We're in the middle of a series at our church called, "God, you want me to Do What?" Last week's message was entitled "Be Sacrificial" (meaning with your time), and this week's was entitled "Be Generous." I know a lot of people probably cringe at a title like this, knowing the money talk is coming. We've all been at churches that bring up money so often that it just turns you off and makes you not even want to give. But this is one of the many things I love about our church. Although God commands us to give, the benefit is for us, not him. God doesn't need our money, but we need to give.
Early in our marriage Jeremy set the precedent that we would give 10% of our income to the church. I'll admit I wasn't totally on board at first, but I trusted that if he felt it was important, I would go along with it. God has not disappointed us. Luke 6:38 says, "Give and it will be given back to you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together will be poured into your lap." Proverbs 11:24-25 says, "One man gives freely and he gains even more. But another man withholds unjustly, and he comes to poverty. A generous man will himself be blessed."
We have certainly been blessed. God has always provided for us. Sometimes not in abundance but always enough, just what we needed at that time. And the blessings aren't always financial ones, but also relationally and spiritually. We have two beautiful girls, great extended families, food in our fridge, a warm house, two cars that run (not the latest model, but they're paid for), an amazing church, and the best friends in the world.
Now I'm not saying that if you give generously your life is going to be perfect. It's not. We all have hard times. But I do know that if you give in the midst of good and bad circumstances, God will bless you. It may be in ways that aren't as obvious, but look for the blessings that are all around you. Speaking of blessings, we sang a new song at church tonight -- 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Matt Redman. Click the play button to the right if you'd like to listen to it. Our worship pastor asked, "What does it mean to bless the Lord? It really just means to thank him." I truly believe that a life full of joy comes from a heart of gratitude. Thank God throughout the day for all he's given you. Little things will happen throughout my day, even minor things like finding something I've been missing, and I just quietly say, Thank you, God! Focus on what he's given you rather than what you wish you had. Easier said than done, I know.
Anyway, back to the idea of generosity. Maybe you are thinking, 'You know, we honestly can't afford to give at all. We are barely making ends meet and all our money is spoken for each month.' I'm not sure what to tell you except to just step out in faith and test God. Start small and see what God does. I love this verse in Malachi: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. Test me in this, says the Lord, and see if I won't throw open heaven's doors and pour out so much blessing that you won't have room for it." (Malachi 3:10). Did I mention that I love this verse? It's like God is challenging us, JUST TRY ME! He has so many good things he wants to give us, if we would only obey him and share our life with him.
As most of you know our paychecks vary from month to month. Some months are good, some months are bad. Some months we have more than enough, some months we can barely pay our bills. And my job has basically been non-existent for the past several months so that hasn't helped. However, we have continued to give the amount we decided on beforehand, even in the bad months. Speaking of bad months, this month was one of those. But the first bill we paid was the online giving to our church. If we would've waited until everything else was paid, I know we would've made excuses and it just wouldn't have happened. But we've learned that God comes first (it's really all his anyway, isn't it?) Well, a couple neat and unexpected things happened in the following week. First of all, a guy from my log job calls and said, 'You know, we never paid you for that paperwork you did for us several months ago.' He asked what I thought would be fair, and I said, 'Well, it took me about 4 hours, so how about $80?' (At this point I had kind of figured they'd forgotten about it, and had put it out of my mind.) He said, 'How about I send you a check for $200?' Wow, totally unexpected. Then a few days later Jeremy calls and said he had gotten a bonus at work, and that would cover the rest of our bills. Another wow, a much bigger one. I can't even recall how many times things like this have happened in our 11 years of marriage.
We just finished the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan with our small group, and here's one of our favorite lines from it: “But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through.” I don't think the context of this quote was generosity, but it fits perfectly. Where God's power isn't needed, God's power doesn't show up. Why not step out in faith, and see if God doesn't open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing on you that you are just amazed and overwhelmed at his goodness?
So in what ways has God blessed you because of your generosity? I'd love to hear some stories!
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Nicaragua!
Dear friends,
Some of you are probably wondering if I indeed made it back from Nicaragua. Yes, I'm happy to report that I survived the Managua airport, crazy bus rides, tarantula in our dining room, zip line, beans and rice at every meal (among other food), stomach issues, and cold showers. :) It was an amazing week and I can't thank you enough for all your support. Although I've been home for over a week, it was hard to start this email not only because I've been super busy, but also because it's hard to know where to begin. People ask you things like, Was the trip what you thought it'd be? and, What was the highlight of the week? Hmm, let's see if I can articulate the week in a few short paragraphs.
The overall schedule was pretty much what we anticipated. We started off the week by doing a weekend retreat for older students (most were 18-23 yrs) who grew up in an orphanage but are now transitioning to college or the workforce. The first night was a little tough feeling comfortable around them, as we didn't know each other and many of them didn't speak English, but by Saturday we were having a ton of fun together. I could tell you all the things we did during the retreat, but I'd rather just tell you that these kids are simply amazing. Their maturity level, goals in life, and faith in God was unlike any I'd ever seen before. And to think of what must've transpired in the first few years of their life for them to end up at an orphanage at a young age. . . I was simply in awe of these young adults. On the final day of the retreat, we broke into small groups to share and pray for each other. My group consisted of our translator Lula, and two students Nubia and Rudy. Nubia was finishing a business degree that Tuesday and is hoping to get a good full-time business job. She then wants to go back to school for a psychology degree, and someday open a school. She speaks English very well and is a super neat girl. She wants prayer for stability in her life, especially in finding a good job. Rudy is quieter and does not speak English. He is working on a computer degree and hopes to open a computer school someday. He shared that he initially did not want to come to the retreat, but was so glad he did and got a lot out of it. His prayer is that he can learn to love others more. Shouldn't that be the prayer of each one of us?
