2013…what will you do??

     With the new year approaching everyone is wondering what 2013 will look like. The question that is on everyone’s mind is how this upcoming year is going to effect their lives. We all know every year is obviously different from the last and brings new changes…both good ones and bad ones. We are all praying over 2013, asking for God’s blessings and guidance in the new year.

     But are we asking Him how we can serve and glorify Him in 2012? 

       With 2012 coming to an end I would like to personally challenge each of my readers to seek God for this upcoming year. Go somewhere where you can get alone with God and quietly ask Him what He wants of you in 2013: how and where He wants you to serve Him,  who He wants you to minister and/or witness to and how you can use your day to day life to glorify and honor the Father. 

        How will you let Him use you in 2012?!?

“Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” 1 Peter 5:2-4

“For the glory of God!”

A bend in the road

   Life is very much like a long country road. The path of life lies as far as the eye can see, stretching and bending into the horizon of eternity. Just as we drive along the seemingly unending road in the countryside, so we also do in the journey of life, traveling along the path towards life’s end and the final destination: eternity. As we reach a bend in the road and cannot see around, so it is in life. We often reach a turn in the road whence we cannot see beyond and it is in moments like those that we have a choice: to allow our fear of the unknown to take hold of us and turn us aside to a detour in the road or look up to the One Who will take our hands and lead us onward. He will lead us through whatever lies ahead and deliver us safely on the other side. These bends represent a moment in our life when the Lord asks us to do the “impossible” or calls us into the unknown.  When we reach these turns let us not take the detour Satan offers but lift our eyes to the hills from “whence comes our help” and plunge head on into the unknown before us. It may be when we turn that corner that we come face to face with the glory of our Lord, hidden in the depths of the unknown.

“While we continue onward in the face of a world of uncertainty we can rejoice, for hidden within it’s mysteries is the honor of a KING.”-‘One night with the king’

"For the glory of God!"

Christmas without Christ?

“Do you find it hard to sleep til' night, Resting by the Christmas lights? Could there be something you forgot?…..
There's more to this than you had ever thought?
Have we lost the reason that we celebrate each year?
What is Christmas?….What is Christmas without Christ?
Remember how the story goes,…….
This is Christmas, It’s all about the Savior wrapped in a manger.. this is Christmas because of Christ!!!” –“This is Christmas”

      Every year as Christmas rolls around people around the world are thrown into the chaos the season and in all this business,  the true meaning of Christmas is forgotten, thrown to the wayside and lost in the mad rush of the secular things this world has created for Christmas….sales, beauty and talent pageants, visits/letters to Santa…the list goes on and on. Christ is slowly being removed form Christmas. In light of the growing popularity of making Christmas a secular holiday, everything that has to do with Christ is slowly being  replaced with the things of this world has created for Christmas. More and more you hear “happy holidays” or “seasons greetings” whilst “merry Christmas” is becoming increasingly unpopular and even frowned upon for being religiously associated.  This new view of Christmas is just another way for Satan to attack Christianity in this world.

       According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “Christmas” is defined as ‘a CHRISTIAN feast..that commemorates the birth of Christ.”  Therefore without Christ there really wouldn’t be a Christmas!! Nothing but an empty holiday filled with chaos and confusion. Doesn’t sound real enjoyable does it? CHRIST is what Christmas is about. We need to bring the CHRIST back into CHRISTmas.

       So how do we stay focused on Christ in the midst of this chaos? Well….

      The real question we need to ask is how can we be honoring and glorifying God during this season! We should do that all year long but all the more so during this time of the year when the holiday is about and for Him. In order to bring  the focus back to Christ we need to keep our thoughts on HIM through prayer, service and worship to Him. We need to be thanking Him and meditating on His gift that first Christmas. We need to be an example to the world of what Christmas is all about, using our celebrations to witness to the unsaved and bring recognition to our God. Let’s ask God what  He has for us to do or say this Christmas season to honor and glorify Him!

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 

Isaiah 9:6

"For the glory of God!!"

Change

     As we all know, change is a common part of life as our lives are always changing, but I’ve noticed that change is even more prominent in the life that has made the commitment to follow Jesus. Once you’ve crossed that bridge into acceptance of His will for your life there’s no going back and from than on it’s all change in every area of your life. People come and people go. You go places and than you leave. You form new friendships and end old friendships. Endure heartache and joy. You thwart the enemies plans and fulfill the Lord’s. You fight with the world and Satan and see God at work through it all. Through all of this you really begin to understand what it means to “give up everything and follow..” Him.

     It is truly blind trust. Just as Abraham before us, we know not where we go or what will happen. By that I mean, we only know where we are going at the time He reveals it to us but until than we faithfully begin to prepare ourselves for that journey.  Still, even once we know where to go, we still do not know what will happen once we arrive and begin His work. We simply say “yes” and go, trusting Him to work out the details and bring about His will for the situation.

      Through all the change that has taken place in my life I can honestly say I am truly blessed, never more so than now! In the midst of the things happening in my life I have learned that change in your life also means change in your spirit. One of my favorite mottos now is “without change you cannot grow.” I don’t remember where I heard this, but I know it is true. Without being taken out of your element of comfort and thrown into a strange and often scary place in your life, you will not grow spiritually. God always uses change to deepen your walk and enhance your love for Him. Sometimes that change is painful…the loss of a loved one, sometimes scary….like life threatening illness or going to a foreign place and other times it is simply joyful like marriage, the birth of a child or some other blessing He bestows that changes your life.

      However it happens it is a blessing…disguised or unveiled…and if you let Him God will use it to change your spiritual life forever. Embrace these changes with gratitude and praise, using them to glorify and honor God. Allow each new change to be the thing that takes you to a new level of fellowship with and understanding of God.

“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to change who you are for what you could become.” –Unknown.

“For the glory of God!”

What is means to be a missionary

    Last month in the London airport Moriah and I got into a discussion about our trip to Kenya with a fellow passenger. Amidst all the things that were said, the one thing that jumped out at me was when he asked us, “what does it feel like to be able to tell people you’re a missionary? “

      “What does it feel like to be able to tell people you’re a missionary?”

       As I stood there in that security line, in the midst of all the chaos that accompanies an airport, I felt a soft tug at my heart, in that one question God suddenly brought me to a new understanding of what being a missionary really means…according to His standards. As the man we were talking to so eloquently put it “there is a lot of weight with that title,” and there is indeed.

      According to the world’s standards, being a missionary means you are a messenger of God with a specific mission and everybody knows that so they begin to watch and evaluate your life till everything you do is measured according to the standards of that title. But being a missionary is so much more than that. It means that you represent God more than the average Joe because of the work you are doing, you almost become a “symbol”of all that His is and all that He cares about. People say “missionary” and they immediately associate that with God...and rightly they should.

