Luke 12: 22-26 (NIV) 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
It has been about a month since I wrote my first post and what a month it has been. This last month for me has been a lot of waiting and worrying. After my first post a lot of things had to fall into place in order for me to make it to New Zealand. I needed to get an intern placement, pay the school tuition and get my visa, and then my plane ticket. Around the 17th of January I got offered a placement at a church camp. It wasn’t really what I was looking for and was in a different town than what I was hoping but it was a place where I would be able to work with children and have a place to stay. I decided to take the position and that allowed me to pay the tuition. However, I wasn’t as excited about the placement as I wanted to be because I was filled with worry about many different things. I tried not to worry but something was just bugging me about the whole situation. All I knew to do was pray about it and ask God if this was truly what He wanted me to do. Then mid-morning on the 23rd I got another offer to work with a youth group at a church in Hamilton. Talking with the school they said that they believed that working with the church was the best option so that is what I’m going to do. With this situation I learned that I shouldn’t worry because God will always provide. I also learned that worrying did not do anything but make me feel bad.
After I got the placement all settled I was feeling a lot better about going to New Zealand but then I had to wait for all the paperwork to come back to me so that I could apply for my visa. I soon started worrying again about whether or not I would get everything done in time to receive my visa. Then God again provided and my paperwork came through and I was able to stick my paperwork in the mail. I felt really silly for worrying because I should know by now that worrying doesn’t help in situations but faith does.
You would think that I had learned that God will take care of me and that everything will work out in His way but I didn’t. When I sent my visa paperwork to the New Zealand embassy I was on a trip with my parents and didn’t know if they would get it back to me in time for me to purchase a plane ticket. The whole time I was on the trip with them I was either worrying about the visa and money to purchase the plane ticket. I remember when we were on our way home that I told my mom that this trip wasn’t going to happen because it wasn’t going to get done in time. She told me to stop worrying and trust God. Of course my mom was right and I shouldn’t have worried because when we got home my visa was sitting in the door waiting for me. I was really excited when I saw my visa because there was a surprise that I wasn’t expecting; the visa didn’t just allow me to study in New Zealand it also allows me to work 20 hours a week while studying. That was a blessing because I still wasn’t sure about money and how I was going to afford everything. The next day, February 3rd, six days before I needed to leave America I was able to purchase my plane ticket. It was amazing how God worked everything out. He is truly an amazing God.
So after all this I have stopped worrying right? Nope, in those six days I started worrying even more about everything. I worried about being gone for so long and missing my parents, I was worrying about having a place to stay, I was worrying about money, I was worrying about whether I would like the school and whether I was going to do well at the church and if I would do good, I worried and worried and worried.... It was getting me no where except sick. That’s when I found it. Sunday rolled around and we were in Sunday school and I was flipping through my Bible and I found a section in Luke that I have read many times but this time it hit me hard. It was all about how Jesus tells us not to worry because God takes care of all his creatures. That worrying can’t had to my life and that I should focus on the day at hand. That is when I realized that I needed to stop worrying and just focus on the day because God made it wonderful for me.
I would have written this post on Sunday but that is also when I realized I had a lot of things to do before Wednesday the 8th rolled around. I had to purchase the last few things and pack. So for the next few days I spent as much time with my family as I could and I packed. I finished packing on Tuesday night and was both excited and nervous to leave the next day. On Wednesday we headed to the Kansas City airport around 8 am and got there around 12.30. I got checked in and just spent the next couple hours with my family. I told them they weren’t allowed to cry because I didn’t want to. I think we all did a good job. My plane left KC at 2.35 and I arrived in LA at about 6 Kansas time. I then picked up my bags, checked into the next flight and waited until 12 Kansas time to board my 12 hour flight to Auckland. While in the airport every time I started to worry I would pray that God helped me to focus on what was before me in the next couple hours and that was to board the plane, eat dinner and sleep as much as I could so I would be ready for the time change. While I sat there my worry soon melted away and I was able to relax and read while I waited. It was the first time in the last three months that I believe I finally let go and let God. It felt really good.
