HOLA!Its amazing how fast time can fly going country to country every month! We are almost done...coming in strong with two weeks to go. One week of ministry here in Nicaragua working with an orphanage and kids that have little to no money, no homes, no families. SUPER SAD. But they are seriously quality kids after Gods heart. They work hard where we are living with their studies and chores around the grounds... but when getting a chance to talk wtih them you get to learn there amazing hearts and hear what they have been though! They have the same theme in common when it comes to where they live and how they like LAQUINTA (name of the location we are working at)... They LOVE the LOVE that the staff gives them and that they learn that their TRUE FATHER in heaven can give them. MANY of them have been rejected from thier own homes and can find soooo much comfort in being around people who encourage and understand them. They have heart breaking stories that they get to now use to further Gods kingdom and relate to the people in Nicaragua! ITS WONDERFUL!!
ANNNNNDDDD Then we are off to Costa Rica where we will have our LAST & FINAL DEBRIEF!! Gives me chills to be able to say something like that! I am very excited and amazed at all that God has done in me and through me in the last 11 months... I just cant believe its all been done.
I just realized that I still need about 100 dollars to FINISH UP THE RACE!!!I have been BLESSED BEYOND BELIEF by all supporters whether through prayer or donations! I know God put me on this race for a REASON... that is VERY CLEAR. And I also have faith that he will provide for the rest of it!!!
I LOVE to LOVE people of all colors, shapes and sizes... all nations under GOD.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE children.
I can't get enough of other cultures.
India is not like anything that I could of ever imagined.
Life goes on all around us all the time... sometimes you need to just stop and thank God for it!
The Gypsies know more about family and caring for family and friends than anywhere I have ever been.
The poorest of the poor in Africa have the most JOY. They might not have "anything..." but the kingdom of God is an upside down kingdom.... And they TRULY have it ALL.
The Philippines is HOT and STICKY but I would go back in a heartbeat if given the chance... the people are BEAUTIFUL, full of life, and want to give you everything they have... even though it cost them everything they have to give it to you.
I had never heard of Moldova... but I will never forget it.
Kids in Hungary are much different than kids in 3rd world countries.
A vacation is necessary to rejuvenate... God WANTS US to REST.
Guatemala is probably one of the most beautiful places I have EVER been. Our contacts are AMAZING... and I am excited to see what is in store for the LAST TWO MONTHS.
I was just informed that I need 2,000 USD to finish off this amazing
opportunity that I have been BLESSED with. The opportunity to touch
MORE lives, to tell MORE people about GODS LOVE, to enjoy other
cultures living as they live and eating what they eat! Then I get to come home and TELL EVERYONE ABOUT what i have
experienced with the HELP of those who supported me through prayer,
thoughts, and financial support!!!
So what kinda person are YOU?
I've been through childhood, school, feeling unsure of myself, I've be through college, learned many lessons in my 24 years of life... I am sure...just like every one of you. But the thing I think that I have learned the most out of all of it, is that not one of us is any better than the other.
We have all been through life. We have all experienced MANY MANY things that we don't like to think about or talk about...things that make us ashamed or misunderstood.
We are all kinds of people... from all kinds of places... but God loves each one of us JUST AS MUCH AS THE OTHER.
So far on this race I have learned that ...
The homeless... have the most JOY.
The exotic dancers & prostitutes want a second chance but don't know where to go to find it... they feel ashamed and unwelcome by people...
Prisoners who have made mistakes in their lives but when you tell them about Jesus they don't understand how one man could love SO MUCH to forgive them for what they have done.
Single moms who have put everything out on the line for their children before themselves and don't realize by doing that they are already bringing kingdom to this earth.
People who suffer from depression, anxiety, guilt, and shame ...
People who made a mess with their family, friends and children and feel shame and guilt because of it... but don't know how to change the situation they are in.
People who have been burned by religion, religion, religion... never truly knowing the heart of God.
The mentally and physically challenged ...
Families who can't afford house insurance... and have to trust in God to feed their hungry stomachs and providing money, even when they have AIDs and do not have enough strength to work to earn money...
People with NUMEROUS doubts and questions and hang ups...
Young, old, rich, poor... We are all the same. We all have worries, we all have our own unique stories that we have been through.
I LOVE nothing more than to hang out with ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE.
People who judge by outward appearance instead of asking questions like do you believe in the bible or God?... People who can accuse you of things without truly knowing your heart... GET TO KNOW THEM, SHOW THEM your HEART.
These are the people I would want at my Church. Maybe it sounds more like a hospital than a church... but AMEN
isn't that what God would of wanted anyways. If that is the way that it seems than thank you VERY MUCH. I will take that as a complement!