     You might think this sounds cocky or proud but really I have just described the average Christian. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “missionary” as someone undertaking a mission. So you see, as Christians we are all missionaries since we have all been called to undertake the mission of reaching the world. Some of us might be called far away and others to our own city, but none of us are more important nor have more authority than the other. With this goal in mind each of us needs to embrace this calling, living worthy of the title, so as to give the world the kind of symbol they need: Christians that point to God with every word and action. For that is really what missionaries are: average people following in God’s footsteps, changing this world through His love one person at a time. This is why the commission is a command not a choice, command that we can choose to obey or disobey. The choice is ours to obey or disobey, but let me just say. God does not view as a choice. To Him this is a command of eternal consequences..for us as well as others. We can choose to make it a choice, but to Him that is blatant disobedience.We have been given such a short time on this earth to reach as many people for the kingdom ad possible, let us make the most of it.

       Our eternities are not the only ones in question for our choice effects others. Don't mess with God's plan and certainly don't mess with the eternities of others. Reach out to them before it's too late! Make the most of our time here before we go home!

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves……You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles….But… do not worry about what to say…. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”  

Matthew 10: 16, 18-20

“For the glory of God!”

A thankful heart

       Tonight as I sit here pondering all that God has done in, through and for me this year and all the past years, I am filled with gratitude and praise. I look at how far He’s brought me and how much He’s carried me through over the years. All the heartache, pain and trials He’s helped me overcome, along with all the joy and blessings He’s heaped upon me and I am in awe. I’m amazed and humbled that God would care enough about me to be so attentive to my life and caring of my needs.

       Through Him I am so abundantly blessed that it is impossible for me to write down all the reasons I am thankful! I am flooded with a heart of thankfulness as my mind runs over all these things. There are literally thousands of gifts along the pathway of my life that are a cause for thankfulness. This year I have a few more reasons to be thankful. I am thankful for the beginning of the journey to fulfill my call, new friends, first time mission trips and the beautiful continent of Africa that has completely stolen my heart! But most of all I am thankful for God and all that He is to me!  I thank the Lord for WHO He is and what He has done!! This last reason alone is enough to make my heart to sing His praise! He truly is the greatest gift we have and the most important reason to give thanks!

“Your mercies are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!”  

 Lamentations 3:23

"For the glory of God!"

Older sister = role model and friend

     “Do you ever notice how she studies you?” Mama asked me, referring to my 6 year old sister Lolly. “I often see her watching you but not just watching, she studies you. Intently studying your features and watching you while you talk.”  

       Such a simple statement emerging from a simple question yet it stopped me cold. I suddenly realized she was right. Lolly, this sweet little sister who has been “my” little girl since her birth, is always watching and listening to me. Constantly asking my opinion of things and looking to me for advice. It never occurred to me that my answers and the way I conduct myself around my little sisters carries weighty consequences.

      I carry an impact on how my sisters will turn out when they grow up. They look up to me for older sister guidance, copying my example and trying to model me in every way they can. As their big sister I have a chance to make an impact in their lives, to be a good role model to them, to influence them for the better. My actions may very well deter them from or encourage them towards the path of righteousness. This is both a blessing and a duty. It’s a privilege that carries great responsibility. How I choose to handle this responsibility may very well change my sister’s lives.

    I feel God has charged me as a big sister to ensure that I am giving them a good role model and someone they can look up to for both spiritual and" “worldly” advice, someone who’s example shows them what a young woman of God should look like. In the past I have not done my “job” well. I have failed to give them someone they can look up to in the light of Christ, seeing Him mirrored through me. I have failed in my duty to Christ in this area of my life. From today on I am striving to be the sister they need me to be. The sister who lets Christ outshine her and fills her sisters with His light and love. I will strive to be a friend to them and and a role model they can copy, a model who enables them through her actions and words to live for Christ and come into their own walks with God! Each day that I am home this is my mission field, pouring Godly influence into their little lives!

“In everything set them an example by doing what is good….” Titus 2:7

"For the glory of God!"

My sweet bedbugs!<3 My BFF! <3

The orphan crisis

        Today there an estimated 147 million orphans are around the world. I recently read a quote where someone said "In the past, people used to care for the orphans and loved them, but these days they are so many...and therefore orphanhood is a common phenomenon, not strange." This is sadly all too true. The fact that every 2.2 seconds another child is orphaned and only 12% of these children receive support for their basic needs…not counting their medical or spiritual needs. In 2010 it was predicted that in less then 5 years there would be 50 million orphans in just 16 of Africa’s 53 countries, today there are 34 million in sub-Saharan Africa alone. A recent study by UNICEF reported that “AIDS has already orphaned more than 13 million African children, half of whom are between the ages of 10 and 14.”  These same studies show that every day 38,493 orphans age out of the system by age 16, of which 10-15% of them commit suicide before they’re 18.

        60% of orphaned females either sell themselves or are forced into prostitution to survive after being orphaned or ageing out of the system and 70% of the boys become criminals having been reduced to stealing to survive. 1.2 million orphans are forced into human trafficking every day. 1.2 million! There is something wrong with that picture!!! These children are being forced into situations that we could never imagine all because they don’t get the care they need!!!! These children have been through worse trauma then we could ever imagine and it’s just going to get worse for them. Because they are uneducated they will never amount to anything nor be able to survive if they don’t get help.  Fr. John Lynch said “Unless we reach out and act now, a whole generation of children could die before our eyes."

       There is something wrong with Christianity today if we are not taking a stand for the cause of the orphans and considering these numbers it’s obvious that we’re not! There are not enough people in this world who are willing to help these children. As Christians we are commanded to care for the orphans. Christ has been very clear about that. Our faith is not pure in His eyes if we are not caring for these children. Thousands of orphans starve to death every day. We have a chance to stop that, to make a difference in their lives, to save their lives!

        Is your heart breaking yet? Mine is. Has your heart been touched enough that you are impacted to do something for these children? Mine has. I will not stand idley by as these children are suffering, I am going to spend m life working for these children and helping them. Today is Orphan Sunday, a day in which the body of Christ unites in support for the orphans of the world. This is the day in which we remember the orphan and so something to help them. For most people these shocking statistics are just numbers but for me they are so much more then that. Until you have seen and held these children it is hard to fully understand. I have been there. I have held countless crying children, I have heard the heartbreaking question “why are my parents dead and yours are alive?” I have laughed with them, cried with them and broken my heart for them.

        Today is Orphan Sunday, a day in which the church unites for the cause of the orphan. A day in which YOU change a child’s life. By sponsoring a child you not only provide meals, housing and school tuition but also medical support, spiritual  help and love. When you sponsor a child you extend Christ’s love to them and form a lifelong relationship with them. Many people hear these statistics and pity the children but do nothing to help. Please don’t be that person. Be the person who hears and pities,  but allows their pity to be the motivation behind a sponsorship. Let today be the day you take that step and start a sponsorship.

