ARRIVAL IN BEIJING

Hello! Just wanted to let everyone know that the team arrived safely in Beijing. I received a call from my mom about 7 am our time. She said they would have a 3-hour layover before they boarded the plane to their last destination. Mom said that there was a good bit of turbulence on the 'airbus' they were flying on. But they are all fine and ready to be done flying already. LOL Please continue to pray as they make their trip and pray that when they arrive they will be able to sleep. Also pray for peace for them as they are in a foreign country. Mom also told me that it is very hot in Beijing so pray that physically they will all be ok. I will update more soon.

“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”- Jeremiah 32:17

Arrival in SAN FRANCISCO

Hey everyone!

This is Jamie, Bonnie's daughter and I will be updating her blog as much as I can. First off, as you can tell by the title of this post, the team arrived safely in San Francisco! They now have a 2-hour layover and after that will be heading to Beijing! The flight from Atlanta to San Francisco was 2,057 miles. They arrived at 1:26 pm Atlanta time. There was a little turbulence but everybody felt the prayers that have been showered upon them. Please continue to pray as they make this long journey. The next flight will be a long one and lets pray not only for safety but also for peace on each member. Hopefully they will be able to get some sleep while they're on the flight. My mom will be calling me to give me her flight number to Beijing and I will make sure to let everyone know as soon as they arrive safely in China!

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

-Ephesians 6:18

One more day!!

I can't even begin to describe how I'm feeling today as I make final preparations for my trip to China. It's exhilarating, scary, peaceful and surreal all at once. You might wonder how I could include the word "peaceful" among all th eother adjectives I used in the last sentence and the only thing I can tell you is that God has given me an indescribable peace that I know has come directly as a result of all the prayer partners who are lifting me up right now. What an awesome thing to know that I have many people praying for me! I am so honored.

Pray for China

Currently, China is experiencing riots and flooding both in various parts of the country. The flooding is very near where we'll be staying, so please, lift up our team even before we leave. We know God is in control and this was not a surprise to Him even if it is a surprise to us. He is the God of all creation! He can calm storms and quiet seas at the mere command of His voice. Pray that the Chinese people will look to Him during this time of unrest and confusion.

Proverbs3:4-6 tells us "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

I choose to trust Christ even though circumstances around going to China seem scary. With all the quarantines, the riots, the flooding...if I look with my fleshly eyes, I don't want to go because of the possible danger...but I choose to look through my spiritual eyes and trust that everything is under control and everything is going according to God's perfect plan. He is all knowing and I am not. I am only to be obedient to His call for me to go to China. I only have a small glimpse of what lies ahead, but I know He's there ahead of us even now.

Time is drawing nearer...the realness kicks in!

Oh boy! It's only 5 days til we leave! We had our last team meeting today to discuss final lesson plans and itineraries. Today we were given some disturbing news...when we land in SE Asia, we can expect the plane to be immediately boarded by officials in hazmat (hazardous materials) outfits and then we'll be scanned to see if we have a fever. Apparently, they are so afraid that someone might bring the swine flu into their country that they've set up many precautions to combat any possibility of it happening. Please pray for our team that no one will have a fever and that no one will be detained. We need to be covered with prayer. This is real people, very, very real. Here's a news article you can view to get more information:

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/06/30/world/worldwatch/entry5125362.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

The Aroma of Christ

This morning as I was reading my Bible and studying (I’ve been studying a lot about Jewish tradition, culture, and history as it relates to Jesus), I was led to the verse about Mary when she anointed the feet of Jesus with the nard (very expensive perfume). I always wondered why that was so significant, other than the fact that it symbolized preparation for His death and the burial preparations. In my studies, the Jewish tradition was when a king was chosen, instead of giving him a crown to signify this honor, he was anointed with a very strong smelling oil or perfume. The reason a strong smelling oil or perfume was used, was because the aroma would last for many days on the newly appointed King. As the King would travel among the crowds or from town to town, the aroma would often precede him and announce his coming beforehand. In thinking about this, I realized that when Mary anointed Christ, the beautiful aroma permeated his clothing, hair and his entire being so that in the days ahead, everywhere he went, those who were around him could smell the aroma and know that this was indeed the King (God’s chosen one). Perhaps even as he was being beaten, the aroma still lingered. Perhaps even when he was being nailed to the cross, the beautiful scent was still lingering a little bit, we will never know…but as we prepare to go to China and enter a country where we’re not able to freely speak about Christ, we can still carry His aroma with us! Hopefully, the Chinese students will be able to see that we are filled with the love of Christ. Hopefully, they will see that we are His hands and His feet. Hopefully, they will get just a whiff of a beautiful scent, the scent of a King wafting near us…as we allow every portion of Christ to exude through our pores. What a wonderful thought…we can carry the aroma of Christ everywhere we go…even to China!

