Thankful

Yes I know Thanksgiving was yesterday, but we should be thankful everyday. So I decided to do this to remind myself to always be thankful.

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving,

and His courts with praise!

Give thanks to Him; bless His name!

For the Lord is good;

His steadfast love endures forever,

and His faithfulness to all generations."

- Psalm 100:4-5 

I have so much to be thankful for!

For all my friends near and far. I'm so blessed to know friends all over the world doing things with God. I treasure their love and encouragement. No matter how long we go without talking, we always seem to pick up right where we left off.

My wonderful family. We don't always get along, but I know no matter what we do we always love each other. When I feel no one believes in me, I know they do.

For God providing all that I need. It hasn't been easy and most of the time I get overwhelmed, but God has been with me every step of the way and He wont stop now.

Jesus taking the punishment for all our sins. But also rising from death, so that we can live!

"Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" 

-Ephesians 5:20

Esther

For years I've heard the question asked "If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?"
I never knew quite who to say. But now without a doubt I would say:

"Esther."

I want to ask her what it was like to stand before the king, asking him to save her people knowing he could kill her.
Was she ever aware of God's plan for her life?
Did she ever loose faith?

She seems like such an amazing woman of God! She won favor in the eyes of anyone who met her. Changed the heart of the king with kindness. She Obeyed, but stood up for what was right. She was kind, and she loved and cared for so many! But most of all I admire her courage. If I ever have the chance, I hope I can speak the words she said:

"Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish."

 -Esther 4:16 

She was an orphan, raised by her aunt and uncle. She was not rich, she didn't have an extraordinary upbringing. Esther was just a young woman with faith, courage, and a powerful God.

"And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

-Esther 4:16

Yes Esther, you were born for such a time as this.

What God's been doing.

I thought I should probably make an update since I haven't wrote anything in a long time :)

After I got back from YWAM (see previous posts), it took me a long time to adjust back to life. I missed my friends, the teachings, the experiences and adventures, everything (I still do)! But after some long, constant, crying out talks with God I now know I am where I'm supposed to be... for now.

I know God has something amazing for me, I don't know when and where, but when He says "Go." I'll go.

In the meantime, I'm looking for a full time job. I've had a couple of temporary jobs, and I'm still doing [and LOVING] photography. I'm also involved at my church, helping with the 5th and 6th grades on Wednesday nights, I dance occasionally, and I sing on the worship team. I'm also a mentor to a Jr. High girl.

A few weekends ago I got to help on a teen girls weekend, I also gave a talk on Christian growth through study. It was so amazing!!! It made me realize even more the passion that I have for working with youth.

God keeps showing me that I can do so much more than I ever thought I could. If you would've asked me 5 years ago if I would believe that my first time flying would be over seas, and I would travel to three countries and one is a closed nation, and that I would give a 20ish minuet talk to about 25 people. I would have said "no."

All I can say is that when God says to do something, you can do it! He will never let you fall.

Listen

Something God has been teaching me lately, is to have still small moments with Him throughout the day. We get so wrapped up in the business of our lives, even if we're not really that busy the Internet takes up most of our free time, that we forget to spend time with God! And how many times when I do have a quiet time in the morning, do I still forget about Him for the rest of the day?!

God has been showing me, He loves to meet with me when I least expect it. He loves to share in the everyday moments of life with me. But how many times do I miss it? And so may times I ask God to speak to me, but maybe He has been and I haven't been listening.

We say we love God, but we put Him in a box only to be accessed when it's convent for us. Yet we get mad when our friends ignore us, let's take a step back and think. God is real and He is working, sometimes I need to remember to act like I believe it!

So here's a reminder for all of us today, God wants to speak to you, all you have to do is listen.

Life

Life is so uncertain  It happens if you are ready or not. Whether we believe it or not everyday we're getting older and learning more about ourselves and the world around us.
It's not about where we end up in life, it's the path we take to get there. And it might just be the smallest moments that make the biggest difference in your or someone else's life. So always remember to be thankful for where you are and to let God use you in every moment, and enjoy wherever you are! Someday you might wish you would have.
So no matter how big or small; embrace life, because at any given moment someone could be looking at you. What do you want them to see?

Slave

Something that changed me on outreach was in the form of a sweet little girl we called monkey.

