Don't Tell Me - Show Me (pt. 3)

"Don't tell people your dreams - show them."

[click here to view pt. 1

[click here to view pt. 2]

Nothing could have prepared me for it; it came quickly, suddenly, out of no where. You would think that after six years of hearing God whisper "Wait..." I would be listening intently for him to say "Now." I wasn't, though. As I walked with my ten campers from the zip-line to the cabin, Africa was far from my thoughts. I had one girl on my back, two small dark hands folded into mine, and a whole trail of smiling faces following along behind me. Then, there it was:

"Now."

"What?" I wasn't sure I heard right.

"Go."

"Okay." My heart began to beat a little harder (whether from the sixty pounds on my back or the joy of a calling, I'm not quite sure!) I spent the next week in prayer over the call. I threw out a fleece and asked God to confirm that he was leading me, finally, to Africa. It didn't even take the whole week; two days had gone by and in my heart I  knew my next summer was planned ahead of me. Every thing in me sang as I walked through the door to my home after camp ended; everything in me sunk as my parents gave me skeptical looks and shook their heads.

That I handled it with grace and obedience isn't something I can claim for myself - honestly, I've rarely been graceful about anything in my life, and 'rebel' is a term commonly used when describing me. The next month was an uphill climb with 100 pound weights, but in the end was rewarded with permission to go to training (not Africa, mind you, but it was a step!)

Very few times in my life have been as much of a struggle as the next two months were. I refused to accept that God would call me into a plan, only to tell my parents that I wasn't to follow through with it. "Lord, either give my parents peace or change my heart! I won't go without their blessing, but I can't stay without Yours!" Over and over and over again I prayed; friends and church family prayed with me. So many prayers were lifted up over those two months, so much encouragement was given, so many confirmations were found in Scripture - but let me keep things simple and say that for two months, nothing changed. For two months I was left without an answer.

Two weeks ago, I was at a concert here on The Mountain; the band was incredible, but there was one song that nearly made me break down. Voices all across the room were singing along to the words "I will follow You, where ever you lead..." Again I prayed, "Lord, please just change my heart or give peace to my parents..." It was half-hearted; I had come to the decision that if there was no answer in the next week, I was just going to start looking for other options. With that, the concert was over and I went back to my dorm. On the front desk there was a beautiful bouquet of daisies, I commented to the RA how pretty they were only to find out that they were for me!

They were from my parents. Without even reading the card I called to thank them. Mom told me to read the note, and friend my world changed with these words:

"The fear of man is a snare; those who trust in the Lord will be kept safe." Prov. 25:29

You Have Our Blessing - Love, Mamma and Dad

I'm back on The Mountain now. I've just returned from training at the headquarters of Rafiki Foundation in FL, and am finally beginning to prep for the journey! After years of prayers, and months of feeling unsure, my plane tickets are being purchased to take me to Tanzania. You've seen the quote "Don't tell people your dreams, show them" at the top of each post for the last two weeks. Well, friends, I want to make good on that promise. I want to keep showing you the proof that when the dream you have aligns with the dreams God has - things happen.

May His Face Shine on Yours,

Bekah S.

Don't Tell Me - Show Me (pt. 2)

"Don't tell people your dreams, show them."

[click here for Part 1]

Six years have gone by since I sat around that fire pit, sharing with others that God was calling me to the mission field. Six years that have held ridiculous stories, incredible growth, changes in place and relationships - but one solid dream. I have dreamed of Africa - Sierra Leon, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Egypt, Malawi...Africa.

Rewind the tape to 2010 and join me in Venezuela. My team was traveling around the country sharing the Gospel through a short drama called Freedom. It was on a Sunday, our day of rest, that I found myself, four teammates, and one translator trying to get back home after church. Our whole team had split up and attended several different local churches that night and were to be back at the hotel by 9 pm; it seemed, though, that this wouldn't be happening for my group.

The six of us piled into a particularly rickety looking pick-up truck and began making our way down the mountain road that led home. We didn't make it two blocks before the truck began coughing, sputtering, and clunking. Our driver spoke no English, and after a few attempts at conversation our translator was convinced the man spoke no Spanish. We jerked as the truck came to a halt three blocks down the road, and our gibberish-tongued driver hopped out and began walking back up the hill toward the church; the rest of us sat for a moment staring at each other before stumbling out and trudging after him.

