A final letter of thanksgiving

Dear friends,

I have been gratefully overwhelmed by the abundance of love and knowledge that has been poured out on me this summer.  I have lived in a community with thirteen other brothers and sisters, and we have grown, served, and prayed together for the past two months.  No amount of my own preparation would have prepared me for this experience; it was only by the provision of the Holy Spirit that I was able to complete this journey.  I have experienced growth in so many areas, and have learned several important lessons that have changed my life:

The only way to a full life is full surrender.  God's ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).  

Jesus is both my Teacher and Lord.  At the end of the day, I can walk away from my teacher, but I cannot walk away from my Lord.  If there is no Lordship, there can be no true discipleship.  

Discipleship is essential.  It is essential that we understand the importance of being a disciple, of having community groups, accountability, and challenging one another to be firmly rooted in the Word and to share the Gospel with the world. 

I have heart for the nations.  From the Old Testament to the New, we see the big story of how God is redeeming His creation to restore it to Himself.  He chose us, as unqualified as we think we are, to carry out His plan.  "And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'" Mark 16:15.  We should pray that God will show us where He wants us to serve, how He wants us to serve, and when He wants us to serve.  Going to Ecuador has opened my eyes and filled my heart to the fullest measure, making me feel alive and in the presence of God.  To see God moving and planting His church there is one of the greatest privileges of my life.  I don’t yet know where God will send me or who I will serve, but he is replacing fear with excitement, knowing that, in some capacity, He has called me to the nations.

 God has blessed me with genuine desire.  The most exhilarating thing that has happened to me this summer is that the “I should” and “I ought to” mentality is being transformed into the genuine desire of “I want to” and “I delight in” drawing nearer to the Lord.  I know that I am not who I can be, but I am not who I was.  He has grown me so much, and I pray for continual transformation into the likeness of Jesus.

God delighted in teaching and revealing Himself to me this summer; these are lessons and revelations that I do not want to forget, but that I want to internalize.  Steve Thompson, the missionary with whom we worked in Ecuador, exhorted me with the following three components for living what I have learned and discerning God’s will in all things: always be in prayer, be continually in the Word, be an active member of the church.  To take these lessons and this passion from this summer back to my home and my campus, I ask God to give me the grace to see every day as an opportunity to make a positive impact for the kingdom. 

This summer our team helped with a very unique Bible School.  We remodeled a college room at the church.  We ministered at the fair.  We were Upward basketball coaches.  We served and studied the Bible at the Open Door of Hope men's shelter.  We served lunch at Victory Baptist.  We attended a missions conference.  We served and beheld the glory of creation in the jungles and in the

mountains of Ecuador.  I have learned a lot about living with others this summer, and the joys and challenges that it brings.  I know that this experience has made me a better team player, a better leader, a better listener, and has grown me in patience and in love.  I pray that I am a more mature disciple.  It is so sweet to be able to live in fellowship with my brothers and sisters, to daily be challenged, and to daily grow deeper in my relationship with Christ.  I have been changed and have grown in so many ways, and I know that I will forever remember this summer that was a member of the Acts 1:8 Leadership experience.  This is an experience that I wish each and every follower of Christ could have: to be discipled, to serve, to see the world and glorify God for what He has made, to live in community, to share the Gospel, and to be filled to with the fullness of Christ. 

This experience is unlike any other, and I am so humbled and thankful to have been a member of the Acts 1:8 East Team.  Thank you so much for your prayer and support; I am exceedingly grateful for your faithfulness.  I pray that God blesses you for your generosity and kindness in the same way that He lavished His blessings on me and my team. 

In Christ,

Sara

I'm home!!!!!

I can't believe it is really over.  It seems like just a short while ago that I was packing up to leave for the summer, and now I am already home.  Words alone cannot describe what this summer meant to me.  The Acts 1:8 experience more than surpassed every expectation that I had, and it is going to take a while to process everything that I have seen, everything that I have heard, everything that I have experienced.  Thank you so much to everyone who supported me and the rest of the East team through prayer and donations.  I pray that God blesses you for your generosity and kindness in the same way that He lavished His blessings on me and my team.

For my last update, to tell about the rest of our time in Ecuador...

