Hey friends and family!!!!
Here are some quick updates from Indonesia! (It’s late, but I really wanted to publish this blog I was working on a month ago!)
1. We had team changes!! Honestly, I was completely nervous about being on a new team, but the Lord reminded me that CHANGE IS GOOD! Change is how you grow. Change is a part of life and that different people will bring out different things inside of you! It‘s all apart of growing!! So with that being said; meet my new team Cookie N’ Creams! Gosh, they remind me so much of home!
Kalyn and Matt (a married couple); are beyond extraordinary! They are so much fun and they remind me of my community back at home! My friend group back at home includes a lot of married couples, so being and doing life with them comes a little easy to me!! Kalyn, an 8 on the Enneagram, is an assertive person that finds beauty in flourishing what’s inside of you. Matthew and I are legit TWINS!! If I were a 25-year-old white male, I would be MATT! ha! We love some of the same things like food, Oreos, ice cream and all forms of love!! Matt and Kalyn are BOMB evangelist with a love for Jesus and seeing people grow!!
Alyssa, she is a GA peach! We naturally stay laughing and share so many GA “understandings”… it’s CRAZY!! We can go from singing gospel to girl shake that Laffy taffy in one small swoop! Alyssa, a natural achiever, loves the hispanic culture, so she gives us free Spanish classes!! #winning!
Morgan, oh my Morgan! we were on our last team together! It’s great how the dynamics of our relationship changed from team to team.. all for the best of course! Another chance to laugh harder, love each other more and pursue each other differently!!!
Lastly, there is Michaela! I prayed for someone who was gentle and could help me be a good steward over everything.. and she is the WOMAN for it!!! She stewards everything so well, she asks the hard questions and she has some of the best wisdom!
Between all of the family dinners, dance battles, and belly laughs, I love my new team, already!!!
2. For ministry last month we were living with a Muslim family on their farm in the Toraj, Indonesian mountains! Ministry for this month looks like, teaching English, helping on the farm, creating an English book, and getting to know my new teammates! It is incredibly scenic out here! Please check out my last blog that includes two video’s that my teammates put together!
3. My hair is still NOT thriving! Actually, I cut it off! SUPRISE! I just could not deal with it BUT someone, anyone please send me an SOS or something! If y’all have any solutions, let ya girl KNOW! The struggle is REAL!
4. God! Always and continuously pursuing my heart! I love how the Lord shows up in different ways and challenges me to grow! Interesting enough we are on a farm, so growth is happening all around me! Let’s be clear, I don’t consider myself, “ One with Nature” but being out in the middle of the mountains has allowed me to be still and hear God more, differently, cut out the busyness of life, and reveals the beauty of solitude!
The team and I have bible studies that we do monthly called DBS | Journey Markers. It is time for us to sit and read the word of God together as a team. This month specifically was on Exodus 14:13-14! Inspired by my newest tattoo, this particular scripture gives an account on the Exodus ( a mass departure) of the Israelites to the land in which the Lord has promised them. At the beginning of the chapter, God is speaking to Moses and giving him instructions on what to tell the Israelites. The Lord tells Moses that He was going to harden the heart of Pharaoh, that Pharaoh will come after the Israelites HOWEVER; He (God) will get the glory from what will happen. As Pharaoh and his army were overtaking where they were, the Israelites started to get really scared and then started to question Moses and the reason behind why God was allowing this to happen to them.
This brings us to our main scripture vs. 13: “ And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians who you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be SILENT”!
Majority of all of my bibles are in the NIV ( New International Version). Every time I read this version it reads…..” and you have only TO BE STILL” During time with the team, we read it in the ESV ( English Standard Version) and this version reads…..and you have only TO BE SILENT!
Silent and Still.
Synonyms.
however; the difference between the two words STILL and SILENT hit me like a TON of bricks! WOW! What a difference a word makes!
Silent in the hebrew is charash, which means to be silent, keep quiet, to make silent, to be deaf, show deafness! In the regular dictionary silent means; not making or accompanied by any sound; not speaking; not expressed aloud. unspoken, wordless, unsaid, unstated, undeclared, unexpressed, unmentioned, unpronounced, unvoiced, tacit, implicit, understood, implied; still, hushed, inaudible, noiseless, soundless, peaceful, tranquil!
What got me was the definition in the Hebrew ” to be deaf/ show deafness”! The Lord then showed me a person that is deaf! Usually, when one sense is out or doesn’t work as well, another sense is usually heightened. (your eyesight, your smelling, or touch!) Majority of deaf people can speak, but some choose not to because they are not easily understood! I begin to ask the Lord what did that mean, he revealed to me that when one sense is less ( speaking or hearing), another sense is heightened- if I am to be still or silent, almost like a deaf person- then my sense of eyesight should be increased! KEEPING MY EYES ON THE LORD!!!!
I believe that the Lord was telling me that in this season, it is LESS about what I SAY and more about what I am seeing or deciding to see ( preception)!
The Lord then revealed to me that IF i need to speak or decide to speak, Meyuna What is coming out of your mouth? What is going through you head? Interesting, I struggle with being still but I REALLY STRUGGLE with being SILENT? Outwardly, I can force myself to be still all day, but inwardly silencing my thoughts have been very difficult for me! The Word silent preached to my spirit and revealed so much about my position as a daughter of the LORD. Out of The abundance of the heart, the mouth will speak (Luke 6:45)
When I am with my earthly father, (shout out to SHEP!) I feel protected and confident. I know I don’t have to say too much of anything because I know my father GOT IT! So WHY when it comes to Lord, I feel the need to interject my opinion, mumble, complain, talk back, worry, etc.? What is this doing for me? MAKING me worry MORE, really!
I was then flooded with my own thoughts and my words. This year, I have been really struggling with anxiety! Thoughts and worries, FLOOD my mind! All day and every day! What is triggering my anxiety? What is going through my mind, during the times I feel like the Lord is or isn’t fighting for me? What am I saying when the Lord is doing something for His glory? Whew! It’s a heart posture!
I believe so many times I can’t see the Lord fighting for me because I refuse to BE SILENT!!!!!!!! I refuse to silence my thoughts, my fears, my anxiety, and everything else that exalts itself up! I allow the LOUDNESS of the world, the enemy, society and even self tune out what the Lord is saying and doing!
Like I told my team, I need to adopt a spirit of SHUT UP!!! HA!
So friends, what is in your heart? What is coming out of your mouth? In what areas do you just need to be SILENT and know that the Lord is fighting for you? Close your mouth and open your EYES towards the HILLS…HE is fighting for you!!!
I love yall so much! Thank you for taking this journey together and always supporting me!