His Hands, His feet...

What an awesome opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ in a foreign land! It's only 8 days until I leave for China now. As I've been praying, I've been overwhelmed with the fact that Christ counts me worthy to serve Him! In the Casting Crowns song, "Go where he sends me" the words describe my heart right now.

"...I am willing yet am so afraid
you give me strength when I say ...
I wanna be your hands, I wanna be your feet
I'll go where you send me, go where you send me
I'll be your hands, I'll be your feet
I'll go where you send me, go where you send me
And I'll try, yeah I'll try
to touch the world like you touched my life
And I'll find my way
To be your hands
I'll abandon every selfish thought
I surrender everything I've got
You can have everything I am
And perfect everything I'm not
I am willing, I'm not afraid
you give me strength when I say ...
I wanna be your hands
I wanna be your feet
I'll go where you send me, go where you send me

All He asks is that we are willing to let Him work in and through us. We just have to be empty vessels that contain His Spirit. He will accomplish everything He chooses to accomplish in and through us if we are just willing...I don't have to be strong, I don't have to be learned, I don't have to be anything but empty...

Let me always remember that I am deeply loved, completely forgiven, fully pleasing, totally accepted and absolutely complete in Christ. As I empty myself and allow Him full access, He will overflow my life with His love and joy. May it radiate out so others can see Him living in me.

Counting it all joy is hard...

In the New Living Translation, the Bible tell us: James 1:2-5(NLT) - Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3 For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. 5 If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. As I watch the days get closer to when I leave for China, I'm also more cognizant of the fact that Satan is on the prowl. He's already begun attacking me through people I least expected. Though the attacks hurt, I know I'm not to take them personally, but to remember the bigger picture...that we fight against principalities and powers, not against flesh and blood. Satan is quaking at the fact that I'm going to China to share Christ. He does not want the name of Jesus to go forth. So, I'm trying to learn to count it all joy when I face things like this, but it's hard. It's difficult to know that I have such a wonderful opportunity ahead of me and at the same time to face such opposition. I've asked my friends and family to be diligent about praying for me in the days ahead because I know the attacks will increase rather than decrease. I'm trusting that God has allowed this time of testing to occur in order to grow my faith in Him.

My expectations for the trip

Things to EXPECT emotionally:

To miss my family, church family and frie
To cry a lot

For my heart to be softened

Things to EXPECT spiritually:
Long chats with the Lord
Spiritual discipline
Breakthrough
To sing to the Lord a new song
That the Lord will birth new songs in my heart
Lots of reflection time
To see God in creation that will lead me into His presence
To lean upon Him even more than I currently do
That there will be spiritual attacks
That my heart will be broken to the things that breaks the Lords

Things to EXPECT in the team:
That we will see a empowerment of the Holy Spirit
That we will break down walls together in Jesus name
That we will see miracles
That we will be united together through the power of prayer
To go through hard times together
That we will hurt one another but be able to forgive before the sun goes down
That love will be written on our hearts
That we will all try to respect one another
That will speak words that will only uplift and encourage each other
That we will all be friends for a long time after the race is done
To share our deepest thoughts and emotions
To see change in all of our lives
To see vulnerability
To share everything just like the Acts church
That we will all use our God given gifts and abilities
That the Lord will use our team to make deep impact inChina

Things to EXPECT on the field:
Hardwork
To be stretch

To be exhausted

Have an emotional breakdown sometime on the journey

To love unconditionally
To learn to listen with my heart
To hold people in my arms
To cry with people
To see injustice
Make new friends from around the world

Things to EXPECT that are typical of me:
To make a fool out of myself
To fall many times
To laugh and make fun of myself
To be a little afraid and unsure of myself
To make fun of myself and laugh things off
To get confused
To get lost a time or two.