I boarded the plane and had a pleasant dinner and the second the cabin lights went out I fell asleep. I slept peacefully and woke up and had breakfast and was ready to land in Auckland. Going through security and customs was easy. Usually that is the part of the trip I’m most worried about but this time I just knew that it was going to be okay. When I arrived in New Zealand, Andre was waiting for me and helped me collect my bags and catch a bus to another place where we needed to get a bus to Hamilton. Normally again I would be worried about how we would get the ticket and if we would be able to get one in time but I kept asking God to keep me calm. He is such an amazing God because He has been keeping me worry free.
We caught a bus and made it to Hamilton around 12 and got to the place I’m staying for the next couple days. I was so happy to see my other friends that we just hung out and I fell asleep early because I wasn’t used to the time change yet. Yesterday we woke up around 9 and went to look at a place that we might rent. When we got back we looked for other places and are still on the hunt for somewhere to live. I had a moment during the day when I started worrying about money and if we will be able to find a place but I stopped right then and prayed to God to give me faith and to stop me from worrying. It truly has been helpful. And the support of family and friends has also been a wonderful thing and helps me to worry less.
Tonight will start my adventure of starting classes. I will get on a bus around 10pm NZ time and ride about nine hours to Wellington where I will spend two weeks in classes. I am trying not to worry about the normal things that I worry about such as if I will be too shy or not make it in time. I am just trusting God that everything will work out and I will have a great time. I can’t wait to learn about Him and meet all the people at the school.
I will try and update either next week or in two weeks when I get back to Hamilton to let you know how the classes went. If you all would be so kind as to pray that I will worry less so I can see what God wants to teach me. Also, pray for safe travels and that we are able to find a place to live soon. Thank you everyone for your support. I am very happy to continue my journey in New Zealand. So far it has been wonderful!
God Bless,
Brandi Dority
It has been about a month since I wrote my first post and what a month it has been. This last month for me has been a lot of waiting and worrying. After my first post a lot of things had to fall into place in order for me to make it to New Zealand. I needed to get an intern placement, pay the school tuition and get my visa, and then my plane ticket. Around the 17th of January I got offered a placement at a church camp. It wasn’t really what I was looking for and was in a different town than what I was hoping but it was a place where I would be able to work with children and have a place to stay. I decided to take the position and that allowed me to pay the tuition. However, I wasn’t as excited about the placement as I wanted to be because I was filled with worry about many different things. I tried not to worry but something was just bugging me about the whole situation. All I knew to do was pray about it and ask God if this was truly what He wanted me to do. Then mid-morning on the 23rd I got another offer to work with a youth group at a church in Hamilton. Talking with the school they said that they believed that working with the church was the best option so that is what I’m going to do. With this situation I learned that I shouldn’t worry because God will always provide. I also learned that worrying did not do anything but make me feel bad.
After I got the placement all settled I was feeling a lot better about going to New Zealand but then I had to wait for all the paperwork to come back to me so that I could apply for my visa. I soon started worrying again about whether or not I would get everything done in time to receive my visa. Then God again provided and my paperwork came through and I was able to stick my paperwork in the mail. I felt really silly for worrying because I should know by now that worrying doesn’t help in situations but faith does.
You would think that I had learned that God will take care of me and that everything will work out in His way but I didn’t. When I sent my visa paperwork to the New Zealand embassy I was on a trip with my parents and didn’t know if they would get it back to me in time for me to purchase a plane ticket. The whole time I was on the trip with them I was either worrying about the visa and money to purchase the plane ticket. I remember when we were on our way home that I told my mom that this trip wasn’t going to happen because it wasn’t going to get done in time. She told me to stop worrying and trust God. Of course my mom was right and I shouldn’t have worried because when we got home my visa was sitting in the door waiting for me. I was really excited when I saw my visa because there was a surprise that I wasn’t expecting; the visa didn’t just allow me to study in New Zealand it also allows me to work 20 hours a week while studying. That was a blessing because I still wasn’t sure about money and how I was going to afford everything. The next day, February 3rd, six days before I needed to leave America I was able to purchase my plane ticket. It was amazing how God worked everything out. He is truly an amazing God.
