Sharing Good News

I am very close to having an announcement about where I will serve ! I was told tentatively this morning but will wait until it is definite before I share to avoid confusion if it changes. I can hardly wait to share . . . so exciting to finally have a specific city to focus on!

Speaking of sharing Good News, here's something that was shared in a session this morning. We are all called to share the gospel from 4 different directions. We are called from above by God, we are called from below by those in hell who long for their loved ones to be saved, we are called from outside by the lost who need to hear, and we are called from within by the Spirit that longs to see others come to Christ.

I've mentioned feeling overwhelmed in previous posts, so I want to take a minute now to share that things are settling down and I am doing considerably better. Thanks for your prayers!

The Persecuted Church

We had some very deep, insightful sessions about the persecution of believers in our world today. From where we stand, it is all to easy to take our freedom for granted and to forget that persecution still exists in our world today. I know for a fact that it is very real and that we have many brothers and sisters worldwide who endure it every day. There was far more information in those sessions than I have been able to process yet, certainly more than I can share here. But, I would like to leave you with one thing to ponder.

*A request from a persecuted believer, "Do not give up in freedom what we would never give up in persecution: our witness." How humbled I am by that!

Experiencing Cultural Worship

Sunday nights at FPO are cultural worship time. Each week features a different affinity group/region of the world. Last Sunday night was Latin American Worship, which was great! This week was scheduled to be Post-Modern European, and I wasn't sure what to expect. As it turns out, it was a great service! They integrated Czech, German, Italian, and lots of English into the service. The speaker mentioned how one of his favorite things about his affinity group is that it includes England and Ireland, which made it completely legit for him to speak to us in ENGLISH! The service was such a blessing, such a time of worship and reflection. I am so thankful. I think I am finally ready to face the upcoming week.

FPO

I want to post more often and share more of what I am experiencing, but two things have been preventing me from doing so. First, there hasn't been an abundance of spare time. The schedule has been pretty full, and we have a lot of extra things to do, like serve on teams, attend extra workshops, exercise, Bible study, assignments, small groups, accountability meetings, research, reading, etc. By the time I get it all done, plus check email messages, I'm tired. Also, the training has been so intense that I have just been existing in a state of mental exhaustion that leaves me a little too overwhelmed to try to formulate a coherent post topic. I am optimistic that things are starting to settle down a little, so I am hoping to do better soon. I'll try to share a few thoughts now.

In addition to having adult accountability partners, I am serving as an accountability partner/mentor for a teenage girl. The school asked each of the teens to find an adult to serve in that capacity, and I was honored to be asked. We are just starting to get to know each other, so I would appreciate your prayers for Amanda and for our friendship to grow enough for her to feel comfortable sharing with me.

Today we literally ran a marathon through the Apostle Paul's journey and church planting efforts. I can't believe we addressed 9 churches in 3 hours; no wonder my head is spinning! Before that, we studied Luke 10 and did some role plays that really cemented the lessons we needed to get from that passage. It was a very valuable exercise!

Tragic Impact

This past year, contributions to the IMB fell significantly short of meeting the budgeted goal. As a result, tough program cuts have had to be made. Among those cuts is an indefinite hiring freeze for 2-3 year term people like me through the Journeyman, ISC, and Masters programs.

What does this mean? For one thing, it means that I barely made it through before the opportunity vanished. This knowledge makes me even more in awe of the grace of God which enabled me to lose weight and meet all of the other requirements in the time that I did. His timing and His plan are always perfect, far beyond my understanding!

Another way that this could impact me is that if the programs are not re-instated, it is possible that I may not have the option to extend my service/return to the field after my time committment ends.

I share this with you to help you personally see the importance of contributing to the Cooperative Program and to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Those are the primary sources of support for the IMB. Without this funding, people who feel called by God are being turned away at the door. Truly a tragedy!

First Sunday

This morning started with our quad holding our own "house church" service. We had planned to start at 9 am, but true to the Latin culture into which we are all headed, we didn't start until 9:15 or 9:20. Our service was a very meaningful time of praise, sharing, interactive Bible study, testimony, and prayer. Before we knew it, it was already 11:45!

My afternoon activities included the first sharing time with my accountability partners (two of the other females in my quad). It is such a blessing to already feel comfortable sharing with these precious new friends, and I know that we will only grow closer over the coming weeks.

This evening we had a mapping ceremony, where each unit (individual, couple, or family) shared who they are, where they are headed, and one prayer request before placing a small picture of themself on the world map. There are a lot of us here, so it took a couple of hours, but it was a really neat experience. Looking at the completed map now is amazing. God is truly sending this group across the globe!

This week a great deal of our time will be spent in spiritual warfare training sessions led by IMB President Dr. Jerry Rankin. Please be in prayer for us toward that end. Also, my prayer request shared at the mapping ceremony tonight was that, as God prepares me for service in Mexico, that He will also be preparing/working in the hearts of the Mexican people. Would you please join me in that prayer?

