Heartwork

Several months ago, when I had just started learning more about Orphan Care, I was told about a webinar with Christian Alliance for Orphans. The webinar was called: Engaging Students in the Father's Heart for the Fatherless and it featured an organization called Heartwork. Their slogan is "destiny rescuing destiny". The is means that we are able to be part of rescuing the destiny of orphans. As we help fund food for them, or water, or education, or we take a trip and love them, we are rescuing their destiny. We are changing their future. But in that process, our destiny changes. Our heart becomes more like the Father's and we now have a heart to be active in caring for orphans. This is what God called us to do- defend the cause of the fatherless. Care for orphans in their distress.

I find that after going on my trip, and even before I went, my destiny has changed. I want to shout from the rooftops about these children. Each one I met, and even the ones I didn't meet but just say as we drove past, is SO LOVED by the Father. He has plans for them, to give them a hope and a future. But if I really believe that I am Christ's ambassador, that I am his hands and feet here on earth until he returns, then I must do something!

And in coming back, I've realized the huge impact we can make from America on orphans, from right here at home. So much of their needs are physical/material. And we have the money to help. They need money to be able to attend school. Funds to purchase nutritious food.

One story is from Canaan Children's home in Uganda. This place is so close to my heart. We stayed here the entire time we were in Uganda so we had 4-5 days to get to know these children. From the moment we arrived we were so loved by these children. I can tell you more stories about my special ones here soon. On the property there is a hospital and the Canaan school is closeby. The schools in not just for these 100 children, but 700 more from the community who can't afford tuition at most schools, but Canaan is set up to be more affordable for this community. When i returned home, I learned even more about the food for these children. Each morning they'd have porridge (with not much value), and for lunch and dinner they would  have beans and posho (posho is a filler food made with corn flour and water). On Sundays they would get rice instead of posho for dinner. As you can see, the food was more to fill that to give nutrition. And many of the children would struggle in school to have the energy for the day. Many had distended stomachs.

But this all began to change with a little help. Program 21 was started through a girl named Becca at  Voices 4 the Voiceless (http://voices4thevoiceless.org/) and here's what she started:

Program 21 Goals:To increase the health and overall quality of life for the children at Canaan Children’s Home by providing them with increased nutrition through a more balanced and nutritious diet.

Program 21 Details:
Each child receives 1 boiled egg every morning before going to school.

Each child receives sugar in their breakfast porridge.
• Each child receives meat for lunch on Sundays after church. A select amount of children eat chicken due to stomach and allergy issues, but the majority of the children eat beef.
• Each child receives fruit 2 times a week. The fruit is often 1 banana for each child on one day, and pineapple the other day. When mangos are in season and the price becomes lower, those will be substituted in as well.
• Each child receives vegetables 2 times a week. The vegetables are usually some sort of greens on one day, and then a large raw carrot for each child on the other day. Other vegetables are also rotating in and out according to the season and ever-changing prices.

This photo is of a little girl taken 10 months apart. She looks drastically different and is so much healther. Becca's dream changed this little girl's life.  And many more are partnering in Project 21 to sustain this effort at Canaan's. 

God is calling us all to different things. But HE IS CALLING US. What will you do? Who is the ONE you will help?

Christmas is coming

I know it has been so long since I've posted. I arrived home and the business of fall kick-off took over. And to be honest, I didn't feel like I was able to really process the trip. I'm saying now, I want to share more of the stories, more of the faces with you.

Since coming home, I've felt a particular leading to keep supporting the baby home I visited in Uganda. There was a little girl, Sarah, that I held all day. She is a beautiful little girl and from the minute we arrived, my heart was held by her. She was sitting on a mat with all the other children and Damalie, the woman who runs the home and loves these babies so much, told us we were welcome. She said to feel free to pick up and hold and hug and love these babies all day. Sarah was there, smiling so so big. I went over, held out my arms, and we were together all day.

When I came home, Sarah stayed on my heart. I found out that through Hope Grafted In (www.hopegraftedin.org) I was able to sponsor Sarah and help support Damalie and her ministry.

Christmas is coming and there is a team going there. We are able to send gifts to our kids there and so I've been looking for a baby doll and board book. While looking, I was disheartened. There are barely any dolls that are not Caucasian. Why is this? And books were even more difficult to find. Most talk about "mommy love you" or are very American with pictures of houses and wealth. In sending a book to Sarah, I want to send something that she will relate to. Even at the Christian store, the Bible stories are filled with white people. I'm not totally sure what this means or why I'm sharing it, but I was saddened by this. It made me want to be a children's book author. Needless to say, I found a cute one of baby animals, but just wanted to encourage us all to be thinking outside ourselves. Look outside your situation and think about what this season is like for others in our community, in our county, in our world.

As Christmas comes, I'm so blessed to have the opportunity to give to my orphan girl who I love. I can make a difference for ONE child this Christmas. I want to encourage you to do something. Do something for ONE; someone here in America, in Minnesota, or around the globe. God's called us to a beautiful family- HIS family. And together, He's calling us to be a part of HIS STORY. To join the adventure and make a difference in the Kingdom.

Driving Across Rwanda

On Monday, we drove several hours from Kigali (the capital of Rwanda, closer to the East side) all the way to Gisenyi (very close to the Congo on the West side of Rwanda). When they call Rwanda the Land of 1000 Hills, they are not exaggerating. This was a beautiful drive!
I must say, it took some time. Taking a bus up the sides of this huge hills/mountains was a bit strenuous for the vehicle... we'd go pretty slow to get up. :)

About halfway, we stopped to use the restrooms and it felt so good to stretch our legs. It felt good to get up. A bunch of the team bought coffee at a little place there. Jane, our guide, had her baby boy Gideon with her on this trip. We thought it was so funny because she just left him in the bus while we were all out! They are so trusting in Rwanda!!!



