The Plans He Has For Me--

What an amazing week it has been! We had the opportunity on Wednesday to visit an orphanage for HIV positive children that we will be working at. As soon as we arrived there I just had this wonderful peace that this was a place I needed to be working for the next few months--we will be working with some of the hospice children in the mornings and then working on homework and hanging out with kids in the afternoon--I am so beyond excited about going back tomorrow and working with them! I can't wait to get to know these sweet kids are share the love of Christ with them and I know that they will probably be more of a blessing to me than I could ever be to them. That night we had the opportunity to go to our cell group bible study and it was amazing! I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with a great and loving church family while I am away from my own. They truly make me feel at home and are such an encouragement. Thursday we went to Aurora which is a school started by a lady from the church we attend here. It is about 30 minutes from where we live--Children come from shanty and shack towns a few miles away to attend school here. They are getting an amazing education compared to what they would be getting in their actual towns--however there are still things they need. Please pray for the people who are over the school and that the Lord will provide for their needs in amazing ways. The kids are so great--I am so thankful that the Lord is allowing me to work in places that He has given me a heart for! The weekend was interesting because I was a little sick, but I'm feeling much better now! Sunday at church the Lord just laid on my heart that having compassion for people is just not enough--we must act on it. It's not enough to just realize that people are hurting and in need--I must act in love and allow the Lord to use me to minister to them in however He sees fit! This week has been such a blessing and I have been so encouraged, as well as overwhelmed by the need for Him everywhere I look--Please continue to pray for us as we start a game night for people in our complex and strive to build relationships there. I can't wait to see what all He is going to do over the next few months! Thank you all so very much for your prayers and encouraging e-mails and messages. The Lord has blessed me beyond belief with wonderful friends and family who constantly encourage me! I am so thankful for my wonderful parents who get up every tuesday morning at2:30 just to talk to me and my awesome best friends who woke up this morning at 4 and waited til the internet was working at 5 just so we could talk. I can't express to all of you how much I love you and how big a role you are playing in what the Lord is doing here. I am only as strong as the prayers of the people around me and I am so thankful that I am surrounded by y'all!!! And I promise that more pictures will be posted next week!!

Expectations--

hey everyone! I just got off skype with my parents, who woke up at 2:30am to talk to me--yeah they are pretty amazing! And they were telling me about how so many people have been asking about me and praying for me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much! I am so beyond blessed to have such amazing family and friends that support and encourage me daily--from your messages on facebook and on here--to your prayers! Thank you so much! You are playing such a huge part in what the Lord has called me to do.

It has been a great week. We met with the youth pastor and missions pastor from the church about different needs and areas we can get plugged in. Friday night we helped out with the youth at church--that was great! Getting to meet them and just sit and talk with them. Saturday we had a missions breakfast at church and that night we went to our first brii(which is like a barbeque) and watched a rugby game with some people from church! It was so much fun--great time to learn more about the culture and get to know these sweet people a little more. Sunday I started getting plugged in to the children's ministry at church--I will hopefully be getting to teach my own class for the rest of the term. This week is going to be super busy with going to orphanages and schools--bible studies and meetings at church and helping out with the youth! We are so excited to be starting to get a little busier.

The Lord has been teaching me so much since we got here--I think it's so cool that we these expectations about what the Lord is going to do and then He completely changes it. He truly used last week when we weren't so busy to draw me closer to Him--To teach me knew things about Himself. What an awesome God we serve! He knows our needs so much better than we do. I have been so challenged to live everyday with a purpose--even on the days when I feel like I'm not doing anything--the Lord ordained that day long ago for a specific purpose. Even though I may not see it--He has a reason for it. I know that He is going to use these next few months to teach me so many things about Himself and to open my eyes more and more to how to serve and minister to the people around me. He is reminding me more and more that I have one purpose in life and that is to bring glory to Him. It's not about me feeling like I have accomplished something--He doesn't need me at all. But I am so privileged that He allows me to be used. I am just constantly amazed at Him and His plan for my life! What an awesome privilege to be able to live a few months with only one goal--to share with people the love of Christ--that should be my expectation for everyday. Not that I will get to do something or that I will feel like I accomplished something--but my expectation for the day should be that God has an awesome plan and that whatever He has planned for the day will be accomplished!!

Please continue to pray for us! We will be adding a new member to our team today so please be in prayer for her! Also, Saturday will be the first day that we have entirely committed to outreach in our complex! Please pray that the weather will be warm and people will be outside! That doors will be opened for us to build relationships and share the love of Christ!

