Medical Status Update

Since my last post, I've had 2 more requests for medical information. Today I finally received confirmation that they had received the first one. This long anticipated email confirmation was less exciting than it should have been as it also included yet another new request. For this one, I have to go back to the doctor yet again and get another test done. By the time I get in to the doctor and then wait for the tests to be interpreted and then submitted, odds are good that I will miss yet another IMB deadline. Maybe God's plan is for me to attend the March interview conference . . . .

P.S. Happy New Year!

Day 30: While I'm Waiting

John Waller's song "While I'm Waiting" is such a great reminder of how important it is to wait on God actively, not passively. Waiting is taking a lot more time than I ever dreamed it would. My prayer is that I don't waste that time by "marking time" but that I rather use it to serve. This is not how I expected this 30 day period to end. A month ago I had every reason to believe that I would have an answer from the IMB regarding the next phase of the process. I was wrong in that belief. It will be another month, maybe longer, before I know anything. What I do know is that God has a plan for every part of my life, even during this time of waiting. Thanks for joining me in prayer. I'll be in touch when I know more.

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

Day 29: Intercessory Prayer

Lately a lot of people I care about have had serious prayer needs. Many are dealing with serious health problems; a few have lost a loved one. While I don't want to share details here without asking their permission, I do want to ask you to join me in praying for them today. God knows their needs. Please pray for Barb & family, Danny & Debbie & family, Ed & Nancy, Jeannie & family, Carol, Chelsey & family, Devin & family, and Ali.

Day 28: Hope in Waiting

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in His word I put my hope.

- Psalm 130:5

Day 27: Lock-In

Today I am scheduled to spend take a one-day class to help me use Adobe Illustrator software from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm in Springfield. Then from 8 pm tonight until 6 am tomorrow morning we are having an FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America, the club I sponsor) lock-in. That means that the other FBLA adviser and I will be here for a full 10 hours with a group of our students playing games (board, card, video, etc.), scrapbooking, watching movies, eating, etc. Assuming kids show up, it should be fun but will probably also be extremely tiring since chaperones can't afford to sleep!

Day 26: Reason to Be Thankful

Sometimes students do or say things that remind me of how blessed I am by this opportunity to be involved in their lives. One of my students had an assignment in another class to make an oversized check. The picture below shows what she made; she gave it to me after that teacher graded it. :)


Now, if only I could take that one to the bank . . . .

IMB Update

I just received a phone call from Kay at the IMB. She confirmed for me that the delay in my medical clearance would push me back to the February conference. The encouraging thing was that she said the medical clearance was the ONLY thing preventing me from receiving an invitation to the conference. It is possible that she merely meant they have received everything else, but I took it to mean that everything else (my essay, statement of beliefs, references, etc.) were all acceptable and would lead to an invitation once I am cleared medically. So, tomorrow is my appointment with my doctor. After that, she is supposed to write a letter and fax it. Once it is received and processed, I might receive medical clearance, or they may ask for additional information . . . .

Wait for the LORD;
Be courageous and let your heart be strong.
Wait for the LORD.
--Psalm 27:14

Day 25: An Evening With Friends

I had a great evening last night with friends! First, we met at Panera Bread Co. My sister Karen also stopped by but wasn't feeling so well. (Hope you are better today, Karen!)
Then we headed over to the new JQH Arena on Missouri State University Campus for a Christmas Concert featuring Casting Crowns, Natalie Grant, Avalon, Michael English, Denver & the Mile High Orchestra, and PureNRG.
Here's Ellen, Jenny, and me at the concert:

And here's Becky, Stephani, and Lori:

One more picture of Casting Crowns performing. It was a great concert, with incredibly talented people using that talent for God. In addition to all of the talented musicians, Stephani and I agreed that the set designer was equally talented.
Thanks again to all of my friends and family who helped make the day special through time together, phone calls, emails, texts, cards, etc. I am so blessed!

Day 24: Here I Am

My prayer today is from the second half of a song called "Here I Am" by the group Downhere.

