Your Life is a Story

I just finished an amazing book called, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. Incredible book. It is the journey of Miller discovering himself and how others stories can impact his own. I was inspired. Now I’m sitting in this plane thinking to myself about my own story, and watching others. There is a man on this plane who is paralyzed and his family is with him, His wife and little baby. His beautiful wife stood up with their son and the baby was staring at his father with an enormous smile on his face looking at his dad. It was the most beautiful thing to watch. Here a man sits who’s paralyzed from the waist down living his life. Now granted I don’t literally know his story but watching it inspires me. This child smiling down at him made me realize he is not a man who is paralyzed, he is a man with an incredible story. I love the way God has given us each a story to tell others about. Here is a quote from the book that I love, “We live in a world where bad stories are told, stories that teach us life doesn’t mean anything and that humanity has no great purpose. It’s a good calling, then, to speak a better story. How brightly a better story shines. How easily the world looks to it in wonder. How grateful we are to hear these stories, and how happy it makes us to repeat them.”

God is guiding us to live our stories out, sort of like when we see a blind woman being guided by a man to her seat. Having God by our side helps us to feel more secure, there may be bumps and you may run into things, but still you end up in your seat. He guides you to your seat and then you end you up creating a story. The journey it took you to get to your seat. Your story is important to God and others. Live a life of purpose.

Live The New Song

This Thanksgiving holiday has really got me thinking. There was a terrible accident on the highway near my house, where two young lives were taken, and one in critical condition. I wasn’t close to these girls but it has been lying heavy on my heart. I can’t imagine. Life is so short and can be taken from us at any moment. I started asking myself questions. What will happen when I die, how will I die? I was freaking myself out. I realized I am afraid to die. I asked my dad during our church service this morning, what happens if your afraid to die? He said then your living too much for yourself. I started to think about what it is that I am doing to further God’s kingdom. As I was thinking, the pastor began to speak about the second coming, as it is very popular to speak of the second coming on the first Sunday of advent season. I felt so convicted the whole service.
I’m living my life selfishly and I’m called to win others to Jesus. Isn’t this our job here on Earth? Give me your eyes for the broken, and a burden for the lost. I have decided that I will take action on these thoughts I am having. Lord please direct our paths as Christians to show others you every chance we get. I will continue to seek you on this, and ask for any opportunities that may come my way. So the question is are you living your life to glorify him? Are you telling others about him? Challenge yourself to create a new song.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
-Hebrews 12:2

No distractions sweep us away in your love! Love You.

Singing Over Me

Where to start? This past year has been life-changing. Coming back from India, i didn't honestly know how i would handle things. God has challenged me in so many ways, and I wouldn't trade anything for this amazing opportunity I've been given. I have made so many new friends and I am so incredibly grateful for the new relationships I have formed. God continues to bless me time and time again. I am so undeserving.

Recently God has grabbed a hold of my heart, and is calling me to love selflessly, like my Indian friends. I have always been known as a crazy, fun, rowdy girl, always looking to have fun, but God has really challenged me to show people the real me. I want to be known for my relationship with Christ. A lot of the times it is hard for me to get my emotions out, but God keeps calling me to show people the emotional side of me. I want to reflect Christ's love in all of the things i do. I love having fun, and being crazy, but I want people to know the reason why i have fun, because God is singing over me, He is truth, He is life, He is all i need. My passions are given to me by God. God has given me more than I deserve, I want everyone to know that. I want to be the Lord's instrument. Send me Lord.

Swept Away

Tonight i miss India. It will forever be in my heart. I have already learned so much about myself since i have been back. God has given me so many opportunities to serve him , and I am so thankful for those. I am one of the most distracted people i know. Right now God is teaching me to focus on him. My prayer this year is this: Give me your Eyes Lord, I want to wash a stranger's feet. My desire is to be swept away in your love. To be content and SELFLESS.

I am so ready for this year and all the challenges and exciting tasks that i will face. I am so undeserving of God's grace, but he still never fails me.