Day 6: Today we divided into teams and went to Gamboa and Artesón to paint murals at two little schools.  We painted in the morning, had lunch at the camp, and returned to paint in the afternoon.  After dinner we bundled up (I put on pretty much everything I owned) to go to church in a small town high in the mountains, Poátug.  It was very cold, but I was warm!  The church was so beautiful, sweet, and kind to us.  I was especially blessed to be able to understand most of the message that Pastor Angel preached!  I was so overjoyed and thankful to understand his message in Spanish :)

The view from the school.  Breathtaking!

At the church in Poátug

Day 7:  Today we continued painting murals, and Mauricio and I finished ours.  After lunch at the camp we went to a church in Ambato for VBS, where we divided into teams for skits, games, and crafts.  We sang songs in Spanish with the kids, and even though we looked very silly, it was so much fun.  We went back to the camp for dinner, and then shopped at an Indian market.  Steve had arranged for the craftspeople to come to us and our team bought a lot of our gifts from these people, to whom the missionary team is witnessing. 

Adrian and Brian live in Artesón and go to this school.  They were with us all morning and Brian helped paint on the mural.

The finished product

Day 8: Today I moved from Artesón to Gamboa where we finished painting the murals.  After lunch we went to VBS again in Ambato.  It was a good day, and we had some free time after dinner.

One of our murals at the school in Gamboa

Mr. Paint!  He is crazy (in a good way!)!  It's ok to say that; he told me that himself :)

The painting crews and a few residents of Gamboa.  They offered us a midday snack every day, and were so kind to us in every way!

Day 9: Today was a rainy Saturday.  We went to Patate for a morning Bible Club where we sang songs, acted out skits, played games, and made crafts.  We went back to the camp for lunch, and a few of us ended up helping in the kitchen.  It was a good experience to be able to help prepare such a large meal (we were cooking for 400!).  I helped Lydia mash potatoes the old fashioned way, and I must say that I have a new appreciation for appliances at home and the cooks at the camp!  We helped serve lunch to the youth at the camp, which was an adventure in itself.  There were not enough dishes for everyone, so we were washing them as soon as the kids finished with them, and several times had to stop and wait for clean dishes to be brought out. It was hectic, but we made it  fun.  After washing and putting away all the dishes, we had a short rest before time to serve dinner!  We were worn out by the end of the day, but it was so good to work with the wonderful ladies in the kitchen!  Later that evening, we finished the day by attending a concert/worship service for the youth camp.

Making espejos (mirrors) at Bible Club in Patate

My friends in the kitchen at Camp Chacauco

Day 10:  Today we packed up to leave the camp and traveled to Latacunga for church.  The building was so nice and the people were sweet.  They baptized two people and took up an offering to send their hard-working pastor on vacation.  After a quick lunch at the church we visited a beautiful hacienda near Mt. Cotopaxi where we had hot chocolate and heard a live indigenous band play traditional music.  Next we went to Quito where we visited the Equator monument and did some quick shopping.  We ran out of daylight, and had just enough time to grab a bite to eat at KFC before going to the airport.  We boarded the 11:30 overnight flight to Atlanta, and made it back to Kentucky by 10 the next day.

Steve, Carol, and Me at the church in Latacunga

Mt. Cotopaxi, the world's tallest active volcano

Two hemispheres at once!

Me Amo Ecuador!

I love this place!  I am so overwhelmed by the beauty of God's creation and his beautiful people.  There is so much that I have learned and so much that I would love to share, but for now, I will just do a recap of the first five days of our trip.

Day 1: We arrived in Quito, stayed the night at a hotel, and then made our way to the jungle.  I am very thankful for our wonderful bus driver, because these are very crazy roads!  We stopped at a natural hot springs to swim and have lunch, and then continued on to the jungle camp in Tena.

The dining/meeting area at camp UNPES

Our view of the Jungle :)

Day 2:  We traveled from Tena to Misahualli in the back of a produce truck!  We got into canoes and traveled two hours down the Napo river to the small community of Santa Rosa.  We visited the church there, and then moved on to a church deeper in the jungle.  They graciously prepared a traditional Ecuadorian lunch for us, which was very different but very delicious.  After some time of fellowship, we eventually made our way back to camp.

