100%, Visa Application, New Zealand Bound!!!!

I reached 100% Faith Promise!!!!! Praise God!  I have been given financial release to leave for New Zealand! The only major obstacle that stands in the way at this point is to get my Visa, and the F.B.I. told me today that they will be mailing me my background check results by early next week!!!!  That means I could potentially be in New Zealand within the next three weeks or so!!!!!!!  PRAISE GOD!!!!  Please keep praying, and thank you so much for walking this journey with me!!!!!

90% Milestone, Update, and Merry Christmas!

With verbal commitments pouring in now at a miraculously steady rate, I am 90% funded!!!!!  PRAISE JESUS!!!!!!  I am so amazed by how God has done this...  He is so good and so able!  (I want to welcome new members of the team from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and Indiana!)  This means I now only lack $500/month in Faith Promise commitments.  Here's a pretty break down for you...  ONE PERSON could finish this at $500/month, FIVE PEOPLE could finish it at $100/month, TEN PEOPLE could finish it at $50/month, or TWENTY PEOPLE could finish it at $25/month!  This is such a reachable goal at this point, I'm just ecstatic!!!! 

I know several people have been asking me about the planned departure date for New Zealand.  My answer is still, "I'm not sure."  The last 10% of funding needs to come in, and my visa application needs to be finished and processed.  It is still within the realm of possibility to be in New Zealand sometime in January, but I'm trying to just trust the Lord with His specific timing.  Once I know anything, I will keep you posted! 

Life has been on the fast lane the last few weeks.  I have been on the road a LOT!  I spoke at Martinsville Wesleyan Church in Indiana and spent a week in Mississippi connecting with dear friends and church family.  It was awesome to reconnect with all of you at Wesley Biblical Seminary, Ballet Magnificat, the old "Southwind Apartments Crew," and Olde Towne Community Church!  Also, I had the privilege of bringing a good friend with me on the trip--we were even able to celebrate her birthday in Jackson!  :)  Before and after the trip to Mississippi, I was able to get all of my health paperwork completed for my visa application!  This was a crazy ordeal... my doctor's office is closing, so I ended up having the tests and physical done at an urgent care facility.  I am so thankful for the people God put in my path so that we could get it done!  Now the only big piece of paperwork that needs to come through is the F.B.I. Background check.  Please keep praying along those lines!  The other pieces should be easier to get together.

Now that I am home for this holy week, I am determined to slow down a bit.  I have spent several days on Christmas cards and now on home-made gifts for family.  I am so excited to spend this Christmas at home with family--I want absorb every moment to sort of "store up" for the next couple years away from home.  I have some partnership development to do this week, but I am mostly just going to enjoy the celebration of Christ's birth. :)  Next week, I will be back in the saddle of setting up as many meetings with individuals as possible--to see that last 10% claimed!!!

For now, Merry Christmas everyone!  Let's celebrate the beautiful reality of Christ's birth!  I pray you will sense His presence in a special way during this sacred season!

Where It Is!

84%!!!!

With new Faith Promises rolling in, I am unofficially at 84%!!!! SO CLOSE!!!! Please be praying that my F.B.I. Background report will come back SOON so that I can apply for my Visa!

Fresh Fire

Tonight I felt a fresh fire of the anointing of the Holy Spirit as I shared with the people at Crown City Wesleyan Church. There were two full rows of children in the front and a row and a half of teens in the back. That always gets me pumped up. :) I had arrived early in Crown City (in case of bad weather), so I had some time to collect myself before the actual service. I just sensed a freedom to share my heart and passion with this church. It was great to connect with their young people and older alike. I love it when I can sense the Holy Spirit moving in and through me--it's not always like that. Sometimes we just obey and serve, even though we don't feel like it at all. Yet tonight, I am basking in one of those awesome experiences when you obey and also feel it. Thank You, Lord, for a blessed night.

Time in Marion; Pray for Snow Travel

My couple of days spent in Marion, IN have been wonderful! God has been faithful to set up divine appointments at every turn. I am amazed by how people continue to enter into partnership with excitement and joy! I am so blessed by this process. Just recently, I've been overwhelmed to think of the power of Faith Promise. It is not just faith about money. Rather, hundreds of people are having faith that God will work through my ministry in New Zealand... all of that faith being funneled into what I will be doing... It's humbling and super exciting to think what God can do with that much faith! I feel like I am similar to the paralytic on the mat whose friends brought him to Jesus. When Jesus saw THEIR faith, he moved in the man's life. I am weak and broken (human)--but with so many people having faith for this ministry, I know God will move through me despite all my inadequacy! I am so thrilled to be part of His work in the world--what a privilege it is!!!!!

Please pray for safe travel today--I am on my way to Crown City, OH, to speak at a church this evening and will be traveling through snow to get there.

82-83%

After a couple verbal commitments over the last two days, I'm at 82-83%!!!!

Crazy Schedule and Undivided Devotion

This has been a crazy busy week! In the last seven days, I have shared my heart for New Zealand with groups/individuals in a dozen different settings! I have spoken at small groups, over coffee or lunch, in homes, over Skype, and from a church platform. Also, over the last week and a half, I've put in over 28 hours of driving time. However, if I've learned anything in this process, it is that my efforts mean nothing in the scheme of partnership development--rather, it is the work of the Holy Spirit that brings fruition. Please pray that God will call people to join the team!

I am currently in Marion, Indiana, connecting with individuals. Tomorrow (Wed.), I head for Crown City, OH. Finally, I head back home for a few days on Thursday. On a logistical side of things, please pray for me as I fill out my Visa application and other paper work that has to go through in order for me to be ready to leave for NZ, Lord willing, in January.

On a personal level, God has been speaking to me through I Corinthians 7 where Paul instructs singles to have an undivided devotion to the Lord. I know that right now (until whenever the Lord changes it), I am meant to be in a season of undivided devotion. The sad thing is, even as a single, it is easy to have divided devotion. So many things cry out for our allegiance in this world! Even the simple anticipation of future marriage can divide our devotion in the meantime. I want to be wholly devoted to the Lord and His work! Some days I feel I am... Most days, I really struggle here, but I want to live out this season of my life with total abandon to God! UNDIVIDED DEVOTION. That is my goal.

Perfect Christmas Gift

75, a Dozen, and Prayer Request

I am so excited to announce that I now have over 75 individuals on my Faith Promise team and a dozen churches! A big shout out to this awesome team God is assembling--I am SO thankful for each of you. God has hand-picked you, and I can't wait to move forward together to the work in New Zealand!!!

It seems goals are being reached left and right! I only need 10 more partners at $100/month, OR 20 partners at $50/month, OR 40 partners at $25/month! That's it!!!! Praise Jesus!!!! Who is with me? God is opening doors for meetings with people out here in PA beyond what I had expected but exactly as I had prayed. He's so good... SO good. Please keep praying over these meetings over the next three days.

