Countdown, Fear?

The countdown has begun. In 9 days I will be joining the other CMF interns and short term missionaries at Pre-Departure Orientation in Indianapolis, we will be there for 6 days before hopping on planes to our various destinations. So, in other words, 2 weeks from tomorrow I will be on a plane and arriving in the Ivory Coast. Wahoo! 

Q.Where is the Ivory Coast? A. Circled in red, my friend!

As I talk to people about this mission, I'm often asked if I'm scared, or a comment will be made about how brave it is to go so far away. If I'm honest, I don't really know how to respond, I'm really not scared. (and if there is any fear, its solely in the area of fundraising. I'm scared to death of not raising enough money because asking for that money is so hard for me, I digress.) I understand where fear could come from, and why maybe I should be more intimidated, after all, I'm going to Africa-the other side of the world. We constantly hear in the news about fighting, kidnappings and all sorts of tragedy. I will be working with HIV patients, and others with who knows what kinds of disease and infection, I guess that should be a little scary. It's the unknown, a different culture, different language, different food.. but I'm excited for these, not scared. 
For me, to travel across the world to serve people feels like I'm actually going home. For as long as I can remember I've dreamed of this. I think when you've felt God calling you someplace for your whole life, to finally follow isn't so scary as the thought of not going is. Maybe the fear is still lurking in my subconscious somewhere, or God knows the possibility of such fear, because everywhere I turn I seem to be reminded of a few truths. 
1 Peter 5:7 reminds us to "cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you," in 1 John 4 we're told that perfect love casts out all fear. I could name verse after verse with these themes, in the book of Joshua God is constantly reminding him to "be strong and courageous" and not to fear. I've been told that we are told not to fear 365 times in the bible, I personally haven't counted but if that's true I think it's pretty cool, one time for every day of the year (except on leap years, I guess we just need to remember all the other days being told not to fear on that extra day). 
I think there's more though. I mean, if I should be scared to go to the Ivory Coast (a pretty stable country in Africa right now) because I might get hurt or sick or kidnapped, or killed... well couldn't all those things happen if I stayed home? I mean, I live in Cincinnati. People here are hurt, sick, kidnapped, and killed too. I don't mean to take away the significance of this brokenness, or to say it doesn't matter, just that we live in a broken, sin filled world. I'm not afraid of what the world can do to me. 
Recently I was reading in the book of John and something that Jesus said jumped out at me like it hadn't before. John 18:36 is often quoted, where Jesus says "My kingdom is not of this world" to Pilate. But just a chapter before Jesus is praying in the garden and he prays "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world"  (John 17:15-18). The way I see it, we're here in this world of pain and sickness, of kidnapping and killing, but that's not the whole story. The story is that God saves and though I may not be safe in the Ivory Coast, I am saved in Him. As Mr Beaver says in the Chronicles of Narnia about Aslan, “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you." 
So am I scared? My answer is no, I'm not scared. I'm not safe either. But I believe with all my heart that God is good and it is my prayer that no matter what happens, all I do will bring glory only to His name. I pray that if I do get hurt, sick, kidnapped, or killed, that in someway my injury would cause people to look to the Lord. This world isn't my home. 
So in 9 days I will go to PDO, in 15 I will go to the Ivory Coast. You can pray for safety (my mom would like that), but more importantly pray that I would be the Lord's vessel, that I may be used by Him. 


PS I do still need to raise about $500 by tomorrow. So if you're able please visit www.cmfi.org/supportintern click on my name and you'll be taken to a age to make a financial donation. Thanks again!