On the back of the produce truck, riding through the jungle

The Napo River

Volcano 

Day 3: Today we divided into two groups and visited two churches in Tena.  The service and worship were in Spanish, but we had a translator for some of it, and two guys from our team had the opportunity to preach.  After church we moved our stuff from camp UNPES to a hostel in Tena, Los Yutzos.  We spent the rest of the day with the kids who had moved into the camp, and "sang" some VBS songs with them (in Spanish). :)

Day 4: We traveled from the jungle city of Tena to the mountain camp of Chacauco, but made several stops along the way.  We stopped in Shell to visit the Nate Saint house, one of five missionaries martyred in 1956 by the Waodani Indians.  Next we had a picnic lunch at a waterfall, and rode a "swinging basket" over the gorge.  Once we arrived in Chacauco our missionary host, Steve Thompson, showed us around the camp.

The Saint House in Shell

Camp Chacauco 

Our view from the Camp.  That is Mount Tungurahua, an active volcano.

Day 5: Today we toured the camp and the seminary that is under construction.  We visited Ambato, a town in the mountains, and some of the Baptist church plants there.  We will be having camp in Ambato for the rest of the week.  Next we went to a indian village high in the mountains.  Apatug has about 700 families, but only one percent of the village knows Christ.  The church has experienced physical persecution and is still experiencing other forms of persecution.  It was humbling to see their way of life and their love for Christ.

Apatug

The first church in Apatug.

Inside their worship building.  Our friend Mauricio, who is from Ambato has been helping us get to know Ecuador. 

Believers in Apatug.

The beautiful mountains :)

It is hard to believe that we are already halfway through.  Please continue to pray for our team and the whole camp.  We will be doing some construction and VBS for the rest of the week.  I can't wait to share more about our time in Ecuador and everything that God is teaching us, and all the ways He is blessing our hearts.

Time to move on to the next stop...

Oh my, oh my, oh my.

This is my last night in Shelbyville.  I cannot believe that six weeks passed so quickly.

I have a new family, a new home, a new community; I have learned so much; I have been challenged in so many ways.

I have been discipled.  I have learned about who God is and who He says I am. I have learned some of my strengths and some areas in which I need growth.  I have "learned" how to cook. I have learned new truths through the study of the Word.   I have learned the importance of discipleship.  I have seen the big picture of the Bible and gained a new understanding of the Old Testament.  I have been reminded of the urgency to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

I have helped with a very unique Bible School.  I have remodeled a college room at the church.  I have ministered at the fair.  I have been an Upward basketball coach.  I have served and studied the Bible at the Open Door of Hope men's shelter.  I have served lunch at Victory Baptist.

I have been encouraged, disciplined, held accountable, loved, and poured into.  I, in turn, hope that I have done all of these things.

I have done all of these things--and so much more--with 13 brothers and sisters in Christ.

Tomorrow (or today rather), we begin the last part of our journey: Ecuador.  So come, Holy Spirit; fill us up and send us out, that the Gospel may be preached to the ends of the earth.

Here we go... :)

An Overflowing Heart

I have been so filled this week!  I am so humbled and encouraged by one particular family that has cared for us while we have been living at this church.  The Whites are an extraordinary family, whose love for and dedication to the Lord overflows in everything that they do.  Kris has cooked for us throughout the summer, and both Kris and Jwain have led our Sunday night Bible study.  Their lessons are called "Beyond Compare" and during these past five weeks, they have challenged us to let go of the ways that we compare ourselves to others--even to former versions of ourselves--and to ask God what He says about us.  When we let go of our petty comparisons, and when we inquire of God, we are able to more fully understand who He wants us to be, and to understand how uniquely precious that we are to Him.

Last Sunday night, the Whites did a remarkable thing for our team.  After the lesson, they asked us to write down all the comparisons that hold us back; then we ripped them up and threw them in a trashcan to be discarded.  This symbolized acknowledging that these things hold us back, giving them to God, and moving on.  Next, they gave each of us a card.  On the inside, they had written a new name for us and some verses of Scripture.  These weren't just random names.  They had individually and specifically prayed for each one of us, asking God to reveal a new name and Scripture.  My card read, "Mother of many hearts" and led me five verses, one of them being James 1:5: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  I was overwhelmed by this kindness, knowing that they had taken the time to specifically pray over me, for me.

