God's Next Endeavor

My next big adventure:  

Ottawa

I'm spending my last semester living in Ottawa with a house full of students.  We will participate in classes in the mornings and intern with various organizations and people in the afternoon.

I'm interning with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

I've been researching the organization and current issues in government for the past few weeks.  Some things have really struck me through it.  There's a lot of religious oppression over the city and government.  Maybe oppression isn't the right word, more like religious suppression.  The concept of remaining 'neutral'.  

During my quit times with God, the city of Ottawa keeps coming to mind.  I keep getting a sense that it needs prayer, the whole city.  That God needs to regain ownership over that place.  It's been out of his hands and that He wants it back.

Tonight was no different.  My entire prayer turned to the city of Ottawa and the Canadian government.  I keep feeling like I need to pray for freedom over that city.  We need to fight for God to capture the city.  Three words came to mind for the city:

RECAPTURE

REGAIN

RESTORE

This is where my prayers keep turning to.

I've never felt like this towards a place.  It's completely new for my prayers to turn so directly towards this city before.  Every time I'm with God this is where my attention is focused.  I will keep praying for Ottawa.  I know God has some amazing plans for the next few months there and I hope I'm able to see his work.

If God brings Ottawa or myself to mind, I ask that you will pray with me.  For the government of Canada, for the kingdom to come over Ottawa, and for those of us that will be there. 

Journey to Become King

First of all, It's been a crazy journey this summer in Costa Rica.  I didn't have much time to write here because I had to do so many other things.  I'm sorry.

Secondly, God has been teaching me a lot and I feel like I need to share this one here.

I was reading in I Samuel (chapters 7-10 to be exact) about how Saul became Israel's first king.  There were several things that struck my heartsrings and gave me a good reminder of the mindset I should be in.

Saul was met by Samuel because he was looking for some of his father's donkeys that ran away.  This was the task that was set before Saul to complete, fins the donkeys and bring them home.  That was it.  Pretty simple right?  But this is where God chose to encounter him and raise him up as king over his people.

I keep thinking of his willingness to chase after a few donkeys.  Think about it.  Why did he go chase after them?  Didn't they have servants to do that?  They were not cattle or sheep but a couple of donkeys.  So why did Saul go after them?  Not only did he go after them but he traveled a long distance looking for them.  Just a few donkeys.  

This was Saul's mindset when he left his home.  Then he meets Samuel who invites him to a dinner and tells him that he's anointed to be the first king of Israel.  If I were him, I'd probably be thinking, "I should go look for donkeys more often."

It was on this journey to find a few donkeys was where God brought him into his 'destiny'.

God does the same for us.  When we have a task that seems menial or unworthy of our time, God completely changes it for his plan.  It could be to bring us to people who need to hear from God, and he chooses to use us. 

I'm reminded of a story.  A while ago, I went on a treasure hunt with two of my friends (If you have no idea what a treasure hunt is, click here: Treasure Hunt).  We weren't having any luck at our first location and decided that we should try a new location.  My friend Christoph really wanted a cup of coffee before we left so we went over tot eh coffee shop.  While he ran in to get some liquid energy, Katie and I stayed in the car.  While we were waiting, a women parked next to us and got out of her vehicle with a stack of books in her hands.  I saw the top book was one I was reading at the time and I ran after her.  I got to talk and pray for her.

At first we were joking around that we were always waiting on Christoph for something.  This time it just happened to be for coffee.  But if Christoph didn't want a cup of coffee then I would never have talked to her.  We would have never encountered her and God couldn't have blessed her. 

It's a lot like Saul's journey to becoming King.  He was just doing something that I personally would be a little annoyed by, but God used that time for him.

The seemingly pointless tasks are still vital parts in the plots for our lives.  God has a plan for the things that I get frustrated by and the things that I don't want to do.  If I'm willing to do them, God can use it.

God can use anything really.

This really impacted me this summer.  I keep asking God why he brought me to Costa Rica when my heart is in Guatemala.  But I have to trust that God has a plan for me and this summer is a big part of that.  Maybe it's through relationships that I have formed here or places I've been.  Maybe I just needed to be on one trip for one person this summer.  And that's enough for me.  If that's the only reason I'm here then I praise God for choosing me as a vessel for him.