On a less positive note, please pray for one of my best friends who just suddenly lost her mother this week. Pray for memorial arrangements to start working out logistically and also for me to be able to be there to help. I have a very narrow time window in which I could make it to her part of the country this week between church meetings--I need God to move as well as to protect me on the road.

75%... 80%!!!! PRAISE JESUS!

So, remember when God laid it on my heart to pray for 75% funded by the end of November? Today, I am OFFICIALLY at 75% funded, and including verbal commitments that have not yet hit my account, I am UNOFFICIALLY at 80% funded!!!!!!!!!! I am so thankful for a God who delivers on His promises, and He blesses beyond what we can think or imagine!! I could scream, dance, and jump around... but that wouldn't really help communicate to you via this blog how excited I am over God's provision!

While we rejoice and celebrate, let's keep praying! Another 20% of Faith Promise commitments needs to come in over the next month(ish), and I am confident God will continue to respond to our prayers. Tonight, I am sharing my heart for New Zealand with a group of young adults here in Shrewsbury, PA. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will speak through me and call people to join the partnership team.

Thanks for hanging in there with me, guys... This road has been long, lots of bumps included, but I wouldn't trade it for anything at this point. There's really no way to explain how much God has worked in and on me through this process. Thanks for walking this journey with me... soon, the journey will lead to the land "down under!"--the REAL down under, as in, under Australia. :) Much love in the Lord!

Thankful for Divine Appointments

I love it when God orchestrates a meeting or a conversation. It just leaves me with a profound sense of awe when I KNOW I just encountered someone in a way that was totally due to God's providence. I am extremely thankful to God for these divine appointments in my life, and I don't just mean ones that lead to a partnership in the ministry in New Zealand. I've had some of those--and they are awesome, don't get me wrong... But I love just knowing that God is behind the scenes working in people's lives, preparing the way for them to meet the right people, have the right words, and have ears to hear. Our God is so good. Today, I thank Him for His providence--the way He guides and directs those who love Him.

Thanksgiving and Beyond

My "nephew" made me an adorable turkey craft for Thanksgiving. I LOVE IT! I also love Thanksgiving in general. I tried to really let it soak in, knowing this was likely my last Thanksgiving at home for at least a couple years. I was so blessed to spend time with my family and eat lots of yummy food!

While most people were either in a turkey coma or Black Friday shopping, I headed out Friday for Columbus, Ohio. I made it last evening to my friend's family's home, and we had a great night of fellowship. This morning, I left bright and early for Shrewsbury, PA. I have settled into the apartment with some of my best friends from college, and I am looking forward to a great week of ministry visits and phone calls! Please keep praying for God to work miracles, creating opportunities for me to connect with the right people to invite them to partner with me in the ministry in New Zealand.

Also, please pray that I will have a mind for details as I begin the NZ Visa application. I am trusting God for HIS timing for my arrival in New Zealand, but I want to be a careful steward of my responsibilities in both partnership development and Visa paperwork.

Refreshed and Ready!

I have not felt so enthused and ready for New Zealand.... ever! Here are my reasons.

1. Revival! I was able to be in revival services at my home church. It was AWESOME, and God has been working revival in my spirit for a while now, including giving me victory over some things that have been struggling with for a long time. Praise Jesus!
2. Encouraged about Partnership Development! I am so motivated by the increase in support and having completed Kingdom Come Training. I love meeting with people, inviting them to join the team, and I am confident that God will meet all my needs in time to be in NZ in January if it is His will.
3. I was able to stay in one town for a week and a half! It's amazing how a respite from travel refreshes me physically and emotionally!
4. I am enthused about upcoming opportunities! I will be on the road a LOT over the next couple weeks, and I am sure God will do great things!
5. It is the season of Thanksgiving, and I am thankful... for God's work in my life, His faithfulness to His people, the opportunity to be with friends and family, and the privilege of serving the Kingdom.
6. I got a haircut that I love! It might be superficial, but I was so thankful for a coupon for a cheap cut, being able to donate my hair to Locks of Love, and getting a fun new "do" on my birthday!

Above: Picture of me with my Grandmother at my family birthday dinner.

71%, KCT Update, Youth Ministry Challenge/Question

• We are officially at 71% Faith Promise! God is continuing to work behind the scenes--I am aware of enough Faith Promises still to come that should put me at 76% or better! Please keep praying for full funding SOON! My hope is to be fully funded before Christmas so that I can enjoy Christmas with my family before leaving without thinking about support.
• Kingdom Come Training has been AWESOME! I am so thankful for this training in how to develop healthy partnerships with my team. The class will end on Wednesday, and then I will just continue with a weekly coaching meeting until we hit the 100% mark.

On a youth ministry level, I have a few thoughts I wanted to share.

• First, I wanted to follow up on some of the book reviews I did a while back. Specifically, I had reviewed Burned by Ellen Hopkins but had not yet touched on other books in this series. Since then, I read Crank and part of Tricks as well. Crank did seem to have a bit more of a point--basically that drugs will lead you to consequences including an addiction that is not easily overcome. However, it was still "filthy" in my opinion--very sexualized, focused on a girl losing her virginity, and the language and overall tenor of the book was very dark. Whatever redeemable quality may have been in Crank was more than made up for by Tricks. I could not finish this book because it was so dirty. The title says it all. This was seriously literary porn geared toward teenagers. Please don't let your kids read this stuff!
• I received an awesome reminder this week about how the church should be approaching youth ministry. My home church is in revival with the Fox family, and Dr. Bryce Fox shared a story that broke my heart. He spoke of a young girl at a church camp who was weeping after the service. When he asked her how he could pray for her, she began to share this story. She had been trying to reach one of the "roughest and toughest" boys at her school for Jesus. She was spending time with him, trying to show him the love of Christ. She finally invited him to church, but he said (paraphrased), "If I decided I wanted to find God and would find him at church, then I'd go. But if I want to find God, and they play games at church, then I don't want to go." The girl began to cry harder and said, "I can't bring him with me to church because I know we will play games!" Youth workers, I don't share this to communicate that we should never play games and have fun with our students. I do share it as a reminder that students are looking for TRUTH and REALITY, and unfortunately there are times and situations when they don't find those things in a student ministry. Let us remember our priority--to share the life-giving hope of the Gospel with every adolescent we can!
• I am also wrestling again with a topic I have wrestled with many times in the past--how do we effectively reach FAMILIES as youth pastors?? Anyone who works with students understands where I'm going with this. If a family comes to Jesus, the chances of a student remaining faithful to God in adulthood are much higher. While I am confident that God can save anyone despite their circumstances, how awesome would it be if we were successfully reaching whole families rather than just individuals! What does it look like to run a "family youth ministry?" We need to engage this question--and then engage it again--and again. This is not something that we can solve overnight, but as youth pastors, we cannot give up on wrestling with the potential our ministries have to transform homes, reconcile familial relationships, and strengthen the church as a whole rather than just youth group attendance. We have an obligation to help families mirror the kind of family discipleship described in Deuteronomy chapter 6. Unfortunately, we are often starting with a student who is curious about God and whose parents maybe couldn't care less. I plan to post some ideas about how to approach this, but I'd love to hear your thoughts first. Any takers?
  

