Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" - Isaiah 6:8, NIV
This verse has been stirring in my heart the last few days. It's a verse I've heard dozens of times, in fact, it is one of my favorites. A friend of mine even played a Christian rap song over the weekend that had some of these words in it!
On this missions eve, 3 days before our team leaves for Damascus, Syria, I have been surrounded by messages of getting out there and actually doing something for Christ. This has provided even further confirmation that I am indeed being called to spread His word and love in Syria.
Our single life pastor (who is also on the trip to Syria) gave a message one Sunday not long ago about what it meant to"do something." These two simple words are answer to a million different questions. They have stuck with me like feathers on tar.
When you were a small child and you felt like the world was too much; or when you were scared of a thunderstorm; or maybe if you couldn't handle a problem; or maybe you were fighting over toys with your siblings; what would you often say to a parent or guardian? "Do Something! .....Mom, Dad, please do something!"
Friends, I feel like in this world with all its turmoil and strife, we are being told to "do something."
I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. - Philemon 1:6, NIV
In 72 hours, our team will be meeting at the church to go to Syria. We are going to "do something." We have prepared, we have studied His word, we have prayed, and now we are doing something. I'm at total peace. Some people have even asked me, "Aren't you afraid of going over there?" and you know, I'm more afraid of not going, than actually going. In fact, I'm not fearful at all. I even ask that in place of praying for security and saftey, that you pray for God to give us wisdom in the event of a hostile situation arising. Wisdom to handle the situation so that He may be glorified no matter what happens.
I firmly believe one can spend their life in bible studying, and may never achieve actual "bible doing." We can sit on a pew every Sunday getting fed a message, a sermon, full of God's word....just getting fat. Fat on God's word. Sitting there with a "feed me" attitude, then leave and go about our week without ever actually sharing the love that is Christ with anyone. Are we not to spread His love and His good news?
As an editor, I'm in the media and information providing business. The definition of news is something someone has not heard before, it is "new" to them. Even if not recent, if someone has not heard it before, the information is considered news. Are you spreading the news of our Savior? There are millions of people on this planet who have not heard about the news of Jesus Christ. In God's word, the non-negotiable command is clear:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. - Matthew 28:19-20, NIV
No nation is exempt from this command. Are you doing something? or are you getting "fat" on God's word and not sharing it?
I heard a quote once, "Go, send, or disobey." - John Piper, regarding the Great Commission.
Friends, we have one life. How you spend it is ultimately up to you. You can choose to glorify God with your life, or you can choose to serve yourself. At the end of your life, when you stand before God, can you say that you did something? Will you hear Jesus say to you.....
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! - Matthew 25:21, NIV
Our Savior chose to die on the cross for us; to cleanse us of our sins. Our sin held Him there. Your name is right up there on that cross next to mine, and so is the homeless guy on the street. We are all not that different. Will you do something? Will you go for Him? Will you send someone for Him? Where is your heart?
One of the quickest ways to see where your priorities are is to open up your planner and open up your checkbook. Where are you spending your time and where are you spending your money? That is where your heart is. God cares more about your heart than anything else. What are you doing for God? "Do something."
Don't let circumstances stand in your way, God will take care of that - He wants to take care of it for you, just choose Him. Choose to glorify Him. Let go of everything that is hindering you, and do something. Get out there. Stop talking about it. Stop saying one day you will get around to it.Stop saying, "when I have the money..." - you can do something now. Stop saying, "when I get this right...." - God can use you now.Stop making excuses. Do something.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31, NIV
All for the glory of God. All. Are you doing everything for His glory? Why not?
I know you can do something to glorify God. I know you can give God your everything - you can give Him all of you, let Him be the absolute center of your life, and not just something you dabble in on Sundays to make yourself feel good. I know God is faithful, and He will prepare you. He will equip you to what He is calling you to do. I'm praying so deeply for you my friends, get out there and do something for Jesus.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" - Isaiah 6:8, NIV
Thank you for your prayers as well, truly. I will be praying for you while I am in Syria. :-)
<><
Kay
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Pool Time: Interrupted
This past Easter weekend, aside from "church-going" activities, I had the amazing pleasure of having pool time with friends. Just me, the pool, a group of awesome friends, some music, some food, and outstanding weather. Such a blessing!
