First of all, once again, I need to apologize for the bareness of my blog for the past few months. As far as excuses go, there are several I could quote. I will try not to make this whole post about excuses. Please finish this blog, and don’t start until you can read the whole thing in one sitting.
China was a country we could not freely blog about due to the sensitive nature of our efforts there. Even now it is difficult to talk about because several people remain there in those ministries who would be put at risk if I gave too much information. China snoops on all of their people’s internet, blocks a TON of sites (Facebook, Google, and Gmail.com for starts), and will not hesitate to deport you should you be found sharing the gospel with the natives. This was a difficult thing to overcome, but what I learned most this month (April) is that God is SO ACTIVE in the places where He is being resisted and His people oppressed most. We were stationed not far from North Korea I was able to see people who risked themselves and their livelihoods to share God’s love with the Chinese as well as citizens of North Korea. I was able to visit the border of NK and look into that land that is the most secluded from the world and pray from across the river for God to open it’s borders to His message. I was able to see people who lived solely on donations, but worked several jobs for the chance to show people who Jesus is, even if they couldn’t tell them freely. I heard all of their stories, saw all of their struggles, and was encouraged to find people who trusted and love God so much that they said yes in these ways. My ministry in that month was more about encouraging the hearts of the workers than anything. I loved it! To lift arms which had begun to sink and strengthen knees which had begun to buckle is where my heart excels. I enjoy so much being a refreshing wind to those who are living to be a refreshing wind to others, and facing hardship because of it. God has built my heart as an encourager and a nurturer, and speaking life into those He has given to me is a huge blessing in my life. The month of April also saw me discovering that the places God is urging and has been grooming me for in ministry are the very places that the enemy has made his biggest attacks. He has lured me into sin, then accused me into shame and guilt, so much so that I could not see what God was doing. I could not see that I was fit for the job. I could not see that my brokenness was to be used as God’s way of ministering to others. For years I let the ways I did not look like Jesus keep me from looking at Jesus or allowing Him to help me look like Him, or even be fully used to encourage others to look at Him. How funny to think of it now, after the revelation, how simple it is. Thank GOD for so much GRACE to see while there is still time to work the fields of my life for the harvest He so rightfully deserves. I was created for this, to bring Him glory and tell of His love, and have yearned all my life to fulfill this purpose. God knew what He was doing when He sent Jesus to the cross for me, and He is not demanding a refund. He paid full price for a broken product on purpose. He got what He paid for and He is HAPPY for it! Who am I to tell Him that His joy is unfounded, that His sacrifice was foolish, that He can’t use what He purchased because it is broken? I am His, I belong to Him, He loves me, and He wants to use me to tell other people about His amazing love that they can experience in their brokenness as well. I am a Son of God, no longer a slave to fear. It’s high time to start living like one. Now for you.
Walk with me down this Rabbit Hole. You might be broken, but you are freely given the love of God, your Creator. You could never work into being worthy of it because you are His creation and HE sets your worth (price/value) by HIS affections. That is the sole right of a Creator. Pinnochio wanted to be a real boy, but he could not see that his creator, Gipetto, already saw him as a son and a real boy. He didn’t have to work to be seen as a Son, he just was a son, no matter how he felt. His creator, Gipetto, set his worth as “Loved Son”, and nothing he could do could change the love Gipetto had for him. The same goes for You. God’s heart is for YOU. He wants YOU. His love has declared you a son or daughter of the Most High God, through the blood of Jesus which purchased you and only needs your faith in that to do its work. Jesus’s blood is your worth (price/value). Stop comparing yourself. You were the same yesterday as you are today ,and ever will be. LOVED. *Case Closed*
As we near the end of this month, I have exactly 1 month to be completely funded for the Race. I still need to raise $5100 to complete this journey. Please pray that I can meet this deadline and complete this race without the stress of trying to fund raise from remote places (like this month in Lesotho) with no internet. I know God is able. I trust that I will have everything I need, but until it comes there is always a little chop to things. If you feel led, please donate at the top or left of this blog post where it says “Support Me”. You make it possible for me to do all that I do, and I am appreciative of all the support you have shown me to this point. Another way you can help is by sharing this post on your Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. Word of mouth goes far. Thank you for your help! More to come!