On Sunday we headed to the orphanage Arms of Love where we spent the rest of the week. I would say that this part of the trip wasn't as much what I expected. First of all, the building in which we stayed was beautiful. Not a five-star hotel by any means, but plenty of room to sleep, eat, and hang out as a group. Sure, it was bunk beds and cold showers, but to wake up in the morning and spend some quiet time with God in a rocking chair overlooking the Nicaraguan countryside was wonderful. After breakfast we headed out to our work projects, which for me was painting a roof. You might be wondering why you would paint a roof, but here the roofs are corrugated tin, and if not painted, it will rust. So for three days a group of us climbed up a tall ladder, stepped onto a very steep and slippery roof, and painted it red. On the last day, there was an extra little top part to paint, so a guy rigged up some ropes (which had snapped two days before while setting them up) and I had to hold onto the rope while painting so I wouldn't fall off. God definitely got us through that day; the girls I painted with really hung in there and we got it all finished, even when they probably wanted to quit! And yes, it was hot up there!
As far as the orphanage itself, there are about 25 kids there. There are 3 houses: one for the younger kids ages 4-12, one for the older girls ages 13-18, and one for the older boys ages 13-18. The little kids (especially the little girls) have so much energy! When we arrived they immediately took our hands and started walking us around the sidewalk. Actually what they did was pick a "mama" and "papa" and walked between us holding hands. I realized that they wanted to pretend they had a mom and a dad, walking hand in hand with them. How lucky my girls are to have two parents that love them; I hope I'm never too busy to show them that love. As far as the older kids, I have one quick story to share. One night a few of us went over to hang out with the kids while the rest of our group served a special dinner to the staff. I got to go to the older girls' dorm, and they showed us around their rooms. They are normal teenage girls who like to talk about boys and have pictures of famous young actors on their walls. They like to watch certain shows on TV, like to dance, and play games. But then it came time for dinner and since their houseparent was over at "our place" eating dinner, one girl got to work cooking the food. (They are all assigned different chores each week.) It came time to eat and all the girls came to the dining room table. They started to eat their usual meal of beans and rice and a piece of cheese, then all of a sudden one girl stopped and held up her finger. They had forgotten to pray. This 16-year-old girl proceded to bless the meal, not out of duty but straight from her heart. I was so impressed. No "parent" was around and yet she stopped and remembered to thank the Lord for his blessings. I can only hope that someday when my girls are teenagers they will do the same.
If I recounted everything the week entailed, this post would be so long no one would read it. So to hit a couple more highlights. On Wednesday we went to a couple feeding centers in Nueva Vida, an extremely poor area of Nicaragua where the government relocated homeless people to after Hurricane Mitch in 1998. I expected my heart to break but once again I was instead inspired. Sure, this cup of rice is the only meal some of these kids get each day, but they were so happy to see us, loved having their pictures taken, and loved taking pictures even more. We broke into two groups, and at the other group's feeding center the stove wasn't working so they weren't able to cook the rice there that day. They told the kids they would have to go to a different feeding center to get lunch, but the kids didn't want to leave our group. They wanted to stay with us rather than get their one meal a day. It goes to show how important love is, even more important than food. These kids don't get much love, that's why they instantly come over to you and want to hold your hand and walk around with you. The kids finally agreed to go get food at the other feeding center, but only when our group promised they would stay there until they came back.
As far as my spiritual gifts sessions, they went well! We ended up doing it at the youth retreat as well (which wasn't planned, but remember the key was flexibility!) At Arms of Love, we ran two sessions for the staff (6 people came). I think they really appreciated it and came away with some new ideas. It was neat hearing their personal stories as well (through a translator since none of them spoke English.) Isabel is the house parent in the girls' dorm, and what a heart she has. She cried tears of joy as she told us about how God had healed her of some major health issues and a curved spine. Another gentleman told of how he used to be an alcoholic but now he teaches young people, and also does outreach in Managua to the homeless, telling them about Jesus. As I listened to them tell their stories, their strong faith was so evident. You can just see in their faces that Jesus is everything to them. These people don't have nearly what we have in the U.S., but they never complain. They appreciate what they have and are filled with such joy.
I asked you to pray for unity for our team and especially my small group, and those prayers definitely worked, thank you! Our team got along so well, and everyone chipped in to help with whatever was needed. We all had different strengths so together we accomplished so much more than we could've ever done alone. Every night we had "Porch Time" which started with two things: "I Remember When. . ." and "I Saw Jesus. . . " I Remember When was when we recounted funny things that happened that day, and I Saw Jesus was where and through who we saw Jesus work. It was a great chance to highlight the day's events and hear stories of how God showed up. Probably the most emotional part of the week was when one of our translators named Nico had us gather together right before we took off for the airport. He started off by saying, "I remember when a group from Minnesota came to Nicaragua last Friday. I see Jesus in each one of you. . . " He shared how he had never been so close to a group before, and thanked us for sharing our lives with him. Nico is awesome, we all grew to love him; I don't think I ever saw him without a smile on his face the whole week. We sang "How Great is our God" together, and then he prayed for us -- in Spanish, because he said then it was coming straight from his heart.