I was laying ever so peacefully on one of the recliner pool chairs, soaking up the sun and enjoying God's blessings outdoors, to which I noticed I needed to throw away a napkin I had used during lunch - keep in mind the trash can was maybe 5 feet from my chair. I got up, and just as I turn around, I get rushed by a friend and tossed into the freezing cold pool, without warning.
This was incredibly humorous for my friends and innocent by-standers who were also touched by the cannonball-like splash. I have to admit, I chuckled in the fun and games - BUT......I was freezing, drenched, not looking or feeling like myself - as just moments prior, I was warm and comfortable, lounging like a princess on a clean chair on the side of the pool.
Of course, this teasing and tossing me into the pool was not an isolated event, as it happened several more times before we all called it a day. Once I got home, I immediately hopped in the shower to become clean from all the chlorine; to get warm in the hot water; to use soap instead of being covered by leaves/bugs floating around in the pool; and to eventually wrap myself in warm pajamas and hop into my warm bed.
I thought about this for a while, and it occurred to me.......
How often do we try to wash ourselves clean with something else other than Christ?
At the pool, I was thrown into the pool several times by friends. Chlorine water can never substitute the crystal clean purified water coming from my faucet. The freezing chlorine water was all over me, along with leaves and bugs, and had left me a mess.
How often does the substitute we use as Christ to "clean" ourselves leave us a mess?
It does not ultimately comfort us. It leaves us with a cheap imitation, which can leave us looking nothing like ourselves - just like what had happened to me when I wound up in the pool. I had leaves and bugs stuck to me, just like sin tries to entangle us, even though I had already gotten out of the pool.
How often does our stumble, or our attempt to wash ourselves "clean" of a false Christ happen due to the great persuasion of friends?
In Truth, the people you know as "friends" who sway you to jump into anything else for comfort except Christ, are NOT your friends. But much like freezing cold pool water, once you jump in it enough, you will think it is comfortable. The freezing cold feeling becomes numb, and you become fine with it. It will seem no different to you than regular temperature water.
Stop jumping in the cold pool water. Stop letting your friends throw you or persuade you into the freezing chlorinated pool water, which can make you sick if you lived off of only chlorine water. You can only drink and bathe in chlorine water for so long until it kills you.
This may be "Too Much Information" - but one of my favorite things to do is to pray in the shower. I pray out loud, by myself, no one can hear me except myself and my King. Sometimes I even get on my knees, completely pure as God's creation, letting Him wash me clean in His grace and forgiveness. No one else may hear my cry, but in that exact depth of prayer, I know He does.
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6:6, NIV
I let the pure water from my shower head wash me clean of all the chlorine, the bugs, the leaves, the freezing cold feeling as the hot water poured over me. Afterwards,I looked and felt like myself again.
Isn't it like that when we let Christ wash over us? He washes us clean with Himself.
The issue is: I know the difference between chlorine water and pure water untainted by chlorine. Not everyone knows the difference. Do you? Do you know the difference of being washed by Christ? Or have you been wading in the chlorinated pool for so long you no longer know the difference? You may have become used to the cold chlorine water.
Our identity truly only comes from Christ. In order to know why we are here on this earth, in order to truly know who we are - we must know who we are IN HIM. We must let Jesus Christ wash us clean of ALL of our sins. Let His grace and forgiveness pour over you, clean you.
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. - John 7:38, NIV
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. - Revelation 7:17, NIV
No sin is too great for Jesus to wash clean. He can wash you white as snow. Just ask Him. Don't go into the chlorine pool water anymore, even if you still think it is comfortable. Stop settling for less than the beautiful spring of living clean water that He can wash you with. He loves you, and His arms are open for you - jump in.
Your true friends will be the ones offering you His clean pure living water. You are my friend, share in the clean living water of Jesus Christ that has washed me clean. I am praying for you!
<><
Kay
I was laying ever so peacefully on one of the recliner pool chairs, soaking up the sun and enjoying God's blessings outdoors, to which I noticed I needed to throw away a napkin I had used during lunch - keep in mind the trash can was maybe 5 feet from my chair. I got up, and just as I turn around, I get rushed by a friend and tossed into the freezing cold pool, without warning.
