decided that I will be going back out to the mission field January
1st, 2011. My season of serving in this capacity is not
over yet. I would rather not be doing anything else with my life
right now. I am so alive and so in love, with Him, and His work in
the nations. I’m not going to sit down while the devil has his way.
So the mission continues!
This next part below wasn’t planned,
but spontaneously, last night I sat down and wrote this…for you,
for me, for God. This comes from my heart, words that I felt the Lord
whisper in my spirit.
“I don’t know what many of you
think about missionaries, or missionary work. Maybe you’re skeptical.
Maybe you’re cynical. Maybe you’re a supporter but don’t really
understand or know the reality of the work. Well, I’m here to tell
you, that this is real. And I am real. I read a book many years ago
called Jesus Freaks. This book compiled stories
of Christians from around the world, mostly missionaries in poor
countries, who were killed for their faith. Back then I was moved in
my heart more than I could express in words, moved to tears. And so
I’m here to tell you today, that I am still moved.
In fact, I am moved enough to now
even call myself a missionary and to leave my comfort zone of my home
and to go to countries where the love of God is desperately needed.
You might not consider me a missionary, and in fact, the term is even
a non-factor for me. Because all believers are actually missionaries
for the gospel of Jesus. But I know that the work I do is different.
And I am different. Because when I sit in my room alone at night,
after reading a book like Jesus Freaks when I’m
13 years old, I’m stirred. Or when I sit in my room at night at age
28 years old and hug and kiss my nephews to sleep in their bunk-beds
for the last time before I head off to India in a few days, I’m
stirred again. Stirred enough that even though my life is great, a
future here in America is great, to whisper back to
God… “I love you. I love you, so use me. Take me
wherever. More than anything, and above all, I choose you. I’ll die for you. I love,
You!”
Missionary work today, in this
generation, looks different. I am the new different. And the 43 other
young adults I will be with, we are different. We are on fire for
God, and nothing will stop us. We will look at the conditions of our
world and we will not be silent. We will rise up, we will raise our
voices, and we will declare to the nations that the victory has been
won, that Jesus is alive, and that they matter, their condition
matters, their heart matters, and that we will fight the devil with
everything we have to declare boldly God as king and lover of this
world. Amen?! Well to this I shout in my heart…..AMEN!”
So thank you for hearing my heart, and
thank you for your love and support this far. I have such awesome
family and friends as you. I pray for you guys often! I’m one of the most fortunate people on
this planet.
order to complete this next season of missionary work.
any and all help you can give. You can use the donate button to the left or click here.
A few facts:
- I will be co-leading with the wonderful Hollis
Johnson, check out her blog, click here.
- We will be leading 42 young adults, pouring specifically into the 7 team leaders.
- I fly to India January 1st,
land January 3rd, and then put on a 5 day “Launch.”
Here we will have training sessions, finance and leader meetings,
worship times, and cultural briefings. Then we leave. The 7 teams
leave to several different ministries across India, and begin the
work of Christ. - Hollis and I will travel to several
teams and encourage, challenge, and disciple them. - We then head to Nepal in February,
Romania in March, and Moldova in April (but things can always change
🙂 - And then I come home.
- Hollis and I train up leaders to take
our place. 2 current racers will step into our shoes, and lead their
squad for the remaining 8 months on the field until they all come
back to America in November 2011. - Hollis and I will have the opportunity
to meet up with them in August, and November of 2011. Here we help
put on a ‘debrief.’ We come to help the group process, pray through,
wind down and then gear up, for the next country ahead. - I will blog, post pictures, videos, and
share this mission with you for the next 4 months.
I love you all and thank you for your
continued support. You’re my family, you’re my friends, and I thank
you for believing in me, for believing in the work, and for believing
that God is at work today! If you can’t give financially, then at
least hear the cry of my heart, and that is…to do what I can to reach
this world, reach my neighbors, reach those in need, with the Love of
God. The battles are not over yet in this world, let’s FIGHT ON…
I’m praying for you…!
In Him,
