Mission Update

Just wanted to give a shout out to all the people who support me in prayer and finances. This is a testimony of what God is up to. May you be blessed and encouraged that Jesus is alive and the Holy Spirit is moving and bringing people closer to Jesus everyday. I love you guys and bless you in the name of Jesus. I am honored to be able to do what I do for the kingdom of God!

PS- I apologize for the video quality in some areas. I recorded from my handy dandy iPhone :) 

Love Like Fire

Kenya is awesome.
I love love love love it here!
So here is a short summary of how my life here has been:

This past week we have been teaching children on the subject of commitment. On my own time with Jesus, I too have been focusing on asking myself how committed I really am to God and my calling. This week has been a much needed week of evaluating my life and who I am in Christ. So here's what I got!

I've learned how GOOD Jesus is to me. How much He really loves. Upon coming to Kenya, I found myself in a lot of confusion because I couldn't figure out for what purpose God wanted me here. I felt like I only came back to fulfill my need of love for this place. For 2 whole weeks I kept asking and asking what God's purpose is for me here.

I STILL DON'T KNOW.

I don't think that I even need to know. The good news is that slowly but surely my perspective on ministry is being RESTORED. Not that I had a bad view on ministry. I was just really tired. Back home, I found myself getting caught up in doing a lot for God and not doing anything with Him. There's a massive difference. I was steering away from His presence unnoticeably. In the ministry work I was doing I was running on physical strength alone. My cup was definitely not running over.

This is the beginning of my 4th week here and God has brought so much restoration, healing, and understanding into my life. My COMPASSION has been completely restored too! (That would be the first thing that Africa will do to you.) I've learned that wherever I am called and placed I need to live, first, abiding in Jesus and making sure I am praising Him and receiving spiritual strength from Him and, second, serving His people with all I have, wholeheartedly. Because that is what I am called to and for. And instead of looking at it as an irritating, impossible and hard thing to do, I now see it as a JOY to SERVE, LOVE and ENCOURAGE people.

I have been replaying this song over and over again this past week. I want people to see His love that is like a fire. I am abandoned to His will and THAT IS WHY I'M HERE! (Now I know :))

Pictures!

Visiting my sponsor child, Lucy, in Mwala, Kenya

Africa

Elephant Orphanage

 Making porridge

My Week So Far

Finally I get to update on my second experience in the place I call my second home-- KENYA!

This will be short because I'm tired.

Arrived early Friday morning. Came home, slept all day.

Woke up early the next day to go cook chapatis for Nairobi Children's Home. Slept the afternoon off then started doing my homework, and fell asleep again on my books (theology is hard and boring at times!).

On Sunday I went to church (Nairobi Chapel) with Martin and his family. It was awesome! I love the way Africans do worship. After church, Grace and Hope came over and we spent the afternoon eating ramen noodles with corn, painting nails, and chatting. In the evening Dee and I went to The Junction (mall) to Java House (coffee house/restaurant) and I ordered a legit American meal! Mmmmmmm. It was that good.

Monday was a free day. Caught up on some needed alone time with Jesus. And homework :/

Tuesday we went to a girls rehab center. Got to introduce myself and sit back and observe how things are being done by the local team.

Wednesday we went to a boys rehab center. We started the day with exercises. FUN WAS HAD BY ALL. Then went into teaching. I got to lead a prayer for the younger boys to accept Jesus, what JOY!

Today is Thursday! Went evangelizing in the slum. Met some amazing people. On the way back to the house for lunch we found bed bugs on our bodies! Uhhhhhhhhhhh. FREAKED OUT. Got as much off as we can. Came home. Headed straight into the shower. Correction, I wasn't gonna take a shower until two of the nasty little things fell out of my shirt or HAIR!

All is well! Now it is just a funny memory.

That is all for now. I am going to sleep. Lala Salama! Good night!

PS- I LOVE IT HERE.

Easter Pt. 2: The Relationship—Jesus and Me

I believe that God calls us to more than just to “know” the story. I believe that He calls us to be the story. To be like Jesus.

The greatest way Jesus was united with His Father was through relationship.

re·la·tion·ship: the state of being connected or related.

Jesus was/is connected. Jesus was/is related. And now His personal call for us is to connect to Him. We are related to Him. John 1:12-13, for we are called His children and we are born of Him! He has called us out, He has marked us, all we have to do is receive His gift of freedom and salvation and pursue Him in righteousness. God makes it easy. He opens the door and gives us the option to either deny or accept the invitation. No force, no bribe. Choice. Two feet in past the door we are His. We are now experiencing Him instead of just knowing of Him. We are persevering because we are not quitters. We are accepted because we no longer reject Him. We are in a relationship with Him. We are linked to His heart and now beat the same heartbeat. What He desires, I desire. What I desire, He gives because He is working for my good and His desire is to satisfy me more each day (Psalm 103:5)!

A different kind of relationship. A friendship with a radical bond. This is intimacy with Love Himself.

"Oh to be like You.

To give all I have just to know You.

Jesus there’s no one besides You.

Forever the Hope in my heart."

Easter Pt. 1: The Story- Jesus.

“…not my will, but Yours be done.” -Matthew 26:39

This short passage says a lot about the character of Christ. Selfless. Simple. Giving. Devoted. Strong, etc. The verse sums up the life of Christ on earth. Fulfilling God’s purpose and completely removing himself out of the way for the plan: God’s gracious yet critical story of the cross. We all know the story. We hear it every Easter and are reminded throughout the rest of the year of what Jesus did for us on the cross. But I feel God is reminding us the significance of His purpose through Jesus. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are all substantial, but it’s not enough to just know the story. God is calling us to see and live the way Jesus did.

