For the last month, my team and I have been doing ATL ministry. We have been fully relying on the Lord to tell us where to go and what to do. We have seen the Lord show up and show off in some really incredible ways during this time. Here’s is a list of just some of the amazing ways the Lord has shown up in the past few weeks.
- We have always had a place to stay. The only time we slept in the van was done so by our choice so that we could see the National Parks on the way north through California. We had people open up their homes to 6 strangers and take us in like we were family. I’ve been blown away over and over by just how crazy that is. No one on my team is from the west coast, yet we always had a roof over our heads. We stayed with the parents of friends and squamates. We stayed with people that we worked with while we were in Texas who just happened to move to California. We stayed with complete strangers. We went from knowing no one in Southern California to knowing many people that now feel like family.
- We always had ministry opportunities available. Something that I remember saying about my time on my international race was that you could walk out the door and see the need. You need only step outside to find a ministry opportunity. This month showed me that I can say the same thing about home too. We have done a little bit of everything this last month. We worked in soup kitchens, partnered with alumni in ministry, ministered to the families we lived with, evangelized, worked on fundraising (I’m selling so really cool shirts. If you’re interested let a girl know!), held worship nights, interceded, did prophetic art, worked with the LA Dream Center on Skid Row, met up with local alumni, connected with local churches and houses of prayer, and did homeless ministry. There was no lack of things to keep us busy.
- We got to rest. Now that doesn’t seem like such a big deal, but up until this month we had really found it hard to find rest within this crazy schedule. Not only did the Lord provide space and time for us to rest and refill, but He also blessed us with some of the most incredible places to do so. Places like Coral Pink Sand Dunes and Yosemite National Park. I finally felt like I was able to serve out of the overflow. Times like this were so needed and the Lord truly blessed us by allowing us the chance to experience the beauty of His creation.
- We have been blessed financially. Everything from people buying our meals, to not taking our housing budget, to just handing us cash to put gas in our van, to paying for a hotel room for us. It has been absolutely incredible to see just how much people want to bless us. We have to continually humble ourselves and accept what is being given to us. It’s like that time your friend tries to pick up the tab and you guys fight about who will get to pay. We have a saying, “Don’t be a blessing blocker!” That is something we have to say often because it is difficult sometimes to accept generosity. The Lord has shown us just how giving the church here in America actually is when given the opportunity.
- We were blessed to be able to evangelize. I had to step out of my comfort zone many times this last month. I am not a person who is gifted in evangelism but this month showed me that I do have tools the Lord has given me to be able to effectively evangelize. I was able to have conversations with so many different people from different religious backgrounds. The Lord truly does bless the times when you step out in faith and have the boldness to talk about your faith with a complete stranger.
Those are only a fragment of all the things the Lord has been doing. The Lord has been so faithful to provide for us and I’m just so thankful to everyone who has in any way helped us in this crazy adventure. Whether you donated five dollars or you housed us for 7 days, my life and the lives of so many others have been impacted by your involvement and I cannot thank you enough. I had no clue what this was going to look like when I jumped onboard, but I’m so glad I chose to jump anyway.
I want you guys to know that I am still fundraising for this trip. I am over halfway to my total which is incredible and I am so thankful for all your support this far. However, my deadline of September 1st is approaching, so I am asking for you guys to pray about financially supporting me. Any amount helps! If you have any questions for me please let me know! I cannot thank you guys enough for following my journey and caring to support me. It means more than I can say!