Because everybody is invited... I want EVERYONE to feel invited. Jesus LOVES EVERYONE equally!!
Just ALWAYS remember: "its okay to not be okay" OKAY?
Jesus actually LIKES you and WANTS to meet you, not only that he want to EAT with you scripture tells us. Sharing a meal is symbolic with acceptance.
Luke 15
Greatest story ever told... Maybe you'll learn something new!
This is a story that helps everyone see if you can admit.. "I'm not okay" Jesus says you are actually closer than the people who say "they are okay". If you can admit that you are not perfect and you are still struggling than Jesus says that you are closer than you think!
This story retells the story of God.
3rd story
PRODICAL SON
There is a father who has two son's.
Luke ch 14 Prostitutes and tax collectors are eating with Jesus and Luke says that's not okay. Prodigal means recklessly extravagant. It is the reckless love of the father that is truly extravagant.
The younger son wants his share of his estate... essentially saying "Dad I don't want you... I just want my money". The dad divided the property/ money between his two sons. Property really means "life". To lose part of your land was to loose part of you... your life... and add to that, humiliating the patriarch of the family. No greater pain and heartache in this world than non reciprocated love of a family member.
There is a God and father who understands what it feels like to have rebellious kids...on a MASSIVE level.
The younger son squandered his money... spent everything while he was away and a sever famine came.
Sometimes it takes us losing everything in life to realize that God is EVERYTHING in LIFE.
God is valued above all things.
vs 15 He decided to get a job but only person who would take him is a man who hired him out to work with the pigs. The pig was a dirty animal in the Jewish mind, lowest of the low. He was so hungry he even thought about eating the pigs food. "When he came to his senses"...how many times have you been there? Thinking...how did I end up here? God is the solution, the one to help you overcome your mistakes. I used to find value in how the world saw me, but I woke up and realized there is one man that I need to be with. He truly loves us. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ANY MORE than you already are. God helps us reintroduce ourselves to the world...
What happened to our aliveness?
We do, do and do and NEVER really live... It's a "Dangerous Wonder" (Book)
How can we live our life with clarity, Passion wonder and spontaneity...how can we really LIVE?
If Christianity is simply about being NICE I'm not interested.
I am interested for people waking up to the light bulb in their head saying, "I realize I have been created more than this pigsty I am in".
The younger son realizes that even his fathers workers are eating better than he is. So he decides...I will go back to my father and say I have sinned against heaven and him and ask him to make me like one of his workers.
However, as the son come home the father RAN to his son and said QUICK bring sandals and a robe and lets celebrate. This son of mine was lost and now is found, he was dead and now he is alive.
The younger bro thinks that he must pay restitution to his family. He has a dept to pay in his eyes. He thinks he has to earn his way back into standing with his dad.
HOWEVER, notice the dad RUNS TO HIM... he is taking the shame of his son... when the father reaches the son he kisses him in public. A sign of reinstatement... transfer of authority.
He sacrifices the fattened cow, this is his best for his son... his father understands that he is the only one that can make what is not okay with the younger son, once again okay between the two of them.
The older bro does not think that this is okay, he is upset.
But he is told "your brother has come home and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has returned".
The older brother says all these years I have obeyed you but you've given me nothing... but you kill the fattened calf for the one who has left?
The father tells him...you are still my son, and everything I have is yours, but we must celebrate and be glad because we thought he was dead and now he is alive again.
The older brother thinks in terms of rights over relationship.
There are people who obey God to get things from God. It's a subconscious mind set and it leads people to believe if I obey God he has to be good to me. It's far more DANGEROUS than the reckless living of the younger brother because its rooted in rights not in relationship.
Rights vs. Relationship
It says God I've been good therefore you owe me. As oppose to relationship thinking God you've been good, therefore I owe you my life, everything about me. It wasn't about rights its about RELATIONSHIP.
Tim Keller wrote a book titled "The Prodigal God"
He states if like the older brother one should believe that God should be good to you and bless you because you have worked so hard to be a good person, then Jesus may be your helper, your example and your inspiration, but you are serving as your own savior.
My sisters and I, we would die for each other. The LOVE that we have for each other because our mother and fathers love allows us to LOVE them... there are not words for how HUGE that LOVE runs. I read this story through that lens every time. The way I see it...
When the young boy ran away the brother does nothing but whine and complain about him getting half of the inheritance. He does not go after his brother and convince him to stay home. He looses sight of his standing with his father. He forgets or does not take into concern that he is at home with a house and being loved all the time by his father.
