YWAM: Week 12

This week the teaching was on relationships. No, not just that kind :) We also talked about relationships with everyone around us, and we broke down 1 Corinthians 13 to see what love really means.

We also had our first real snowfall here this week!

Next week we will have four days of outreach prep and team bonding, then a weeklong break for Christmas, then at the end of this month my team and I leave on outreach to Nepal and India!!!!! This will be the last update until when I return in February. Pray for my team and I as we visit places to serve that ranges from the jungle to the mountains, cities to the countryside, children’s homes to the red light district. Pray against sickness and attacks from the enemy. Pray for team unity and boldness as we share the love of God with the people of India and Nepal. I am so thankful for your prayers and support, and I couldn’t do this without you!!

In Christ,

Emily

YWAM: Week 11

This week our speaker was a man who works at a street kids ministry. He came and talked to us about his ministry, and stories of the children there. He also gave us guidance for working with street children.

In Christ,

Emily  

YWAM: Week 10

Sorry for no update last week, we had a short break for Thanksgiving! Before we left we all dressed up, had dinner together and shared testimonies of what God has done in our lives.

Coming off of Thanksgiving break, this week was about destiny. We talked about how God has a plan for our lives, and that when you follow the will of God it will be good, because God is good, not because of your circumstances. We also got to pray for each other and learn how God sees us.

In Christ,

Emily

YWAM: Week 9

This week we learned about the Holy Spirit, who he really is not just what we think he is. The Holy Spirit is our greatest weapon so the enemy does the best to distort the true person and character of him. Friday we had a time set aside were we just soaked in the presence and were refilled. My small group went to the Wisconsin Dells, we had a blast!

In Christ,

Emily

YWAM: Week 8

This week we talked about what roots have been established in our lives, good and bad. Things we were aware of or not. Experiences from our past that make us react the way we do. We also talked about forgiveness, and grudges we may have buried inside and have caused us to react in certain ways. We talked about how God forgives us so we can forgive others.

We also got to spend some time at a Farmer’s Market on Saturday!!

 



In Christ,

Emily

YWAM: week 7

This week we went to Cincinnati for a missions conference, we had some problems getting there! First the bus broke down 6 miles from the base, after a couple hours we were able to get it fixed and were on our way! Then we got stuck in traffic for an hour, but we finally made it there! During the week we had worship and teachings. We learned a lot about unreached people groups and how we can reach them.

God spoke to me personally a lot this week, showing me a glimpse of how much he loves me.

 

In Christ,
Emily

YWAM: week 6

This week was about Spiritual Warfare, and it was Spirit Week! The Rescue Ops team was gone camping so it was only girls here at the base. It was great to look at spiritual warfare biblically, and how much authority we have over the enemy!!

Next week I will be back in the beautiful state of Ohio!! Our DTS is attending the Finish the Task conference in Cincinnati :)

 

(Twin day)

 

In Christ,

Emily

YWAM: week 5

This week we learned about the character of God. We looked throughout the bible to see from interactions what it says about God’s character.

We also learned more about our outreach! I am going to India! We will be visiting Indore, Bhopal, Pune, and unreached villages. Some of the things we will be doing is: visit the Hope Of Glory Home, rescued street kids we get to parent! Santvana, a home for kids with aids or parents have died from aids. Caring for street kids, working at a preschool in the red light district and the brothels. In the villages we will be working with the unreached, and church planting.

I’m sooooo excited! I have a great team, and I’m looking forward to being a part of what God is doing.

 

In Christ,

Emily

YWAM: week 4

This week we learned more about the character of God so that we can have a fear of Him. We learned that fear of the Lord is described in Psalm 25:14 as: confiding, secret/counsel/intimacy, and a friendship (depending on what version you read).

It’s been a hard week, sicknesses and deaths are happening in some of the students families and friends. Please pray for us in this time of questions and that we will turn to God for comfort and strength.