               “For the glory of God!”

orphansunday.org 

http://everyorphan.org/

http://www.worldorphans.org/ 
 http://www.missionariesofafrica.org/articles/sr/SpRptFall06.html

Harvest or Halloween?

     Halloween. The darkest day of the year. I know this is a controversial subject and I also know my mom usually writes a post about this, but this is something I feel strongly about and now that I have my own blog and have been diligently praying about what it is God wants me to write, I want to share what He has put on my heart and what I think of this holiday.  Each year millions of people around the world participate in this dark holiday, decorating their houses, making costumes, going to parties and allowing their children to trick or treat. For most people it is viewed simply as a fun holiday or “harvest day” where you have an excuse to dress up, go to parties and have fun. But few people actually know what really goes on during Halloween and for some they know but just don’t care. 

    The origin of Halloween goes back to the Middle Ages when the Catholic pope first initiated it into the church as a a pre All Saint’s Day observation day. All Saint’s Day (also known as All Hallows) was a day in which people gathered to pray for the saints and martyrs of the church. Thus the day before became known as Halloween which comes from All Hallows eve. Our founding father originally refused to make Halloween a holiday because they knew it was a pagan holiday so Halloween was not celebrated in the U.S until 1900. It was in 1840 when a famine sent many Catholic Irish to the U.S that Halloween was first brought to America. 

     Among the seemingly “innocent” events that occur on Halloween is trick or treating. Trick or treating was originally started with the Druids who believed going door to door and praying for the “tortured souls” of the deceased they would “free” the deceased from their torment. In exchange for their prayers many people gave the Druids treats. In addition to the prayers they would also go door to door to collect food for their evil spirits. Thus we get trick or treating an act of Satanism. In addition to these treats the Druids also carved demonic faces in pumpkins  and put a light candle inside to chase away “evil spirits”…aka modern day jack o’ lanterns. 

   I know, you’re probably thinking to yourself “my family doesn’t worship Satan or any kind of spirits. We’re just trying to have a little fun.” Or better yet, you might even be thinking “I just don’t want my kids to feel left out. I want them to be able to enjoy the fun things other kids get to and not miss out on this part of childhood.”  Well not to be harsh or anything but let them miss out!! We are Christians. We are not called to try to ensure that we don’t miss out on anything but to be an example to the world. How can we honestly be set apart and holy when we are still acting like the world even in this small area of our lives?! The fact that this is entirely innocent and simple fun is one of Satan’s biggest lies! That lie is how he tricks many Christians into worshiping him through seemingly innocent fun.

      Now let us take it a step further. Even if you are not serious about this “holiday” and only participate for the fun, DO NOT forget that Satan DOES NOT take this lightly. This is for him one of the greatest day of the year, the day in which he tricks thousands into worshiping him and committing abominations before the Lord. Yes I did say ABOMINATION for that is exactly what this holiday is. A day filled with witch craft, demonism, satanic worship and demonic sacrifices. This is a day in which countless people…even CHILDREN…lose their lives to this wicked tradition of human sacrifice to the “gods”…aka the Satan and the demons.

      Further more, you think it’s an accident that poison, drugs and small blades have been snuck into the candy children receive each year? NO! That is no accident that’s done on purpose by sick, demented, demon worshiping people!!!!! That is all a part of Halloween. The things that happen on this day are not fun, not innocent and should certainly not be taken lightly! Next time you refer to Halloween as “Harvest day” and celebrate it under that name or any other, remember this: it is STILL SATAN’S HOLIDAY and he is still being worshiped through anything we do to celebrate Halloween or “Harvest day.”

                                “For the glory of God!’

http://www.remnantofgod.org/halloween.htm,   

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/halloween/a/History-Of-Halloween.htm

A tool in His hand

      One of the hardest things I’ve had to learn is that God is always at work, working for the cause of His orphans. We are simply tools in His hands, pawns for Him to move where He sees fit in order to bring about his purpose. When I see a hurting child on the streets addicted to glue and selling scrap metal to survive or a child who’s lost both parents and is living with an abusive relative, my heart aches to help them. The pain within me is so great that I sometimes  think I can’t bear it anymore and just want to give up and go home. Then a still small voice reminds me that He is in control. If my heart is breaking this much how much more so does the Father’s heart break for that child, HIS child. The child that He made and has loved since before his or her birth!

       When I walk the streets to help find boys to bring in it is hard for me to see a group of children and be filled with joy at how many we’re helping then watch the group diminish till there is but 1 child left before us. How my heart shatters as I watch them all run back to the streets and have to face the harsh reality that it was simply not in God’s plans for us to help those ones. This is a painful lesson to learn.  But a lesson it is none the less.

        Through each of these hard times I have again been reminded that He loves those children more then I ever could and in His good timing if He sees fit He will bring those children to us so that HE can help them through us. With each of these moments I am learning more and more about the Father’s heart and His plan. I am learning more and more that God is at work and that He is the Mastermind behind all this and we are just His tools. Each child that is helped is a part of His plan and He is at work in their lives. Someday we will see and understand why those ones were not meant to be helped and the others were. But until then we can rest assured that God is at work!

(Being silly for the camera)

(Discovering my camera for the first time)

(hitching a ride on the tire)                                                                                                                                                

             “For the glory of God!”

Faith enough

    “Do you have a Bible?” he asks her. With a soft smile the woman turns and digs through the piles of clothes that cover the weather beaten mattress  and emerges with an old Bible whose wrinkled pages are yellowed from age.

       It was just the 4 of us sitting in this humble mud hut in the hills of Kisumu, surrounded by chickens and flies as we prayed with this sweet widow. Mother to 5 children this woman had recently lost both her husband and her daughter. Now, with full responsibilities for her family, she is trying to start up a small business to provide for her children and pay tuition fees for the 2 oldest. Yet in spite of her circumstances her faith is astoundingly strong.

      Driving back to town I was meditating on what I had just witnessed. “How is it that this woman who has seen so much tragedy can still be so strong in her faith? How could she have such a large measure of faith, so much trust and confidence in the Lord while going through such hardship yet I immediately start worrying and questioning God’s plan when a small wave comes my way? Why can’t my faith be as strong and unshakable as hers?”

        Then it hit me. My faith cannot be like hers because it is not her faith, but mine. My faith can never be as strong as other peoples.. Each of us are given  a measure of faith for the measure of hardships we will face. God gives us the faith He knows we need in order to stand strong under trials, no more and no less. He has not called us to compare our faith but wield our faith as a weapon against this world. We are to use and strengthen the faith He has given us, not compare or doubt it. God alone knows what we will face in this life and He will strengthen our faith accordingly.

