unimaginable difficulty

In my daily devotional this morning, Ann Spangler was talking about finding God in the midst of darkness. In her prayer at the end she said, "Father, I thank you that even the darkness is not dark to you. In the midst of unimaginable difficulty, you are always up to something good in the lives of those who love you."

That phrase "unimaginable difficulty" resonated with me. Lately I have been dealing with a deeply personal hurt. Compared with the woman in the story, the last survivor to be pulled from the World Trade Center, my story seems small. But I believe the Lord doesn't mind. I think no matter the situation, it can be difficult to someone. For the woman in the story, her unimaginably difficult situation was being buried alive. For a friend of mine, it's finding out at her 20 week check up that her baby girl won't live more than a few hours after birth.

Whatever it is for you, we must remember that God is here, He is with us, and He will never let us go. The darkness is not dark to Him. The unimaginably difficult is not unimaginable nor difficult to Him. Whether we see it or understand it, He is working all things for our good.


If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
~ Psalm 139:11-12

Psalm 121

The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.      ~ Psalm 121:7-8

God hasn't lost me or forgotten me. He knows exactly where I am. He has called me to step out and go once again. But I am not going alone, He will be right beside me. God cares about me and wants good things for me. He watches over my life. He knows the intimate details, the mundane, and the secret things. I can walk out with confidence that He is with me guiding my steps.

Thank you, Lord, that you care for me and that You keep me from harm. Guide my steps for all the years of my life. Amen.

steadfast

A few weeks ago, I posted on Facebook about my word for the year. I've never had a word for the year. Last year I had a song for the year ("Give Me Jesus," the All Sons & Daughters version), but I've never picked one word to focus on for the entire year.

I first heard about this idea in an article written by my new favorite Boundless blogger, Ashley Boyer. (You can read it here.) Ashley chose the word "steadfast" as her word of the year last year. I'd never understood the meaning of that word. As she described the reasons why she chose it and shared some verses that have given her strength throughout the year, I began to think it might be a good word for me. She says:

It’s a reminder that I can react one of two ways when circumstances throw me for a loop. I can choose to take it in stride and keep my eyes focused on the Lord, remembering that He makes me strong and steadfast. Or I can wallow in my emotions and spend too much time being on an emotional roller-coaster.

Wow. I'm kind of ashamed to admit how often I ride the emotional roller-coaster. So in an effort to get off the crazy, emotional coaster, I will focus on this word.

steadfast- fixed in direction; firm in purpose, resolution, faith, attachment; unwavering

Just for good measure, I found a verse to go along with my word. 

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.          Isaiah 26:3

If you picked one word or phrase to focus on this year, what would it be? For those who've already chosen a word, what is it? What made you choose that particular word?

Norway

Every month we meet with someone in the leadership of Cru for a meal. We share lunch or dinner, usually in their home, and they share stories of their time with Cru and what they are doing now. In October we went to the home of Ken and Ann Cochrum. Ken is the Vice President of Global Student-Led Movements, which basically means he is working to grow the student ministry around the world. His team has found around 60 countries where there is not a student-led movement. Of those 60, they have picked out 6 countries to focus on for the next 8 years. One of the countries is Norway.

As soon as he said that, a bell went off in my mind.

Norway? That's one of the countries represented at Epcot. I visit that pavilion every week. There are Norwegian interns that I have the opportunity to interact with every Friday.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Cru was trying to reach the college students of Norway. There were college students from Norway working at Disney. This was perfect! 

The Disney ministry team recognized the awesome opportunity they had to reach entire nations through these interns. Some of the interns would return to very influential positions at the end of their year. If we could reach them while they were in America, where you are free to talk about spiritual things, then we could possibly send them home to influence their countries for God.

I had felt the Lord's pressing on my heart to focus on the interns from Norway and France, countries with traditionally hard soil for missionaries. At Epcot I had the opportunity to build relationships in a more spiritually-friendly environment. After hearing Ken and Ann talk that night, I knew God was confirming that calling in my heart.

