trust.

Psalm 139

  O LORD, you have searched me

       and you know me.

 You know when I sit and when I rise;
       you perceive my thoughts from afar.

 You discern my going out and my lying down;
       you are familiar with all my ways.

 Before a word is on my tongue
       you know it completely, O LORD.

 You hem me in—behind and before;
       you have laid your hand upon me.

traditional folkloric dance

most of the youth group

at a special event

So, here's where push really comes to shove.  My time in Bolivia is coming to a close and I have a LOT of support raising left.  I am grateful to those of you who have already committed to support me.  I know I said I want to learn to trust, and to trust God's timing, but TRUSTING IS HARD!!

the Lopez family

dedicating their new baby

I also get ready to say goodbye to the city I love for an undetermined time. The ambiguity of it is painful: a tightness in my chest, an ache deep within me. I know I will return, but not knowing when is just plain ¡DIFICIL!  Things with some of the youth are still in a hard, tense place, and it's difficult to leave them behind, knowing I will have little to no contact with them until I return.  But, at the same time, maybe it's a good thing.  Pulling away may be the reminder I need that it's not in my hands, but completely in His.

the neighborhood the Center is in

A few bullet points to pray for:

1. future housemate to live with me in my new apartment when I return.  I've never lived alone and it's a very frightening, hard prospect for me.

2. Someone to live in my apartment while I'm away.  I had to rent my apartment starting in June in order to have a place to store my things and a place to live in my neighborhood.  The longer I'm away, the more rent I have to pay while I'm not there.  I'd love to be able to bless someone in need, or find someone to offset the costs of my rent.

3. Support raising.  Like I said, it's a lesson in trust, but the longer it takes me, the longer I'm away from ministries I've deeply invested in, as well as close friends.

4. The Center.  It's going thru a lot of changes (good ones), but also is going thru some financial strain as they try to figure out where they will be located long-term, as the lease on their building is almost up.

Thanks for your prayers!