What is "Partnership?"

Perhaps you have heard me over this past year talk about "partnership" with me in God's work in New Zealand, but you really don't know what that means. Let me explain! On my blog and when I speak, I talk about the work of a missionary being like a thousand piece puzzle. The only way the ministry happens is if the missionary as well as other members of the Body "claim their piece" of the work through partnership. Here's what partnership "looks like."

1) On my part...

• I become an extension of YOUR ministry in New Zealand through sharing the life-giving hope of the Gospel with students and helping equip national leaders and churches in New Zealand for on-going, sustainable youth ministries.
• I keep in touch with you, updating you on what God is doing and how you can pray through quarterly newsletters and monthly prayer/praise updates (via email or regular mail) as well as at least weekly blog postings.
• I lift you up to the Father in prayer on a regular basis.

2) On your part...

• You claim the ministry in NZ as YOUR ministry through a monthly financial investment.
• You pray for the ministry in NZ regularly in response to the prayer needs expressed in my regular correspondence with you.
• You keep me updated on how I can pray for you, your family, and your local ministry involvement.

Is there any reason why you couldn't partner with me in this way? If not, sign up today! CLICK HERE!

Another 4%!!

WOW! Another 4% of verbal commitment has already come in this morning!!!! Once all this officially hits, we should be at 75% ALREADY! My pastor in Mississippi told me at the end of last month that he would not pray for 75% by the end of November--he would only pray for 100% by the end of November. Pastor, your prayers are powerful and effective--God is increasing my faith and bringing my goals closer to alignment with yours!!!!

I have to confess a recurring theme in my life from the past week or so. I have been praying for God to give me more discernment and boldness about actually asking people to become financial partners. Almost unwillingly at first, I obeyed the Holy Spirit's promptings multiple times this week. No joke, every time I heard these words, "I was just waiting for you to ask!" Wow. What a lesson this has been for me!!! How many times do we (1) fail to ask God to meet our needs or (2) fail to ask our brothers and sisters in Christ to partner with us in God's work!!!! The Body of Christ is meant to operate in COMMUNITY, but we will be "going solo" until we are willing to invite people to join us in what God is doing. Holy Spirit, thank You for the lesson.

Another 11%

I'm amazed as I watch God move. Another 11% or so of verbal commitments have come in over the last 24 hours! I can't wait to see the percentage officially start to go up, up, and up! I want to welcome new churches and individuals to the team--it's so good to have you all on board!

I am enjoying my time in northern Indiana, although I'm pretty tired and still sick. I will update with more details of my time here later, but I wanted to get the word out of how God is working!

As Good as Dead

The following is an excerpt from an email I just sent to a missionary friend. After explaining to her what God has shown me, I thought I should share it with all of you too!

The Holy Spirit keeps bringing a passage of Scripture to my mind from Romans 4 about Abraham's faith. It says in verse 19, "He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead,... or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb." It goes on to say that he actually was STRENGTHENED in his faith! I've been thinking about this a lot... Abraham didn't consider his own body as good as dead when God first gave him the promise. He proved that with the whole Hagar incident. It was only after years of waiting and realizing that he could do NOTHING to fulfill the promise that his faith was strengthened through counting himself as good as dead. I feel like this is my testimony of the process God has taken me through in support raising! At first, I thought I had to raise support. Now, I realize that I am as good as dead! And my faith is stronger! How awesome is this!?

58%! No, You Didn't Misread That!

In about a week's time, our Faith Promise has gone up by 10%!!! How awesome is our God?! One of my prayer partners posted on my Facebook status, "When GOD'S timing becomes NOW, ain't no stopping HIM!!" I love it! Thank you for being a part of this movement! I can't express how much I appreciate all of you on the team, both prayer and financial. It is through YOUR obedience that God is WORKING!

The next several days will be pretty full. Tonight, I have a meeting with some good friends about the ministry in New Zealand. Sunday, I leave for six days on the road. I will be speaking at Carthage Wesleyan Church Sunday morning, connecting with friends at Brookhaven Wesleyan on Sunday night, meeting with potential partners in the Marion area on Monday during the day, recruiting for Wesley Biblical Seminary at Christian University Seminary Fairs Tuesday-Thursday during the day, continuing Kingdom Come Training in the early evenings, and meeting with potential partners after that into the late evening. Please be in prayer for the following:

• Safety while traveling.
• Divine appointments with students God is calling to seminary.
• Divine appointments with future partners.
• Divine appointments with some of my former students in youth ministry.
  
• Physical strength as I've been battling a cold or sinus infection--not sure which yet.

Thanks, again, for your partnership! God is blessing!!!!

52% and Masquerade at Abby Manor

Today I officially hit 52% Faith Promise! :) I hope you can sense my excitement and the momentum that is increasing in this team building process! I fully expect to post a new percentage tomorrow!!!!

I realized that I have not posted many updates recently about ministry in Indiana. I had to share some pictures with you all from our most recent youth event at The Grounds. We took a night off from service to throw a party, and it was one epic party! We bought a kit for one of those "who-dun-it" mystery dinner parties. Everyone is assigned a character and they come to the party in character for the whole evening. At the party, a crime occurs, and everyone tries to figure out "who-dun-it." The setting: a masquerade at Abby Manor.

Elijah and Steven sporting their formal wear and masks.

Andrea and I before the party really got started. Andrea was the mastermind behind the whole game--she did an AWESOME job! She has really taken over almost completely as the lead role in the youth ministry. It is so encouraging to me to know I will be leaving it in her hands!

Several of the youth in character, hanging out in the living room.

51% Party!!!!!

Let's throw a party together! We just hit 51% Faith Promise! I'm so excited to pass the halfway point, but I'm also still greatly anticipating reaching the milestone of 75% THIS MONTH! Like I said before, this is a serious faith endeavor, but I totally believe our God is ABLE and WILLING to do it! Please keep praying for those people God has called to partner with me in this work to sense and obey that call! This week, Faith Promises have been coming in on a daily basis--I am so encouraged!!!

Kingdom Come Training, the training I started Monday about partnering with others in God's work to reach the nations, is going well. It has already been a source of encouragement and renewed boldness and zeal for the team building process. Thank you all for the prayers--please keep them coming!!!! Also, if you are feeling led to learn more about what it might look like for you to partners with me in this work, I would love to meet with you whether in person or via skype or the phone. Please let me know! amber.livermore@gmail.com, 812-779-7282

God Continues to Prove His Faithfulness

1. Prayer Partners--God is working through your prayers! Your encouraging notes have been PERFECTLY timed this week, and God is moving in response to your praying!

2. Two weekends in a row, I've been able to say, "The church I was in this weekend gave the largest love offering I've ever received!" That is something to be excited about! God is moving people to give!