Ok, I know this is ultra long, but I have one last thing to share. My small group was simply amazing. Thank you for your prayers, we developed such a special bond. I know that each girl in our group had an awesome experience in Nicaragua because of what we shared together. And even if it was just for that, I count the trip a success.
If you would like, you can click here to see more pictures from the trip. http://blnebcnica2011.shutterfly.com/pictures/10 Feel free to email me with any questions, I'd love to share more about my experience. Or better yet, go on a future trip and experience it for yourself!
Thank you again for all your support, it meant so much to me!
Steph
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40
Here are a few short videos from the week. The first is from a church service we went to on Sunday. Maybe a little different from your church? :)
One day a girl named Estrella took my hand and led me outside. I went and got my notebook and we proceeded to "talk," me attempting to speak Spanish and she telling me about her "family."
The orphanage had a zipline out back with 3 ziplines, so I decided to try that for the first time. This isn't a video of me but you can get the idea.
Some of you are probably wondering if I indeed made it back from Nicaragua. Yes, I'm happy to report that I survived the Managua airport, crazy bus rides, tarantula in our dining room, zip line, beans and rice at every meal (among other food), stomach issues, and cold showers. :) It was an amazing week and I can't thank you enough for all your support. Although I've been home for over a week, it was hard to start this email not only because I've been super busy, but also because it's hard to know where to begin. People ask you things like, Was the trip what you thought it'd be? and, What was the highlight of the week? Hmm, let's see if I can articulate the week in a few short paragraphs.
The overall schedule was pretty much what we anticipated. We started off the week by doing a weekend retreat for older students (most were 18-23 yrs) who grew up in an orphanage but are now transitioning to college or the workforce. The first night was a little tough feeling comfortable around them, as we didn't know each other and many of them didn't speak English, but by Saturday we were having a ton of fun together. I could tell you all the things we did during the retreat, but I'd rather just tell you that these kids are simply amazing. Their maturity level, goals in life, and faith in God was unlike any I'd ever seen before. And to think of what must've transpired in the first few years of their life for them to end up at an orphanage at a young age. . . I was simply in awe of these young adults. On the final day of the retreat, we broke into small groups to share and pray for each other. My group consisted of our translator Lula, and two students Nubia and Rudy. Nubia was finishing a business degree that Tuesday and is hoping to get a good full-time business job. She then wants to go back to school for a psychology degree, and someday open a school. She speaks English very well and is a super neat girl. She wants prayer for stability in her life, especially in finding a good job. Rudy is quieter and does not speak English. He is working on a computer degree and hopes to open a computer school someday. He shared that he initially did not want to come to the retreat, but was so glad he did and got a lot out of it. His prayer is that he can learn to love others more. Shouldn't that be the prayer of each one of us?
On Sunday we headed to the orphanage Arms of Love where we spent the rest of the week. I would say that this part of the trip wasn't as much what I expected. First of all, the building in which we stayed was beautiful. Not a five-star hotel by any means, but plenty of room to sleep, eat, and hang out as a group. Sure, it was bunk beds and cold showers, but to wake up in the morning and spend some quiet time with God in a rocking chair overlooking the Nicaraguan countryside was wonderful. After breakfast we headed out to our work projects, which for me was painting a roof. You might be wondering why you would paint a roof, but here the roofs are corrugated tin, and if not painted, it will rust. So for three days a group of us climbed up a tall ladder, stepped onto a very steep and slippery roof, and painted it red. On the last day, there was an extra little top part to paint, so a guy rigged up some ropes (which had snapped two days before while setting them up) and I had to hold onto the rope while painting so I wouldn't fall off. God definitely got us through that day; the girls I painted with really hung in there and we got it all finished, even when they probably wanted to quit! And yes, it was hot up there!
As far as the orphanage itself, there are about 25 kids there. There are 3 houses: one for the younger kids ages 4-12, one for the older girls ages 13-18, and one for the older boys ages 13-18. The little kids (especially the little girls) have so much energy! When we arrived they immediately took our hands and started walking us around the sidewalk. Actually what they did was pick a "mama" and "papa" and walked between us holding hands. I realized that they wanted to pretend they had a mom and a dad, walking hand in hand with them. How lucky my girls are to have two parents that love them; I hope I'm never too busy to show them that love. As far as the older kids, I have one quick story to share. One night a few of us went over to hang out with the kids while the rest of our group served a special dinner to the staff. I got to go to the older girls' dorm, and they showed us around their rooms. They are normal teenage girls who like to talk about boys and have pictures of famous young actors on their walls. They like to watch certain shows on TV, like to dance, and play games. But then it came time for dinner and since their houseparent was over at "our place" eating dinner, one girl got to work cooking the food. (They are all assigned different chores each week.) It came time to eat and all the girls came to the dining room table. They started to eat their usual meal of beans and rice and a piece of cheese, then all of a sudden one girl stopped and held up her finger. They had forgotten to pray. This 16-year-old girl proceded to bless the meal, not out of duty but straight from her heart. I was so impressed. No "parent" was around and yet she stopped and remembered to thank the Lord for his blessings. I can only hope that someday when my girls are teenagers they will do the same.
