Shared by Helen Howard
Because of a recent trip I took to Fairbanks Alaska, I now share Mark’s (my late husband), love for missions. Tragically, Mark was killed in a car accident in December 2006. Partially to honor his memory, I signed up for a short-term mission trip. Maybe Mark would have laughed that a major part of our responsibilities was to help in maintenance work at Camp Li-Wa, nestled in the woods of Fairbanks, Alaska. The entire experience was both out of my comfort zone and definitely a learning curve. I could hear the Lord encouraging me in the verse, “I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13).
We began the first week with a demolition project and then reclaimed that wood to build a roof over a boiler system. Then we advanced to assignments that included cleaning, organizing, painting, and even stacking wood. The Lord gave me strength and endurance to work on a lot of projects as we labored at the Christian camp. The verse that came to my mind was Deuteronomy 31:8. “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Most of the tasks I performed I was not trained for, but the Lord empowered me to get them done.
Looking back, it was a very rewarding time. God and the amazing power of prayer helped me overcome potential problems with the geographical time change and the logistics of what we were to accomplish. God changed me into the person who could make this incredible trip possible. Everything worked out according to His great plan. From one day to the next we never knew what jobs we would be doing, but I remembered to be flexible and serve wherever I was needed. I wanted to honor Mark by going on this trip to Alaska. It was a tremendous leap of faith and I’m glad I went. With each day at camp, I began to know God better and things began to change in my life.
May I ask, what challenges has God been niggling at your heart to step into? I found out that making that leap helped transform my walk with God into an intimacy that was new to me. Maybe you don’t have to make a trip to Alaska, but if God is nudging you into the unknown, I encourage you to take that step. I pray you will also hear the Lord encouraging you as He reminds you, ” I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me.”
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