          This woman could not have my faith or she would not be able to stand strong in these circumstances and I could not have her faith since I have not gone through what she is going through. Often times it in the face of opposition and trials that we grow the most and quite often God allows these things to happen so that we might grow stronger for the storm that is around the corner. My faith is my own. No one else's. It is enough for what I am going through now and as I grow, I grow strong enough for what lies ahead. Faith is something that will never be strong enough, yet by God’s grace it is always enough for the present situation.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials

 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2-3

‘For the glory of God!’

Faith through the difficult

“Lord if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  “Come,” He said. Then Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”

    As Christians there is a lot that we can learn from this verse. Things that I have only just learned on the few days that I’ve been on this trip. Often times God will tug at our heart to do something really difficult, painful or even filled with the unknown, and we in a moment of faith will answer as Peter did, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  Like Peter, we too bravely step out in faith until the water rises and in our fear we too sink into the lies of doubt and temptation.

    It is in moments like these, when we are drowning in this world that Christ catches hold of us once more and gently chastises us. Puling us close to Him He tenderly whispers “oh you of little faith why did you doubt? Did you not know that I was walking beside you, strengthening and upholding you? Have you forgotten my promise, that I have never nor will ever abandon you no matter what happens? Have you forgotten that I am always here for you, that I know your needs long before they are a need and have already provided for them? All you need to do is turn to me in your time of weakness and look to me for the strength and grace to get you through this and I will not let you down. When you turn to me I will be your all, for I will never fail you!”

      What a sweet thought, that our Savior never fails and even when we are hopeless He knows our pain and His love will always remain with us, as will His infinite presence. Thank God that we need not walk this life alone nor fall into fear or doubt because Someone greater than us is in control of our lives! I thank God that I can be Peter reaching out in faith and even when I start to fall looking to Him and grasping His hand to rise above the troubles of this world!! 

“For the glory of God!”

“10, 000 years and then forever more…”

        Isn’t it amazing to think that one day we will pass from this earth into a glory beyond measure where we will spend all eternity, years upon years in worship and praise to our King? How vast beyond measure is His love and mercy to receive us sinners into such glory and splendor. To forgive us our debts and treat us as co-heirs is inconceivable! That the King of the universe, the Maker of all life, the One who was and is and is to come, the Great I AM is also our Savior is uncomprehendable. 

        We have such a debt to repay for such love and sacrifice yet He looks down with great tenderness and says “no my child, I did this for you so that you might live with me for all eternity. I want no recompense. I  want only your love and faithfulness.” The only thing we could ever do to repay such a huge debt is to return this love, accept this King, and dedicate our lives to Him. We owe Him this small act of service in response to the sacrifice He paid.  Brothers and sisters, let us never forget what He did on that cross nor the reason He did it, but let us come before Him in humble love and gratitude, casting our all at His feet that we might be be proven worthy to be called a child of God, worthy to be received into that great inheritance.

       Let us walk in faith not in sight, living the hard life, loving with all we are, forgiving and gaining forgiveness, loving justice, mercy and truth and defending the Truth with our lives, walking humbly with our God and sacrificing all we have for Him. Let us hear and obey His call, following in His footsteps, overcoming evil and battling flesh to win and impact souls for the Lord. Let us always remember that we ourselves are sinners called out of death and into life, reminding others of the One of loves them more than life itself. Let us be Jesus in disguise to all those around us,  a blessing to all we come in contact with, a gift to those we are sent to, serving with joy and humility as to the Lord. Let us be true servant's of the Most High God remembering that our true heritage is not from this world but from God. We are children of God so let us act as such and be an example to the world. 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--  not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10

"For the glory of God!"

Sometime the answer is ‘no’

         Sometimes God leads you to do something then at the last minute says “no” and leaves you in confusion as you try to find His will for that situation, yet in the midst of all that He faithfully reminds you that He is still in control and does indeed have a purpose for that situation. This is something that I was reminded of over the weekend.

         Leading up to this trip God was faithful to reveal His will for me, guiding me in that route and meticulously tending to the details yet when the time came to set out on this journey He clearly said “no”. As my departure date drew closer I was under a lot of warfare emotionally through fear and worry yet on the morning of my departure I woke up fear-free and filled with peace ready to tackle this assignment, yet God clearly had other plans.

         At the beginning of the day so many things were going “wrong” that I thought it was warfare but by the end of the day I knew it was not, it was the hand of God acting through providence to keep me home at this time. My first flight was delayed by 2hrs causing me to arrive in LA 20 minutes before my next flight which ended up leaving 15 minutes early, so I found myself stuck in LA. Long story short I spent 4 1/2 hours in the airport trying to either get a flight home or onward to Kenya.  There was only 1 available flight that would get me to Kenya and for some reason Turkish Airlines would not book me on it  and all other flights out were booked so my only options were to stay and “try” to get on that flight the next day and risk being stranded somewhere else or try again next weekend. Seeing as how no one we knew in LA could come get me since they were either not available or due to the LA freeway being closed couldn’t get to the airport, coming home seemed to be my only option so after lots of praying we went ahead and booked for home.

            Now I am home seeking the Lord for what He wants me to do and trying to find my bags which are lost somewhere across the ocean. Though I know not the reason for all this, what I do know is that the Lord is still in control of this situation. I know that He has a plan.. indeed my getting to and being stuck in LA was part of His plan too..and will not stop until HIS purpose for this situation has been fulfilled. Even though He was calling me to Kenya , for whatever unseen reason this was not the time He wanted me to go, instead He wanted me stuck in LA to fulfill His purpose there.

          At this time I still do not know why He wanted me there, and I may never know this side of heaven, but I am content and at peace resting in His promise that “All things work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purposes” (Romans 8:28). Even in the midst of all this confusion I know that He is still at work bringing about my good and His glory. It is God who has the final authority and say over whatever concerns me and that is the same in this instance.

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24
"For the glory of God!!!"

The “impossible”

          Sometimes God ask us to do things that we don’t want to do, things that we might be afraid to do, but something I’ve learned is He will never ask us to go where He cannot lead or do what He cannot ordain. Therefore, despite what we might think, we will never be asked to do something that is beyond His power to control. True, God often asks us to do “the impossible” but when we step back and evaluate the situation we realize it never was impossible as “nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).  If nothing is impossible with God, then through Him we know we can take up the command that He has given us, no matter how “impossible” it looks and conquer it in the name of Jesus, making the impossible possible. In light of this, we truly can “do all things through Christ…” (Philippians 4:13). Christ has all things under His control so nothing we ever face in this world is impossible.

  

   'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Mark 9:23

"For the glory of God!"