In Christ,
Emily

YWAM: Week 3

This week was different from the rest, we went survivor camping! We loaded a bus Wednesday afternoon with one backpack filled with supplies from a very strict packing list and sleeping bag each. We were grouped into four different teams, I was on Forest. After a four hour drive it was now dark, we arrived… we stood in the middle of the street waiting for instructions. Then the spy came to help us, he gave us a map and wished us luck. So we walked for a long time until we found customs, there we met the corrupt government, they were very angry and unjust. They checked our bags and passports, some got things taken away and some had a hard time getting through. Then they gave us our meal of raw beans and rice that we had to cook for ourselves, and a dab of toothpaste and a few squares of toilet paper. Then they took us to our campsite where we given instructions for our first team building game, capture the flag. Aside from the game itself we had to watch out for the government because if they saw you, they’d stop you and give you a hard time. After the game we went to bed. Then in the early morning  we awoke to screams then people came running yelling “hide the children!” “they're coming!!” then we heard firecrackers. In the morning we got called together with the other teams and we went to the DTS safe zone where we had worship and no more corrupt government. We learned that the night raid was to give us a taste of what it would be like to be in Africa where they live in fear of being taken or killed in the middle of the night by Kony. After worship and teaching we went back to our campsite, made lunch and had our mission. We were to try to convert the other tribes and the government, by learning about them and telling them a bible story that is relevant to them, then we would tell the spy who would let us know if we told them the right story. Then we had more team building games, and given our supper, then just as we were settling down for the night we were told that one of the girls had an asthma attack, we all collected our stuff and slept inside because it was really cold and windy and there had been too many accidents. They made the call to head home a day early because of everything that happened.

Although this trip was cut short, I know I learned a lot!

What it’s like to lay down my rights and not just assume that I’m suppose to be treated fairly.

What it’s like not to have a home to sleep in.

What it’s like to be hungry, and not have much food to live off of.
What it’s like to not have many possessions.
What it’s like to live in fear of being harmed or killed.

I survived! :)

In Christ,

Emily

YWAM: week 2

The second week of YWAM is now completed! We had our regular schedule this week. It’s starting to feel a lot more like school now, we have geography tests every Wednesday, and teachings every morning. Then, in the afternoon, we have responsibilities around the building (cleaning, dishes, ect.). My favorite part is quiet time and then worship in the mornings!

This week’s teaching theme was “The Father Heart of God”. We learned about God’s heart and who He is. Because if we don’t know who God is, then we don’t know who we are, and we give a distorted image of God.

Here is a video they played for us one day:

In Christ,
Emily

YWAM: week 1

I’m here at YWAM! This week has been a lot of getting to know the schedule, each other and the purpose of YWAM. It’s a lot of adjusting to new things and learning more about God. Lifelong relationships are being built, walls are coming down, and chains are being broken! It’s amazing to have our schedule built around God 24-7. I was surprised how close I’ve gotten to my fellow YWAMers in just this short time! The classes have been amazing, and we’re reading some really great books. The food has been really good and everyone is super nice! I can feel God all around. This coming week we’ll be getting more into a regular schedule. I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone better, growing closer to God and becoming everything He wants me to be! Thank you for patiently waiting for my updates, we don’t have Internet at the base for the moment. Within a couple weeks the Internet should be up and I can keep in contact with you better :)

 

In Christ,

Emily

Youth With A Mission

For those of you who don't know starting September 16th I will be a part of YWAM (Youth With A Mission)! I'm doing to Children At Risk program. Basically it's a 6 month mission program. The first 3 months are spent going through seminars and getting to know each other. Then for 2 months I will be overseas spending time with Children with aids or have been orphaned and loving on them, and showing them that God cares for them. You can check out the YWAM Facebook page here. From there you can go to their website if you want to know more.

I am fully funded, THANK YOU GOD!!! And thank you to everyone who has donated. Your prayers and encouragement are greatly appreciated!