We can see Jesus accomplish His purpose throughout the entire Gospel. Healing (Matthew 4:23). Calming the storm (Mark 4:39). Raising the dead (John 11:43-44). Feeding the hungry (Luke 9:16-17). Walking on water (Matthew 14:25). And essentially, conquering death!
“Death has been swallowed up in victory!” (1 Corinthians 15:54)

Christ died for our sins, once and for all, to bring us to God (1Peter 3:18). What an obedient and humble move on Christ’s part. In the most perfect way our Father shows us the greatest example of obedience, sacrifice, humility, and most importantly, love. The cross—where humility now rests through the blood shedding event on Calvary. All for sin.

Coming back to the creation of this perfect man we find God Himself in humility. Sending His one Son to be crucified. So that in me and in you He would see Jesus, and pursue us for life.

God forms His son in the womb of a plain woman. Plain to us, but to Him, Mary held a special part of His heart. She was favored in the eyes of God because she was His devoted servant. In the appearance of one angel, Mary believed. And as if believing such news was not enough, she glorified the Lord in song.

From the creation of baby Jesus to the death on the cross, we see God’s plan unfold, not just for Jesus, but for us as well.

To be continued.

Deeper Love.

Deep love! That's what I have seen of God here. On October 1st, just before my trip, I asked God what He wanted to speak to me about this next season of my life. And I wrote down in my journal what I heard.
"My love is deeper."
That's it! When I wrote that I remember thinking it was very odd for God to say something like that about my upcoming trip. I thought I already knew what His love looked like.
Boy was I wrong!
As I was journaling my thoughts tonight, I found myself in adoration of Him. And when I looked back at what I wrote on Oct. 1st I found, "My love is deeper".
I have experienced His deep love, and I don't even know if this is the deepest!
But it's crazy! It's crazy that I can't see God physically but I know that He is wrapping His arms around every single one of these abandoned, hurt, sick, poor, and tired kids. I see His love for this side of the world and it is so different from what I experience everyday at home.
I am personally experiencing His love and goodness through every step I take in the slum. Even though there is so much brokenness surrounding me, He brings healing through me! Through all of us that ask to be His hands and feet.
One prayer of mine, since I've been serving in ministry, was that God would show me how He uses me to bring His healing, joy, peace, love and everything else to His people. And I have seen and felt it here! Nothing is a coincidence. God brings certain people and situations in this moment of your life to benefit whatever He has planned next for you! That's what I've seen God do from the moment I told Him that "I am yours God. Send me and use me wherever the need is." From that point in my life He has planned everything specifically for this day. And now He is using this time to prepare me for more! Wow, what a busy God.
Another thing that I'm learning is that God has been pruning me here. Meaning, trimming me and shaping me.
John 15:1-2: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
I feel like God has blessed me greatly and every blessing is His for me to enjoy. So what I'm realizing is.. when He knows it's time to "prune" me, in other words, take something away, He is doing it for my own good. He wants me to be more fruitful. What good would it be for me if I refused to be shaped by Him? It's a hard thing to allow God to do because it means we need to be open to be changed and to go places and talk to people we don't want to. Or are afraid to. But our Father knows what's best for us, so when He is changing your circumstance or surrounding, let Him be God! We won't see any results until we allow His hand to transform us.
I've found it to be a rewarding process. God is noticing the fruit in my life and He is responding by growing me more in Him. Oh He is SO good!

Thankful.

It has been a very slow yet the fastest 2 weeks of my life here in Africa!
I am enjoying it more and more each day and am finding that it will be a little bit hard to go home.
I am in love with the kids here. Today we taught at Gifted Hands, a school that EAC partners with, and I was privileged to teach the kindergartners the song "Jesus Loves Me".
The kids at Gifted Hands are very different from the other kids we do ministry with. All of the students at Gifted Hands are from the slum. I guess that's what makes them so distinct. They are much happier even though they come from a very rough background. As soon as I walked in through the metal door to the school ground a swarm of kids ran at me and literally attached themselves to me. Some took me by the hand, some held on to my purse, and of course there are always those girls who are fascinated with hair. Yes, they even clung to my hair! They are all adorable and seek only one thing: love. They want to be loved. They expect me to remember all of their names for next time. I don't know how that will go lol.
I am so thankful to God for this experience. It was really hard in the beginning, but each day gets better and better.
Yesterday I wrote in my journal a reminder that I kept hearing before this trip: You can't change Africa,  Africa will change you.
I'm finding that to be more true every day. Africa really has changed me. It is SO different from America. I will probably be saying this for the rest of my life, I never expected what I have seen, heard, and felt. It is at times unbearable and other times very exciting. I'm glad to be a part of God's plan for Kenya. He loves these people and is waiting for them to realize that.
I'm thankful that He didn't give up on me when I wanted to give up on His purpose.
I'm thankful that at the time that He chose me, He knew how I would react, and still chose me!
I'm thankful that He is good in every season.
I'm thankful that even though I feel powerless, He is able to pour His power into me.
I'm thankful that there is no one like our God.
No one else can satisfy me like He can. No one but God alone will ever know and feel every experience and struggle I've had to come through to realize what He is up to.
I'm thankful that He understands.
So thankful.