This was incredibly humorous for my friends and innocent by-standers who were also touched by the cannonball-like splash. I have to admit, I chuckled in the fun and games - BUT......I was freezing, drenched, not looking or feeling like myself - as just moments prior, I was warm and comfortable, lounging like a princess on a clean chair on the side of the pool.
Of course, this teasing and tossing me into the pool was not an isolated event, as it happened several more times before we all called it a day. Once I got home, I immediately hopped in the shower to become clean from all the chlorine; to get warm in the hot water; to use soap instead of being covered by leaves/bugs floating around in the pool; and to eventually wrap myself in warm pajamas and hop into my warm bed.
I thought about this for a while, and it occurred to me.......
How often do we try to wash ourselves clean with something else other than Christ?
At the pool, I was thrown into the pool several times by friends. Chlorine water can never substitute the crystal clean purified water coming from my faucet. The freezing chlorine water was all over me, along with leaves and bugs, and had left me a mess.
How often does the substitute we use as Christ to "clean" ourselves leave us a mess?
It does not ultimately comfort us. It leaves us with a cheap imitation, which can leave us looking nothing like ourselves - just like what had happened to me when I wound up in the pool. I had leaves and bugs stuck to me, just like sin tries to entangle us, even though I had already gotten out of the pool.
How often does our stumble, or our attempt to wash ourselves "clean" of a false Christ happen due to the great persuasion of friends?
In Truth, the people you know as "friends" who sway you to jump into anything else for comfort except Christ, are NOT your friends. But much like freezing cold pool water, once you jump in it enough, you will think it is comfortable. The freezing cold feeling becomes numb, and you become fine with it. It will seem no different to you than regular temperature water.
Stop jumping in the cold pool water. Stop letting your friends throw you or persuade you into the freezing chlorinated pool water, which can make you sick if you lived off of only chlorine water. You can only drink and bathe in chlorine water for so long until it kills you.
This may be "Too Much Information" - but one of my favorite things to do is to pray in the shower. I pray out loud, by myself, no one can hear me except myself and my King. Sometimes I even get on my knees, completely pure as God's creation, letting Him wash me clean in His grace and forgiveness. No one else may hear my cry, but in that exact depth of prayer, I know He does.
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6:6, NIV
I let the pure water from my shower head wash me clean of all the chlorine, the bugs, the leaves, the freezing cold feeling as the hot water poured over me. Afterwards,I looked and felt like myself again.
Isn't it like that when we let Christ wash over us? He washes us clean with Himself.
The issue is: I know the difference between chlorine water and pure water untainted by chlorine. Not everyone knows the difference. Do you? Do you know the difference of being washed by Christ? Or have you been wading in the chlorinated pool for so long you no longer know the difference? You may have become used to the cold chlorine water.
Our identity truly only comes from Christ. In order to know why we are here on this earth, in order to truly know who we are - we must know who we are IN HIM. We must let Jesus Christ wash us clean of ALL of our sins. Let His grace and forgiveness pour over you, clean you.
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. - John 7:38, NIV
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. - Revelation 7:17, NIV
No sin is too great for Jesus to wash clean. He can wash you white as snow. Just ask Him. Don't go into the chlorine pool water anymore, even if you still think it is comfortable. Stop settling for less than the beautiful spring of living clean water that He can wash you with. He loves you, and His arms are open for you - jump in.
Your true friends will be the ones offering you His clean pure living water. You are my friend, share in the clean living water of Jesus Christ that has washed me clean. I am praying for you!
<><
Kay
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
THAT moment!
"We don't get to choose our broken moments."
...is a quote I heard once. I can't even really tell you who said it, but it has stuck with me and remained at the forefront of my mind the last few weeks.
The stigma of brokenness drifts away the more you press into Christ. I've learned that brokenness, in its absolute state, is actually something to rejoice about. The exact moment where you lose everything and anything, including yourself, and you just aren't sure why all this pain and anguish is being heaped upon you - it may appear as though it just won't stop coming, like a flood of havoc in your life.....THAT moment, that exact moment of complete and utter emptiness is actually a glorious moment. Sounds crazy, right?