If I recounted everything the week entailed, this post would be so long no one would read it. So to hit a couple more highlights. On Wednesday we went to a couple feeding centers in Nueva Vida, an extremely poor area of Nicaragua where the government relocated homeless people to after Hurricane Mitch in 1998. I expected my heart to break but once again I was instead inspired. Sure, this cup of rice is the only meal some of these kids get each day, but they were so happy to see us, loved having their pictures taken, and loved taking pictures even more. We broke into two groups, and at the other group's feeding center the stove wasn't working so they weren't able to cook the rice there that day. They told the kids they would have to go to a different feeding center to get lunch, but the kids didn't want to leave our group. They wanted to stay with us rather than get their one meal a day. It goes to show how important love is, even more important than food. These kids don't get much love, that's why they instantly come over to you and want to hold your hand and walk around with you. The kids finally agreed to go get food at the other feeding center, but only when our group promised they would stay there until they came back.
As far as my spiritual gifts sessions, they went well! We ended up doing it at the youth retreat as well (which wasn't planned, but remember the key was flexibility!) At Arms of Love, we ran two sessions for the staff (6 people came). I think they really appreciated it and came away with some new ideas. It was neat hearing their personal stories as well (through a translator since none of them spoke English.) Isabel is the house parent in the girls' dorm, and what a heart she has. She cried tears of joy as she told us about how God had healed her of some major health issues and a curved spine. Another gentleman told of how he used to be an alcoholic but now he teaches young people, and also does outreach in Managua to the homeless, telling them about Jesus. As I listened to them tell their stories, their strong faith was so evident. You can just see in their faces that Jesus is everything to them. These people don't have nearly what we have in the U.S., but they never complain. They appreciate what they have and are filled with such joy.
I asked you to pray for unity for our team and especially my small group, and those prayers definitely worked, thank you! Our team got along so well, and everyone chipped in to help with whatever was needed. We all had different strengths so together we accomplished so much more than we could've ever done alone. Every night we had "Porch Time" which started with two things: "I Remember When. . ." and "I Saw Jesus. . . " I Remember When was when we recounted funny things that happened that day, and I Saw Jesus was where and through who we saw Jesus work. It was a great chance to highlight the day's events and hear stories of how God showed up. Probably the most emotional part of the week was when one of our translators named Nico had us gather together right before we took off for the airport. He started off by saying, "I remember when a group from Minnesota came to Nicaragua last Friday. I see Jesus in each one of you. . . " He shared how he had never been so close to a group before, and thanked us for sharing our lives with him. Nico is awesome, we all grew to love him; I don't think I ever saw him without a smile on his face the whole week. We sang "How Great is our God" together, and then he prayed for us -- in Spanish, because he said then it was coming straight from his heart.
Ok, I know this is ultra long, but I have one last thing to share. My small group was simply amazing. Thank you for your prayers, we developed such a special bond. I know that each girl in our group had an awesome experience in Nicaragua because of what we shared together. And even if it was just for that, I count the trip a success.
If you would like, you can click here to see more pictures from the trip. http://blnebcnica2011.shutterfly.com/pictures/10 Feel free to email me with any questions, I'd love to share more about my experience. Or better yet, go on a future trip and experience it for yourself!
Thank you again for all your support, it meant so much to me!
Steph
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40
Here are a few short videos from the week. The first is from a church service we went to on Sunday. Maybe a little different from your church? :)
One day a girl named Estrella took my hand and led me outside. I went and got my notebook and we proceeded to "talk," me attempting to speak Spanish and she telling me about her "family."
The orphanage had a zipline out back with 3 ziplines, so I decided to try that for the first time. This isn't a video of me but you can get the idea.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Nicaragua -- one week and counting
Dear friends,
It's hard to believe that one week from today I will be on a plane to Nicaragua! The time has certainly flown by. I am excited to see what God has in store for me and the people we'll be serving that week. I want to start by thanking you from the bottom of my heart for making this trip possible. I couldn't do it without the prayers and financial suppport of each one of you.
Next Friday morning we will be meeting at the airport at 3:15am -- Yikes. I can't say I've ever set the alarm for before 2:00am! We asked if it was even worth going to sleep that night, and the response was yes, since we will already be serving and leading a retreat that first night, any sleep we get would be better than nothing! Please pray that we'll have "supernatural" energy for that first day!
At our meeting last month we got our project assignments, and I am leading a couple sessions on spiritual gifts. Last week another group from Eagle Brook went to Arms of Love orphanage (the first time our church had been there), and they administered the spiritual gifts test to the older kids. The staff were very interested in taking it as well, so that's what I'll be leading. We will go over their results and explain the various gifts, and how to use each one within the church. We will also talk about how to encourage the students in their gifts. Please pray that I would have wisdom in planning our sessions, knowing what to say and share. This has been kind of a last-minute project since we were waiting on the other group to report back with what they actually ended up doing, so I could definitely use your prayers the next few days!
Here are some of the other things we will be doing while we are down there. The first weekend we will be running a retreat for the older students who are transitioning into college or the workforce. We will be leading sessions on leadership, citizenship, and independence, as well as just hanging out with them and getting to know them. The rest of the week will be spent back at the orphanage (we will be at a retreat center the first couple days), interacting with the kids and staff there. We will be doing work projects during the day, helping the kids with their English, leading the sessions on spiritual development, and educating them on health related issues. I'm sure there will be plenty of time to just play and get to know the kids as well. At our last meeting we received a roster of all the kids at the orphanage. Here is just one page from the roster to give you an idea.