3. Six people have officially joined the financial team in the last three days!!! Welcome to the team!

4. While I'm only officially at 48% Faith Promise, I am in confident expectation of reaching 75% in November! I believe God is calling what is not as though it is, and I want to believe Him for it!

5. Please pray for me as I begin Kingdom Come Training, additional training on how to raise support, tomorrow. I will fill you in more on this as the class gets started.

Prayer Goal for 75% in November

Will people join with me praying in faith to hit 75% in November? This would be a huge jump, but I am believing God for it. I was already prayerfully considering it as a goal when a prayer partner told me they were praying for 75% in November. I'm taking that as confirmation and seeking others to believe with me for it! Let's pray!

God is Working--Please Keep Praying!

I want to thank all of you who responded to my request for special prayer! I can already see God working in response! Please keep praying specifically about some potential Faith Promise partnerships with churches that could be significant to raising my Faith Promise percentage. Also, please pray God will give me eyes to see opportunities to invite people to join the team! I am so ready to get funded and to New Zealand, guys. In the midst of battling discouragement, I can feel God increasing my faith! Please continue to pray in faith with me for God to do great things!!! One of my prayer/Faith Promise partners sent me the words of this chorus as an encouragement today, and I want to share them with you.

"There's a miracle in the making, one just for you the Father is working even now, your prayer has been heard and the answers are on the way, there's a miracle in the making for you today."

Depending on His Grace--Need for Prayer

This week, I feel like I'm learning more than ever what it means to depend upon God's grace. This has been a difficult week on a personal level. Some people very close to me are going through difficulty, and I am burdened for them, trying to lift them in constant prayer. In the midst of this, I am fighting discouragement over support raising. I have been in approximately 40 churches/camps over the past ten months sharing about New Zealand, and I am only 47% funded--but I know God is good. I know God is faithful. I KNOW HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT. So right now, I am leaning on that knowledge.

Since my last blog update, I have shared at New Life Wesleyan Church in Columbia Station, OH, as well as having another hometown fundraiser. The church at New Life was a blessing, and I am looking forward to the role they may play on the team! Also, the hometown fundraiser was such a gift of generosity from people who both donated items to be sold and put in work to make it happen. This fundraiser provided another opportunity to connect with people in my home community about the work God has called me to do in New Zealand. I am so thankful for the opportunity. Also, I was able to substitute for over a week for the same teacher, a huge financial blessing and an enjoyable opportunity to spend time with the same students for several days in a row!

More speaking engagements kick off again this weekend. Also, I am preparing to take three weeks of support raising training starting the end of this month followed by weekly coaching sessions. This training will be specifically focused on approaching individuals for support rather than churches. Please pray that I will be teachable and put into practice what I learn. Please pray God will send supporters and give me the vision to see them and know how to approach them. While I am discouraged in support raising, I cannot fail to give God praise for the ways He has already provided. He is working, but I just need to continue to trust Him and do my part in the process. Please pray FOR God's provision and direction. Please pray AGAINST discouragement.

Rant About Literature Continued

Rant About Literature Continued

Review of Burned by Ellen Hopkins

In my previous blog about adolescent literature, I mentioned a series that begins with the book Crank by Ellen Hopkins. I mentioned that my opinion of this series was only based on discussions with teenagers who had read it. I decided that I needed to gain an educated opinion on this New York Times Bestseller series. I went to my local public library and asked the librarian about these books. She informed me that they are “hot items” right now among young people--in fact, I had to put the first book on hold because it was already checked out. I did, however, check out Burned.

On a literary level, Ellen Hopkins certainly has a gift for poetry. She switches back and forth between different poetic styles with ease. I understand the praise of her writing on this level. Beyond this, however, I highly recommend that students not read this book. On a preliminary note, the language in the book is terrible. I don’t now that it would be possible to keep a running tally of how many times the “f-bomb” occurs. Of even more significance, the book deals rather graphically and continuously with sexual content. Finally, the over-arching plot contains nothing of redemptive value.

Here is a basic plot summary. Pattyn is a teenage girl who has grown up in an abusive and hypocritical Mormon home. Mormonism throughout the book is depicted in a terrible light, and while I would certainly not advocate for Mormonism, tearing down any form of organized religion seems to be a trend in Hopkins’ books. (I have already started her book Tricks which begins by making a mockery of an Assembly of God congregation and its pastor.) Organized religion is blamed for the oppression and devaluation of women. Pattyn’s mom has only one purpose in life--to bear sons. Her father breaks about every Mormon rule of lifestyle as an alcoholic who beats his wife and children. The leaders at Pattyn’s Mormon congregation refuse to address the abuse in Pattyn’s home when they are clearly aware of it. Also, they refuse to answer any of Pattyn’s questions about God and life which sends her spiraling further away from religion.

The book is HIGHLY sexualized, beginning with stories of Pattyn’s “sex dreams” on account of which she fears God’s judgment. When Mormonism fails her, Pattyn dives full force into a “worldly” lifestyle, including in her physical relationship with a boy from school. Barely escaping the relationship with her virginity, Pattyn is “shipped off” to her aunt’s house in Nevada so her family can dismiss her problems for a summer while her mother carries a baby boy to term.

Pattyn’s aunt is cast as the only person in her life (other than her sister) who cares genuinely about her. However, her aunt is also jaded by religion and has developed her own religious worldview that generally proposes “God” as anything that feels good and brings happiness. Thus, Pattyn’s aunt has no problem with the relationship that quickly develops between Pattyn and Ethan, a college-aged guy who lives near the aunt’s homestead. This relationship could be viewed as statutory rape in a court of law. The book describes the illegal couple’s sex life in great detail.

After the summer ends, Pattyn must return home. The abuse at home continues to elevate, and Pattyn anticipates its climax when word gets out that she is pregnant. In a desperate attempt to escape, she asks Ethan to come kidnap her from school. Their plan is to run away together and marry after Pattyn turns eighteen. However, someone turns in the license plate on Ethan’s truck after he picks up Pattyn. In an attempt to run from the cops, Ethan crashes. Pattyn awakes in the hospital to the news that both Ethan and her unborn child are dead.

The book’s end left me in utter shock. The last three pages insinuate that Pattyn used the gun Ethan had given her to protect her from her father to kill everyone and anyone who had ever hurt her at whatever level during a Mormon church service. Then, she prepares to jump off a bridge and kill herself. The end.

Can anyone tell me how this book could be helpful in promoting life and health among our impressionable young people? Am I crazy for thinking maybe we should have a rating system for books just like we have one for movies and video games? I really wish I could do something to set that in motion--any ideas? Why is it not okay for a fifteen year old to watch porn videos but it is okay for them to read pornographic literature that encourages depression and suicide? Anyone disagree? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Missions Conferences and More!

