Trusting Part 2

This Saturday I met up with my parents in Newton, Kansas (just north of Wichita) to switch cars. Our Nebraska mechanic thought he would be able to fix the brakes on my car for a whole lot cheaper than the quotes I got here in Texas, so I got my sister's car and my parents took mine back to Nebraska. Everything went smoothly on the way up, I had a lovely lunch with my parents and then I was off back to Texas. Unfortunately, somewhere in northern Oklahoma I passed an accident with lots of glass and debris on the road. About 15 minutes later I discovered I had a flat tire! I made it back to Dallas, but I wanted to share the ways that God provided for me on the way back.

The whole way I clung to the promises of Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Each time I started to worry, I prayed for what I needed, and thanked God for how he took care of me.

Here are some of the specific ways I saw God providing:
- I was able to pull off onto a rest area after I discovered the flat tire
- I prayed for God to send someone to help me change the tire, and He did! A guy came with his daughter, and he knew just what to do to change it. Then a truck and a van pulled in, so I felt safe with so many people around!
- The little spare tire lasted all of the way back to Dallas!
- I could only go about 55-60 MPH on a 70 MPH road, but there was someone either in front of me or behind me going the same speed almost the whole way (so I felt like I had some company). :)
- When I was going through the major cities like Oklahoma City and Dallas, there was a lack of traffic when I needed to switch lanes to exit or whatever.
- I knew that people at home in Nebraska and in Texas were praying for me.
- My parents made it safely back to Nebraska in my car with little brakes.

I wish that I could have had a smooth ride back to Texas, or even not had to deal with all of these car issues in the first place, but in some ways it was really a spiritual journey. I had to cling to God and I saw Him answer prayers in a cool way. So, I praise God for his provision!

Trusting

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

This week I haven't done the greatest job of being very strong or courageous. Worries about how to pay for books and tuition for school, trying to figure out what to do with a car with a rusting brake line, feeling very far away from home.

I realized partially through the week that I was trying to do it all on my own strength. Being the responsible, organized, controlling person that I am, this is easy for me to do! I had to stop, take a deep breath (or several), and ask, "God what are you trying to teach me?" I'm still trying to hang on to Him rather stress myself out over all that is going on. I am so thankful that my God will never leave me nor forsake me. He has a purpose in all that has happened this week! Maybe I won't learn all of the lessons right away, but I'm letting go of my own control, and holding on more to my Heavenly Father. What an adventure this will be!

Nebraska Pictures

Here are a few snapshots of my time in Nebraska. Family get-together

Helping out at the Pierce County Fair

My siblings and I

Thoughts on Home

I recently returned from 3 weeks in my home state of Nebraska. It was an amazing time with family and friends, and I want to share some thoughts as I process my time there and adjust back to Texas.

During my first 10 months in Texas, I really felt like I had 2 homes. I still felt connected to my home in Nebraska, but I also loved my home here in Texas and the people who are around me here. This was my first time to be back in Nebraska since Christmas, so I wasn't really sure what to expect.

I wasn't prepared for the stark constrasts between my 2 homes that become more apparent to me while I was there. In Nebraska I was surrounded by open space, corn fields, farm pickups, small towns, and baseball caps. In Texas, I am surrounded by traffic, buildings, new cars, and cowboy hats (actually just kidding on the last one). Even though my family was very busy while I was in Nebraska, somehow life seemed more simple and layed back.

My roles are also very different in these two places. In Nebraska I am a daughter and controlling big sister. In Texas I am still figuring out my roles, but I am a working girl and will soon be a student. While I was home to visit, I felt like I slipped back into my Nebraska roles pretty easily.

It was hard to leave the life in Nebraska that is so familiar, the surroundings, my roles, my family, and come back to Texas. Even though Texas was my home for 10 months, coming back this time it felt a bit like a foreign culture.

But slowly, God is reminding me why this is my home too. Although I don't have physical family here, I have lots of brothers and sisters in Christ, co-workers and friends. I do have a place here, even if I am still in the process of figuring that all out. Lots of traffic and big buildings might not be what I would see in Nebraska, but I can be excited for all of the reasons God has me here and accept the surroundings he has given me.

Ultimately, neither Nebraska nor Texas is really my home. My home is in heaven with my Father and I can't wait for the day I get to go there! For now, he has given me peace about where he has placed me, and I pray I will be able to make wherever he sends me my home (away from home).

Do I Believe God Will?

If asked, most Christians would probably say, yes, God can do miracles. Jesus performed many miracles while He walked on the earth, and the early Christians saw many miraculous things happen. But, I think there is a difference in believing that God can do miracles, and knowing that God WILL do a miracle.

I recently watched a video produced by a guy who went around learning about miracles all over the world. Some of the miracles he discovered were pretty weird- people suddenly getting gold teeth, gold dust appearing in their Bibles and on their clothes- but others were what we might consider "typical" healing miracles to extraordinary miracles like people being raised from the dead.

