Not What I Planned

What do you do when God changes your direction? What should you do when you are putting all your efforts into something, and then the Lord tells you to stop? Is there anything you can do in those situations?

My name is Sadie Sprankle, and I am a missionary with One Mission Society. I served in Kyiv, Ukraine every summer since 2012, working at an English camp, and later, full-time from the summer of 2016 to the summer of 2017. I was over 100% funded to return to Ukraine and waiting on my VISA when God stopped all my plans. He told me not to permanently return to Ukraine, the only mission field I have ever worked on. He told me to stop struggling with my VISA because it wouldn’t matter. He told me to wait for what He had planned for me. This was very stressful and confusing. I love Ukraine. I love the people who I serve. I have friends and community there. Why would God change my direction? Where could He be calling me instead?

My choices were simple: obey or disobey. If I wanted God to continue to use me, I had to choose obedience or be unfaithful to Him. So, I stopped all my forward momentum towards living and serving in Ukraine. I paused everything and took some time with the Lord to seek a new direction. During this process, God opened up the opportunity for me to serve at two Ukrainian summer camps. While there, I had an unexplainable peace about not returning. Yes, I was sad to leave my friends and all things familiar there, but I knew it was not where I was meant to be. From Ukraine, I flew to Budapest, Hungary, for a 10-day vision trip. I had been praying that the Lord would tell me in Budapest if He wanted me there. And He was very clear.

I took a tour of the largest synagogue in Europe while in Budapest. After the tour was finished, I went back into the synagogue to pray. I concluded my prayer with a request, “Jesus, if you want me here, call me.” Goosebumps covered my arms. I repeated my request. I felt my heart stir. I repeated my request again as my eyes filled with tears. “So, it’s here?” I asked as a wave of peace and calm overwhelmed me. God confirmed His desire for me to be serving in Hungary.

I am reminded of part of Psalm 25 as this new chapter begins for me:

“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful towards those who keep the demands of his covenant.”

I can trust that God will guide me down His path in His timing as long as I am faithful to the call to go.

I praise God for the opportunity to continue to serve Him. I’m overflowing with joy that the Lord is guiding me down this new path! He took away my confusion and stress and has given me a calm and a determination to serve Him wherever He puts me.