Going to India I knew I had a heart for children, but going to the brothels scared me. When we walked into the brothels for the first time it was crowded, smelled bad, and the stairways up into the building where we would be teaching in were steep, small and dark. When I went one morning for ministry I didn't know what to expect, we arrived to teach preschool and a little girl walked in the room and changed my life. She, in the midst of one of the darkest places on earth has this amazing joy about her. We called her monkey because she loved to be held so much she would basically climb up you to be there. I remember the first day I met her she took my hands in hers and began to jump, I would pull her up so she would fly higher. She laughed and never wanted me to stop. She always sat in our laps, and she loved to kiss our cheeks.

That sweet little girl in an Indian brothel stole my heart forever.

The sad part of her story is that she is still in the brothels. She is neglected by her mother, each time she came for preschool she was hungry, thirsty, and needed to use the restroom. She always came in with the same dirty clothes. Growing up in the brothels her destiny is to be a prostitute.

We are God’s plan to save children and woman like her. Maybe we can’t go, but our prayers are just as powerful, and God is still at work in their lives. 

Around 27 million people are enslaved around the world. It's time we stopped pretending that if we don't know about it, it's not happening. That's a lie! It's going on right now! Here and around the world!

Here is one of the many ways to get involved. http://www.enditmovement.com/ 

"Together we must shine a light to every of the globe and help build a world in which no one is enslaved." -Hillary Rodham Clinton

Guilty

"The court finds you guilty." The judge announced. "And sentence you to the death penalty."

The young man sitting in the courtroom hung his head when he heard his sentence. He let out a deep breath as the guards led him out of the courtroom, and to a small dark room where one chair sat.

They lowered him into the chair and began to strap him in. Just then a young woman walked in.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked the man in the chair. "I committed the crime, I should be in that chair."

He looked at her, eyes full of love and said "I love you. I've forgiven you, and want you to be free. I'm serving your sentence, you are free of the crime you committed."

That's my God. He loves us so much that He will die so that we can live! He drank the cup of wrath so we can live freely with Him. So this Maundy Thursday, please take time to remember that Jesus died for you, your sins nailed Him to the cross. He died for the sins you committed.

But He also didn't just die, He came back to life, concerning death! YOU ARE FREE!!! Go, sin no more.

"Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed."

-Isaiah 53:4-5

Outreach part 2: India

Day Twenty-eight:
After some days spent in a closed country and some travel days, we are now in India! We're working with a YWAM base doing different things. Today I went with a small group to a slum and met some older widows. We sang with them and told them a story. We, then, handed out rice. There was a really sweet lady there. She wanted us to come to her house and wanted pictures with all of us (coming soon). Our translator told us that she was 105! They told us that she was recently baptized and when they dipped her in the water she loved it so much she wanted to go again! :) We, also, went to a small village and got to meet with the only believer in that village.


Day Thirty:
We're now in Pune! We are staying in a guest house and rotating between three ministries for three weeks. We're working with a rescued street kids home, an HIV/AIDs home, and in the brothels.

Day Thirty-one:
Today we started our ministries! My team went to the HIV/AIDs home. The kids are so sweet and really smart! We played with them, did crafts, and helped with homework.


Day Thirty-three:
Today we took the kids from the street kids home to the park! I was paired with a sweet little girl. Her favorite thing to play on was the spring horse. Then we had a picnic. Later that evening we went to a Pune Futbol Club game. PFC!


Day Thirty-Eight:
This past week my team was at the brothels. We helped at the pre-school. We teach them ABCs, 123s, and animals or birds, then we would sing motion songs with them and play games. During the day we would work with the women. We would go to their home to visit and pray with them. One day we got to pray for a young girl who was having headaches and nightmares. One of the girls praying was filled with the Holy Spirit and started praying over the young girl and she was delivered from a stronghold of the enemy! Then in the evening we would host an after school program for the older kids. We would tell them a Bible story, do a craft, and sing some songs with them. The kids are so sweet. They just want to be loved with nothing expected in return. They loved to sit on your lap and play clapping games with you.

Day Forty:
This weekend we took over the rescued street children's home! We sent the staff away and we watched the kids. We planned a party on Saturday with games, presents, and finished off with cake and ice cream! It was a lot of fun!

