We arrived at our place for our ministry this month on Friday. We are staying in a village called Slobazia which is about 30 minutes outside of Tiraspol. We will be working with a church mostly doing English clubs throughout the week. Last week we had debrief at a camp site in a little town in Moldova. We did have some challenges through the week such as squatty potties and community showers. It was a great week of rest, reflection, and just spending some time with the Lord. It was also great to be with the whole squad, our squad leaders and our squad parents to connect with them. Each team had time with our squad leaders and our squad parents to just reflect on the first two months. During the week we had worship sessions and Deon, one of our squad parents preached some amazing messages that went along with exactly the things that I have been dealing with for a while now. The one that hit me the most was his message about our identity in Christ. I have always struggled with seeing myself as Christ sees me. Deon explained it in a way I have never thought about and I would like to share it with y'all. The Devil wants us to believe that our identity is linked to our performance. This is so true when you think about it. We always base how we view ourselves on what we have had success in and in our failures. Satan also continuously reminds us of our sins and wants that to become our identity. He reminds us of our past and he would love nothing more than for us to stay there. God wants us to move on from our past. He no long sees us as sinners if we are saved, he only sees us as his children. We are the sons and daughters of the highest King! Our past is not our identity; our identity is in our destiny. Our identity is found in what God has in store for our lives. God sees us as what we are going to be through him. He does not see what we did in the past he only see our future. We need to live focused on our future instead of dwelling on the past. We need to not let what others think about us define who we are in this life. We need to let God define us and base our identity in him. We are all beautiful in his eyes. He created us in his image and for a purpose greater than ours. We are God’s dwelling place. We have the Holy Spirit inside of us which means we have to power to overcome the world. In John 14:23 Jesus says “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” He makes his home inside of us. Also in John 14: 12 Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” So all of us that believe in him have to potential of doing all that Jesus did and even greater things than that. It has been prophesied over me many times that I am going to be a leader and I need to start believing that. God even spoke to me during debrief again that I am a leader and a strong woman in him. I need to start living like I am already a leader. I need to walk in it and believe it no matter what others may have said about me in the past. I just need to focus on what God says about me. So what does God say about you? What has God prophesized over you through people? I encourage you to believe in it and go at it with all of you heart. One last thought I do have a deadline coming up on October 1st. I am still about $1,500 short of what I need for that deadline. If you would like to support me you can click on support me and it will take you through the steps. Any amount would be much appreciated and you will be a part of changing so many lives. Thank you again to all the people who have already donated so far. I would not be able to be on this journey without your help. Here is a video of the song, "Beautiful" by Bethany Dillon. This song talks about how he makes us beautiful and in him we are enough. Hope it inspires you to let him define you.
