"Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it" Matthew 10:39
Writing prayers is something that I have done quite often over the last year. So I am going to share one I wrote a few days after getting accepted to the World Race.
Lord,
I am ready, thank You! From the bottom of my heart, thank You. I am ready to lose this life and find You. I know You have been leading me to this for the past year and I feel so blessed to have the incredible family and friends to not only help get me to this point, but support me on this beautiful journey. I pray that You keep building my spirit for this mission, keep filling me with your wisdom, keep holding my hand through the days that feel like months before I leave. I know I cannot accomplish anything without You, You are my vine and I am Your branch. And I know apart from You I am dead.
You have put this fire in my heart that I just want to search You out and help care for Your children Lord! I want to live every day depending on You alone. I'm so ready to step away from my comfortable life and push myself to become so dependent on You. I'm ready to stop being so selfish and revolved around my own problems that are meaningless in Your plan, start loving others with unconditional love… The only way You want us to love. I want to talk to You before any person, every day. I want to devote the rest of my life to serving You Lord, wherever that might be. Lead me. I'm ready to stop living BLIND. Help me to follow Your path and live out a life of love. Lord, would You just come live in me, walk through this with me? I need You. I need You to live in me so anyone that is close can see You in action! I surrender; my life is Yours Lord!
In your name I pray. Amen.
Hi! Well for my first blog I am supposed to tell you all about me. That just doesn't seem important. I am not anyone special for doing this, I am someone who has lived the last 23 years loving me first. I am ready to change that, but it is much easier in theory than reality. I get caught up in my little life and what’s important to me every day. So the only way that I can see to change that in my life, is to change RADICALLY! So here we go!! In 6 months I will be leaving for what inevitably is going to be the adventure that changes my life forever. A really wonderful person in my life gave a sermon recently that brought me to a reality that I could have never expected. He gave a sermon that was based on the unlikely path to JOY (There was a moment during the sermon where I just KNEW God was talking to me directly through this sermon. He was talking to me!) During the sermon he held a large braided rope that started in his hands and flowed off the stage past our vision. At his end he had wrapped a piece of red tape around about 5 inches of the rope. He asked us to imagine that the rope is long enough to flow off the stage and completely wrap around the world many times over. He explained that God gave us these 5 inches on earth and the only thing He has asked us to do with those five inches is SERVE HIM! And if we do we will have an eternity in heaven with Him! An ETERNITY…. all of the rest of that rope, past the five inches would be us in heaven with our creator. At that moment I looked at my life as only a tiny piece of this incredible journey I desire with God. I want these five inches to be spent serving Him. I'm not sure if my 5 inches will be 20 more minutes or 70 more years, but I know now that it doesn't matter, there are things infinitely more important than building a retirement account or buying a new car. It will be about finding my strengths that He has blessed me with, and letting Him use me to help others find their way to their eternity in heaven.http://stoneridgechurch.com/media.php?pageID=48 (The sermon dated 1/23/11)
I'm not usually a very open person about my relationship with God unless I feel very comfortable with a person. But He is definitely calling me to open up and change that. The only way I can think to show you the most private intimate part of my life is to bring you into my quiet time, praying to Him. So that is what I'm going to do. I will share my prayers with you through my blogs and hope that He will speak to your heart through those, no matter where you are in your life.
Family and Friends! Here is my journey:
11 countries in 11 months
In October I am going to leave the comfort that I know today and start living and serving others. On the World Race, my team and I will serve in partnership with churches and ministries in local communities to preach the Gospel, plant churches, work in orphanages, minister to women and children who are victims of human trafficking, and bring the restoration and hope of the Father’s love to many tribes and nations. In order to do this I need your prayers. Please pray for the countries we are traveling to, our safety, and that He will work through us to help those in need.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a land in indigenous history and natural resources — fertile soil from volcanoes yield excellent coffee! Beside the beautiful landscape, Guatemala needs God's touch. Gripped by poverty and bound to a spirit of religion, people hunger for the kingdom of God to invade their lives. You'll change the spiritual climate wherever you find yourselves. You'll have the opportunity to extend God's kingdom by sharing their lifestyle/living conditions, reaching out to the fringe people of society, working hard, and maybe being a part of a miracle or two.
Nicaragua
This location is always a World Race favorite. Full of wonderfully warm and caring people, participants leave impacted by the new partnerships and friendships. Hopelessness, addictions, destitution, and poverty, however, plague many in Nicaragua. There are orphans who have grown up without knowing the love of a parent and families who survive by scrounging for scraps from the city dump where they call home. In Nicaragua, you'll have the opportunity to bring God's love through slum ministry, door-to-door outreach, children's outreach, and more.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a hot spot for surfing and just enjoying "pura vida" – literally, "pure life", it's a concept of a "chill," relaxed, laidback way of life. The beautiful beaches that line both coasts are the perfect setting. Among the Central American countries, Costa Rica ("Rich Coast") lives up to its name. While the natural beauty attracts lots of tourists, there are still large pockets of poverty and family brokenness. Because of its relative affluence, Costa Rica also draws in immigrants from neighboring countries, like Nicaragua, who don't fare much better than they did before. You might help feed their physical and spiritual hunger – and discover other creative ways to give new meaning to the concept of "pura vida."
