Well this will most likely be my last post from Wales seeing as how we leave for our debrief time at a nearby coastal city tomorrow and then will only be back in Cardiff for a few hrs on Sunday before flying out on Monday! I can't believe my time here is already over! I feel like I just got here and there's so much more that I want to do but at the same time I think back on everything that has happened and it blows my mind that all of it could happen in just 6 weeks! Father is so good and He has done so much in and through me and my team this summer it is unbelievable!
As I try and think back over the past week or so since I've posted I don't even know where to begin to tell you what has happened! Our group of One-Week students came and my group was amazing! They were so mature and focused on doing Father's work I was blown away! Their boldness and inhibitions about going up and talking to people continuously amazed me and Father blessed their diligence. There were so many seeds planted in our area and in the other 4 areas it was incredible! I wish I could just sit and tell you story after story of students following the promptings of the HS to engage people in conversation and how Father blessed those conversations and the obedience that was rampant throughout the entire group! For me personally, at the beginning of the week I felt a little overwhelmed by the responsibility of leading this group of 8 around the city and making sure I had a plan and was keeping all of them safe and focused that I didn't really get to engage in many conversations myself. But as the week wore on and I realized that I really could trust not only these girls to do what they were supposed to but that I could trust Father to take care of them even when I couldn't I really got to see Father use me in the lives of the people of Cardiff and not just in the lives of the girls in my group.
If I had to pick just one story to tell it would have to be of a group of homeless people we built relationships with over the past week. All summer I don't remember seeing them in the park when we've been in there but the week that our students were here someone saw them and at least pred for them every day. The thing is that we didn't put together that we'd all been pring for the same group until the 4th day of the trip! On the 3rd day we sent some girls outside the park to walk around the outside of the nearby castle where many "troubled teens" like to hang out in groups and engage in less than moral activities. Two of our girls really felt Father calling them to talk to these 2 men playing a game with a tennis ball on the castle wall and a woman that was sleeping next to them. So they engaged in conversation and realized that one of the men was fairly knowledgable in the Word and had some really good questions. They talked for quite a while until the woman woke up and freaked out that her boyfriend was talking to 2 girls and told him not to talk about JC anymore and made him end the conversation. So the next day we see the same people plus a couple more sitting inside the park and that was when it clicked with one of the girls that we had seen this same group all week so 3 of us went up and talked with them for quite a while. Again the same guy had a substantial knowledge of the Faith and admitted to growing up in the Church of England but lost his faith because of life situations. We again talked to him for several minutes and answered as many questions as we could. Then his girlfriend again freaked out and he had to leave. But part of the conversation included us taking out the Word and asked him if we gave him a copy if he would read it and he said he would be interested in that. So the next day after the One Weekers left a group of JSIs went back to the park looking for them. We gave them some food and water and again spiritual conversation came up. At this point we all split up and got to talk to all 5 of the men hanging out together while the same girl slept. Father had doors flying open left and right and we got to give them our extra copies of the Word and we shared the Message with all of them! They all promised to and were very excited about reading the Word and we are planning on going back to talk to them again before we leave to follow up.
Yesterday we went to London for the day and it was incredible to get to see all these places that I have dreamed of seeing for years now! We also went to go see Wicked the musical and it was wonderful to get to share that with my teammates and one of my friends from Baylor that is at Oxford this summer met us there to see it with us! It was so encouraging and refreshing just to get to hug the neck of someone from home and hear someone else say "Sic Em" as a expression of excitement again! haha!
Of course that is only one story of the wonderful things Father did in the past week! We also got to share the Message with our cupcake friend and we will be seeing her again on Sunday when we plan on giving her a copy of the Word from our entire team. Please be pring for that conversation as she will just be getting back from her grandfather's funeral and we need to be the best friends we can be to her and show her Father's love through our friendship. We head to the Gower tomorrow for debrief and I am excited to really hash through and reflect on all Father has been teaching me and really make plans on how I take what I've learned and implement it into every day life. I am so excited!
Thank you all for your support and prs throughout this entire summer! I know that none of this would have been possible without it! Please continue to pr that we will not loose the M mindset now that we are headed to a new location for a few days and pr that we will be able to wrap up goodbyes well and that Father still isn't done working through us this summer! Also I ask that you continue to pr for me as I come home that I would be able to take what I've learned and live it out in Rowlett and Waco! I will probably try to write one more blog when I get home as a reflection on the summer so be looking for that! Love and prs! Cheerio!
"Here Am I, Lord Send Me"... I'm just a girl praying God would send me as an instrument to bring Him glory!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Litter Picks, Films, and Slippers
Hello all! So a lot has happened last week but I'm going to try and keep this brief!
First of all last week was full of wonderful new friends! The Ch we've been going to with our Ms have a group of interns that are with them for their gap year and this past week was actually the last week of their program. So for the last week they did a M Week and asked us to help out with a couple of the activities! We did a litter pick at a playground and park that were literally covered with glass bottles and wrappers and stuff and then they had a little play day sort of thing for the toddlers and mums in the area. Then later on in the week we did another litter pick around the church and a car wash and some other service activities. It was great to just get to serve the Ch that we've been attending all summer and just get to do some physical work and see the physical product of that labor which is something I think we all appreciated since so much of our work is relational and its hard to measure that in a physical manner. I think our favorite part of this week though was getting to know the interns! They are sort of like a British version of us on a longer term sort of trip so it was great to find that fellowship and friendship and I really feel like I learned a lot from them both culturally and spiritually! (Also getting to enjoy and laugh at our different accents has been rather enjoyable for me... hearing someone use "bloomin" and "cheeky" in everyday language made my day!) We also got to go see Harry Potter with them and my cupcake friend on Thurs night and let me tell you it was absolutely mad watching the final movie in the UK with over 1,000 Brits at the cinema!