When you lose it all, including yourself, it actually allows you to find yourself - in Christ.
When I was in Cambodia, there was a 16 year old girl named Srey Mom Ly whom I befriended. Srey Mom grew up without a father and came from an incredibly tumultuous family life. Her family was extremely poor, could not afford to keep her and gave her over to an orphanage at a young age. This young woman impacted my life in a remarkable way, and watered God's seeds in my own life - and she may not even ever realize it. Srey Mom is incredibly bright and has aspirations to become a doctor, and is well on her way to doing so. Srey Mom would even humble herself and pray for the family members that abandoned her. She would pray for them to come to know Christ, for the love of Jesus to change their hearts, and for God to bless her studies so that she may help others, including her family.
When I first met Srey Mom, the first question she asked me was, "So, why do you believe in God?" This young woman left me dumbfounded, partially in the fact she asked such a deep question and additionally in that I had to really think through my answer. Srey Mom also asked this question to another team member who had a more profound answer that has not left my mind since. When asked, "So, why do you believe in God?" our team member's answer was, "...because I have no where else to go." Wow. This answer, wreaks of complete brokenness.
I thought if I had ever hit a point where I felt like I had no where else to go. I looked over events in my walk with the Lord and identified two main points in my life where I had felt completely and truly broken. The difference between the two, is that in the first one - I was not walking with the Lord. I sure thought I was, but had absolutely no clue what it truly meant or looked like, to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Sure, I went to church,prayed here and there, read the bible occasionally, but a relationship with Jesus was not reflected in the way I was living my life at all. The second point of brokenness is when I did know Jesus in a much more intimate way. That second point of brokenness is one that God allowed to empty me of myself and fill me with Himself. In both points, I had "no where else to go." The difference: in the second point of brokenness, I chose to go to God - instead of myself, or something worse.
Without question, during both times, there were days when I just wasn't sure how I would make it through. I now know that regardless of whether I was acknowledging Him or not, Jesus was carrying me. He was right there the entire time with magnificent open arms. Now that I know they are there, all the time, there is no better feeling than to embrace and be wrapped in the loving arms of Jesus Christ. It moves your heart, it changes your heart to be more like His. In brokenness, it has been emptied....let Him fill it.
I look back at the incredibly difficult times with thankfulness. "Thank you, dear amazing Father, for giving me times of complete brokenness, to rid me of myself and fill me with you," is often my prayer. In the moments I had nothing and "no where else to go," God was doing His mighty work and blessing me with unshakable identity in Him. This doesn't mean there will not be broken times ahead, in fact, I would be surprised if there were not more broken times to come. However, increasing who I am in Him just means I now know where to go when brokenness comes - God. After all, "we do not get to choose our broken moments."
Have you ever experienced true brokenness? If so, where did you turn? If you are in a state of brokenness right now, I strongly encourage you to seek our heavenly Father. Let Him wrap His loving arms around you. Know that He is carrying you. He is using this time in your life to empty you, so you can become more like Him. Complete in Him, which is such a beautiful witness of who He is in your life. Resist the temptation to turn to anything else but God, as anything else in comparison to our beloved Creator is just a cheap, temporary imitation. Our amazing Lord wants to reveal Himself in you, especially in those moments of brokenness that often hurt so badly. Let Him love you.
He must become greater; I must become less. - John 3:30. NIV
I know you can do this, just ask Him. Our heavenly Father sent His only Son to die for you, that's how much He loves you. Do you really think He would not answer you? I know God will prepare your heart for how He will answer you, I am praying for you!
<><
Kay
...is a quote I heard once. I can't even really tell you who said it, but it has stuck with me and remained at the forefront of my mind the last few weeks.
The stigma of brokenness drifts away the more you press into Christ. I've learned that brokenness, in its absolute state, is actually something to rejoice about. The exact moment where you lose everything and anything, including yourself, and you just aren't sure why all this pain and anguish is being heaped upon you - it may appear as though it just won't stop coming, like a flood of havoc in your life.....THAT moment, that exact moment of complete and utter emptiness is actually a glorious moment. Sounds crazy, right?