In the World but not of It

First of all--thank you all for your prayers--everytime I talk to my family they tell me how everyone is asking about me and praying for me! I can't tell you how much that means! Well, I have been in South Africa for almost a week and the Lord is teaching me lots of things, some lessons I didn't exactly think I was going to learn while I was here..but His ways are so much better than my own.

This trip is definitely different than any mission trip I've ever been on. We are in a city surrounded by anything we could want. Groceries stores, a mall, restraunts, movie theaters, bowling alleys, pretty much anything you could think of. I will be completely honest and tell you that it has been a frustrating few days. We have two parts of our job--first to work with the local church getting involved with their ministries and then building relationships with our neighbors. We did get to go to the church we will be working with on sunday and it was great! We are meeting with the missions pastor tomorrow to talk about what ministry opportunities we want to get involved with. The second part of our job is extremely difficult--we are just supposed to build relationships with people and over the next few months share with them the love of Christ. The only problem is it's cold here and most people aren't out. We have been walking around and prayer walking in our complex--just praying for the Lord to move in a big way! I know that He has me here for a specific purpose--I am slowly learning to completely trust in Him and to know that He is holding me in His hand--He has a purpose and It will be accomplished. This beginning process of meeting people and getting involved in things is just difficult--I want to jump in and get started with everything, but I'm learning to be patient and wait on His timing.

The Lord has challenged me to see that missions should not just be a trip or a few months--it should be a lifestyle. How many times when I'm at home do I go weeks without sharing the love of Christ with someone and it doesn't bother me at all?? Yet, when I'm here I am upset if I go a few hours without getting to share with someone--that should be my focus everyday of my life. No matter where I am. The Lord is teaching me so much about His timing and His plan. I am learning how to be surrounded by the things of this world, but not being involved in them--How to keep my focus on Christ even when I have so many distractions around me. Please be praying for our apartment complex-that people will be open to hearing about the love of Christ--that we will be able to build relationships with people and plug them into the local church. Pray that we will get involved in the exact ministries the Lord wants us to over the next 4 months. I know that He has big things in store--pray that I will be patient and find ways to serve the Lord while I'm waiting! Love you all and I'll update next week!

Our Day at Church!

As you probably assume after no internet for a week, we were all up pretty late last night talking with our family and friends! It was totally worth the lack of sleep, but needless to say we were pretty exhausted when we woke up this morning. We woke up and got ready to head out to church with different missionary families. We knew we were going to African churches therefore we wouldn't be able to understand what was going on. Honestly, I didn't start off the day with the best attitude. However, as always the Lord showed me something amazing through the day. We got to the hut where we would be having church and the sweet pastor came out and greeted us. The service was amazing--the missionaries translated for us so we would know what was going on. We sang songs, prayed for the people of their nation, then the children had a time where they memorized scripture--it was truly inspiring! The dedication they have to the Word is amazing-they just soak it up, since they don't have a bible this is the one time during the week they get to learn the Word of God! It was amazing! Then the pastor preached on how we are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind--It was really challenging. I should constantly be praising God in all I do and thanking Him for all I have. Not just the big things, but the simple things like having the strength to eat and drink! He is such a mighty God and deserve all we have! It was definitely a great morning--can't wait to see what the rest of the day holds!! Love y'all!

These pics are from the church, the kids at church, and different shots of the city!

I'm finally here!

Wow! The months of planning and preparation have finally paid off! I'm here! It is beyond crazy. The last few days have been quite the experience--we have been in orientation since monday so lots of meeting and such, but I did get the opportunity to go shopping in the market and last night we spent the night with an african family. It was amazing but extremely challenging--Just to see the way they live and be immersed in it is extremely overwhelming. Their physical needs broke my heart, but so much more than that their need for the love of Christ. I can't imagine being in that situation without the eternal hope and joy that Christ gives to His children. I have learned so much in the past week--learning to be completely dependent on Christ--learning to be ok with silence (since the family I stayed with last night spoke zero english!)--my heart has just been more and more broken for the people of this world who don't know Christ. My eyes have been opened so much to the need for laborers in the field--it truly is ripe with harvest--but as believers we must count the cost and harvest the field--We have been called to live a life of service and sacrifice--how often do I do that? The Lord has taught me so much just in this first week of being here. I am so thankfully for all of the prayers--they along with the awesome power of the Holy Spirit have gotten me through the difficult moments! I love you all so much! Please continue to pray for our team as we all go our separate ways! We head out from here on Wednesday and I will arrive in South Africa on Thursday! Pray for the people of Johannesburg that we will be able to minister to them effectively and that the Lord will do a great work that only He will get the glory for!