The only problem was I hadn't made any friends in Norway. The Norwegian interns were really hard to talk to and I hadn't had any successful conversations with them. Until a few weeks later.

At the Thanksgiving Feast, I was helping pick up interns from Disney. When I got to pick-up area, there were 3 Norwegians girls waiting for a ride. God was so good! We hopped in the car and headed to the church for the feast. We talked and got to know each other a little. I sat with them during dinner and we traced some Thanksgiving turkeys shaped like our hands. It was fun. The conversation was easy. I knew God put Linn, Elise and Emilie in my path that night.

I got their numbers and found them on Facebook. We've been talking about hanging out sometime soon. A couple weeks ago, I went to see a movie with Linn and one of my friends, Erica. We had fun, but we didn't have a lot of time to interact. After the movie, Linn actually suggested that next time we could go out to eat or do something where we could talk. I can't even tell you how excited I am!

Please pray for Linn, Elise and Emilie that their time at Epcot would be fun, that their hearts would be open to spiritual conversations, and that we would be able to work out time this year to hang out. Pray also for me that I would have the courage to bring God into our conversations and that God would give me the words.

the 25th year

The title of my blog is a reference to this year in Orlando, but it could just as easily be about my 25th year of life.

Last year, I turned 25 on the 25th. I was in Slovakia at the time, and I think I annoyed everyone around me by constantly saying, "25 on the 25th! I'll be 25 on the 25th!" Nobody was able to forget my birthday, even if they wanted to.

Whenever you turn the same number of years as the date of your birth, it's supposed to be a big deal. There are many names for this- star birthday, diamond birthday, golden birthday. Whatever you call it, it's supposed to be this most amazing year of your life so far.

Everything was all set up to be an amazing year. I had no idea how awesome and action-packed it would be.

Last year I lived in 3 different countries on 2 different continents. It still blows my mind that I have lived in 2 hemispheres. I also lived in 2 different states in the US. It was pretty epic.

God moved in ways I never imagined. He took me to places I never thought I'd have a chance to see. He took me into the desert so I would learn that only He can give living water. He made me answer the question- "Do I love Jesus more than this?" He made me question what the "this" was in my life. 

He didn't leave me in the desert. He lovingly restored me to the garden. Through the whole process, I was able to answer the question with a "YES!" It wasn't always a happy "yes" or a loud "yes." Sometimes it was all I could say in the midst of tears.

I wouldn't take back a single thing that happened last year. I learned so much about myself and about my God and about my worth. 

God loves me no matter what I've done. 

I don't have to try so hard to earn His love. He freely gives it.

God is always working- if not in my life, then through my life to work in someone else.

I am worthy of pursuit by a Godly man, and that Godly man is worth waiting for.

As long as I am following God's leading, then I am right where I am supposed to be.

Yes, Jesus is worth following and, yes, I love Him more than all this- even more than my life.

This year I am looking forward to even sweeter times with Jesus. I know there are so many areas in which I need to grow, but my focus this year will be in learning how to be still. I want to learn to sit quietly in His presence and hear His voice. He's doing big things around the world and I don't want to miss them!

So here's a toast to another great year! Cheers!

What has God been teaching you this last year? What are you believing Him to do this next year?
 

Y'all. God is so good. I hope you know that. 

Today at work I had the pleasure of emailing 4 of my friends who are on STINT in Eastern Europe, and telling them that I will be taking care of them this year. I can't even tell you how excited I am to be working with STINTers and with this team. They are such delights. These are the people who have walked with me for 2 years- in the good and the bad, the expected and the unknown. They know what I went through and consider me an asset to their team.

I did not originally think that I wanted to be on this team. I understood that I could sympathize with the STINTers, but I still didn't want to do it. God slowly changed my heart this summer and my excitement grew to overflowing. I am blown away with the opportunity I have been given. I know God is going to use this group of servants in amazing ways, and I get to be a small part of it.

God is so good, y'all.

putting on a show

God is so good. Not just some times, but all the time. He knows exactly what He's doing. He has a plan, and we may not always see it until afterward but it's there.

