We left Bakersfield at 1pm (right on time) and then got a flat tire on the bus... just my luck. I dont know what it is with me and flat tires on my way to a mission project but everything worked great! Tina had us schedule plenty of time to get there and we had time to eat dinner, go through security and wait for the plane! our plane in munich was delayed so we arrived in Sarajevo late and thus got to Zenica at 1am the next next day! (Left Tuesday got here 1am Thursday) We have a great house and are getting mattresses from a church today. We are tired but blessed! We have a great team! Just wanted to let you all know Im well and ask you to pray this week for 2 things specifically. First for my legs, hips, feet and back... Im not doing so well with bones and joints and theres a lot of walking here. Also that 20 more students will sign up for english class. We have 20 and want 20 more.
Hvala
Thanks for your prayers!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Hallelujah
We made phone calls as a team tonight and God provided us over $6,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YEAH!!!!!!
Praise God!
YEAH!!!!!!
Praise God!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Orientation Day 1
As the students came in the energy in the room grew and grew.
I sat at my computer and updated where each students funds were. I was expecting God to answer our prayers but never imagined he would provide so much! I was just praying that we would get close to making our original budget. We didn't get close we surpassed it! God gave each student a little more than expected and at the end of the night we had over $32,000 (we needed $30,000)!!!!!! Praise God for providing so much!
Now we still have about $10,000 to go because of the dollar loosing value but God has amazed and wowed us tonight!
YEAH GOD!!!!
I sat at my computer and updated where each students funds were. I was expecting God to answer our prayers but never imagined he would provide so much! I was just praying that we would get close to making our original budget. We didn't get close we surpassed it! God gave each student a little more than expected and at the end of the night we had over $32,000 (we needed $30,000)!!!!!! Praise God for providing so much!
Now we still have about $10,000 to go because of the dollar loosing value but God has amazed and wowed us tonight!
YEAH GOD!!!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Day Before Orientation
Praise God!
We're going to Bosnia in a week! Orientation for staff is tomorrow so we can prepare for the students coming the next day. It's been so fun to work with Tina and Adam and Nicole! We're going to have a great summer leading together!
God provided housing for us and food cheaper than I had planned! Half of our team has raised their full support! That's both a praise and a prayer request.
I feel like I'm in a strange time warp, spinning around with many thing to do and seemingly nothing getting done. But I am getting ready to go and I just can't wait to be in Bosnia!
I'm finally getting over my cold and have been to the chiropractor twice this week (my SI joints are out of place and my 5th lumbar spine thing is not moving like it's supposed to (?) ).
Interestingly, on my way home last week a rock hit my window in the bottom left corner. An hour later there as a line crack 3 inches long. Sitting in Fresno 5 hours later the line was 7 inches long. It's just been sitting in the driveway and daily gets longer and longer now almost all the way across the window. :( My mom said she'll take care of it when I'm in Bosnia Praise God because I can't think about it right now and don't have time to fix it.
The end.
We're going to Bosnia in a week! Orientation for staff is tomorrow so we can prepare for the students coming the next day. It's been so fun to work with Tina and Adam and Nicole! We're going to have a great summer leading together!
God provided housing for us and food cheaper than I had planned! Half of our team has raised their full support! That's both a praise and a prayer request.
I feel like I'm in a strange time warp, spinning around with many thing to do and seemingly nothing getting done. But I am getting ready to go and I just can't wait to be in Bosnia!
I'm finally getting over my cold and have been to the chiropractor twice this week (my SI joints are out of place and my 5th lumbar spine thing is not moving like it's supposed to (?) ).
Interestingly, on my way home last week a rock hit my window in the bottom left corner. An hour later there as a line crack 3 inches long. Sitting in Fresno 5 hours later the line was 7 inches long. It's just been sitting in the driveway and daily gets longer and longer now almost all the way across the window. :( My mom said she'll take care of it when I'm in Bosnia Praise God because I can't think about it right now and don't have time to fix it.
The end.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Discipleship Disappointments
When you've poured your heart, blood, sweat and tears into the life of someone you love and think has potential to do great things but they then choose to do nothing with it, that sucks.
I was talking with a friend today and that was her recent experience. Looking back I find i too have had disappointing outcomes with people I invested so much in. The first person I discipled and others along the way along with someone quite recently have all rejected the words I shared with them and the example of my life lived with them.
