Bittersweet Change

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As I sit here in my extremely empty room, I think back on the last two years that I have gone by in my life. Those two years, I have grown extremely comfortable in my everyday life. Going to work, having a very comortable place to live with my own room with my own space. I've had 2 amazing jobs that I would receive paychecks from every two weeks. I am so used to having money come into my bank account and having money at the tip of my fingers and at my disposal. Now, in 4 days, I am doing something completely new and living on financial support for the about the next two years. A huge faith step for me. I will need to trust the Lord in this time especially when God through others is providing money for my everyday nescesseties and know that He will supply all that I need just like he has these past two years. I have learned about saving my money and only spending it on what I NEED and not WANT. The house where I lived and family that I lived with, I didn't have to worry about paying anything at all. The Lord blessed me so immensley and I don't even deserve it. So much is about to change in my very comfortable life and I am excited, yet, even a little nervous. Let me give you a glimpse into the last two years of my life that have flown by oh so fast.

I learned many administrative skills by working at Associated Financial Group since November of 2007. These skills have helped me so much in organization, staying on task and focusing on the work at hand, teamwork, communication and many others. It is such a blessing being able to have learned these skills because I know that I will be able to take with me in the future to help futher the kingdom of Christ. While at AFG, I also formed friendships with the administrative assistant team that I worked closely with. I was blessed to have many of my co-workers as fellow sisters in Christ and they became almost like mentors to me. They spurred me on in how to be a Godly women and poured the truth of Christ into me and how to follow His plan for my life. It has been so hard to say good bye to them for a time. But I look forward to seeing them again sometime in the future.

I have also had an amazing job as a Teamleader at Feed My Starving Children since April of 2007. I led groups into a one of a kind experience to help end world hunger by putting together a vegetarian rice casserole and sending it to starving, dying children around the world. This is where my passion for Haiti and serving that country started and grew. I saw the devastation and heard all the stories about that country and wanted to do something more. The FMSC family has helped me along in praying for me, encouraging me, giving me advice on how to raise money, as well as advice and details of what to expect when I go to Haiti for a year. While working at FMSC, I have formed a family in a sense. I am so sad to be leaving that place where God the Father is so evident in the work we are doing, but more importantly the people. I so tremedously excited for the day that I will see them again.

On September 29th, 2007, I moved in with a single mom and her two young daughters. I have been nannying her girls for my room and board which has been a tremendous blessing. Not having to worry about rent, utilities, or food is such an amazing thing! I will never take it for granted. I am moving out this Saturday, September 26th. That is a God ordained situation right there because it is almost two years to the day that I have been living there! All I can say is that God is a God who provides and knows how to work out time perfectly. While living there, we have formed a strong friendship. Jesaca and I have seen each other through many ups and downs. We have grown together in our faith and helped and encouraged eachother as well. Moving out of her house and moving on in my life has been hard for both of us. It will be so strange to not hear "Good morning Kirstin!" from Abigail and Lydia each morning. But at the same time, we are all so excited because we know that Abba God is orchestrating it all. He has given her two years that she can have time to herself a couple days a week and it provided me with a great place to live.

Now, I am about to set out on a huge journey of faith. I will be moving into the YWAM Minneapolis base in Rockford, MN on the 26th. As the day comes closer and closer, I become more and more excited because I know, despite the anxiety that the enemy is trying to put within me, that it is God's mighty awesome plan for me. It is just so strange to have your life completely turned around! But it is also so comforting to know that I will be around so many other people that are in the same boat. God is calling the other DTS students on this same journey of faith. We will be focusing on him wholly and be learning how to spread his gospel together.

It has been so amazing to see God providing in so many ways. In my last blog, I updated you on how much I had raised at it was about $3,000. I needed $4,500 dollars to pay for YWAM DTS. Well brothers and sisters, God has provided $4,500! Also, I still need $5,000 for ministry in Haiti for one year and the Lord has already provided $480 of that! Thank you all so much for your support in prayer as well as financially. Keep it coming, it truly helps!
1. Make the check out to Mission Haiti
2. Put Kirstin Miller in the "memo" line of the check
3. Include your e-mail address with your donation on a seperate piece of paper so Mission Haiti can send you a tax-deductible receipt via e-mail to save on postage.
4. Send the check to: Mission Haiti
PO Box 486
Tea, SD
57064
Mission Haiti will send you a tax-deductible receipt via e-mail. If you would like to give a monthly gift, please plan on 12 months of giving.

Prayer Requests:
1. That I will rest in the arms of Christ and not worry about this huge change in my life.
2. Myself and the other DTS students will build strong Christ centered friendships with eachother.
3. The DTS will remember to work together in good and bad circumstances.
4. Praise-that DTS is paid for!
5. Financial and prayer support will continue to come in for my year of ministry in Haiti.

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments.

One last thing to close. I started to read the book "A Chance to Die" by Elisabeth Elliot about "The Life and Legacy of Amy Charmichael". On page 68 in paragraph 2, she wrote something that kind really showed me what how I should act in these kind of times:
"A foreign port. Nobody to meet her. Not a word of any language she could understand. The girl from the Irish village of the North Sea, standing in the pauring rain beside her pile of luggage on the shore of Japan, laughing 'All this was part of the going forth unto a land I knew not, and everything was just right, and if things went wrong it was so much the more fun. I knew ther would come right in the end. And they always did.' So with a charming lightheartedness of faith, she only wondered 'What next?'
What next? What unexpected things will Christ throw my way throughout this journey? What things will happen that I can only laugh at? When they happen, good or bad, I will take joy in them because they are all part of "The going forth" of Abba growing me and strengthening me to minister in Haiti.

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