But that wasn't all.  As they gave each of us our card, they stooped down, taking the role of a servant, and washed our feet.  Their youngest daughter came over to me and washed my feet.  I could do nothing but quietly sob tears of joy and humility as this young girl washed my dirty feet.  The only words that kept repeating over and over again in my thoughts were, my heart is overflowing, my heart is overflowing. 

This family has impacted my life so much in such a short time.  They have given all 14 of us a beautiful example of a God-centered family.  Praise God for such encouragement and blessing.

Thankful

Last Sunday was family day!  It was so good to be able to spend some time with my dad, mom, brother, and boyfriend.  We didn't do a lot, but we had a great day of conversation, and I got to give them a tour of the church and our home away from home, Shelbyville.

At Cracker Barrel!

Visiting FBC Shelbyville

Walking around downtown Shelbyville

I received a beautiful necklace from my mom and dad.  I wear one half, my mom wears the other.

This week we have been spending our evenings at Open Door of Hope, the men's shelter in Shelbyville.  We have heard some powerful stories of how God's grace and mercy have lifted these men out desperation and given them a new hope.  They are so full of joy and grateful for our team; likewise, we are thankful for them too.  Since we spent the whole week there, we did a Bible study on the book of Jonah.  It was really neat to be able to do a study on a complete book, to see the entire picture and relate it to our lives and to the life of Christ.  One of the ways that we have tried to give the men a special treat was to cook "gourmet" meals.  We also took up an offering from among ourselves so that we could make them filet mignon on Friday.  Check out their website, Open Door of Hope Kentucky.

Sweet Reminders of God's Goodness

Life here in Shelbyville is going very well!  We finished a week of Upward basketball camp last week, and it was really fun to work with the kids, teaching them not only about basketball (because we are all pros) but about Jesus.  Our memory verse for the week was "show proper respect for everyone" (1 Peter 2:17), so we encouraged the campers to play fair and to treat others respectfully.  The great thing about Upward is that "every kid is a winner" and our focus for the week was to build them up by words and deeds of affirmation, with proper instruction and discipline.  This method worked, as many kids showed improvement over the week.

This past week contained a wonderful surprise.  On Tuesday during camp, one of the church secretaries brought a package into the gym for me.  I thought it was a book that I had ordered, but it looked too small.  When I opened it, I found a beautiful new Bible; but I was very confused, since I had not ordered it.  It didn't take long for me to put the pieces together to know who sent it.  During the fair ministry, I had given away my favorite Bible: it was a pink ESV pocket Bible.  I had told my boyfriend, Matt, about it, and said that I was going to start looking for a new one.  But he immediately--and secretly--ordered it from Amazon and had it expressly shipped to the church.  He didn't know it, but it was the EXACT same Bible that I had given away, except that it was bigger and better because it was larger, it had maps, and it had the words of Christ in red.  

I was so excited and overwhelmed that he had been so kind to do that for me.  Later, as I was thinking, I realized that our Heavenly Father does the same thing for His children: when we surrender what we have to Him, no matter how beautiful or treasured we think it is, He will bless us with something bigger, better, and far greater than the thing we gave up.  Our lives are so much fuller, enjoyable, meaningful, and peaceful when we surrender ourselves--our ideas of who we are or what we should be and do--to His version of who He made us to be and what he has planned for us to do.  But we do not surrender in order to get good gifts, we surrender because we love Him and He is our source of life.  God is so good, and He delights in His children.  

His extravagant love is overwhelming.

Upward and Onward

Last week was absolutely incredible.  The fair ministry was amazing, and we met a lot of new friends who work at the carnival.  We shared the Gospel and shared our stories through good conversations, a pancake breakfast, carnival rides, free lunch, basketball, and a worship service.  One of our new friends was baptized, and at least five people received Bibles.  We already miss them, but wish them the best in their travels and work. 

This week is already off to a great start.  We are coaches for Upward basketball camp here at the church.  We work with 1st-3rd grades in the mornings from 9:00-12:00 and with 4th-6th grades in the afternoons from 1:00-4:00.  The kids have great attitudes and are really trying to learn and play hard.  It is so much fun, and being tired at the end of the day is worth it.