When setbacks and failures and upset plans
Test my faith and leave me with empty hands
Are You not the closest when it's hardest to stand?
I know that You will finish what You began
And these broken parts You redeem
Become the song that I can sing…

Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life I make an offering
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of your plan
Here I am

Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness
And the fear that I'll fail You in the end
In this mess, I'm just one of the pieces
I can't put this together but You can

Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life I make an offering
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of your plan
Here I am

Day 23: IMB Update

Through a frustrating set of circumstances, I will miss the deadline for medical clearance to be considered for the January selection conference. I have to admit that I was pretty disappointed to learn this Wednesday, but my disappointment was tempered by the revelation that they have added more conferences to the calendar. That means that, instead of now shooting for April, I can aim for a February conference. Because I feel like I have been waiting for almost a year already, any more waiting challenges me. Ultimately, though, I am reminded that cirucmstances are not dependent on my time table nor subject to my understanding.

As a side note, aiming for a February conference means that I won't be able to go on a women's mission trip in February. Since I learned this news on the same day I posted that prayer request, it was certainly a fast response!

Day 22: Christian Students

I have already talked about my desire to reach out to my students who don't know Christ. I also cherish opportunities to encourage and nurture Christian students. I have been blessed to work with a lot of terrific Christian teenagers over the years, and I inevitably end up feeling like they have blessed me far more than I have blessed them. I pray for them often, though, because I know that it is seldom easy for them to be strong in their convictions.

Day 21: Students

Even on days when we don't have school, I often find myself thinking about specific students. So many of them are dealing with big issues or complicated situations, so when I think about them I take time to pray about their situations. So many of them do not have a supportive family, some don't live with family for various reasons, at least one is pregnant, one just returned from a juvenile detention center, one admits to having serious anger problems, a few are grieving the loss of a parent (one asked me not to acknowledge her birthday because her dad died on her birthday so she doesn't celebrate anymore), a couple are dealing with serious health problems, a couple have parents who are encouraging them to drop out of school, some are essentially raising their younger siblings, . . . . and the list just goes on and on. These are just a few of the struggles of which I am aware; I'm sure there are several more. I long for them to know the love and peace that only Christ can bring.

Day 20: Set the World on Fire

It never ceases to amaze me how many songs I hear strongly relate to things I am experiencing, thinking, or feeling at the time I hear them. One of the many examples of this is the song "Set the World On Fire" by Britt Nicole.

I wanna set the world on fire
Until it's burning bright for You
It's everything that I desire
Can I be the one You use?

[CHORUS]
I, I am small but
You, You are big enough
I, I am weak but
You, You are strong enough to
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
There nothing I cannot do
Nothing I cannot do

I wanna feed the hungry children
And reach across the farthest land
And tell the broken there is healing
And mercy in the Father's hands

Day 19: Family

Today I am thanking God for each and every member of my family. I pray for safety as we all travel to Michele's house and that we will not take a moment of our time together for granted. When I think about my missionary friends who are celebrating Thanksgiving thousands of miles from their families, it gives me another reason to cherish this time with my family. It also prompts me to pray for these friends on a day when they are probably feeling the effects of that separation more than they do on a typical day.

Day 18: Mission Trip Opportunity

I am currently praying about an opportunity to be involved in another women's mission trip in late February. There are many factors to consider: the response I receive from the IMB, my school schedule, etc. The most important thing, though, is that I respond to God's leading and not step out in front of Him and make a decision based on my thoughts or feelings.

Day 17: Colleagues

Although the majority of my time is spent in my classroom with students, I do interact with colleagues between classes, at meetings, and in shared responsibilities. My prayer is that I will represent Christ well in every interaction with my colleagues. There have been times when my words and/or actions have been thoughtless or from wrong motives. I want to avoid this, and the only way I can do that is through abiding in Him.

