My journeys thus far.. still stateside

What a range of emotions today.
I thought it would be cool to do a quick blog on my travels thus far.
I am sitting in LAX waiting for about another 6 1/2 hours before my next flight.

I'll start with this morning. It seems like such a long time ago! Which could quite possibly be due to the fact I've been up for about 24 hours now, and days fade in and out of one another. As I sat on the tiny plane leaving from Medford, I remembered the other time I was in a similar situation. Leaving for YWAM in Australia. Once again, I was in a seat all by myself. This time around, I was a new person. I'm not sure if I've shared this with anyone before, but when I left Medford for my connecting flight in Portland that day in February of 2010, I was bawling my eyes out. I was afraid of what I was leaving behind, I was afraid of what I was going to miss, and I was afraid of being gone all the way across the ocean. But I wasn't turning back. I knew that was what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be, and I knew I just had to face my fears and grab life by the horns. And I have not one regret about that trip. I would say the opposite in fact! I can't imagine who I would be today without the things I gained from my DTS. Oh but hey, I think I'm rambling... Back to sitting on the plane. I remembered this experience, and sat there in absolute excitement and confidence about leaving this time. We sat on the tarmac for about 20 minutes past our scheduled departure because they were de-icing the plane, or something. It was killing me! Then I got to thinking some more. 8 years old. VBS. When the first thoughts of wanting to go to Africa came to mind. AND IT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING?!?!?! It's like one of those things that you always imagine in your head happening, but never can get to the part in your imagination where it actually does. I don't think that makes sense.. It just seemed so surreal to me! When the plane started taxiing down the runway and speeding up for liftoff, I wanting to scream and squeal in excitement! But I didn't think that would be appreciated by the other passengers, so I used my self control. :/

Every time I fly, I am in absolute awe of God's creation. There's something ridiculous about seeing that birds-eye view that He gets to see everyday. I was looking at some mountain ranges as we were flying over them, and from way up there they seemed like little sand piles. I could imagine God creating them, shaping them each individually with his hands, giving particular detail to every crevice and creek and tree. And then thinking how not only does he know those mountains and their shapes intimately, but he also knows every creature that inhabits those mountains, and created them as well. I don't know how people can deny God when they fly! His creation is absolutely remarkable.

Then I landed in LAX. The nightmare. I grabbed by checked bag (because I booked a separate flight because it was cheaper) and began my journey to find my next terminal. I asked for directions on which way it was (because I'm a girl and I'm not afraid to do that), however, I am also a "I can do it myself" kind of person, so I got the directions for walking there instead of taking the free bus.... rookie mistake. The guy at the information desk said it would only take about 10-15 minutes. I'm up for a little challenge, and I've done that before with more weight. Lugging approximately 85 lbs of luggage, I took off. Without going into detail, I missed a sign a few times (Yes, same sign. Yes, I did a few circles.) and ended up walking for nearly an hour. About half way through that journey I took a break to sit down and to look up online where the heck I was supposed to be. In the process of trying to do so, I ended up on a page giving flight statuses. And what did I see. Oh you know, just that my flight in 5 hour was CANCELLED. ?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!??!!? Yeah, panic filled me. I knew that if the flight was cancelled, I didn't have the money to re-book. and I would be straight outta luck and stranded, not to mention not be in Uganda in a few days!! So on top of the fact I was 'lost' (the part I hate to admit is that where I had stopped to look at this information was where I actually needed to be minus taking an elevator up one level..... but I only saw ONE sign that said that! a lot later! ok, I'm a little bitter...), I had the looming fact that my flight might have been cancelled. And I needed to figure out that situation ASAP to know what my next step was. All I could do was pray and ask that God would guide and protect me in this situation that I had no control over. When I finally found my way to where I needed to be, I checked the screens with flight statuses. I couldn't find mine on there at all. So I went to the information desk again (girl moment!), to find out it had been delayed 2 hours. Now, this wasn't the best information to hear, but I was PRAISIN' THE LORD that my flight had not been cancelled!!!

Needless to say, I still have 6 hours here in LAX. I just want to find somewhere where it's not so dang cold! I have a textbook I need to read before I reach Uganda anyways, and I haven't started it yet. So that's what I planned on doing here beforehand. The funny thing is, because how ridiculously long it took for me to get to this stupid terminal, even with the delay, I have about the same amount of time I had expected to have with the original layover.
Oh and yeah, my shoulders are quite sore from that wonderful journey with the luggage..

Discouraged.

I hit another wall today.
I can't tell you how many times I've felt unsupported by churches.

I get so discouraged when I think about my future in missions and ministry. Why are people so afraid of money issues in the church? Is bringing up the fact you need money a disgrace to God? Even Paul asked for money. It's humbling enough in itself to ask people to support you. Then I'm told that I shouldn't be asking for money, because it's not an appropriate venue. If my church body is not an appropriate venue, what is? Is it because I'm young and less experienced? Is it because I'm not a full-time missionary, so I'm not allowed to ask for money for missions work? Maybe these are valid reasons, but I believe one's heart and intentions in the matter should be taken into consideration.Why is it that people are afraid of money issues?! The body of Christ should want to know our problems, so that they can help support us in prayer.
Just when I felt I had found a place I could trust and was comfortable with and could see myself with for awhile, I am hit with a hard reality check.

I want to do missions. God wants me to do missions. Why doesn't the church?

Should I stay or should I go now

Ug.
These last two weeks of school this semester have been and will continue to be super challenging for me.
I'm constantly reminded of the fact that I won't be here next semester, and what all exactly that entails. It's really hard for me to comprehend that these might be my last few days to spend with some of my friends that will be graduating this year. I have to remind myself to live each day purposefully and enjoy the time I have with them. I know that this opportunity of studying abroad is something I've wanted to do for awhile, it's just hard to embrace the goodbyes. I hate goodbyes, I really do. Sometimes the only thing that keeps me positive is thinking about the fact that I will be living in AFRICA! That is, after all, something I've wanted to do for 13 years now. It doesn't make the goodbyes any easier though!