A few of us went to Victory Baptist yesterday to help serve lunch.  Victory Baptist is a church on Main St. that hosts a free lunch Monday through Friday, which local churches have volunteered to provide every day.  We have been helping the FBC volunteers every Monday for the past month.  It has been so great to be able to give a good meal and have a nice conversation with the people of Shelbyville.  I have met some great people, and have also heard some heartbreaking life stories.  However, God is very much at work in this situation, and it is inspiring to see a community come together to provide for unmet needs.  Yesterday, we were able to give a New Testament audio Bible to a woman who cannot read.  She has no way of hearing God's word, unless someone reads it to her; but now, she can hear the Word whenever she wants!  

God is so good to us.

We went to the fair on Saturday!  Thanks to the FBC staff, we had our admission tickets and unlimited carnival ride pass paid for!  We also got to watch a horse show and a rodeo.  It was so much fun :)

God is good all the time

We are having a great week!  This is the week of the Shelby County fair, so we have a tent at the church (which is across the road from the fair grounds) and a booth inside of the fair.  We are offering free face painting, free Sno Kones and cotton candy, and free balloon animals.  It has been so much fun and we have met some wonderful people.  We have made friends with some of the carnival workers, and it has been so good to talk and spend time with them.  We hosted a pancake breakfast for the workers this morning and we are having a worship service in the morning.  

Last night was an amazing example of how God can use a potentially disastrous situation for good.  We were walking around the fair talking with people and watching the horse shows when the tornado sirens started going off.  We all headed back to the church, where the youth service had been moved to the basement for safety.  We invited all of the fair attendees who had parked at the church to come inside for shelter, and then two of our team members went back to the fair to invite the carnival workers to the church (all they had for protection were there bunk houses, cars, or tents).  Several of the workers came over to ride the storm out, and we were able to share the ABUNDANCE of snack food that we have.  We got to talk, play basketball, and play Solarium.  It was a great night with some good new friends.

Sitha, Krissy, and I on the way to Louisville for a free day shopping and hanging out.  Love these girls :)

Perfect day for baseball.  FBC Shelbyville invited our team to join them for the Bats v. the Mud Hens for their father's day outing.

Having fun at the game!

Another thought...

I feel as if I need to make an additional post to go along with my last post.  Yes, God has commanded us all to have a heart for the nations, but how that commandment is lived out is different.  For some, they are called to go to a foreign land.  For some, they are called to serve the nations that are present within the United States.  For some, they are called to build relationships with the international community within their own area.  Some are called to give money, some are called to other relief efforts.  All are called to prayer for the nations.  Some will be called to all of these.

In any case, we only go by the Spirit's leading.  Therefore, we should pray that God will show us where He wants us to serve, how He wants us to serve, and when He wants us to serve.

He will show us, and we should not be afraid.  "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" 2 Timothy 1:7.

Sara

Go Into All The World

This weekend, our team participated in the NVISION conference at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, which was a missions mobilizing conference. There were four session focusing on the Biblical, historical, cultural, and strategic bases for missions. It was a long day, but that night during team time, we could not stop talking about all that we had learned.  We were fired up and ready to take the Gospel to the nations.

All of this passion is welling up inside of me.  I serve such a holy, loving, awesome God who desires--and planned--to draw every nation and tribe to Himself.  He chose to use his disciples (all believers) to take the Gospel across the street and to the ends of the earth.  We literally have the secret of life in us, but it is not a secret.  It is for everyone, all the nations, all of creation.  From the Old Testament to the New, we see a meta-narrative of how God is redeeming his creation to restore it to himself.  He chose us, as unqualified as we think we are, to carry out his plan.

But we are falling incredibly short.  Before I say anything more, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1 (Read all of Romans 8).  I am not writing to condemn anyone, but rather to encourage each of us to take a serious look at our commitment to Christ, which "bears fruit" and is evidenced in the way we live, the things we say, and how we use our time and resources.  I was confronted with some very hard facts and numbers this weekend, facts and numbers that cannot be ignored.

• There are 16,465 people groups in the world; 6.7 billion people.  A people group is the largest group within which the gospel can spread without encountering barriers of culture, language, or religion.
• There are 6,759 people groups that are unreached; 2.7 billion people.  Unreached means that there is no indigenous community of believers with sufficient numbers/resources to evangelize the people group.
• There are 639 people groups that have no access to the gospel; 540 million.  540,000,000 people.  Have never had the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus Christ or have not had the opportunity to go to church.  
• 2/3 of Jesus' miracles were towards Internationals.
• BUT 98% of our funding and manpower goes to take Christians to send them to Christians to make them better Christians.