We continued on our drive with a couple hours left. This was seriously the most beautiful drive. In certain places you'd look out and it was almost like "Africa's Greece" with the houses on hillsides. Or like in Norway if you are in the fjords. :) So many fields everywhere. Majority of Rwanda is farming.

 

 The children would yell "Muzungu!" (which is white people) and wave wildly with huge smiles as we'd pass them.

Notice the clothes out to dry... In Africa they lay them out wherever they can... on grass, plants, trees... anything.

Kimisagara

After lunch on Sunday, our team split. Half went to the Best Family and half to Kimisagara Orphanage. I went to Kimisagara. We drove for a bit and then stopped at the bottom of a hill. Kimisagara is a very needy orphanage. There are about 100 children there. The biggest need they always have is for food, so we brought some with us. As we arrived, we unloaded the van. I was standing there, when someone put their hand in mine. I looked down to see this little girl and couldn't help thinking that she was awfully bold to take a stranger's hand. Where are her parents? Is she from the orphanage? Her name was Anj and I don't think she was from the orphanage. Later in my trip, I would realize that many children just come and take your hand. It's such a beautiful thing... it connects us a people. It's so simple to hold a hand, yet with it comes such compassion and love.
A bunch of boys from the orphanage came down the hill and immediately took the large bags of rice and other food from us, lifting it to their head like it weighed nothing. We are so weak :) A boy took me by the hand and led me across the street and we started up the hill. Part way up a girl came and led me by the hand. These kids booked it up this hill, pulling us along. :)

As we entered the orphanage, we came through a narrow passage. The building is on a cliff up the hill and there were rooms on one side and a wall on the other. Immediately we were surrounded by many children. Toddlers would walk right up into your legs, wanting to be hugged. It was overwhelming! Each of us on the team were literally surrounded by children, each holding onto us. We weren't really sure what to do. I started asking names and would just smile a lot. Eventually Jane, our guide, had the children split into groups. The boys stayed in the bigger area to do rec, and the girls went into 4 rooms, by ages, for us to do crafts with them.

I was in a room with the older girls. We'd brought beads and string to make bracelets with. Jillian and I showed them what to do, and the girls dove in. They knew some English, but wouldn't really speak to us. We'd ask questions, and be answered in silence, or the girls giggling or speaking in Rwandan. It was difficult. Eventually, a few started to talk with us, and a couple toddlers joined on our laps too which lightened the mood.

We'd been asking the girls to sing for us. All of a sudden, one of the girls who'd seemed stand-offish started singing a little, walking around the room. She then came and sat right next to me and said, "You sing for us!" :) So, I sang a song from my childhood about Jesus walking on the water. After, she began to sing a song in English. It wasn't a common song, so uncommon that I can't for the life of me remember it now, but I knew it in the moment and got to sing it with her. It was such a special moment with this girl.

  After crafts, all of us went back to the main area to hang out. One of the team members had brought letters from her home church and she read them to the group with Jane's translation. Most of the rest of our time, we simply were with the children. There wasn't a program or structure. Just being with them. One girl, also named Jane (left of me in the picture below) was with me for the afternoon. She was so sweet and gentle. I really enjoyed her. She would help me translate. When she was talking to me about my family, she found out I have brothers. She said, "You tell your brother that I love him." so silly.

  Another little boy came and sat with me. He had a mask they made in craft time, and loved my sunglasses.

It was so hard to leave this place. This children wouldn't let go. I don't think they have very many visitors, but they are so sweet. Kimisagara is run by an older man. I didn't see other workers, but there are many older boys there who really take leadership in helping the younger ones. In taking to one of them, he told me that when he grew up, he was called to care for the orphans. He was only 14 and yet you can see that he is being impacted by the man who runs things here and wants to be part of caring for children. It was inspiring. Before leaving, we got a tour of this small place. To the left is the view from Kimisagara, high on the hill. The kitchen was bare, with an old stove and big pot... really not a kitchen. There was the larger area where the children play which was really quite small. There were 4 or 5 rooms where there are a couple bunks that are shared and then mattresses are laid on the floor for the others to sleep on. They convert into classrooms in the day. And then there was the shower area- 3 small shower stalls and 3 small rooms with holes for a toilet. What a reality check. We are so very rich. As I said, this was the neediest place I visited and my heart goes out to them. Please be praying that God would meet their needs. 

Landing in Kigali and the Genocide Memorial

We arrived in Kigali, Rwanda on Saturday, Aug 4th around noon Africa time. It had felt like forever traveling and we were glad to be there. We had been told to be prepared to be flexible on the trip, and our first test of this came quickly. Over half of us were missing at least one piece of our luggage. Some had no change of clothes; I was missing all my toiletries. The airport in D.C. didn't load them on the plane. But we all powered ahead, ready to share. We met our guide, Jane, there who was to be with us for all of our time in Rwanda. We grew to really love this lady during our time here. She was so kind, funny, laid back, and had a huge heart for the Lord.

She took us to our hotel and we all got to have a shower which never felt so good. :) That night, we headed to a place for dinner. Rice, meat, fruit, veggies. It was good! Our whole trip we ate well.
After dinner we had a devotional time. Joshua 3:5 says, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." We spent some time in prayer together asking God to cleanse us, to prepare us, and to dedicate ourselves to Him for the time with the ministries on this trip.