I feel like I'm grasping on to each and every opportunity I have to spend time with friends before I leave. The end of this term snuck-up on me! I am understanding the idea of "living each day as if it were my last" in a new light. It's kind of funny, because I feel like my professors are taking on this same idea as well. I feel like they're giving us their "last rights", teaching us what they really want us to know even if it isn't what's on the syllabus. I kind of love it! I get to see what they really are passionate about, and it all boils down to them caring about us, the students. It makes me really appreciate and love Simpson even more, because the professors really care about us.

Needless to say, I could use some prayer. As I don't have all of the finances in yet, I can't say for certain where I will be in a month. Not that this is new for me or anything, it doesn't make it any easier. I'm not an emotional person, but this has been an emotional week. On Monday during our weekly CAB meeting (Campus Activities Board, aka my job), my boss Sarah gave me a farewell of sorts; it took nearly everything in me to hold back the tears. I know I've already said it, but it is SO hard for me to imagine not being surrounded by those people in less than 2 weeks! It's also hard to respond to the questions asking if I am excited to study abroad. Sure, of course I am! If I'm going to. But a neat little secret of mine is that I haven't allowed myself to mentally and emotionally commit to the fact that I might be in Africa in January; I think it's easier to make a quick transition to the fact that I'm there in comparison to planning on going and then not. It's hard for me to fully invest in any possible situation and outcome; that's not the easiest to do! I really hate that question, actually. It just reminds me again of the uncertainty that fills my life.

I trust God. I know that what happens is in His will and I will be ok. But I'm still human and imperfect and this is challenging for me. 

My heart for ministry

            I am SO excited for the opportunity I have to learn and serve in Uganda next semester! As long as I can remember, I have had an unexplainable desire to go to Africa.  If I, in fact, get on a plane for Uganda in a little over a month, it is going to be a dream come true!

            I’ve shared with some of you my passion for ministry, but I would like to elaborate on why I feel called to pursue missions. When I was about 8 years old, the summer between 2^nd and 3^rd grade, I had a revelation. At the time, I didn’t realize that what I was experiencing was God’s call in my life towards ministry— I wasn’t even familiar with the concept. But over the years I have realized that’s what it was. When I was younger and would go to VBS every summer, I was most drawn to the time when we got to hear about a missionary. It was this summer when I was eight that I thought to myself “Man, I want to be like them someday!” I was so intrigued by their stories, and they touched my little heart. I now know that this was God pulling on my heartstrings and giving me a passion for ministry.
            
            (There were many other things that added to this desire, such as Mexico mission trips in high school, and going to Peru after graduation. But for the sake of keeping this short, I won't elaborate on them [ask me if you want to know!]. Each and every one of them definitely had an affect on my heart towards missions, and were building me up for what happened next.)

            Fast forward about 13 years when I went to Australia to do my DTS. There were many moments that stuck with me, but I will keep one in particular with me forever. One evening while I was on outreach in China, I was standing in our bedroom in the apartment, 20 stories up, looking out the window. The sun was setting, and there was a beautiful orange glow on the horizon. Just below and behind our apartment complex was a construction site where they were building more apartments. A t the base of this new construction was the shacks in which the workers lived in. I was really struggling with that. There was so much social and economic division! Here, we were living in a 30 story, gated and guarded apartment complex; where we entered the gate, we passed by the walkway where the others would walk to their shacks. These shacks had no running water or toilets. How could there be so much poverty, so close, and yet we’re not doing anything about it?? As I was thinking about all of this, a verse reference came to mind. It was not a familiar reference, and it was also the first time a reference had come to mind out of the blue like that. I felt like I was supposed to read the verse, that it had some sort of meaning for me. As I opened up the Bible and read it, I began to cry. I knew that God had given me this verse, and in that moment, I knew He was giving it to me for a reason. I feel like this verse is a ‘life verse’ for me.  Isaiah 61:1-3 says,

            “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and to provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”

I felt like this verse spoke directly to me, particularly because it mentions people who have been on my heart to work with. It encouraged me that the people on my heart were not just my own desires, but God’s desires for me and my life.

            Since this time, I feel like God has brought me to Simpson. As you might know, it hasn’t been an easy path financially, but God has really blessed and encouraged me this semester. With my major, Cross-Cultural Studies, we are required to do an international internship. As I was figuring out my classes that would transfer from studying abroad in Uganda, I discovered that one of the classes transfers as my internship (because I will also be partnering with a local agency and serving with them every week).  When I met with the department head of my major, he told me that they really encourage students to raise support for their internships. I was hesitant to do this; as I do want to go into ministry after college, I didn’t want to be repeatedly asking people for money for the shorter trips. I didn’t want to burn people out when I’m going to be raising a support family for a more long term situation.  But then I realized that all of these opportunities that God has opened up doors for me are giving me the experiences that will be useful to me for the long term. I would like to ask you now to come along side me in this journey of faith and consider supporting my trip to Uganda. The truth is that I would not be able to have all of these previous experiences if it were not for supporters like you!

            I have just under two weeks now in which I need to come up with the remaining funds for the trip. The date to withdraw from the program is December 5^th (if I don’t have enough finances). I sent a request in for a reduction of the program fees, per my study abroad coordinators advice, and am waiting to hear back Monday. I have applied for as many scholarships online that I could find that would be applicable, and if I win any, should find out near the end of November/beginning of December. I am doing as much as I can on my end, but in total, I still need $4,200 to pay for tuition and room and board, plus roughly $1,700 for the plane ticket. In all honesty, it is hard to keep having faith that I will go. But I am reminded of God’s provisions for me this semester and in previous semesters and mission trips, and I am encouraged to keep having faith!

            With all of this to say, I know that I can trust God in the unknown, even when it goes against my human nature. I know that He has called me to a life of ministry; what that means in its fullest I do not know. I don’t know all the steps that I need to take to get there, but I believe God will guide me in the right directions. I believe that my time at Simpson University is what He has for me right now, and I believe that in that, I am to study abroad in Uganda. I would love your prayers over the next month while things get finalized for the trip, as well as the trip itself! If you feel called to partner with me financially to help cover my airfare and schooling costs, you can send money to:

Jessica Heryford #212

2211 College View Drive

Redding, CA 96003

(Checks can be made in my name.)

Thank you so much for taking time aside to let me share with you what is on my heart!

I don't want to sit on greatness any longer!

Sometimes, I wonder why I'm so afraid. Or so stubborn.
Sometimes ,I think God nearly hands me solutions to my problems,
but I am too afraid that they might not work out.
Or I'm too afraid of the steps needed to get me there.
and so I wait, sitting on potential greatness.