On the topic of films though... earlier in the week one of the guys and another girl and I went to see a film with 2 of the Saudi Arabian guys that are doing the ESL program we're working with. Unfortunately the guys have misunderstood the friendship that we were trying to build with them due to the combination of the cultural view of women they have grown up with and the way American women have been portrayed to them through the media. So unfortunately I have not been able to go to the conversation club for most of this week, therefore not getting to see my Spanish friend much this week. But I know that Father has a plan for this and he is using it to cultivate relationships with our guys and the Saudi guys and allowing the Spanish girl to meet new girls as well. So keep that in your prs.
The most impactful thing for me this week happened Saturday. Cardiff has the highest concentration of bars and clubs in one area out of all the UK and the city transforms at night so much so that it was almost unrecognizable. There is a group called Street Pastors that has groups in many prominent cities in the UK that goes out on Friday and Saturday nights to minister to the people who are out partying and drinking. They carry water bottles and slippers (what we call flip flops) and pass them out to people who need them in the streets. They work with the police, taxi ambassadors, bouncers, and paramedics and they all work together to try to keep peace and get people home in one piece. I got to go help with this group on Saturday night and it was absolutely life changing. The City Center streets I've been wandering for 4 weeks that have always been almost eerily quite were filled with loud conversation, music, yelling, fights, and sirens. There were more people on the streets that night then I have seen on most days during lunch hour and by the end of the night you couldn't walk down the street without stepping in some sort of rubbish, whether that be empty bottles, uneaten food, or not so uneaten food. The reaction of the people we gave water and slippers to were some of the most impactful things for me. The extreme appreciation from some and disgust or rejection from others was rather astounding. Everyone knew who we were and we even had some people come up and mock us once but overall most people were extremely grateful. I even ran into a couple that owns a coffee shop that we've been going to fairly frequently and built some relationships there, especially with the husband. They were out for the wife's birthday and she was wearing new stilettos... and I mean stilettos! She was having a really hard time walking in them by the end of the night so we offered her some slippers and she was very grateful. Then the husband came over and was chastising her a bit for wearing them and talking about how "these people" (referring to us) are doing such a good thing and helping them out. Then he looked at me and recognized me and was extremely excited and asked why I was doing this. I got to tell him I'm doing it because I love Father and love people and so I'm just trying to love people how Father loves them. Then yesterday I went back to their shop with a couple of the other girls and when I walked in his wife was there (who I haven't gotten to know as well yet) and she said "hey did you work with a charity on Sat night? Didn't you give me some flip flops!" So we got to talk about that a little more and it was really good! Later on another lady walked in the shop and came to say hi to her and she said "Hey this is that flip flop girl I was telling you about!" haha! So I am now known as the Flip Flop Girl! lol!
So that was last week... Now we are all gearing up for our One Week students coming this evening! I can't believe its already time for them to get here! This summer has absolutely flown by! Please be pring even more than usual this week as I know Father has big plans for these kids! Pr that they will get through customs without any hitch this afternoon, Pr that they will be open to the Spirits leading and that they (and I) will have to rely completely on Father this week to make it through so that we know at the end of the week anything that happens is only for His glory! Pr that the ground will be plowed, seeds will be planted, and that Father would reap a harvest! Pr that he would give us wisdom and discernment in our actions and conversations and bring Divine appointments across our path all week and that we would recognize them as that! That's a lot of pr but that is what we need more than anything this week! Father has been teaching me so much about the power of pr this summer so PLEASE join me in pring this week for what Father has in store for the city of Cardiff!!!
I love you all and in many ways I can't wait to get home and hug all your necks, yet in so many ways I don't feel like I'm done here and have so much left to do before I can leave! Stay safe and let me know how I can be pring for you this week!
First of all last week was full of wonderful new friends! The Ch we've been going to with our Ms have a group of interns that are with them for their gap year and this past week was actually the last week of their program. So for the last week they did a M Week and asked us to help out with a couple of the activities! We did a litter pick at a playground and park that were literally covered with glass bottles and wrappers and stuff and then they had a little play day sort of thing for the toddlers and mums in the area. Then later on in the week we did another litter pick around the church and a car wash and some other service activities. It was great to just get to serve the Ch that we've been attending all summer and just get to do some physical work and see the physical product of that labor which is something I think we all appreciated since so much of our work is relational and its hard to measure that in a physical manner. I think our favorite part of this week though was getting to know the interns! They are sort of like a British version of us on a longer term sort of trip so it was great to find that fellowship and friendship and I really feel like I learned a lot from them both culturally and spiritually! (Also getting to enjoy and laugh at our different accents has been rather enjoyable for me... hearing someone use "bloomin" and "cheeky" in everyday language made my day!) We also got to go see Harry Potter with them and my cupcake friend on Thurs night and let me tell you it was absolutely mad watching the final movie in the UK with over 1,000 Brits at the cinema!
On the topic of films though... earlier in the week one of the guys and another girl and I went to see a film with 2 of the Saudi Arabian guys that are doing the ESL program we're working with. Unfortunately the guys have misunderstood the friendship that we were trying to build with them due to the combination of the cultural view of women they have grown up with and the way American women have been portrayed to them through the media. So unfortunately I have not been able to go to the conversation club for most of this week, therefore not getting to see my Spanish friend much this week. But I know that Father has a plan for this and he is using it to cultivate relationships with our guys and the Saudi guys and allowing the Spanish girl to meet new girls as well. So keep that in your prs.