Jesus said that we as Christians have the authority to do even greater miracles than He did. We have the power of the Holy Spirit, so why don't we claim that power? Is is because we don't have enough faith that God will do something incredible, unexplainable?

Miracles are happening in amazing numbers in China, Africa, and other areas. People in the Middle East are having dreams and visions of someone in white, and then they are meeting Christians who explain to them that this is Jesus and through this many are coming to know Jesus as their Savior.

Miracles are happening in the US too, but not in the numbers they are seeing in other places (at least we aren't talking about it). Someone explained to me that Jesus did miracles so that the people would see who He was and know His power. In places today where Jesus is not known, miracles are a way to open the door for people to see His power and know His great love for them. In most places in the US people know about Jesus, or at least have an opportunity to hear about Him.

But when is the last time you heard a sermon about having the power to pray for someone's healing? In the movie, the guy showed a church in California that sends out young people. First they pray, and ask God to show them where they should go and who to approach. God might give them a detail like Starbucks or a man with blue shirt. Then they go, and when they find that person, they ask them how they might pray for them. A friend of mine has also done this with her church in Seattle, and seen God do some pretty awesome things.

I know that God does miracles. But I tend to think He uses secondary things- if someone has a broken bone, God uses the doctors and a cast and medication to do the healing. But do I believe that God could put on someone's heart to pray for that broken bone and it be healed? Is my God big enough to do something like that? Am I not allowing my faith to be stretched in this way?

These are just some of my thoughts on this. I certainly don't have anything figured out, but I am asking God to show me how I can stretch my faith. I am trying to believe that the God I serve WILL do the miraculous.

Official!

Today I went to Dallas Baptist University to register for my fall classes. My first stop was at the office of my advisor to pick up the registration form he had filled out for me. The work-study student there gave me instructions for where to go next. The Registrar's office, Financial aid, and Cashier's office are all located in the student center, which is a really neat building. Everything went smoothly and I even got my ID card and got things figured out for paying for school for this semester. My last official stop was at the Security office to get my parking permit. After that I walked around in the library to get a feel for where I might do some of my studying on the day I have class. It's really exciting to think that it's not just the plan or my dream anymore, but that I will actually be starting grad school! Each time I have been on campus I've just felt this amazing peace, knowing that DBU is where I'm supposed to be. I'm thankful, since I followed God's leading and applied before I had a chance to visit! I'm excited for what I'm going to learn in the next couple of years, and where God will take me from here.

People Group Highlight: Saudi Arabia

One of the places that has been on my heart ever since going to the mosque is Saudi Arabia. Here is some information about this country.

• There are 44 people groups in the country of Saudi Arabia. 27 of them are considered unreached peoples.
  

• Of the total population of 25,635,000, 86.5% are unreached, meaning there are less than 2% of the population that are Evangelical Christians, and less than 5% that are Christian Adherents.

• 2.2% of the population is considered to be in the Nominal Church category, meaning there are very few if any known believers, but more than 5% Christian Adherents.

• 7.5% of the population are in an area where there are more than 2% Evangelicals, and 3.7% are where there are more than 10% believers. However, most of these people groups are expats, from the US, Europe and some African countries.

• Saudi Arabia borders Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Yemen

• The Arab people groups within Saudi Arabia are considered to be 100% Muslim. There is a small presence of Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity (mostly Roman Catholicism) among the expatriates living in Saudi Arabia.

• On a persecution of Christians scale ranging from 1 being extreme persecution to 50 being very low persecution, Saudi Arabia ranks as a 2

• Saudi Arabia once had a large Christian population. They were expelled when Islam gained control 1,300 years ago. It is now one of the least evangelized nations on earth. No Christian workers are permitted and all Christian "propaganda" banned. No Christian is permitted to set foot in Islam's holiest city, Mecca.

• Billions of dollars are spent every year to propagate Islam around the world – aid to countries considered sympathetic, building mosques, sending missionaries, literature, radio, etc. The Saudi government denies Christians the liberty to share their faith, yet demands this liberty for Muslims living elsewhere. Some of the world's largest printing presses are in Saudi and churn out 28 million Qur'ans annually for worldwide distribution.

• Christian expatriates live under strict surveillance. Secret gatherings are hunted down with diligence and leaders are sometimes subjected to humiliating beatings, imprisonment, expulsion, and even execution. This is particularly so for Asian Christians who have often been the most effective witnesses and whose governments have the least international clout. There are perhaps only 50,000 practicing believers, although many more would join them were the risks not so great. Pray for encouragement and strength for the believing community. There are few opportunities to meaningfully interact with Saudis, and very few expatriates speak Arabic.

Please pray with me for the peoples of Saudi Arabia.