(in the voice of Darla saying "why are you sleeping fishy?!)
"Why are you so stupid Jessica?!"

Sometimes, lyrics from children's songs are what I need to hear.
"My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do!"

Elevation Worship. Give me Faith

I need You
to soften my heart
and break me apart

I need You
to open my eyes
to see that You're shaping my life

All I am
I surrender

Give me faith
to trust what you say
That You're good
and You're love is Great

I'm broken inside

I give You my life

I need You
to soften my heart
and break me apart

I need You

to pierce through the dark

and cleanse every part of me

All I am

I surrender

Give me faith
to trust what you say
That You're good
and You're love is Great

I'm broken inside

I give You my life

I may be weak,

but Your Spirit's strong in me

My flesh may fail,

My God You never will

I may be weak,

but Your Spirit's strong in me

My flesh may fail,

My God You never will

I may be weak,

but Your Spirit's strong in me

My flesh may fail,

My God You never will

Give me faith
to trust what you say
That You're good
and You're love is Great

I'm broken inside, I give You my life

Give me faith
to trust what you say
That You're good
and You're love is Great

I'm broken inside, I give You my life

I may be weak,

but Your Spirit's strong in me

My flesh may fail,

My God You never will

I may be weak,

but Your Spirit's strong in me

My flesh may fail,

My God You never will

I may be weak,

but Your Spirit's strong in me

My flesh may fail,

My God You never will

I may be weak,

but Your Spirit's strong in me

My flesh may fail,

My God You never will

I'm here!

Hullo again! It has been awhile, I know. Here is the long awaited post about me staying at Simpson this semester!
Here is a short video with the condensed story.
(P.S. It's really quiet for some reason so turn up your volume. Also, it cut me off in the beginning, but I wasn't saying anything important ;) )

So yes. :) I am here! I just want to reiterate a few points because I feel that video was kind of sloppy, and what can I say, that's what I get for not planning it out ahead of time! ;)
The scholarship I ended up getting was worth $1750, which was wonderful, but when it gets cut in half to be applied per semester, it only turns up to be $875 for this semester. There was a nearly $900 difference I had to come up with. At this point, I had already paid $2000 out of pocket in which I had been hoping/planning to put back towards my loans I had taken out. I was getting discouraged, because I felt like God wasn't providing. But what immature thoughts! God was in fact, providing, just in ways I was not expecting. I felt as if the money I needed to come up with for the difference came out of nowhere! It was in my account the whole time, but I guess I didn't realize I had that much because I was planning on putting it elsewhere. I know I've said it before, but I really battle with being wise with my finances (esp. in regards to taking out loans) and in trusting that God will take care of me when I step out in faith. Being I plan on going into ministry, I don't want to be in as much debt as I am already, and I surely don't want to get in more! A friend said something encouraging to me two nights ago. He shared a story of a man who had much debt from Bible school but was trying to go into ministry. Someone from his church then paid off all of his debt for him, and even paid for him to go to seminary! Now I'm not saying that I'm betting on this to happen for me, but it was definitely a good reminder that God will take care of me. It is important for me to be a good steward with my money, but if I am following Him, I will be ok. I gotta say, my grandparents have blessed me immensely in giving me gas gift cards and gift cards to Target. I also got an anonymous Target gift card in the mail... So if you're reading this, thank you!! It might not have been much, but it was touching and sweet and very much appreciated. :) All this to say, God is providing. I don't need to worry about the small things, because God's got this.

On a somewhat relevant, somewhat separate note, last night I submitted my application to study abroad in Uganda next semester!!! My biggest challenge now is.... wait for it, wait for it... yep, you probably guessed right, finances! I'm not worried. Ok, that's a little bit of a lie. In my human ways, I do not see how it is feasible for me to go to school next semester (whether abroad or at Simpson), but God has not abandoned me yet, so why would He now? I know that what is going to happen is going to be in God's hands, and so I am pushing forward in where I feel called to be! It is actually a little bit cheaper to study abroad for a semester than it is to be at Simpson. It might be trickier in the sense that part of the expense is a plane ticket, which is not covered by scholarships. But what am I clinging dearly to? God's got this. He's got me. And I can put ALL of my faith in Him.

Another little thought vomit. In all honesty, I finished my study abroad application the beginning of last week. It was due today, but I was putting it off. I knew that in submitting it, I had to pay a non-refundable $50 application fee. Before I submitted it last night, I stopped, thought, and prayed about why I was feeling so hesitant in pushing send. All this time I had thought putting off the application was because I was being 'wise'. I thought in my 'wisdom' I was making sure I was going to be able to come up with the finances (via scholarships) before I sent it so that I was being responsible with my money. But as I was processing these things, I came to the conclusion that I was not trusting God. The reason I was hesitant in sending the application and paying the fee was because I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to come up with the money and that I shouldn't have spent that 50 bucks. But no. On the contrary! God was asking me if I trusted Him. If I trusted that in submitting the application, He would provide for me, no matter what that might look like. And before I pushed send, I told God that I trusted Him; that I trusted Him with the outcome of this situation, with the outcome of school next semester, and with whether or not I study abroad--I trusted Him. 

JEHOVAH JIREH

Jehovah Jireh. God our provider. God knows my needs. He knows what's best for me.

Here I am again. A few weeks before I'm supposed to leave. Why is this a trend for me? I guess it's a thing God and I have got going on. I WILL TRUST HIM!
This time I'm supposed to leave for school.
I can't tell you how frustrated and disappointed I have been while trying to work with the financial aid office. You know, I'm just gonna be real. I'm there, or, trying to be, to study world missions.. ministry. Simpson's catch phrase is "Gateway to World Service." Really, can't there be some sort of funding to help me out?? I'm going there for what that school is all about!
Ok. But I didn't want to rant.
I wanted to write to remind myself how great our God is. There is nothing our God cannot do! If he created the Heavens and the Earth, what's a few thousand dollars really?? Who am I to worry about that?! I've seen him work miracles before. I've seen the numbers crunched wrong, the dollars given by others, I've seen the unthinkable happen. There is nothing my God cannot do.

