Woah...

Its been a crazy past week or so. God has been doing some really cool things. And I have been trying to wrap my mind around them and process them to write about it. I feel like I should go back and give some background so that you will understand why I have been so blown away by what God is doing.
Some of you reading this, know that last semester I was in a not so great place. I was upset with God and frustrated with him. I didn't trust him and I prayed a lot during that time that he would do something really big in my life. That he would show up in an unreal way and make me see that he is pursuing me and loving me. I prayed this type of thing over and over again. All the time, I just wanted God to do great things in my life and my heart. So then I started the whole internship process with World Harvest. I really felt led to be used by God this summer and so I felt this was how God wanted to use me. So this whole idea of being used by God seemed like a very far off abstract thing at the time. Like something God and I were working towards but didn't believe I would be able to be used till I got to Vienna this summer. Well, as I've started to see and understand, usually the plans and ideas we have about our lives and circumstances are not at all what God has planned for us.
In January I started helping out with this youth group in Georgia. I thought that maybe God would use me, that maybe I'd be able to help, but I had not imagined that God would use my time in this youth group as a way of wooing me and pursuing me, but that's exactly what he has done. Every single time I go down there He has done something that brings me to me knees in awe of how big He is and at the great things he can do. Its not always good and fun and easy. Hard things are going on too. But to see God working his love out for each one of these kids in the midst of the hurt and pain, has made his love for me and them so real. I expected God to use me in their lives, but it seems his plan was to use them in my life.
The past few weeks I have been in the midst of raising support for my internship in Austria. This has been the most trying time for me in this whole process of this internship. Every week I have worried and stressed over the money and worried it wouldn't happen and questioning God's calling, and every week God has proved to me that Vienna is where he wants me and that I need to stop questioning him and worrying about things he's taking care of. I have been asking for prayer from others and praying about it all the time. And to see God working through those prayers is so humbling. I have prayed time and time again that God would surround me with people that would encourage me and that he would show up in ways I can't imagine. And he has. He has put so many people around me that are constantly asking me about support and praying over me and just loving me through this process. And people I haven't expected to give financially have given and have given with their hearts. A week and a half ago I was supposed to have 50% of my funds raised. That morning I had 31%. A week later, I had 51%. After a really discouraging week where I didn't think I would have raised any. God provided. I sat on the couch with my roommate crying and praying and praising God for loving me through this process. We praised him for the people that were excited about what He is doing in Vienna and what He is doing in me! I praised him for doing big things in my life in so many areas just to say to me, "Allie, I love you and I am calling you here, with these people. Let me love on you."
Then this Thursday, I thought that God has been doing so much, support will probably start coming in more slowly now. And then again, he put me in my place and reminded me how big and powerful he is. My update this week said I was at 82%!!! What a great and mighty God I serve!
The past few weeks I have seen God work. I have seen God want me and do crazy things to make sure he is capturing me heart above anything else in my life. God is so good. He is so faithful to unfaithful, dirty, pitiful sinners like me!
Please praise God with me at how he's preparing me to love and be loved, to serve and be served, and to trust, trust, trust. 


"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God."   Ezekiel 36:25-28