Day 16: Puerto Vallarta

Over the last year and a half I have been so blessed by opportunities to work alongside missionaries Preston and Courtney in Puerto Vallarta. I quickly grew to love the members of the new church, La Esperanza de Vallarta. While I was in Puerto Vallarta, God broke my heart for the lost in a deeper way than I have ever experienced before. As I pray for the people of Puerto Vallarta, my mind is filled with the faces of the hotel workers in my English classes last summer. They are so precious to me, and as far as I know only one of them is a Christian. I pray that God will work in their hearts and that He will continue to bless the ministry that He has started through my dear friends Preston and Courtney.

Day 15: Manzanillo

I had the opportunity to spend some time in Manzanillo in the summers of 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. I met a lot of people as we distributed information in neighborhoods and hosted activities for children in the parks and schools. It has been so exciting to see the new church, La Esperanza de Manzanillo, take shape and grow. Now, as missionaries Bill and Vicki prepare to leave this church in the hands of a native pastor, I am praying for the church, for their unsaved neighbors, and for Bill and Vicki.

Day 14: Nicaragua

Even though it has been several years since my 2 trips to Nicaragua, the people I meet on mission trips stay in my heart forever. I think about them. I wonder what God has done in their lives since I last saw them. I pray for God to bless them in so many ways. Today I am praying for all of the people I met in two villages near Managua, Nicaragua. I also pray for my friend Rebecca who serves through Project Hope in Nicaragua. She's home visiting now but will return to Nicaragua in January. She has been a tremendous blessing especially to the women, teens, and children there.

Day 13: Scripture Memorization Update

Praise! God is definitely answering our prayers. I started focusing on scripture memorization a few days ago, and He certainly helped me quickly memorize the first verse I selected. But He didn't stop there.W hile I was sitting in an optometrist's waiting room for about an hour on Wednesday, He brought the verse to mind. I realized that, because I had memorized the scripture, this waiting time gave me a perfect opportunity to meditate on the verse (something I couldn't do without a Bible in hand if I hadn't memorized it). So, as I waited, I pondered and prayed through each word in the verse. It was a small incident, but it was a tremendous blessing to me. The verse was:

Guard your heart above all else
For it is the source of life.
- Proverbs 4:23

Pressing Health Clearance Issue

I received an email this morning from the IMB stating that they had not yet received my medical clearance from the organization that processes the health information. I called that organization, and they will not clear me until they receive a letter from my doctor regarding my blood pressure. My next phone call was to my doctor's office to request that such a letter be faxed. I am praying that the doctor will be willing to do this, will do it in a timely manner, and that this will not stand in the way of my clearance.

Additionally, they have not received the optometrist's report that I mailed 1 1/2 weeks ago. It was hard to tell whether or not the receipt of this report will affect clearance. I don't know why it has taken so long to reach them but am praying it will arrive today.

THA's deadline to submit clearance to the IMB is December 2.

Day 12: IMB Missionaries

The IMB recently commissioned 105 new missionaries. I am excited for the promise of what I know God will do through each of these people and am praying now specifically for them as they arrive on the mission field, adapt to the culture, and begin their work. I also pray for all of the other missionaries currently on the field.

Day 11: Mental/Emotional Preparation

I know that international missions can be very tough on a person mentally/emotionally. Being separated from family and friends and immersed in a completely different culture can take its toll on a person. I experienced a little of that last summer in my apartment in Puerto Vallarta, so I know that it is crucial for me to rely solely on Him to meet these needs and to prepare me in advance for potentially challenging situations.

Day 10: Physical Preparation

Yesterday's focus was on spiritual preparation. Today it is on physical preparation. I pray that no physical limitations will hinder me from serving where God wants me to serve, and I pray that He will continue to help me make healthy choices.

Day 9: Spiritual Preparation

I am praying that God will prepare me spiritually for the plans He has for me; whatever they may be. Whether following Him leads me to a mission field in another country or to stay where I am, I want to be spiritually prepared to serve.