I'd also like to add a HUGE thank you to my mom! For supporting me and making sure I have everything I need before I leave. I honestly don't know what I'd do without her! LOVE YOU!! ♥♥

Stay tuned to my blog for updates while I am at YWAM. THANK YOU!!!!

I love you anyway.

Do you know what it's like to love someone?

They become your everything, your hopes and dreams. You become their biggest fan and their support system. Your world begins to revolve around them and what they do. They consume your time and your mind. They make you smile, laugh, cry, and feel things that you've never felt before.

But what if that person doesn't love you back?
They go on living like you don't exist. They don't care about you, your hopes or dreams. They don't want you around. They might even go and love someone or something else other than you. They may not knowingly treat you like this, but maybe they do know. Either way they don't feel the same way you feel about them.

Do you still love them?
If you truly loved them from the beginning, you'll still love them even after they practically threw your heart on the ground. That is true love. Loving someone when they don't love you back or when they don't deserve it.

I've experienced this before, and in the midst of my heartbreak I've thought, "This must be how God feels when someone He loves doesn't love Him back." He is passionate about us! Not just Christians, everyone! He wants us to experience His love and blessings, but most of all, eternal life! He needs us to go out and show people know how much He loves them! They are never too far away to come to Him, repent and ask forgiveness. We are it, there is no plan B!

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" -Matthew 28:19-20. It is not a suggestion, but a command! Some of us are senders and some of us go, but we all play a part!

John Piper says, “When it comes to world missions, there are only three kinds of Christians: zealous goers, zealous senders, and disobedient ones.” Which one are you?

God You reign!

I believe everything happens for a reason.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."

I believe God will work for the good of those who love Him, and makes all things work together for our good.
Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him."

Even if we don't think of it as good, we might think it's the worst thing that's ever happened to us, but God promises to always be there.
Deuteronomy 31:6 "for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5 "because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

I believe God reigns! In everything, good or bad!! ♥

Let go.

Sometimes no matter what you do or how hard you try, that thing you want or place you want to be just wont happen. I've tried to convince myself "In time." but I can see clearly now that God was saying "No."

I tried to think of every reason to keep holding on to hope, and God knew the only way He could get through to me during that time was in big ways. It was a silent war happening inside of me, my feelings were getting the best of me, it felt like my heart was at war with my mind. My mind knew what I needed, but my heart knew what I wanted.

When those big things happened (which seemed huge to me, but I know no one else knew about them), First I was angry, I couldn't understand why God would let me feel these feelings if they were only going to come crashing down. Then I cried for hours, on the floor in my room and before I fell asleep.

Over time I learned how to feel again, I could smile and laugh with friends and not have to fake it, I grew closer to God because I went to Him for comfort and He loved on me. I learned to turn to Him first and get His okay before my feelings ran away with something. And I believe that I'm now a stronger, smarter, and better person.

Here is a quote I heard once; "If you love somebody, set them free. And if they really love you, they'll come back." To me it says; if it's meant to be, it will happen. If not, it wont. So trust God! He will not let you down!

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Philippians 4:11

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

Sometimes you just have to let go, no matter how much it hurts.

Wait.

Ugh. Really God? Wait? Why can't you just tell me now? I've felt like that a lot! When I ask God about something I want to know it now, but I've learned that's not how He works! During the long time of waiting I wrote about in my last post, God spoke to me. He brought a picture of a prayer maze to my mind and spoke these words to my heart. "It's not about the answers, it's about the journey it takes to get there."

Think about it, in a prayer maze you don't just walk right to the middle, you follow the trail and pray along the way. That's how we grow with God, we follow Him and are in communication with Him, and the longer it takes you to get there the more things you can see and experience. Waiting has strengthened my faith more than I could have imagined! Waiting has made me trust God more and lean on Him for everything, and when He brought the answers, it's made me realize that God's plans are far greater than I what I could come up with, and that makes me want to follow Him so much more!

So if you are in a season of waiting or just waiting on some little things, take heart! Know that God will answer and He is always right beside you knowing the perfect time to reveal His plan to you.