I am encouraged by a parable found in Luke, Luke 18:1-8:
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

I feel like that persistent widow. How many times can I ask the same people the same questions about money??
But I will. Again. I am going down to Redding to meet with the financial aid office face to face, and see if my plea won't get me somewhere. I would appreciate your prayers beyond anything you can imagine. Pray for grace and understanding with the office. Pray that they wouldn't be afraid to stray from the books or rules, and find money. Pray for donors. Pray that the money would just appear in my account, even if I don't have a clue how it got there! Pray for the unthinkable. (I am praying too, by the way ;) )
I must keep reminding myself that my God it is the same God who has raised people from the dead. The same God who multiplied 5 small loaves of bread and 2 small fish to feed 5,000 people, with food left over!
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do!


"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be GLORY in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Ephesians 3:20-21

El Salvador stories, Part 2!

Story time!
First of all let me just say, I am so so thankful that I kept a journal for most of this trip. This was the first mission trip I did so on, and it was so great in helping me process and remember all of the little details. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't easy at times to keep writing in it! Especially when I wanted to be hanging out with everyone and getting to know the staff, team from Montana, and super-cool translators since we only had 2 weeks there, but I am glad for the little bits of time that I devoted to journaling. I highly encourage you if you're ever on a trip to do the same!

So let me refresh your memory. In ES, we went down to work with "Wired", a ministry site that connects short-term teams with local pastors and ministry that is already in place. And Wired connected us with a ministry called My Father's Heart. MFH is a ministry still in the beginning stages, in comparison to what they have planned. The missionaries Samuel and Charity Okurut have been there for 2 ish years. Samuel is from Uganda, Charity from Canada, and God brought them to El Salvador! They have been ministering in this village in Quezaltepeque (Q-town) and have an incredible vision. They have a large piece of land there, in which they are in the process of building an aquaponics system... basically what it incorporates is a fish pond, and that pond water is pumped into a greenhouse and fertilizes produce,  which will then also drain into the field below and fertilize other crops, and then somehow (I think) it ends up back in the pond and the nutrients help feed the fish?? or something like that. I probably just butchered the system completely, but it's a self-sustainable and AWESOME system. They plan on letting anyone in the community come and harvest the crops if they need it. When we were there, we helped move bricks so they could build up the inside of the pond. Other plans for the site include a soccer field, a ministry center, and a children's home. They also have a 'church service' every Saturday. This is actually more of a Bible study/discipleship time, where those that come can ask questions and they discuss things in the Bible. Generally, there is a fairly small group that is consistent in coming. 
(If my weak description of this ministry sparked any interest for you at all, I would be more than happy to connect you with Samuel and Charity if you want to find out more, because I know they are very open to having people come and help!) So now you understand a little bit more about the ministry we were helping to serve for our two weeks in El Salvador. (sorry for the random highlighting... I didn't put it there and I can't get rid of it for some reason!)

Tory on top of the brick stack!

Part of the train that was used to move the 2,000 bricks into the pond.

Getting dirty digging trenches for pipes for the pond/greenhouse!

The first Saturday there, we were asked to help lead the church service and children's program for My Father's Heart. We got there a bit early, set up some chairs, and waited. And waited. Fifteen minutes after it was supposed to have started, no one was there yet. We found out that many kids had gone to swim that day because it was so hot out (or something like that), so we were going to go around and invite people for church and a papusa lunch together afterwards. (Papusas are a traditional Salvadoran meal. They're kind of like a burrito inside a flat tortilla.. yeah, sorry, that's a very poor description.) We ended up getting a fair amount of people to come, and some of our team helped lead worship in Spanish and others helped lead the children's story and games. After the service Samuel had everyone write down their contact info so he could connect with them in the future.

The church service

It's crazy how the Devil tries to get you down right before you're going to go do some work for God. So on Sunday evening I found something out back home that really put me in a sad mood. What it was is irrelevant,  but it was really a big distraction for me that day and the next. On Monday, we continued with CPE (read my previous post if you don't know what that is). Once again, I was disappointed when I found out we wouldn't be able to go back to the other village and I wasn't going to be able to talk with Jessica and Catalina! (Again, the previous post talks about that.) To be honest, I was in a pretty sour mood. I didn't want to do CPE. I was frustrated, disappointed, distracted, and hot. Ok, well everyday was hot there, but since I was already upset it just made me even more lol So we got in the vans to go do follow up appointments from Saturday's church. (You know, that contact info we got. Well we went to go meet with the people and get to know them better.) Rodrigo and I were the last pair to be dropped off. We were told that this was CPE/just connecting with them, so neither of us really knew how to approach that. I ended up sharing a little bit about why I was here, showed some pictures of family and friends that I had brought (we used these at all CPE visits), and then Rodrigo and the family talked for about the next 45 minutes. Every few minutes or so, he would translate an overview of what they had been talking about, and occasionally I would pipe in with a question, or they would have a question for me, etc. But it was mostly him talking. It started getting closer to time when we would have to go, so Rodrigo started talking to them about God. He went over some of the questions we had as a guide about if they knew who Jesus was, and what He did, etc. (And mind you, this was all in Spanish and I didn't really know what was going on most of the time.) After awhile he turned to me and said that they understood who God is and they wanted to accept Him, but he didn't know a prayer to say and he asked me if I knew one. !!!! (They were Catholic and believed a lot of the same things, but the sweet part about this story is that Rodrigo was raised Catholic, so he understood where they were coming from and what points were important to bring up with them, such as accepting Christ as their personal Savior.) So I've been on quite a few mission trips right, been around a ton of different people, but never before have I had the opportunity to lead someone to Christ. This is the part where I kind of laughed to myself because it was the moment where I had flashbacks of being a kid at VBS, or being in a chapel or a church service, where you would hear someone say the whole "repeat after me" prayer. And now it was my turn! The best part about it is that there is no perfect formula for salvation; there is not one prayer that has to be prayed in order for someone to accept Christ. I felt SO humbled as I was asked to help lead them to receive Christ. I prayed with the father, mother, and one of their sons. While I was praying with them, my spirit was doing a dance. I could feel an uncontrollable smile come on my face as I was filled with joy from the Holy Spirit. Even though I wasn't the one to share the Gospel, I still feel honored and blessed to have been able to be there and pray with them. 

This is the family (the grandmother came by at the very end) that accepted Christ!

