Sunday, August 23, 2015

The D.R.

About 3 years ago Scott and I spent the summer hearing a very intentional message from the Lord...do life with people...invest in them...in their lives...we didn't mean to hear that message all summer...however, everywhere we went...every song...message...devotion...that was the direction God took us...we both believe...as most people would...God was speaking...will we obey or not...

...we will spend the rest of our lives learning to flesh this truth out...to do life with the people and the students around us...with our family...with our friends...

...I have been scared all summer long about going to the DR...had I really prayed about it like I should or did I just want to go...was I ready...was I prepared???? Could I do this...I truly am a bit on the shy side...and especially when I'm outside my element...I felt a bit better when Scott decided to join us...but I truly did spend the summer so afraid...we took our students to Kansas City for a mission trip 2 weeks before we left for the D.R...during one of those nights...we where asked to try to imagine what Heaven sounds like...the preacher took us to a door on stage...knocked on it...listened and they played Chris Tomlin's...world version of How Great is Our God...if you haven't heard it you need too...all languages singing this amazing song...all of the sudden I could see faces in my minds eye...faces of other nations that need to hear and deserve to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ...and my fears left...

...our trip was life changing for me...I've heard all my life...in the church anyway...that even the poorest people in America are richer than most of the world...I witnessed it during our time in the D.R...and yet...they were happy people...humble...loving and kind...I fell in love with them...

...before I share this...I felt a bond with each on of my children when they were born...however, when you become a mom for that first time...you experience all those feelings for the very first time...feelings you cannot even begin to imagine...until...it happens...I remember...after Cassie was born...and everyone had gone home to rest...it was just me and her...I opened the blanket up...counted everything...remember thinking this little bold beauty was the most amazing thing! I was absolutely amazed that God would allow me to have this gift...that He would trust me with her...(and I failed...but HE redeemed that too!)...that "first" time amazement happened again in the D.R...I was lying in bed during our time there and became so overwhelmed with those emotions...that God would allow me to be apart of this...to trust me with such opportunity...it was an emotion...that just like I've had with each of my children...and even my grand children...and just like my sweet family...may I NEVER get over it...

I had the honor of sharing my testimony twice during my time there...once was for something that was hard and once for my salvation...after I shared the hard thing in my life...which was about sharing the Gospel with my dad...the pastor in the D.R...prayed for my dad...I was so overwhelmed...I pray my Dad will understand how BIG God is...that He would have someone in another country who speaks no English praying for him...

We had the honor of teaching VBS and I taught the teens with my awesome interpreter...Edrei...I was scared again that first day...but I fixed my eyes on the Lord...stopped using myself as my excuse and my worst enemy and taught...loved every single minute of it...we had a great time...we then went to 3 different, 3 different days to make reading glasses for people../so rewarding to do this for those people...there were services each night...we witnessed 18 people accept Christ during our week there...we participated in a service in the dark because there was no electricity...we survived without air conditioning...and I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

...the country was beautiful...the people were/are beautiful...and the need is great...I know look forward to our people group in India that we've adopted...I cannot wait to see their sweet faces beyond a picture...or to go to Nepal to see the faces of the ladies who make the jewelry I have the honor of purchasing...or to return to the D.R...or the faces of my 4 amazing exchange students I've had the honor of hosting in the past years....or...wherever God would lead us...

...to be a follower of Christ is to stop looking for what a church can do for me...but what can I do for HIM...it's not about me...as much as I wanted it to be...it never has been...He saved me...because He loves me...but more than that He saved me because I was such a mess...that it brings Him Great glory to redeem someone who had NO hope without HIM...it was possible ONLY through Him...isn't that the truth for us all????




Sunday, August 16, 2015

Our Summer 2015...

...our summer has been a life changing experience for us both...we started our summer off with hard goodbyes to our sweet girls we shared our home with for 10 months...learning to adjust to an empty quiet home again...we moved quickly into our summer youth ministry opportunities...starting with our weekend youth retreat...while it was an amazing weekend with sweet worship and solid teaching of the Word...Scott and I had a time in our lives that was one of the toughest...it was personal...and all I can really commit on it is that God's grace is sufficient...this weekend by far was the most exhausting time of our summer...

...we had the opportunity to be apart of our local mission week...now called Connection Week again this year...it was a sweet week of ministry...pouring out and being poured into...we started the week off with 4 baptisms...had another mid week and had 2 more salvation's...we had the opportunity to minister to our area children through our day camp...work at some service projects and spent some time with some sweet people in our area nursing homes...we got to bond with some other "youth people" that we absolutely love!!!! We have been floored that God has allowed us the honor and the privilege to STILL work with students at our age...at this point we are asking Him for at least 10 more years...however much time God allows, we will be thankful...and we will continue to serve Him...until we take our last breath...

...moving on we took our high school students to Kansas City to be apart of the Global Encounter "Project"...it is an amazing ministry that we are so thankful to be a part of...we had a new opportunity this summer with them...our team was allow to be apart of a brand new church plant...we was so fun to be at ground zero...helping to engage the community with the new work in their community...again we are humbled by the experiences that God allows us to be apart of...He is so good...He does NOT need us...but He wants us...and allows us to be part of His bigger plans...

...we came home and went straight into VBS...once again...the youth class had the largest amount...let me also say...it is NOT about the numbers...however, every single year it BLOWS my mind that students...are willing to come to VBS...you know they usually think they have outgrown Vacation Bible School...and yet they come...that is a God thing...no other explanation!!!!!

...VBS family night was Thursday not and Scott and I got on a plane to head to the Dominican Republic this next morning...but that is another blog...in and of itself...

...there is so many little things the Lord has taught me this summer...I wise I could find adequate words to share them...He has stretched me this summer...asked me to do things I thought I'd never could or would never have the courage to do...and yet...through Him...His strength...and His conviction...the Lord has done great things...

...I pray you have Him...that you come to understand the purpose for this life...is HIM...it's not about us...me...you...anyone...it's about Him...and through all of this...He gives us live...and gives it to us abundantly...I know this to be true...because I've experienced this abundant life He promises...