The arrow of truth

Having finished up sixth week of outreach, and coming to Jamaica to finish out this two month long mission, I truly have no idea where to start to tell you of the things that God has done.

I think the biggest thing that has changed inside of me in the last two months, is realizing where my strength comes from, not only my strength, but my every breath.

The conditions that we've lived in the last two months have tested where we truly draw our strength and love from. Bathing in rivers, and only a couple hours of sleep a night at times among other things,  eventually starts to wear on you.

As a leader I have discovered that you cannot make 16 people happy all at the same time. (Maybe that comes as a surprise to some people, hehe) Some will love the pace of ministry and work while it's killing the other half. Some may be so excited about a certain meal while others would rather die than eat it. Some may think your decision on something is right while others think you're a lunatic. But, inevitably I have been tested with my identity. Where do I draw my identity from? From what others think of me, or from my father in heaven? This has been a beautiful growing experience for me, to learn how to hear the Lord's voice and follow it no matter what that makes others think.

Yes, I'm growing up :)

I want to share a picture with you

This is a picture I took of one of my students and a homeless man. We were cleaning up the beach and picking up trash, when my student felt that she was to go tell this man that Jesus loved him. 

She approached him and said, "sir, I just felt that I was supposed to come and tell you that Jesus loves you very much. 

The man smiled slowly and said, "I know him... He is my friend"

My student, admittedly a little confused said to him "but, do you know he gave his life for you? Have you accepted him into your heart? Have you given him your life?"

The man smiled bigger now, and said: "My dear... I know him. I talk to him all the time. He gives me MY life."

The student walked away from him and came up to me with tears in her eyes... "I've never had as much Joy as that man... And he has nothing." I smiled, because I know this mans secret... It is the secret I have learned myself... The secret Paul learned and spoke so fondly of.

The Joy of knowing the saviour, truly knowing him. Speaking to him often, drawing our energy, strength, love from Him.

It is how one can be content with any food, any clothing, any climate. To be rich or poor, to be hungry or fed.. The secret is that it's not about any of the things of this world, but the one our hearts were made for. The Joy of knowing our Lord. I promise you that this is not a fairytale.

There is a love that is so strong, a bond between the saviour and you that is so real and intense, that being free or in prison is no matter, no earthly circumstances can shake the Joy. 

It is what our hearts were made for.

I encourage you to talk to the one that brings Joy that surpasses circumstance as often as you can today, and tomorrow... and the next day. You were made for him, to walk with him and share this life with him. You will never see the beauty of that secret until you become more intimate with him. 

He loves you. 

Outreach craziness

Wow, I can't believe that it's already been three weeks in Costa Rica!!

God has done some AMAZING things already, but the best part is watching my students being transformed more and more each day.
We just got home from the mountains, where we served at a kids camp for a week. We were able to work on one of the cabins, and bless the camp in that, as well as work with the kids and show them more about Jesus and his love. :)

I'd like to share three short videos of some of the miracles that we've already seen so far on outreach! They can be viewed here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hobmro8splvvzje/IMG_2236.MOV

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t75bffyssaumt13/IMG_2266.MOV

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3j93pl6jg63q8j2/IMG_2277.MOV

This next week we are going to a small village in the mountains. VERY excited to see what God has in store for us and for those we get to show his love to!

Thanks for all your supoprt and love!!!

Outreach

We've been in Costa Rica for almost a week now, and it's been crazy amazing!

We've been working with the YWAM base here to fulfill a vision they have over Costa Rica.
They have a heart to put a bible in every single home in the country.

So our team has been going door to door, and praying for people after we give them a bible.

So far, five people have been healed!!! One person was blind in one eye, another had a limp from breaking their leg three times in the same place, two of them had stomach pain, and the last one was a woman who couldn't breathe well since having a heart attack!


We serve a powerful God!!


It's been so beautiful to watch our team growing closer in love and doing things that bless our fathers heart!! :)

Here are some pictures of what we've been doing!

Nathan Goode

Well, as many of you know, I am engaged! I would like to take some time out and share with you the story of the wonderful guy that I'm going to marry. :)

I met Nathan April 23 of 2012, while doing an oureach here in Mexico. We became friends and discovered more and more how similar of hearts we have for the Lord and for life.

On September 25th we officialy began "courting" after FINALLY revealing our feelings for each other that we'd been keeping secret. ;)

Then on March 26th, he got down on one knee, and proposed to me on the same field we had our first dance. :)

I am so thankful to the Lord for bringing me a man with the same heart as mine to serve and love him with everything that we are. To go wherever he calls us, and lay our lives down for the sake of our king.

This is the beginning of a very great adventure with our father!

The adventure continues! But, now there are two. :)

Love

I heard it said that I could speak in the tongues of men and angels, but that I would just be noise if I didn't have love...

