And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mark 4: 37–41
Sometimes I’m in the storm, sometimes the storm is in me. After serving for two years on the ReachBudapest team, I returned to the US to jump into the process of becoming a long-term member of the team. This meant debriefing, reapplying, and raising more support to return all while living stateside. It is a year of in-betweens, feeling the burden of having my heart in two places. One rich asset to my time in the States has been participating in The Orchard Network Residency program. Designed for pastors, church planters and missionaries, the residency involves learning and growing and in the areas of life, skills, and doctrine. I’ve had the great privilege of learning from different leaders at the church and, through our training sessions, have grown in my theological foundation for ministry. Through this residency, my love for God’s word, the local church, and global missions has continually increased. There is a sweet camaraderie amongst participants, and it is a joy to see how God is at work in the Chicago area and around the world.
My heart aches to be in Budapest right now, but this season of in-betweens is how God is teaching me to be still, to be patient. He is teaching me the importance of the local church, and He is calming the waters of my soul. It’s a season of waiting, in the calm and stormy seas. When the wind starts to blow and the waves rock my boat, I sense Jesus commanding not only the waves of the storm to be still, but my own heart as well. In these last couple months of home assignment before heading back to Budapest, I am thankful for the stable foundation of God’s word, for the body of Christ, and for the message of the Gospel, our motivation for all that we do.
– Posted by Betsy, who is learning to rest in the assurance that Jesus is in the boat.
To discover how you could join the ReachBudapest team, click here to see available ministry opportunities. You can find more information about The Orchard Network at their website theorchardnetwork.org