Dear friends,
It is with great excitement that I get to share with you the news that I will be returning to my friends in Brussels, Belgium this summer! Another opportunity has arisen for a care-giver to help my friend, Rebecca Petrie, (http://www.rebeccasjourney.com/ ), and it just so happens that I am available! The Lord's ways are beyond understanding for sure! :-) I had been leaving my summer relatively open, anticipating the possibility of helping my brother and sister-in-law in Boston, MA, with their new baby arriving in June. As it turns out, God's plan is not to have them move there yet, and a week after I found this out, I learned about the need for a caregiver in Belgium this summer! God knows me well and knows he needs to have me "schedule" something in order to "leave something open". :-) In addition to this, a friend of the Petries has generously offered to pay my airfare for my trip! Wow!
I will be leaving for Brussels around June 10, as soon as I finish giving and grading my classes' final exams. (Exactly 1 year and 5 days after I returned home from Europe last year! :-) I plan to return to Ohio the last week of July. Once again, my amazing CCI puppy raising friend and mentor, Marty Carvour, will be taking most excellent care of CCI puppy Michael III (thank you! thank you! thank you!) Because I had already planned to not be around this Summer, I am SO relieved to not have to cancel many prior commitments (that was the hardest part last time! :-O)
If you would like to be praying for me as I physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepare for this trip, please pray that everything falls into place smoothly (I have a good 6 weeks to prepare this time, as compared to the 10 days last time :-), and especially pray for my boyfriend Luke and I, as I anticipate this will be a very good time for us to grow and trust the Lord, but will also be hard. Luke will be working on his master's research in Wooster, so it will be a good time for me to be gone and enable him to focus on his work. :-) That said, I'm rather attached to the guy and anticipate missing him a lot! Many other people in this world and throughout history have been separated for longer distances and periods of time however, so I know it will all be fine. :-) Besides, technology is such that we really won't have to be that "far" apart. :-)
Thank you for your prayers and sharing in my excitement! I plan to resume my Belgium blogging at: http://mbbelgium.blogspot.com/ for the duration of my visit.
A la prochaine!
~ Mary Beth
"From prayer that asks that I may be,
Sheltered from winds that beat on Thee.
From fearing when I should aspire,
From faltering when I should climb higher,
From silken self, O Captain, free,
Thy soldier who would follow Thee.
From subtle love of softening things,
From easy choices, weakenings.
(Not thus are spirits fortified,
Not this way went the Crucified)
From all that dims Thy calvary,
O Lamb of God, deliver me.
Give me the love that leads the way,
The faith nothing can dismay.
The hope no disappointment tire,
The passion that will burn like fire.
Let me not sink to be a clod,
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God."
~ Amy Carmichael