Day 8: Scripture Memorization

I need to confess that it has been a long time since I have actively invested time and energy into memorizing scripture. That is something that I am trying to work on now because I recognize the importance of having it in my mind to recall and use at a moment's notice. I am praying that God will help me to be disciplined in my approach to this and that He will enable my mind to efficiently commit His words to memory.

"I have hid Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You." - Psalm 119:11

Day 7: Give Me Your Eyes

Christian artist Brandon Heath has a song that is pretty popular right now called "Give Me Your Eyes." The first time I heard it over the summer, it captured my attention because the message it holds was like an echo of my heart. It says, in part:

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eye so I can see

Can you imagine what that would be like? To truly see the people around us the way God sees them, even for just one second, would forever change our perspective. I think there have been a few times when He has allowed me just a tiny glimpse of this (with some of my students and with some people I encountered on mission trips). Those glimpses were life-changing; I can't imagine what it would be like to see through His eyes every day. When I reflect on His love and compassion for each individual person, I realize how much that should impact the way I treat each person. So, today I am praying through this song.

Day 6: Bigger Than Myself

In the 11:00 service at church, Pastor Ben is currently sharing a series of sermons called "Bigger Than Myself." It is a great reminder of our call to join God in what He is doing, to be a part of His bigger story rather than focusing on our own small story. In the midst of daily details, it is so easy for me to temporarily lose sight of the grand mission and instead focus on "mini missions." My prayer today is that I will continuously, intentionally, let go of my plans and dreams and instead cling to and invest in His infinitely greater plans. There is something that I've heard Ben say more than once that I just love:

"What God puts in us, He longs to bring out of us or draw out of us." - Ben Pilgreen

That gives me such a picture of God. It makes me think about how often He is pleased with the way I use what He has given me and how often He is saddened by it. May I become increasingly aware of how much I am allowing Him to draw out of me so that I can remove any restrictions I am placing on the ways He desires to work through me.

Day 5: My Students

I work with around 100 students on a regular basis, and I strongly believe that God brought me here for a reason. I am both honored by the privilege and overwhelmed by the responsibility of my role in their life. I have an opportunity to make an impact on their lives, but I am also accountable for what I make of that opportunity. How often do they see Jesus through me? How often do I allow thoughtless words to pass from my lips? How often am I reactive instead of proactive? I pray that God will continue to mold me and to work through me to touch the lives of my students. I also pray for each of these students individually. Some are strong believers. Some have been raised in church but are heavily influenced by the world. Some come from very troubled homes. Some have made many bad choices and are now facing the consequences of those choices. Some are very open; some very closed and guarded. All are precious to Him and therefore precious to me. I pray that God will draw them each closer to Him through whatever means He chooses to use.

Day 4: Time Management

Wednesdays are always busy days for me, which reminds me of how important it is for me to use my time wisely. (Ironically, I think I am better at this on busy days like Wednesday than on more flexible days like Saturdays.) I know that God provides sufficient time to do what He has appointed for me to do, but I often find myself either A) wasting time through laziness or B) using the time for "good" things rather than the "right" things. I pray that God will grant me discernment about how to invest my time and the discipline to follow through. I am becoming more and more aware of how much more I could be learning from and about Him if I would give Him more of "my" time.

Day 3: IMB Personnel

Today I am praying for the IMB Personnel who are reviewing my application. My prayer is that God will give them wisdom and guidance as they review applications and determine which people should continue in the process. I have confidence that God's plans for me will be evident in His timing.

Day 2: Abiding Continued

Through my recent study and reflection on abiding, one thing that has become apparent to me is how easily we allow ourselves to fall or fail in certain areas of our lives. While we may be strongly committed and growing in some aspects of our walk with Christ, there are other areas that we allow to fade into the dark where a "small" sin can quietly grow. What may have started innocently and harmlessly transforms into something ugly and impure. These things don't happen overnight. If we are vigilant and open and honest enough to allow God to regularly search our hearts and reveal these things to us, His light can prevent the decay of darkness from creating a sinful situation or attitude. This is where I am right now. Please pray that I will have the relationship with Him that allows Him to bring potential problems to light immediately. When He reveals things that have grown in the dark, I pray that He will give me the strength to acknowledge and change them. I don't want to allow things in my life that will hurt my relationship with Christ or compromise the work He wants to do through me.