It was all laughs from us as we piled next into an old VW bus that, in the end, wouldn't stay on long enough to drive ten feet. But our final transportation sent the group into hysterics: a clunker of a car that I would have been skeptical of if I had bought it brand new. It was made to seat only three extra passengers, and came up to our translator's hip in height. Somehow, all seven of us crammed into the tiny car - four in the back, John (our translator) in the passenger seat, and me with my knees tucked up to my chin perched on top of the console. I was careful to keep my feet out of the way, but every time the driver had to shift gears he had to tap my foot and point.

During the drive I had a chance to share my dream, which was, at the time, just a year in the making. I looked to my teammates for advice, encouragement, and what wisdom they could give me; it was John, though, who's words have stayed with me. He told me to treat this dream of mine like a pregnancy (bear with me; I thought it was funny too). He pointed out to me that babies who are born prematurely rarely survive; the mother must give the baby time to grow inside of her before it can be expected to survive in this world, and even then it is iffy. Dreams are the same, he said, fragile and in need of nourishment. If you're going to have a dream, you're going to need the patience to see it through to the end, to give it its best chance of survival.

I had no idea how long it would take, how long I would have to let this dream grow and take root inside of me before it would become a reality in this world. But now? Now I can see it within my reach. There is only a little more waiting to be done and...

Well, I guess you'll need to come back to the next post to get the "and what". But, as you go about your day, I hope you remember the words of my friend John. Remember to treat your dream as the beautiful, fragile thing it is - in need of care, time, and dedication. Never give up, but never forget that sometimes you might have to wait.

May the Lord keep you!

-Bekah S.

Don't Tell Me - Show Me (pt.1)

"Don't tell people your dreams - show them."

At the risk of sparking memory to a famous speech, or setting you off on a musical rendition from Tangled , I am going to tell you something:

I have a dream.

There! It is done - now if you need to go quote M.L.K. or sing at the top of your lungs with Rapunzel and the Thugs, be my guest - just come back!

Okay, you're back? Good. As I was saying, I have a dream - I have had this dream for years. I'm taking you back with me to 2009 - the worst year of my life when some of the best things happened. That summer I was at a camp in Oklahoma with a wonderful bunch of people. There was much going on in my heart that week - but I want you to see one moment in particular:

Forty or so students sat around a camp fire, sharing with each other how they felt God was moving in their lives at the time. I was crying by the time the circle made its way around to me - I knew, for sure and for certain, that God was calling me to follow Him to the ends of the earth. I was a two year old Christian, and that next step was both terrifying and thrilling. Where was this going to take me? How on earth was a thirteen-year-old going to be a foreign missionary? I didn't even have a steady babysitting job, how would I pay for it? Would my parents support me?

All I knew was that I would be obedient, I would answer that call. My dreams were only beginning. From 2009 to present day God has called out of my home country five times, to three different continents, and I've seen some 2,000 people come to Faith in Jesus Christ. It has been incredible (and an incredible growth process - I'm just not the person I was). But let me take you back to that camp fire:

I was remembering some musicians who had performed earlier that day, a vocal worship group from Zimbabwe. The men were telling us of their home. They never once spoke about its poverty; never mentioned the high rate of its orphans and low rate of wholesome orphanages. Their request was not what we are accustomed to here in America: the request for the wealthy white citizen to come heal all the brokenness in the poor, destitute, African country. (I could talk for ages about that, but I will refrain). Their request was something different entirely.

They spoke only of one thing: their countrymen's thirst for God and the truth of His word. These men stood in front of 1,000+ students, broadly smiled, and asked that any one who loved the Lord and was willing would follow Him and spread his love in America, in Zimbabwe, in Russia - to the ends of the earth.

There it is. The beginning of a dream that has held out for nearly six years.

I'm going to save the rest of my story for the next post, but want to wrap up with this thought:

When the Lord plants a dream in you - when that dream begins to take root in your heart - when you can't ignore it any more - take notice of it. Nurture that dream. If God is calling you - if he's standing in the markets of India whispering your name, if He's shouting at you from across the street - answer him.

May the Lord Bless you!

- Bekah S.