When telling us about his journey from South Africa to America to serving with Wycliffe in Panama, Keith Forster repeatedly said, “This is the God we serve.” How else do you explain an airline providing Keith a ticket when there was no money to buy one as he was trying to get to Columbia for his first summer assignment with Wycliffe? Or what about a whole jungle village of Kuna people in Panama kicking the Forsters out one day to welcoming them with open arms and promising to provide housing for their family the next? And there would be no other explanation for the son of a Kuna village chief deciding to anger his family to assist Keith in the translation of Scripture and pastor a Kuna church.

Hearing Keith and Wilma Forster’s story last week in Panama has confirmed in me the truth that we serve a God who specializes in the impossible. I’m reminded of a plaque I saw hanging in the home of Ralph and Marilynn Toliver, missionaries in Peru: The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you. Wilma and Keith would be the first to tell you that God called them both very specifically to the ministry of Bible translation. And though there were days when it seemed that God had called them to something impossible, by his grace, he always provided just what they needed to continue.

I heard story after story the past two weeks, both in Panama and Peru, which give true validity to the statement, “This is the God we serve.” And by leaning on that truth, Keith, Wilma, and countless others, have had the opportunity to affect lives for eternity by being a part of translating Scripture into the heart languages of minority people groups all across the world.

This truly is, the God we serve.

One week down in Peru. Now I'm in Panama and have 5 more days here before hitting American soil again. I'm tired, but it's good.

Peru was gorgeous. We have NOTHING like the Andes in the US - at least in my opinion. Seriously - we drove over a 16,000 foot pass. 16,000 FEET! There isn't even anything that high in the continental US, I don't believe. Gorgeous.

On Thursday, we drove out of Huanuco to see some of the more remote villages. I have NEVER been on roads this bad. It was CRAZY and I might have a bump or two on my head from the times I hit it on the side or top of the truck. . Here is a taste of our trip to the Quechua villages (check out that road!):




















Over all, Peru was a GREAT trip. Then, I headed straight to Panama yesterday. Got in last night, and this morning I was able to hang out with one of my all time fav MDB teachers - Uncle Dave (Carter)!! In Panama! How fun. He was a great tour guide, too.














In just a few hours, we will head out to pick up the NEXT Moody Radio team joining us. Tomorrow, we are hitting the ground running for round two of these trips with Moody Radio folks. Hoping this trip is as successful as the last! I'm confident it will be.

I am thankful to work with some really great and talented people, and ultimately for an organization that continues to blow my mind. I had a few teary moments in Peru, I'll be honest. It's hard not to when you hear the stories that I am blessed to hear. Hoping for the same in Panama and that God continues to teach me more about his heart for the nations.

Life's been full lately. Sometimes too full...overwhelmingly full. BUT, it's been full of great too. Lots of new things happening that are good. Great. Exciting. Maybe updates will come later. For now, I'm content to sit on some of it.

For now, I'm really trying to learn balance. Balancing work, personal life, friends, ministry, family, etc. The fact that my blog has been very neglected is proof that I'm not always getting that. I have a few people that care for me deeply enough to see that I continue to work on this... I'm thankful for that.

I have been going non-stop on one project at work, and today was my last day in the office to work on it all and now hope for the best, as I'm headed off to Peru on Sunday. And straight from Peru to Panama City...the next two weeks are going to be busy, but I'm hoping that the work ahead of time has paid off. I keep thinking I forgot something really important at the office or that I left some ball in the air that's about to drop in my absence. I'm praying against that for sure!

If you think of it - be praying for our trips...you can read more about the Panama trip on Scott's blog...and then on October 8, please pray for our family too. Big day for us.

Ok - seriously exhausted. Night.

Figured it's about time to post a quick update on here about the past (almost) month of my life. Pictures to the left are of the various activities mentioned in this post.

