Long Over Due Life Update!

From Africa to Peru (my ends of the earth) you have been my prayer warriors and biggest supporters. It has been a journey as God has guided my life. Lord knows I resist His direction sometimes, but His ways are not our ways and His thoughts not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). The best place to be in life is smack dab in the middle of God's will. 

Funny how God has guided me to do the very things I said I would not do. I remember as a young child watching a young lady walk to the front to commit her life to missionary service and I literally said to myself, "I'm never going to do that." Ha!

After my experience in West Africa with the DeMars family (my first experience with missionary work), I had thought I would be a missionary in Africa. Ha! (Though I will never completely rule it out.)

Upon my first visit to We Will Go Ministries (then my Judea, now my Samaria), Amy Lancaster asked me ,"What do you want to be?" I matter-of-factly responded, "A missionary." She asked," What does that look like?" My answer was something to the extent of traveling to another country to share Jesus with people (Which is not completely inaccurate) to which Mrs. Amy shared a truth that has stuck with me since. All Christians are called to be missionaries wherever they are.

With my zeal to serve God and go wherever He would send me, I figured I would probably never get married, because the majority of men are scared of such things. Ha!

Chris and Melissa Robbins established November 5, 2016.

After I graduated from high school I had pretty much decided that I would probably never go to college. Like most teenagers, I was done with school. Ha!

I had resigned myself to being a missionary teacher in a public school (my anticipated Jerusalem), as is the secular expectation when one completes an education degree. I had gotten to use my education already in unofficial ways teaching children's church at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Warren, AR (then my Jerusalem) and teaching English in Croatia (my ends of the earth).

Then God gave the greatest calling of all, Motherhood! I always knew I wanted to be a momma. After all, God had allowed me years of loving on and teaching children.

This calling changed me in so many good ways. While I was still expecting, Meridith Curtis, a friend from my season at We Will Go, called me and reminded me of the greatness of motherhood. What a privilege to have such influence over another human being! My Lizzie Jane is my primary mission field.

My plan was to stay home for a year after Lizzie Jane's Birth (We had already made it on Chris's income for a year during my teaching internship. What's another year?) and then find an elementary teaching position nearby. My husband and I learned of a local ministry starting up and that there were volunteer opportunities. I knew I was too social to stay home for year (Adult conversations are very much needed to maintain sanity) and this ministry was something I was passionate about. I had always supported the pro-life cause and knew pregnancy centers provided resources and empowerment for women facing pregnancy choices. I waddled up to the director (about 5 months pregnant at the time) and asked,"What can I do to volunteer with a baby?" Wendy Curry answered,"Bring her with you. We love babies." The clients benefit greatly from seeing motherhood in action.

Six months later my newborn and I ventured to volunteer at HopePlace Fordyce, a faith-based non-profit pregnancy/family resource center (my Jerusalem).

We had served there for a few months, when Wendy walked into the office. I was feeding Lizzie Jane a bottle. She asked," I know you are planning on taking a teaching job next school year. How set are you on that?" I replied that I never really "wanted" to be in a public school classroom, but felt like that was what I was equipped for, was expected to pursue, and  was financially needed by my little family. She left me to pray about it. I knew that she had committed to start this ministry and oversee the first year's operations with plans to hand over the reins to another director. I just never thought that I could be that director. I committed that next week to fast, pray, and discuss this opportunity with my husband. I knew my answer could not be delayed for long.

There was no doubt, with the blessing of my husband and the peace that covered me, that God wanted me to step by faith into this ministry I had truly only began to develop a passion and understanding for. Later Wendy told me that she had been walking through the center desperately praying for God to send the director who would take her place. She said that the moment she walked into the office where I was feeding my infant, God said," She is sitting right there." I officially became the director of HopePlace Fordyce May of 2019.

One day I will know the answers to my questions, but for now I live by faith in knowing that I am the servant that has been entrusted with many talents (Matthew 25:14-30).

To see how my talents are being used check out HopePlace Fordyce's website by clicking the logo above or check out our face book page here and our supporters group here. You can also get a glimpse of our ministry in HopePlace Fordyce's Baby Bottle Campaign video.

I am sending this email to update you on what God has been doing in my life the past few years and allow you to know how to continue praying and supporting God's work around me.

Click the image below to visit my HopePlace Fordyce Baby Bottle Campaign page. All I ask is that if you don't feel led to give to this ministry find a center like ours near you to support. By supporting a faith-based pregnancy/family resource center near you, you are supporting God's work around me. 

"Do what you do to the Glory of the one who made you!" - Steven Curtis Chapman

 It was hard leaving my family and everything I knew behind when I lived in Peru, but God taught me how to love those precious kids I had the privilege of caring for. He taught me that my spiritual act of worship is that I do everything I do for his Glory. When I was cleaning dirty underwear or bathing dirty kids, it was for God's glory. When I sang songs throughout the day, it was for God's glory. God gave me strength to endure the emotions, temper tantrums, and sleep deprivation. I complained and fought so often for my own will and personal time, but God still used me and was very patient with me. I fought so hard to the point of almost leaving halfway through, but God kept me there. When it was time for me to leave, I was heartbroken. I knew God was calling back to the states to study, but I had finally allowed God to show me his love for Peru. I must have looked pritty silly crying as the plane took off from the desert runway overlooking the dirty, sandy, and crowded city of Tacna. What did I see? I saw the little boy haunted by violence standing at his bedroom door asking me where I was going. I saw three precious little girls tucked in their beds sleeping. I saw a Peruvian mom giving her days selflessly away for each one of those kids. I saw a people exhausted by their labor and hopelessness. God had given me his eyes and his heart.

 I am content to back in the states now. My contentment is found in that I am were God wants me to be. Though I can't stand the monotony of studying and writing papers, My spiritual act of worship is that I do everything I do to bring Him glory. This year in the U.S. has been full of it's own trials and lessons. God continues to teach me the same things over and over again. Upon my initial arrival in Arkansas, I was just trying to get back on my feet. Nobody was hiring and I got many welcomes to the real world. But God was with me. I received a random call on my phone in the midst of my preparation to start my first semester at college. "Who is this?" frankly I don't remember much of that conversation. A pastor from a little country church thirty minutes away asked if I was interested in children's ministry. I was thinking,"How on earth does he know me?" The answer was that God had worked it out. I've since been ministering there since September 2013 and have grown to love these beautifully simple and down to-earth-people. The kids had may heart from day one.

I am studying education, though I have no idea how God is going to use that degree in the future. I have no doubts I am doing exactly what he wants me to be doing.

On the eve of my short three week return to Peru in June, I'm content with whatever I am doing and whoever (more information in a later post) I am with as long as I am doing it for God's glory!

 

Please pray for me as I travel to Peru June 9-28 to visit everybody.

Pray as I continue to minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Pray for the Kid's in the church.

Pray for our VBS coming up July 7-11

All for The one who made me!