I'm not very good at support raising, but it seems something I am destined to do for the rest of my life. Most of the time I start out trying to do it myself. I believe that God will provide, but I work at it like God needs my help to find the support. Every time God has to take me to the point of despair, and then He puts on a show. He says, "You've worked hard enough and gotten almost nowhere. Now it's my turn." Then BOOM! Here's $1000 in one day. BOOM! Here's a gift for the exact amount you had remaining.

Next Thursday I'll be heading to Orlando, FL. I'll be packing as much as I can into my car, along with my mom, and we'll be driving across the South. For the next 10 months I'll be living and working in the Sunshine State. God is going to do big things, and I hope I can get out of my way long enough to see Him put on a show or two.

reasons why I love my job

Working at a school is FUN! Especially a K-12 Christian school- reminds me of my school days. *sigh* These are some of my day-to-day jobs.

A couple weeks go was the high school musical. They did "Fiddler on the Roof," and man are those kids talented! The main guy who played Tevye, a senior named Justin who's going to Texas A&M next year, got so into the performance that early on in the show he fell backstage and then did the rest of the show with a bloody arm and a limp. Never missed a step!

The week of the musical is craziness! Every body helps out in any way they can. Normally I only work on MWF, but I came in Thursday just to help with the musical. I spent my day ironing costumes and sewing aprons and yarmulkes (the little hat things Jewish men wear- who knew it was spelled like that?!).

The next week I was back to my "normal" work. In the morning I'm usually at the disposal of the middle school principal. One day she has me making copies to help her get ahead for her classes next year, and the next I'm decorating a bulletin board called "A Day in the Life of a Middle Schooler."

In the afternoon, I help in the library while the lower grades come in to hear a story and check out books. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders are hilarious! (As I've told you in a past post.) It's so interesting to watch the difference in attitudes in the different grades. The 1st graders are sweet but they always leave the library a mess! The 2nd graders are just kooky, and we always have to tell them to speak English, since most of the them are Hungarian. Then there are the 3rd graders. You can tell they all want to be grown up and mature. They leave the library pretty neat and always take out a ton of books. The girls are SO OVER the boys' antics. ;)


Every Friday I grade homework for the middle school science teacher. He always has stacks to do because he gives so much work to his 4 classes. It been a good way to learn the kids names, but unfortunately it doesn't help with faces.


And now for today- I graded math tests that determine which kids should do Pre-Algebra next year. I taped library fine memos on the middle school lockers. I checked in all those 3rd grade books. :) And now I'm off to make copies of the middle exam schedule.


See? My job is awesome and I love it! I'll forever remember this semester of grading and bulletin boards and laminating (SO much laminating!). And I've got the yearbook to help me remember.

it's sanctification, baby!

That thought comes to mind often. 

This year has been quite a year for me. I have learned to make a quiet time with the Lord a priority and a lot of things have been changing within me. Moment of honesty: I used to "hide" from the Lord. (Of course, you can never really hide from God.) I avoided reading the Bible because I fully believed Hebrews 4:12 and I knew that it would call for change. I didn't want to change. I went to church every week and got all my Bible teaching from the pastor, taking just enough to get by for the week.

After everything that happened in Slovakia and the move to Hungary, I needed to do something different. Clearly my way of having a quiet time every once in a while wasn't working. Something needed to change. When I moved in with the STINT girls in Budapest, I saw how they read their Bible every day. I was curious. Even after growing up in the church and watching my grandma study the Bible every day, I still hadn't learned the importance of daily reading. (That's probably not true, considering everywhere I turned someone was talking about it.)

Earlier this year, God walked me through Biblical forgiveness. It was amazing. I had never handled a situation in this way before. I wrote out what I wanted to tell them and felt total peace about it. I didn't have any expectations for a response from them; but I knew that in order for full forgiveness to come, I needed to tell them I forgave them. Fortunately, God granted me a godly HR person to go this conversation with me, and through his help I did get a response and even discussed more than I originally planned. I left that Skype call feeling free- free from all bitterness and unforgiveness and free to move on from the situation. I knew that we handled the conflict well and Biblically.