Sunday morning after a breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, toast and fruit (and amazing coffee!!) we went to pick up a few bags at the airport (some came overnight and the rest arrived Sunday evening, praise the Lord!).

We then went to the Genocide Memorial. For those of you who aren't aware, in April 1994, there was a genocide in Rwanda where 800,000 Tutsis were killed by the Hutus. We learned about what happened, we stood silent by one of the mass graves where thousands were laid to rest. We saw faces of children and learned what they loved to do, what they loved to eat, and how they were killed. It was really sad. Such tragedy. And those that could have helped were too late. But the incredible thing is that now, just 18 years later, these people all live side by side. There is peace in Rwanda; peace and joy and love. They have forgiven in a way that is almost incomprehensible. It makes me thank God. Only He can enable people to do this is such a way.

"I love Jesus, Of course I do do do!"

I wanted to share this with you. The first song, Jesus my Savior, has been in my head since I got back. I love singing with these children!! Notice the dancing... they just can't help but move. It makes me laugh and brings such incredible joy to my heart!

Jesus, Jesus my Savior
I love Jesus, Of course I do do do,
You want to know me, my name is Hellen
I come from Canaan, I love Jesus
Of course I do do do, Jesus


The second is Hellen singing, "You are my strength when I am weak". This has a story behind it. On a Sunday, we'd been at Canaan a few days and got to go to their church that day. After church, Hellen took my hand and led me to the hospital that was on the grounds. She was taking me to see her mother who'd been taken to the hospital in the middle of the night. (some of the children's parents aren't able to care for them, so even though there may be one alive, the children are still needing to be at Canaan). I was not sure why the mother was in the hospital and wasn't even sure I was allowed to be in there. But how can you tell this little girl you won't go. I went in with a group of the children and they brought me to the room. Her mother looked small and weak lying on the bed. She had an IV in her arm. I didn't know what was wrong, but I placed my hand on her arm and said, "God bless you. I'm praying for you." She said something back in Lugandan. I think she was thanking me for coming. The room was then filled with other women from church and children, and I was ushered out. Outside, I could see that Hellen was sad. She is always smiling and it was as if the joy was taken out. We went to sit on a ledge and I felt like I was supposed to have prayed with her mom. Since I couldn't go back in, I said to Hellen, "Let's pray for your mom now together." So together, we held hands and prayed. After the prayer, I felt like we should pray for Hellen too, that she'd be encouraged and know the Lord was close to her. So we did. Then Hellen wanted to sing a song together. "You are my strength when I am weak, you are the treasure that I seek, you are my all in all...." After what we had just done, this was so powerful. She sang with eyes closed and all her heart engaged. It was a holy moment, proclaiming together that Jesus was our all. Our trust was in Him.

Later I found out from one child that the mother had malaria... but there was something about her neck too. I'm still not totally sure. But that night, Hellen came to me and said, "I think my mother is going to be okay. Thank you for praying." And the next day, I heard again that she was improving and would get to go home. Hellen wanted my to record her singing this song. So here it is. God was so present and answering prayers. He was lifting spirits and giving joy to our hearts. Notice Hellen's smile and the peace in her eyes. I love this little girl!!

Missing hands to hold

Hi everyone.

I'm home! I cannot believe it's over. It was an incredible trip and I thank you so much for your prayers while I was there. I feel so blessed to have gone and experienced all that I did. I'm already missing holding hands with children from morning until night. :)

Over the next couple weeks, I want to share with you stories from my trip and some photos of those I met. The people of Rwanda and Uganda are so beautiful and special. We loved them and received so much love from them in return. There were challenges and joys. There were so many children, and so many amazing people doing ministry there. My eyes were opened to needs, and blessings. Prayers were answered. Lots of singing took place.

The team of 25 was so special. Here is the group at the airport in Washington DC. Half of us came August 2nd and spent the night in DC. We met the rest at the airport in the morning on August 3rd to leave the U.S. 

Meredith, Kelsey, Jillian, Ciarra, Janet, Sally, Callie, me, Julianna, Emily, Jenny, Reba, Sara, Aime, Andrew, Jason, Rachel, Katie, Matt, Justin, Jarrod, Linda, Jen, David, and Sharon (front to back, left to right)

Covered in Prayer

Colossians 4:2-4, "Devote yourselves to prayers with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. "

Last night was our last conference call before we go. It was a really special time. We had a few people go over some more of our pre-trip devotions. But then we spent the majority of our time in prayer. Our team leader had sent out verses to each of us that we could pray in turn over the group and add to them our own prayers. We prayed that we would not be fearful for anything because the Lord has gone before us and is with us always. We prayed that we would not be anxious about anything, but would bring our worries to the Lord. We prayed that we would go in the full armor of God (Ephesians 6) and that we would stand firm, realizing we are going into a battle. But God has already won the victory. We can walk in confidence. We prayed that we would not complain or argue, but that our words and actions would build each other up and build up those we are serving. We thanked God for our team and how He called each of us. We prayed that God would help us to be content and flexible in every situation. We prayed for strength from God; that we would not grow weary but keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and rest in His strength. We thanked the Lord that He is in control; He is FAITHFUL, and He will accomplish all He has purposed for this trip.

We ended with our trip leader praying a blessing on our trip. From Isaiah 58:10-11, "Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring."

How wonderful it was to spend time together as a group praying for our trip. I love that is was all centered around reading scriptures. God's word spoken out, declaring His heart, His truth, His power over each one of us.

