It has been over a year since I left the country, a very long 17 months. The itch to "cross the pond" became severe a few months back, I wanted to sell everything I had to get back overseas. But the Lord has placed me in a community of believers who have taught me the value of accountability and whom the Lord uses to teach me more about his character. It has been a long, difficult few months where many times my itch to leave was really a desire to 'run'; escape the hard lessons I was learning. I am so grateful the Lord gave me the strength to sit still and wait on him. So you can imagine in this frame of mind how surprised I was when I received an email saying they needed me to go to Moscow, Russia for 2 weeks as an interpreter for a Deaf team. My knee jerk reaction was "I finally accept being in the States and now I get an opportunity to go? I haven't raised support in so long, I won't be able to come up with $2,700 by Oct. No, I'm just going to delete that email and keep living my life in Atl. where I am in a great community and serving the Lord through loving my neighbors." That is the easy, safe, comfortable response but I couldn't shake the gnawing feeling inside. I know that I am most alive when using the gift God has given me, I'm being given an opportunity to use that gift to serve others overseas and I'm going to reject that opportunity for the safe, comfortable response?
It is no question that each of us are gifted in different areas. I was talking to a friend the other day who said "When I am using the gifts God gave me to serve others I feel most alive. But if at the core of these, holding them together isn't worship, both the talent and my joy using those talents suffer." It is so true that when I am using my hands to communicate, I feel more alive than any other time of my life. Sign language is a gift that the Lord has given me but if I do not have a posture of worship, my joy in serving others and even my ability to remember the language suffers. God has been drawing me to himself, teaching me about himself and giving me a heart of worship.
Now I have the chance to serve others in the way he has equipped me with the heart and joy he has given. I am going to take the risk, ask big things of God and expect big things from him. I need to raise $2,700 by Oct 5. I am stepping out on faith, some friends of mine are going to help me organize old fashion car washes, bake sales and other fundraisers to accumulate the money quickly but I need everyone of you, as my friends and fellow members of the Body. Apart from the Body, the hand can do very little.
Thank you for your love, prayers and support. I look forward to sharing with you stories of his faithfulness.
Sarah Garner *
PO Box 203
Atanta, Ga 30301
Tax deductible donations can be made out to GBCD with my name in the memo line.