Now God has given me an opportunity to walk through Biblical reconciliation. Like when I first began on the journey to forgiveness a few months ago, I don't know where to start. Pray that I can handle this well. It would be such a beautiful blessing if reconciliation could come. I know God has a plan and brought this person back into my life at this time for a reason.

If you have ever handled reconciliation, how did you do it? Did it go well? Is there anything you would have done differently?

tales from the library

Part of what I do in Budapest is help in the library at the International Christian School of Budapest, especially in the afternoon when the elementary kids come. Yesterday I was checking out books to the 2nd graders. One of the cutest little boys (okay- they're all cute!) brought his books up to the desk. He had a book named Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. This was our conversation.

Me: That's probably a good idea- not letting a pigeon drive a bus.
2nd grade boy: Why not?
Me: Can you imagine a pigeon driving a bus in Budapest?
Boy: But there are other pigeons that drive a bus. His uncle drives a bus and he's a pigeon.
He shows me the page and reads about the uncle driving the bus.
Me: Well, I don't want to ride in a bus with a pigeon driving. Can you drive a bus?
Boy: Me?
Me: Yes, you.
Boy: Sure. It's easy. You just push the peddle to go. And if there's a turn in the road, you yell out the window and tell the road to turn!

Little boys are the greatest, aren't they?! I love his imagination. These are the types of conversations I have while working in the library. It's the best job!

By the way, I think a pigeon might be able to drive a bus better that some of the bus drivers I've ridden with in Europe. Ha!

go and make disciples

I don't know if it's just the church culture I grew up in or if there has been a real shift in the thoughts and actions of the body of Christ, but as I've gotten older I've heard about a lot of churches and ministries that are grappling with the idea of true discipleship. There seems to be a push toward reaching the unreached, growing them in the faith and then sending them out to do the same. This is the whole idea of Campus Crusade for Christ's ministry. Over the last year I've been learning what it really looks like to work toward student-led ministry. A large part of that is discipleship. Believers need to be taught what it means to be a Christian and then be encouraged to go out and teach others.


My college pastor wrote a blog post about this topic. He raises some interesting questions about how we do ministry among college students. I highly recommend that you read it. It's short but thought provoking.

3 hours

Today I found myself overcome by feelings of fear and doubt. I questioned God’s leading in my life. Did the plan I had for my life come from God or from me? I was overwhelmed by the unknown future.  Satan had wormed his way into my thoughts. He jumped at the chance to confuse me. It was just two harmless comments. One was a question from a friend, the other a comment from a stranger who would never know the effect of her words. My mind was sent reeling. So many thoughts turned in my head. I didn’t know what was right and acceptable any more. As I spiraled into the abyss of confusion, I felt the Spirit speaking to my heart. He calmly reminded me not to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Mt. 6:34) For those horrifying 3 hours, I had allowed Satan to have a foothold.

One thing I’ve noticed about God’s working in my life is that He doesn’t choose to show me what He has planned beyond the next year. He has worked one year at a time. In December 2008, God gave me a new career path. In November 2009, He showed me the company at which I would work. Later He showed me that for the school year of 2011-2012, I would go with that company to Eastern Europe. This January, He showed me that I would be spending my next year in Orlando, FL. So far my 4-year plan is going accordingly for the most part. But did that 4-year plan come from God or from me?

Today, Year 3 of my 4-year plan looked unsure. My next step was in doubt. Realistically speaking, Year 3 isn’t supposed to start until summer of 2013. That’s over a year away, but I allowed myself to be overwhelmed by fear. Lately I’ve been anxious to get to the next step. I don’t like where I am right now, and I just know that the future is going to be so much better.

God, can’t You just fast forward the next 3 months? The summer is bound to be better, right?

No, My child. Everything happens at just the right time. Besides, you are not guaranteed tomorrow. You are but a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14) God is sovereign so why should I worry?

restoration

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;

    He delivers them from all their troubles.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

- Psalm 34:17-18

Though you have made me see troubles,

    many and bitter,

you will restore my life again...