The most impactful thing for me this week happened Saturday. Cardiff has the highest concentration of bars and clubs in one area out of all the UK and the city transforms at night so much so that it was almost unrecognizable. There is a group called Street Pastors that has groups in many prominent cities in the UK that goes out on Friday and Saturday nights to minister to the people who are out partying and drinking. They carry water bottles and slippers (what we call flip flops) and pass them out to people who need them in the streets. They work with the police, taxi ambassadors, bouncers, and paramedics and they all work together to try to keep peace and get people home in one piece. I got to go help with this group on Saturday night and it was absolutely life changing. The City Center streets I've been wandering for 4 weeks that have always been almost eerily quite were filled with loud conversation, music, yelling, fights, and sirens. There were more people on the streets that night then I have seen on most days during lunch hour and by the end of the night you couldn't walk down the street without stepping in some sort of rubbish, whether that be empty bottles, uneaten food, or not so uneaten food. The reaction of the people we gave water and slippers to were some of the most impactful things for me. The extreme appreciation from some and disgust or rejection from others was rather astounding. Everyone knew who we were and we even had some people come up and mock us once but overall most people were extremely grateful. I even ran into a couple that owns a coffee shop that we've been going to fairly frequently and built some relationships there, especially with the husband. They were out for the wife's birthday and she was wearing new stilettos... and I mean stilettos! She was having a really hard time walking in them by the end of the night so we offered her some slippers and she was very grateful. Then the husband came over and was chastising her a bit for wearing them and talking about how "these people" (referring to us) are doing such a good thing and helping them out. Then he looked at me and recognized me and was extremely excited and asked why I was doing this. I got to tell him I'm doing it because I love Father and love people and so I'm just trying to love people how Father loves them. Then yesterday I went back to their shop with a couple of the other girls and when I walked in his wife was there (who I haven't gotten to know as well yet) and she said "hey did you work with a charity on Sat night? Didn't you give me some flip flops!" So we got to talk about that a little more and it was really good! Later on another lady walked in the shop and came to say hi to her and she said "Hey this is that flip flop girl I was telling you about!" haha! So I am now known as the Flip Flop Girl! lol!
So that was last week... Now we are all gearing up for our One Week students coming this evening! I can't believe its already time for them to get here! This summer has absolutely flown by! Please be pring even more than usual this week as I know Father has big plans for these kids! Pr that they will get through customs without any hitch this afternoon, Pr that they will be open to the Spirits leading and that they (and I) will have to rely completely on Father this week to make it through so that we know at the end of the week anything that happens is only for His glory! Pr that the ground will be plowed, seeds will be planted, and that Father would reap a harvest! Pr that he would give us wisdom and discernment in our actions and conversations and bring Divine appointments across our path all week and that we would recognize them as that! That's a lot of pr but that is what we need more than anything this week! Father has been teaching me so much about the power of pr this summer so PLEASE join me in pring this week for what Father has in store for the city of Cardiff!!!
I love you all and in many ways I can't wait to get home and hug all your necks, yet in so many ways I don't feel like I'm done here and have so much left to do before I can leave! Stay safe and let me know how I can be pring for you this week!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Make New Friends... But Keep The Old!
Hello all, I'm sorry I haven't had time to post in a few days... it has been a bit of a crazy week! We have been playing musical housing for a while and have finally settled into a flat in some University housing just outside of the City Center area (or what we would call Down Town Cardiff). They are very nice little flats and we are all feeling a bit more relaxed and settled now that we don't have to worry about switching back and forth between rooms in a hostel and taking a bus into the city every morning. I commented to a couple of my teammates the other day as we were walking through the mall area that it "felt normal". I no longer feel like I'm a tourist in the city or am just here for a holiday. I feel like I know my way around and am starting to feel like a true Welsh! It was encouraging at first to realize that I have fallen into a rhythm and routine here but I quickly realized how dangerous that can be to become "comfortable" in a place because you start to relax and let your guard down. So I am pring that Father will continue to take me out of my comfort zone in other areas now that I have become accustom to the city.
Speaking of the enemy attacking... we have heard other stories from other teams in other cities of how the enemy is attacking them in very obvious ways. But I realized this week that we are being attacked equally hard but in much more subtle ways. Distraction and discouragement have been key words for our team the last week or so. We have all been distracted by little things or have been discouraged by a lack of meaningful relationships or conversations. The little things in and of themselves in isolation would not really be anything all that threatening but the combination of everything all at once was, in reality, the enemy's choice weapon in his attack on our team. We had a good meeting and long talk a couple of nights ago and things are going sooo much better the last two days. We have been extremely unified in friendship since the first time we all met each other but we realized we were struggling with becoming unified in the Spirit and unified in our focus on the work that we are doing here. But we have taken several practical steps to work on that unity and focus along with just being aware of the problem and things have really turned around the last couple days!
I suppose I should start by telling you that I have been assigned the area of City Center for the next few weeks. My partner and I will be spending most of our time there and in the nearby Bute Park (when weather allows). So when we first arrived in Cardiff one of the first things we did was go find this little cupcake shop one of the girls had heard about online. There we found a sweet girl that worked there! We instantly developed a relationship with her and have really enjoyed hanging out with her and trying her tasty delicacies! So now that I am in City Center every day I have really tried to make a point to further develop my personal relationship with her, especially since she is my age and has just graduated from University this past week so we have a lot in common! In honor of her graduation and our new "home" we invited her over for dinner last night and I really enjoyed getting to sit down and just talk to her and really have some serious discussion with her. It was encouraging to finally see a solid relationship start to form as I have been kind of discouraged at my lack of friendships outside of our group thus far in the trip, simply because we haven't had much consistency or routine in where we spend our time.
On top of that I got to start one of the things I have been most looking forward to on this trip this week... Conversation Club! 3 days a week (MWF) several of us will be going to the office of the business we are partnering with here that teaches ASL to 3 Saudi Arabian men and one Spanish lady. This week I got to know the girl from Spain and have found another great friendship there as well! First of all, the fact that I would come to Cardiff and be put in a situation where they tell me my job is to teach English to someone who speaks Spanish is just Father's sense of humor! We have an instant bond because of my love for her language and her intense desire to learn mine and we are both learning from each other. I was so encouraged yesterday as I saw Father using the gifts and love of languages to really develop a trust and grow a relationship with this girl. Then today we went on a little field trip with the 4 students to St. Fagans, a historical welsh museum of sorts. I got to hang out with my new Spanish friend all day long and also was able to develop a bit of a friendship with a couple of the Saudi guys as well. I am really loving this opportunity to be used by Father and ask that you pr that He would continue to give me wisdom in my ability to help them and thereby earn their trust and friendship!