One Matters

You can make a difference. One does matter! I have personally met sweet Catherine, I spent my summer getting to know and bond with her and in the short time I had with her I can see how much of a difference sponsorship has made in her life. Catherine is one of the sweetest, most other centered girls I've ever met. She is an incredible girl. One who's life has been transformed through her sponsors. It's because of people like the Gruver's, people who are willing to help make a difference in these children's lives, that they have hope and love but more then that a future. You too can be the one to change a child's life. Join the many voices that are crying out on behalf of children like this. Become a sponsor now and be the one to make that difference. Please, don't just pity these children, do something to help them! For $27 a month you can truly be the hands and feet of Jesus transforming a child's life and giving them a brighter future!

 http://everyorphan.org/sponsor-an-orphan/

  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 

James 1:22

"For the glory of God!"

"

"Keep Changing The World"

   "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26), therefore we CAN change the world if we try!! The question is, are we willing to step out and make a difference? To change the world? To touch lives and impact countries for Christ? This is our calling, our destiny as Christians. Are we...are you willing to obey the commission of our God in whatever capacity He might call you to serve? Think about. The Great King of the universe, the One who created everything, the One who died to save you, has called us to reach out to the world, sharing the good news and serving people in His name. If He wanted to He could do it Himself, but He has chosen to allow us this blessed privilege of stepping forth by His power to do these things through and for Him. As the least we can do in response to His sacrifice, will we do it?  

"For the glory of God!"

Make a difference in this world!!

    Over 50% of the earth's population has never heard of Jesus. They've never heard of...and for many, never experienced this kind of love and grace. Every day...even every hour, millions around the world are dying without the assurance of salvation, they are entering into an eternity in hell because they've never been given the chance to accept Him. They will miss out on eternity in heaven with Christ because someone refused to go out and share the good news.

 "...not many people have the opportunity to be a missionary' -Jim Elliot. 

(and that because not many obey God's call)

  "Many are called but few are chosen" in Matthew 22:14

   How sad is that truth! It is so sad to think that somewhere out there are people passing into eternity without knowing God because someone would not obey God's call. If more people would obey the call of God, more people would have the chance to repent and turn to God before it was too late. How would you feel if you were standing before the throne of God and found out that someone was in hell because you did not obey God? Imagine the horror of knowing you had the chance to save that soul and you never even tried!!

       As Christians we are called to go out into the world and share the good news, making disciples of all nations. (Mat. 28: 19-20) This is not an option. We are commanded by our risen Lord and King to GO! Whether that means witnessing within our hometown or going to another country is up to God not us! We are not called to choose when we will obey, where we will go, who we will go to or how far we will go. We are simply told to OBEY! In every situation, under every command.

     If you have the chance to save a life don't stop until you do!! If you have the opportunity to step in and make a difference in the eternity of even one person, keep trying! If God has called you to the mission field, GO! If God has called you to some form of ministry within your hometown, OBEY!! If God has called you to witness to someone, DO IT!! God will not abandon you!! If He has called you to something, I urge you with every fiber in my being, do not rest until you fulfill that call!!

"For the glory of God!"

"Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few."

Matthew 9:37

                 
                                          

Wide is Your love and grace

      You know, when you go on a long of a mission trip you see it all…the good, the bad and the ugly. You have your ups and your downs and sometimes the downs outweigh the ups. These are the days that you need God the most. The days that you turn to Him with breaking hearts crying out for strength to finish the day. It is in these moments that you find just how faithful He is.

       I saw so much pain and sorrow in such small children that my heart was breaking over and over during our Camp Hopes. True, I saw a lot of beauty, joy and healing, but I also saw the scars from the past that these children faced and the pain that was in their eyes. I saw how abuse, neglect and sorrow had taken their toll on these precious children. Yet through the efforts of the staff and mission teams that came in, I saw God’s grace and love working in their lives until they were changed children by the end of camp.  Again, this is God’s work. God was truly at work in their lives through these hard working missionaries. For many of these children, this is all it took to bring them to the Lord.

    God’s love and grace truly is wide and does indeed extend to the ends of the earth. I have seen it happen. I have seen the hand of God reaching down from heaven to change lives, heal hearts and create eternal bonds with Him in the lives of these children. If God can sit on the throne of heaven and rule the entire earth, yet still care enough to send these missionaries to Zambia for the sake of those children, then truly He is a gracious and loving God!! Wide indeed is His love and grace!!  I know it, you know it and now, those children know it as well. Praise be to the Lord for saving 400+ children in 3 weeks!!!!
                                              "For the glory of God!'
                                          “Wide is your love and grace…
                               you never change  you never fail oh God!” 
                                     - “Unchanging” by Chris Tomlin

Great is Your faithfulness!l!!

      As I look back on the 2 months that I was in Zambia and think about all that happened in such a short time, I am again filled with awe and amazement at the faithfulness of the One I call my Father. Thinking back over all that I went through, the hardships and joys alike, I am again reminded of just how faithful He really is.
     When you go on that long of a mission trip you see it all…the good, the bad and the ugly. You have your ups and your downs and sometimes the downs outweigh the ups. Some days all you see is the good in the trip; the beauty and the joy of what is happening around you. On other days you see only pain, suffering and heartache. It is in these moments that God was truly there for me, giving me strength to face these hardships, courage to finish the day, comfort to heal my breaking heart and love to comfort the hurting children.

  There were many days when I felt that my heart was breaking more then I ever thought  it could. But without fail, He always came through for me. He was always right there with me, knowing before hand what I was going to face and preparing me for it. Waiting with open arms for me to run to Him when my heart was breaking for those children, standing by my side when I fought off Satan’s attacks.  Throughout this trip I experienced His faithfulness in more ways then I ever have before.  I have always known Him to be faithful but never have I been so sure of it as I am now.  I  know that He is faithful in every little are of our lives and will never change! I have seen this again and again these past 2 months and have more stories about His faithfulness then anything else. Faithful indeed is the One who is worthy of our praise!

“For the glory of God!”
“Great is Your faithfulness....You never change, 

You never fail, oh God!”

 -“Unchanging”, Chris Tomlin

Victorious Martyrs vs. possible marytrs

    “He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose” –Jim Elliot

          My mom recently bought a series of movies about famous Christian martyrs and the work that they did for the kingdom. As we watch the lives and deaths of these people I can’t help but ponder my own faith. These people loved the Lord and were obedient and faithful enough to Him that they ultimately gave all they had: their lives. They lived and then they died for the Lord, dedicating every minute of their lives to the Lord, living in service and obedience to Him. They spent their lives and deaths serving Him with every breath in their bodies. For many this meant, their dying breath was a prayer, a song, a plea to God that brought people to the Lord. John Bunyan once said “If by my life or death I can serve the Lord, I will.” 

