The journey of preparation for my Haiti missions trip has been challenging AND beautiful! I love the way God highlights things to our heart when we are ready to listen! Another funny thing I've discovered is how people are much more willing to accept the idea of a mom going on vacation then they are of a mom going on a missions trip. What if we somehow downgraded what the Lord appointed us to do to better fit our own ideas of what it means to be a mom. In my process, I have found the Lord filtering out my mind so I can get rid of my self-imposed ideas, oft times fueled by bad experiences of what being a good mom looks like. I started clearly seeing my adopted views, although from a well-meaning place, nonetheless, self-imposed giants that have caused hesitation, intimidation, and disbelief. The other day I was reading something that the Holy Spirit really highlighted to me in all of this.

Romans 12:2
Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.

Growing up in construction I saw a lot of remodeling and in order to renew something you had to first remove the old. Sometimes this is exactly what needs to happen in our minds, yet it feels a bit scary to go outside of our self-created boxes we have put God into. Let’s not allow the culture of disbelief around us push us into its mold. You can’t renew your mind unless you embrace mystery and allow the Holy Spirit to take you on your journey of discovery, where God’s thinking becomes your thinking. This way my heart is shaped more by His words of life rather than simply by my limited experience. I put myself in opposition to the work of the Holy Spirit in me when I demand understanding first.

My mind can only be transformed when I embrace mystery and don’t allow what I already know to limit the discovery of what I don’t know.

When God reveals a revelation to my heart or tells me what step He wants me to take next it requires my faith. Faith calls me to action. Faith works outside of my grid of understanding, it’s playground is mystery, wonder, discovery, and risk. “The walk of faith is to live according to the revelation you have received, in the midst of mysteries we can not explain.”(Bill Johnson) I don’t ever want to dilute what the Lord is saying to me in order to better fit it to my own understanding or lack of faith, or even worse to justify my disobedience.

There is something I have observed in my walk with the Lord and it is that oft times He asks me to do things that feel not the most practical or things that might feel ridiculous to the natural mind, and stretching to my character, possibilities, or resources. The beautiful thing I see in all of this is that God is inviting us to co-labor with Him to see Heaven here and now, to eliminate the distance between heaven and earth which is often times really made up in the measure of what I’m willing to believe for, how much I’m willing to embrace mystery. With God being our Father, our resources are limitless, and without bounds.

The picture I see unfolding in all of this is that the Father is earnestly seeking to reveal Himself more to us, His children. It doesn’t require much faith when I can understand everything and it doesn’t require risk when I know all the answers. It doesn't really require my obedience when I do simply what I want to do. Instead, the Lord oft times nudges me to do something that feels costly and uncomfortable. When we have a revelation from the Lord we become responsible to the word that has been revealed and it requires us to walk something out in obedience it will often conflict with what I understand thus far or with what I would normally do.

Peter's revelation about Jesus walking on water caused Him to have to step out of His boat of comfort and familiarity in order to experience the revelation firsthand.

Every revelation must lead us into an encounter, otherwise we only become more religious.

Imagine that conflict Peter faced in his mind in his understanding when he was stepping out of the boat. There was no logic at play at that moment! He stepped out in faith and in obedience to the voice that said: “come.”

I feel that this is the journey that the Lord has been having me on to obey His voice, outside of my own logic, limited experience, and practical resources. To step out in faith for what I can not see, and walk in the mystery that He wants to reveal and the place he wants to meet me. There is a revelation He gives that causes me to hunger and seek Him out for the more! It’s like Jesus was waiting for Peter on the water and His hands were there to hold Peters and He encountered Jesus in a way no one else did!  

We must face this fear! Fear of letting go. This is the place where we allow the Lord to come and meet us. Let go of control and walk in beautiful surrender and abandonment to the one who loves you so perfectly. God is such a good Father, so let's remain a child full of wonder and allow God to shape our thinking, as we walk out in faith on the ground of discovery with God.

Haiti Update:

We're almost there!!! Thank you for the INCREDIBLE support that Jadon and I have received. We only have about a $1000 to go!

Most of this money will go to bless the Haitian people. Thank you for partnering with us and supporting us as we prepare for this adventure! We look forward to letting you know how the trip impacted our lives and others when Jadon and I return!

Jadon's support page
https://www.purecharity.com/olga-yagolnikovs-fundraiser-for-haiti-revival-team?aff=nbz8g

Olya's support page
https://www.purecharity.com/olga-yagolnikovs-fundraiser-for-haiti-revival-te-1?aff=nbz8g

Thank you again!!!