How many people, "Christians", do we know have lost sight of the recklessly extravagant LOVE of God? How many churches are filled with church people instead of change people who do nothing but talk about petty issues. Issues that don't matter at all... when Gods lost family is out there that are needing a home . How many Christians treat the bible like the bill of rights?
Well here is my commitment again: I'll be ALL things for all people when Gods heart aches, I'll be anything, I'll go anywhere, I'll be all things for all people if it means that just one more person could come to the loving embrace of Jesus Christ. To be loved and nourished, taken care of.
Paul even said "Ill give up my salvation my inheritance if it means just one more person would come to know Jesus".
We can become so dumbfounded by his grace we get troubled by it. We have been used and abused by people in life...
BUT when it clicks in our mind that he wants to serve US sincerely... that love transforms you to never go back to your old life. That's what the love of God has done for me and I know MANY other people out there...
Make an invitation this week...tell your story... this is what God did for me and it transformed me....
There are many people who see life as a treadmill they are always running but never get anywhere.
It's raining outside as I write this blog and it gets me thinking about all the people who I have invested time in and how they don't have homes or have shelter to cover them when it storms. It just does not sit right in my heart.
Prodigal God.
We cant settle with this ...We have only reached a DENT of the people out there who have squandered life and love and just want a second chance but don't know where to find it. I never want to settle. The last thing I ever want is to become an "older brother". I don't want to become most people in most churches.
Luke 15 tells about people longing to find a place where they belong. Starts with Adam and eve. People who are aimless out in the world, wandering around... Jesus just wonders around talking to people... sinners .... Anyone and everyone.
Scripture says "Foxes have holes. Birds have nests, but the son of God has no where to lay his head".
There is a DAD/ GOD who has been LOVE SICK for us. He did it all so WE could get HOME.
He was crucified outside the city. Rejected by his own people. His story is our story: "My god my god why have you forsaken me". He did it so we could go HOME.... then and only then will everything be BETTER THAN OKAY. I want EVERYONE TO BE THERE.
LOVE WINS.
This blog was inspired by a podcast I listened to by Jon Weece, Senior minister of Southland Christian Church, Lexington, Kentucky.
A blog written by Bekah Phelps! Just to give more of an idea what we have been doing here in BUDAPEST!
Crux is living in Budapest, Hungary helping a couple move their Crisis
Pregnancy Center ministry from an old building into a gorgeous, newly
renovated office. We finished the move last week and are now putting
the finishing touches on the office, organizing, and leading prayer and
worship each morning with the staff and clients.
Our contact, Ed, is a bit of a perfectionist who adores his new
wooden floors. There are strict rules of what one can and cannot place
on the floors in fear of scratches/dents in the wood (which is totally
understandable since Ed wants the new office to as professional as
possible).
But... there was a slight mishap Monday morning. Steph woke up early and sleepily stumbled her way through the living room
and realized she was standing in 3 inches of water. A valve in the
kitchen burst and flooded the entire flat! We jumped up and started
cleaning immediately, scooping up buckets upon buckets of water. All of
the boxes were soaked. Katie and Audrey tried to buy cleaning supplies,
but it was a national holiday and ALL stores were closed. Ed was gone
and we didn't have a working cell phone to call him. We were stuck in a
flooded apartment in a foreign city. Luckily it only took a couple
hours to clean. We watched a couple episodes of our beloved Bones and
finally relaxed.
As
we were leaving to wander the city later that afternoon, I smelled gas
fumes in the office. Somehow, the flat had been leaking gas and we
didn't realize it until then. We aired out the apartment and left
before it poisoned us. Then, after supper the fumes disappeared and
Audrey got the bright idea to boil an egg in the microwave, since we're
lacking a stove this month. She put a whole raw egg into a bowl of
water and cooked it for 10 minutes. (Mind you, the microwave is in the
middle of the living room). About 9 minutes into it, the microwave exploded: the door flew open with a loud bang,
smoke billowed out of it, and egg shot across the room, even
landing in Cindy's hair! A hysterical fit of giggles quickly followed.
By the end of the day, the house flooded, we almost died of gas
fumes, and we blew up Ed's microwave. All in a day's work!
This is a blog that my friend & team mate AUDREY POWELL wrote!! Thought it was a good SUM up in photos of whats been going on while we have been here!! --- plus a video added to the bottom for your viewing entertainment!
Here are a few picutres of my life so far in Budapest...it has most certainly been an interesting week and a half.
Let's start from the beginning.
Stop #1 is Ed and Susan's house to look after their 4 kids. This is Joseph...too cute...super messy.
This is their daughter Mariam. She looks so sweet
and innocent and at many moments she can be. The child just wants love
and attention.
