we were truly designed for? I feel we would all have this new, amazing sense that He was our ultimate provider and He fully knew each puzzle piece of our lives. I feel as if we could fully trust God to hold the beginning to end of each season, without asking questions of why things are not progressing the way they should be. Our human thoughts would not matter, but it would just be a world full of peace and dependence on the One who holds everything. Maybe you are already experiencing and living out something of this nature – it is just a simple thought I have been pondering in this season of utter faith – a simple practice of trust I am working on this month.
These great friends of mine who are on their fundraising journey as well have really been inspiring to watch. They both shared something along these lines in their last update letter that resonated true to the way I have been feeling – because I have been feeling like I am learning and growing so much in not raising my full support as soon as I had planned.
“If we would have had 100% funding two months ago, we would be in Jordan right now. But as exciting as that sounds, we would have missed out on an incredible time of refreshing, clarity, and direction for our lives. We have peace that the Lord knows when we are prepared to go.”
Everything within me is connected to each country we work in on a day to day basis (sometimes feeling physically and emotionally there). But I get to live in Omaha and work in our international office! That in itself is such a divine opportunity! So I do not regret these past nine months of tough work to stay where I am and fulfill my duties with WMF. I am fully embracing where God has me and the things that He is teaching me through this season. I am fully embracing just “being”.
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In my last letter I promised a link to a gallery where you could view some of my Middle Eastern images. If you have any problems accessing the link, please contact me and I will walk you through it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hopejewell/sets/72157628135927982/detail/
I love you all – Have a Merry Christmas!
Hope
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Prayer Desires:
That the Lord would show His provision through my support goals of $1,404 more per month.
That He would continue to increase my passion for these women and children we are serving.
For our international staff as they endure the holidays abroad and away from their families.
That the Lord would begin to stir my heart and bring clarity for my future with WMF.
That the rest of the staff here in Omaha would meet their support goals for the year.