Before this Monday, through CPE, our group had the opportunity to lead 12 people to Christ! Then, on Monday alone, through follow ups with previous CPE appointments and connecting with those people that had come to the church service, ANOTHER 12 came to know God! It was awesome to see how something that seemed negative (no one came to church and we had to round people up), God actually used for His glory!




And that's all the story time for now :)

El Salvador stories, Part 1

El Salvador
It's not that I haven't wanted to write about the trip, it's just that I've had a hard time figuring out how to write about it. So, throwing all caution to the wind, I'm just gonna write. I might ramble. You might get bored (I hope not!). It might suck. But these are some of my experiences and some of my memories.
In El Salvador (ES), we worked with the missionaries at a ministry center called 'Wired.'
And before I forget, here's a quick shout out to the team I went with in '09 to ES, Peru, and Guatemala. Do you remember when we went shopping for groceries for families at a store, and saw parking for pregnant moms? One of the last days, we drove by a store and I saw this sign again and realized it was the SAME store, AND I had been staying just three blocks from it! I thought it was cool anyways :)

The first ministry we were a part of is called Church Partnership Evangelism (CPE). It was tough. The format of CPE is that you go meet with a person/family (pre-arranged was the plan.. but we did a lot of door-to-door too) and get to know a little bit about them, share your testimony, and then go over some basic Gospel questions and Bible verses. Our end goal was to partner them with a local church for further discipleship. It was just us and a translator. The first CPE visit I had was 'challenging', as we (my translator Rodrigo and I) called it. We spoke with an elderly woman and her husband. He was a Christian, but she was a Jehovah's Witness. It was frustrating because she knew and agreed with parts of the Bible, but then she just wouldn't believe other parts. Rodrigo and I were tested because we really didn't know what to say at so many different times in that conversation! I wanted to share this story for a few reasons. As a team, we actually encountered many Jehovah's Witnesses. We were surprised! But I also felt that I was supposed to share it for some reason to show that missions isn't always perfect, or easy. There are times when we've done or said all we can, but we don't feel like we've made a difference. We have to remember that we are just a tool God is using. Everyone has their own personal choice; we can't make them choose and neither does God. For all we know, maybe we made her question a few of the things she believes.

<< Rodrigo and I

For about the first three days of CPE, nothing too crazy happened, but I had some good conversations and was able to pray with and encourage other Christians. Then, we went to another village. (Oh, I forgot to mention, the whole time we did ministry in ES, we were in a little town/village called Quezaltepeque.. aka Q-town, which was about a half an hour away from the Wired ministry center.) The vans dropped us off, and the group started walking down the dirt road. Right away, we came across a group of 3 or 4 guys hanging out, and our team was trying to figure out which three groups to send to them to talk one on one (group= team member + translator). Well, Rodrigo and I were right there and it was suggested that we go, but I just wasn't so sure about it. Something inside of me was hesitant, so I didn't volunteer and let others go instead. Come to find out, that was definitely the Spirit guiding me. Travis (our team mentor from Simpson and the campus pastor at Simpson), James (from the team from Montana that was also there with us for the two weeks), and Samuel (the local pastor whose ministry we were helping with) and their translators talked with them, and soon discovered the 'interesting' situation they had walked into. They were talking with the dangerous gang members of the area, one of the men in the group being the self-proclaimed hitman in the area. I really can't tell the story about this situation, because it is kind of confusing, but it wasn't a very good one to be in. Yes. SO GLAD I followed my gut feeling! They talked with the men for awhile, but because they were drunk, really got nowhere.  While all of this was happening, I was over talking with a family just a few houses down. I met the mom and son, and she introduced me to one of her daughters, Catalina. My heart soared! Catalina was my name in Spanish class in high school, and I ironically remembered the fact just the day before. For some reason it made my heart really happy. Then, another daughter came out of the house and was introduced. Make a wild guess at what her name is. JESSICA!!! They were both around my age too. I can't really explain the feelings I had or why. Maybe it was because of their names, but I felt a strong connection to this family. I was a little lost in translation on the family's situation, but from what I understood, the dad was a co-pastor at a church in a dangerous area, and because of that, the family doesn't attend church. It sounded like the kids new about Christ, but hadn't accepted him yet. I ended up just praying for the family, and we gave the son (in his 20s) the name of Samuel's ministry to look up online. I left feeling like something was missing. Like I needed to talk with that family more. As we went back and sat in the van, I was going crazy. I wanted to see them again! We hadn't gotten any contact info to come back or invite them to church. A little kid and one of the daughters came down the road and talked with Rodrigo, and asked him to come back because they had something for him. I went with them, and they had something for me actually. Jessica gave me a teddy bear :) It was probably one of the most touching moments of the trip. Once again, I don't know if I can give a good explanation of why, I just felt a connection for this family! We got their contact info this time, and they said "they would wait with open arms for us to come back." Oh, how I didn't want to leave! As we left that day and were all talking in the van, I heard the story with the gang members. I also heard that 2 people received Christ in another group while all of this was happening! But because of the potential danger, the missionaries decided we would not return to that village. My heart sunk. I never got to see those girls again. I have no idea why God led me to those girls, but just for that short visit, and nothing more.But as you just read about them, I ask if you wouldn't mind lifting them up in prayer. That the family would ALL come to know God.

Here is a picture with the family

With Jessica :)

I could write forever, but I doubt anyone wants to read forever... so you'll have to wait for another post of more stories!

People amuse me

Ok, so this has absolutely nothing to do with my normal posts. A few nights ago I got distracted ( no judging me for what I'm about to tell you) and began searching the free ads on craigslist in other cities... as a sort of research, we'll call it. I was curious to see if different cities posted cooler/nicer things! A legitimate inquiry. Anyways, in the process, I found a few funny ads that I wanted to share. Maybe you won't think they're funny, but I sure did in the wee hours of the night..

(Click on the picture to make it bigger)

So, I discovered the section on craigslist called discussion forums (wow, I must have really been bored...). (There's also a jokes section, but there's not really anything funny in there, so don't waste your time.) I found this under 'frugal living.' It was too good to pass up.

Well I'm not really sure if what you have is what I lost. Shoot.

 Yes. This person is great.

Ok, this isn't funny. At all. But isn't she a beautiful cat?!
