It made the trip so much more real to see a picture of each one, as well as their names and birthdays. I see under a couple names that it just says "4 years old" or "9 years old." I assume that means their birthday isn't known. How sad. But God knows it and loves each one of these kids. My hope is that I can show them that love as well. I know that me being there for a week isn't going to mean that much in the scheme of things, but if I can show them God's love and encourage them in some way, it will have been a success.
So why did I decide to go on this trip? I read something in "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan the other day that kind of summed it up. Chan says, "Back when I was in Bible college, a professor asked our class, "What are you doing right now that requires faith?" That question affected me deeply because at the time I could think of nothing in my life that required faith. I probably wouldn't be living very differently if I didn't believe in God; my life was neither ordered nor affected by my faith like I had assumed it was. Furthermore, when I looked around, I realized I was surrounded by people who lived the same way I did. Life is comfortable when you separate yourself from people who are different from you. That epitomizes what my life was like: characterized by comfort. But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through."
My life is comfortable. That's not a bad thing in itself; I praise God for the many freedoms and blessings he's given me. But a comfortable life doesn't require much faith. When our pastor challenged us to "try things we can't do" this past winter, I knew it was time for me to step out and try something I thought I couldn't do (or wouldn't do.) It's hard to believe that "that something" is only a week away. I don't know what all to expect in Nicaragua (they say the key for a missions trip is flexibility so maybe that's ok!), but I do know I want to be a vessel of God's love for all those I meet. There's a song I love called "Hosanna" (see playlist to the right) and it has a line that goes, "Break my heart for what breaks yours." Pray that God will break my heart for the things that breaks his heart. Please also pray that I will form a special bond with my small group and our group as a whole (18 of us are going.)
Thank you again SO MUCH for the part you are playing in this experience. I pray that God will richly bless you; I will be praying for each one of you as well. If you have any prayer requests of your own, I would love to pray for you; please email me and let me know how!
Much love,
Steph
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6
It's hard to believe that one week from today I will be on a plane to Nicaragua! The time has certainly flown by. I am excited to see what God has in store for me and the people we'll be serving that week. I want to start by thanking you from the bottom of my heart for making this trip possible. I couldn't do it without the prayers and financial suppport of each one of you.
Next Friday morning we will be meeting at the airport at 3:15am -- Yikes. I can't say I've ever set the alarm for before 2:00am! We asked if it was even worth going to sleep that night, and the response was yes, since we will already be serving and leading a retreat that first night, any sleep we get would be better than nothing! Please pray that we'll have "supernatural" energy for that first day!
At our meeting last month we got our project assignments, and I am leading a couple sessions on spiritual gifts. Last week another group from Eagle Brook went to Arms of Love orphanage (the first time our church had been there), and they administered the spiritual gifts test to the older kids. The staff were very interested in taking it as well, so that's what I'll be leading. We will go over their results and explain the various gifts, and how to use each one within the church. We will also talk about how to encourage the students in their gifts. Please pray that I would have wisdom in planning our sessions, knowing what to say and share. This has been kind of a last-minute project since we were waiting on the other group to report back with what they actually ended up doing, so I could definitely use your prayers the next few days!
Here are some of the other things we will be doing while we are down there. The first weekend we will be running a retreat for the older students who are transitioning into college or the workforce. We will be leading sessions on leadership, citizenship, and independence, as well as just hanging out with them and getting to know them. The rest of the week will be spent back at the orphanage (we will be at a retreat center the first couple days), interacting with the kids and staff there. We will be doing work projects during the day, helping the kids with their English, leading the sessions on spiritual development, and educating them on health related issues. I'm sure there will be plenty of time to just play and get to know the kids as well. At our last meeting we received a roster of all the kids at the orphanage. Here is just one page from the roster to give you an idea.
So why did I decide to go on this trip? I read something in "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan the other day that kind of summed it up. Chan says, "Back when I was in Bible college, a professor asked our class, "What are you doing right now that requires faith?" That question affected me deeply because at the time I could think of nothing in my life that required faith. I probably wouldn't be living very differently if I didn't believe in God; my life was neither ordered nor affected by my faith like I had assumed it was. Furthermore, when I looked around, I realized I was surrounded by people who lived the same way I did. Life is comfortable when you separate yourself from people who are different from you. That epitomizes what my life was like: characterized by comfort. But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through."
My life is comfortable. That's not a bad thing in itself; I praise God for the many freedoms and blessings he's given me. But a comfortable life doesn't require much faith. When our pastor challenged us to "try things we can't do" this past winter, I knew it was time for me to step out and try something I thought I couldn't do (or wouldn't do.) It's hard to believe that "that something" is only a week away. I don't know what all to expect in Nicaragua (they say the key for a missions trip is flexibility so maybe that's ok!), but I do know I want to be a vessel of God's love for all those I meet. There's a song I love called "Hosanna" (see playlist to the right) and it has a line that goes, "Break my heart for what breaks yours." Pray that God will break my heart for the things that breaks his heart. Please also pray that I will form a special bond with my small group and our group as a whole (18 of us are going.)
