In about February or March one of my friends, Ashley Musick, invited me to move to Argentina with her this fall. At this point I was planning on going to grad school in the fall. I also had no connections or reason to move to Argentina. And so, I said that I would pray about it but that I didn't think I'd go.
Then, a few weeks later I led a group of my friends on a Spring Break mission trip to Mexico City. In Mexico City we stayed with Ryan and Amanda Gray who are missionaries there. At one point in the trip I was talking to Ryan about my plans for after graduation. I told him that one of my friends had asked me to move to Argentina. He then informed me that some of his good friends, Jared and Karina Berryman, were missionaries in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He said that right now they are wanting others to come and work with them. So he gave me their contact info.
The first time that I talked to Karina she told me that they would gladly welcome me into their home. They had been praying for God to send people to work with them! I was so excited and ready to come!
For the next few months I prayed about my decision to do mission work in BA. Some days I felt that it would be a great adventure...other days I felt very uncertain. I really wanted to know what God thought and hadn't felt like He had told me yet.
July came and I HAD to start fundraising if I wanted to go. And so I began writing letters and proposals to friends, family, and two churches. Now let me tell you, fundraising is absolutely the most humbling experience ever. After the first few weeks I had some but not enough to make a commitment.
I always had September 6 in my head as the day I would leave. In order to leave on that day I needed to buy my tickets 1 month in advance. Well on August 1st I went with Monterey to camp. I needed to buy my plane tickets the Friday that I was to return home (August 6). That Sunday that I left for camp, just a little bit of money was in my BA account. Before I bought the tickets I needed most of my funds and so my dad threw out a very large amount as the amount that I should have in order to buy my plane tickets. Basically, I thought that there was no possible way I would get that. In my mind I had already decided that the trip would be pushed back to October.
As it turns out, God has had a plan all along and used that week to speak to me in many ways. During that week God opened up doors for me to share a part of my recent testimony to my campers and to pray with a young girl. I also taught a class two times a day and was able to share with the kids about how the Lord has used my Cerebral Palsy. And, at the end of the week He opened the doors for me to talk to one of the directors who has a disability. He offered me advice and encouragement. I had never really talked to someone whose disability probably affects them as similarly as mine does to me in social situations. It was just amazing. It's kind of hard to explain, but that week the Lord revealed to me that not only does He love me, but that He wants to use even my greatest pains and struggles in order to reach others for Him.
All week long I received emails from people/churches saying that they were going to give. By the end of the week I had the amount that my dad had suggested...plus some!!!! Wow!!! It was like God was screaming, "AUDREY, GO TO ARGENTINA, I WANT TO USE YOU AND LOVE YOU AND TAKE CARE OF YOU!"
Now I am 19 days away from leaving! Regardless of all my failures and weaknesses, the Lord has blessed me, He is taking care of everything. It is the best feeling ever to know that I am right in the middle of the Lord's will.
Thank you all so much for your encouragement and love!
"A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?" Proverbs 20:24
Ashley and I at graduation!
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