When you lose it all, including yourself, it actually allows you to find yourself - in Christ.
When I was in Cambodia, there was a 16 year old girl named Srey Mom Ly whom I befriended. Srey Mom grew up without a father and came from an incredibly tumultuous family life. Her family was extremely poor, could not afford to keep her and gave her over to an orphanage at a young age. This young woman impacted my life in a remarkable way, and watered God's seeds in my own life - and she may not even ever realize it. Srey Mom is incredibly bright and has aspirations to become a doctor, and is well on her way to doing so. Srey Mom would even humble herself and pray for the family members that abandoned her. She would pray for them to come to know Christ, for the love of Jesus to change their hearts, and for God to bless her studies so that she may help others, including her family.
When I first met Srey Mom, the first question she asked me was, "So, why do you believe in God?" This young woman left me dumbfounded, partially in the fact she asked such a deep question and additionally in that I had to really think through my answer. Srey Mom also asked this question to another team member who had a more profound answer that has not left my mind since. When asked, "So, why do you believe in God?" our team member's answer was, "...because I have no where else to go." Wow. This answer, wreaks of complete brokenness.
I thought if I had ever hit a point where I felt like I had no where else to go. I looked over events in my walk with the Lord and identified two main points in my life where I had felt completely and truly broken. The difference between the two, is that in the first one - I was not walking with the Lord. I sure thought I was, but had absolutely no clue what it truly meant or looked like, to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Sure, I went to church,prayed here and there, read the bible occasionally, but a relationship with Jesus was not reflected in the way I was living my life at all. The second point of brokenness is when I did know Jesus in a much more intimate way. That second point of brokenness is one that God allowed to empty me of myself and fill me with Himself. In both points, I had "no where else to go." The difference: in the second point of brokenness, I chose to go to God - instead of myself, or something worse.
Without question, during both times, there were days when I just wasn't sure how I would make it through. I now know that regardless of whether I was acknowledging Him or not, Jesus was carrying me. He was right there the entire time with magnificent open arms. Now that I know they are there, all the time, there is no better feeling than to embrace and be wrapped in the loving arms of Jesus Christ. It moves your heart, it changes your heart to be more like His. In brokenness, it has been emptied....let Him fill it.
I look back at the incredibly difficult times with thankfulness. "Thank you, dear amazing Father, for giving me times of complete brokenness, to rid me of myself and fill me with you," is often my prayer. In the moments I had nothing and "no where else to go," God was doing His mighty work and blessing me with unshakable identity in Him. This doesn't mean there will not be broken times ahead, in fact, I would be surprised if there were not more broken times to come. However, increasing who I am in Him just means I now know where to go when brokenness comes - God. After all, "we do not get to choose our broken moments."
Have you ever experienced true brokenness? If so, where did you turn? If you are in a state of brokenness right now, I strongly encourage you to seek our heavenly Father. Let Him wrap His loving arms around you. Know that He is carrying you. He is using this time in your life to empty you, so you can become more like Him. Complete in Him, which is such a beautiful witness of who He is in your life. Resist the temptation to turn to anything else but God, as anything else in comparison to our beloved Creator is just a cheap, temporary imitation. Our amazing Lord wants to reveal Himself in you, especially in those moments of brokenness that often hurt so badly. Let Him love you.
He must become greater; I must become less. - John 3:30. NIV
I know you can do this, just ask Him. Our heavenly Father sent His only Son to die for you, that's how much He loves you. Do you really think He would not answer you? I know God will prepare your heart for how He will answer you, I am praying for you!
<><
Kay
Thursday, April 2, 2009
21 Days...
...until I am on my way to Damascus, Syria.
On April 23rd, a team of 11 - myself included - will be heading to Damascus, Syria for God's glory. This trip is what most would call, a "mission trip" - to bring Iraqi refugees in Syria the gospel of Christ, show His love, be His hands and feet, and to bring them hope in Jesus.
This will actually be my second "mission trip" experience. My first mission trip was to Kampong Thom, Cambodia to work with about 60 orphans by teaching them English and also teaching them about the love of Christ. I could talk about Cambodia for hours and how God moved in our team, what He is doing in Cambodia, and even more so what God did in my own life through the small children in Cambodia.