My lips will shout for joy

    when I sing praise to you -

I, whom you have redeemed.

- Psalm 71:20, 23

And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ,

after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you

and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen!

- 1 Peter 5:10-11

My 25th Birthday - Slovakia Style

So I turned the big 2-5 a couple weeks ago. For those that know me know I LOVE birthdays. I don't know what it is, but I love being celebrated as well as celebrating others. I feel guilty whenever I forget a friend's bday or miss a new friend's day because no one told me. Some people like to keep to themselves and are not big on partying. But that is totally NOT acceptable when you're with me. I don't like to embarrass people or anything but I do want them to feel special. This is definitely an instance where I treat others how I want to be treated. ;) Since most people aren't like me when it comes to birthdays, on a few occasions I have planned my own birthday party. That was the case this year.


My roommate Miška had just moved in the weekend before my big day and I was still getting to know my team here in Košice, so I took it upon myself to plan a party. We used it as a birthday and housewarming party since most of our friends hadn't been to our apartment yet. To let you know how amazing my roommate and my new friend Zuzka are- on my birthday the girls let me get ready and look beautiful while they decorated with balloons and prepped for the party. Here are some pictures from my wonderful week-long birthday celebration.

On Monday, Miška and I went to our friends Biba and Jarka's apartment. While Miška (R) and Biba (L) worked on something for work, Jarka and I watched the old "Sabrina" movie with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.

On Wednesday a package arrived from Texas. My freshman Bible study leader Laura and her husband Jason sent me a care package with a ton of amazing goodies, including enchilada sauce and salsa from San Antonio. Yum!

On Thursday night I went to dinner with Annette, the girl I stayed with the month of August. We had some great Polish food and ended the evening with Coca-Cola floats.

Saturday night Miška and I went out on the town. First we started at a cafe where I had a delightful cappuccino and she had tea. Then we wandered around town and found a folk band playing at a wine festival. Miška loves folk music and dancing. Somehow we managed to get free wine and cheese. We ended the evening with dancing. Nobody else was dancing but we didn't care. The picture above was taken after our fun hour of dance.

Sunday the 25th was the big day. 25 on the 25th! This is Zuzka. She made me a special cheesecake with chocolate sauce in the shape of a heart. I love this girl!

These are 3 of my favorite people in Košice- (from R to L) Zuzka, Miška and Biba

I'm wearing the scarf they & some of the others got me. Ready for the cold weather now!

These are just some of the birthday week adventures I had and, man, were they fun! To a fabulous year of being 25!

Necessary Learning Curve

I wanted to take a moment and apologize to anyone I offended in my newsletter. My comments about the Catholic church were my own opinion and I realize now that I should have kept them to myself. I apologize. 

It's my first year of full-time ministry, y'all. There are going to be a lot of mistakes made by me. I'm just beginning to learn what it means to be a foreign missionary. I hope you didn't expect this year to go smoothly for me, because it's not happenin'. Let just say, I thought support raising was a faith builder.... We haven't even begun to plan this year's ministry and I already feel like a fish out of water. Do not get me wrong. I love Slovakia, and I can already tell that I am going to love living in Košice (pronounced Ko-SHEETS-say). But there have already been times where I'm sitting in the middle of a group not having any idea what is being said because it's all in Slovak. The team has been great about translating for me, but it is still very hard being the only American on the team. I understand why most stinters go overseas with a team.

Anyway.... All of that to say I appreciate your patience, grace and encouragement. They are all necessary this year. Again I apologize for any offensive comments. It's a learning experience, people. a BIG one!

visual proof I'm still alive- HELLO TEXAS!

Be Strong and Courageous

Last Sunday the singles pastor preached on Joshua 1:1-9. He told the story of a cruise ship. The party was in full swing on the ship. Everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves, except for one old man. He was very embarrassed by the praise that was being heaped on him. You see, earlier in the day a woman had fallen overboard. Moments later the old man was in deep water alongside her. Everyone was rescued. That evening he gave the shortest hero speech ever given. He simply said, "Who pushed me?"

