God Is Doin' a New Thing

As of Tuesday, the teams are split and we’re headed towards preparations! I will be going to India and Nepal around Thanksgiving time with five other students and a few staff members. The picking of the teams was completely God led. We all prayed about where we felt God was telling us to go and the teams split even down the middle. It was a bittersweet feeling seeing the names written down knowing our new family will have to split up in just a few short months.

Everyone was squeaking with joy because we finally knew! And when our leaders began to tell us details about the trip we were like little kids on Christmas. As of right now I know my team will be flying into Mumbai and staying in the city for 2 weeks working with girls in the red light districts there. After our stay there we will be flying to Katmandu, Nepal. We will be in the city for an amount of time (no idea how long) but most of our time will be spent in remote villages. What I didn’t expect was that there will be snow. Funny since my last post was about how big of a baby I am with weather changes. Should be fun without heat and electricity. But honestly, despite the frigid weather, I’m so unbelievably excited for this opportunity. Some staff goes to the outreach locations to establish communication with the people we will be working alongside with. When one of the staff members was setting up these communications he came across villages without a single child under the age of 12 because they had all been trafficked. A sickening thought. God is needed so bad in these areas and I’m so excited and honored that God is using me to be a part of the expansion of His kingdom.

This week has been a very difficult week simply because of the topic of the teachings. Jerry Praetzel was here and he spoke on Forgiveness and Repentance. Talk about uncomfortable. But again, God never called us to be comfortable. Those just might be two of the hardest actions ever. For me at least. But God tore down walls, opened hearts, and His glory was shown through it all. Praise God! My heart was turned inside out and deep stuff poured everywhere. Not exactly a pretty sight. But stuff I didn't even know existed, or my memory had completely suppressed. I was able to see things I didn’t even know affected me because I was so blinded by hate and bitterness. I am so proud of my brothers and sisters in Christ here as well. Their hearts are striving for God, so bad. And it’s so apparent when I see Him working in each and every one of them. I was asked last night what I was going to do for my birthday. And knowing the topics we were on I shrugged my shoulders and joked “You know, probably a little repenting and such.” That got a giggle or two but I really did. And God has released me from all that was keeping me from Him. I just pray that He continues to do so. I just want to be closer to Him.

Tonight is an outreach night and we will be going to The Shade Tree, a women’s shelter. http://www.theshadetree.org/ I look forward to this every week, but this week especially because I feel like Papa has done so much in me this week that His love is just going to explode out of me and into the hearts of these women who have been hurt so bad. But needless to say I am ready for the weekend and a little rest after all this.

Prayer Requests:
Finances.
Two of our staff (Joshua and Stacy Stateham) just found out they’re having a baby! So pray for health and calmed hearts for all of them (baby included). :)