A song I have listened to often lately deals with this very subject. The chorus says:

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

(Slow Fade by Casting Crowns)

30 Days of Prayer

As I continue to wait for news on my IMB application, I feel strongly led to focus my prayers and to call on loved ones to pray with me for 30 days. At the end of those 30 days, I should know whether or not I will be continuing this process with the IMB. So, I am inviting you now to join me. Each day I hope to post another specific prayer topic. Some will be directly related to the IMB process, some related to my preparation for service and spiritual growth, and some related to my current "mission field" and the lives of those with whom I currently have the honor of sharing mine. Feel free on any day to post comments or prayers anytime the topic hits home or you feel led to do so.

Day 1: Abiding. Please pray for me as I strive to abide with Christ. I have learned a lot about what it means to truly abide in Christ through a discipleship class I have been taking at church, and my need for a deeper level of abiding has never been so apparent to me as it is now.

Good News!

It looks like the additional health information request will not delay the processing of my application! I was definitely hoping this would be true, but I also realize that everything will happen in God's timing. Of the 4 additional things they requested, one item has now reached them. Two of the other ones are in process with my doctor now, and the final one is an updated report from my eye doctor. Since my annual checkup is in a couple of weeks, I thought I might as well wait until them and get a copy of that one instead of last year's information.

Anyway, the good news is that I seem to still be on schedule! Right now my IMB Consultant, Andy, is reviewing applications. This is about a 5 week process. Early in December, they will mail out invitations to those with whom they want to continue the application process at the interview & selection conference January 20-23, 2009. (If you are curious about the conference, click here to read about it on the IMB website.)

Health Information Request

Yesterday I received another request regarding the health aspect of my IMB application. I have to go to a doctor for a couple of things and send a report from that visit, as well as from a recent visit. I also have to request a report from my eye doctor. These reports often take a couple of weeks to process, but I am hoping that they won't put me past the deadline for this round of candidates. I need to make these things happen quickly, but working around school will delay things a bit.

IT IS FINISHED!

Yesterday I managed to get past some technical difficulties and submitted the final section of my IMB application. Definitely an exciting moment! I do still need to respond to a request for more information on one aspect of the health questionnaire, but other than that, I've done all I can do. It is out of my hands. Of course, I like to think that it always has been out of my hands, because I am much better off if things are in God's hands. There is something about being at the end of the part of the process in which I can physically participate that is a relief but yet also a little nerve-wracking. Because it was such a big process and is important to me, there is a part of me that wants to be actively involved in doing everything I can to make it happen. I guess the key words in that sentence are "I Can." The truth is that there is nothing that I can do; it truly is in God's hands.

Our Wednesday night discipleship training course continues to be intense but extremely beneficial. Please pray that God will help me devote more time to the homework and to applying what I am learning this week. It is so easy to let being "busy" distract me from giving it the focus it deserves.

BTW: This is a great week for birthdays! Two of my very dear friends are celebrating birthdays this week. Happy Birthday, Courtney and Paula! I love you both!

I Inspire Them to Pray . . .

Today I had a group of Advanced Multimedia students revise a team project. After they showed me their final video, I sat down to write comments and assign a grade. As I did, the 6 of them formed a circle, held hands, and prayed aloud for me! It was impossible for me NOT to laugh as I heard sentences like, "Please help Ms. McCully to be generous as she grades our project." I must say, as objective as I try to be when grading, it never hurts to have a smile on your face while you decide a grade on a subjective, creative project! How can I help but love teaching when I work with such a fun, creative group of kids? People often ask if teenagers drive me crazy, but it is actually the other way around. They keep me sane through all of the paperwork, administrative issues, etc.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing me through my students. Please help me remember to never take them for granted, and help me to recognize the opportunities You give me to point them toward You.