I have heard some of these facts before, but not all of them.  Why are these things not talked about in our churches?  Why are these things not spurring us onward?  Why are we not mobilizing ourselves and our congregations?  Please do not misunderstand, the United States is also in desperate need of the love and light of Jesus Christ.  We are called to take the Gospel across the street.  But we don't stop there.  We are also called to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.  I am so thankful that God has revealed himself to us and chose to use us in his plan to redeem humanity back to himself.  This mission is the life of all who follow Christ.

"And Jesus came and said to them, 'all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.'" Matthew 28:19-20.

"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'" Mark 16:15.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8.

I love you all, and pray that you understand my heart.  Sharing the gospel is pure love, joy, and liberation, to bring freedom, not oppression. This is a desperate mission, but we don't go it alone.

All in love,
Sara

To learn more about this, I encourage you to visit

http://www.operationworld.org/

http://www.peoplegroups.org/

http://www.joshuaproject.net/

http://www.thetravelingteam.org/

The Perspectives Course

Fill Us Up and Send Us Out

Sometimes, songs can also be prayers.  This song, "God of Justice" was written by Tim Hughes.  My prayer.

God of Justice, Savior to all
Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served

Jesus, You have called us
Freely we’ve received 
Now freely we will give

We must go live to feed the hungry 
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in everyway
Walking humbly before You God

You have shown us, what You require
Freely we’ve received 
Now freely we will give

Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord


Listen, God of Justice

Thankful for the Blessing of Information Overload

Amazing week!  It has been a while since my last post, but this has been a very full week!  We are completely remodeling the college room at FBC; we moved everything out on Monday, gutted it on Tuesday, got it ready for paint Wednesday, and today we painted the ceiling and got the first coat on the walls.  Tomorrow we will apply a second coat of paint to the walls and move everything back in tomorrow or Saturday.  We expected to be a lot further along than we are right now, but little issues have caused some delays.  We are not discouraged, and expect to finish soon.  It has been a great time to work together as a team!

This week of discipleship has rocked my world.  Curtis Woods, the Baptist campus minister at Kentucky State has been teaching on "Developing a Christian Mind".  In four days, I have filled 21 pages in my journal!  Obviously, there is much too much to write here, but there are some very important lessons that I have learned from these sessions.

• God's Word is our source of life.  It is the only and the absolute truth.  Curtis reminded us that we need God's word in order to live.  If I spend very little time in His word, I will not love or relate to people correctly.  The Bible stands alone and is able to defend itself without any outside sources; it is the standard.
• Never stop learning!!! Our motivation:  I want to learn as much as I can so that I can more intimately know God and share that knowledge to bring others closer to Him.  1 Peter 3:15 commands us: "in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."    
• It is imperative that we be critical thinkers and critical learners.  It is good that we read other works by other Christian authors to hear their thoughts about God, but the words of men should always be tested in light of the scripture to determine whether or not their words agree with what God says about himself.  

We have learned so much, and I hope to write more about the knowledge I have received (when I am not exhausted!)  Tomorrow is our last day and I am excited to see how we will finish out the week.

I am not a morning person.  I enjoy the morning, but I am not very alert, and I love to sleep.  But for the past few days, I have not been spending quiet time alone with God until very late at night, at which point I am exhausted and ready to go to sleep.  So last night I determined in my mind that I was going to get up an hour earlier and spend quality time with God.  Although I was groggy at first, I was able to focus in prayer and in reading the Word.  I started my day off right, and it has been a great day!  God deserves my very best all the time and I am setting my alarm for 7:30 again tonight.  "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" James 4:8.

Grow(ing) in Grace

Today was the last day of Bible school and it was so great!  We have built some wonderful relationships with most of the kids and they seemed to have had a great week!  We invited them to church this Sunday (we will go pick them up) and we are really hoping that a lot of kids will be there to go with us.

