Miracle Monday #1 Part of my story

Ever since I can remember, I’ve said two things when it comes to my future.
1- I knew I was going to be a missionary somewhere and I was willing to go wherever God called me to;
2- I didn’t mind visiting the U.S and seeing my family here, but I would NEVER live here, unless it was in San Francisco or Montana.

I see a major contradiction in these two statements! The good thing is that God’s power is not limited by our personal preferences or the things we think are best.
I was in my home in Brazil during the 2020 lockdown, and spent around seven months serving in the kids and youth ministries of my home church, which would have been a normal practice hadn’t it been totally online. During the year God was really working on me, in multiple different areas of my life, but one seemed unmoving.
Around August and September my brother who served alongside me in the youth ministry, was invited to become the youth pastor at the Bridge Church here in Belgrade, Manhattan and Gateway, my mother however didn’t really feel peace about his leaving and so she asked if I would be willing to go with him… let’s just say I wasn’t too thrilled by the idea, and immediately said “NO”.
God was not fazed by my attitude, over time and through people he began to change my way of thinking, I still didn’t want to leave what I had dedicated so much of my life to, but I was haunted by the story of Jonah. A “man of god” that insisted on running away from the mission that God had given to him.
So I kept waiting and then understood that there most likely would not be a huge “cloud parting” revelation moment, it happened in my quiet times with God, when he would whisper to me that everything would be fine so long as I trusted Him. Slowly but surely I rededicated my future to the Lord and this time with no reservations or conditions.
Within three to four months, we had our tickets paid for and our home church’s leaders' blessing, all we had to do now was say “see you soon” to all our friends and family.
The pain of saying goodbye and leaving everything I knew behind weighed on my heart, but it didn’t come close to the hope I held and am still holding onto for the future.
There are many examples of people who chose to trust the Lord and fully step into his calling for their lives, but out of all of them there are two who stand out to me. Abraham left his home and went to a new land with a new culture and with no previous history there (I’m lucky enough to have some history here!). And Noah, who after years of working on the arc God had asked to make and, being ridiculed for making by his people, after surviving the flood now had to leave that all behind, set foot on new land, and start from scratch with his family.
If you remember anything from my story, I hope it’s this!
There is always more to gain in trusting God, then there is protection in doubting his promises! Doubting never protected me as much as trusting grew me.

My name is Camilla M. Latham, and this one of my miracle stories.