I am currently at 46% Faith Promise and anticipating much higher numbers soon! Weekend before last, I spoke at Flintwood Wesleyan Church's FIRST EVER Missions Banquet! It was exciting to be part of history in the making. I enjoyed the church a lot (and the yummy food)! It was great to catch up with some old friends and make lots of new ones! I am so privileged to have the church on the team. That Sunday, I spoke at Kingswood Wesleyan Church in Kentucky. This church has already been on my support team, sight unseen! It was awesome to build a relationship with this group of people who were already on the team. Last week, I was with the people of Faith Wesleyan Church for their Missions Conference in Terre Haute, IN. I cannot express how much of a blessing the congregation at Faith was to me. Their conference is just beautiful. The church pours out in tremendous ways, and the Spirit moved in a reviving way like I haven't experienced in a long time. Finally, Sunday morning I spoke at Blue River Wesleyan Church on the north-eastern corner of the Indiana South District. This church blessed me with their warm hearts and excitement to get on board with God's work in New Zealand.

This week, I am playing catch up on life (like cleaning my house) as well as getting back in the saddle of substitute teaching. This weekend, I will travel to Ohio to speak in another church. Please keep praying God will send funding! I have been fighting discouragement over the slow pace at which my percentage is increasing. Pray God will lift my spirits and give me discernment about who to ask to join the team and how to make connections.

Rant About Literature Geared Toward Teens

I should be asleep right now since I have to leave early in the morning to speak at a church. However, I have a rant in my head that I need to type out before I can sleep. Tonight, I got together with some Christian girl friends, and we watched a movie. As usual, Hollywood sent some subtle yet dangerous theological messages through the film. This led to a discussion about the messages in books and media, a discussion that got me pretty worked up.

I get really angry when I think about the way so much literature is designed to attract teens by enabling them to wallow in depression and addiction. There has been a lot of controversy in the church over literature in the fantasy category (i.e., Harry Potter or Twilight) targeting young people. I will not rehash this discussion, though I have read all of these books in order to have an educated opinion when parents ask me about them. I found them all highly entertaining and well-written, though many aspects of the books were inappropriate for younger readers. Fantasy in itself, of course, brings a unique problem to criticism since it is presented as entirely fictional while still communicating messages about truth and life. Then there are the specific issues regarding dark themes that run in both of these book series along with the question of--at what point can readers distinguish truth from reality, real witchcraft versus the re-creation of "witchcraft" in Harry Potter, etc.? All of that aside, I think there is a much more fatal type of literature being geared toward our students than either of these that has managed to keep below the church's radar.

I am thinking of a type of literature which is really popular now, one that deals with teenagers facing "real life" situations. One of these books has been on the best seller list lately, called Thirteen Reasons Why. I actually first heard of the book from a fellow youth worker who read it after a student recommended it to him. He said it had opened his eyes to what teenagers face in life. I bought the book, curious to see what it was advocating. I was thoroughly disturbed. The book's basic plot can be grabbed from its back cover: a teenage girl has committed suicide, but before her death, she recorded tapes directed at thirteen different people who in some way contributed toward her decision to end her own life. She then started the chain of mailing these tapes to the first person, and each of the thirteen are blackmailed into listening to the tapes and passing them on to the next person. As I read the book, I kept looking for redemptive value, for a point. I never found either. The book takes the reader through the hellish experiences of this young girl in excruciating detail, even in regard to her sexual molestation. The journey is sickening and cause for inappropriate thought patterns. It is just depressing. The conclusion of the book is hardly redemptive--only a couple pages of the message, "Be nice to people so they don't kill themselves because of you."

If you are a parent reading this, I would encourage you to censor this book out of your child's reading list for the following reasons:

• It's graphic descriptions of sexual events can be scarring and steal innocence.
• It affirms the lie that many teenagers buy into leading to suicide--that no one is really there for them in the way they need them to be.
• It may place an incredible amount of false guilt on any teenager who has lost a friend to suicide. As someone who has experienced such loss, there is enough false guilt that comes from this situation without increasing it with this book.
• The "point" of the book, which is to discourage bullying and carelessness toward others, is hardly emphasized to the point of being edifying. The girl who commits suicide is cleared of any responsibility for her actions and a blame-placing philosophy is encouraged.
  
• The author of the book, Jay Asher, does not have a history in counseling or youth work that I can find. He is a writer who has found a topic that is "compelling" to young people--a highly sexualized story of ostracism and the desire to end your life. I am leery of someone without a background in youth work dealing with these topics.

Another concern I have is with a series of books that starts with a book called Crank. I have not read this series, but it deals with a teenager who is spiraling into drugs and depression. It is a remake of the same kind of theme in a book I was required to read in high school called Go Ask Alice. I remember being disgusted by this book as a Christian teenager because of its harsh language and dark themes, and I'm sure Crank and it's consecutive books are only worse. Why are we encouraging teenagers to read this stuff? A teenage boy recently initiated a discussion with me about this very question. I saw him reading the series and asked him if it was good. He said it was interesting to him, but that he didn't understand why any adult would want him to be reading it. He said that for teenagers like him who already struggled with depression, this was just fuel for the fire.

I feel like this teenager is saying out loud what we should all be thinking: "The emperor has no clothes!" I realize that we need to provide young people with literature that engages them, but as someone on the front lines of trying to bring hope to teens who feel lost and depressed, I am concerned about the kind of literature we are putting in their hands. We need to take responsibility for offering young people stories that will address the reality of their situation, including the negative things they might face, but that also provide hope for overcoming and dealing with those negative influences in healthy ways. The future of our society depends on their well-being.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not the "censoring" type when it comes to books. I want to engage in educated conversations with kids about what they are reading, helping them to learn how to think critically. Still, I think we, as adults who influence students, whether as writers, teachers, youth pastors, whoever--should be taking our responsibility seriously to point students toward LIFE and not death. Maybe that means more of us should start writing, offering alternatives to teens. Maybe it means we pay more attention to what they are reading, read along with them, and help point out dangerous messages that are being communicated. Maybe it means saying, "Hey, let's find a different book." At least let us start thinking through this issue.

Home Town Fundraiser Huge Success!

My home church hosted a fundraiser this weekend for me for New Zealand. It was overwhelming to see how every one pitched in and made it such a success! Women from the church had been organizing and pricing items for the yard sale for weeks. The church's education wing was STUFFED to the brim with all kinds of donations in the days leading up to the fundraiser. Practically the whole church showed up early in the morning to set up. Many people brought donations for the bake sale. It took us HOURS to get everything set up in the parking lot. We even had burgers, hot dogs, and drinks for sale around lunch time. Many of the students from The Grounds came to help and hang out. People from the community showed up like I've never seen at a yard sale. It even rained for a while and threatened to do so all day, yet this didn't turn people away. God blessed like we never could have expected, and we raised $1,390.98! Praise God!

A kitten we were attempting to give away at the fundraiser escaped into the underneath of my car. Some of the youth struggled for hours to get it out.

Some of the students from the Grounds waiting to start cleaning up.

Percentage Thermometer!