Who wouldn't want a large 'cartoonish' sumo wrestler hanging on their wall?? And the nerve of someone to just stick them up with tape.. tsk tsk. 

OCD much?

I would hate having meat-head neighbors...

They must really want to get rid of that spoon and knife. I'm just curious if the person who bought them is really going to go look on the lost and found on craigslist hoping someone posted them...

I'm so glad you have one sturdy box I can come get! I really needed one sturdy box!! Thank you for not recycling it!

Ok, I'm done being a troll...

El Salvador trip- an introduction

Well, it's been long enough since my last post! I've been home from El Salvador for a week and a day now. I planned on jumping right into the job search the day after I got back, but that was overzealous thinking. I underestimated my need to process this trip. But God has been good- I just got a job yesterday! But that's not what this is about.. back to El Salvador :)


So I went into this trip with completely different expectations that I've ever had going on a trip. A little back story. As some of you know, the summer after my high school graduation (2009), I went on a 2 week missions trip with my basketball coach (Stutzman) and team. We spent most of our time in Peru, but we stopped in El Salvador for about 2 days. While we were there, we visited a building site my coach was in charge of and met a few families he was connected with. Our time in El Salvador was short and was not at all the main focus of our trip. Something random that stuck with me was this unique wall near the exit of the airport in ES. I saw it as we were driving away, and snapped a quick picture of it.

It intrigued me; I wanted to see it again. But at the end of the two week trip, my short time in ES was just a brief, almost non-existent memory from the whole trip.
Fast-forward to last summer. More than once, the smallest (and random) things began to spark memories of my few days in ES. While staying in a motel in Portland, it made me remember the motel we stayed at in ES. And then something made me remember the beans we had for breakfast one morning. Very random things were brought to memory, and I began to wonder why. Of all of the places I've been, why were these things coming to mind? My time in ES was so short! I began to wonder if I was supposed to go back one day. Well, one day came sooner than I thought!
Going into my first semester last fall at Simpson, I already knew that I wanted to help lead a short-term missions trip if I was able to. For the past few years, I have had the desire to lead teams overseas; I want to be used to help others experience God and missions the way that I have experienced them. But when I applied to be a leader with World Serve (Simpson's short-term group), I actually requested to take a team back to where I had been in Russia to work with the YWAM base there. I knew the possibility of planning that trip was not that great, since there were already places that World Serve said they would like to go, so I put on my application that I was willing to go anywhere. The trip to Russia didn't end up working out (obviously), but as the application process to be a leader progressed, I felt God calling me to the El Salvador trip. I knew that was where I was supposed to be! It was one of those things that just felt right in my heart. And therefore, this picture means SO much to me!

 Where I once desired to see that beautifully designed wall once again, God brought me back! I know that He let me see that at the last minute in the bus in 2009 to give me something to long for here, even if that sounds strange. He used a simple wall to speak to my heart.

Yes, that was a very long explanation and back story for just a picture! But it has to do with the different expectations I had going back to ES. Because I felt like ES was THE place I needed to be, I had this expectation that God was going to do something crazy in my life, or show me something big, or SOMETHING! (Looking back, I had such conceited expectations!) As the two weeks in ES came to a close, I had gotten closer to my teammates, made great friendships with the missionaries there, our translators, and the other team we worked with, gotten inspired by hearing the missionaries' hearts and visions, was challenged in the ministry we helped with, tried lots of new foods, etc, BUT, I didn't feel like God showed Himself to me in any big and powerful way like I was expecting. The 2nd week we were there, in fact, I began this wondering of "why am I here God?" It wasn't until the last night that I really figured it out. We were having our nightly debrief with the staff, and Richard Mullinax (you can check out his ministry blog here http://missionax.com/) asked us each to share why we thought that God brought us to El Salvador. My mind began to reel with possible answers. But, I really didn't have one because I was still trying to figure that out myself! I was about 2/3 of the way around the circle from the person that started, so I had a couple of minutes to think. As I was listening to my team share why they believed they were brought to ES, it hit me- THEY are why I was brought. DUH Jessica! Like I shared above, I do desire to lead others overseas so that THEY would be able to experience God's tugging in their heart for missions like I have felt, so that THEY would know what it means to rely on God for everything, so that THEIR walk with God would grow- because all of these things (and more) are things that I have experienced in missions and feel are so important to share with others. As my team was sharing why they thought they were brought to ES, they shared these exact things that I desired for others to gain. My heart was touched listening to them share how their relationship with God had grown and how their heart had been tugged for ministry.
I realized that sometimes I can be so self-centered in thinking that God was going to show me something great, when in reality, He put leading on my heart so that others could experience Him (like I desired!)!

And that is the story of how I ended up in El Salvador. More on the actual trip to come! 

Reflection.

I know nothing. I have none of the answers. Yet I must keep seeking You. I must keep putting my trust in You. For You are all I need. I need nothing more. Despite what my worldly self thinks it knows or thinks it needs, it is nothing without You. Help me to trust You. Help me to put my confidence in You. Help me to put my full faith in You. That I would speak in faith because I know what I will be doing, school or what else. That I would not worry and I would not be sad, because you have the best plan for me with the best outcome, even if I don't understand the steps.

Are You Ready?

Sometimes God puts us in situations we never expect to be in. This last weekend I went to San Francisco with a friend for my birthday. We stayed at an International Hostel... filled with people from all over the world; aka MY  KIND OF PLACE! I had good conversations, I had interesting conversations, but one conversation in particular was amaZing. For privacy of the person, I will call him A. The thing I love most is how God totally orchestrated our meeting! I had actually been talking with some guys from Germany, but they decided to go upstairs to get something, or something, I don't even remember, so then I was just sitting there by myself. And a guy standing near me starts talking to me. Within 3 minutes the conversation got hot. And by hot, I mean good. Deep. Real. RAW.
We talked for a good hour, hour & a half about so many different things. He is a traveling public speaker/teacher with a heart for inspiring men to act more manly-and by that, I mean encouraging them to go after what they want. His speaking wasn't from a Christian perspective, but it did have some good qualities to it.. and some qualities I didn't really agree with. With a similar job experience, I shared with him my past speaking/teaching job with the Pregnancy Care Center. Through that, he began asking me questions about abstinence and why I believe in it. I was able to share with him so many aspects of what I taught the students, and why I personally have chosen it for my life. Without sharing every specific detail of our conversation, I will say that we talk about life in such a refreshingly raw way.  He grew up in a Christian home, so he was quite familiar with the Bible and Christianity, but he currently wouldn't consider himself a believer. He said he was learning about different religions trying to see what made the most sense to him. We talked about God, we talked about whether or not the Bible was true and if we could believe it or not, about problems in the modern church, about temptation and staying faithful, about forgiveness of sins, about being imperfect but seeking perfection through Christ, about what I want to do with my life and why, I shared testimonies of how I know God is real in the different provisions I've seen in my life, I shared about things I learned on DTS such as being able to hear from God (we were talking about the Spirit World and how to know if it's God or Satan) (Miriam, I totally shared your story of the song lyrics when Chris Twinn taught!), we talked about SO MUCH I feel like the things I listed only barely scratch the surface.
I've never had a conversation quite like it before.
It was amazing.
We both shared where we were coming from, and we were honest and real with each other. I think some of the things I said really clicked with him. I could see gears turning.