There are many feelings that I cannot begin to express that I have had during this amazing experience. Our goodbyes were painful. Some of the children were crying and when we had the big goodbye ceremony they offered us each gifts. A lot of the gifts we received were flowers. Which now have so much value to me. Just the fact that these little kids wanted to offer us gifts, for a friendship they were just introduced to, really got me thinking. Almost everyone in Tamil Nadu wants to go to America. In their words, “America is Super.” I don’t think they know how exceptional India is. It is more than a country, it is unity, it is Love, India is love. The last Sunday in Tamil Nadu, I preached on faith and how when we give God our full faith we will receive blessings, also how everything that we have is God’s. God spoke right through me and I didn’t get too emotional but I told them all thank you. When I put my full faith in God for this trip I received a blessing, and that was the trip itself, and all my many new friends. Rachel spoke at one of our last Cottage Prayers and it was amazing. She spoke about 1 Corinthians 13:13 and she went on to say that in America she would have never been invited into a complete strangers home and have been given tea or coffee. Even though we technically gave up our summers, we had gained so much through the kindness and loving spirits of the people. We all began to cry and that’s when a lady said something in Tamil and at that moment Kingsley couldn’t translate because he got choked up. We found out later that she had said, don’t cry girls, we are here for you. This is the perfect example of the love that I’m trying to explain. Our anthem for this summer is Love is Here, by Tenth Avenue North. Every time i listen to it i will always remember.

We are spending our last week here in Musiri, and it has been wonderful. I'm getting really sad. Tomorrow is our goodbye ceremony with all the kids from CDC, and I have been writing little notes to them and all I can think about, is how i have to say goodbye. Yesterday Courtney and I went for a walk up and down Musiri and two people that we had met stopped and talked to us. It was so cool realizing we had made such good friends. Amma is so sweet, we have been having so much fun with her. On Sunday I accidentally made her cry. Courtney was talking about how thankful she was for Kingsley and his family and I teared up, and at that moment we looked at each other and then she started to cry. These are sad, sad days in Musiri, but still God is so good. Words can't begin to express how thankful I am for such an amazing opportunity. I will never forget these people here. Sharmila, DineshKumar, prasanapriya, Mercy, Christy, Archana, Solomon, Ganesh, Gracy, Monisha, James Christopher, Manoj, Prasanth Kavipriya, Praveenkumar, Mr.Palini, Esther, Regina, Pradipa, Amma, Appa, Sweety, Kinglsey, and many others. We head to Kotagiri on Friday morning and we will be there until our sad departure. I love you all and Thank you for your prayers.

Love is Here

It’s hard to believe we’ve been here for over a month. We have about two weeks left here in India. This week we will be in Musiri, and we will be doing CDC each night. Next week we will head to Kotagiri, and then we will leave out of Coimbatore. This past week we went to Erode. We got to know the pastor and his family there. He gave each of us girl’s nicknames in Tamil. Mine was rose. In Erode we had lots of prayer meetings in peoples homes. I spoke about finding your security in God, and rejoicing through our suffering. Both times I could really feel the Holy Spirit working in my own heart. It was overall a busy five days. We had a lot of services and other things to keep us busy. On the last night, Monday night Courtney spoke about judging and to wrap it up she talked about how India is love. Kingsley told us that the number one thing in India is love, and he is so right. The hospitality given to us at each home is overwhelming. They all reflect God’s love. While Courtney was saying these things I started to think about leaving India and how sad and emotional I was going to be. I’m not gonna lie though I miss my family, friends, and SNU (Haha crazy I know.) I am praying that God will continue to speak through me. I get the joy of speaking the last Sunday in India. I’m a little nervous that I might burst into tears. I’m praying that God will give me the perfect topic to preach about that would really leave them with something to think about. God is so good and alive in these people’s hearts. Continue to pray that these last two weeks here would be fully focused on God, and not the distractions of getting to be home in a few weeks. Love you all!!