For those of you who are visual people, check out how close I am to reaching my Faith Promise goal!!! You can help push the magma up by claiming a monthly financial piece of this ministry! Just click on the link on the right side bar to sign up today! Remember, I have Faith Promise partners from $5 all the way to $500 per month. If God would call you to take a piece, whether small or large, it will put us one piece closer to 100%.

Fun Story

So, I had one of my favorite interactions ever on the humorous side with students while I was substitute teaching today. The conversation went something like this in front of a whole room of sixth graders at the beginning of a class.

Student #1: "Are you a teenager?"

Me: "No, but thanks for thinking so!"

Student #2: "Are you strict?"

Me: "Probably."

Routine, sort of?

I am currently starting to sort of settle back into a routine after an entire summer of traveling. School is in session again, so I am back to subbing multiple times a week to replenish my checking account and pay students loans that started coming due this month. Thus, I am actually sleeping in Princeton, IN more often than not for a change.

Before settling back into my kind-of routine, I journeyed to northern Indiana and Michigan for a few days. I spoke a Wednesday night and Sunday morning at Ohio Street Wesleyan Church in Columbus, IN. While this church is technically in the IN South district, it was north for me. :) I also met up with some GP friends and staff, spent a couple nights at Shunem House in Noblesville, and visited good friends and a church in Michigan. It was a very enjoyable journey! The people at Ohio Street were phenomenal--I really felt like I was able to build a relationship with them and several joined the team. By the end of the trip, however, I could tell I had been on the road for LONG time. The idea of not living out of a suitcase for a while was very appealing.

This past week, I subbed four days and caught up with people around home. This weekend was full! Saturday was Mudfest 2011, a gathering of community youth groups hosted by Uncommon student ministries. The entire event is centered around, well,... mud. Check out the pictures for yourself!

This is the group we took from The Grounds--not that you can make any of us out really except for my co-leader, Andrea, who wasn't feeling well. She avoided the mud until this hugging event.

This pic is of me with Pastor Beth Brown, a good friend and youth pastor of Uncommon at Dayspring Community Church. She officially commissioned me to host Mudfest New Zealand 2012. :)

You've never played volleyball til you've played it four-way in a 50' x 50' mud pit!

We loved the fire truck when it came to our rescue... I don't think we could have cleaned off any other way!

The day after Mudfest, I left for Kentucky where I spoke to three Wesleyan congregations about NZ--Cloverport Wesleyan, Wellman Memorial Wesleyan, and Atwood Wesleyan. I then stayed the night in Louisville with some good friends. My time in Kentucky was well-spent! I'm excited to welcome new people onto the team from there! :)

This week, I am trying to get my life in order. My house is a disaster area from all the traveling over the last months. Also, I am trying to get things ready for a yard sale fundraiser my home church is sponsoring in a week and a half for New Zealand, subbing, getting back in the swing of youth ministry, and setting up more fundraising meetings. This weekend, I will be speaking in Paoli, IN. Also, I already have one meeting set up with individuals. Please keep the prayers coming! I'm currently at 41% and anticipating God to do great things in the near future!

Celebrating 40%

Praise Jesus for 40% Faith Promise! I am so excited and blessed to see how God is continuing to call people to join the team!

My time in California was so enjoyable--after I finished all my speaking engagements, I was able to spend time with some family in Cali that I had not seen in at least six years. It was a wonderful time of reunion and getting to know my cousins again as adults (the last time I saw them all, they were still teenagers/pre-teens!)

This past weekend, some good friends picked me up from the Indianapolis airport, and I was able to attend church with them at College Park in Carmel, IN. I was super impressed by this church in light of its sound teaching, heart-felt worship, and incredible missional involvement in the community and the globe. I even found out some good friends from Indiana Wesleyan attend there! Sunday night, I was back at my home church for the first time in a good while. It was great to reconnect with everyone. Monday was my first day back at the high school as a substitute teacher. I was excited to start building more relationships in the school. Last night I attended Uncommon, the Assembly of God youth ministry where one of my closest friends youth pastors. It was great to see all her students again, and some of mine who have started hitting up every youth service in the area they can during the week :). Today I have to prepare for youth group tonight (my first time actually being here and lead in like a month and a half) and pack up for my next set of journeys which will take me to northern Indiana and Michigan over the course of the rest of the week.

Please keep praying with me for God's provision!

CALIFORNIA

One observation before my reflections--CALIFORNIA IS BEAUTIFUL!!!! Ok, now that I've got that out of my system...

Last week was an incredibly beautiful week of ministry and relationships at Redwood Christian Park Family Camp. I was privileged to be the youth speaker at the camp. I was able to get to know and invest in over fifty students between the junior high and high school programs. Each morning I would preach twice (once to each group), and the rest of the day was spent getting to know these amazing teenagers, praying with them, and watching God work powerfully in their lives. Several made new commitments to Jesus, asking for God's REIGN in their lives rather than the REIGN of sin. Over the course of the week, we talked a lot about the GREAT ADVENTURE of living out God's purposes for our lives. For the adventure to begin, we must have a personal ENCOUNTER with Christ followed by a personal CONFESSION of faith in Him as Lord. Then as we WALK BY THE SPIRIT, we are able to accomplish His purposes in our lives. The ultimate purpose, of course, is for us to KNOW HIM. Beyond that, God desires to bless us so that we can be a BLESSING to others as we participate in His mission in the world.

Pictured Below: Some of the wonderful ladies I worked with and a picture of me with several students at the train station, preparing to go on a train ride through the Redwood Forest.



Pictured Below: Another group shot at the train station and one of some guys during an activity with duct tape. :)

I was so blessed by the amazing leadership at RCP! This camp holds a special place in my heart. I was able to share a Missions Moment with the whole family camp, and several times God opened the door for me to share my heart for God's work in New Zealand with individuals over a meal or an activity. Several people signed up to be prayer partners, and several showed interest in being Faith Promise partners as well.

Pictured Below: A group shot with the high school students. (My group shots with the junior high were indoor and didn't turn out as well, but you can see all my pictures from the camp by clicking HERE and HERE to view both of the Facebook albums.)


On Sunday, I was able to share at Riverside Wesleyan Church in Sacramento for a few minutes. I was super blessed by this church. California is so diverse, and it was beautiful to see that diversity reflected in a local church. The worship, Word, and fellowship were just amazing. Again, God sent several new members of the team my direction. I am excited about the work He is doing! Since my last post, I have gone up to 37% Faith Promise! God is providing!

I am currently spending a few more days in Cali with family before heading back to Indiana on Saturday. On Monday, I kick off the school year with my first day of substitute teaching. Where has the summer gone?!

Reflecting on Dathouse Trip

In the room where Hannah and I stayed this week, there was a strip of chalkboard paint where people had left messages. Some girls who had stayed there previously had left their names. Someone had written in big bubble letters, "JESUS ES BUENO!" We wrote our names and the following lines from a blessing we have prayed every day this week out of Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, "May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you; may He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors." I can't tell you how much those lines have resonated with our experience this past week of living in an intentional, missional community.



