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| A shirt from Project Hopeful |
**Project HOPEFUL’s Mission is to educate, encourage, and enable families and individuals to advocate for and adopt children with HIV/AIDS.**
There is power in prayer!!!
God never ceases to amaze me and surprise me in how He answers prayers. The most recent answer is what I want to share right now.
Since returning home from Uganda, I have been praying for God to show me an area I can serve. Praying my eyes would be open, my heart would be ready, and I would have the courage to step out in faith. However, I was thinking of a service opportunity that I could do quietly, not really being seen (if you know what I mean). You see, this introvert would rather serve by doing something for someone like make a meal, clean their house (no, that is not a joke, I do know how to clean even if my house doesn't show it.:)), or serve in some way that an introvert, like me, could do well. So, my first criteria was that it be an service opportunity built for an introvert.
I have also been praying for God to give me a dislocated heart, to break my heart for what breakes His. So secondly, I wanted God to give me a passion and to show me how I can serve and use this passion. He gave me a passion for the orphaned and more recently, for the HIV+ orphan. I feel strongly about adopting a HIV+ child in the future, but I never connected that with any service opportunity right now. God, however, had another plan.
One day, I clicked the "like" button on the Project Hopeful facebook page. Then, I started getting updates from Project Hopeful. Then, there was a post about needing a person to help with the waiting child list. That sounded perfect for an introvert like me!! I could do that from home and serve in a way I'm passionate about. Hmmm....God had a different plan. I sent in my application and got a phone call. She got my application and had a different idea for me, was I interested. It sounded awesome. Talked to someone else and it sounded really awesome! I was SO excited about all I was talking about and hearing. Then....the thought of what it involved...well, a MASSIVE leap out of my comfort zone!!! I was suddenly nervous, scared, kind of freaking out, and yet, so totally excited! I really felt God was saying YES...DO THIS. WOW! I can't do any of this on my own strenght...just where God wants me...totally dependent on Him.
So, now you may be wondering what in the world is she talking about. Well, Project Hopeful has a program called FIG (family in the gap), being lead by this wonderful women that I have been speaking with. However, the program has grown so much and she is getting inquiries from teens. She wants someone to start a Jr. FIG program for teens across America to join. So, that is what I am going to do. I am going to start a program for teens, get them involved with advocating for HIV+ and special needs children. I will be the team leader for the Jr. FIG program. We have a huge vision for how this can grow and I am so excited thinking about all the possibilities. I am also scared to death about giving presentations, speaking publicly, etc...but...in my weakness He is strong...This is all God! He wanted me out of my comfort zone and to a place of total trust and that is right where I am. Trusting for God to take this where He wants. Trust and obey with a little freaking out on the side.:) So, if you think about it, I would love your prayers as I start getting things going and figuring out a game plan.
