Today has been a full day of shopping, organizing, packing and preparing. Yet, despite the whirlwind of exams, closing out my Junior year of college, moving into my new off campus house that I'll live in next year, goodbyes and having my mom visit, I find myself here. Here with this blank new blog thinking in excited expectation for what this summer will hold and what these posts will document.
I hope this will be the best way to keep in touch with everyone and I will try to post here as often as I am able to.
I real quickly wanted to explain why I titled this blog "Take Me to the Valley".
First off: Kijabe, where I will be staying, is on the edge of the Great Rift Valley that is located through Kenya. (This is also why the Missionary Kid school is called Rift Valley Academy) So in the quite literal sense, I will be going to the Valley.
Secondly: Valley's have, again literally, been a place of significance. Where I grew up in Papua New Guinea, mountains surrounded our mission center meaning that there was countless valleys to pass through. Also, the camp I have worked at the past two summers is found in a valley. The Lord is so evidently in that valley as I have seen time and time again Deer Run Camps be a place of redemption and renewal. I personally have grown tremendously during my time there.
But beyond that: people often think of valleys as the hard places. The non-mountain tops. The dark and scary, you know "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death"? That does not sound real charming does it? But if there is one thing I have learned in life, it is that life is full of valleys. But God is in the valleys.
City Harmonic has a song called Mountaintop, but it is refering to the times in the valleys. The first verse and chorus says,
The valley low that's where we'll make our homesWe can know the goodness of our God because of his glory on the mountaintops.
But this I know that's what He saved us from
Cause we've seen the glory of our King
On the mountaintop
We've been to the mountaintop
We've seen the glory of our God
He is here in the valley low
He's here I feel it in my bones
Our God here and now
We are the body of our God
Our faithful God is with us.
So what is the point? The point is, though I am excited about this trip, and can not wait for the mountaintop moments of seeing the glory of our God, I have my own doubts and fears. But I want to grow into being a person who is willing (with the Lord's strength) to go to the hard places. To not shy away from things because it might be unknown or scary. Just think how different the world would be today if people didn't do things because they were afraid.
I want to join with those people who didn't let fear stop them.
Would you join me in this journey to Kijabe, and to the valleys?
Would you be willing to pray with me as I face unknowns, and challenges?
And will you celebrate with me as we see the glory of our God this summer?
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