        William Tyndale was burned at stake,  Paul was arrested, beaten, stoned and eventually beheaded, Perpetua was mauled by wild animals then killed by the sword in a Roman arena,  Eric Liddel died in a prison camp, Peter was crucified, Stephen was stoned, Felix Manz was drowned…the list goes on and on from the Lord’s death down through the years to modern day 2012.  The list of Christians who gave up their lives for the Lord is perhaps the longest list in human history. Yearly, even daily, brave men and women are willingly laying down their lives for the sake of the gospel. So we have to ask ourselves..or more to the point, I have to ask myself, if I was faced with the same situation, would I react with the same boldness, courage and breathtaking faith that those martyrs did? How would my faith compare with theirs? 

        As Christians we are not called to compare our faith to others nor to try and live up to their standards of faith. We are simply called to walk in truth, living with our own measure of faith. However, the question still stands: “if God ever sees fit to place me in that situation and have me suffer, maybe even die for the sake of my faith, will He find me standing strong, or wavering in my faith"?”  As Christians we are constantly under attack by Satan. Though he uses different methods of attack for each of us, it is still the same: he is out to destroy our faith and wreck the plan that God has for us. We are called to stand in our faith, unwavering, fighting off the darts of the enemy. If that means standing in the face of suffering or martyrdom, will we prove victorious in that day? 

       I pray that if ever God sees fit to use my suffering or death for His glory, then I too will stand strong. Let us make this the prayer of our lives, that God will strengthen us and empower us to bear all that He has for us, even if it be suffering or death.

                                                “For the glory of God!”

Worshiping in our every day lives

     Over the summer I discovered the true meaning of worship. Worship is more then an act of the heart. It is more then singing praise in church or talking about how great God is. All of these things are an act of worship, but true worship is so much more then that. True worship exceeds past verbal and physical acts of worship, beyond the human mind and into the spirit. True worship is the art of praising and thanking the Lord in every situation and area of your life. To find the beauty, the gift, the blessing  in every situation and turn it into praise.  Finding God in everything you do or experience.

      At the beginning of the trip we had a lot of down time so it was easy to find time in the word and prayer, but once camp season started it became increasingly difficult until I was seldom able to find any time in the word. But instead of spiritually suffering from lack of time with the Lord, I turned more fully to the Lord in prayer and communion and this part became the most fruitful time of the trip.  As things got busier, I found myself talking to God about the every day issues of the trip and being in constant communion with the Lord. As I continued to talk to the Lord my faith continued to grow stronger. Through this bond of communion, I turned all that I did into acts of worship to the Lord.

     As I have discovered, we can worship God in any situation, in everything we do. If we are in constant communion with the Lord throughout all we are doing, we are turning that situation into an act of worship to our Maker. Communion with the Lord is one of the best acts of worship. It is the art of bringing God into our everyday life and incorporating Him into all that we do. It is the act of allowing Him to be part of our everyday lives. If we want to live for Him in everything we do, then why not live with Him in everything we do? Why do we limit our worship strictly to songs without exceeding our Sunday morning routine? We seem to forget that it is through constant communion with Him and dedicating our work to Him that we open the door of our heart for a closer relationship with the Lord. If we let Him in God is more then willing to be part of our everyday lives. He is waiting at the door of our hearts, seeking our worship, waiting for us to worship Him in everything we’re doing. It is up to us whether we are willing to grab hold of His hands and invite Him to be part of our lives or put Him in a box and limit our communication.
                                                      “For the glory of God!”

 "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." 

                                                                John 4:23

Those He brings to me

       For years I have known that God has called me to work with orphans but as I have seen this summer, I can only help the ones that He brings my way and my heart longs to do more. I want to reach out to all of them, to change, heal and rescue every hurting child from the lives that they’re living. This was something that God really had to work with me on during the camp season this past month.  Each week seeing hundreds of precious children show up for camp and knowing that each child was an orphan tore me up inside. It was with an aching heart that I looked on the sad faces of these children and thought of all the pain and suffering they have been through. As I knelt in the dirt, cradling them in my arms and whispering my love to them, my heart was breaking for them. Blinking back my own tears, I wiped the tears off the faces of scared toddlers and hugged them gently, while singing to them in a choked up voice.  My heart has never known such pain, as it did each camp when I saw those children.

       I watched as each child came in scared and timid, with a deep sadness in their eyes, but as the week went on the Lord was at work in their lives. Each morning I saw improvement in each child as joy bubbled up inside them until their sweet eyes sparkled with joy by the end of the week. This was the work of God, not man.  Through all of this the Lord was teaching me that though there are a lot of orphans and my human emotions might not be satisfied with helping just a few of these,  I can still do my part to change the lives that are put in front of me. Though I will always want to do more, to help all the children, I know it is only the ones that are put in my path that I am destined to help.

       There will always be children that need help, but I will not always be in their lives. I am not called to be a superhero, to change the world, to stop death from robbing children of their parents. I am simply called to help the ones that God brings into my life. I am after all human. I can do nothing apart from God, but through Him I will touch the lives that He allows me to. In the same way, through me, He will forever change those children. I am a tool in the hand of the King. Whomever He chooses me to love and help, I will do so. Even if He only lets me reach one child, that is still one more child that has been touched and changed by  the love of their Maker and that alone is enough for me to feel successful in my mission.

       Looking back on all the children that I had the privilege of loving on this summer, I know that they will forever hold a special place in my heart whether I see them again or not. These sweet children were the first ones that God chose me to minister to, the first children that I was blessed to work with and bring joy to, but they were not the last. I know that God has more work for me and I eagerly await the call to return to Africa and continue in my work.

                                          

                                “For the glory of God!”

At the end of the beginning

    Well, I am back in America with my family again. I can’t believe that it has already been 2 months and now I’m standing at the end of this journey. I have lived such an incredible story during these past 2 months. I have seen things and experienced things that I never dreamt would be possible. I have been to Africa and back. I have sat in the dirt with children and eaten strange foods for 60 days and now I once more stand on American soil.

      After being in Africa I now know there is nothing that can keep me away from that beautiful continent anymore! As soon as God calls me back I will eagerly return with a singing heart. America will never feel like home again. Africa is now my home. As Dr. David Livingstone said “Africa is my home. The place where my heart dwells. My heart is in Africa.” This is true for me as well. I might have physically left Africa, but my heart is still there. My heart will forever be in Africa now. America might be the land of my birth, but Africa is the land where my heart lives.

       I might be standing at the end of this particular trip, but I’m also standing at the beginning of my life long journey. The journey that is going to take me to Africa numerous times in the course of my life. I know that I will  soon return to the land that I love. I might have said “goodbye” when I left, but that was simply goodbye for the time being. A farewell until we meet again. I might miss Africa and my Zambian family right now, but in the Lord’s good timing I know I will see them again. For in Christ there are no goodbyes.
                                                             “For the glory of God!”  