If you've never been on an international mission, I highly recommend it - but be sure to pray about God showing you which mission, as well as where and when you should go. Truth of the matter is, we are called to go. We are called by God to go to the nations and spread His name, this is non-negotiable.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. - Matthew 28:19-20, NIV
With this in mind, one must realize we are on a mission field every minute of every day. We are called to love the unlovable, the ungrateful, the prideful; in short - we are called to love sinners. God loves the sinner, and I'm pretty glad He does because I am definitely a sinner. The beauty of God's love is that it knows no boundaries, and His love is all around us.
When going to the mission field there may be doubt in one's mind about the ability to be effective or useful - I can tell you I have shared this doubt in my own experience. I would often think to myself, "God, these people have been through so much - and I truly have nothing to complain about, how could you possibly use me?" And God, being the amazing God He is, not only uses me - but blesses me in the process. Remarkable. What a faithful God!
I once heard a quote, "It is easier to evangelize to someone who has nothing than to someone who has already been provided for..." I find this quote to be true. In the developed world, we become spoiled on what we have. However, I find that the developed world has just as many people who are "lost" as there are in the 3rd world. God is a provider, and people who have nothing see more of a reason to need Him - and to give back to Him. Isn't it ironic that some of the most under developed states/nations are often the ones who statistically give God the most? What we need to realize is that God is not only a provider of what we need to live, but He is also a faithful provider of peace, patience, love, kindness, compassion, and joy. On the mission field, God uses us to teach the developed and the under developed worlds about how faithful of a provider He really is.
I've learned that missions have nothing to do with me. Absolutely nothing. Missions have everything to do with God. I refuse to believe in myself on the mission field (which is everywhere we go), but I will believe in Him who is in me. Everywhere we go, God has the ability to sow seeds of His word through us, using us for His glory. And being used by God is such a humbling and incredible experience. Think about it, the Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings, the Amazing Almighty - is using me and you, to spread His love and His word. Wow.
For some reason, God has chosen the 11 of us to serve Him in Damascus, Syria in 3 weeks. We will be working with approximately 120-150 Iraqi refugees. These people have experienced unspeakable torture at the hands of Islamic terrorists, have lost family members, lost their homes, and have been left completely broken. We will be there to let God counsel them through us, to let God love them through us, and to give them a hope in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We will pray with them; cry with them; teach them; talk with them; hurt with them; comfort with them; just as we hope to bring them laughter, joy, smiles, hugs, friendship, love, care, compassion, encouragement, trust, and most of all - Jesus.
I humbly ask you to pray for our team, by name - Lauren Hanks, Kristin Patten, Marianne Henry, Carolyn Schroer, Graham Horton, Russell Hodges, Bill Dampier, Marcos Leon, Adam Krazer, Joun Samara, and John Card. Please pray that God's light will shine through us at every opportunity - on the airplane, at the airport, walking around the city, with the Iraqi refugees - that every moment be used to glorify Him. I deeply thank you in advance for these prayers, as I cannot even tell you how much prayer means to me.
Likewise, I encourage you to get in prayer with God about your own mission experiences. Ask Him to show you how He is using you where you are, and how He can use you more. You can also ask the Lord to speak to your heart about missions and if there is somewhere He is directing you to go for Him, and not for you. God is doing amazing work in this world, and we can all be used by Him - just ask Him, and He will show you. Be prepared for how He will answer you, His call may not always align with your own ideas. This is beauty of giving up your own desires to replace them with God's desires. God's desires will always refine us to be more like Him, and that is to be our ultimate goal. A life pleasing to God blesses us and everyone around us in return.
You can mission - anywhere at anytime - go out and have the kind of faith to live dangerously for the Kingdom of God. You can do it, I believe in Him who is in YOU! I'm praying for you!
<><
Kay
On April 23rd, a team of 11 - myself included - will be heading to Damascus, Syria for God's glory. This trip is what most would call, a "mission trip" - to bring Iraqi refugees in Syria the gospel of Christ, show His love, be His hands and feet, and to bring them hope in Jesus.
