So this is where I am headed, Jeffrey’s Bay South Africa. I recently went with AIM on a vision trip to South Africa visiting all three places they send teams to, Pretoria, Swaziland and JBay. My intention of going on that trip was to mainly check out Swaziland, where I thought God was leading me. I knew beforehand that He was speaking something about needing community, and that He was taking me into a season of healing. If you know anything about my life over the last two years it hasn’t been easy living. I graduated college, went on staff with AIM to Philly, thought I was going to stay there, but God called me back to Colorado. Why God, my heart is in Philly, my heart is missions, why Colorado? A real job, living with my parents, not where I planned to be after college. But I learned to stop asking why and start living with all my heart in the place he planted me. So I have been working as a receptionist at an Orthopedic clinic for the last two years. And man did he plant me right where He wanted me. There’s no denying that, although sometimes those why’s still pop into my heart and mind. I planned on working at Cornerstone for a year. I signed up to lead an Ambassador team to Jamaica for the summer and then planned to lead back to back Real Life teams starting in the fall. Well in early spring I found out that one my dearest work friends, who was pregnant,
was more than likely going to lose her baby. It still hurts my heart to this day and I cry everytime I think of Jaxon, but God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are higher than ours. So I went to Jamaica came back and she was still pregnant! Praise the Lord! How could I leave at a time like this? So I decided to pull out from my plans with AIM and stay where I was as I felt like God wasn’t done with me yet. In September a beautiful boy was born, Jaxon VanDuyne. He lived three beautiful days here and then went to be with his Father. It was probably one of the hardest loses that I have faced in my life. How do you explain that God to yourself and to those around you? That same month my car broke, I found out one of my Sunday school girls had been molested by her cousin and that my Grandpa had cancer. Ever since September 30th I have been dealing with daily headaches/migraines and constant neck, facial and back pain. I have spent thousands of dollars on medicine, xrays, MRIs, physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic care and so forth. Only for the medical world to tell me that I am perfectly healthy. I am the healthiest unhealthy person I know! All that to say, a new season is approaching in my life and I fully believe healing both physically, emotionally and spiritually will take place. On that vision trip in February I felt the beginning of that healing. As I went to JBay, the last stint of our trip, one of the girls said that JBay actually means healing waters, a confirmation for me that the Lord wants me in that place. I also found community in JBay with the leaders there now, the Vias and another couple who plans on being there next year too. So I know that God is taking me to JBay with a team of college aged students and I know He has big plans for me, my heart, soul and mind. And I am ready!