Cody, the pastor, was talking about times where we think the same thing. Situations we've gotten into and are left wondering how we got here. I was brought back to when I started this journey to Slovakia. At first the idea of working for Campus Crusade for Christ sounded great, but then the opportunity came to intern in Slovakia. I was excited to go back and work with the director on the ministry. But then the reality sank in of what I was signing up to do. I was agreeing to leave my family for a whole year. At the time, I thought I was going to miss my dad's 50th and my brother's high school graduation. It felt like I had been pushed into something I wasn't prepared for.

Anyone who knows me well, especially my roommates at the time, knows that I was freaking out. It was totally out of character for me to want to do missions overseas. I never felt called to leave America long-term. God knew what He was doing by calling me to go on the trip with College Life to Central Europe. Slovakia won me over without me realizing it. By the end of the trip I was so tired and ready to go home, it wasn't until I got home that I thought about how much I loved Slovakia. The opportunity with Crusade came along and I jumped at it.


Now a year later, I am 6 days away from the biggest move of my life. It's not so scary anymore. I don't feel like I was pushed into icy water. God took this year to change my heart and my attitude. Moving to Slovakia for a year seems like a natural step in my life. Yes, I have moments where settling down in Fort Worth, finding a job and getting my own place seems like the easy thing to do. But God does not call us to easy living. He calls us to "be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) Even to Slovakia. I love that I have a God who not only calls me to bigger things, but also equips me to do them. He won't leave me or forsake me. He hasn't gotten me this far in the process just to drop me in Slovakia. He has a plan, and His plan is good. AMEN!

Ch-Ch-Changes

Every week I have to fill out a support raising worksheet listing all the work I did that week. This week's sheet is dated Week 50. Wow. I can't believe I've been doing this for almost a year. This has been a really long process, filled with times of frustration and encouragement. And now it's all coming to an end. That's right. You heard me. The end of support raising and the beginning of ministry is almost here. I can't even begin to describe my emotions at that statement.

This last week, I found out that the details of my internship have changed. Originally I was going to be living in Bratislava, the capitol of Slovakia, and working as the assistant to the Crusade National Director Doug Meyerdirk. Since it has taken me a year to raise support, the director and his family are going to be in Texas on furlough in the fall. This will leave only a small team without any Americans. Campus Crusade wants all their interns to be connected to a team. I really appreciate this about the organization. They care about the staff and interns and want them to have the resources and encouragement necessary to minister.


Now I will be joining the campus team in Kosice, a city in eastern Slovakia. I will still be doing administration, instead assisting the Staff Development Director Tomas Majer. The team in Kosice is made up mostly of former Slovak students who are now on staff leading the ministry. I love that! There are a couple Americans on the team and some American families with other missions organizations in the city. These are exciting changes!


I firmly believe that this was God's plan all along. He is always in control and knows what I need better than I do. This new situation is an answer to many prayers. In Bratislava, there are no singles on staff. We didn't know who I would live with, and I was worried about making friends close to my age. Almost all the staff in Kosice is young and single, and I have met some of them already. Five of them came with Doug in November to College Station for a church missions conference. You can read about my time with them in my Fun in College Station post. I'm still learning all the new details, but I assume that I'll be living with the staff girls. I have never been to Kosice and I have not met my new boss, but I feel ecstatic about this! 

God is so good! This has made me think of Isaiah 55, verses 8 and 9.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   neither are your ways my ways,”
            declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are my ways higher than your ways
   and my thoughts than your thoughts"

I never would have thought of this. After spending time with some of the Kosice team, I was a little sad that I wouldn't be able to work with them. But I didn't think that it would ever be a possibility that I could end up on their team. Like Jeremiah 29:11, God definitely has a perfect plan for me. I called on Him and He heard me (v.12).


Finally after a year of support raising, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have an official leave date, July 2nd, and only $381 left in monthly support left to raise. 


This is it. It's really happening. Praise God!