FPO

Just wanted to publish a quick post to say that I have arrived in Virginia and started orientation. The first couple of days have gone well. Even the medical information session that seemed destined to be boring was actually entertaining as the nurses put on a little skit/role play what NOT to do when we come to the clinic for immunizations.
Last night I stretched beyond my comfort zone and went with my roommate to play volleyball with a group of people. Later in the evening we had a wonderful time of spontaneous praise in the quad where I live. (The quad has a shared living area with 4 "apartments" that each consist of 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchenette. Everyone in my quad is headed to Mexico. I share an apartment with another single female, there is a couple in one apartment, and there are families in the other 2 apartments.) Three of the people in our quad brought guitars, so they were playing and most of the rest of us were singing praise songs . . . some in English and a few in Spanish. It was such a blessing! I am looking forward to many more of those times among our quad "family."

Commissioned

To me, being commissioned means to be sent out with a promise to support through prayer. Based on that definition, I have been commissioned to the mission field by many people lately. Specifically, my church family at Springfield Second Baptist commissioned me as part of all 3 morning worship services yesterday, July 26. It was a very special, meaningful time for me. This church has played such an important role in my spiritual life and provided so many opportunities for me to serve. To be sent out and prayed over by them was very precious to me.

But this was not my first commissioning. About a week ago, my dear friend Barb essentially commissioned me in an unexpected and powerful way. Barb's husband Phil passed away suddenly, and I went to his funeral. In addition to being a friend, Phil was my pastor several years ago. At the end of the funeral when I had an opportunity to hug Barb, I was overwhelmed as she said to me, "You are part of Phil's legacy. Go and tell." I was trying to support and uplift her, yet she was the one who was a blessing and encouragement to me.

As I go, it is an honor to carry with me a part of Phil and Barb, a part of Second Baptist, a part of my family and other friends, etc. Most of all, it is an honor to serve in the name of our Lord Jesus.

FBLA National Leadership Conference

After a late night getting back from the Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville Wednesday night, I flew out very early Thursday morning and am now at the FBLA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim CA to support my 2 students who qualified to compete at this level. I am thrilled to be here with them and am extremely proud of them, but at the same time it is a little bittersweet to realize that this is my last activity with my students. They present their project tomorrow (Friday) morning. I am praying for clear thinking through the inevitable nerves they will experience.

Southern Baptist Convention

Tuesday through Wednesday I went to the Southern Baptist Convention as part of Second Baptist Church Choir and Orchestra. We had the amazing opportunity to sing, leading in worship at the convention Wednesday morning. We loaded up charter busses early Tuesday morning and drove about 10 hours to Louisville, stayed the night, and got up early to head over to the convention center.
After we sang our last set, we were able to sit down and watch our beloved Paster Marshall preach a very impacting, annointed message.
It was a blessing to be involved in the convention. The long bus rides both directions and the lack of sleep were well worth the blessing of the experience.

Selmore

This morning I had the opportunity to worship at Selmore Baptist Church in Ozark, where my brother and his family are members. (It also happens to be a church that my dad pastored while I was in college and a couple of years beyond that.) It was great to see some wonderful old friends and to also meet many people who have joined over the past few years. It meant a lot to me to have several of these borthers adn sisters in Christ commit to join me as prayer partners. Pastor Josh was very gracious to allow me the opportunity, and his prayer over me this morning meant more than he probably realized.

India

Sorry I haven't updated my blog lately. It has been a hectic couple of weeks. I have moved out of my duplex and am living a somewhat nomadic life this month. Last week I went on a mission trip to India. It was an unforgettable experience! I'll try to share a general outline of the week along with a few pictures.

Early in the week we visited some temples in India. Through this, I gained a greater understanding of the Hindu religion and practices. Below is a picture of a GIANT statue of a monkey-god that is worshipped.

One of the temples was a Hare Krishna temple, where we heard constant chanting of Krishna's name. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see people laying prostrate before statues of Krishna.

Another day, we traveled several hours to the town of Mathura, Krishna's alleged birthplace. As we walked the winding, narrow streets to visit a local temple, we were reminded of the descriptions of Old Testament days. There were people begging outside the temple and people selling things that could be offered to the gods. Our focus for this day trip was prayer walking, but we also had an unplanned opportunityt o do some "prayer-boating" on a lake that is part of a story about how Krishna supposedly turned blue as a child.
On our way out of Mathura, we stopped at a funeral pyre where a body was being burned, as is the common practice in that culture.
On another day, we took a longer trip to Jaipur to prayer walk/prayer drive. We counted camels to help pass the time, and our count reached 125!
In Jaipur, we went up to a mountain fort overlooking the city. It was an amazing site to behold and a fantastic place to literally pray over the city.

The day we traveled to Jaipur was an absotely crazy experience for so many reasons. It was the most intense day of my life! I don't say this lightly, but I truly believe that the Enemy was attacking us because he did not like our prayers and presence in a place where he has such a strongold. Traffic is always crazy in India, but not like it was on our way home that day! Trucks were coming at us left and right, and we lost a side mirror as a result.

As God continues to break my heart for the lost around the world, I find myself becoming more and more restless. I've always cared, but only through GOING have I put myself in a situation to allow God to truly break my heart, and only through a broken heart can I truly be in a position to be used by Him to reach people.