Surrender

My Journey to Ellerslie ~ well I should begin at the beginning...

During the Set Apart Girl Conference was when Eric and Leslie "unofficially" announced that they were in the process of opening in a school the following Summer (2010) as Eric began passionately speaking about the vision he and Leslie had for the school my heart was drawn. Deep down, I knew, "This is what I have been looking for!"

At the time I had looking been looking into different opportunities through mission schools, bible schools, mission trips, and more but I never felt the peace of God, I knew that even though these had wonderful attributes and different qualities, none of them felt like the "perfect fit" they were not what I was looking for, and more importantly what God was looking for.

So when I heard about Ellerslie I was really excited...not just the surface excited but the deep resounding inner excitement!

I came home on fire and full of passion. And constantly on my knees asking God if Ellerslie was the school/mission training that I was searching for. I knew that this opportunity fit what I was looking for but I wanted God to make the final decision. I can almost assure you that I was one of the first to visit the Ellerslie web page as soon as it came out. I found the application and printed it out and placed it on my dresser. There is sat while I prayed for my Heavenly Father's guidance and direction. I didn't what to go into anything that was my will. It needed to be His will. I wanted to surrender it ALL to Him. Surrender. And boy did I not know to the full extent of what it TRULY means to be fully surrendered to Him! He was just waiting for me to surrender to His will. And what a wonderful and wild ride He has taken me. When I prayed, "LORD, thy will be done. I want to be surrendered to you. Teach me how to daily, hourly give my thoughts, my time, my life to you. Mold me, shape me into a vessel that can pour out her everything in service to you." I didn't fully understand what I was asking...but I am so glad that He is teaching me how to do just that!

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James 1:6 ~

If anyone lacks wisdom let Him ask of God, who gives to ALL generously and without reproach, and they will be filled.

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After the application graced my dresser for a couple months I decided to fill it out and go from there. Now comparing the application I filled out to the one they have now, I would say it is ALOT simpler...but that is a side note. The application took me hours to complete as I sat at the computer and typed all of my answers. A couple weeks later the family computer crashed along with two full essays needed for Ellerslie and the application. I am sure you can slightly imagine my stress! First lesson in surrender. I began to fall on my knees even more after that to find out if this was the open door I was waiting for.

A week before my mom had found out that Pastor Steve and Eric were pastor a church up in Windsor. Since we live in Colorado {home of Ellerslie} my family and I decided to go up one Sunday evening. Unbeknowenst to us we came on the first Sunday they used the Ellerslie campus church! January 3rd, 2010 to be exact. Eric was talking on the Mighty Intercessor. Here is a VIDEO that sums up that service! I was able to see the campus {in the snow and dark}, and meet Sandi and my dad was able to talk to Eric. All in all it was just what I needed.

The next couple days I rewrote the essays and filled out the application again and sent them in....and the rest is history! =) Actually, there is oh, so much more to the story but I'd be here way to long and you would be skimming the rest anyway. So maybe I'll share the other parts to the growing puzzle a lil bit latter. Anyway, it was a wonderful feeling to be at peace with the decision to come to Ellerslie. My parents felt a peace and release as did I. To know I am surrendering to His will is wonderful~and it is a plus that it is His will for me to go to somewhere that I am excited about! To quote Amy Carmichael, "It is a safe thing to trust God with the desires of your heart, because they are the desires He has created."

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So, to get back to the real reason I wanted to write this in the first place.

Just another small thing the Lord has been teaching me about surrender is surrendering my plans. I have to have things planed and listed and just so. So, if I don't how something is going to happen {or if I don't have control} I get stressed. Not knowing how, when or where I was going to get the amount needed for me to go to Ellerslie and to Haiti has been a constant battle of surrender for me.

But every single time I have had a payment due the Lord provides!

Praise the Lord!

More on this latter ;)