The True Meaning of Christmas

Luke 2:1-20

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
 

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

 
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
       “ Glory to God in the highest,
      And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Some encouraging moments

One of the things that has helped me get through this long period of support raising has been the unexpected gifts from those you would never guess would or could give. I would like to use this update to share with you these encouraging moments that have kept me going in the last few weeks.

The most meaningful surprise gift was from an old childhood friend of mine. I had been meaning to ask her but I've found it difficult to ask semi-close friends and family. (That's an issue for another day. Anyone with advice on how to get out of my own way would be appreciated.) A few weeks ago when I was looking at my account, I noticed that this friend had given $1000. It was such a surprise, a wonderful, beautiful, encouraging surprise!

My last update was about my trip to College Station. While I was there, I stayed with a young couple from the church having the missions conference. Once I got my missions brochures in the mail, I sent them a thank you and a brochure, asking them to keep me in their prayers. A few days later I received an email from Crusade saying they had signed up to give $100 a month. I hadn't even met the wife or talked to the guy longer than 5 minutes!

One of the most humbling experiences is asking for money. Something even more humbling is receiving a gift from someone you know is giving all they can afford. Like the poor widow in Mark 12, these people give all they have. I assumed Christmas would be a good time for support raising, a lot of people in a giving mood or at least looking for a tax deduction. Instead I have been given the smallest gifts from the biggest hearts. From receiving a $75 check from a loving family to passing a college friend on the street and having her offer me $5. These people are glad that I am doing this and want so much to help. They give all they can freely, even if it's just $5.

I pray y'all understand the true meaning of Christmas today. Whether you are giving to your family or to a missionary, give with a heart of love remembering what has been given to you.

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

- Mark 12:42-44

Merry Christmas!
To give, please call me (817-586-8092) or visit:
https://give.ccci.org/give/View/0634086

Fun in College Station

Last week I traveled down to College Station, TX, to visit with my Crusade director Doug, his son Michael and 5 Slovak staff members. Every November one of the churches in the area puts together a week-long missions conference. This year's focus was missions in Europe, so Doug brought some of the Slovak staff. I had the privilege of spending 2 days with them. 

I drove down on Tuesday and had a nice dinner with Doug and Michael. We went to Freebirds (of course). It was only my second time to have Freebirds, but I gotta say I'm more of a Chipotle kind of gal. I just can't get over the hot sauce at Chipotle. Yummm....

At the missions night for the college students, there were over 40 missions organizations presenting opportunities for the summer as well as short-term trips. Doug and the Slovaks had a table looking for volunteers for English camp next summer. The trip is 4 weeks long and consists of 2 camps. Next year it will be in eastern Slovakia. I'm excited that I get to help with an English camp again! During the night there were times for the students to attend 2 breakout sessions about the culture of and ministry in all the continents. Doug led the session about Eastern Europe. He spoke about the area being post-Christian and how to minister to the people. It was good for me to hear, too. I am still learning about everything myself. Every time I hear about Slovakia, I get so excited and anxious to get back over there. I just know that God has a place for me there. We also attended their regular meeting time. The worship was good and the speaker was great. Afshin Ziafat was the special guest for the night. He spoke on the story of Jonah and running from God's calling on your life.

The moment I met the staff we clicked. It was so nice to hang out with some Slovaks again and even just to sit and listen to them speaking in Slovak. Wednesday I tagged along with the girls. We went to a couple Bible studies and spent the day with people in the church. We enjoyed some local fare (Coco Loco for lunch and Blue Baker for dinner) and relaxed at the home where the boys were staying.

Overall, it was such a wonderful trip. It was so encouraging to hear everyone's excitement over my coming to Slovakia. The trip was supposed to be a time of refreshing and encouragement, and it was even beyond that! The staff and even some of the church members commented on how much Doug needs an assistant. They were so happy to know that I would be coming to help organize the ministry. I was thrilled to know that I was still needed! After taking so long to raise support, you begin to wonder if this is what you're supposed to be doing. After visiting with Doug and the staff, I have no doubt that God still wants me Slovakia in January.