First off - an announcement. I have a new job. For the past year and 10 months, I have been happily working for Wycliffe Foundation as their Marketing Communications Coordinator. In that time, I have worked closely with Wycliffe USA's (the Foundation's parent company and the US headquarters for Wycliffe Bible Translators) marketing department on a number of projects since we are all housed in the same building. A few months ago, a Marketing Strategist position with Wycliffe USA opened up, and though at first I didn't even consider it, I eventually applied and was hired. I prayed a LOT about this decision, sought Godly counsel, and ultimately decided that it is the best step for me right now. My official start date is August 24, though my last day at the Foundation was THIS PAST FRIDAY (wow!) since this coming week is my family's annual beach vacation. It is definitely a bittersweet time. I can't really imagine not chatting with Dustin over my cubicle wall ALL DAY or having Katie call me sketchy every time she walks by my desk. I'll miss coffee breaks with Virginia and laughing hysterically with Mariah, Deb, Donna or any of the aforementioned people. I will definitely miss working for Scott, but am excited about working for Kristie as well. Yep, bittersweet is definitely the best description.

Other than that (and partially BECAUSE of that), the past month has been full. So, instead of details about a few things, I'll give a top-line overview by category. In the past month, I have...

Seen the following movies: Harry Potter (oh.my.gosh....I LOVE these movies...and the books are just that much better. Yes, it was worth the 2 hrs we waited in line for the free screening), Away We Go (LOVE Jim), Julie and Julie (who wants to move to Paris and attend Le Cordon Bleu with me??)

Hung out with the following people that I don't get to see often: Deena, Emily and Ben in Florida; Brittany and Kamal in Philly; old Camp Gilead buds (including Tara - twice!); Andy, Matty P, and Kyle in Cali

Attended two weddings (John and Jennifer, Andrew and Tiffany) and officially catered the cake (and cupcakes) for my very first wedding. It was a blast! Hire me for your next party, event or wedding!

Attended only one concert sadly...Rascal Flatts with Darius Rucker

Traveled to: San Diego, Orange County CA, Seattle, Philadelphia

Created the idea and name for my new baking/catering company.

I have been getting back into my more frequent reading habits (which I am excited about, so in the past 3-4 months, I have read the following books: the Twilight series, Coming Attractions, The Shack, To Live is Christ, Nights in Rodanthe, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and am currently in The Irresistible Revolution, and about to start My Sister's Keeper. Also, presently going through Stepping Up with the ladies at work once a week and receiving a royal butt kicking from that study.

I may often complain of things going far to fast and being way to busy, but ultimately I am learning so much through this phase of my life, even with the tough times and stressors that come. I wouldn't have it any other way.

God really smacked me in the face with TRUTH this morning, and from such a common Biblical location that I would have thought we'd have already been through this. Apparently not.

I've been continuing down this path of reading through the Bible chronologically, and that has brought me this week to Jeremiah and Daniel, since Jeremiah was the prophet who was present during the time when the Israelites were exiled to Babylon (AKA the time when Daniel was sent to Babylon and the whole lions' den thing happened). So I'm reading Jeremiah 29 this morning, already anticipating the verse (11) we all know to be a key verse in my reading, "For I know the plans I have for you..." Call me crazy, but somehow I have either never connected the two, or I have forgotten the connection, but those words were spoken by the Lord to the Israelites during their time of EXILE.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure most people don't like being exiled from their homes. The Israelites had just been forced to leave their home and go to captivity in Babylon, a place they were NOT familiar with or comfortable in at all. Putting myself in their shoes, I'm pretty sure I'd feel forgotten by the Lord...as if he wasn't present. I've felt that way at times in the past few months, so I can imagine this emotion pretty well. And then, God speaks. But he doesn't say, "Don't worry, I'll save you soon."

Read it for yourself:
This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," declares the LORD. This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

Woah. Knock me off my feet (well, not literally, since I read this from the comfort of my couch and was already off my feet...). Not only does he not promise to make things right immediately, he pretty much says make the most of it. Build lives for yourselves. Settle in... you are going to be there for a while. 70 years to be exact. 70 years! And yet, he then still has the audacity to say, I know what I'm doing and I have great plans for you. Only, to see those plans, you have to stay put in this uncomfortable place for a while, and oh yeah...this place? It's a part of my big, great plan. Um, not exactly what the Israelites (or I!) were expecting, I bet.

God also made it clear they were not to be idle. There were things for them to do. They were not to lay down and wallow in their self pity and frustration. They were to LIVE LIFE in the midst of captivity, hardship and strife. And more importantly, they were to be calling on God and seeking his face. Even when he promised they'd eventually be led out of captivity, he still expected them to seek him and, in that way, hold up their end of the bargain.

Hmmm... that's good. I needed that today.