AFRICA

Where do I even begin???
I can't tell you for sure the first time I felt Africa on my heart. Or when I decided I needed to go there or why I fell in love with a continent.  But I can tell you about how my dream began to come into reality.

The first time I had a vision of Africa was in On track. It was during worship and I was in the back of the room as usual when I sat against the wall to pray. I was feel so frustrated with life and the dryness I felt in my relationship with God. I laid my head in my knees and honestly began to just zone out. That is when God gave me an image of playing with a bunch of African children and helping out medically.

This summer has been like none of my other summers. Every summer I plan what I am going to do months in advance and by now would have the entire thing mapped out. But this summer was different. I thought I might work and make some money for college, but really didn't have anything mapped out. Missions had crossed my mind, but I knew we didn't have the money and I didn't want to face the idea that I'd have the opportunity to go and yet not have the ability to go. But as always, God had something else up his sleeve.

I couldn't get Africa or missions off my heart but I didn't even know where to begin. I figured I just needed to make money this summer. That was what was important. One night at on track this man came to speak to us about a fund raising opportunity. He proceed to tell us about his recent trip to Tanzania and how he and a group of engineers were raising money to build a water purification system for this mission. My heart sunk. Africa. Towards the end he told us the ways we could help. The biggest area of need was fund raising and ideas but he also wanted to know who would be interesting in going with him to Africa to implement the system and who would be willing to advertise the cause. My heart leaped. I put my name on the list while coming to the realization that I probably wouldn't be able to go and trying to be okay that this wouldn't happen this summer. Nothing seemed concrete.

On Tuesday I met Dean. Dean is dating this amazing woman Cassie who happens to be like another adopted child of the Wolfe's. Dean was visiting Cass and just happened to be staying with the Wolfe's and hanging out when I dropped off Jess from school. After a few moments of casual conversation Dean proceeded to say, "Emilie, Emilie, Emilie." But the Emilie's were ignored as Steph walked in the door from school and we asked about her day. A couple minutes later Dean proceeded once again to say, "Emilie, Emilie, Emilie." Jill explained that Dean was crazy prophetic and Dean asked if he could speak into my life. Naturally, I said "Go for it!"

He spoke for a couple minutes and its hard to remember everything he said. He started off by describing how intelligent I was that. I get frustrated when people don't get it as fast as me. I excel at Science's and I can Ace that science test and not understand why everyone thought it was hard. And I have two older siblings, very smart as well. At this point, I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped with how smack dab in the center this man who knew me for five minutes described me.

He proceeded to talk about how God would be deepening my well. That my well is full of anointing but God wants to deepen it. That he will turn my smarts to wisdom. That a lot of people  come to me with problems and the deepening from smart to wise would help me to speak to the source of the problem, rather than just the fruit like I had been doing. He talked about how I was a leader and that I should continue to lead small groups. That God wanted me to know that he was proud of me and loved me, and that I was on the right track.

But there was one thing he also said I didn't mention yet: missions. He said that God was preparing a mission for me. That he sees my heart for missions and will take me on missions but I am not called to be a missionary. He doesn't want me uprooting my family to go overseas. Something I needed to hear!

This is when I started to get excited but didn't know where this mission God was preparing would be to or when. For all I knew it could be in years. The day after meeting Dean, I ran into Kevin as he picked his daughter up from the middle school girl small group I lead. Kevin is the same man who first talked to on track about this water purification project in Africa. I asked if they were still making head way on it. He said that they were just now looking into Foreign insurance for everyone who would go on the trip; and proceeded to ask if I was still interested. I said yes!

The next night at dinner I brought the possibility up to my parents. They seemed very opened to it and said if God called me there, they would do their best to help me get there. That night was on track. I told Ian, the leader of on track, all about the prophesy and chain of events. He told me that the two people he felt needed to go more than anything were Ryan and I. :) This is when I got really excited. It just seemed right. Was I really going to Africa?!?

Since, my parents have agreed to forgive the debt I owe them of $200 for my computer if I go to Africa. They have agreed to come with me in a week or so to get the paperwork I need for my passport. I am still praying over the trip, if it is God's will or not. But this feels like it is really it!

Glory to God!
Agape.