I would love to ask you to join me and others in prayer over our trip. Pray for all the things listed above. Pray for physical health for all of us, that we would stay healthy, feel good, and recover quickly from any jet-lag. Also, pray that God would give us His words as we are with the children. Pray that their eyes would be open to see, their ears open to hear, and their hearts open to receive God's love. Pray that it's not anything we do that receives any praise, but that everything we do points to Jesus and glorifies Him. I desire more of Jesus and less of me.

I'm so thankful for this opportunity to go to Africa and am blessed by your prayers covering me and my team on this trip. I believe that your prayers for us make great impact. I pray that your heart would be stirred as well for the orphans and for God's great love for those in need. Thank you for supporting me.

Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Reacting in Joy

I was driving to the Gathering with my sister last night. I had a headache and was not really in the mood to go, but I was going. On the way, we found out that the major road was closed. So we went up to an alternate major road, only to find it was totally stopped traffic. So I got off to go the back way and it took us way longer than expected. We were a half hour late! I was so frustrated on the drive and was in a bad mood by the time I arrived. As the evening went on, I was convicted that I had the wrong attitude. God used this situation to speak to me about my trip. Things went wrong on that drive. I was tired and let the hassle affect me. I didn't bring it to the Lord or find my joy in Him. And that impacted not just me, but my sister too.

I'm actually thankful this happened last night, because was preparation for  my trip. When I'm tired and things aren't going how they are supposed to, I want to stop and look to the Lord and not let it affect my attitude so much. It doesn't mean that I'm not going to feel frustrated, but it means that I'm not going to allow the frustration to stop me and take my focus away from the Lord. God is sovereign and He knows each step we will take. I can ask for the joy and peace that I'm not feeling in the circumstance. And He is a good God. He will give me what we need in that situation to be a woman bringing glory to God.

John 14:13-14 says, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." Having joy when things are rough brings glory to God. Lord, I pray for a humble and teachable heart on this trip. I pray that I would respond with a joyful attitude and serving heart. I pray that my eyes would stay focused on you and that my reactions would come out of resting in you. May you be honored and glorified on this trip.

Solid Foundation

We had a conference call last night and talked about packing! I can't believe it's coming so soon! Then, we also went through the first 5 devotions in our "Anticipate" book, to prepare us before we leave. I was asked to talk about the first one and it was titled "Solid Foundation". It was about how important it is to have a solid foundation in Christ. And then to put it into practice.

Part of the devotion said "God has opened doors for you to go on this trip. He is calling you to grow in your faith, to become someone better than you are right now. He is opening your eyes to live differently than ever before. The challenge for you will be not just to know the right things to do, but to put them into practice... People will see a difference, you will experience joy."

As I was thinking about what I'd read, I began to think about how my foundation in Christ makes me different. How will those we meet on this trip see a difference in us?

As a team, I want us to have such a solid foundation that nothing will shake us. On the trip, things may not always go the way we think they will and things may happen that will test us. But we have a solid foundation in the Lord and will not be shaken. God is our strength. Our rock.

In looking at scriptures, I came to John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Others will see that we are disciples by the way we treat each other on our team. By our love for each other, by the way we treat each other. It's my desire that we unite together and that we have a heart to serve not only the orphanages, but our teammates on this trip.

In 2 Corinthians 9, it talks about giving generously. We can give money, but I think it applies to more. We give our heart, we give our time, we give love. God provides us all that we need and then calls us to give abundantly, cheerfully. And as we give, it causes those whose needs we are meeting to give thanks to God. He has seen their need and brought us to meet it. Verse 13 says, "And as a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God." I want to give in such a way that people notice I am different. I want to give in such a way that people see Christ in me and give glory to God for what they have received. 

One other part of scripture that I kept thinking of was the Faith Hall of Fame passage in Hebrews 11. As I read it, I came across Abraham. Verse 8ff says, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going... for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Abraham's foundation was in God. He fully recognized that God was the one in control of His life and wanted to follow God wherever He called him to go. He had TRUST in God, knowing He had a purpose and plan.

I heard His call to go on this trip, and I don't know what He is calling me to as a result of this trip. But I am looking forward to the plans he has for me.  I know He is building even more of a foundation in me and that HE is the architect and builder. I trust Him and I pray that I am different after this trip.

I hope you can be reminded today that Jesus is a solid foundation. Build your life on Him, and nothing will be able to shake you.

As a team, I want us to have such a solid foundation that nothing will shake us. On the trip, things may not always go the way we think they will and things may happen that will test us. But we have a solid foundation in the Lord and will not be shaken. God is our strength. Our rock.

Loved as one of His favorites

What Love Really Means-- JJ Heller

Someone recently shared this video on facebook and I want to share it with you. In thinking about going to Africa, I can picture some of the children, or even maybe some of the workers, asking this:
"Who will love me for me,
not for what I have done or what I will become?
Who will love me for me?
Cuz nobody has shown me what love, what love really means."

Part of what I will be doing in Africa is sharing with those I meet that there is someone who loves them for who they are and nothing else. It's Jesus. He loves each one uniquely. He adores each one, without them having done a thing to deserve it. And He wants to give them the love they may have never known or are desperately in need of.

I am so blessed to be able to go and share this. To go and be Jesus' hands and feet by loving people and telling them Jesus loves them so much.