Hey Hey everyone. It’s been a little while, but things here are awesome. A lot of exciting things have happened. We went to three different cities; Dharamapuri, Kotagiri, and Udumalpet. When we got to Dharamapuri we worked at CDC and taught the kids some Bible stories. We went to a leper community, and to a families house who had HIV positive. These were really hard for me, but atH the families house I got the chance to pray and God definitely gave me the words. After I prayed the man of the house grabbed my hands and gave me the biggest smile. It was great to have this opportunity to pray for them. We stayed in a hotel and had amazing food. On our drive up to Kotagiri we all were wide-awake. It was such a beautiful drive. It was actually pretty chilly there too, which was a nice change. We were able to meet the Ketcham’s, a missionary family in Ooty. They were so sweet, and made us an American meal, it was delicious. We left Kotagiri and went to Udumalpet. We got to paint the Nazarene Church, and might I add we picked the color and it looks reaaal good. We went to a Crocodile farm, and on the way back we came up to the scene of an accident. It looked pretty serious, considering there were about 6 cars stopped, helping. We stopped our car and Kingsley and Courtney (our nurse) jumped out to check it out. The man had been drinking and had swerved off the road. He was okay but he had a big cut in his lip and was having trouble breathing. A few people called the ambulance and we left after that, seeing as how there were six other cars of people there to help him. The thing that I thought was really cool was how many people were stopped taking care of this man. The unity of this country is unreal. They will protect each other no matter what. Thank goodness he was okay. We have met so many friends and it keeps getting harder to leave them. We left Udumalpet and our friend Daniel, the grandson to the owner of our hotel, was emotional which made us even more sad. We arrived in Musiri about a day ago and it is so good to be back. We saw the kids and they ran to us and hugged us. They were so happy to see us. Just the thought of leaving makes me really sad. We leave for Erode for four days then we’ll be back to Musiri for about two weeks. God is continuing to show me new things everyday. I am in love with India.

These past few days have been wonderful. Kingsley took us to an Island called, Rameshwaram, it was beautiful; we swam in the Indian Ocean. We went there for one night and did some sight seeing. We saw one of the biggest Hindu temples. There are people all around the world that travel to come see it. At the little island we went to, there were people dunking themselves in a very weird way. I asked Kings what they were doing and he told us that in order for their sins to be washed clean, they had to come to this spot and dunk themselves 33 times. Crazy.
Some of the teammates got carsick on the way and they didn’t feel very good for most of the trip. But they are all back to good health. We are back in Musiri for a few more days, and then we leave on Monday to start our travels. Manoj leaves tomorrow, he is our new friend, he is studying to be a pastor, he has such an amazing heart, and he’s hilarious. We are sad he is leaving, but he has to go back to school. We are going to a service Saturday morning, Saturday night, Sunday morning, and Sunday night. Each night one of the teammates is preaching. Monday were traveling by train to our next destination.
Courtney and I were looking at the pictures of the kids we’ve taken so far and we already started to get emotional. They are so stinkin cute! This picture is one that I’m stuck on. She is so beautiful her name is Sharmilla, she’s Hindu, and her hair was sacrificed to the Gods.
We are so blessed to be here. I’m so excited for the weeks to come here in India. Thank you for your prayers.

WERE HERE!!!