Here's a summary of the "activities" of our week:

• Hanging out with/loving on some amazing kids from the neighborhood (involving a lot of Skipbo!)
• Debriefing with people from the dathouse and Tearing Down the Walls (a homeless ministry) teams to better understand the kind of ministry they do.
• Sitting in on a dathouse team meeting.
• Working on the remodel of a house which will be sold at cost, interest free, to a family we met from the neighborhood. The money they pay will then be used to repeat the process for another family.
• Cleaning bathrooms... like, intensely cleaning bathrooms, and washing dishes. Dathouse welcomes lots of people all the time, and cleaning can be a really overwhelming task.
• Spending time with some local youth groups.
• Vineyard Volleyball. A local Vineyard church opens their gym on Wed. nights for volleyball. It was great--and I have a black and blue nose to prove it! I got smashed in the glasses by a spiked ball.
• Laundry love. We took a grill, hot dogs, chips, drinks, games, and LOTS of quarters. We then did people's laundry for them, fed them lunch, and just loved on them in the name of Jesus.
• Playing curb ball--the coolest game I've learned in a long time. :)
  
• Dumpster diving. That's right. We dove in dumpsters for food and other useful items. This was an eye-opening experience. Everyone should do it.
  

The value of this trip was in way more than what we "did." Hannah and I discussed our greatest "take-away" lessons on the way to the airport. Here they are.

1. A life lived radically for Jesus is satisfying! From the outside, the "sacrifices" of this ministry team might seem hard. And in some ways, they are--but their lives are so satisfying and filled with joy! They are living with kingdom values and kingdom sight.
2. We can experience Jesus in a way we may never have before when we experience Him in close community with both brothers/sisters and with our neighbors.

I feel like this blog isn't enough to cover our experience here, but if I keep writing, no one will read it because it's so long!!! :) CLICK HERE to see all the pictures from the trip.

More About Dathouse

This week has been incredible. I've had experiences everyone should have in their lifetime. I am in awe of how God teaches us through so many different avenues. I really want to spill it all right now, but I think I may wait until I can upload pictures. Thanks for the prayers. We've seen God at work.

dathouse

Hannah and I have been at dathouse for about two whole days now. We are being challenged to learn what Christ-centered and redemptive community looks like, along with being challenged in practical life skills. :) Today we put up 2X4's for a new wall in an attic and tore out an old support wall. This ministry is incredible. A local church has donated the money to buy a house that will then be remodeled by dathouse community and other volunteers and sold without interest to a family from the community. With the payments the family will make, another house can be purchased, and the process will start again.

It is incredible to be living and serving alongside a community of believers whose faith in Jesus and love for people is just contagious. Keep us in your prayers--that we will know how to both learn and serve!

34% and Climbing! Travels Begin Tomorrow

Today we hit 34% Faith Promise! That means I am only 1% away from the goal I had set for July and over a third of the way to my ultimate goal! However, my mom told me the other day that she has been praying for 50% by the end of July! I think God is using her to stretch my faith!! :) I am now shooting for 40%. Let's see what happens! I am just so encouraged by the way God has been providing in the last month! To those of you who have joined the financial teams and prayer teams in these last few weeks--THANK YOU! I pray God will show you just how important your partnership is to His work!

Tomorrow begins a crazy schedule of traveling for about a month. Please keep lifting me up in prayer. I will be speaking at the Indiana South Wesleyan Family Camp Missions Service tomorrow night at Orleans, Indiana. Please come if you can! Then Sunday morning, I am speaking at North Vernon Wesleyan before heading to Indianapolis for a week of urban mission work. Please pray for me and Hannah, the student I am taking to Indianapolis, that we will be an encouragement to those who live their lives for the sake of those in their community. Pray we will go as learners and be willing to do anything that might be a blessing to ministers and those to whom they are ministering.

I will then fly out of Indianapolis on Saturday for California for the next wave of camp ministry and speaking at Redwood Christian Camp. Pray that God will lead me as I continue to prepare the messages. Pray for the Holy Spirit's anointing as I speak for two youth services back-to-back each day. Also, please pray that my time in California will open doors for more people to join the team. I will be spending an additional week focusing on trying to build relationships.

What an adventure this is! God is so good, and I am glad to be walking this journey with Him. There have been moments along the way that felt dark--but I am currently walking in a newly found light of hope, motivation, and encouragement! I attribute that totally to people who are praying--thank you for praying!!!!

32%!!!!

PRAISE THE LORD! Today we officially hit 32%!!! Thank you so much to those of you who have joined the team this week! Only one more percent, and I will be one third of the way there! Also, that means only 6 people at $50 a month, and my goal for July will be reached!!! If you've been waiting to turn in a Faith Promise, how about this week??? You can click on the link on the right sidebar of the screen under "Claim Your Piece" to sign up online today!

Teen Camp and Beyond!

Above: Autumn, a beautiful young lady on my unit in the dorm who made a new commitment of her life to Jesus.

Above: Several of the girls from my unit after cooling off in the slip 'n slide.

Above: Several students playing in the mud after several trips down the slip 'n slide.

Above: My favorite slip 'n slide pic of Jacob walking away from the chaos.

Above: The two students I took to camp--Elijah (with an abnormal hair-do and drawn-on mustache) and Stef in the tabernacle.

Camp was a phenomenal (though exhausting) experience! We had a record-breaking number of campers for the last several years, and many students gave their lives to Christ. The services were powerful! We were blessed by the worship and drama teams from a partnering church in Ohio. Our speaker, Josh LeRoy, spoke boldly to us from the Word each night. I really enjoyed building relationships with the students, university ministry teams from IWU and SWU, and the staff. It was a week of major sleep-deprivation for Jesus, and I wouldn't take any of it back--although I was a bit annoyed the last night when several students kept me up til 4 in the morning by trying to sneak out to ring the camp bell. :)

I came home to a house that had been, literally, turned upside down by the kids at The Grounds. They had swapped the sets of cushions for both of my couches, moved decor around, and even left me notes on the ceiling. I LOVE YOUTH MINISTRY! I pretty much slept for a solid day and a half, off and on, after returning from camp. Last night, I spoke at Forest Hills Wesleyan Church in Evansville. It was great to be so close to home, reconnect with some old friends, and even see kids from camp! I was warmly received by the church and thoroughly enjoyed sharing with them. To top it all off, one of the girls from camp was there, and after my presentation, she accepted the call to ministry! I was able to pray with her, one of her youth leaders, and her youth pastor around an altar in a men's locker room. It was pretty comical--the church had already put their normal church furniture away for VBS this week, and we wanted to pray together at the altar, which we found in the men's locker room.

In the aftermath of this past week of pouring out, God has brought several New Zealand contacts my way. More people have joined the financial team while I was gone! God is so good!!!! A post should be coming SOON stating that we have officially broken the 30% mark!

