I am moving to Lexington, KY in the beginning of May 2010!
It all started last summer, after years of floundering and asking the Lord, what now? I felt Him drop April into my spirit. I knew my current lease would be up at the end of April and so I figured that was all it meant but it stuck... then I decided to take a few ministry courses in Kentucky School of Ministry this past fall, "just to brush up"...but then, someone confronted me about getting ordained...something I'd been holding off on because I felt that I had nothing to "show" for my license. I prayed about it...and then I applied. Long story short, I interviewed and went through the process as an ordination candidate with KY District Council of the Assemblies of God and was approved. I will be officially ordained on Wednesday, April 21, 2010.
For a couple years, I have been asking Jesus why He called me back to KY, trying to reconcile the "loss"of an entirely different dream...a calling to foreign missions, one I pursued a good part of my life until 2005. That's when I laid it all down to come to Kentucky all because the Lord put a burden and passion for my generation and for the Body of Christ in my heart. I've served in various areas of ministry...I've loved it...but I've been frustrated because this entire time...I could not work full time in ministry. So, I've been doing anything that I could get my hands on...and working full time as a secretary to support my ministry habit.
What's funny? Since being back in KY, I've begun to see that one of the strongest areas affecting this generation is the same thing I have always had passion for when working overseas... brokenness and addiction. I've served part time with a ministry called Teen Challenge off and on and then volunteered with a ministry called Church 922: A Church for this Generation. In everything I did, I began to be surrounded by people battling real addictions...people who loved the Lord...wanted to serve Him but could not seem to overcome the power of a lifecontrolling problem. I have had a growing burden to work with people in this situation...to disciple and pray with them...to help them through the healing process. I've been frustrated because that is a full time job when done right...so I was wearing myself ragged working full time and then coming home and diving into ministry. For the past year, I've basically done the minimal. I've stepped back and really evaluated everything...I've asked the Lord...what? Where? why?
That brings me to this...in February 2010 I received a very unexpected phone call to come work with Teen Challenge full time as a Program Director in a new women's center in Lexington. At first, I didn't know how I could afford it. For almost two months, I've wanted to do it and been completely overwhelmed and petrified of letting go of my comfort zone, my stability. But, I just kept hearing the Lord say...trust Me.
I'll be honest, I need two things. One, a lot of prayer...this is a new challenge and I'm sure it will be stretching. Two, I'm still lacking about $500 in monthly support to truly be effective and sharp. If you are interested in supporting me, please email me Raquel4Christ@hotmail.com and I'll fill you in on more. Thanks in advance for your support....
So, here we go...I'm leaping out into the unknown wonder of obedience...I know that God is doing something. I just want to be used by Him to further His Kingdom...in my generation...in my beloved state of Kentucky!