What I took away from this is that you always need to be prepared. 1 Peter 3:15 says "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone to asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." I've always had a desire to take an apologetics class to learn what I need to say to people, so that I know how to defend my faith. I felt like I needed to be taught what the answers are, someone else needed to tell me what to say. But that's not true. When you know who God is and you understand your relationship with Him, that's all you need! God even brought to memory specific verses that went with what we were talking about. I'm not very good at remembering things like that on my own-it was all Him. I remember feeling so pumped and on fire during the conversation, that half the time the words were just flowing out of my mouth with little thought. 

I guess what I'm getting at is always be ready-by knowing God. I didn't go out looking for a conversation, the conversation was brought to me. I was just willing to talk. What I learned is that in order to get anywhere, you have to be raw. You have be willing to admit your faults and weaknesses, even if you don't want to. Don't be afraid of your inadequacies. Be yourself.

I personally will continue to pray for A as he tries to find his way in life. I feel like he's close, oh SO close to finding the truth. Would you pray for him as well? Pray for continued positive reinforcement in his life to stay faithful. Pray for God to speak to him directly, and that people would be constantly put in his life pointing him to Christ. Pray for a strong personal revelation from God. Yeah. YEAH. He's so close guys. I'm so excited! 

Living in the future present tense.

Live in the present.
Live in the present.
Connect with people on a personal level. (i.e. get away from technology and be PRESENT with one another.)
Live in the present.
Rely on God for my strength.

These themes have been on repeat for me this week. I feel like their words have been screaming at me! Every blog that I've read has been about being humble, being present, and above all else- focus on God first.

Living in the present is something I've found great difficulty in, even though it is something I want to do. It is so hard for me to not focus on the future or look forward to what might be ahead! And to some extent, I blame that on the stage of life I am in; often I'm required to plan ahead, to get paperwork filled out in advance, to apply for things ahead of time, etc. To put aside thoughts about the future is sometimes too difficult for me to grasp.
There are just some things which need preparation, and need to be thought about ahead of time.
I am trying to learn what a balance between the two looks like.

As I'm preparing for my trip to El Salvador, I am also trying to keep up with my homework. I am thinking about applying for scholarships next year (thinking, because I have yet to find the time to actually apply). I am trying to figure out my four-year grad plan to make sure I am signing up for the right classes at the right time. I am looking into studying abroad in Uganda for the spring semester of next year (!!!!). And all the while I don't even have a clue how I am going to return to Simpson in the fall, financially speaking. It's hard to go at it one step at a time when I feel like deadlines are approaching and screaming at me telling me I need to have it all figured out. And that I need to have all the answers. And I need to have all the money.

So while these things are on my mind, I am also realizing that so much is out of my control, and there's really not much I can do but to trust God!

And I'm also having to come to the terms that whatever happens, happens for a reason. And despite my immediate (and potentially a bit longer lasting) feelings, everything will work out for God's glory. And it will be ok. (Even though while writing that it is so hard to fully grasp the meaning!)

The 30 Hour Fast

What a weekend; what a month!
 Part of our training for our trip to El Salvador has been participating in the "30 Day Challenge." For each day this past month, we have been fasting from an item or idea. The following are some of the things we went without over the course of this last month. The first night we fasted from comfort; in doing so, we slept on the floor instead of in our beds, and let me tell you, our dorm room floor is not so comfortable! Another example was fasting from shoes- yes, we walked around barefoot all day! We fasted from independence, and for this challenge I chose to rely on my friends for my clothes for the day. I went to a few different rooms and asked for different items. I wasn't allowed to have a say in what they gave me, it was up to them! One of the more challenging ones was fasting from electricity. At night we used flashlights in our room to complete our homework; we soon discovered our bathroom was quite dark even in the day without lights! And yes, that included showering by the light of a flashlight. We fasted from running water one day, and rationed our water use to one water bottle we had filled up the night before. We fasted from warmth and went without jackets; beings it was February, it got a little bit chilly in the evening, but gratefully it wasn't too unbearable. One difficult challenge for me was fasting from vanity; we hung up a sheet over the mirrors in our room and went without looking at ourselves for the day, which included getting ready! All of these things led up to this past week, in which we began fasting from different things in relation to eating. Up to this point, each days' fasting only lasted that specific day. Now they began to build off each another and we had to keep up the previous days' as well. We began fasting from over-consumption and waste. In doing this, we only put on our plate what we could actually eat, and tried to not throw any food away. We then fasted one by one from: luxury drinks, sweets, snacks, meat, and lastly carbs, to lead up to the final complete fast from food- the 30 hour famine. During this famine/fast, we spent 24 hours together as team in mission trip simulation experiences.
The purpose of all of these challenges was to give us a new perspective on the luxuries and comforts that we have every day and take for granted that many people in the world do not have. It also was to help us grow closer to Christ as we went without. The description in the little booklet of directions about the fast quotes Isaiah 58:6-10:
    "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
     Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
     Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
     Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
     If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."
I feel like this passage adequately describes our desire behind participating in this 30 day challenge!