Katie and I with all the kids in the backyard.
This is the view from the backyard....beautiful.
The kids posing by the fence...Toni wouldn't come and pose, so he
is missing. Please notice that Katie is being very sneaky holding baby
Joseph up over the fence.
Feeding could get quite tiring...the stuffed dog became a very convenient tool to make meal time a little easier. :)
Katie and I finally got back to the city!! Bekah, me and Steph went out in the city one night....BEAUTIFUL!!!
Another view of the city.
One morning we woke up to about 2 inches of water over our entire
flat. It was a very interesting day with a lot of cleaning....this was
the cause of our flood. If you would like the know more about our "Day
of the Flood" read my teammate Bekah Phelps blog called "Splish Splash".
A cute cafe in the city
This video was taken by Audrey one day while we were babysitting the kids at the new office. Its a wonder that they trust us with their children!! But the kids seem to keep coming back for more :)
*This is inspired by Jon Weece. Senior Pastor of Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky*
Jon Weece shares in one of his sermons titled "Everybody is important"...
Everybody is IMPORTANT...
The love of Jesus is free and freeing. The bumps, broozes, guilt and shame along the way are what qualify you to receive his love. There is a list that God has, an invitation list to the biggest party ever thrown. And EVERYBODY IS INVITED. Everybody gets to come to the party!... you have to choose if you want to be there…
Luke 15:8-10 (New International Version)
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Everybody is invited… so everyone is included. The coin represents something of value, something significant to you. This is the way Jesus sees us. We are something of VALUE to him. There isn’t a person on the planet that should think of them selves as a no body because everybody is a somebody because every body is important! Everybody is important because Jesus died for each one of us on the cross- because he LOVES each one of us THAT MUCH.
EVERYBODY is important! LOVE WINS.
SO I was thinking...If I were having a party this weekend and had to compose a list of people to invite... who would it be? I think I would look at it from another angle now... after being on this missions trip for 9 1/2 months I have learned A LOT and met A LOT of really AMAZING people. Gosh my list would BE SOOO LONG. I want to share with you some of the people that would be on that list... and their stories. I had to narrow it down and I started with the people who have made me laugh or smile or brought tears to my eyes in the last 9 1/2 months...
This is AnnaBelle (second from the right- grey tanktop... standing next to me). AnnaBelle lives outside of Manila, Philippines (her house is pictured above). AnnaBelle has a husband and three children (a boy- oldest, and two little girls- the older of the two girls is all the way on the left of the photo). As you can see Annabelle has very little, she lives in this shack with no electricity, no running water, no need to go on. She was the first person I feel in love with on the race. Tangi & I met her one day while walking through the village we were living in. We (Team Karis- back month one) decided we would bless the people in the area by making a sidewalk for them to walk on instead of the muddy path that they would use day after day, rain or shine (IN THE VIDEO POSTED). Where the kids would walk to get to school, the ladies would walk to get to the markets... getting their shoes muddy and wet all the time, the path was covered in garbage. While we were building the side walk we met Annabelle. Her house is right across from where we were building the sidewalk. She would come out every day and watch us as we played with all the kids in the area. Her kids are very shy so they would just watch from a distance at first. We approached Annabelle and we were happy to hear that she spoke a little english. She was ALWAYS smiling and waving at us, she had a very inviting personality. After meeting Annabelle we started to visit her regularly... daily. She would teach us Tagolig (language of the Philippines) and we would just enjoy each others company. One day we (Tangi and I) went to her house and we were sitting outside talking and she mentioned that she liked my earing... so I took them off and gave them to her. She seemed SHOCKED... but what was going through my head was... this is my opportunity to do as Jesus told us “Whatever you do unto the least of these you do unto me” and “The best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them away”. With blessing someone else I was in turn blessing myself… not even knowing I was doing it. One day Tangi and I decided that we wanted to make Annabelle a meal… we were going to make MEXICAN. We brought cokes and ICE CREAM for the kids. She loved it!... but my favorite part of it all was that she went and found all of her friends in the area and invited them to come eat with us. So what ended up happening was we were able to bless more than we imagioned! We prayed that God would multiply the food... and he DID. There is no way that what we made could of fed that many people without Gods hand in it all. Annabelle and her family were a TRUE BLESSING to Tangi and I. I will never forget her. Oh yes and I forgot. The day that we brought Annabelle a random gift (a dress for herself, and some toys for the kids)... IT WAS HER BIRTHDAY.... and we had no idea till we showed up and gave things to her. Later the following week Annabelle had US over for lunch. She cooked all day and prepared FISH and green beans and more more more for us(picture above of the meal that day). She has very little money but she blessed us by cooking up a FEAST. Truely the heart of JESUS. When we left town to go to Hong Kong she came to where we were living to say goodbye and hug us. As we embrassed I felt her start to shake and saw the tears forming down her face... We gave her some photos we had printed off for her and her family to remember us. We met JESUS in the Philippines and she did not even realize it. She was the most AMAZING woman and I will NEVER EVER forget her. I know one day that God will bring me back there to Annabelles house and we will be reunited again! AND I CAN'T WAIT!!! LOVE WINS.