Today was also our last day of discipleship with Tommy Johnson.  We studied the life of Peter; how he experienced the highest highs followed by the lowest lows, and how Jesus never disowned him but restored him instead.  The story of Peter is so interesting and relevant to us because he is so human.  The story of Peter perfectly exemplifies how the life of a disciple is defined by grace.  Peter doubted, spoke when he should have been silent, misunderstood Jesus, and disowned Jesus three times.  Logically, he then doubted whether he was a disciple, if he could ever be forgiven and welcomed by Jesus again.  But in a perfect example of grace, Jesus completely restored Peter and reaffirmed his purpose for Peter's life in John 21 by recommitting him to the mission of feeding his sheep.  In the same way, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:39).  The grace of God lavished on us by his Son is more than enough to forgive my sins and completely restore me to right standing with God.  I mess up so much.  And the deeper I grow in my relationship with Christ, the more I am convinced that there is nothing good in me and that I am completely hopeless without him.  His love is so deep.  His grace is so perfect.

Jesus is our compass.  In This Day With the Master, Dennis Kinlaw writes "The best thing to do when you have slipped into the flesh is to choose again to walk in the Spirit."  By his grace--and only by his grace--are we able to make that choice.

Know Christ.
Grow in grace.
Glorify Christ with your life.

This song helps remind me that God can never fail me.
"I may be weak, but your spirit's strong in me; My flesh may fail, my God you never will."

Give Me Faith

Sara

"On the Trail" Very Unique Bible School 

The Necessity and Joy of Discipleship

It is such a blessing to be serving on this team!  We have had a wonderful first week and have already done so much.  Our schedules are very full and we are going all out, but we are all so very thankful and blessed to be here.  God is already knitting us together as a family; as cliché as that sounds, it is very true.  I already love my teammates and it seems like we are brothers and sisters.

On our first day of service (Monday), we began the day setting up for and serving free lunch for people in need.  We had some really good conversations and met some very sweet people.  We spent the afternoon doing laundry at the laundry mat and preparing for the Very Unique Bible School (VUBS).  Later that afternoon we went over to an apartment complex where we hosted the VUBS for the neighborhood children.  We had so much fun and all of the kids seemed to enjoy it.  We will be doing this all week, and hope that they will be able to come over to children's church on Sunday as well.

One of the most important aspects of our summer is the training that we will receive.  This week Tommy Johnson, the campus minister at Western Kentucky University, is training us in discipleship.  The first two days have been amazing and I have really been reminded of the importance of true discipleship.  A disciple is a person who follows Jesus; discipleship is a relationship with Christ, and a deepening of that relationship.  Sadly, it seems to me that training in discipleship has been a discipline that has been lost in the modern church.  I don't think we understand the importance of being a disciple, of having community groups, accountability, and challenging one another to be firmly rooted in the Word and to share the Gospel with the world.  Jesus commissioned us to "go and make disciples of all nations" in Matthew 28:19.  Are we afraid?  Do we feel unqualified?  Are we inconvenienced?  If we identify ourselves as a Christian, following Jesus and sharing the Good News is not an option; it is our personal mission from God--each and every believer.  But we can take heart, because Jesus promised us that we would receive the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) and that he would go with us.  He has not left us alone, and it is not on our own that we accomplish anything for Christ.  And it is pure JOY to serve the Lord.  He brings freedom, joy, peace, and life in abundance.  "He is no fool to give what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose" (Jim Elliot).

One of the most important things I have learned so far is the difference in recognizing Jesus as your teacher or as your Lord.  At the end of the day, I can walk away from my teacher, but I cannot walk away from my Lord.  If there is no Lordship, there can be no true discipleship.  We must learn from Jesus, and he must teach us if we are to be true Christ-followers.  But he is more that my teacher; he is my Lord.  As such, he commands and more that deserves my complete allegiance; my life is to be defined by his purpose for me.  

It is so sweet to be able to live in fellowship with my brothers and sisters, to daily be challenged, and to daily grow deeper in my relationship with Christ.  Of such a blessing, I am undeserving. :)

All of the Acts 1:8 Students from Morehead State.  We will be traveling all over the world and serving on four different teams.  Such an exciting summer awaits!  Can you tell we are a little bit excited?  

Me and Krissy in our room at First Baptist.  This will be our home for the next five and a half weeks.  This is an amazing church!  Everyone is so welcoming and we already feel like we are at home.