I EXPECT the UNEXPECTED. Who knows what God is going to do while on the trip. We are all just a bunch of crazy, foolish, radical, revolutionary people with a heart to serve the Lord and to build His Kingdom. Some may call us strange but deep down they know that we got something they don't. We will influence, we will bring change, we will break chains. Are you excited yet? I know I am! Can you hear the sound of revival? Holy Spirit unleash your power around us.

Beautiful feet

It's just 16 days until I leave for China! I'm so excited, but very nervous too.

As I think about the people I'll be working with, I'm reminded of Romans 10:14, "How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?"

People we see every day are living a life enslaved to sin. Their sin will one day lead them to an eternity in Hell. Without the saving grace of God, no one can escape this fact. Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We were all once ignorant of this gift of grace. The only way the lost will ever know the gift Christ has provided for us, dying on the cross to save us from our sins, is if someone shares it with them.

We are commanded by Christ to spread His message of salvation with all we know. Matthew 28 tells us to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to continually make disciples. It is our duty to tell them, not only with words but with our actions.

As I go into China, I want to focus on how I felt when I first received His gift of grace. I want to share that wonderful experience with those I meet. Even if I can't use actual words to convey this message, I pray God will use my actions to show His love and concern for others. The Bible says "how beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of the good news." I want to be counted among those who have beautiful feet...do you?

A difficult task

I just got through meeting with our team leader to discuss some of our lesson plans for the trip. As we went over the plans, she told me that we had to take all references to Scripture out of our powerpoint presentations. While I was very sad to hear this, I did understand since we're going into a communist country. You may think, "how will they share the gospel with no Bibles and no other tools to witness like tracts, etc." but don't worry...we have Christ inside us! We carry Him with us no matter where we go! Those we come in contact with will be able to tell something is different about us just by the way we act and treat them. That old song verse "they will know we are Christians by our love" is so true...so very true!

Just a branch

John 15 has always been my favorite chapter in the Bible. My life verse is John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. If you abide in me, and I in you...you will bear much fruit - for without me, you can do nothing." Learning to be "just a branch" is a hard thing to do. It's so easy for us to take care of things in our own strength instead of just being an empty vessel through which Christ's life and stength can flow.

Andrew Murray tells us when we feel that we can not or do not know Christ as we should to remember that it is His (Christ's) responsibility to make Himself known to us. He doesn't do this in thoughts or conceptions but in a hidden growth within the life that is humbly and restfully and entirely given up to wait on Him. As the Vine reveals Himself in the branch, thus comes the growth and fruit. So...I'm learning to be content in just being a branch. How about you?

God cares about every tiny need we have...

Today I received an awesome blessing! I needed 100 toothbrushes to give out to the students I'll be working with on my mission trip. One of our goals is to teach them about personal hygiene. I had no idea where to get that many toothbrushes and then, it hit me...you need to call a dentist. The only person I knew who worked for a Christian dentist, was a sweet friend of mine from church. I emailed this wonderful lady and was pleasantly surprised when she emailed me back stating that her employer, Dr. Taylor, had opened his heart and willingly agreed to donate the toothbrushes. This is just a constant reminder that God really does care about every need we have and if we trust Him, He will meet those needs in His own way and in His timing. I am very thankful that Dr. Taylor has a generous spirit. I know that God will bless him richly for his kindness. I can't wait to see the look on his face when I send him pictures of the students in SE Asia with the toothbrushes he has donated. Thank you, Dr. Taylor, and God bless you!

24 days and counting!

It's been a while since I've updated this blog and I apologize for that, but things have been very busy in my life. There's so much to do to get prepared to go on a mission trip. There are team meetings and planning sessions...learning the language of the country and more!

Learning a foreign language is difficult at my age! I learned Spanish when I was in high school and still remember a lot of it, but this language that I'm currently learning is very, very challenging. I am just praying I can learn key phrases like "where is the bathroom?", "I am an American", "where is the embassy?", you know, all the important ones!

