An Update from Napa Valley

An update has been long overdue. God has been doing some great things for me during this past month and a half and I want to share them all with you.
I know God has a specific calling upon My life to be His ambassador... He has called all His children into that ministry! As most of you know, I have a more specific desire to spread the Love of Jesus to young women. I know I am called into that field. With the calling comes such great responsibility. With that calling comes so much warfare too! Oh how Satan would love to defeat me and keep me from being a light of God's love but oh, how our precious heavenly Father would have every step be taken in faith and prosperous for His glory. With that, I have been presented a great opportunity by my awesome brother-in-law Petey to start a discipleship time among the high school group at Cornerstone Ministry in Napa. The girls are so precious and beautiful and wonderful. With this opportunity that is presented, I was reminded to ask the counsel of the Lord. Here's the scripture that I am meditating on:
Then the men of Israel took some o their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD.
-Joshua 9:14
Joshua and the leaders of Israel made a great mistake in making a treaty with the Gibeonites, a people they were to destroy. Joshua's fault was that he didn't ask the counsel of the Lord. He looked at the obvious; He saw the Gibeonite ambassador's moldy bread and worn shoes, took some of their provisions and made peace with them. I don't want to make that mistake. I want to ask God's counsel and walk in His will.
I am praying for God to reveal if His will for me is to stay here in the ministry to the youth or if it is just for this summer season. I ask for your prayers also and greatly covet them.
Many of you also know that I have sent in an application to the School of Worship in Costa Mesa, CA. I have not yet received an acceptance letter and I don't know if I will! I visited the SOW website and saw that there was a change in the application forms, so I contacted the SOW through an email. Christina, the head of correspondence, said that I just need to mail in the newly added form. I want to mail that in either today or tomorrow and see how the Lord further directs.
God knows the plans He has for me; in that I can be assured. I am not worried about how He will lead, but I do admit, I am a bit anxious to hear from Him. But, what should I do when anxiety arises? Philippians 4:5-7 says, "Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. "
Whatever God does, whether I understand it or not, it will be Him. I need to continue to pray and make supplications in thanksgiving. His peace is great; In that I rest.
I also recently went to a mission trip into Baja Sur, Mexico with a wonderful group of brothers and sisters from Cornerstone church. I was blessed that God had that in His will for me! I was completely surprised too... I decided to go a day before we left! God's timing and surprises are great! We spent two days traveling, arrived in Vizcaino and spent four days there, then traveled back the last two days. We distributed rice and beans to precious families in the Sierra mountains; people that live in a nomadic way with goat farming as their main source of income and lively hood. One family we visted all accepted Christ; the Gospel melted their hearts and I can't wait to reunite with them in heaven. They also sold us 3 1/2 lbs. of fresh goat cheese for only 9 u.s. dollars! Crazy, huh?
The whole trip was a time of faith growing, especially as we trekked through the Sierra's. Two of our group members became deathly dehydrated. We had to revise our plans so we could get them the electrolytes and IV's they needed. God sustained us. I could go on and on with details about the trip... details about the faces I saw, people I met, and times God revealed His greatness to my heart, and I'm sure as the weeks go by, I will post some of them. Again, I was just a bit floored that God had that trip in His plans for me.
I will wrap up this update. Thank you for taking your time to read it. Thank you even more for keeping me in your prayers; what a privilege it is to be prayed for in your time that you take out to converse with God. Prayer is powerful. If you have any questions, please do ask! I would love to hear from you and to hear what God is doing in your heart and life.
Heaven awaits us! As much a God has for us here, this earth is passing away and we have eternity with our Savior awaiting. May the Lord fill your thoughts with things that are lovely and of good report and may you continue to grow in Him, rooted and built up in Him.
Handmaiden of the Lord,
Melissa Rae