So please be pring for my relationship with this darling little cupcake maker and my new Spanish friend. Pr that I will be able to show them both that I genuinely want to get to know them and convey not only my love but Father's love as well. Be pring for opportunities to share my own story with them as I try to learn about theirs. I am so excited and anxious to move forward with both these relationships and am pring that Father would just give me the timing and discernment in developing both friendships!
This next week we will be doing a lot of preparation for our "one-weekers" that will be arriving on the 19th so please be pring for safe travels for them overseas and through customs. Be pring that Father would be preparing their hearts now, that He would be drawing them close to Him and forcing them to rely on Him even now. Pr that they (and me) would be filled with and receptive to the promptings of the Spirit so that they may not waste a single moment of their week here in Cardiff.
I still can't believe I've been here for almost 3 weeks, which means my time is almost halfway up! It only gives me more urgency in the work that is to be done here because our time is so short! I appreciate all your Prs and thank you for your support! I love hearing from you all and apologize if I don't respond... please know that is a great encouragement we just have such limited time on the Internet that I don't have time to reply to all the emails individually! Love you all and would love to know how I can be Pring for you all while I'm here so shoot me and email and let me know how you are doing and how I can Pr for you as well!
Much love! Cheers! :)
Speaking of the enemy attacking... we have heard other stories from other teams in other cities of how the enemy is attacking them in very obvious ways. But I realized this week that we are being attacked equally hard but in much more subtle ways. Distraction and discouragement have been key words for our team the last week or so. We have all been distracted by little things or have been discouraged by a lack of meaningful relationships or conversations. The little things in and of themselves in isolation would not really be anything all that threatening but the combination of everything all at once was, in reality, the enemy's choice weapon in his attack on our team. We had a good meeting and long talk a couple of nights ago and things are going sooo much better the last two days. We have been extremely unified in friendship since the first time we all met each other but we realized we were struggling with becoming unified in the Spirit and unified in our focus on the work that we are doing here. But we have taken several practical steps to work on that unity and focus along with just being aware of the problem and things have really turned around the last couple days!
I suppose I should start by telling you that I have been assigned the area of City Center for the next few weeks. My partner and I will be spending most of our time there and in the nearby Bute Park (when weather allows). So when we first arrived in Cardiff one of the first things we did was go find this little cupcake shop one of the girls had heard about online. There we found a sweet girl that worked there! We instantly developed a relationship with her and have really enjoyed hanging out with her and trying her tasty delicacies! So now that I am in City Center every day I have really tried to make a point to further develop my personal relationship with her, especially since she is my age and has just graduated from University this past week so we have a lot in common! In honor of her graduation and our new "home" we invited her over for dinner last night and I really enjoyed getting to sit down and just talk to her and really have some serious discussion with her. It was encouraging to finally see a solid relationship start to form as I have been kind of discouraged at my lack of friendships outside of our group thus far in the trip, simply because we haven't had much consistency or routine in where we spend our time.
On top of that I got to start one of the things I have been most looking forward to on this trip this week... Conversation Club! 3 days a week (MWF) several of us will be going to the office of the business we are partnering with here that teaches ASL to 3 Saudi Arabian men and one Spanish lady. This week I got to know the girl from Spain and have found another great friendship there as well! First of all, the fact that I would come to Cardiff and be put in a situation where they tell me my job is to teach English to someone who speaks Spanish is just Father's sense of humor! We have an instant bond because of my love for her language and her intense desire to learn mine and we are both learning from each other. I was so encouraged yesterday as I saw Father using the gifts and love of languages to really develop a trust and grow a relationship with this girl. Then today we went on a little field trip with the 4 students to St. Fagans, a historical welsh museum of sorts. I got to hang out with my new Spanish friend all day long and also was able to develop a bit of a friendship with a couple of the Saudi guys as well. I am really loving this opportunity to be used by Father and ask that you pr that He would continue to give me wisdom in my ability to help them and thereby earn their trust and friendship!
So please be pring for my relationship with this darling little cupcake maker and my new Spanish friend. Pr that I will be able to show them both that I genuinely want to get to know them and convey not only my love but Father's love as well. Be pring for opportunities to share my own story with them as I try to learn about theirs. I am so excited and anxious to move forward with both these relationships and am pring that Father would just give me the timing and discernment in developing both friendships!
This next week we will be doing a lot of preparation for our "one-weekers" that will be arriving on the 19th so please be pring for safe travels for them overseas and through customs. Be pring that Father would be preparing their hearts now, that He would be drawing them close to Him and forcing them to rely on Him even now. Pr that they (and me) would be filled with and receptive to the promptings of the Spirit so that they may not waste a single moment of their week here in Cardiff.
I still can't believe I've been here for almost 3 weeks, which means my time is almost halfway up! It only gives me more urgency in the work that is to be done here because our time is so short! I appreciate all your Prs and thank you for your support! I love hearing from you all and apologize if I don't respond... please know that is a great encouragement we just have such limited time on the Internet that I don't have time to reply to all the emails individually! Love you all and would love to know how I can be Pring for you all while I'm here so shoot me and email and let me know how you are doing and how I can Pr for you as well!
Much love! Cheers! :)
Saturday, July 2, 2011
I've Got a Jar of Dirt!!!