Besides learning the language, I've been trying to come up with my lesson plans for teaching. I'll be teaching a variety of subjects that revolve around etiquette and manners. It's a challenge to find fun and creative ways to teach students how to set an American table or how to use proper phone etiquette, but my ESL training should help in this area.

As the days draw closer, I can't help but rely on God even more than I have the day/minute/hour before! I feel so inadequate to do what he's called me to do, but I guess that's a good thing because it just reminds me that I can't rely on my own strength to do this...I have to trust in and rely on Him. I can only be a branch on the vine...a branch through which His powerful life flows...just a branch...that's a very sobering thought, but an excellent reminder that it is not me who is going to do this, it's all about Him.

A wonderful thought

Zephaniah 3:17 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁷The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing.

What an awesome thought to think of the Lord rejoicing over us and doing it with joy as His Word says! Knowing that He has forgiven and forgotten our sins, if we've confessed and repented of them, also provides great comfort. I can't even imagine the next part of the verse...He will exult over you with singing. Webster's defines the word exult as being exceedingly joyful, or to leap with joy. So not only does the Lord rejoice over us, He does it exuberantly and with great joy. Isn't that wonderful? See how great the Father's love is for us!

Certified to teach!

I'm officially certified to teach English as a Second Language now. After completing 14 1/2 hours of training, the North American Mission Board has issued their approval for me to actually teach. I will have to come up with my own lesson plans for our trip to China, but with the help of our training manual, I should be able to develop some information teaching lessons that will be suitable for high school graduates and college freshmen.

This week we'll be submitting our applications for VISAs to China. Please pray that the process goes smoothly and that our passports or our VISA applications don't get held up in a lot of government red tape. I can't believe it's only 59 days until we go!

It's not your light

Matthew 5:16 says "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Fahter who is in Heaven."

God has commanded us to shine our light before men. The light He commands us to share is not our own light, but the light we receive from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The light of the Holy Spirit in our lives should be so bright that it illuminates every corner of our soul and exudes out of every tiny pore of our being! No matter where you are or what you're doing, people should be able to see that there is something different about you.

For this very reason, it's important that we allow our light to shine in a way that glorifies our Heavenly Father. The light others see is not our own, it's our Father's...therefore, it must be allowed to bring glory to His name.

Ephesians 5:8 says "For you were formerly in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." Are you walking in the light? Are you ready to illumine the world with His light? Will you be ready if someone responds to the light you project?

He who guides, will provide!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-22

God is amazing! A couple of months ago when I first heard that little whisper inside my head that this was going to be a year of great blessing and challenges; I never dreamed that I would be going on a trip to Southeast Asia to share the gospel. When I learned the cost of the trip, my first thought was "there is no way on earth that I can raise that kind of money." My thought was true! There was no way on earth that I could raise the money...but there was a way in heaven and nothing is impossible for Him!

Two months have gone by since that first thought popped into my head. During that time, I've watched God miraculously prompt people to give financially toward this trip. He's raised over $3000 through people who were willing to be obedient to His leading. He's used both people I know well and those I've never met!

Throughout this, God has taught me that if He calls you do to something, you don't have to worry about the details because He will take care of those for you. I know that those who've partnered with me will receive abundant blessings and those who've chosen not to join in, missed out.

I am thanking Him and praising Him for His abundant blessings! I could never have done this on my own, and I think that's exactly what He wanted to teach me...I couldn't, but He sure could!

Ready to learn to teach

Teaching is not my spiritual gift, but I'm determined to learn to teach English as a second language. This Saturday and next, I'll be taking an all day class to be able to get certified throught the International Mission Board.

Being able to practice teaching before I go on my mission trip will help me refine and hone my skills, but there's another reason for going too. The country we're going to will more than likely require proof of the fact that we're teachers so, the teaching certificate we'll be presented at the end of our course, will provide necessary documentation just in case it's necessary.

This weekend, I had an opportunity to hear what being in another country might be like. I was having my hair done in a little salon very close to my home. I knew that I could go anytime of day, with no appointment and get a permanent. Now that's unheard of in most American salons because they usually require you call ahead and schedule to have one done; but since this was an oriental salon, I knew I didn't have to worry.