 “There is one safe and happy place, and that is in the will of God.”
                                                                                                                                ― David Livingstone

The legacy of Molly

    What is the purpose of life? One of the world’s most commonly asked questions. At some point in life, everybody goes through the stage of questioning the purpose of their life. They wonder why they are put here and they question Gods plan for their life. At times life that, God had to gently guide them back to Him and point them to the cross to understand their purpose. For the purpose of every life is to love and be loved by Christ. The reason that God places all of us here on this earth is so that we can come to know Him, love Him, and glorify Him through our lives.

      As the creations of God, we are called to serve Him with our lives and live out a life of love, leaving a powerful legacy for those we leave behind. We are called to love with all of our hearts, serve with with all that we are , pray with all our might, minister to others everyday of our lives and glorify God with every breath we take. We are called by God to live a life worthy of the calling that He has placed upon us. For many that simply means going by faith to the mission field, but for others that is so much more.

       I recently heard a story about a lady that did just that. Molly Mizarack spent her life in full service to the Lord. She truly lived her life according to the call that had been placed upon her, living worthy of that calling. Molly had a genuine thirst for the things of the Lord and because of this, she had true anointing of the Lord placed upon her by a Zambian pastor. An anointing that filled her with the Spirit, enabled her to speak in tongues and changed her life forever. From that moment on, Molly lived each day of her life to the fullest. Living for the Lord by the empowering of His Spirit in every area of her life. Molly was so Spirit led that she ministered to and prayed for everyone and anyone that the Lord directed her to. Many times this meant stopping in the middle of a grocery store to pray for someone and other times it meant mentoring people about going to the mission field. Whatever the case, if the Lord led her to do it Molly never failed to obey.

      Shortly before her passing, Molly had a vision from the Lord in which she saw 8 orphans sleeping shoulder to shoulder on the dirt. In this vision, the Lord distinctly told Molly that He wanted those children to be in a home. From that moment on Molly’s greatest desire was to get another EOH house completed so they could house 8 new orphans. Last summer her dream came true. After working for months to get house 7 funded, the project was complete and the house was being built. Although, Molly sadly passed away a few months before the house was completed, 8 sweet new children now have a home because of Molly.

      This summer I have had the sweet privilege of getting to meet, know and love the children that now live in Chongwe house 7, which is lovingly dubbed ‘Molly’s house’, and have gotten to see the beautiful outcome of Molly’s work and the fruits of her dream. I have seen how through the efforts of one lady, 8 lives have forever been changed. Even in her death, Molly was changing lives. The people that she was mentoring about the mission field have now all gone out to do the Lord’s work. There are people in Haitie, Africa and many other places changing lives and saving orphans, all because of the legacy that Molly lived.

      Looking at theses children and seeing the joy and healing in their lives and hearing the legacy that this incredible lady lived, I am once again challenged to live my life in such a way as Molly did. After hearing this story I have asked myself over and over, “am I fulfilling my purpose in life and living the way God intended me to live? Am I living my life in such a way as to glorify God with my every action and leave behind a legacy that changes lives? Am I truly living a Spirit led life, walking in obedience to God’s every call and being faithful even in the small things? Am I living a legacy of love and faith or a legacy of human will and human choice?” 

      If I am only being obedient and faithful in the big things, how can I be of full use to God? Hearing Molly’s story has changed my faith and the way I live my life. Hence forth, with the help of God I am going to allow my Lord to use me in anyway I see fit and answer in faithful obedience to His every call. I am going to live my life as Molly did so that one day I too might leave behind a powerful legacy that can be used by God. I pray that I can be a Molly Christian. Living my life in such a way that when people look at me they can plainly see Christ shining through me. I pray that God will find me a willing, ready and faithful tool to be used for His service every day that He sees fit to give me life. May my life forever be used by God!!
                                                    “For the glory of God!”

Day 52: preparing to say good bye to Zambia

       I can hardly believe my time in Zambia is already coming to an end. It seems like I have been here forever….in a good way.. yet when I look back on the time I’ve spent here, it seems like just yesterday that we were starting out on this journey. The days have flown by but the weeks have dragged on, making this trip seem really long yet super short at the same time. Now, here I am today with just 9 days left in this beautiful country, and as I look back on everything that God has taught me, everything that I have experienced, all the trials and pain that have accompanied this trip as well as the joy that I have had, I know that I wouldn’t have changed this trip for anything in the world!! This summer has by far been the most life changing, faith building and blissful summer of my life!!! I again thank God that He saw fit to bring me here.

     As I go into my final week here and prepare to say good bye to all the people that I have come to love, I ask that you would pray extra hard for me…for all of us interns…as leaving here is going to be really hard for us. These people have become family to us,  these children nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters to us, so saying good bye is going to the hardest thing we’ve had to do all summer. Please pray that God will strengthen, encourage and comfort us as we go through out our week and prepare to reemerge ourselves into American culture. Please pray also for the people that we are leaving behind as everyone here is sad to see us go….the children especially.  Please pray for comfort for their little hearts as they say good bye to their new aunties. 

~Thank you for all the prayers that have been sent our way and I know will continue to do so until we are home. Blessings in our Lord! ~

                                        “For the glory of God!”

Matthew 6:34

     People say that going on a mission trip is life changing, but I find that you never really understand just how true that statement is until you have yourself experienced the life changing effects of a mission trip. Now that I am here, I see that living in a foreign country for a month and a half really has changed my life. In more ways than one.

      One of the things that has changed is my outlook on life and relationships. Before this trip I never fully understood just how short and valuable life was. I knew that life was short and valued the time I had with my loved ones, but I still looked at life much differently then I do now. Before this trip I tended to constantly be looking ahead and worrying about the future. I didn’t live in the moments I had, but the moments I was planning. But now that I have been here and really see just how short life is and how valuable time with loved ones is, my mentality has changed. I have taken Matthew 6:34  to a whole new level as I now live in the moments I am given. Valuing them as short and sacred, knowing that at any time this life could be over, or at the very least become drastically different.  In the blink of an eye or with one little decision, everything could change.

     After being here so long, it no longer matters to me what I do tomorrow. What matters to me now is what I do today. How I live my life, what I do with my life, who I change through my life and how I am glorifying my Lord with my life.  From now on I will be making the most of the time that I am given, living in the moment not the future. I will be living for my God, loving my loved ones, serving others and striving to make a difference in the lives of those around me. No more living in the future and abusing the time that God has given me.  By God’s grace I will be returning to the states with the mentality that I am on a mission for God, living my life to the fullest with every minute that I am given.

"For the glory of God!"

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. 

Each day has enough trouble of its own.” 

Matthew 6:34

The past 2 weeks in pictures

Chongwe and Camp Hope VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

                                                 “For the glory of God!”