Thank you again SO MUCH for the part you are playing in this experience. I pray that God will richly bless you; I will be praying for each one of you as well. If you have any prayer requests of your own, I would love to pray for you; please email me and let me know how!
Much love,
Steph
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Nicaragua update
As most of you know, I am going on a missions trip to Nicaragua with Eagle Brook Church's Blaine campus on August 12-19. I thought I would post an email I just sent to friends and family who have so graciously supported me in prayer and also financially:
Hi everyone, I just wanted to thank each one of you for your financial support and/or prayer support as I prepare for my Nicaragua trip in less than two months. I am humbled by the amazing support I've already received, and I know more is still to come. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I just wanted to take a few minutes and share what I've learned so far about the upcoming trip. We had our second team meeting on Tuesday and each time I get more and more excited about the opportunity. Although we haven't learned exactly what our team's "projects" are going to be (we will learn that at the next meeting), we have discussed what to expect as we go into another culture, being aware of our own spiritual gifts and how to best use them, and most of all, being flexible! Our team is broken into 3 small groups; our small group includes 4 of us girls of which I'm the small group leader. I absolutely love my group and so far I think we've connected well! Please pray that I can lead and encourage my group, and help meet any needs they might have.
One of the neatest things about Tuesday's meeting was that we were able to connect through Skype with Eddy Morales, the field director of ORPHANetwork (the organization we are partnering with down there.) What an amazing man. He used to work at the U.N., and has now been with ORPHANetwork the past 3 years. He has such a vision for the kids at the orphanages -- to develop kids to be the next generation of godly leaders in Nicaragua, to break the cycle of abuse and abandonment in their past, and to teach them to make a difference in others' lives. The orphanage that we'll be going to is called Arms of Love. There are 31 kids there ages 5-20, most were abandoned or abused and a couple have special needs. Eddy highlighted five "success factors" that they are using to measure the changes in the kids' lives: Education, Self-Esteem, Health, Spiritual Development, and Staff Development. One of the things he stressed was that he'd like us to help the kids with their English. Instead of worrying about speaking Spanish to them (thank goodness), if we can help them with their English they will have that much more of an edge when they are someday competing for a job (the unemployment rate in Nicaragua is 70%.) So many of their goals are things we take for granted like eating balanced meals, having preventative check-ups, learning computer skills, learning good manners, obtaining birth certificates -- these kids need an identity, and you can't get a driver's license, diploma, or anything without a birth certificate. If you'd like to learn more about ORPHANetwork and see exactly where we'll be going, click here: http://animoto.com/play/8SCzL6HzwVVAqFnQPz90ng
Praise God the financial support has been coming in as well. Thank you so much for your prayers! I have a little bit left to go but am confident that God will provide! Please also be in prayer that I will carve out time to prepare "spiritually" for this trip. At our meeting on Tuesday we were each given a short book entitled: "Before you pack your bag, prepare your heart: Short-term mission preparation guide with 12 Bible studies plus trip journal." It looks like a great resource and I can't wait to dive into it. Our homework for our next meeting is also to prepare a 3-minute version of our faith story, so please pray that God will bring the things to mind that I should include.
Thank you all so much for your support! This trip wouldn't be possible without each of you.
In Christ,
Stephanie Brandt
Hi everyone, I just wanted to thank each one of you for your financial support and/or prayer support as I prepare for my Nicaragua trip in less than two months. I am humbled by the amazing support I've already received, and I know more is still to come. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I just wanted to take a few minutes and share what I've learned so far about the upcoming trip. We had our second team meeting on Tuesday and each time I get more and more excited about the opportunity. Although we haven't learned exactly what our team's "projects" are going to be (we will learn that at the next meeting), we have discussed what to expect as we go into another culture, being aware of our own spiritual gifts and how to best use them, and most of all, being flexible! Our team is broken into 3 small groups; our small group includes 4 of us girls of which I'm the small group leader. I absolutely love my group and so far I think we've connected well! Please pray that I can lead and encourage my group, and help meet any needs they might have.
One of the neatest things about Tuesday's meeting was that we were able to connect through Skype with Eddy Morales, the field director of ORPHANetwork (the organization we are partnering with down there.) What an amazing man. He used to work at the U.N., and has now been with ORPHANetwork the past 3 years. He has such a vision for the kids at the orphanages -- to develop kids to be the next generation of godly leaders in Nicaragua, to break the cycle of abuse and abandonment in their past, and to teach them to make a difference in others' lives. The orphanage that we'll be going to is called Arms of Love. There are 31 kids there ages 5-20, most were abandoned or abused and a couple have special needs. Eddy highlighted five "success factors" that they are using to measure the changes in the kids' lives: Education, Self-Esteem, Health, Spiritual Development, and Staff Development. One of the things he stressed was that he'd like us to help the kids with their English. Instead of worrying about speaking Spanish to them (thank goodness), if we can help them with their English they will have that much more of an edge when they are someday competing for a job (the unemployment rate in Nicaragua is 70%.) So many of their goals are things we take for granted like eating balanced meals, having preventative check-ups, learning computer skills, learning good manners, obtaining birth certificates -- these kids need an identity, and you can't get a driver's license, diploma, or anything without a birth certificate. If you'd like to learn more about ORPHANetwork and see exactly where we'll be going, click here: http://animoto.com/play/8SCzL6HzwVVAqFnQPz90ng
Praise God the financial support has been coming in as well. Thank you so much for your prayers! I have a little bit left to go but am confident that God will provide! Please also be in prayer that I will carve out time to prepare "spiritually" for this trip. At our meeting on Tuesday we were each given a short book entitled: "Before you pack your bag, prepare your heart: Short-term mission preparation guide with 12 Bible studies plus trip journal." It looks like a great resource and I can't wait to dive into it. Our homework for our next meeting is also to prepare a 3-minute version of our faith story, so please pray that God will bring the things to mind that I should include.