In the salon, the hairdresser spoke and understood just enough English to get by, and while she was working on me, I began to really listen to what was going on around me. There was Vietnamese music playing on the radio and though I couldn't understand a word of it, I listened for repetitious words and intonations. As I listened, I learned that their language is full of gutteral sounds and strong inflections. All of the hairdressers in this shop were Vietnamese, so they conversed freely with one another.

Sitting there for over an hour, during the process of my perm, many other nationalities came in to have their hair done. That's part of the beauty of living in Clarkston...it's an international city. I listened to people from Ethiopia, Iran, Bosnia, and Somalia speaking. All of their languages unique and different. While I couldn't understand them, I prayed and asked God to give me a genuine concern and love for each of the people represented in the shop that day.

When I was ready to leave, there were several people sitting in chairs waiting their turn to have their hair done. I realized as I left that a smile is the same in any language, so I smiled a big smile and walked out feeling blessed.

He's getting me ready

Wow! When I asked God earlier this year to stretch my faith, little did I know that He was going to continually use taking me out of my "comfort zone" to do it! At work this week, I was asked to help out with the senior adult ministry. Of course, I said I'd be glad to. Little did I know that I was about to learn to let go of my fear of performing in public!

A small group of our staff had been asked to help provide the entertainment for this monthly senior adult gathering. We thought we were going to help provide backup singing while one of our pastors led the group singalong. Well, that was partly true. We did provide singing, but they wanted us to go a step farther and add dance steps to it, too!

Well, most of my family and friends know that I'm not the most coordinated person on the planet. In fact, I'm pretty much a klutz. My mother always told me, when I was growing up, that she should have named me "Grace" because I was always having some sort of mishap due to my clumsiness. So you should have seen my shock and surprise when I found out that I was to participate in this! Overwhelmed is an understatement...I was mortified!We had about five minutes to practice 3 mini dance routines before it was time for us to "go on." I tried to smile as I watched the feet of those next to me. They didn't seem to have any problem at all and it seemed to come naturally for them. As for me, I was struggling to keep from stepping on someone else's toes. All I could think was, "I am going to look like the biggest fool ever up there. What will they think of me?"

It was time for us to begin. The music started to play and everyone spread out across the room in front of about 50-60 senior adults. The singing started and we had our que to begin..I watched very carefully the person next to me...I whispered I can't do this and she said "just smile really big...they won't be watching your feet anyway, they'll be watching your face!" I prayed she was right and smiled the biggest smile ever. All of a sudden, I found out that I was enjoying being out there. My fear was gone! I focused on the faces of those in the audience and suddenly I didn't care anymore whether my feet were doing what they were supposed to or not!

Are you willing to be a "fool" for Jesus, letting Him take you out of your comfort zone so He can use you in places you've never been used before? I wasn't, but now I am! I figure if He can take someone as uncoordinated as me and use something like that to show me that He loves me so much that He wants me to trust Him in everything, that I am willing to take the next step (no pun intended) and follow anywhere He leads me...lookout Broadway - HERE I COME!

Feasting at His table

Today I chose to fast and pray for my trip to China. Fasting is a discipline that I've chosen for each Wednesday between now and the time I leave on the trip. God has honored me by allowing me to do this in His strength.

As I was thinking about going without food today, I was reminded that we constantly have a beautiful, bountiful table set before us each day covered with the various fruits of the Spirit...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control. God gives us overflowing mounds of each of these if we will choose to partake of them. Along with the abundance of these fruits, He gives us the bread of life and living water. How blessed we are! Even without being able to physically taste food on Wednesdays as I fast, I am full and satisfied with the abundance my Father provides for me. Are you full? Have you tasted His bounty today? Reach out, it's right in front of you...

"He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your sheild and buckler." Psalm 91:3

We have many Canada geese on the property where I work. The staff always get a kick out of watching them through the large plate glass windows as we enjoy our lunch. It's so fun to watch their antics and see how they interact with each other.

