I've always kind of hated waiting periods; typical of someone raised in America's culture. My attitude has always been like Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: "But Daddy, I want it NOW!" Most of high school felt like a waiting period I couldn't get out of and then my first year out of school felt again like I was waiting for the next stage of my life to begin. When I first signed up for the World Race, I felt like I was taking my first step outside the "waiting zone," but then most of training camp felt like I was simply waiting to get out onto the mission field, even after spending time in Louisiana doing just that. Thanksgiving and Christmas break, again, felt like one long time of waiting. Finally, I'm in another waiting period as my squad has to quarantine for the next week instead of launching to Guatemala. So what do I do with all that waiting?

  God works in the waiting; He refines, He grows, He makes us more like Him while we're waiting just as much as He does while we're in the thick of it. Part of what He's been teaching me in the last couple days is that resting and trusting in the waiting is just as important as any missions work I could be doing right now. We weren't put on this earth to love Him, He put us here to love us. Getting to share the good news that He loves us is amazing, but so often we get so busy sharing the good news we forget to bask in it ourselves. I may not fully understand what this time of waiting is for in my lifetime, but while I wait, I'm going to enjoy the Father's love and spend time with Him. 

  Here's some pictures my team and I painted together the other night while we discussed waiting :)

  Love you bunches (mean it),

  Claire