For those of you who have been following the Pirates of the Caribbean craze that has recently resurfaced with the release of the 4th movie you will probably remember from the 2nd movie when Captain Jack Sparrow is trying to escape the dreaded Davy Jones who can only come on land once every 10 years so he finds his comfort in carrying around a jar of dirt thinking it will protect him. If you remember the movie I'm sure you'll remember the sing song way that he runs around saying "I've got a jar of diiirt!" There are many analogies and parallels that can be made from this story but the other day as we were having a teaching time with our M he was talking to us about the seasons of sharing the Gspl. and we were talking about Sowing. He made the point that you can't Harvest if you don't do the tedious work of Plowing and Sowing first and one of our guys said it reminded him of the Jar of Dirt scene. After we all got a good laugh at that he explained that it was because just like Jack was foolish for carrying a jar of dirt around thinking it would magically produce the same kind of protection he would have on dry land, we are foolish for thinking that if we plow the ground that we will magically reap a harvest without sowing. We have been discussing the whole Plowing, Sowing, and Reaping seasons and talking about how they are all pointless without the others and how they need to be done in the right order. It has been so encouraging for me to think about the importance of the plowing stage we are in now. Especially when it gets difficult to keep PRing and it starts to feel like we are getting nowhere. Father has been reminding me that Plowing is an essential step in the process and that we can't reap a harvest without first plowing and softening the ground and then sowing seeds and tending them.... only then can a harvest be reaped.
One of the coolest things for me so far has been the day we went to the Mosque. A couple of days ago we went to a local Mosque and got to talk to an Imam as he explained the Islamic faith. I admittedly have been rather ignorant of the Islamic faith up until now so it was extremely enlightening for me to realize just how much our faiths have in common. Almost all of their prophets are our old testament stories and prophets. The enemy only has to twist the one fact about JC and he creates an entirely different religion based on works instead of grace and that makes all the difference. Father has really been laying the Muslim people on my heart over the last week and I am very excited at the possibility of getting to establish relationships with some and learning even more about their religion.
Over the last few days we have continued going around to our 5 different Trek sights and PR walking and exploring the areas a little bit more. It has been great to get to PR over the different areas and finding the place that we feel Father wants us to be focusing on over the summer. Hopefully sometime this weekend our Team Leader will announce which area each of us is going to be in and I will try to update again once we find out so y'all can be in PR about that area specifically. For now if you could be PRing that Father would be softening the hearts of the people who He will put into our paths over the course of the summer.
Another big thing you can be PRing about has just come up here this evening. One of the guys on our team called home and found out that his grandfather that has cancer is in the hospital and things are not looking good. Please PR for my teammate, Ryan, and his family that he will be able to stay focused and not be distracted by what's going on at home and stay strong in what Father is wanting to do through him this summer.
Father has really been teaching and growing me and my team in so many ways already in the week and a half we have been here but the enemy is trying so hard to distract and discourage each of us. In some ways that is encouraging because I know that means that we are a threat to him but we still need to dig in to the word and trust in Father to be our strength right now.
Thank you all for your Prs and support. I have loved getting emails and encouragement from so many of y'all... it makes my day every time I get on and see emails from back home. The next passage I would ask you to look up and Pr for me and my team is Ephesians 6:18-20. I love that these verses follow the passage about the armor of Father because that passage has whole new meaning for me now as I have experience spiritual warfare on this trip in ways that I never have before. So knowing that I am attempting to clothe myself every day with the armor of the Father, Pr that Pr for me. Love and miss you all! :)
One of the coolest things for me so far has been the day we went to the Mosque. A couple of days ago we went to a local Mosque and got to talk to an Imam as he explained the Islamic faith. I admittedly have been rather ignorant of the Islamic faith up until now so it was extremely enlightening for me to realize just how much our faiths have in common. Almost all of their prophets are our old testament stories and prophets. The enemy only has to twist the one fact about JC and he creates an entirely different religion based on works instead of grace and that makes all the difference. Father has really been laying the Muslim people on my heart over the last week and I am very excited at the possibility of getting to establish relationships with some and learning even more about their religion.
Over the last few days we have continued going around to our 5 different Trek sights and PR walking and exploring the areas a little bit more. It has been great to get to PR over the different areas and finding the place that we feel Father wants us to be focusing on over the summer. Hopefully sometime this weekend our Team Leader will announce which area each of us is going to be in and I will try to update again once we find out so y'all can be in PR about that area specifically. For now if you could be PRing that Father would be softening the hearts of the people who He will put into our paths over the course of the summer.
Another big thing you can be PRing about has just come up here this evening. One of the guys on our team called home and found out that his grandfather that has cancer is in the hospital and things are not looking good. Please PR for my teammate, Ryan, and his family that he will be able to stay focused and not be distracted by what's going on at home and stay strong in what Father is wanting to do through him this summer.
Father has really been teaching and growing me and my team in so many ways already in the week and a half we have been here but the enemy is trying so hard to distract and discourage each of us. In some ways that is encouraging because I know that means that we are a threat to him but we still need to dig in to the word and trust in Father to be our strength right now.
Thank you all for your Prs and support. I have loved getting emails and encouragement from so many of y'all... it makes my day every time I get on and see emails from back home. The next passage I would ask you to look up and Pr for me and my team is Ephesians 6:18-20. I love that these verses follow the passage about the armor of Father because that passage has whole new meaning for me now as I have experience spiritual warfare on this trip in ways that I never have before. So knowing that I am attempting to clothe myself every day with the armor of the Father, Pr that Pr for me. Love and miss you all! :)
Monday, June 27, 2011
Becoming a Cardiffian
Well... yesterday we had a "heat warning" over the city of Cardiff complete with a heat stroke emergency number in case you can't handle the heat. The high today was about 26 degrees Celsius which roughly translates into about 80 degrees Fahrenheit... I laughed. I have however been able to accomplish some semblance of and idea of how to get around Cardiff over the last couple days and am at least under the delusion that I look and feel more British than I was when I got here! haha! I am starting to fall in love with this city more and more each day as Father is breaking my heart for these people! Father has really started convicting me of the sense of urgency that we should have when it comes to sharing His story. There is a city full of people that are desperately looking for something to fill the void and emptiness in their life and I have access to answer so why am I not out there spending every waking moment trying to tell them?