This morning, as I was prayer walking around the building, I was privileged to see something I had never seen before. I watched a mother goose gently herd all of her babies beneath her wings. She gently and patiently worked to get each one nestled securely under her feathers, then slowly began to sink down into a sitting position. The babies were hidden so well, that if you hadn't seen them before they moved into her protective wingspan, you would have never known they were there. As I thought about the love this mother goose had for all her babies, I was reminded of Christ's love for us and how He protects us from the storms of life by hiding us under His wings.

Often we don't even realize when a storm of life is headed our way, but our Heavenly Father gently herds us under His wings to protect us. Aren't you glad we serve such a loving, caring God? I sure am!

As I think about my upcoming mission trip to China, I know that I will rely even more closely on my Heavenly Father than ever before. I can just picture myself as a fluffy, little baby gosling edging my way closer and closer up under His wings. I can just imagine the warmth of His love surrounding me and enveloping me as I trust that He will protect me from any storm that threatens to shake me. Under His feathers, He will keep me safe...what a wonderful thought.

OUUUCH!

Ouch! Both of my arms hurt! Today we had to get our shot for our mission trip. I had to get Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid, and Tetanus. I guess some people might say we've already begun "suffering for Jesus" but I think it's a very small price to pay for the privilege of going to share Him with those who don't yet know Him.

At our team meeting today, we discussed various items including security issues. We are continually reminded that we must be extremely careful with any electronic transmissions such as emails or blogs before we go and also text messages or phone calls while we're there. In a land where we're free to say and do pretty much anything we want to, it's hard to imagine falling under strict censorship. As I think about it, I'm reminded of those early Christians who went out to share their faith. Often, they would etch the symbol of a fish in the sand as they were talking to see if the person to whom they were speaking was "safe". If the person reciprocated, there was freedom to share without repercussions, and if not, it was time to move on. Though that type of caution was used many, many years ago, it seems we still must be on guard in some areas of the world. It's sad to think that this is so, but Christians aren't welcomed in many parts of the world, nor do they have the freedom to share openly.

I am thankful that God has already gone ahead of us and has already prepared the way for our team. We know that He has orchestrated every minute of every day, so we can trust that He will use all things for His glory.

We'll be purchasing our plane tickets tomorrow! As the time draws ever closer, I want to thank those who are already praying for us. Being bathed in prayer is the most vital part to this trip. Without your prayer support, we could not go forward...so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Preach Christ at all times

Preach Christ at all times...
if necessary, use words!
St. Francis of Assissi

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:19-20 states what has come to be called the “Great Commission”: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Jesus gave this command to the Apostles shortly before He ascended into Heaven, and it essentially outlines what Jesus expected the Apostles, and those who followed them, to do in His absence.It is interesting that in the original Greek, the only specific commands in Matthew 28:19-20 are "go," and "make disciples." The Great Commission instructs us to make disciples while we are going throughout the world and while we are going about our daily activities.

How are we to make disciples? By baptizing them and teaching them all that Jesus commanded. "Go," and "make disciples" are the commands of the Great Commission. "Baptizing" and "teaching" are the means by which we fulfill the "making disciples" aspect of the Great Commission.

Many understand Acts 1:8 as part of the Great Commission as well, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." The Great Commission is enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to be Christ's witnesses, fulfilling the Great Commission in our cities (Jerusalem), in our states and countries (Judea and Samaria), and anywhere else God sends us (to the ends of the earth).

I'm excited at the opportunity to actually take part in fulfilling the Great Commission on my mission trip. But we don't have to wait to go on a mission trip to teach others about Christ. We, as Christians, should be about doing this daily with those whom we encounter.

Why is it so easy to think about presenting Christ to complete strangers, when it's often very difficult to share Him with those we know and love?

A unique blessing

Last night, I attended an ESL class. It was a small class with only three students. There was one man from Korea named Chun, a woman from the Republic of the Congo named Justine, and one woman from Ecuador named Martha. It was really interesting to sit among these students who had come to learn to speak our language. What was more interesting was watching them interact with each other. As they listened and then repeated the English phrases they were learning, the teachers were very patient and kind. The students struggled to say even the simplest words, but they didn't give up...they pressed on repeating the word over and over again after the teacher until they "got it."