A couple of days ago I was reading Katie Davis's blog. In November 2011, a friend had said to her, "He loves you, Katie. You're one of His favorites." As she went on, she said, "One of His favorites. That is what I have felt like this last two weeks. Lavished with love. But isn't that what He wants every one of His children to feel, all the time? Each and every one of us created perfectly in His image. Each one cherished. Each one "one of His favorites". How would life change if we thought of each other as such? If each person that approached us we treated as beloved of God, cherished by God, one of God's favorite people?" (www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com)

I am challenged by this and want to take this thought with me on this trip, and beyond this trip. Each person--whether on my team, leading a ministry, transporting us around, or one of the children-- I want to see them as ONE OF HIS FAVORITES. I want to talk to them in that way and love them in that way. What a challenge for each of us.

From me to you, guess what... you are one of God's favorites!

Resting in Reverence and Peace

Visiting Orphans provides you with 3 devotional books- Anticipate (for before your trip), Experience (for during), and Reflect (for after). I'm really enjoying going through Anticipate. This week, I read one entitled Reverence and it talked about having an attitude of reverence toward God. "Revering God comes from resting in His presence and honoring who He is." Psalm 37:7 says, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." The devotional encourages us to maintain this attitude on the trip. As I'm waiting for flights, or things get delayed, be still, recognize that God is in control. I can be thankful for the time to let my thoughts catch up from all that I'm seeing and experiencing. I am trying to take time even now and practice this. God is the one who is worthy of all praise. It's my desire to keep my eyes on this throughout my trip, when things are amazing, and when things are a struggle.

The next devotion was titled, "The God of Peace". It had us read Philippians 4:4-9 several times.
It says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

I want to memorize this before I go. What a great passage! It remind me to have an attitude of rejoicing on the trip, looking for the goodness of God in each moment. Approaching it all with a gentle spirit, an encouraging spirit. And PRAY. Bring all the worries to God and begin to thank Him for what He has done. As you do, your focus shifts. Instead of the worries, you see God's faithfulness and peace comes in this.

And then the part about whatever is... think about these things. I gained new perspective on this. The devotion applied this to when you are struggling or thinking any destructive thoughts. I think on a trip like this, you are bound to face some struggles. The enemy doesn't want us on this trip and will try to discourage us or break us down. But this scripture reminds us-- turn your thoughts upon Christ-like things. Think about the good things, the redeeming things. Focus your mind on Jesus. And put into practice the things God has taught you. And the God of peace will be with you.

This week I have been sick. It's been a week and I can't seem to kick it. I was encouraged reading these devotions and have been praying for both reverence and peace. My co-workers prayed over me today and I know that the Lord is working. Getting sick 2 weeks before I go, I want to keep my eyes on Jesus. I don't want this to take away from what God is doing in me in preparation for my trip. And I say, "God be glorified, even in this. My heart is for you. You are my King."
Please be praying for me, that I feel better quickly and that God would equip me with all I need before my trip.

camp

It's been a while since I've posted. I was at camp this week with junior highers and was the counselor for 12 girls going into 7th grade. It was such a good week. Time to worship the Lord, love on these girls, and talk about Jesus. Our last night, the speaker talked about making trouble for the Kingdom. We were meant for this time in history. And God is calling us to act. To take a stand. To pray like we've never prayed before. He talked about how we love movies that are about rescuing. The prince rescues the princess, underdog conquers, those with no family are taken into one. God rescued us and is calling us to be part of His rescuing the world.

This made me think about a webinar that I listened to a couple months ago. My boss knew I was getting interested in orphan care and told me to listen in. It was by Christian Alliance for Orphans and was entitled "Engaging students in the cause of the fatherless". The webinar featured an organization called Heartwork. Heartwork's vision is for students in the U.S. to grasp more deeply God's heart for orphans and for us. This generation is desiring to be part of something bigger than themselves. It's up to us as leaders to give them the call to act. The bi-line for Heartwork is "Destiny Rescuing Destiny". I love this! Isaiah 58:10 says, "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." God is calling us to spend ourselves on those in need. It's God's heart that we do this, and as we do, He fills us. In orphan ministry, we can be part of rescuing the destiny of a child. And as we do this, we are changed. Our destiny changes. It's the call God has on our lives. He rescued us and now is inviting us to go rescue with him. Destiny rescuing destiny.

I'm so thankful for this past week at camp. I was challenged in my faith and was filled by the time to worship the King. 

Please be praying for me and with me for me trip in a few weeks. I feel like there's so much to do and process before I go, but am so excited at what God has in store.

The King and His Kingdom

I've recently begun a book called, "When Helping Hurts" by Steve Corbett and Brian Finkkert. It's a great book that makes you think about the full picture of helping those in need. It begins with Jesus and why He came to earth.

In the time when Jesus came, the Jews were under Roman rule. They knew the Old Testament prophesies (2 Samuel 7:11-16, Psalm 2, Isaiah 9:6-7 Daniel 7:13-14) and were waiting for the Messiah to come and take over, to be the new King. As Jesus began revealing Himself as the Messiah, He began to share His mission. In Luke 4:43, Jesus says, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." Jesus's mission was to restore all things under His authority. Colossians 1:20, "For God was please to have all His fullness dwell in Him (Jesus), and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross."

In Jesus' ministry, He both "preached the good news of the kingdom, and He showed the good news of the kingdom." (Page 35, "When Helping Hurts"). He didn't only care about people's salvation, but He also healed them. He cared for their spiritual needs and their physical needs. His mission was rooted in "spreading the good news among the hurting, the weak, and the poor. Hence, it is not surprising that throughout history God's people have been commanded to follow their King's footsteps into places of brokenness." (Page 37)

This was not a new call for His people.  We over and over in the Old Testament, God calling Israel into places of brokenness (ie: Isaiah 1:17, "Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.") And this mission continued to be God's focus through Jesus' time on earth and in the church after. 1 John 3:17, " If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." As the church, we are called to spread the gospel- the Kingdom of God is here and Jesus is King. And He is restoring the world back to Him, bringing justice, compassion, healing, salvation, peace- through us as His representatives. "We are Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: be reconciled to God."

