the journey begins

if you were looking for yet another blog about one woman's waltz down the aisle, you've come to the wrong place.

but, if by some chance, you're interested in one woman's beginnings in career missions, i might be able to oblige.

to start, here's my follow-up prayer letter sent to supporters after i returned from a two-week stint in London. hopefully it will give you an initial sense of my passion for this endeavor. some details have been changed -- one must be careful in the world of cyber-community...

December 29, 2005

Dear friends,

Happy Christmas! It's my sincerest hope everyone had a wonderful holiday full of time spent with family and friends, great food, and a general rest from the bustle of ordinary life.

I was very blessed this December with the opportunity to join Operation Mobilization (OM) in the United Kingdom for a two-week outreach campaign to Muslims living in London. Many of you were a tremendous part of this experience, as without your prayers and financial support, my 'fruit-filled' time in London would not have been possible. I cannot thank you enough for your faithfulness.

One of the most important lessons I learned through my time in London is that God is faithful to answer prayers. God worked through your prayers in big ways:

Both flights went smoothly and my customs experiences in both the UK and the US went relatively well. My ground transportation -- a van, a car, the Tube, and half a dozen buses -- also worked brilliantly! Thank God for no explosions and no transit strikes!

Can you believe it didn't rain one day while I was in London? I'm still a bit taken aback, especially since the forecast said nothing but rain! Our campaign also enjoyed unseasonably warm temperatures many of the days we were out, which aided our enthusiasm for book-table work and tracting. In North London alone we handed out 2500+ pamphlets, Christian newspapers, and invitations to Christmas events!

God could not have blessed me with a better team of Christian brothers and sisters! Five countries -- Canada, Germany, Malaysia, South Korea, and the United States -- were represented, and we got on together beautifully. I was especially encouraged by my sisters on the team as both their personal testimonies and their interest in my personal story touched my heart.

Our training was phenomenal! We were fortunate to have a number of well-versed, passionate Christian lecturers who made apparent the need for Christians to gain knowledge and understanding of Islam and its cultures. I was also humbled by many of our speakers' commitments to career mission work and have left London ever-so-hungry to learn as much as I can about this ministry field.

Outreach and evangelism efforts probably stretched me more than anything else on this trip. With regards to my team, each of us had unique talents that came together to create one body of Christ reaching out to the North London community. Whereas I rediscovered my love for child evangelism through the encouragement of my South Korean and German mentors , one of my Canadian teammate utilized her boisterous personality to approach Christmas shoppers with tracts and a South Korean brother overcame the barrier of language to share the Gospel through his music. My sister, a youth worker in Germany, pushed through her own hesitations with English to reach out to a 15-year-old English girl who stopped by our book table and ended up taking a New Testament. I do not doubt that the Holy Spirit was at work in each of these and other circumstances; He showed me-point blank that we are all God's vessels, that He is constantly at work within us, using every personality, every cultural background He created to reach out to the whole of His creation.

These are just a few of the priceless memories I take from my trip -- I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months.

I also want to ask for your continued prayers. God showed me a world of possibilities in London, and I am now prayerfully seeking to return for a 1 to 2 year commitment to gain further training in Islamics, outreach and evangelism, and church planting. If you are willing to continue your prayer partnership, please keep the following 'specifics' in mind:

The application process, especially during the initial steps that I might have helpful conversations with personnel staff, both in the United States and in London.

The provision of a second job. I need to be debt-free (with the exception of student loans) before I can enter a missions field. A second job would help to tackle my credit-card debt quickly, plus provide me with an opportunity to build up some savings to pay for my student loans while I am abroad.

Clarity. I never imagined coming back from London with such a desire to return: it wasn't until I was there that I could picture myself there long-term. I still have several open opportunities for employment, education, and ministry in the Raleigh area -- please pray that I will continue to trust God to provide answers for my next steps.

Thank you for sticking with this incredibly long letter! I look forward to seeing each of you soon. Until then, have a wonderful start to the new year!

In Christ, Virginia