Thailand
According to the CIA, the kingdom of Thailand, known as Siam until 1939, is the only country in the region not colonized by Europe. Their 2000 census showed that 94.6% of the population is Buddhist, 4.6% are Muslim, and 0.7% are Christian. Approximately 600,000 people live with HIV/AIDS in Thailand. With nearly two million people estimated to be forced into prostitution, it has become one of the most popular places for sex tourism. Change lives in the city-where you, like Jesus, might befriend prostitutes-or in the countryside-where you may serve youth, care for orphans, and encourage a remnant of believers.
Cambodia
Cambodia houses one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Angkor Wat, a Hindu temple and monastery built during the Khmer empire in the 12th century. It later became a Buddhist complex a century later, and today, just over 96% of Cambodia is Buddhist. Almost 30 years ago, 1.5 million Cambodians died at the hands of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime. Today, Cambodia is a source, transit point, and destination of human trafficking. Unfortunately, the government is struggling to stop it. The people of Cambodia are thirsty for the hope you can bring.
Challenge: Asia
Will you forge further inroads with a ministry from the previous months? Or will you blaze a trail for your team and future World Race teams? This will be the opportunity for you to continue flexing your faith muscles as you depend on a few words of advice from the staff and mostly God's guidance. With God, all things are possible and the possibilities are endless.
Malaysia
Enter a world entrenched in Islam. A people within the thriving metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysians still live in ignorance of the Good News of Jesus Christ. As you delve into this culture of works-based religion, strong self-discipline, and uncanny faith, you will have the unique opportunity to deliver hope and point the people to their Redeemer.
Uganda
This East African nation was once an autonomous kingdom and British protectorate. During most of the later half of the 20th century, Uganda was under military rule, first under Idi Amin, the subject of the film, The Last King of Scotland. Northern Uganda was also troubled by the Lord's Resistance Army, which heavily recruited child soldiers. Often referred to as the Pearl of Africa, Uganda is diverse in topography and wildlife. You may find yourself in the north partnering with ministries that are bringing still-needed healing and reconciliation or in the south working with churches to evangelize and disciple the next generation of Kingdom workers.
Kenya
Who hasn't heard of Kenya in their lifetime? The Kenyan people are colorful, musical, artistic and hungry for the love of Christ. The Maasai bush, the Nairobi metropolis, and the Kibera slums comprise a country diverse yet unified in history. As a new era dawns in Kenya, so does the gospel of truth and faith. By meeting felt needs in the bush and the city, participants help bear lasting fruit with current ministry partnerships (ministries like evangelism, orphan care, and community development), and build foundations of future partnerships.
Tanzania
Roughly a third of the population in Tanzania consider themselves Christian, another third, Muslim, and the final third adhere to indigenous religions. In addition to the religious and demographic diversity, the relatively stable nation also houses Mount Kilimanjaro. Whether you are doing open-air crusades, door-to-door evangelism, or visiting hospitals and orphanages, Tanzania will capture your heart.
Malawi
Known as "the warm heart of Africa," Malawi is definitely a place that you visit to ignite yourself with the fire of God. This country has a beautiful landscape and an even more beautiful culture and population. This month, you'll be helping plant churches, raising up leaders, and infecting the people with the love of God. Chances are you won't want to leave.
My pastor in Roll, AZ (A small farming town outside of Yuma, AZ) expressed that we, as Americans, live in Disneyland, and to step out of the gates (America) and realize this isn't real… the rest of the world doesn't spend 11% of their income on food… they are dying of hunger.
Facts that made me realize I am doing something wrong:
- My pantry is completely full and right now there are more than 925 Million people suffering from hunger.
- 2 BILLION people living in extreme poverty, less than $1.25 per day. That is less than I spend on one cup of coffee. It is hurting my heart to even think that I would spend more on coffee in a month than a whole family spends on EVERYTHING in a month.
- There are millions of children are sleeping on dirt floors and I am buying 400 thread count sheets.
- 22,000 children will die today of starvation. That is 1 child every 5 seconds. That would wipe out our whole town of Yuma, AZ in 6 days.
- 27 Million people are currently victims of human trafficking. That is more people than the entire state of Texas! Human Trafficking has become a 32 BILLION dollar per year industry.
This just isn't right. It's not ok. We have to do something. WE can change this.
My promise to you:
I am going to give my everything to this mission in October. I am going to pray harder and more intensely than I ever have before, I am going to study His word, I am going to pray with you, I am going share the Word, I am going write to you about my experiences, I will send you websites where you can donate directly to a cause, and I will bring you along on this journey.