Today was one of the neatest days for me so far because I finally got to start a relationship! We went to an area that I hadn't gotten to go to yet but that teams have spent time at in the past and met a man who, for the sake of this blog, is named Ishmael. He is an African who owns a restaurant here in Cardiff and he is absolutely hysterical! First of all the fact that I have found an African here in Cardiff is providence but I really hope to be able to continue to grow my friendship with Ishmael over the next few weeks! Then tonight we went to an area of Cardiff called Butetown that is a mainly Islamic community and had dinner with a friend of the M there. We were able to ask him a lot of questions about his religion and it really was very interesting. Tomorrow we are going to a Mosque and we will get the chance to really learn a lot more about the religion that so many of the people we are coming into contact with believe.
The other day I found a verse that really sums up what I would like you to be Pring for me and my group. It's Colossians 4:2-6. I beg you to go and look it up and really Pr what Paul asks the Colossians to Pr for him about and then what he asks them to do themselves... that is my Pr for myself and our group as well. Within the next few days we will be selecting which area we will each be focusing on specifically and I ask you to Pr that Father will place me in the area that he wants me in and will allow me to learn that area quickly and establish relationships. Be Pring that Father would continue to speak to me and grow and stretch me as he has been doing enormously over the last few days and that our team would continue to be disciplined and use our time effectively and how and where Father wants us! I thank you for your Prs and I know that Father is listening to them and answering them!
Please feel free to email me at Kara_LeTournea@baylor.edu if you have any questions or want more details about anything. I would love to hear from friends and family from back home as that is very encouraging for me! I love you all and miss you greatly but Father is working here and I can feel it!
Today was one of the neatest days for me so far because I finally got to start a relationship! We went to an area that I hadn't gotten to go to yet but that teams have spent time at in the past and met a man who, for the sake of this blog, is named Ishmael. He is an African who owns a restaurant here in Cardiff and he is absolutely hysterical! First of all the fact that I have found an African here in Cardiff is providence but I really hope to be able to continue to grow my friendship with Ishmael over the next few weeks! Then tonight we went to an area of Cardiff called Butetown that is a mainly Islamic community and had dinner with a friend of the M there. We were able to ask him a lot of questions about his religion and it really was very interesting. Tomorrow we are going to a Mosque and we will get the chance to really learn a lot more about the religion that so many of the people we are coming into contact with believe.
The other day I found a verse that really sums up what I would like you to be Pring for me and my group. It's Colossians 4:2-6. I beg you to go and look it up and really Pr what Paul asks the Colossians to Pr for him about and then what he asks them to do themselves... that is my Pr for myself and our group as well. Within the next few days we will be selecting which area we will each be focusing on specifically and I ask you to Pr that Father will place me in the area that he wants me in and will allow me to learn that area quickly and establish relationships. Be Pring that Father would continue to speak to me and grow and stretch me as he has been doing enormously over the last few days and that our team would continue to be disciplined and use our time effectively and how and where Father wants us! I thank you for your Prs and I know that Father is listening to them and answering them!
Please feel free to email me at Kara_LeTournea@baylor.edu if you have any questions or want more details about anything. I would love to hear from friends and family from back home as that is very encouraging for me! I love you all and miss you greatly but Father is working here and I can feel it!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Helloo Wales!
Well friends and family... I made it! After an amazing but grueling Base Camp followed by a long flight and an interesting bus ride (on the Left side of the road!) I'm finally in Cardiff! The best part so far would have to be a 3 way tie between the 60 degree weather, our M's 3 beautiful little girls, and being surrounded by British accents! We survived the iGosian Base Camp which was incredibly challenging but I grew a lot closer to Father and my team throughout the weekend. Our team already feels like family and we have had more laughs and jokes in the last 5 days than I thought was possible but intermixed between all the laughter has been some genuine sharing and encouragement. I am surrounded by 10 wonderful brothers and sisters in JC who I know will keep my accountable and walk beside me through whatever comes this summer. We are getting along so well and I can already see deep friendships growing with several of them.
I am so excited to be in the UK and driving across the country side from London to Cardiff I was in awe of the beauty that I saw. It was like scenery from a movie only I am actually here and I can't believe it! I don't know how people could live here and see the beauty of this country and not believe in the Father. Just walking down the street you can feel the difference between the coldness here and the southern hospitality of Texas and it only makes me more excited to get busy on tilling the soil here... no matter how hard it is! On the bus on the way to Cardiff today I was reading one of my novels and was thinking about 1Cor 13:1 that talks about how we can speak beautifully, have incredible faith, and give everything we have to the poor but if we don't have love then it means nothing. I was thinking about that and realized that I could have the best intentions for this summer, have the most eloquent words, and great conversations but if I don't show the Love of JC to these people then it will mean nothing. My prayer as I drove into the city was that Father would give me a love for these people that would be so evident through every conversation that I have.
Well, several of my teammates are waiting for me to head back to the hostel we're staying at so I should probably get going! I will try to keep this updated as much as possible but wanted to let everyone know that I have gotten to Wales successfully and am doing well! Much love to everyone... send me an email or post a comment because I would love to hear from y'all as I'm sure I will be getting homesick!
In His Service,
Kara
I am so excited to be in the UK and driving across the country side from London to Cardiff I was in awe of the beauty that I saw. It was like scenery from a movie only I am actually here and I can't believe it! I don't know how people could live here and see the beauty of this country and not believe in the Father. Just walking down the street you can feel the difference between the coldness here and the southern hospitality of Texas and it only makes me more excited to get busy on tilling the soil here... no matter how hard it is! On the bus on the way to Cardiff today I was reading one of my novels and was thinking about 1Cor 13:1 that talks about how we can speak beautifully, have incredible faith, and give everything we have to the poor but if we don't have love then it means nothing. I was thinking about that and realized that I could have the best intentions for this summer, have the most eloquent words, and great conversations but if I don't show the Love of JC to these people then it will mean nothing. My prayer as I drove into the city was that Father would give me a love for these people that would be so evident through every conversation that I have.