Thank you all so much for your support! This trip wouldn't be possible without each of you.
In Christ,
Stephanie Brandt
Saturday, March 19, 2011
God is trying to get our attention
The following was a post from Joel Rosenberg's blog after the Japan earthquake/tsunami last week.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Lord Jesus said that in the last days….
“there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven….There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Luke 21:11,25,26)
“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” (Romans 8:22, KJV)
The apocalyptic earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan reminded us yet again that the earth is groaning and we are, in fact, living in the last days before the return of Christ. The horrific disaster, whose proportions we are only beginning to understand, has already killed more than 1,000 people and left millions without power, food, or fresh water. Please be praying for the people of Japan for the Lord to comfort them and draw them close to His heart. Please pray for the followers of Jesus Christ in Japan and throughout Asia to help their brothers and sisters and help those who need practical assistance as well as Christ’s promise of unconditional love and forgiveness. Pray, too, that people all over the world will realize that the Lord is trying to get our attention to turn back to Him and prayer for the Day of the Lord, which is coming soon. Have you ever heard of the Four Spiritual Laws, a concise explanation of the gospel?
---------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know about you, but this intrigues me. The other day a friend posted this on facebook:
Sept. 11th (NY) ... Jan. 11th (HAITI) ... March 11th (JAPAN) .... Luke 21:10-11 Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Nations will rise against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." Jesus says for behold I come quickly. ARE YOU READY?
In the facebook comments one person said "Wow!" and another person said "creepy." I would have to agree with both. I mentioned above that stuff like this intrigues me, but I wouldn't be honest if I said it doesn't also scare me. And that's coming from a person who is 100% certain that I will be in the presence of God and not be left behind. I guess what scares me is that at any moment "life as I know it" could abruptly end. Also, the fact that I should be spending more of my time doing things that have eternal value, like building more relationships with people who don't know God in a personal way.
But God doesn't want me to live in fear. He wants me to live every day to the fullest, becoming the person he created me to be, and telling others about his amazing love.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. II Timothy 1:7
If you do not know the God of the universe in a personal way, I urge you -- don't wait until it's too late. Click here to find out more. Your eternal destiny depends on it. And you will find a peace and hope in this life that nothing else can give.
One last thing -- if you can spare a half hour of your life, watch this message by one of our pastors a few months ago. It was one of the most clear, relevant messages I've ever heard (and you will even laugh a time or two!) You will not regret it.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Lord Jesus said that in the last days….
“there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven….There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Luke 21:11,25,26)
“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” (Romans 8:22, KJV)
The apocalyptic earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan reminded us yet again that the earth is groaning and we are, in fact, living in the last days before the return of Christ. The horrific disaster, whose proportions we are only beginning to understand, has already killed more than 1,000 people and left millions without power, food, or fresh water. Please be praying for the people of Japan for the Lord to comfort them and draw them close to His heart. Please pray for the followers of Jesus Christ in Japan and throughout Asia to help their brothers and sisters and help those who need practical assistance as well as Christ’s promise of unconditional love and forgiveness. Pray, too, that people all over the world will realize that the Lord is trying to get our attention to turn back to Him and prayer for the Day of the Lord, which is coming soon. Have you ever heard of the Four Spiritual Laws, a concise explanation of the gospel?
---------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know about you, but this intrigues me. The other day a friend posted this on facebook:
Sept. 11th (NY) ... Jan. 11th (HAITI) ... March 11th (JAPAN) .... Luke 21:10-11 Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Nations will rise against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." Jesus says for behold I come quickly. ARE YOU READY?
In the facebook comments one person said "Wow!" and another person said "creepy." I would have to agree with both. I mentioned above that stuff like this intrigues me, but I wouldn't be honest if I said it doesn't also scare me. And that's coming from a person who is 100% certain that I will be in the presence of God and not be left behind. I guess what scares me is that at any moment "life as I know it" could abruptly end. Also, the fact that I should be spending more of my time doing things that have eternal value, like building more relationships with people who don't know God in a personal way.
But God doesn't want me to live in fear. He wants me to live every day to the fullest, becoming the person he created me to be, and telling others about his amazing love.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. II Timothy 1:7
If you do not know the God of the universe in a personal way, I urge you -- don't wait until it's too late. Click here to find out more. Your eternal destiny depends on it. And you will find a peace and hope in this life that nothing else can give.