1. Pray that God would open doors for the love and Truth of Jesus to be shared with the Muslim people of Saudi Arabia.


2. Pray for the believers who are there to be bold and strong in their faith


3. Pray for creative ways for Christian expats to enter the country and share their faith

Information from:

http://www.joshuaproject.net/

http://www.operationworld.org/

www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/SA.html

Seattle pics

Here are a few more pictures from Seattle! Almost to the top!

Me, Aimee and Stacie at Rattlesnake Ledge

Our whole group at the top

l-r: Aiden, Sarah, Stacie, Shiloh, Aimee, Talea, Esther, Pete (and Snickers the dog)

The End of an Era

Last week I officially completed my Luke 10 internship by heading to Seattle for 4 days for debrief. This was a time to share what God has done in the last 9 months, tell stories, show pictures and answer lots of questions. ;)

Luke 10:17 The seventy-two [that Jesus had sent out] returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name".

The disciples that Jesus sent out to look for persons and households of peace and to share the love of Jesus had many stories to tell when they returned. I'm sure they had struggles and hardships along the way as well, when they weren't accepted or had to depend on others for their provisions. But they came back and celebrated all that Jesus did and what they experienced.

As we reflected and celebrated in Seattle, we used the outline of Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things". We reflected on what God had taught us about Himself and His character, ministry, relationships, what we had learned about ourselves, and what we had learned from those with whom we worked. Here are a few of the things that I wrote down:

What is true: I saw God's faithfulness and provision in many different ways in this last year, in the door closing to Cambodia and the many, many doors opening up in Texas, in guidance in decisions along the way, in the opportunity to go to Asia, and to stay on with Kent and Erika this fall. This was one aspect of God's character that I particularly saw a lot this last year.

What is noble: I learned a lot from the people I worked with/lived with this last year. From Kent and Erika, I learned more about unreached peoples and was challenged and inspired by their heart to reach these peoples all over the world. From Erika, I saw her put others first and offer hospitality. From Lena, I have seen modeled a heart of love, humility, service, and bold witness for Christ. From Andres, one of the janitors at the church, I have learned to take time for conversation even in the midst of busyness. From Stacey, one of the ladies who stayed in our home during the May meetings, I learned to give generously and be obedient, even if it doesn't make sense from a worldly standpoint.

What is pure: God tested and purified my obedience several times during this last year, and I learned a lot about giving something to Him and letting Him replace it with something even better in my life. Sometimes I didn't understand (and maybe still don't) the reasons He called me to be obedient in a certain situation, but when I took that step forward and said "yes", God honored that in my life.

It was such a blessing to share and reflect with my fellow Luke 10er Stacie and our coordinators. We got to spend time in God's beautiful creation as well, going canoeing, hiking and enjoying some quiet time on the beach. It has been a wonderful 9 months full of blessings and challenges, and I'm so excited for what God has next for me!

A Learning Experience

This last Saturday I went with Lena to an open house at the East Plano Islamic Center. They provided a tour of the mosque, and then had a light lunch of yummy Mediterranean food. There were 2 speakers who provided an overview of Islam, some of the beliefs, and the ethics of Islam. Then they had a question and answer time.

I knew a few things about the Muslim faith but several things were cleared up for me. One of the major differences between Christianity and Islam is that Muslims do not believe in the deification of Jesus- they don't think that He is God. They believe that He was a prophet, and even the Messiah, but not God's Son, a part of the Trinity. We have a lot of misconceptions though about the Muslim faith, such as the role of women, and why they wear the long head scarves, etc., and even some people who believe that all Muslims are terrorists. That is most definitely not true. On the role of women, in most countries women have rights like men do and they are celebrated for their roles as wives and mothers. In all but three countries (Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Sudan or Nigeria), according to our tour guide, women have a choice to cover themselves as an act of modesty and protection. It is a choice they make between themselves and God. Also, according to the speakers, most Muslims are taught to be peaceful and not hateful. I suppose just like in anything, there are extremists that bring a bad name to the Muslim faith.

I think that it's important to learn about other religions. For me, it's not because I am "seeking" or trying to find a different faith, but instead, I think that the more we know about different faiths, the better we are able to witness to people in those religions. Many of the unreached people groups in the world today are in predominately Muslim areas. I am sad to admit I used to not care if Muslims heard the truth about Jesus, and may have even said they didn't deserve to hear about Him, or perhaps they were a "lost cause". But God's heart breaks for the Muslim people to know the truth of who He is and who Jesus is, and for them to come to believe in the Truth of the Gospel. He loves the people of Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia, and Iraq, and the other predominately Muslim countries. Perhaps, one day God will call me to go to one of these countries, but in the mean time, there are many people here in Dallas who need to hear the Truth as well.

God opened my heart this weekend to be intentional about praying for Muslim people, for their eyes to be opened to the Truth, and for opportunities for more interaction and dialogue.