9 more days! That is right people, 9 more days until our program starts!!! We are in the single digits! Although we are 13 days away from flying out of the country, we are 9 days away from all of the Mi2ers getting together and doing some crucial team building. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am. It’s really amazing how all of a sudden everything is starting to sink in and take hold. Granted that the speaking Polska is not taking hold, it is at least starting to sink in. Hopefully after some cultural immersion, the language will start to take hold and Dane and I will be able to have minimal conversations besides saying, “Dzień dobry” “prosze” and “jak się masz?”
What has been really cool though is that for the past couple of weeks God has really been opening my heart to some deep convictions and thinking. Under this deep thinking, God has been revealing to me some amazing concepts based on Ephesians 6. I feel that these particular verses are what will become a catalyst to our 3 months in Poland. No doubt do I feel it already, but the attacks will be greater once in the field doing what God wants us to do and not what Satan wants us to do. That is why it is crucial to put on the FULL Armor of God, and treat each day as a battle. Frankly, each day IS a battle. I know that I have already started to feel it within me, the battle of worry and self adequacy. And the fact that I am battling these lies and temptations that Satan is constantly bombarding me with makes me want to even more go into battle with my armor on.
Last night as I was reading, I came across 1 John 5:4 and this verse helps correlate the mindset of putting on the armor in Ephesians 6 and the fact that we are in a battle.
Ephesians 6: 10-20 (ESV) Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In ALL circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak.
And then after reading this….1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the VICTORY that has overcome the world-our faith.
I put the word VICTORY in all caps because it is what stuck out to me. Victory can only be won once admitting that there was something we were fighting for in the first place. John says that our faith is what has overcome the world, and our faith is part of our spiritual armor! It is our shield, and as Paul said, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the flaming darts of the evil one;” I look at that and just rejoice in the truth that the gospel can speak and how penetrating and deep it can be. I think of the victory that we have won over the world, and that our shield of faith is defending us from the flaming darts of the evil one. Praise God…*Selah
And so I know that as Dane and I prepare for this 3 month journey that we will have to constantly be putting on the armor of God. There is one part that I love in Ephesians 6:14. The ESV version says to fasten the belt of truth, but in the NASB it says to “gird your loins with truth.” Every time that I read that I say to myself: “I want to gird my loins with truth!” Ha Ha, and then of course I laugh.
As I started to finish typing this, I just realized that at this time, in 2 weeks Dane and I will be landing, or have already landed, or may be on the approach to landing (ALL due to delays of course) in Warsaw. That is CRAZY to think about. It seems like for me that it was just yesterday that I was applying for the trip. And now here we are. I think of all the encouragement and support that family and friends have given me. But I am constantly trying to keep in check that I am not getting the glory and that God is. And everything and anything that I do, I pray that He gets the glory, and that all He does is use me. Keep praying for our mental and spiritual preparations and that the funds will come in.
As I leave this, I think of our faithful blogees. That’s right, you guys who keep up with this, even when we are not on our trip yet! We have an amazing surprise ton unveil very very very soon. In fact this surprise is so amazing that I can 110% guarantee that you will not even guess what is. I’ll give you some hints though your attempts at guessing will be feeble. It’s not a puppy that we will be taking with us to Poland. It is not edible. It will be colorful. It will be AWESOME and OUT OF THIS WORLD! And you might cry. Seriously…you might cry.
-Erich is out, once again.
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