Faithful Whispers

I leave in 32 days.

I remember when this adventure first began back in the fall.  Thinking back on first being accepted as an intern with MTW to go to Scotland, I honestly felt like it would take forever until I was about a month away from leaving.  It felt surreal.  Even now I am still feeling like it's going to be forever until I leave.  

God has been so good, as He always is, as I've been walking through this to minister to my heart and encourage me.  So many people have come alongside me and have been praying, financially supporting me, and just encourage me in passing.  I'm so amazed to look back and see how much God was at work throughout adventure...ALREADY.  

It's not over.  This has barely begun.  I can only imagine what God is going to do.  I'm so excited to see God at work.  He's done so much even now, there's no limit to what God will continue to do!  

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As I posted in the previous post, I am fully funded.  I'm fully funded!  It's difficult for me to put into words just what that means to me.  First of all, it is such a blessing.  I, no longer, have to be "concerned" if money will come in, and if not what that means.  God has provided.  He has been faithful.  Secondly, having found out I am fully funded has come as a confirmation to me that this really is where the Lord has me for this summer.  All of this really comes together, in that God has provided financial and personal confirmation that I'm really supposed to be going.  None of this could have happened without God.  Only He can bring this about.  Only God.  

Throughout so much of this process I've been clinging to multiple verses, but today I came across this passage in Hebrews:

"Let us hold fast to the confessions of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."

              Hebrews 10:23

"for He who promised is faithful."  Faithful.  God has been faithful to me.  How many times can I look back and see how unfaithful I have been, and yet God is still so faithful to me?  Countless.  God keeps whispering...and honestly, sometimes yelling (it can take a lot to get my attention) at me that He is faithful.   How beautiful. His faithfulness is astounding. 

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I ask that you continue to be praying:

1. Please be praying for the people of Lochalsh.  

2. Continue to be praying for me team members and for me as well.

    -Pray for us to be unified, like-minded, and rooted in Christ. 

    -Pray that we might speak the message of Jesus's love boldly.

3. Please be praying for my team members and for the members of the other teams as they go about raising financial support.  Many of the members of the Scotland teams are facing difficulty raising financial support.  I ask that you be in prayer for them, that they would not loose hope and that they would be seeking God's will in this area.  Please lift these men and women up in prayer!

Fully Funded

God has provided once again.  I am officially fully funded for the summer! 

How incredible!!!  I'm absolutely amazed at how good He is.  More and more I see His goodness and I'm learning to be so much more thankful.  God never fails to provide for His children.

God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!

The Power of His Name

As I've been preparing to leave in a little over a month, I've been reading different books and reading more and more scripture to prepare my heart for being overseas.  I know there is so much to prepare for, and most of these preparations I'm doing quite blindly.  There is so much I have yet to know, and I'm honestly thankful for that fact.  I'm thankful for walking ahead in the midst of a fog.  More and more, I'm trusting my Savior to lead me, to prepare my heart, and to give me words to speak.  It's beautiful what God does...it's beautiful being led by Him; yes, at times it's terrifying, but there is such a peace that can be found in simply walking in Him and trusting Him to hold you in His hand. 

One of the books I'm currently reading is Radical by David Platt.  I won't go into great detail giving you a synopsis of the book, simply put, the book is about taking back your faith from the grip of the "American Dream."  Below is a paraphrase from one of the chapters.

     Two thousand years ago when believers shouted the name of Christ, people were healed from physical and spiritual problems.  The reality is that today, Christ's name is STILL great, the problem for us or the question today is, "Do we still believe in the power of Christ's name?  Do we still trust in His name's power?"  (paraphrased)

Do I really believe that His name is powerful? 

If I do, then do I actually trust that that name is full of power?

If I don't, why not?

As a people we tend to shrink back from speaking the name of Jesus.  Why?  Everyone will probably have different answers, though I think that those answers will all be rooted in some form of fear.  Fear of not being accepted, fear of being written off, fear of sounding crazy or not intelligent. 

When we fail to speak the name of Jesus boldly, we give power to the enemy.  He grips that fear we have and he doesn't let it go.  Satan manipulates our fear, and uses it against us.

Do not give in to fear.  I need to hear this just as much as the next person.  Fear is deadly.

Speak the name of Jesus boldly.  Hold tightly to His power and do not let it do. 

Pray that I might speak Jesus's name boldly for there is great power in His name.  Pray that I would trust in that truth also. 

Lochalsh, Scotland

This summer I'll be spending all my time overseas in Lochalsh, Scotland.  Below is a picture of where it's located (it's labeled as "Kyle of Lochalsh" on the map).  Lochalsh is located in the North-Western area of Scotland.

Most of what we (I say we because I'm thinking of myself as a part of the team I'm working with, even now while I'm still home.) will be doing is being labeled as Evangelism.  I've had a difficult time explaining to people what I'll be doing because I haven't had a better reference to what will happen.  Since I was unwilling to give up on leaving my supporters, friends, and family wondering what I was going to be doing I found a reference on MTW's (Mission to the World) website for the place I'm going. Below is the description along with a link to the church's website.

Lochalsh, Scotland:  Join this Thrive team as they serve the congregation of Plockton and the Kyle Free Church a Presbyterian congregation with deep roots in the community. This ministry is near a rural part of North-West Scotland (Lochalsh), but through partnerships in the neighboring isle's, interns will be a part of reaching several communities in the area.  Ministry will include helping the congregation in its outreach to the community, visiting homes and building relationships.  This site will afford the team opportunities for children, youth and adult ministry and fellowship, including during Sunday services,  while visiting local schools, and a Holiday Bible Club. Come and develop your interpersonal skills, use your creativity, evangelistic and youth discipleship skills to serve this team. www.plocktonandkylefreechurch.com 

I'm excited. I'm excited to see God move and work.  I'm excited to see the love of Christ in a different place, and to build relationships with believers and non-believers across the globe (relational evangelism).  I look forward to serving on a team, and building friendships with them.

God has been so good already as I've prepared for this trip.

Please be in prayer for me even now:
     *that the team members would already be preparing
     *that when we are brought together, we would get along, that we would be of the same heart and mind
     *for the church we will be working with
     *for the people we encounter-that God would be seen in us, and that He would give us the words to     
       speak

There are many other prayer requests, but those are what have been on my heart as of late.

In other news, I have a little under $400 left to raise!!!  Praise be to God, He is GOOD!