Well, several of my teammates are waiting for me to head back to the hostel we're staying at so I should probably get going! I will try to keep this updated as much as possible but wanted to let everyone know that I have gotten to Wales successfully and am doing well! Much love to everyone... send me an email or post a comment because I would love to hear from y'all as I'm sure I will be getting homesick!
In His Service,
Kara
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Ghana... Take 2!
Hello everyone,
Well I'm sorry I haven't been posting anything on here yet... life has been kinda crazy as I'm sure many of you can relate to! I just wanted to give a brief update of the Ghana trip that I went on at the end of May and let ya'll know what's going on with the Wales trip!
First things first... Ghana. The trip was incredible, as anyone from my choir (Baylor Religious Hour or BRH) will tell you. Father did some incredible things both in and through us during the 10 days we were there. First of all for those who may not know what BRH is about, we are a choir that is made up of students from every organization, major, and walk of life all united by one passion: worshiping the Father through song. We travel around Texas singing at Chs on the weekends during the school year and then every May we go on a M trip. This year, because I knew I was looking at going on a longer trip with iGo, I didn't think I would be able to go on the BRH trip. So when they announced that the choir would be going to Ghana I literally felt like someone had sucker punched me in the gut because I had been wanting to go back to Ghana since I went there for my first M trip in 2005! But through Father opening door after door and lining up everything just perfectly I was able to go to Ghana with the choir and it was such a blessing!
While we were in Ghana we teamed up with a Ghanian choir called the Excellent Youth Outreach Choir (or EYO) and an organization based in Chicago called One Way Ministries. Within the first couple of days we recorded a CD featuring both choirs using One Way's studio in Accra and once that CD has been finalized and produced we will be able to sell it both her and in Ghana and all proceeds will go back to One Way to help them further their ministry there in Ghana. If you are interested in buying one of these CDs let me know and I will contact you once they are available.
We also traveled around to various schools, orphanages, and Chs with the EYO choir singing and playing games with kids and holding concerts. It was really cool for us to learn some of their songs both in English and their native language of Twi (pronounced more like Tree) and they really enjoyed learning a couple of our songs as well. One of the most profound things I heard on the trip that I felt really described our time there with the EYO choir was "If you play on a piano you can use only the white keys and make music, or you can use just the black keys and make music... but it's when you combine them both that you make the most beautiful music of all." That perfectly defines what we experienced in our partnership with EYO! And not just in the quality of music we produced but in the quality of fellowship with each other and the quality of growth in our relationship with the Father.
Both choirs learned more from each other than we ever imagined we could or would and it was so encouraging! For me, my relationships with several members of EYO taught me about the Power and Authority of the Father and how that power and authority are available and active in our lives. They challenged me think differently about the HS as well. In the past I realized I tended to view the HS as hardly more than my conscience or moral compass, or as the Newsboys song says, "a Circuit Judge in the brain". But I realized that He is so much more than that! He is the key to us being able to access the power and authority the Father promises us through JC! The other major thing the EYO challenged me with was a continued and renewed passion for the lost. The members of EYO live their lives day-in and day-out looking for ways to add to the Kingdom and reach the world for JC and it is so inspiring and challenging! Needless to say, I had plenty of things to process and think through on the 16hr flight home and in the weeks since.
One thing that was unique to my experience on the trip was that this was my second time in Ghana. My first trip was 5 years during the summer of '06 and I had been dying to come back ever since. I had started getting discouraged that God kept closing the door for me to return but still felt that same small tug in my heart that I knew was the Ghanians still holding my heart and giving it a tug every now and again. Father showed me His faithfulness on this trip not only by allowing me to come back to Ghana but by allowing me to see 2 of my friends that I had made when I was there 5 years ago. I have kept in touch with a couple of them and really furthered and grown our friendship through emails and facebook and such and getting to see them while I was there was an answer to Pr for me! I remember journaling and telling my mom when I was there last time that I just wished that my American family and my Ghanian family could intersect and I could have both at the same time but admitting that I knew that wouldn't happen until we get to Hvn. Well the theme for our BRH trip this year was "Someday" based off a song we sing about what Hvn will be like and rooted in the idea that whether or not we ever see some of the people we came into contact with on this trip again on this earth we WILL see them in Hvn someday. Father gave me a taste of that in getting to see my friends again after 5 years of longing, and it just made me all the more anxious for the day when we are all reunited in glory! I hope I will have the opportunity to return to Ghana again but regardless of whether that is the Father's will for me or not I know that I will have a joyous reunion with all of my Ghanian friends Someday in Hvn; and that is a comfort to me.
So that was my Ghana trip... now about Wales. I leave for Base Camp on Saturday the 18th and will be there until Tuesday the 21st when we fly to London! Base Camp is an iGosian Rite of Passage that is shrouded in mystery and suspense. I have heard many a story about the infamous Base Camp and the legendary training that goes on there but have yet to experience it myself. I know that I will receive some of the most intense and thorough training for my trip that I will probably ever receive but everyone I talk to has said that they are so grateful for what they learn at Base Camp. So going into this I'm slightly nervous but extremely excited! If you would like to be Pring for me over the next couple days I would ask that you Pr for calmed nerves as I am starting to realize the magnitude of the trip I'm about to take. Pr for continued focus on the Father and His Word. And lastly you can Pr for finances... I still owe $490 for this trip that I am trusting that the Father will somehow provide in the next 4 days. As several of my friends reminded me recently: we serve a Father who is in the business of working miracles, and he likes to do them at the last minute! I think the reason He likes to wait till the last min is because then we can't take the credit for it because it's obvious that it was only because of Him. If you would like to be a part of the way He provides this miracle let me know and I can tell you how you can do that. Also if you would like to subscribe to this blog I believe by clicking the link that says Follow. Or you can send me an email at Kara_LeTourneau@baylor.edu and I will send you and email notification when I have a new post. I will try to post as often as possible while I'm gone but I've been told to have low expectations as far as internet access is concerned.