As I prepare for my trip, God keeps speaking these things to me through people, sermons, books. I feel like He is laying on my heart His heart for those in need. I want to be someone who is Christ's ambassador and be part of His reconciling the world to Him. In Rwanda, God has been doing a huge work of reconciliation. Our first day there, we'll visit the genocide memorial and we'll get a glimpse of the tragedy. But as we go speak with people who lived through it, I've heard that we will see how far God has brought them. To forgive, to hope, to care for each other. This is God's mission. This is His work. I want to be part of this. To witness it. To LOVE IN ACTIONS AND IN TRUTH. More and more I'm seeing that we, as Christians, are called to be part of this. We cannot do it by simply going to church or having our own personal time with Jesus. Those things equip us and fill us. But the purpose of that is to GO! Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says, "ALL AUTHORITY on heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore, GO and make disciples..." He's calling me and He's calling you to be part of His mission. To join His Kingdom work.

We are all broken. All of us need to hear the truth and be saved. So please don't hear that you have to go to Africa to see this and be part of God restoring His kingdom here on earth. You can do it where you work, where you live, anywhere you go. We can love in actions and truth wherever God has called.

James 1:27, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." (Visiting Orphan's Mission Verse)

More than I can handle

We've all heard people say it, "God won't give you more than you can handle"; and we find comfort in it. But the thing is, this is nowhere to be found in Scripture. In fact, in many stories, people are in situations that are way more than they can handle.

Over the past few years, not knowing really that it's not found in scripture, I had come to this conclusion. With God, there is NOTHING we can't handle. If we are trusting in Him and depending on Him, the truth is that we could face anything and He would walk through it with us. This is a little scary to think about because none of us want to go through hard things.

I've been reading Katie Davis's book, as I've mentioned, and just finished a chapter where she talks about this. She says, "I am dependent. Powerless. Weak. Drowning. While those adjectives may sound scary, they put me in a beautiful place, a place where I couldn't go one minute without crying out to my Father or I would sink. I remember being so grateful for that place, and I still am. Paul says in his letter to the Philippians that he 'knows the secret'. He has been well fed and he has been starving; he has lived in abundance and he has lived with nothing. His revelation? That he could do all things through Christ who strenthens (Phil. 4:13). I was learning that the powerless, broken, dependent place whas actually the place where the Lord was closest to me."

Later she goes on to talk about how people say God will never give you more than you can handle and that she doesn't believe it's true. She says, "I believe that God totally, absolutely, intentionally gives us more than we can handle. Because this is when we surrender to Him and He takes over, proving Himself by doing the impossible in our lives... I have learned to accept it, even ask for it, this 'more than I can handle.' Because in these times, God shows Himself victorious. He reminds me that all of this life requires more of Him and less of me. God does give us more than we can handle. Not maliciously, be intentionally, in love, that His glory may be displayed, that we may have no doubt of who is in control, that people may see His grace and faithfulness shining through our lives. And as I surrender these situations to Him, watch Him take over and do the impossible, I am filled with joy and peace- so much more than I can handle."
*Davis, Katie. "Kisses From Katie". P. 131-132, 135-137.

I love this. I want to begin to pray for this, even though it scares me a little. Because being part of what God's doing and watching Him show up and do things is exciting. And I want to be part of it. Don't you?

Listen and Do

I've been reading James, since it's where the Visiting Orphans verse comes from. James 1:19 says, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." It is just a few verses later that we're called to visit orphans. I've been praying this for my trip. I want to be quick to listen to the people I meet, the children and workers and my team. I want to be slow to speak, listening for the Lord's words before I do.
Tonight was the second conference call for my team (where we are quick to listen and with 27 people, slow to speak. :) ) We had the VO staff who overseas Rwanda speak about what we'll do in Rwanda. I am so fired up and excited! We'll be at 4 different orphanages while there, each very different from the others. Some are full of confident hope and are going to inspire (like one we'll visit after we go to the Genocide Memorial; which is a group of boys who were orphaned in the genocide who came together to care for each other. Now they are grown and taking in other orphans to care for them) and some are very needy (like one we'll climb the hill to get to, bringing food with us, who don't have many visitors and are hungry for love). As I heard about these places and a few others, I anticipate this trip more and more. Lord, thank you for this opportunity!

They again instilled in us that Visiting Orphans believes that the trips are not the end. God wants to show me something on this trip; He wants to change my heart, break my heart, call me to DO something. James 1:22, 25 says, "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. DO what it says...The man who continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does." I want to DO this. I want to go and love on these kids and for God to teach me, use me, lead me.

Please continue to pray for me and my team. Pray God would prepare us to go, that he'd unify us as a team (even before we meet), and that he'd be stirring in us what He is calling us to do next.

I'm so excited for Rwanda!! :)

ONE

This week we had the first team conference call. She talked about how Visiting Orphans is based off of James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." She said we'll go and we'll visit orphans; we'll love on them, hold them, sing to them, play with them, meet their needs.

This trip is a vision trip. We'll see many different ministries and serve them. Some are doing really well and others really need the help. Jesus is already in Africa. We are not bringing Him there; He's there. But we are going to LOVE them as Jesus loves them.

Something the leaders spoke into was the ONE. If we can go and change ONE life, love on ONE child, then we have succeeded on this trip. We will see extreme poverty and we can't change it all, but we can impact ONE. We can take each moment and be present and be Jesus to these orphans.

