what’s been happening

I have some very exciting and slightly delayed news! I am fully funded for the amount due to the mission organization!! This is incredible and so very humbling. The Lord provided in all the right timing and ways and I could not be more blown away and grateful. I cannot thank y’all enough for the support, financially, prayerfully and emotionally. This has been one of the biggest ways I have been assured of this journey and your faithfulness to the Lord and his bigger plans have proven I’m right where I’m supposed to be. God said “I’ll take care of it” and used so many people to accomplish it, so thank you for your generosity and obedience!!

Missions are something I would’ve never thought of on my own, especially right now but have come to realize that our life is ministry and it is simply what we are called to do as followers of Christ Jesus. In your workplace, school, family, friends, organizations and the streets, we are called to “Go and make disciples of all nations” and that includes the United States and your local communities! I hope that as you follow along this mission trip through this blog and social media that you will see what the Lord is doing in my heart and other nations but not exclude America from the same revival and restoration. 

We had a teaching about “Life is Ministry and Ministry is Life” and we see this in Jesus’s life because when he starts his ministry he came to give sight to the blind, make the lame walk and cleanse those that have leprosy, and proclaim the good news to the poor (Matthew 11:4-6.) We also know Jesus healed on the sabbath, so he didn’t have any limits or restrictions to his ministry. His ministry was the way he lived his life. This is why the Greatest Commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27) We must do this above anything else, hints the *Greatest* Commandment. Also why it is a commandment (which means divine rule) this means it’s not a suggestion, but actually required and expected as a believer of Jesus Christ, the man who died on the cross for our sins and rose three days later. 

This challenged me and was hard to hear, when was the last time I shared the gospel with a random stranger? Or asked someone if I could pray over them? I had just been living my life and keeping my faith in specific sections of my life. Jesus is our example of what it looks like to live a life fully surrendered to God, and it’s better that way, for everyone. 

The other day, we were taught about evangelism and then activated right after in a local community in Georgia. We were dropped off at grocery stores and told to put into practice what we had just learned. We were nervous, but so excited to share the good news of the gospel and just simply pray over people. Me and my friend talked to probably around 10 people and got to pray over most of them. They had all heard of Jesus but didn’t have a good personal relationship with him. We prayed for healing, comfort, mental health and a deepened love for our Savior. It was tough yet exhilarating. It was scary yet so life giving. Once we did it a couple times it kind of felt natural and right, because it is! Our purpose is to bring glory and honor to his name and that’s what we were doing. 

All that to say I am more thankful than words can say to God for being a bigger God than I realized and to all of the people supporting me. It means so much to know there is a community behind me interceding for me and loving me so well. I hope you stay updated with this journey and start your own too. From the deepest of my heart, thank you for your part in giving me this opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus, I cannot wait to take y’all along. 

A glimpse into what my daily life looks like right now and the near future:

Right now I am at training camp and have been here for two weeks and have two more weeks left before we are sent out into a different state to serve with a ministry for another two weeks. After that we will come back to this campsite and debrief before flying out to Cambodia! Right now daily life usually includes 2-3 learning sessions, time with the squad and team, personal time, worship and other practical training. It’s so fun and also a lot to take in, but I love that I am getting to learn so much and live in a great community!