One last thing -- if you can spare a half hour of your life, watch this message by one of our pastors a few months ago. It was one of the most clear, relevant messages I've ever heard (and you will even laugh a time or two!) You will not regret it.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Spiritual Gifts
Recently we had a series at church on the Holy Spirit, and a message on spiritual gifts. So Jeremy decided to take a spiritual gifts evaluation to see what his strongest spiritual gifts were. I was so intrigued by his findings that I decided to take it as well. Here's what it found:
My top four scores were Hospitality, Service, Faith, and Giving; Jer's were Giving, Hospitality, Service, and Leadership. It was funny because a friend had just emailed me earlier that week saying she really thought I had the gift of hospitality. I honestly didn't even know if hospitality was really a "spiritual" gift. But sure enough, it is. And it doesn't just mean you like having people over for dinner (which we love to do), it's more about wanting people to feel connected. It makes so much sense to me now because I want people to feel like they belong. I want them to feel welcome, to feel like they have friends, to know they are needed and wanted. That's why I used to love MOMS group so much, because it was a place where moms could come and feel like they belonged and connected with other moms that were going through the same things they were. That's why I love leading the First Impressions crew at church; I want people to know they are valued and appreciated, and are such a needed part of the team they're on.
Jer's top score was the spiritual gift of Giving. No big surprise there, either. Jeremy is the most generous person I know. I'm so glad I married him because 20 years ago my giving score would've been way low; he has really rubbed off onto me (but I still have a long ways to go.) Jeremy loves helping people in need, and it seems like about every other day he does the Drive-Thru Difference (which is where you pay for the car behind you in the drive-thru). Maybe that's just an excuse for him to eat out. :) Either way, he has blessed so many people, and when he gets to heaven some day he's going to have a blast meeting all the people that were on the receiving end of his generosity. It's also a good thing he scored high in Hospitality because if one of us loved to have people over and the other didn't, that would create a problem. Luckily we both love to, so if we happen to call and see if you want to come over for dinner, know that we love it and don't expect anything in return!
If you want to know more about the way God wired you, click here: http://needs.eaglebrookchurch.com/gifts1.php
Hopefully you will find it as interesting as I did. You will probably not be surprised (you probably already know the things you love to do and are good at) but it might give you a greater sense of purpose in how to use your gifts to God's glory.
Leave me a comment on your top gift(s) -- I'd love to hear!
My top four scores were Hospitality, Service, Faith, and Giving; Jer's were Giving, Hospitality, Service, and Leadership. It was funny because a friend had just emailed me earlier that week saying she really thought I had the gift of hospitality. I honestly didn't even know if hospitality was really a "spiritual" gift. But sure enough, it is. And it doesn't just mean you like having people over for dinner (which we love to do), it's more about wanting people to feel connected. It makes so much sense to me now because I want people to feel like they belong. I want them to feel welcome, to feel like they have friends, to know they are needed and wanted. That's why I used to love MOMS group so much, because it was a place where moms could come and feel like they belonged and connected with other moms that were going through the same things they were. That's why I love leading the First Impressions crew at church; I want people to know they are valued and appreciated, and are such a needed part of the team they're on.
Jer's top score was the spiritual gift of Giving. No big surprise there, either. Jeremy is the most generous person I know. I'm so glad I married him because 20 years ago my giving score would've been way low; he has really rubbed off onto me (but I still have a long ways to go.) Jeremy loves helping people in need, and it seems like about every other day he does the Drive-Thru Difference (which is where you pay for the car behind you in the drive-thru). Maybe that's just an excuse for him to eat out. :) Either way, he has blessed so many people, and when he gets to heaven some day he's going to have a blast meeting all the people that were on the receiving end of his generosity. It's also a good thing he scored high in Hospitality because if one of us loved to have people over and the other didn't, that would create a problem. Luckily we both love to, so if we happen to call and see if you want to come over for dinner, know that we love it and don't expect anything in return!
If you want to know more about the way God wired you, click here: http://needs.eaglebrookchurch.com/gifts1.php
Hopefully you will find it as interesting as I did. You will probably not be surprised (you probably already know the things you love to do and are good at) but it might give you a greater sense of purpose in how to use your gifts to God's glory.
Leave me a comment on your top gift(s) -- I'd love to hear!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
My Heart's Cry
As you can see, my blog is titled, "My Heart's Cry -- This is simply a place where you can see a glimpse of my heart." Yet sometimes I can't fully share what's really on my heart. That is why I've been absent this past month or so. Some of you know what I'm talking about, some of you don't. No, it's not a marital issue -- Jeremy has been the most amazing man, wonderful father, and supportive husband a girl could ask for this past month. I guess we can say it's been more of a relational issue.
I don't consider myself an ultra-private person. As you have probably seen from this blog, I put my heart out there. Although I usually tend to avoid confrontation, I try to be real with people. What good is it to be fake? By being real, people will see what I'm passionate about. People know what's important to me. But any time you put your heart out there, you risk being hurt. I guess that's what happened to me. I will leave it at that.
Satan has tried to use this to discourage me but I won't let him. Phililppians 3:13 says, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." It's taken some time and there are still scars, but I pray I can put this behind me and "press on." EBC has only just begun in reaching the Blaine area for Christ and I don't want to miss a moment of it.
I don't consider myself an ultra-private person. As you have probably seen from this blog, I put my heart out there. Although I usually tend to avoid confrontation, I try to be real with people. What good is it to be fake? By being real, people will see what I'm passionate about. People know what's important to me. But any time you put your heart out there, you risk being hurt. I guess that's what happened to me. I will leave it at that.
Satan has tried to use this to discourage me but I won't let him. Phililppians 3:13 says, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." It's taken some time and there are still scars, but I pray I can put this behind me and "press on." EBC has only just begun in reaching the Blaine area for Christ and I don't want to miss a moment of it.
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