A Fragrant Offering - Philippians 4:18

I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 

Philippians 4:18 (ESV)

I remember back when I was finishing up my final year of college and preparing to start IGNITE. I'd drive through the streets of Pocatello, windows down, and K LOVE blaring over the radio. Certain songs would come on that would pump me up so much! I just couldn't wait to start the program so I could "really" go serve God. Back then, I felt like going out into the field was the ultimate Christian experience. I knew it was what God was calling me to do and I just wanted to get to it. Now that I have been through training and have completed about a month of my field time God has taught me three things about this "Christian experience" I was so eager to have.
First, 90% of the time life as a missionary is not the pretty picture I had in my head of me wearing my Potter's Field Ministries t-shirt with kids swarming around me with laughter and smiles. Actually, 90% of the time I'm asking God to show me what supposed to be learning in the present difficult moment. These moments come in all forms: mental, physical, spiritual, emotional. Some days it takes all I have not to ask Him where the escape hatch is.
That being said, the second thing I have learned is that prayer as a missionary and for missionaries is vital. If it weren't for prayer, it would be so easy for me to be consumed and defeated by the hard stuff. I'm learning a lot from Psalms and how David cried out to God with his struggles: "I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may mediate on your promise (Psalm 119:147,148). Rising before dawn or taking an hour to pray during the night are things that I have never done before but here, they are a must. Also as I said, your prayers are vital. Many of you tell me that you pray for me and I cannot thank you enough for that. Paul tells us that we need to, "stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere" (Ephesians 6:18). So please keep praying. Please pray for my teammates. Please pray for Troy. Please pray for all missionaries all over the world. We need it and we appreciate it!
Finally, the last thing I have learned is that I want my time here to be a "fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God." Yes, there are hard times. But I am so grateful for them because the moment they happen, am humbled with the opportunity to lift my hands to the Lord presenting it as an offering to Him. Have my Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family, God. Have this desire for a husband, Lord. Have my future, Jesus. I know in his time he will work all these things out for good. But for now, I have the blessing of dedicating 10 months to God and my prayer is that I carry it out in a way that is pleasing and acceptable to him.