Discipleship Class

Wednesday night I attended the first night of a 10-week discipleship class. I was pretty overwhelmed by the fast-paced, intense nature of the class, but it definitely gave me a lot to think and pray about. The goal of the course, as I understand it, is to be prepared to disciple other believers. In addition to the class each Wednesday night, homework is provided for further study and application.

Today I submitted my health questionnaire and statement of Christian beliefs, so that's 2 more check marks on the list! Submitting the health questionnaire was a huge step for me because of the weight loss issue and also the enormity of the questionnaire.

Slow Progress

Today I am mailing my transcripts and "passport-type" photos, so I can check 2 things off the list! I'm finding it next to impossible to gather specific health-related information from, say, 7 years ago, so I may have to just write something like, "details not available" on a couple of questions.

It's been a crazy week for me, and it has gone by so fast that when I got dressed this morning I thought I was dressing for a Thursday. So, I missed my chance to wear jeans on Friday. :) Some of you know that I had a little scare Tuesday morning and had to take a sick day. I went to a doctor Wednesday, and they sent out some blood for testing. The results today were that all the tests they ran came out normal. Good news, but still leaves me without answers. I guess that is often true with health care; we don't always know what causes things.

This afternoon my student who dropped out last year came back! I've stayed in touch with her and been a support to her in every way I could, and I knew she was planning to come back sometime soon. I can't tell you how excited I was to see her walk through the door! She's one of those people that I really believe God brought into my life for a purpose, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to be there for her; to pray for her, to support her, to teach her, etc. It won't be easy for her, but I think she can still graduate with her class this year.

New Blog

I originally intended to start this blog a couple of weeks ago when the new school year started for me, but I encountered several reasons to delay this initial posting. The title of the blog was chosen to reflect my ultimate desire; to always be on mission for God, wherever I am.

I have begun to enlist prayer supporters for my journey with the IMB. These are people who are willing to covenant to pray with and for me in every aspect of my application, exploration, and potentially eventual service through the IMB. A covenant is a solemn, two-way agreement. One aspect of my end of the agreement is to keep my prayer supporters updated. This blog seems like the most logical way for me to do that. So, I will be inviting each person who covenants to pray for me to begin checking this blog.

As most of you know, I went through the initial phase of the application process several months ago and have been working on losing weight since then. This summer the IMB changed their requirements. That fact, combined with the amount of weight I have lost so far, has finally brought me within the acceptable limits. So, I am now on the big Phase 3 of the application. This phase has several components:

1. An enormous online health questionnaire. Depending on what answer you click, sometimes additional questions suddenly appear. I have made a lot of progress on this, but I have reached several detailed questions which will require me to do some digging into medical records that I don't personally possess.

2. Church recommendation form. This has been completed and submitted.

3. Statement of Christian beliefs. This contains about 10 essay questions. I've written a rough draft but need to go through and revise before submitting.

4. Autobiography (8 pages). I also have a rough draft of this completed but need to revise. The instructions for this include so many specific points which must be addressed that it is a bit challenging.

5. Publicity/Life Sketch. Again, rough draft is completed.

6. Transcript. Ready to be mailed.

7. Reference List. I've already sent in my list of people from whom I have requested references.

8. References. I was given 8 very specific categories and had to find one person in each category who was willing to serve as a reference and complete a 3 page form. I found those 8 people, and I think about half of them have already submitted their reference forms. :)

9. Two 2x2 passport-type photos (not actually for passport). On my to-do list to get these taken.

10. Background/credit check. I've already submitted my consent to this.

Please pray for me as I complete these items and as I continue to work on my weight. Also pray for the wonderful people who are serving as my references and for the IMB personnel who will be handling my application materials. Finally, I would appreciate prayer for my students and my interaction with them. As excited as I am about the possibilities for serving through the IMB in the future, I am also trying to stay focused on being "on mission" here where I am now; in my classroom, with my students . . . .