An amazing book, "The Masterplan of Evangelism" is actually about discipleship (you should read it). The first task in discipleship, it says, is Selection. Selecting the right person will make or break the deal. But as my friend and I discussed, how do you know if they are good soil? How will you know if they will use the resources you so lovingly give? It's the hardest and most important part.
I need better discernment from God to know what to do with that.
I was talking with a friend today and that was her recent experience. Looking back I find i too have had disappointing outcomes with people I invested so much in. The first person I discipled and others along the way along with someone quite recently have all rejected the words I shared with them and the example of my life lived with them.
An amazing book, "The Masterplan of Evangelism" is actually about discipleship (you should read it). The first task in discipleship, it says, is Selection. Selecting the right person will make or break the deal. But as my friend and I discussed, how do you know if they are good soil? How will you know if they will use the resources you so lovingly give? It's the hardest and most important part.
I need better discernment from God to know what to do with that.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
1 Month until Bosnia
YIKES!
I'm so excited to go to Bosnia again! I met the team of students that are coming with us... 24 of them. They are all really great students and excited to serve this summer but I'm not going to lie, it was a little intimidating to see them all together and wonder, "How am I going to get all these people through the airport, and feed them all, and care for them spiritually?" But i know God will take care of us. And the other staff coming with me are so great too!
I'm praying God will fund us all in time to go. Most students have less than $1,000 and they all need $3,600. So God will have to be working hard on our behalf. Plus did i mention we're already $3,000 in the red because of plane ticket prices jumping up $200 and the worth of the dollar is decreasing steadily making everything in Europe close to twice as much as it would be here. Well that's what we're up against so pray for our funding, that God would provide.
I'm not afraid because I know God is faithful. For example, I was praying for more students to come to our leadership training and there are 28 students, half are from the predominantly Black fellowship (which is an answer to recent prayers) and half are men (which is an answer to our prayers 2 years ago!) so God is faithful!!!!!
Our Spring Leadership Retreat is the last weekend in May and I'm thrilled to be with all our new leaders and the old to plan and vision for the next year!
And did I say i'm so grateful God is sending another staff, my friend, Marissa Newman, to UCSB? Well it's happening! YEAH! Pray for her funding so she can get here as soon as possible!
I'm so excited to go to Bosnia again! I met the team of students that are coming with us... 24 of them. They are all really great students and excited to serve this summer but I'm not going to lie, it was a little intimidating to see them all together and wonder, "How am I going to get all these people through the airport, and feed them all, and care for them spiritually?" But i know God will take care of us. And the other staff coming with me are so great too!
I'm praying God will fund us all in time to go. Most students have less than $1,000 and they all need $3,600. So God will have to be working hard on our behalf. Plus did i mention we're already $3,000 in the red because of plane ticket prices jumping up $200 and the worth of the dollar is decreasing steadily making everything in Europe close to twice as much as it would be here. Well that's what we're up against so pray for our funding, that God would provide.
I'm not afraid because I know God is faithful. For example, I was praying for more students to come to our leadership training and there are 28 students, half are from the predominantly Black fellowship (which is an answer to recent prayers) and half are men (which is an answer to our prayers 2 years ago!) so God is faithful!!!!!
Our Spring Leadership Retreat is the last weekend in May and I'm thrilled to be with all our new leaders and the old to plan and vision for the next year!
And did I say i'm so grateful God is sending another staff, my friend, Marissa Newman, to UCSB? Well it's happening! YEAH! Pray for her funding so she can get here as soon as possible!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
It can't be April already
So much is happening at the same time! I can't believe it's April!
Re-affiliation of a predominantly African American group on campus with us, Spring Leader's training and Bosnia team meetings, support letters, staff planning stuff and prayer. Ahhhhhh!
Once there was a IV staff named Glory he invested in Josiah and lead a small group for Black students on campus. When Glory left, Josiah continued the small group and invested in Brandon but didn't consider themselves part of InterVarsity anymore. And Brandon, with all the passions and gifts God has given him, gathered together a whole fellowship of students and they called themselves BAM (Born Again Ministries). It's been really exciting to work with Brandon and the other leaders of BAM. They are hospitable, word loving students! As Paul and Brandon have built a relationship over the last 2 years Brandon shared he and his whole leadership team was graduating and there was uncertainty in the future of BAM. After months of talking and planing and preparing and praying some BAM students are going to join our leadership team, lead Bible Studies and help us plan what our Large Group could look like to serve the whole BAM fellowship. They'll do this in partnership with the InterVarsity leaders so that we can integrate well to reach and serve as many students on campus as possible. YEAH GOD for bringing unity to campus and reconnecting us to a great group of students!!!