Jeremiah 29:11-14; For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.

Psalm 27: 14; Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Here is a song that I love, "Wait" by Fike (If you want to hear just the song skip to about 1:30)

This is my story.

So I thought I'd let you readers get to know me better by sharing my testimony, so here we go! :)

I was raised in a Christian home, I was homeschooled so all my friends were from church, and my parents always pointed me toward Christ but never forced anything on me. Then when I was 8 I was listening to a cd, and at the end of the last song they recited the "Christian ABC's" (Most of you know what I mean!) "A. Admit you are a sinner and that you need a Savior. B. Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord. C. Confess your sins, and commit your life to Him." Then they added one more letter that really spoke to my heart. "And D. Don't wait until tomorrow." Because not one of us is ever guaranteed tomorrow! So I opened my heart to Christ, and asked for forgiveness for my sins. Later that year I was baptized. Looking back now I know that was a God-think, because I'd always stopped the song before they said the ABCs, but for some reason (God :)) that day I let it play until the end.

A few years later (I think I was 11 or 12), through sermons at church and God at work in me, I began to realize that I welcomed God in but didn't let Him change me, I was living the same way I was before I opened my heart. So I began to pray more and more, read my bible, and I fully surrendered my life to Him and His will. I told Him "God you're in charge of my future, I'll do whatever You want me to do."

Around that time a new Christian band came out made up of three young woman who were strong crusaders of modesty but still being fashionable, giving God full control of your life, and praying for your future husband. So as a young girl I totally looked up to them, I thought they were so cool!  So I began to pray for my future husband too. It started out as short prayers before I went to bed every now and then, but one day when I was at church out of nowhere "Future husband" popped into my head, and I had "butterflies" and my heart started beating faster, and before I had a chance to think, I started praying "God fight for him" over and over and over. So I wrote it down in a notebook (and still do! :)), and over the years I've gotten more and more prayer requests for him from God, and I'm really excited to see how God used me to fight for my future husband before we've met!

When I was 17 a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) Children At Risk team came and shared at my church. The stories and faces of the children pulled on my heart like nothing ever had. They gave us prayer cards for two little girls to pray for, because their parents took them out of the safe children's home and back into prostitution. So I began to pray for them and I still do today. When I was a freshman a youth pastor told me that she believed God was calling me to missions, and my mom did too. So I began to pray and seek God, but I wasn't hearing anything, so I started asking other people to pray for me and everyone was getting words like "not yet" and "just wait". So I did, and let me tell you it was the hardest thing I'd ever done! I kind of felt like God had left me, then one day I was lying face down on the floor searching for answers and crying out to God, then I felt two hands tough my sides! No one was there, I believe it was God reasuring me that He has never left my side and never will. Over my time of waiting and all my 4 years of high school God has placed wonderful woman of God in my life to mentor and guide me, I'm so grateful He did! Then then next year I felt a stirring that wouldn't go away and the things from YWAM kept coming to me, Then the song Let The Waters Rise by Mikeschair came on and I just knew I need to do this, and I felt such a peace. So I will be doing YWAM Children At Risk in September! ♥

I'm still falling more in love with God all the time, and growing more in my faith! He's opening my eyes more and more through songs, books (Radical is amazing!! You should really read it!), reading the bible, people around me, prayer, and when He speaks His truths and love to my heart. I still have worries, fears and problems, but I face them with strength from God every day. Right now some of my favorite songs are Well Done by Moriah Peters, Ready Or Not by Britt Nicole, You Lead by Jamie Grace and Give Me Faith by Elevation Worship.

But that is not the end of my story, this is just the beginning...

Alive!

The other day I was driving home from work and this song came on the radio, I'd heard it before and thought it was a good song but nothing more, but I believe God really wanted to open my ears to this song and speak to my heart to remind me how much He loves me. It literally brought me to tears. (Don't worry, I got home safely :))

I always know and believe that He loves me more than I can imagine, but sometimes I forget really how much.