Hey friends!
Quick update we made it to North Africa, it’s super toasty here but the food is amazing, and the people are wonderful! We’ve already made some great connections and have had some unique opportunities, one of which we facilitated a cultural exchange event in a career center at one of the local universities. Tons of fun and very interesting as we shared our preconceived notions of each other countries.
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From Narrow to Global:
Before the race, I had such a narrow perception of the body of Christ. I realize I based my understanding on the environment rather than the people. A few examples of this misconception was my actual church building with the same members I saw every Sunday, my small group, and college ministry meetings. My perspective wasn’t wrong, just very limited. Now that I have been to four different countries and have been given the opportunity to partner with serval believers who are all a part of the body of Christ, I have shifted my perspective to a global understanding of the body of Christ.
This is an incredible thing! The body of Christ has a responsibility. We are one. We are more than people that join together as believers to worship our creator; we are individuals created with very unique gifts that are given to us by the grace of our wonderful God. We have been given gifts to build one another up, to call each other higher, and to strive for unity in faith so we can experience the fullness of Christ.
Experiencing the goodness of God in the global body has been eye-opening. Meeting strangers and gathering together to pray for the nations, the lost, the searching, the hungry both physically and spiritually, and for countries to really know the love of our savior is so POWERFUL. Discovering more of the body and how it extends throughout the nations, not just in the same building, is wild.
As our host always says, “God is BIG.”
That’s what it’s all about, people. Think about the body of Christ… are you playing your unique part? Are you living in the fullness of the father?
We are one – Ephesians 2:19-22
We are called to fight for one another – 1 Corinthians 12:25-26
We function differently to make the bodywork as a whole, lacking nothing – Romans 12 4-5
We are to grow together in love – Ephesians 4:15-16
Vessels body:
Mac is the brain. She is logical and inciteful and is always thinking of our future!
Hannah is our eyes. She sees and senses thing about the world around is the keep us safe and points us closer the Lord.
I am the heart. I am passionate about growth in the people around me and keep things flowing.
Mads is our lungs. She has a voice that directs, and we rely on her for security.
Megan is our muscle. She is strong and supportive.
Kelsey is our hands and feet. She is energetic and sees the needs of others and makes them feel taken care of and loved.
Prayer request:
– More divine encounters with the locals
– Discernment/Wisdom when it comes to conversations with locals
– Protection from the enemy’s discouragement
– Pray blessing for our sweet host who’s incredibly strong and has such devoted faith
for the sake of his name,
Bailey