Our first grocery shopping trip as a team.  Three meals a day for seven days for fourteen people.  After 3 carts full of groceries, an overwhelmed cashier, and a lot of fun, we are ready to eat for the week!

My Acts 1:8 Family

Wow.  These past three days have been so full of training, learning, and growing that I don't know where to start or how to tell everything. But, some things stand out more than others, that are definitely worth sharing...

During these three days of training, we have team time where we come together to get to know one another and prepare for the summer.  On day one, we set some team goals to keep us focused this summer:

1.     Give 110%.  Since this is technically mathematically impossible, we must rely on the Lord to supply this extra 10%.

2.     Choose joy.  In all circumstances, choose to have an attitude of joy, because it brings us pure joy to serve and seek the Lord.

3.     Choose the challenge.  We are going to get tired, frustrated, and sometimes we will want to quit.  But we must choose to persevere (and be reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:10: "that is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.")

4.     Be thankful.  This is an amazing opportunity, and God has already so richly blessed us.  Colossians 3:17.

5.     Be HERE.  There are so many people and experiences that are home while I am here, and I will miss them.  But I know I need to be here this summer.  Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  God is going to do big things, and He deserves my undivided attention.

Two important topics and two important lessons started: apologizing and listening.  I say lessons started because I have only just began to really grasp and study these elements that are crucial to every relationship.

We often talk of forgiveness, but rarely talk of making an apology for a wrong that we have done to another person.  It is important for any church, any team, any group to be able to take responsibility for their actions and genuinely ask forgiveness for a wrong committed against another person.  Yesterday we learned about the five languages of apology, which was adapted from the book by Gary Chapman and Jennifer Thomas.  It was an eye opening lesson that helped me understand what type of an apology I need to hear from others in order to truly forgive them.  At the same time, I learned what types of apologies that my teammates need to hear from me when I have wronged them.  Laying this foundation will help our team to be more real, more open, and more unified.    

Today we learned how to listen.  Who knew we needed three hours of instruction on listening.  We don't.  We need a lifetime of instruction!  Listening communicates to the speaker that we value them as a person, we value what they have to say, and we genuinely care about them.  There are so many barriers to listening that we must consciously work to remove and we must be persistent in developing good listening habits.  

Tomorrow we leave for Shelbyville and move in to what will be our home for the next five weeks.  Until next time (which will be sooner than last time!)

Sara

Time to go...

Well, I guess this is it.  I am leaving for Acts 1:8 tomorrow morning.  I have been preparing for this since last November, when I found out that I would be serving as a member of the East team this summer.  I still have a lot of packing to do, but the rest of the day will be spent with my family and Matt.  I admit that I am a little nervous and a little anxious, especially about being away for two months; however, I can find comfort in knowing that God is going with me, with our team.  I am excited to be able to use this blog to share what I learn this summer and what our team experiences.  I have high hopes and expectations that God is going to do big things.

I was reading a daily devotional in "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers this morning, and wanted to share what I learned.  Chambers writes, "As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascinating and physically gratifying possibilities will open up before you.  These are things that are yours by right, but if you are living the life of faith you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God make your choice for you." (May 25; yes, I am a little behind).  God's ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).  He will never lead us down the wrong path, and He knows what is best for us, even if we cannot see it.  I have been reminded over and over again to be on guard so that choosing good things do not get in the way of choosing the best thing.  God has the best for me, and I need to be careful not to choose things that seem good to me, thereby forfeiting the best.  Over and over again this year, God has reminded me in so many ways the only way that I can be free, the only way right way to live, is to be fully surrendered to Him and His ways.  By his grace, day by day, I am learning this.  And, "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).  

Thank you for your prayers and support.  I know that God has some big plans for all of the Acts 1:8 teams going out this summer to serve in His name.  Pray that we will be faithful, and will completely surrender ourselves and our plans to Him.  I pray that each and every one of you will have a great summer, one full of learning, growth, service, rest, and the blessing of God's presence.   

We also have a team blog, located at: http://acts18east.wordpress.com/.  We will all take turns posting updates and sharing what we learn over the summer.  I encourage you to check this page out, to get more that just my perspective about what is going on with our team.

Faithfully,

Sara