Wow. We are finally here. India is absolutely beautiful. This week so much has already happened. When we first arrived here it was 11p.m. India time and we had to drive 7 hours to get to Musiri, (the first place we are staying.) We had two separate cars to ride in on our way. Courtney and I were in one with Kingsley and a taxi driver, and the other girls, Monica, Rachel, and Kirsta were with another pastor in the area and a taxi driver. Lets just say driving is very different here. Swerving in and out of traffic and honking at every car driving by is a regular occurrence. It was something new for us, but the drive was amazing. India is beautiful. On our way there were so many tiny villages. We were so fascinated that we stayed awake the whole drive. We were introduced to our first toilet or lack thereof, and our new favorite, chai tea on the drive.
Once we arrived we had breakfast and then shortly after we rested. At four p.m. we met the children in the CDC (child development center.) This is sort of an after-school program. I have already fallen in love with the children. They run up to us, touch us, and try to speak the little English they can. We each were assigned to different grades. The next day we told a bible story, sang a song, and taught the children a bible verse. Today we had a prayer time from 10-12. We learned a song in Tamil and we sang it with the youth. There is no better sound then Indians singing a worship song. Tonight we are going to be with the kids and we are teaching them another story from the Bible and games. I love it here, and am so thankful god has given me such an amazing opportunity. The Children are so beautiful and their smiles are like nothing I have seen. The food here is AMAZING. I’m not kidding, every thing we eat has been so good. Every time they offer me tea I can’t say no it is so so good. I thought Starbucks was good, this is the best there is.
In the next few days we are going to have a picnic with the youth of the Nazarene church here in Musiri, and I will be giving a short devotion/sermon. I’m a little nervous but I know that God will speak through me. Sunday as a team we are singing worship songs, two in English, and the one we learned in Tamil. Monday we are shopping for Saris! I’m so excited. We will be here until the 13th then we will begin traveling. Thank you for your prayers! Love you all!

Training Camp

One more day here in the US of A and i couldn't be more excited. We leave at around 5 a.m. on Monday morning. Training today was very heavy. We had what they called a "World Feast." We went into it not really knowing what we were going to do. There was a big table with candles and place mats, another table with four spots on it and it looked even nicer than the other. There were two spots on the ground with tape outlining a square and a triangle. We each got called to different groups. I was a #4 so i had to sit on the ground with a bunch of other people, we were crammed together inside these lines and we got two rolls and a can of water. Group #3 got rice and beans. Group #2 had a feast, and Group #1 had a five course meal. We sat and watched as they received there food, and we had barely anything to eat. A little bit later one of the people from the feast said, "we are allowed to take one of you, to eat with us, and i will let you guys choose." I have been a little sick with a cough so my team nominated me and I couldn't do it, i couldn't sit there and eat while the rest of my group was so hungry. So we chose someone else and she went. She sat down and the staff, or worker, pulled the chair away from the table as if she were an outsider. they asked her what she wanted on her plate, with tears in their eyes. She put the tray on her lap and she began to sob. This broke me. I can't believe we as Americans sit and eat our meals without thinking of the poverty that is all around our world. It breaks my heart to know that there are millions. Millions of people starving around the world. Although, it was a simulation it touched all of our hearts and really brought out so many emotions. Anger, sadness, guilt. We experienced these together. It was a crazy experience.

Tomorrow the India team, Rachel, Monica, Courtney, Kirsta, and myself will be attending a Hindu church to understand more of the Indian's culture. I cannot wait. Then Monday at 5 A.M. we will be on our way to INDIA!!! Thank you all for your prayers. I will try to update my blog once a week. Love you ALL!

Pleasing to You

God continues to shine through people all around me. Coming to SNU i knew that I would meet some life-long friends but i had no idea how many. I am so happy to know that i have so many praying for me and this summer. I am at home in Boise, ID and I love spending time with my family and friends. I am definitely ready to begin this life-changing trip. I was talking recently to a friend who came back from Romania and he said, "As Americans we go into mission trips thinking that we will "save" or "help" the people, but they end up impacting out lives more than they will ever know." I can't wait for this.

This song is my favorite worship song right now it's called Maker of Heaven by Desperation Band. This is my prayer.

Keep my heart amazed
Let me see Your wonders every day
Teach me in Your ways
So that I may fear
You are walking on water
You are calling me after
You are standing beside me now

You are the Maker of Heaven
You turn my world around
You're making all things new again
Through it all I know
You are God alone

Set my heart on fire
Let me burn
With passion for Your name
Take over my life
I surrender now

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
You are God alone

Overcome

You continue to amaze me God. I have been so afraid and fearful of this trip that i lost my focus and passion. Tonight God revealed himself to me. He is God of all and he will help me overcome all of this worry, and fear because he is the maker of Heaven. I underestimate God's listening skills which sounds terrible, but i tend to doubt. God continues to come through and tell me that he put this passion in my heart, and he will take away ALL of these hesitations. I cannot believe that he loves me, he unconditionally loves me no matter what mistakes i make, no matter what fears and worries i have, HE STILL LOVES ME.