Thank you for taking a trip down memory lane with me!! It was fun to relive that memory!
I have many more people to tell you about that I would invite to my party if I were to have one... BUT I must go one at a time! So next time I have the chance I will tell you about CHINA!!!
Andrea's story told by a member of my team & very close friend Bekah Phelps. I thought it was brilliant way to capture the beauty that we see in Andrea. LOVE WINS.
One of the Pregnancy Center's volunteers, Andrea, shared her
testimony with us.
This is her story.
A few years ago Andrea and her boyfriend got pregnant. He told her she must choose him or choose the
baby- she couldn't have
both. She
struggled with the decision but chose the boyfriend and aborted the
baby. A year later, she becomes pregnant again and
the same boyfriend gave her the ultimatum once more. Andrea knew how
badly she regretted the
abortion and refused to make the same decision that caused her so much
agony. But her boyfriend threatened to
kick her out of their flat and she had no support from her parents who
were
also pushing for another abortion. Against all odds, she chose to have
the baby. At 5 months pregnant, Andrea was single, lonely,
and desperate. She saw an advertisement
for the Crisis Pregnancy Center
and made an appointment. Susan (our
contact) ministered to her through counseling of how Jesus has forgiven
her and
still loves her. Susan also provided
baby clothes, vitamins, and other basic necessities for new moms. Two
months later, Andrea accepted Christ.
Andrea now has a beautiful daughter who is the light of her
life. She shared this with us as tears
streamed down her face. My heart broke-
but not because I was interceding for her. At that very moment I connected with Andrea more than anyone else in the
room (even my beloved Cruxies!) I understand the weight of that
decision. I had no words; I simply sat
at Andrea's feet and let my heart cry out for hers.
Andrea's story shows not only God's forgiveness but his
love. God loves her just as much now as he did the moment the baby was being aborted. She is washed clean, white as snow in God's
eyes. That is how BIG the love of the Father truly is. A love so grand, we can't even begin to wrap
our heads around it! Andrea now seeks
God with a humble and repentant heart and through this she radiates God's
glory. His love and grace overcomes our
deepest, darkest regrets so that he can pick us up, dust us off, and continue
lead us down his path.
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM!!!! I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU and MIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSS YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! ENJOY THE VIDEO!!! It was made special just for YOU :)
and realized she was standing in 3 inches of water. A valve in the
kitchen burst and flooded the entire flat! We jumped up and started
cleaning immediately, scooping up buckets upon buckets of water. All of
the boxes were soaked. Katie and Audrey tried to buy cleaning supplies,
but it was a national holiday and ALL stores were closed. Ed was gone
and we didn't have a working cell phone to call him. We were stuck in a
flooded apartment in a foreign city. Luckily it only took a couple
hours to clean. We watched a couple episodes of our beloved Bones and
finally relaxed. 
As
we were leaving to wander the city later that afternoon, I smelled gas
fumes in the office. Somehow, the flat had been leaking gas and we
didn't realize it until then. We aired out the apartment and left
before it poisoned us. Then, after supper the fumes disappeared and
Audrey got the bright idea to boil an egg in the microwave, since we're
lacking a stove this month. She put a whole raw egg into a bowl of
water and cooked it for 10 minutes. (Mind you, the microwave is in the
middle of the living room). About 9 minutes into it, the microwave exploded: the door 
flew open with a loud bang, 
both. She
struggled with the decision but chose the boyfriend and aborted the
baby. A year later, she becomes pregnant again and
the same boyfriend gave her the ultimatum once more. Andrea knew how
badly she regretted the
abortion and refused to make the same decision that caused her so much
agony. But her boyfriend threatened to
kick her out of their flat and she had no support from her parents who
were
also pushing for another abortion. Against all odds, she chose to have
the baby. At 5 months pregnant, Andrea was single, lonely,
and desperate. She saw an advertisement
for the Crisis Pregnancy Center
and made an appointment. Susan (our
contact) ministered to her through counseling of how Jesus has forgiven
her and
still loves her. Susan also provided
baby clothes, vitamins, and other basic necessities for new moms. Two
months later, Andrea accepted Christ.