I thank you all for the support and encouragement you've been to me throughout this whole process. I know that we serve a mighty Father who has bigger plans than I can imagine for this summer and I can't wait to find out what they are!
Well I'm sorry I haven't been posting anything on here yet... life has been kinda crazy as I'm sure many of you can relate to! I just wanted to give a brief update of the Ghana trip that I went on at the end of May and let ya'll know what's going on with the Wales trip!
First things first... Ghana. The trip was incredible, as anyone from my choir (Baylor Religious Hour or BRH) will tell you. Father did some incredible things both in and through us during the 10 days we were there. First of all for those who may not know what BRH is about, we are a choir that is made up of students from every organization, major, and walk of life all united by one passion: worshiping the Father through song. We travel around Texas singing at Chs on the weekends during the school year and then every May we go on a M trip. This year, because I knew I was looking at going on a longer trip with iGo, I didn't think I would be able to go on the BRH trip. So when they announced that the choir would be going to Ghana I literally felt like someone had sucker punched me in the gut because I had been wanting to go back to Ghana since I went there for my first M trip in 2005! But through Father opening door after door and lining up everything just perfectly I was able to go to Ghana with the choir and it was such a blessing!
While we were in Ghana we teamed up with a Ghanian choir called the Excellent Youth Outreach Choir (or EYO) and an organization based in Chicago called One Way Ministries. Within the first couple of days we recorded a CD featuring both choirs using One Way's studio in Accra and once that CD has been finalized and produced we will be able to sell it both her and in Ghana and all proceeds will go back to One Way to help them further their ministry there in Ghana. If you are interested in buying one of these CDs let me know and I will contact you once they are available.
We also traveled around to various schools, orphanages, and Chs with the EYO choir singing and playing games with kids and holding concerts. It was really cool for us to learn some of their songs both in English and their native language of Twi (pronounced more like Tree) and they really enjoyed learning a couple of our songs as well. One of the most profound things I heard on the trip that I felt really described our time there with the EYO choir was "If you play on a piano you can use only the white keys and make music, or you can use just the black keys and make music... but it's when you combine them both that you make the most beautiful music of all." That perfectly defines what we experienced in our partnership with EYO! And not just in the quality of music we produced but in the quality of fellowship with each other and the quality of growth in our relationship with the Father.
Both choirs learned more from each other than we ever imagined we could or would and it was so encouraging! For me, my relationships with several members of EYO taught me about the Power and Authority of the Father and how that power and authority are available and active in our lives. They challenged me think differently about the HS as well. In the past I realized I tended to view the HS as hardly more than my conscience or moral compass, or as the Newsboys song says, "a Circuit Judge in the brain". But I realized that He is so much more than that! He is the key to us being able to access the power and authority the Father promises us through JC! The other major thing the EYO challenged me with was a continued and renewed passion for the lost. The members of EYO live their lives day-in and day-out looking for ways to add to the Kingdom and reach the world for JC and it is so inspiring and challenging! Needless to say, I had plenty of things to process and think through on the 16hr flight home and in the weeks since.
One thing that was unique to my experience on the trip was that this was my second time in Ghana. My first trip was 5 years during the summer of '06 and I had been dying to come back ever since. I had started getting discouraged that God kept closing the door for me to return but still felt that same small tug in my heart that I knew was the Ghanians still holding my heart and giving it a tug every now and again. Father showed me His faithfulness on this trip not only by allowing me to come back to Ghana but by allowing me to see 2 of my friends that I had made when I was there 5 years ago. I have kept in touch with a couple of them and really furthered and grown our friendship through emails and facebook and such and getting to see them while I was there was an answer to Pr for me! I remember journaling and telling my mom when I was there last time that I just wished that my American family and my Ghanian family could intersect and I could have both at the same time but admitting that I knew that wouldn't happen until we get to Hvn. Well the theme for our BRH trip this year was "Someday" based off a song we sing about what Hvn will be like and rooted in the idea that whether or not we ever see some of the people we came into contact with on this trip again on this earth we WILL see them in Hvn someday. Father gave me a taste of that in getting to see my friends again after 5 years of longing, and it just made me all the more anxious for the day when we are all reunited in glory! I hope I will have the opportunity to return to Ghana again but regardless of whether that is the Father's will for me or not I know that I will have a joyous reunion with all of my Ghanian friends Someday in Hvn; and that is a comfort to me.
So that was my Ghana trip... now about Wales. I leave for Base Camp on Saturday the 18th and will be there until Tuesday the 21st when we fly to London! Base Camp is an iGosian Rite of Passage that is shrouded in mystery and suspense. I have heard many a story about the infamous Base Camp and the legendary training that goes on there but have yet to experience it myself. I know that I will receive some of the most intense and thorough training for my trip that I will probably ever receive but everyone I talk to has said that they are so grateful for what they learn at Base Camp. So going into this I'm slightly nervous but extremely excited! If you would like to be Pring for me over the next couple days I would ask that you Pr for calmed nerves as I am starting to realize the magnitude of the trip I'm about to take. Pr for continued focus on the Father and His Word. And lastly you can Pr for finances... I still owe $490 for this trip that I am trusting that the Father will somehow provide in the next 4 days. As several of my friends reminded me recently: we serve a Father who is in the business of working miracles, and he likes to do them at the last minute! I think the reason He likes to wait till the last min is because then we can't take the credit for it because it's obvious that it was only because of Him. If you would like to be a part of the way He provides this miracle let me know and I can tell you how you can do that. Also if you would like to subscribe to this blog I believe by clicking the link that says Follow. Or you can send me an email at Kara_LeTourneau@baylor.edu and I will send you and email notification when I have a new post. I will try to post as often as possible while I'm gone but I've been told to have low expectations as far as internet access is concerned.
I thank you all for the support and encouragement you've been to me throughout this whole process. I know that we serve a mighty Father who has bigger plans than I can imagine for this summer and I can't wait to find out what they are!
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