Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing - Sufjan Stevens

"...Come thou fount of every blessing

tune my heart to sing thy grace.

Streams of mercy never ceasing

call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet

sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it,

mount of thy unchanging love..."

     How can I describe the amount of blessing that is falling upon me? Not only did God invite me to New Zealand, give me a paid internship (paid for by people who said "While I was praying, God laid it on my heart to provide X amount for this project"), provide everything I could need financially, surround me with prayer support, prepare a welcoming and loving family and home, give me a comfortable bed, place me in the middle of one of the most beautiful places i've ever seen, provide me with a laptop, adapter/converter, cell phone, Kodak Sport, and Camera to share my stories with loved ones back home, and bring me here safely- Today he did it again.

     After finally figuring out my cell phone plan/bill/number today (yay!), Doug received a call. The call was from a man who had committed to donate some money to help buy me a car. He said, "Actually, we have a car for Pua to use. And my company is going to pay for the insurance."
So, essentially:
I'm getting a car for free- automatic (thank you Jesus!), fuel efficient, hatchback (great for all the soccer gear I'll be carting around soon), ABS (which not all cars have in New Zealand), and the insurance is covered.

really God? you really needed to show me one more way that you delight in providing for your people?

Our God is good. He is teaching me about His love in ways that thrill and terrify my heart. Everyday he reminds me about the upcoming ten months, that they are for Him. and for me.

And even in the midst of blessing, I am starting to struggle emotionally with being surrounded by infamiliarites. I almost feel it would be easier to adjust in Kenya or Bolivia or in a land with customs completely different from my own. In New Zealand, so many things are similar, but there's just enough difference to keep me constantly aware and asking questions, and sometimes I get really frustrated. I give myself a hard time because I can't remember everything. I am tired every night because my mind is constantly soaking up new information, comparing it to old information, and then placing it in new categories and subcategories.

In short, I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss familiar cities. I miss seeing cars drive on the right side of the road. But in the midst of my missing and my sorting and my frustration, God is ministering to my heart. So give God praise for the marvelous ways He is providing.

Here is a picture of my youth group tonight. I shared part of my story with them. I love them so much already. Please pray for me: that relationships would grow, blossom, and bear fruit in the next ten months.

Love and Peace