Where am I?
Hello from Kyrgyzstan. I’ll help you out. Kur- guh- STAHN. You’re welcome, Osh to be exact. This is some of the students I have been working with. A little town that is populated with A LOT of college students from the surrounding villages and India. IT IS LOVLEY! I have only been here one week but I am in love. It is an Asian country that is heavily influenced by the Muslim Religion. In fact, the practice of Islam is growing rapidly here. HOWEVER, it is open! #PraiseHim.
Students from the University
What It looks like to talk about Jesus here?
So, I am able to share the gospel. “hey, let me tell you a story about a man who saved my life and what he did for me” But not allowed to “convert”… “hey, you should ask this guy named Jesus into your heart.” We are allowed to be Christian but they do not like it. Right? Here though, the organization we are working with this month is very vocal and not shy to say they are Christians and they love Jesus! This helps coming in and being able to respect the people we re working with. We have come into contact with come organizations where this is not so much put into place. They are more or less on the just love part, which is fine but I fill like thats just giving them the present with nothing inside!
So, if the student we are talking with or whomever it may be asks to know Jesus or say “Hey, I want that what you just talked about” (and this is going to happen in Jesus name and it has happened twice now) then they will be able to say the prayer and ask Jesus into their heart. Along with this they will get connected to be discipled by amazing people who are here to stay once we leave. VERY IMPORTANT PROCESS to leave new believers in good hands due to the fact that it is very hard, scary and unsafe for the most part to be a believer. They loose everything, including their families, which has been the case on the race so far for each person I share with. Be praying please for these new believers to began to understand that they now have God and with him they can do anything!
Scripture that stood out to me this past week:
Joshua 23:8 but then I can’t just choose that one… so just read chapter 23. SO GOOD!
Favorite Song at the moment:
LISTEN TO IT! UGH… so good!
Surrounded (fight my battles) – upper room. #Welcome #thisishowifightmybattles
Just Because…
Here as in Heaven by Elevation Music is playing at the moment (Means nothing because my iPOD is on shuffle. If you don’t have it… get it)
And this one is because I am listing now to Youtube “spontaneousness Worship” (my favorite) and this came on… Holy Ghost chills.
Random facts about Kyrgyzstan:
- Bread is an idol. Not really but highly favored. Seriously… you can’t swipe the crumbs onto the floor. You can’t place bread on the table with out a plate AND a napkin to separate it from touching the plate. You can’t throw it away and if you don’t eat it, you sit it on the side of the trash can.
- You defiantly take your shoes off before entering a home or any building really.
- Your shoes must stay clean at all times. People carrie around baby wipes just for their shoes and they also wear plastic coverings over them to keep them clean like they are a doctor. Your shoes aren’t clean… neither are you.
- Plov. Sooo good!
PLOV!
Summary of my week “What are you doing there?”:
Sunday- Flew in Sunday morning @ 9:45 and hit the ground running. Got to the apartment. Church and meetings.
Monday- Planning day/ Prepping for the week. Played volleyball at a local gym and shared Jesus!
Playing Volleyball with the Women’s team!
Tuesday– HAD A REALLY GOOD talk with my Mamaw. Went to a morning meeting/ Went to a university near by to hand out flyers for the seminars we headed this week. (How to be a leader, Communication, business, volleyball, Teamwork). Had a seminar on leadership. Hung out with students and shared the Gospel!
Wednesday- Handed out advertisements for the seminars we put on. Cafe house that night. Over 60 students came. We danced, had fun, shared stories and talked about our cultures. After, the girls and I were able to go to “Lovers park” and share the gospel with multiple girls! One of them in particular was so precious. “I did not know I could ask him, or have him be my friend”. Still meeting with her and talking with her! Please be praying for her. Diana.
Thursday- I was allowed to have the GREAT privilege of sharing what teamwork and leadership looks like with the men/women volleyball team at the University! It was so wonderful and then I was able to play with them!
Later that evening we had the “Friendship Festival” at the university. The university put it on to represent their friendships and love they had for other countries! It was beautiful! They asked us Americans to do a culture dance. So, naturally we went to the “Cha-cha slide”. It was amazing! Hahahahahahahaha Maybe we should have done the MC hammer?
Us attempting the Cha-Cha slide for out American Pride!
Our team with the staff from the University!
Friday- I led a Bible study and got to meet with a student to disciple her.
Saturday- Had a much needed team time/ feedback session and meeting up with students and visiting.
How am I doing?
I am good. Really good. I am learning more and more about how to be myself. Love myself. Lead others. See the best in others. Trying to understand others. Trying to figure out humility and really implement… hard.
I am reading this book right now called “The New Lady in Waiting” by Jackie Kendall. It’s teaching me so much. I have been reading it for 2 weeks and I am just now on the second chapter. Lol I read fiction MUCH faster. But when it’s something I am trying to apply into my life, I take notes and try to implement it.
RECKLESS ABANDONMENT for Jesus
…That’s my thoughts right now. What is it? How can I implement it? How does it work? This is a quote I came across.
“It will require a determined heart and more than a little courage to wrench ourselves loose from the grip of our times and return to Biblical Ways”
How are you spending your time?
I have just started this thing where I want Jesus to be not only my best friend but to be my boyfriend. Weird. I know. Like my fiancé. I literally went on a date with him this morning and grabbed some coffee. And I will tell you it was the BEST date I have had in years ( I haven’t dated in so long.. but still). I have no idea what this new relationship thing is or how to do it. But he told me to start and this book I am reading is telling me the same thing. So here I am 🙂
THE BIG Question….What am I doing after the race?
I know last week I was going to let you all in on this. I even asked you all to pray and see if God gave you anything. I received one email. Totally made me think… took me for a ride with the Lord in my prayer time and I am still not sure about it.
A few days after we were traveling on a bus to our next location. I started dreaming and so many passions that I once had started coming back. Took me totally off guard (sorta, I have kinda pushed them to the back of my mind because of XYZ). I can sit here and tell you I literally have no idea. I was thinking last week I could at least tell you one thing, but I had no peace after writing that so… If you have not slept since then I will apologize. I will gladly make something up if you would like. 🙂
Word From the Holy Spirit:
“Know your influence as people who I love so very much that I would send my only son there. Know your influence.” – Holy Spirit
As always, I love all you very much. #2months
-Brittani