This reminded me of something Katie Davis posted. She says, "He is teaching me to stop for ONE. And it is hard and it is ugly. Because every time I stop for that ONE sick child, that ONE hungry old man, that ONE new baby girl, my mind races with the statistics of how many more there are that I am not touching, not feeding, not saving. God whispers every time though that this ONE is enough. That this ONE is feeling His love and that is eternal. ETERNAL...I think of 14 little girls who have a home and food and a Mommy and know Jesus. I think of 600 Karamajong children, modern day lepers in Uganda, singing about God's love for them and leaving with their bellies full. I think of 400 sponsored children who sometimes show up on Saturday in new clothes because now that Amazima is providing them with all their basic needs (food, education, medical care) their parents can afford to buy them a NEW DRESS. I see thousands of deep brown eyes and feel thousands of little brown hands and I know that even on the hardest day, stopping is worth it. A life changed is worth it, even if only ONE. God's love made known is worth it, even if only to ONE. I will not save them all. But I will keep trying. I will say Yes. I will stop for that ONE no matter how hopeless. Jesus, give us the strength to say yes to whoever you put in our paths today." (www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com; October 3, 2009)

I want to live like this. On my trip and beyond my trip. I want to stop for the ONE and know that it's making eternal impact. What a blessing it is to be part of what God is doing! This is His Kingdom at work! Lord continue opening my eyes to this. Show me how you want me to live this out.

Joy beyond circumstance

I saw this video on a blog I recently read of someone who went on a trip to Africa. I think there is truth to it... There is so much we can do and are called to do in places like Africa. To help the poor, the orphans. But we do have so much to learn... Joy having no regard for my circumstances.

At my church this weekend, it was the story of the fiery furnace. And the lesson was that they believed God was able to save them... even if He didn't. That was the key. No matter what we are walking through, do you believe God is able? Even if he doesn't. We can't know the will of God... sometimes He saves us from the fire and sometimes He saves us through the fire. But He is with us; He is good; and He is able.

I'm seeing through Africa, how I can have JOY regardless of my circumstance. As it says, I want this truth to travel from my head to my heart. Jesus help me.

By the way, this video is by Mocha Club... worth checking out (www.themochaclub.org) Their concept is to form a community of people who give the money from 2 mochas a month ($7) to relief and development projects in Africa. They work in five main project areas: Clean Water, Education, Child Mothers + Women At Risk, Orphan Care + Vulnerable Children, and HIV/AIDS + Healthcare. It's a really neat program! We all have so much and my eyes are being opened more and more to how what is a little for us can go so far! We can change lives.

God is Provider

The last 2 weeks, I've been blown away by the Lord and his provision. I have been fundraising for my Rwanda/Uganda trip and been abundantly blessed by so many who are supporting me in prayer and/or financially! Each committment to pray and/or give has significance and makes great impact. To all who have committed, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. It makes a difference for me and for the ones I'll meet in Africa. God has been affirming through all of you that He has called me to go and that this IS the time.

I was encouraged when I said yes to trust the Lord to provide. Someone told me, "I think God wants to reveal Himself to you that he is your provider and is going to teach you in that." This definitely happened! My fundraising for Visiting Orphans is complete! In just 2 weeks, I'm fully supported! I want to share just one story with you from this process. A few days after saying yes, I had a dream that a friend gave a specific amount. I woke up and was encouraged but didn't think much of it. That morning, I received an email from that friend letting me know she donated that same specific amount. I didn't connect the dots right away, but later that morning we were having our team prayer time at work, and it was like a lightbulb went off. God said, "I gave you a dream to show you what I'd provide from that person, and it happened. I'm going to provide for you to go." I was amazed! I know that each person who is supporting me, in prayer and finance, is a story of God providing. I feel my faith has already been stretched and grown and I'm so excited to see what else I'll learn through this trip.

Africa... in HIS time

A big part of the reason I wanted to start this blog was that I am going to Rwanda and Uganda for 2 weeks in August. Here's the story.

I already mentioned that I began reading Katie Davis's blog in late April.

MAY 1: I journaled: "In one entry (of Katie's blog) she's back in the US and struggling with why she's dry spiritually. She talks about how in Uganda, she is so desperate for the Lord in every little thing. Desperate for love for all these orphans, for food, for money to make ends meet. Here in the US, our needs and wants can so easily be satisfied (we can run to the store for food, etc); we forget that our spirit is still hungry...Katie is hungry to do God's will and so humble as she shares about what she's doing- living the way God calls us to-- caring for the poor, the orphans."

I went on to write, "Lord I want you to teach me what this means for me. I want to be desperate for you. Lord, here am I. Where will you send me? or what are you calling me to?" In the next few days, I kept pondering this question of what God was calling me to and asking Him to show me.

MAY 11: I started praying about going on a missions trip. On Katie Davis's website: www.amazima.org, she talks about trips through Visiting Orphans. I prayed about possibly going in the fall on a trip and continued to pray for the next couple weeks.

MAY 23: I journalled Habakkuk 1:3ff, "Why do you make me look at injustice? Whey do you tolerate wrong?...justice never prevails. The Lord replies, 'Look and watch and be UTTERLY AMAZED. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."

Later that day, I talked with our missions pastor about the possibility of going on a Visiting Orphans trip. He connected me with the woman who overseas our Kingdom Justice area (working with widows, orphans, trafficking, etc).

MAY 29:We talked the next week and she has been praying about getting involved with Visiting Orphans for a year and my asking her about it was confirmation that we should step forward into this.
She called and talked with Visiting Orphans (VO) and then called and told me to call them.