He sees me

He Saw You

“What an incredible journey Jesus made;
what an overwhelming expression of love He undertook;
what an awesome purpose He had in mind.
You were on His heart.
When He left His home in heaven, He saw you;
when He became a man on earth, He was seeking you;
when He stretched out His hands upon the cross,
He was reaching out to you;
when He returned to His Father, He was preparing a place for you.
You are the sheep He has come to shepherd,
to guide, to feed, to protect, to shelter, and to carry.
You are the one He calls His own.”

~~~~~~

Courtesy of  Roy Lessin from his site “Meet me in the meadow” 

Lessons from the Mamas

       One of the things that God has really been challenging me on these past 2 weeks is to step even further out of my comfort zone and stretch my service beyond the EOH staff. He has really put it on my heart to assist the Mamas that have been cooking for Teen Mania. Every morning these sweet women have been arriving at the camp sight at 6am to fix breakfast for TM and each night they don’t leave till well after 8pm. They spend their days fixing food not only for TM but also for the Camp Hope children. By the end of the week they are tired and worn out but they don’t get a break till TM leaves.

        So for the past 2 weeks I have been trying to help them in any way I can. We have fixed food, set up meals and washed dishes together. I have sat with them by their fire, talked with them about their lives and served alongside them and have been so blessed through this. These women have become very special to me. I have grown to know them and love them. While God was using me to bless them in these small ways, He was also using them to richly bless me as well. It has been such a joy to me to be able to come alongside these sweet women and assist them in any way I can. I have seen God in their selfless service and have been challenged by their example to be more servant hearted and other centered. These women have taught me what it means to be a real servant of God. I am so blessed to have gotten to know, learn from and work alongside these sweet women.
                                                         "For the glory of God!"

Camp Hope

        “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Over these past 2 weeks I have seen the hand of God at work in this country. I have again seen how God moves in the lives of His children. I have seen first hand some of the miracles that our God can and did perform. I have stood still and seen that He is God. I have again experienced the power of our God. The power of my God.  I have seen demons cast out, people healed over night,lives changed and hundreds saved through the power of God.

        For the first camp we were expecting 300 children. 370+ showed up, out of which over half of them accepted the Lord. For the second camp we were expecting 150 children, all of which showed up with 31+ accepting the Lord. All in all we had over 300+ precious children come into the kingdom of the God. Praise the Lord!! Through the work of the Lord and all of those Teen Mania and EOH missionaries, 300+ children now have a brighter future ahead of them. They now walk with a higher Power than that which is in this world. They now have safety in the name of Jesus. Through this camp they will now spend eternity in heaven.

       I will never forget what I have seen and learned through these camps. I will never forget the way God showed me His power as I watched Him cast out a demon from a 6 year old child and saw a girl walking on her healed ankle 2 days after she broke it. I will never forget the sight nor the feeling of walking through the camp and seeing hundreds of children kneeling with their teachers to pray the sinner’s prayer or the deep feeling of God’s presence stirring in the camp as hundreds of quiet voices rose in prayer to their Savior.

       Even as I write, I am still in awe at how God has worked and how He has revealed Himself to me. I have had so many encounters with our Creator as I have sat back in awe at what I was seeing. Many times I would sit there in amazement and incredulity because of the things He was letting me witness and the things He was teaching me through those experiences. I have grown in my faith and trust because of what I have seen and experienced. I can truly say that God is in control of everything in this universe, working things out for our good and His glory. I have seen this, I have lived this and I know this to be true!

                                   "For the glory of God!"

Day 36: “The power of the cross!”

       One of my favorite songs is “The power of the cross” by Natalie Grant. In this song Natalie Grant talks about being freed from darkness and having chains falling off your life through the power of the cross. This song has always been special to me, but after today it holds a whole new meaning for me and will forever stir up a sense of awe and amazement at my God.

        This afternoon I witnessed a visual battle over the soul of a 6 year old boy. This sweet child was possessed by a demon and was thrashing around screaming and crying. He refused to be prayed for nor to hear about God. Some of the Zambian translators took him aside and began to pray for him. As I watched, heaven and hell were fighting for his soul. I watched as the fight went on for nearly 40 minutes while Christ strove to deliver this precious child. Never in my life have I seen anything so incredible and heartbreaking in regards to a child. My heart was breaking for this sweet child as I watched him being thrown around by this demon. It was terrible yet amazing to see.  My heart was aching for this child, that one so young had to deal with something like that. Yet as I watched him grow calm as the demon was being cast out, till eventually it was gone and he was back to normal, I was filled with awe at what I had just seen. I had just witnessed Christ casting  out a demon!! This child was in literal darkness from the hold this demon had on him, but through Christ his chains are gone and he has been set free!!!  Stuff like that doesn’t happen everyday!

         I am overwhelmed by such a visual example of my God’s power. This proof that He is alive and active in our lives. It’s incredible!! The entire world is the “battle lines” for Spiritual battles, but out here in foreign countries is truly the front lines for the battle. Back in the states things like this are hidden, pushed under the rug, but here Satan isn’t afraid to show that he is at work here. He’s not afraid to show the world that he has a hold on this nation is actively at work to bring it down and destroy the eternities of it’s people. This is a place where the battle is very visual and obvious. This is a place where you see things you never dreamt were even possible in today’s world.

          I have never doubted the power and majesty of God, but after today my faith has leaped to a higher level. After what I witnessed today, my faith is stronger then it ever has been before. If anyone ever has any doubts about the power, majesty or might of God, just go on a mission trip and all doubts and questions will be gone! Out here it’s impossible to not see God in everything around you, to not recognize that He is here, at work. It’s impossible to see the things I’ve seen and not praise Him with all I’m worth and not give Him all the glory this human mind can think up. He is such an amazing, powerful God that is worthy of all my highest praises!!! I have never in my life felt the presence and the power of God so strongly as I did during that fight. He was there…He’s always with us, but this was different. He was with us more then ever before. I could feel Him in the hut with us, I could sense and feel the battle that was going on. It was such an amazing, overwhelming feeling to know that I was standing in the room with God and His angels as they fought for this child!!

        I have seen many wonders and acts of God, but this was by far the most amazing of all! God is truly in this place, working in this nation. He is still doing miracles in today’s world, we just have to search Him out in order to see the things He wants us to see. If we want to see miracles, we must first see the One who performs the miracles. We must first experience Him before we experience His miracles. This is what I learned from personnel experience this afternoon. My God’s not dead! He’s surely alive and active in our lives!! He is still as powerful and active as He was in Biblical times. Nothing has changed and today was proof of that. Glory be to the Lamb!!!
                                                          “For the gory of God!”

 "[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it ." 

                                                              Colossians 2: 15