I felt honored to be in the class. I was amazed at their tenacity. I wondered if I would be so eager to learn another language if I was in another country. As the class drew to a close, the woman from the Congo gave me a hand painted picture that her 16 year old nephew had done. She said it was of an umbrella tree. As I looked at the painting, I felt a love for her country and the people there. I know that I felt that because God gave me an understanding of the way He looks at each individual's heart. As I looked into Justine's eyes, I could see that we were so very different, but so much the same. I could see a hunger in her to understand who Jesus was...and that is why I'm excited to be going on a mission trip, to help feed that hunger, one crumb at a time.

Another team meeting

Our small mission team meets monthly to prepare mentally and spiritually for our journey. As we meet, we discuss lesson plans, share prayer requests, and talk about the mandate God has set before us. Each of us will be required to attend a 4 hour cross cultural training class to help us deal with the culture shock and differences we'll face in this country. We'll also have to take a series of shots to protect us from diseases that are prevalent in that country.



As we get to know each other better, we find that though we are each very different, we're very much the same. We all want to share Jesus with those who may not know Him and we all want to be obedient to the call placed on our lives. In preparation for the journey, I've decided to sit in on a class where English as a Second Language is being taught.

The journey begins...March 2009

Several months ago, as I was walking with a friend, she mentioned that she was going on a mission trip. I listened intently as she shared about a previous mission trip that she had taken several years ago to this same country. She talked about how excited she was as she prepared for the trip and how God had blessed her as she'd been obedient to His leading to go. Silently, in my heart, I prayed and told God that I would love to have the same opportunity one day. Little did I know that my opportunity was going to come so soon.

Each morning, before beginning our workday, my friend and I walked and prayed together. One day I shared my heart with her and told her that I had been asking God if He would allow me to go on this mission trip too. As soon as I finished my sentence, my friend began to shout and praise the Lord. She said, "oh, I've been praying that He would lay this on your heart!" I was shocked to know that while I'd been seeking the Lord's will for me concerning this trip, that she had been praying that God would put it on my heart to want to go.

Smiling, we continued our morning walk and she began to share more about the upcoming mission trip to ....( I can't share the location because it's in a very dangerous location and could jeopordize the safety of those going.) As I listened to her share, my heart began to overflow with love for people I hadn't even met.

When my friend told me the cost of the trip, I just knew that God was going to have to show me that He really intended for me to go. There was no way I could raise $3000 on my own within such a short period of time. I asked God to blow me a way with His perfect provision and then I sat back to watch what he was going to do.

I attended the first team meeting and was surprised to find that there were only 8 people going on this trip. There were 6 women and 2 men. We were from all walks of life and from many different nationalities, but we all had a heart for spreading the gospel. After receiving details on our location and a brief overview of our goal, we left the meeting with much to do. We would each have to prepare a support letter and send it out to those God laid on our hearts. I was excited because all of this was so new to me.

The next day, I began drafting my letter. I found a map of the country to which we would be traveling and copied and pasted it into my flier. I added some scripture and the details of our mission. As I was working on the letter, I asked God to give me specific names of those to whom I would send the flier.

Over the next few days, I was amazed at how God would put one person after another's name on my heart and in my mind. People I hadn't even seen in many years came to mind. Sometimes I would question the Lord and ask if He was sure He wanted me to send them a letter. The answer was always the same... "Trust Me."

I set up a database on my computer so I could keep up with the ever growing list of names God had given me. I sent out a few letters ever couple of days and then sat back and prayed. I asked God to let the recipient be receptive to the letter, but most of all, I asked Him to lay it on their hearts to commit to pray for me. I'd never been out of the country and I'd never flown on a trip longer than 2 hours, so I was a little scared at the thoughts of flying many, many hours and thousands of miles away from home.

Every week after my letters went out, the team leader would send me a weekly report of my financial support. The first report I got shocked me beyond words. People I didn't even really know were giving $100 or $200! God had told me to trust him when He gave me a name and I took Him at His word.

My letters started going out the second week of March. It's now the second week of April and guess what...God is amazing! I have almost 86% of my support goal met! I am taking this as a confirmation that God really intends for me to go on this journey. In the days ahead, I will be writing more and more thankyou notes and praising God for His faithfulness and lesson on trust.