I hope you are having an incredibly fabulous year! It has been a long while since I have updated my blog or sent out a newsletter, but I treasure kingdom friendships and truly desire to stay connected. Here is me offering a little glimpse into my life and the journey I am on with the Lord! :)
The Lord is Faithful
Last year, I began a journey of
dependence on God's guidance and provision on a level I
had never encountered before. I enrolled in a missionary internship
that changed my life and stretched me in ways I never would have
imagined. My entire existence was completely in His hands as I was
dependent on His provision for my every need. At first, it was hard
to fight the anxiety that came from not knowing how my rent would be
paid or how I would put gas in my car, but as God provided in
miraculous ways month after month, my faith grew and I became less
and less anxious. I grew more sure of my calling as He prepared the
way before me.
Faith & Soar
At the beginning of internship last
year, I asked the Lord to give me two words that would be the theme
for me in 2014. He gave me the words “faith”
and “soar.” I cannot
tell you how true that was for me! My faith
grew leaps and bounds as I watched Him provide for needs, turn
situations around for good, protect me from scary situations and
work miracles in the lives of those we minister to. I soared
as I continued to sing and learn piano, in leadership and ministry,
in expanding my gifts and creativity, and in responsibility. There
were many painfully stretching seasons, but I was determined to keep
on!
Provision – Story Time!
In May 2014, God provided for my rent
in a way I least
expected. The thought never would have crossed my mind in a million
years. Our team was working with many churches to do a huge
evangelistic outreach in downtown Nashville. Part of this 12 hour
outreach was non-stop worship in a public amphitheater where I was
scheduled to do a prophetic painting for 1 hour. It had been a long
while since I had painted, but the Lord had given me an idea weeks
prior and I was excited to paint with the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit. Long story short, a guy bought it for DOUBLE the amount I
asked! I had never sold a painting in my life and was certainly not
expecting to sell anything that day, but the Lord clearly had other
plans. Praise Him! 
As many of you know, my little '94
Honda Accord got stolen on September 11, 2014. Thunder School had
just started on the 7th and I was, along with the other
interns, on staff for the school. My friend found my car missing the
morning of September 12th. The police found my car less
than a mile from The Foundry (where I live) on the other side of the
train tracks (where the projects are still kinda rough). The sunroof
was gone, ignition ripped out, shifter lock was cut out, one of my
vents was missing and my car was completely trashed. The police
called me the next week saying they found my vehicle and I could pick
it up, but I must refund them for the $135 tow fee, and I had 24
hours before they would start charging me for storage at the lot. I
had NO money. Like nada. I prayed to the Lord, asked my friends to
pray and then miracles started to happen! One after another, my
friends and even some Thunder School Students came and put cash in my
pocket. I asked my pastors here to send a message to our church
fellowship and in one day $500 was raised to recover and repair my
car! In addition to that, I received donations that covered my rent
for that month and the next - all because my car got stolen! My car
has since been repaired by a gracious mechanic who made it work
within my $500 budget. (I have since given my car to my sister as the Lord led, so I now don't have a car!)
The Mystery of it
all...
God sure works in mysterious ways, and
He is very good at using situations meant for our harm and turning
them into blessings. Through it all, I learned to lean on Him and
not on my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5) I learned the
discipline of not being anxious, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, to make my requests known to
God so that His peace
would guard my heart
and mind through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7) His
faithfulness and infinite goodness was displayed to me in that all
things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are
called according to His purpose.
(Romans 8:28) Even
so, I do not say that I
have already attained, or am already perfected, but I press on, that
I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of
me.
(Philippians 3:12)
The Future
I have
returned to Nashville for another year of missionary internship with
Provision International. The Lord very clearly showed me that I am
supposed to be here for another year which I am super excited about,
AND He showed me a glimpse of what He has in store for next year –
2016!!! Finally, the end is in sight for me to finish my
certification as a midwife! An opportunity opened up for me to
finish my schooling with Mercy In Action (the same school I trained
with in Idaho and the Philippines) starting February 2016. As
always, the Lord was at work behind my back and completely set me up
for this school and the timing of it. Every last little detail was
in place. It couldn't have happened any earlier or later, just at
the right time. :)
Prayer & Praise
God is
creating beautiful things out of the ashes here in Nashville, TN,
both in the lives of us missionaries and those in the inner-city
community surrounding us. As the Lord leads, I would be honored if
you would stand in prayer with me for the following:
- that many people would be impacted by God's love through me this year
- that many people will be saved
- and that God would strengthen and sustain me to continue His work.
Blessings to you all,
Hannah Garrett
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