Day Forty-five:
This week my team was at the rescued street children's home. We would go when they finished school for the day and help them with their homework. They would have free time  and we would have worship and a Bible story, we would eat dinner,  and then bed time. On Tuesday we worked with some street children, we bathed them and fed them lunch. We told them a Bible story and did a craft with them. They were tough but great kids.


Day Forty-six:
Today we have two parties! The first is for the HIV/AIDs home. We went to a park and played, had a picnic and gave them gifts! They we're so happy.
The next party was for the ladies and children at the brothels. We played games, danced, and ate together. Both parties were very different but equally fun!


Day Fifty:
For the last two days of ministry we prayed about where we should go. God told me to go back to the brothels preschool so that's where I went! It was great to see those sweet little faces again!

Day Fifty-one:
Today we are heading home, it's bittersweet. I'm excited to see my friends and family at home, but sad to leave all the great people we've met.

1 mission

2 months

3 counties

4ever changed

♥

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported my with money or prayers. I truly couldn't have done this without you! 

In Christ,

Much love,

Emily ♥

Outreach part 1: Nepal

Day one:

After 48 hours of traveling we arrived in Kathmandu Nepal! Stepping out of the airport was so surreal. I felt like I just stepped into a movie. It smelled like trash, people were staring at you, street dogs were barking, having to dodge cars and people. Part of me wondered "What am I doing here?" Then God brought to mind Isiah 61:1-2 

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the captives,and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn"

Tomorrow we have cultural orientation, then my team splits into two teams and we head to separate ministries.


Day Four:
After a 15 hour bus ride, my team is now in the jungle! We are staying at a church for five days in a very small village. It's very peaceful and pretty here. We are staying and working with another YWAM team! While we're here we will be going to house churches, working with kids, and a blanket distribution. 

Day Six:
Today we went to a nearby school and walked with the kids to a sports event they had. It was kind of like a children's Olympic event. We were asked to sing a song. We thought the song would be for the kids but it turned out to be for the official leaders of the area! We sang "How He Loves" and it was awesome because we weren't supposed to do any religious acts there and we got to do that!



Day Seven:
Here is a taste of living in Nepal: the power is only on for a few hours each day, when greeting someone you put your hands together and say "Namaste" or if greeting a Christian you say "Jaimise". At night there is spiders in the squatty potty and the killer bees next door will suck the water from your wet clothes on the line.
Today we handed out blankets to families, and toys and clothes to kids from a nearby village. They came to the church we were staying at and we sang some worship music, gave testimonies and a sermon. We, then, handed out toys and clothes to the kids. Then we handed out really warm blankets to the families. The blankets were a huge blessing to them because hundreds of people in that area die each year because of the cold temperatures each year. It was so great to see the look of happiness in the eyes of the children, and the relief on the woman's faces when they received the blankets! God is so good.


Day Eight:
Today we went to a nearby school and we brought sports equipment and played with them. It was so fun and they loved it so much!

Day Nine:
So remember how we sang How He Loves for the area officials? Well, they invited us to their house for tea and briskets. They told us they've been receiving calls from people saying how much they loved our song and they asked us to sing more songs for them! We sang some more worship songs. God is amazing!


Day Thirteen:
After a couple days of debriefing we are now in Kathmandu valley staying at a YWAM base. Today we will be walking around evangelizing there. I got to share the gospel at a brick factory. Thank God for the Holy Spirit for giving me the words to say! My team also got to perform the Everything skit for the workers there. It was quite the experience because the music stopped right at the most insistence part of the song, but we were able to finish without the music. :)

Day fourteen:
We did more evangelizing today, and we went back to the brick factory. They were so happy we came back, and wanted us to do another skit! We sang some worship songs for them, too. We left some children's clothes with our translators for them to give to the kids there.


Day Eighteen:
For the past three days we went to Beauty For Ashes  http://www.beautyforashesintl.com/wordpress/ . It was awesome!!! Beauty For Ashes is an organization that gives woman, who have been in prostitution, jobs and a Christian environmental to be in. We did devotionals with them, and we helped with other things like sorting beads, tagging things, and whatever else needed to be done.



Day Nineteen:
We went to a church today and did the Everything skit, then we did the children program. We did motion songs, a puppet show, and a craft.
Tomorrow we leave. I'm really going to miss the people we worked with, seeing the mountains everyday, and the peacefulness of the village and the valley.

India here I come!