This will actually be my second "mission trip" experience. My first mission trip was to Kampong Thom, Cambodia to work with about 60 orphans by teaching them English and also teaching them about the love of Christ. I could talk about Cambodia for hours and how God moved in our team, what He is doing in Cambodia, and even more so what God did in my own life through the small children in Cambodia.
If you've never been on an international mission, I highly recommend it - but be sure to pray about God showing you which mission, as well as where and when you should go. Truth of the matter is, we are called to go. We are called by God to go to the nations and spread His name, this is non-negotiable.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. - Matthew 28:19-20, NIV
With this in mind, one must realize we are on a mission field every minute of every day. We are called to love the unlovable, the ungrateful, the prideful; in short - we are called to love sinners. God loves the sinner, and I'm pretty glad He does because I am definitely a sinner. The beauty of God's love is that it knows no boundaries, and His love is all around us.
When going to the mission field there may be doubt in one's mind about the ability to be effective or useful - I can tell you I have shared this doubt in my own experience. I would often think to myself, "God, these people have been through so much - and I truly have nothing to complain about, how could you possibly use me?" And God, being the amazing God He is, not only uses me - but blesses me in the process. Remarkable. What a faithful God!
I once heard a quote, "It is easier to evangelize to someone who has nothing than to someone who has already been provided for..." I find this quote to be true. In the developed world, we become spoiled on what we have. However, I find that the developed world has just as many people who are "lost" as there are in the 3rd world. God is a provider, and people who have nothing see more of a reason to need Him - and to give back to Him. Isn't it ironic that some of the most under developed states/nations are often the ones who statistically give God the most? What we need to realize is that God is not only a provider of what we need to live, but He is also a faithful provider of peace, patience, love, kindness, compassion, and joy. On the mission field, God uses us to teach the developed and the under developed worlds about how faithful of a provider He really is.
I've learned that missions have nothing to do with me. Absolutely nothing. Missions have everything to do with God. I refuse to believe in myself on the mission field (which is everywhere we go), but I will believe in Him who is in me. Everywhere we go, God has the ability to sow seeds of His word through us, using us for His glory. And being used by God is such a humbling and incredible experience. Think about it, the Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings, the Amazing Almighty - is using me and you, to spread His love and His word. Wow.
For some reason, God has chosen the 11 of us to serve Him in Damascus, Syria in 3 weeks. We will be working with approximately 120-150 Iraqi refugees. These people have experienced unspeakable torture at the hands of Islamic terrorists, have lost family members, lost their homes, and have been left completely broken. We will be there to let God counsel them through us, to let God love them through us, and to give them a hope in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We will pray with them; cry with them; teach them; talk with them; hurt with them; comfort with them; just as we hope to bring them laughter, joy, smiles, hugs, friendship, love, care, compassion, encouragement, trust, and most of all - Jesus.
I humbly ask you to pray for our team, by name - Lauren Hanks, Kristin Patten, Marianne Henry, Carolyn Schroer, Graham Horton, Russell Hodges, Bill Dampier, Marcos Leon, Adam Krazer, Joun Samara, and John Card. Please pray that God's light will shine through us at every opportunity - on the airplane, at the airport, walking around the city, with the Iraqi refugees - that every moment be used to glorify Him. I deeply thank you in advance for these prayers, as I cannot even tell you how much prayer means to me.
Likewise, I encourage you to get in prayer with God about your own mission experiences. Ask Him to show you how He is using you where you are, and how He can use you more. You can also ask the Lord to speak to your heart about missions and if there is somewhere He is directing you to go for Him, and not for you. God is doing amazing work in this world, and we can all be used by Him - just ask Him, and He will show you. Be prepared for how He will answer you, His call may not always align with your own ideas. This is beauty of giving up your own desires to replace them with God's desires. God's desires will always refine us to be more like Him, and that is to be our ultimate goal. A life pleasing to God blesses us and everyone around us in return.
You can mission - anywhere at anytime - go out and have the kind of faith to live dangerously for the Kingdom of God. You can do it, I believe in Him who is in YOU! I'm praying for you!
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Kay
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