We are starting training tomorrow and I'm thrilled that over 6 BAM students will be joining us, along with hopefully over 10 InterVarsity students!!!! I am praying this training would bring us together and would help us prepare for the coming year. It would be great to have more Small Groups available on campus for students to come to next year. I also would love to have the leaders who are helping with training grow in passion for their own small group and investing in younger students. I think the hardest thing this year has been getting leaders to see God has given them skills he wants them to use to invest in others. Discipleship in its simplest form has been so difficult. So hard. But I'm praying this training will help them use the talents God's given them.
Oh and Bosnia! So on top of all my regular campus work I get to prepare for Bosnia! Pray for our huge teams!!!!!! Last year was the most students we've ever brought to Bosnia 4 in Zenica and 7 in Sarajevo. But there was such a draw and a movement of the Holy Spirit that 30 students applied!!!!!!!!! WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I know! We talked with the EUS Staff and decided to bring 10 students to Zenica and 14 to Sarajevo. Such huge teams makes everything really hard. Travel, loosing people, luggage, finding housing, and places to meet all together, trips in country, outreaches in country, the camp at the end of the trip, debriefing, orientation location. EVERYTHING!!!! I know God will get us through all of those worries but it's daunting to have to see them all at the same time. If you have a place near LAX you think could house 28 people PLEASE TELL ME!
Yikes!!!!!
But in all the busyness there's so much joy to be right where God wants me and working for him!
LOVE IT!!!!!!
Re-affiliation of a predominantly African American group on campus with us, Spring Leader's training and Bosnia team meetings, support letters, staff planning stuff and prayer. Ahhhhhh!
Once there was a IV staff named Glory he invested in Josiah and lead a small group for Black students on campus. When Glory left, Josiah continued the small group and invested in Brandon but didn't consider themselves part of InterVarsity anymore. And Brandon, with all the passions and gifts God has given him, gathered together a whole fellowship of students and they called themselves BAM (Born Again Ministries). It's been really exciting to work with Brandon and the other leaders of BAM. They are hospitable, word loving students! As Paul and Brandon have built a relationship over the last 2 years Brandon shared he and his whole leadership team was graduating and there was uncertainty in the future of BAM. After months of talking and planing and preparing and praying some BAM students are going to join our leadership team, lead Bible Studies and help us plan what our Large Group could look like to serve the whole BAM fellowship. They'll do this in partnership with the InterVarsity leaders so that we can integrate well to reach and serve as many students on campus as possible. YEAH GOD for bringing unity to campus and reconnecting us to a great group of students!!!
We are starting training tomorrow and I'm thrilled that over 6 BAM students will be joining us, along with hopefully over 10 InterVarsity students!!!! I am praying this training would bring us together and would help us prepare for the coming year. It would be great to have more Small Groups available on campus for students to come to next year. I also would love to have the leaders who are helping with training grow in passion for their own small group and investing in younger students. I think the hardest thing this year has been getting leaders to see God has given them skills he wants them to use to invest in others. Discipleship in its simplest form has been so difficult. So hard. But I'm praying this training will help them use the talents God's given them.
Oh and Bosnia! So on top of all my regular campus work I get to prepare for Bosnia! Pray for our huge teams!!!!!! Last year was the most students we've ever brought to Bosnia 4 in Zenica and 7 in Sarajevo. But there was such a draw and a movement of the Holy Spirit that 30 students applied!!!!!!!!! WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I know! We talked with the EUS Staff and decided to bring 10 students to Zenica and 14 to Sarajevo. Such huge teams makes everything really hard. Travel, loosing people, luggage, finding housing, and places to meet all together, trips in country, outreaches in country, the camp at the end of the trip, debriefing, orientation location. EVERYTHING!!!! I know God will get us through all of those worries but it's daunting to have to see them all at the same time. If you have a place near LAX you think could house 28 people PLEASE TELL ME!
Yikes!!!!!
But in all the busyness there's so much joy to be right where God wants me and working for him!
LOVE IT!!!!!!
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