I heard it said that I could have the gift of Prophecy, seeing things nobody else sees, understanding deep spiritual things and knowing all there is to know, but that if I didn't have love, it meant nothing. 

I heard it said that I could have the greatest faith of anyone, even great enough to move a mountain from it's place and throw it into the sea, or to raise the dead, and heal the sick, but if I didn't have love... It would be for nothing. 

I heard it said that I could give everything I own to the poor, but that if I didn't have love, I gain nothing. 

I heard it said that I could be martyred for my faith, give my body to the flames, but if I didn't have love, it was all for nothing.

I am guessing, that love is more important. 

Love is being patient. Patient with those around you, not lashing out, not reacting to situations with anxiety, but calmness. 

Love doesn't want or envy what isn't theirs.

Love doesn't know pride, or think too highly of oneself. 

Love doesn't behave rudely, or unkind. In every situation, even stressful situation, even when people are getting under our skin, it is kind and doesn't lash out or speak unkindly. 

Love is not selfish, nor does it seek it's own. Love thinks of others before itself, and gives wholeheartedly. 

Love is not easily angered or provoked, doesn't lose it's temper. 

Love thinks the best of people, and doesn't judge.

Love doesn't think the worst, but rejoices in the truth.

Love can bear all things, and believes all things, and hopes all things, and endures everything. 

Love does not fail.

But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

This same person said this:

 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

And so I now will put away childish things, and learn the most excellent way... A love that my savior walked in. Those other things are amazing things to see and to do, but I see how clearly I have missed the point if I forget love.

I see how damaging it would be if I walked in the greatness of those other things, but forgot the foundation of love... 

Love must be my foundation.

Faithfullness

Our father in heaven is so faithful. He spoke something to me, I chose to obey, and he came through... Just like he loves to do. In four days I raised 1,890.00 for outreach! There is only 410.00 left!!!

Daddy in heaven constantly surprised me and awes me at his faithfullness when we simply obey him.

I want to take this moment and thank all of you for your obedience to what he put on your heart to support me. It is a beautiful eb and flo in the kingdom, when all his children listen and obey his voice, and we get to see the beauty that is the body of Christ.

You are every bit a part of this adventure as I am, and receive every bit as much of the reward. Thank you for taking my hand!! Thank you for obedience to father God!


I feel his pleasure in us. :)

Leadership

As many of you know,  I have been asked, along with my good friend Luis,  to lead the 14 of our DTS students on outreach in April and May to Costa Rica, and Jamaica.

As I have been praying and asking God to give me the wisdom I need and his heart on how to lead the students, he has been teaching and showing me so much.

I worked out the budget for the trip, and it was really way too high for a lot of them. The price was about 3,700.00 per student. We met with the leaders and we brainstormed on what we could do to get that price to come down. Just so you have some background on how it works with these schools, all of us staff are full-time non paid missionaries, we raise our own support for the cost of living and working here. As staff of DTS, we are committed to the whole 5 months of the school, and the leaders pray about who to have lead the outreach phase. Because of this, and the fact that it's not really a choice, the price of the staff leading the outreach is split among the students.

As we looked over the budget, there weren't any places we could make cuts. One of the leaders felt while praying that God would give Luis and I the answer to what we were to do with this, even if that meant changing location. As I prayed about it, I knew exactly what God was asking me to do, and to be honest, I was fighting in my flesh with it a bit. God was asking me to relieve the students of my costs, by raising the total amount of the outreach for my cost. Being that I already live by faith, it was a difficult thing to know he was asking me to step that up once again, and to get in the same line with my students and believe in faith alongside of them for the money we need.

As I was praying, I felt like Jesus was speaking to me about how he lead. He was God, but humbled himself and lived among us, served us, and ultimately laid his life down for us. He was asking me if I would do the same for my students, and get in line alongside of them, lead by example, and be the first to step out on the water. That is how my father wants me to lead.

As I brought this to my co-leader, he felt that God was asking him to have my back in this, and so he has decided to do the exact same thing. This brings the total cost down,  so that each of us need to raise $2,300.00


So I am writing this because I need you to prayerfully consider walking with me in this, getting into line with my students and I to step out on the water and believe that every penny of this will be raised in time! We need to buy plane tickets yesterday, we only have four weeks left before we leave for two months, and plane tickets are the biggest thing we need to buy right now. The cost of plane tickets are 1,400.00 as it stands right now.

That amount might scare some people, but there is power when many people come together, all that would take is 23 of my friends giving $100.00. Or if God is pressing on your heart to give more than that, please do! I am asking you to take my hand in this, and be a part of the amazing things that God wants to do in my life, my students' lives, and in Costa Rica and Jamaica, in the lives of those precious people in those countries.


When you give, you also share in our reward!!

God bless you :)