MAY 30: I called VO to share my heart for going on a trip. At the time, the only trip to Uganda that had space was in December. The girl at VO said that she felt like the December trip was not the one for me, but when they had dates for 2013 solidified, she could let me know what would be a good one for me. I felt like she really understood my heart and could lead me to the right trip. So I was at peace waiting until next spring.


MAY 31: The girl at VO emailed me and told me that there was a spot on 2 trips for late summer. One was Kenya/Uganda on July 28 and the other was Rwanda/Uganda on Aug 3. She said it's short notice, but I think it would be a great option for you. She went on to say, "We'd need to know by Monday (June 4) and you would need $2200 by next week for either trip so we can book the plane tickets. If this is something you are interested in and feel like is the right timing (please pray about it) then I'll let you know Monday which trip would be the better fit for you." All I can say is WHOA!! This was both really exciting and kind of crazy! That's one weekend to make a decision and a week to raise over half the funding.

JUNE 1-3: So I prayed. Saturday I was able to pray with a mentor of mine who is a prayer warrior for me. She encouraged me that God has a plan. I knew that I was called to go. But I wasn't sure yet whether this was the time that God had me to go and I wanted to be obedient to HIS timing. I got prayer at church on Sunday. Later Sunday, I had two separate people ask me, "Is the only reason you feel like it's not the time the short fundraising time?" The answer was yes. And neither of them said anything about that to advise me, but I could sense the Lord asking me, "Do you trust me?" Was I going to say no to this opportunity because MAYBE I wouldn't be able to raise funds in time?

JUNE 4: Decision day. I was going to say yes. The fact that this was a full trip and a space opened was incredible. My job, work load, life situation, and passion all made it seem like an ideal time to go. I felt called to TRUST God for the funding, even as that scared me. VO told me that Rwanda/Uganda would be the best fit. It's led by one of their staff (cool because I was hoping for Rwanda/Uganda, but also hoping for the trip with the VO staff. I thought they were opposite, but it turned out they were the same trip! Yet another glimpse of God preparing the way). I got it cleared with everyone. My supervisor was great-- she says, "You HAVE to go!" and really encouraged me that the Lord was going to reveal more of himself to me. That He is a provider.


It's now late. This is a big part of the story. I'll share more soon about what's gone on since.
Goodnight friends!

Not poor, but rich

On April 23 this year, my best friend sent me the link to a blog: www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com It took me a few days to begin reading, but when I did, I couldn't stop. Katie Davis felt called as a high schooler to go spend a year teaching orphans in Uganda when she graduated. Like most parents would be, hers were not crazy about this idea. So her senior year, her mom joined her on a 3 week trip to a baby home in Jinja, Uganda. She fell in love with the country and the people, "its enormous beauty juxtaposing extreme poverty". Her heart was stirred by these people that "the world calls poor, but who seemed to rich in love to me (Katie)".

So after her senior year in high school, Katie left for Uganda to spend a year teaching at Canaan's Children Home. It was both a struggle, as she didn't speak the language, and immensely filling. These children were full the the presence of Jesus. She came to realize she had one purpose in Uganda: to love. Luke 12:48 says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Katie realized she'd been given much.

Everywhere around Katie seemed to be a paradox and this began stirring my heart as I read her story. Here's what she says, "Materially speaking, the people who began to fill my life were the poorest I has ever met and yet they overflowed with the riches of the heart. They lived in houses of sticks or stones and mud; they slept on hard dirt floors. But they did not blame God for this or ask Him for more. They knew their circumstances were due to the brokenness of this world and they simply praised Jesus for keeping them alive through it all. They believed in His goodness. They lived with love and passion, caring for one another and for me and deeply appreciating the simplest gifts life had to offer: the happy giggles of children, the smile and warm greeting of a  friend, the beauty that surrounded them, and chance to work when possible, a helping hand when, these people had every reason to be despondent and downcast, but they were the most joyful human beings I could imagine."

I think of how we are in America. When things go wrong, so often we are asking, "where are you God?" instead of realizing he is the ONE thing that is holding us steady. Jesus ENTERS IN to the hard places and is there WITH US.

I leave you with one more excerpt from Katie, back in her first year in Uganda (2007). She's with the children, praising and worshipping, in a storm that has cut off the power. "At first glance, it would be easy to feel sorry for these little boys. Their clothes are tattered... they walk to school barefoot in the rain. They have no electricity, no running water... But I should not pity these children. In fact, I should envy them. At 6 years old, these children know what it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. These children know the greatness, the wonder of our God... these children are not poor. I am. I put value in things. These children, having no things, put value in God. I put my trust in relationship; these children, having already seen relationships fail, put their trust in the Lord."

I want to have that trust in the Lord. Unwavering, over all... in awe!

*note-- quotes are taken from Davis, Katie. Kisses from Katie. New York: Howard Books, 2011.

Welcome to my Blog

I'm on a journey. It began a couple months ago and comes down to this: God is stirring my heart for orphans. He's stirring my heart to HIS work in the world to bring Kingdom Justice. Verses all over the Bible speak to this. In my title is John 14:18 and it says, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (Come Unto Me) We were all orphans in a way. We were lost in sin and all alone. And Jesus came to us. He gave His life for us. And He met us where we were at and adopted us as sons and daughters. Ephesians 1:5 says, "God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure." Oh how He loves us.

Over the next few weeks, I'll share with you what I've been learning in this and all that's led me to where I am now: planning for a missions trip to Rwanda and Uganda later this summer. God has so much in store for each of us and what an adventure it is. :)