So after all this I have stopped worrying right? Nope, in those six days I started worrying even more about everything. I worried about being gone for so long and missing my parents, I was worrying about having a place to stay, I was worrying about money, I was worrying about whether I would like the school and whether I was going to do well at the church and if I would do good, I worried and worried and worried.... It was getting me no where except sick. That’s when I found it. Sunday rolled around and we were in Sunday school and I was flipping through my Bible and I found a section in Luke that I have read many times but this time it hit me hard. It was all about how Jesus tells us not to worry because God takes care of all his creatures. That worrying can’t had to my life and that I should focus on the day at hand. That is when I realized that I needed to stop worrying and just focus on the day because God made it wonderful for me.
I would have written this post on Sunday but that is also when I realized I had a lot of things to do before Wednesday the 8th rolled around. I had to purchase the last few things and pack. So for the next few days I spent as much time with my family as I could and I packed. I finished packing on Tuesday night and was both excited and nervous to leave the next day. On Wednesday we headed to the Kansas City airport around 8 am and got there around 12.30. I got checked in and just spent the next couple hours with my family. I told them they weren’t allowed to cry because I didn’t want to. I think we all did a good job. My plane left KC at 2.35 and I arrived in LA at about 6 Kansas time. I then picked up my bags, checked into the next flight and waited until 12 Kansas time to board my 12 hour flight to Auckland. While in the airport every time I started to worry I would pray that God helped me to focus on what was before me in the next couple hours and that was to board the plane, eat dinner and sleep as much as I could so I would be ready for the time change. While I sat there my worry soon melted away and I was able to relax and read while I waited. It was the first time in the last three months that I believe I finally let go and let God. It felt really good.
I boarded the plane and had a pleasant dinner and the second the cabin lights went out I fell asleep. I slept peacefully and woke up and had breakfast and was ready to land in Auckland. Going through security and customs was easy. Usually that is the part of the trip I’m most worried about but this time I just knew that it was going to be okay. When I arrived in New Zealand, Andre was waiting for me and helped me collect my bags and catch a bus to another place where we needed to get a bus to Hamilton. Normally again I would be worried about how we would get the ticket and if we would be able to get one in time but I kept asking God to keep me calm. He is such an amazing God because He has been keeping me worry free.
We caught a bus and made it to Hamilton around 12 and got to the place I’m staying for the next couple days. I was so happy to see my other friends that we just hung out and I fell asleep early because I wasn’t used to the time change yet. Yesterday we woke up around 9 and went to look at a place that we might rent. When we got back we looked for other places and are still on the hunt for somewhere to live. I had a moment during the day when I started worrying about money and if we will be able to find a place but I stopped right then and prayed to God to give me faith and to stop me from worrying. It truly has been helpful. And the support of family and friends has also been a wonderful thing and helps me to worry less.
Tonight will start my adventure of starting classes. I will get on a bus around 10pm NZ time and ride about nine hours to Wellington where I will spend two weeks in classes. I am trying not to worry about the normal things that I worry about such as if I will be too shy or not make it in time. I am just trusting God that everything will work out and I will have a great time. I can’t wait to learn about Him and meet all the people at the school.
I will try and update either next week or in two weeks when I get back to Hamilton to let you know how the classes went. If you all would be so kind as to pray that I will worry less so I can see what God wants to teach me. Also, pray for safe travels and that we are able to find a place to live soon. Thank you everyone for your support. I am very happy to continue my journey in New Zealand. So far it has been wonderful!
God Bless,
Brandi Dority
