Preparing for the Task

With kids from the Children's Nutrition Center at the 

construction site for their new home. 

Is preparation important? This may seem like an obvious answer, but usually it is not an “easy” process. In preparing to serve with Latin America Mission I remember a conversation I had with my pastor, Keith Doyle. He told me, “Heather, one piece of advice I can give you is to not rush the preparation process.” At first his advice seemed easy and basic, yet as time went on some stages of the process have been extremely difficult. In difficulty, my first question is often “Why?”   I can be tempted to demand an answer from God. Sometimes He makes his purposes clear: in many cases, our trials are indeed “preparing us for the task.” God is not obligated, nor does He always tell us why. There is another question He will always answer, as JI Packer asserts in his book Praying the Lord’s Prayer: “If you ask, ‘Why is this or that happening?’ no light may come, for ‘the secret things belong to the Lord our God’ (Deuteronomy 29:29); but if you ask, ‘How am I to serve and glorify God here and now, where I am?’ there will always be an answer.”

Thus, this preparation process isn’t simply something to get through.   It is a training tool to conform me to the image of Christ and make me more useful for him. I have clung on to different promises from God’s word, especially over these last eight months of changes. One I specifically  clung to was: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)

A New Task: Taking a Step of Faith

At the end of last year the Lord began working and changing where I would be serving. Latin America Mission staff and I have praying together and seeking the Lord for His guidance. In the beginning of June, LAM presented ministries in Costa Rica and Honduras for me to visit and pray about.

On June 16, I went to visit a children nutrition center with Great Commission Church Latin America (GCLA) in La Ceiba, Honduras. While I was there I was able to stay with the pastor and his family. Through numerous meetings and interactions with the team there I was very excited   to see the work the Lord is doing in and through       the church and the ministries. The CNI, or Center for Child Nutrition (Centro de Nutrición Infantil) operates alongside a clinic and provides food, medical care, school support, and spiritual direction for the poorest children of the community. I was blessed to spend some time reading, playing, and visiting with the children at the center. 

When I returned back to Costa Rica, I spent the next two weeks processing and praying. I am thankful for the Lord’s guidance, direction, and PEACE. I am looking forward to joining the team of GCLA in Honduras after my graduation from language school on Aug. 12, 2011. The Lord has provided a wonderful opportunity for me to be able to work with children in the areas He has gifted me. I will be helping the children with individualized tutoring. Some of the children are behind their grade level and one of the goals is to develop an individualized plan for the child. I will be able to spend time building relationships with the children and their families. I am looking forward to being a part of this ministry and sharing the love and hope of the Gospel. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths. -Proverbs 3:5-6

The Great Commission Church Latin America in La Ceiba, Honduras