San Miguel Dueñas - Day 3 [Blog]
/By: Nancy Peabody
How “Now Is The Time” became “MyTime”
I have attended churches for most of my life. I have had many opportunities to listen to missionaries share their experiences. I have always enjoyed listening to these stories and have been filled with awe and respect for what they were doing in their lives.
I have also believed, without a doubt, that mission work was not for me.
For years I have prayed for and financially supported mission team members. This was my comfortable way of participating in mission work.
Shawn and Damaris started coming yearly to Valley Life Church to share and inform us about their mission work with Now Is The Time for Missions. This is when I started to feel that “tug” that God puts in our hearts when there is something he wants us to do or at least pay attention to. I became very adept at ignoring this sign because I was never going to go on a mission. Ever.
They kept coming back. Every. Year. I had a great excuse for not becoming a team member. In my job, I needed to put my vacation time bid, for the year, in January. If I don’t know the date of the mission, I can’t put in for the time off. Problem solved!
When Shawn and Damaris had their annual visit in 2014 I was feeling confident that the “tug” would be successfully ignored again. Much to my shock, I see the date of my pre-approved vacation posted as week 2 of that years mission (yikes!)
Then Shawn stated that there was a great need for volunteers on week 2 (really?!).
What sealed the deal was when my dear friend, Rochelle, made a beeline to me after service and said she and her husband Rodney were considering going to week 2 instead of their usual week 1.
My husband, Garland, was ready to go as soon as I said it was time to answer the call.
When that week was over and it was time to return home I felt humbled, honored, blessed and changed.
I wonder what else would have happened in my life if I listened, and obeyed, instead of trying to talk myself out of those “tugs”.
This is my fourth year and my first year doing 2 weeks.
-Nancy Peabody