The Beginning of an Adventure

Hello! My name is Nicole Gillette and this is my brand new blog (who knew I'd ever have something to actually blog about?!). Here is a recent-ish picture of me and my precious nephews, Isaiah and AJ, so you get a picture of me in your head while you read and mainly just because they are uber cute!

About 3 months ago I began praying about the possibility of serving with a ministry in Johannesburg, South Africa called Door of Hope http://www.holeinthewall.org.za/. DOH's mission statement reads:

"Our goal is to meet the need as a result of the AIDS pandemic in South Africa, by placing AIDS affected and infected children into loving, stable and Christian environments in order to encourage them to become upright citizens and agents of change in South Africa and the world".

I first heard about DOH and their ministry from my sister, Melinda, who visited DOH on a short-term missions trip in 2003. I have been praying about serving with DOH since that time but the timing has never felt right, until now!

2009 ushered in a new season of life where my next step was not perfectly clear. After spending a few months working on healing from my life's last season and really seeking to delight in the rest that the Father delights in giving me, I felt the Lord encouraging me to make a plan of action and to walk in humility as He changes and molds the "plan" as He sees fit. So (drum roll please!) here's "the plan" as far as I can tell:

I am planning on moving back to the Bay Area (and into my parent's house - woo hoo!) over Thanksgiving break. If I am going to be living out of the country I want to spend some concentrated time with the fam!

I am going to planning, praying, preparing, saving and raising support until the Summer/Fall of 2010 which is when I am planning to move to Johannesburg, South Africa to work with DOH. I am still working out details as far as when I'll be going for sure (the Soccer World Cup is happening in J-berg in July which is affecting ticket prices) but I am planning on living overseas for a year.

There is so much more to say and so much more to come! But seeing as this is my very first blog about this new hopeful adventure, I think I'll leave it at this chunk from Ch. 2 from McManus' Chasing Daylight:

"Paul didn't know where he was going, but he did know why. His compass was the heart of God. He was fueled and driven by the passion and urgency that God had placed in his heart -- to take the life and freedom that comes in Jesus Christ to every person on the face of the earth. What God makes clear is that when we're committed to seizing His divine moments, He'll make sure He gets us to the right place at the right time."