The country seems so nice now
but the city's all i see
I'm blocked from all the good things
that i need to believe

My heart is longing to be yours
I lay myself at your feet
I give you all the Glory
You are my Prince of Peace

I can't predict the weather
I don't know what the future brings
but i do know a savior
He's in control of everything

Use Me

Last year, first semester youth in Mission came to my school and I never really thought about traveling to a third-world country until I heard some of the students testimonies. I grabbed a piece of paper that said the many countries we could go to if we got involved in Youth in Mission. I began to pray about where I would go if God called me to a trip, like this.

One night I got on Myspace and just browsed around. I went to one of my longtime family friends page and I looked at this album titled, "India." I looked through the pictures and tears started coming down my face. The kids looked so beautiful and grateful. It was cool to see how much they appreciated what little they had. Months after this i went to the movie Taken and I was horrified that sex slavery was still occurring all over the world. the movie really messed with my head so I couldn't go to sleep. I got on Google and I started typing in the search window. I typed, "Sex trafficking in India." It went on to say that India was one of the top countries with women and children involved in sex trafficking.

I knew at this point this is where God was calling me. This summer I met an amazing Indian family who allowed me to come into their home and chat about my upcoming travels and I listened to them tell me about the many details of India. They also made me amazing Indian food. India is somewhere I've been incredibly passionate about and I cannot wait to be God's instrument there. Although i am excited and blessed beyond belief to get to go there, I am frightened. I just know that fear is not of the Lord and that God will protect, provide, and take care of me while I am there. Lord use me.

You Can Have My Heart

I can feel you tappin' on my heart strings
I'm opening the door listening for your calling
I'm captivated by the way you love me
I'm ready and alive I've never been so happy
I wont look back on who i was back then
Ill testify, declare your promises

O lord have your way
i want to take the next step
wipe clean this sinner in me
I AM ALIVE
Holy Spirit take my words
take all my selfish pride
Here I am I give my life
to Glorify You

I'm gonna change my life from the inside out
I'm following you, I want to make you proud
you know my future, and Ill trust that
You gave up your life so I will give mine back.

Preparing My Heart

I am captivated by God’s continuous love and grace. God’s calling for me has never seemed more clear. These past few weeks, months have been life-changing. On a Wednesday night I offered to play and lead a small worship service in the prayer chapel and I had no idea that this would be the beginning of a whole new me. I was hesitant about volunteering because I knew I would have to pray and this was one of my biggest fears, but I did it anyways. Then Wednesday night came and I called my parents to ask them to pray that this time would not be about me and that the Holy Spirit would fill the room, and speak through me as I prayed. My mother prayed over the phone. I went to the prayer chapel before it started and I prayed again that God would take over and that it wouldn’t be about my performance.
As I began to play the piano and sing songs I could feel the holy spirit, I prayed and I couldn’t believe what was coming out of my mouth, it was as if I was a whole new person. I threw my hands up and I knew that God had something more for me. He was telling me it was time to give him all of myself. It was time for me to take a stand, he was knocking on my door, and I answered. All my life I have wanted to be this “cool Christian” accepting those people that the “judgmental Christians” weren’t. I wanted to show them that Christianity was cool and that you didn’t have to be a boring, Jesus freak. I had such a skewed view of what a Christian is. I only wanted to show them I loved them, but by going to parties and not drinking I was nothing but a stumbling block. I realized that taking this next step with Jesus would make me the happiest I have ever been and I have never felt cooler than I do now. I want God involved in every Aspect of my life, everything that comes out of my mouth. I need people to know whom I serve. I am alive.