Now more about the 30 hour famine. It began with a simulation airport, customs, immigration, taxi ride, etc. experience, in which the 'government officials' and 'locals' spoke other languages, and treated us how we might get treated in other countries-hassled. They even planted 'drugs' along the way in one of my teammates bags, in which she was 'arrested' for during the customs search. While many of these situations were exaggerated, it helped remind us what kind of things we need to be prepared for!
Besides these simulations, there were a few things that stuck out to me from the whole experience. Last night in a practical way, we saw how much we in America have compared to most of the world. When we entered the classroom, there was a pile of stuff in the middle including multiple laptops, toilet paper, blankets and jackets, soap, water bottles, school supplies, shoes, blow-driers, etc. Our group of about 25 was then divided - four on one side, the rest on the other. The items were then distributed among the two groups. The group of four represented 20% of the population of the world, and they received 80% of the items. Our group of 80% of the population received 20% of the items. I've always known Americans/1st world countries were guilty of materialism and having more than we needed, but wow; seeing it laid out like that made me sick. The group that represented Americans had WAY more than they could ever use. They had multiple pairs of sunglasses, computers, school supplies, and they were buried in blankets. Our group, which represented the majority of the world's population, had nothing in comparison. A few cans of food, two diapers, two bottles of water, etc. If what we were given was what we actually had to live off of, it seemed impossible to live for long at all.
Even though I am familiar with the needs of other countries, seeing how little there actually was and that it needed to be shared among so many, while looking at the 1st world side and seeing how much they had that they didn't need, hit me in the gut hard. Even being a college student, I have more in my dorm that most of the world ever has.
Later in the evening, we were instructed to enter a dark room lit by candlelight. We were told that we had been meeting there as an underground church, but the police had been tipped off to our location, and we needed to move. As a team, we were then given instructions to go to our designated "secret" area on campus and hold a church service. We were told that we were Christians in a country where it was illegal, such as N. Korea, and that we had to leave the building in pairs and go to our secret location without getting caught by the 'police' that were roaming campus looking for suspicious activity. For those of you who are familiar with Simpson's campus, out meeting location was behind the outdoor basketball courts and workout area near the back 40. We huddled in a group in some rotting tree stumps and had 'church' for an hour and a half. This was one of my favorite parts of the weekend; as a group, we decided what we felt was most important to use this time for if we were actually an underground church. We decided that fellowships was most important, so we shared our current worries and struggles we were going through. This was my favorite because we were being raw and vulnerable with each other; as we shared our struggles, we also shared words of encouragement for one another. On a few occasions, we saw someone walking back and forth near our meeting place; worried they were the 'police', we would crouch down and lower our voices. Even though it was just simulation, the seriousness of the moment was understood. We still do not know if it was actually a 'police' or just a student walking around campus, but we found out that two groups were actually "arrested!"
We slept in the gym last night with all of the world serve teams, and were awoken at 7 AM to the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer; we then learned that many Christians in Islamic countries would be arrested or killed for refusing to bow, so they bow and pray but pray to God instead. In learning this, we then faced east as they would, and read a passage from Psalms as we bowed and knelt like some Christians do. It was a good reminder that we are so blessed to have freedom of religion (and also that we don't have to be woken up every morning to that noise!).
One of the last aspects that touched me the most this weekend was when we learned about the water that is available (or even unavailable) to most people. To understand situations around the world, we trekked across campus to the pond with 5-gallon buckets. We then filled the buckets with pond water, which is unfortunately as clean as the water that many people have to drink, and carried them back across campus. While this helped us gain an understanding of the work it takes to have water each day in many countries, this is not what impacted me the most. When talking about the water situation, Travis gave us some examples which hit my heart hard. Here we have running water in plenty; we take long, hot showers, we cook with water, we let the water run while we brush our teeth, and we wash our cars with water and hose off our driveways because we are too lazy to sweep them. While many people only have a few gallons of water to live off of every day (dirty water, at that), we use clean water on the pavement to make it look nice. Wow.
The thing is, it is SO easy to experience these things, think about them for awhile- maybe even a few weeks- but then slowly sink back into our day to day lives and forget about what we have learned. In order for any of these things to be worthwhile, we must find a way to change our actions. If anything that I've shared has stuck a chord with you, I encourage you to find a worthy organization such as World Vision, Compassion International, or another organization that helps with what you are passionate about, and consider supporting their cause.

Overall, this weekend was a great reality check for me personally. It was a great reminder of how blessed I am, and how much I actually can give to others and it will be ok. It was a great time of fellowship and bonding with our El Salvador team, and it pumped me up for our actual trip in just over two months!! (If any of my team is reading this, I just want to say that I am SO impressed with you all! You. Are. Awesome.) I want to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me thus far, with words of encouragement, prayer, and finances.
And if you would like to support me or my team, you can follow this link: Donate. Right now I am at about 50% of my total goal of $2800; by next week I need to have raised 60% of my goal, and I am currently approx. $250 short of that. Any amount of money truly helps! Thank you!

El Salvador

By this point, I'm sure most of you know I will be co-leading a mission trip to El Salvador in May. (eeee!) I'm excited to be able to serve my team and the missionaries in El Salvador. (They have their own blog if you're interested in checking it out! Mullinax Missionary Blog ) We know a little of what we might be doing, but if you're familiar with mission trips, you know that knowing this far in advance exactly what we will be doing is not generally how it goes ;) The focus of the trip is to work with at-risk youth, trying to connect them with churches for long term discipleship. We will also be using a program called Church Partnership Evangelism (CPE), which is something the Mullinax's asked us to prepare for. This CPE focuses on sharing our personal testimony with others and tying it into Jesus's story. We've been told that we need to prepare our testimony in 200 words or less and have it typed out, so it can be translated into Spanish for tracts! How awesome! At first, we were skeptical about this form of evangelism. We know the negative connotation door to door evangelism has in the U.S., but we also understand that this is successful in El Salvador; if we can be used in a successful way, then by all means we want to, even if it makes us feel uncomfortable!

Another aspect of this trip which may happen is partnering with two groups; we might partner with another college group from Montana for a week of ministry with an organization called The Father's Heart. From what we know of this ministry, their focus is with orphans, young mothers, and at risk youth. We don't know a lot about this organization yet, but from what we've been told, it sounds like an incredible group that I personally would love to have the opportunity to serve with! 

Stay tuned for more info on why I chose to go to El Salvador as well as what other things we are doing in preparation!
If you would like to help financially towards the trip, you can make a donation here. Thank you so much for your prayers and support!