Teen Camp!

I head out for teen camp with two awesome high school grads at 6:30 in the morning! Please pray for safe traveling and life-changing encounters with Jesus and other believers. Pray for my energy level to stay high so I can pour out with all I've got. Pray for the rest of the camp leadership who have the organizational burdens of the camp to bear. Thanks for your faithfulness to lift us up!

A New Perspective and Picking Up Speed!

Since Missionary Training Institute, I feel like I have gained a new perspective on God's mission in the world, my call to go to New Zealand, and the support team building process. In light of that new perspective, I decided it was also time for a new look. :) I hope you enjoy browsing the new blog, A Kiwi Slice of Life. (In case you didn't know, kiwi fruit, while not originally from NZ, grows in there, and the people of New Zealand are called Kiwis because of the kiwi bird found there). Be sure to check out some new features, including a vision statement for ministry in New Zealand, a schedule of upcoming events, the option to follow the blog by email (just type your email address and click the button), and a DIRECT LINK to sign up to be a prayer or financial partner!

People are getting on board financially! Tonight I had an awesome dinner meeting with some friends from college who are going to join the faith promise team! Also, my home church made a decision this week to significantly "up" their support and a couple in the church joined the faith promise team as well! To top it off, some of my personal heroes in the faith have made some significant donations lately... This train is picking up speed! It's so exciting to feel the momentum building! 28% may not look like much on the surface, but I feel like I could throw a party for every percentage! I am confident that the momentum I am sensing will begin to show up numerically soon--and you could be part of that if you aren't already!

Encouragement is coming from all different directions! I was so uplifted this week from a conversation with Jessica Lord, a GP missionary who is approaching full funding to head for New Zealand. Also, I was overwhelmed by a new initiative in my home base church in Mississippi to commit to fast and pray for me/support raising on every Tuesday. God is just so good.

Life will be busy over the next couple months! Please check out the schedule on the sidebar, but I am so excited about all the opportunities coming my way! Every weekend for the rest of the month, I will be speaking somewhere about New Zealand. This coming Monday, I head out "dark and early" in the morning with a couple students to teen camp! I love camp... After one week back home, I will be off to datHouse (please check out this awesome ministry! datHouse website ) in Indianapolis for a week with one of my girls from Mississippi. We will be doing life with Derek and Laura, two of the most incredible Jesus followers I've ever known, and learning more about what it means to live like Jesus (aka, missionally). I will then leave from Indianapolis for California for two weeks! Please pray that God will use this time on the West Coast to open doors for extensive team building. I will be the junior high and senior high youth speaker at Redwood Christian Family Camp for a week in Santa Cruz along with sharing about New Zealand with the family camp. The second week, I will be visiting family and trying to connect with churches in the Sacramento area. Prayer team, I need you guys on this one! The schedule keeps going, but this blog post should not. :)

Home Life and July Prayer Goals

It is crazy to be home for a little while after the conclusion of MTI! On the way home, I stopped to see some dear friends and important people on my prayer and financial support teams. Our visits were SUCH a blessing. This Sunday I was at my home church for a change (and even got to hang out with friends from church til late Sunday night), and Monday I celebrated the 4th of July with my family. Tuesday I was super excited to be with my students at The Grounds for the first time in a month. We were in Romans 12--only my favorite chapter in the whole book. :) Some new ones have joined the group while I've been away, which is always exciting. :) After youth group, a bunch of us went to see the Green Lantern together. It wasn't too bad of a movie, although the "bad guys" were a bit too evil for me. :( A few of the students hung around late to talk about stuff that matters until like 2 o'clock in the morning. I love youth ministry. :)

Today, I started my daily routines that haven't been so daily lately of meeting a friend for prayer to start the day and walking with some friends in the afternoon to get some exercise. I also booked my flights and rental car for my upcoming trip to California to speak at Redwood Family Camp. These past couple days, I've also been able to have skype/phone dates with friends from around the world, including Denmark and New Zealand. Tomorrow will be a full day of working on team correspondence and building support connections.

This weekend, I am meeting with some potential supporters on Friday night, have a church work day on Saturday, and am speaking at a church on Sunday. Monday morning I leave with some students for I.S.D.Y.C. (Indiana South District Youth Camp)--which I actually believe is called Spiritual Impact now instead. I'm excited to be back on the Orleans campgrounds and share this special place with the next generation.

Please be in prayer that God will bring new people onto the team over these next few days! My prayer is to reach 35% by the end of July--it might be an optimistic goal, but let's shoot for it together with the Lord's help! Also, please pray for Spiritual Impact, that God will work powerfully in the lives of students in Southern Indiana.

MTI Concludes...

Tonight I was officially commissioned by the Wesleyan Church and Global Partners upon completion of Missionary Training Institute! It was both a powerful and empowering service. My whole experience at MTI has been incredible. I am SO thankful for the relationships God allowed me to build with fellow missionaries who are obeying the call to go. They are all amazing and special people, yet they are all human. :) I shared at our debriefing session this afternoon that I was glad no one brought their "missionary thrones" along. Their humble spirits and real love for Jesus and the world encouraged me more than I can express. The training sessions were really helpful and quite intense at times. I am so thankful to be part of the Global Partners Tribe!

NZ Prayer Warriors GOAL MET!

This is a shout out to the prayer team! This week I have reached my goal of 200+ prayer partners on the team after signing up another 2o people! Thank you so much to all of you who have enabled this goal to be reached. Your prayer partnership means more than you will ever realize!

HOWEVER, this does NOT mean I am not still looking for prayers partners!!!! The door is always open--I want as many people who are committed to praying for God's work among young people and young leaders in New Zealand as possible! Sign up today if you haven't already! Just click on the url below, and then click "faith" below my picture to sign up. It should only take a minute or two at the most!

http://www.wesleyan.org/gp/mdirectory2/WM04-0365

Thank You So Much for the Prayers and Encouragement

Thank you so much for your prayers this week as we have kicked off Missionary Training Institute on Sunday! It has been an intensely powerful time so far. I can't wait to see how God continues to shape and prepare us over the next two weeks! There are twenty-five missionaries going through the training together--it has been so inspirational to get to know them. I know I don't typically send out two updates so close together, but I wanted to thank you for the prayers and encouragement over the past twenty-four hours. You have no idea what a difference they have made. Today we spent 8 or so hours focusing on linguistics and mission--a bit tedious as you might imagine! However, this afternoon we watched a video about a mission work in Mongolia. During that video, the Holy Spirit moved me in a way I can't explain... I was weeping over a documentary with a new heart for the world and the lost. Also, today I received word from a new church that will be making a financial partnership commitment and confirmation that I will be both a youth and missions speaker at a camp in California later this summer. I am so excited about what God is doing!

Please continue to lift up NZ in light of yet another earthquake which has hit Christchurch. This is devastating... Please lift the people of Christchurch up to the Lord.

Thank you for being part of the team! God is so good.

Another Quake...

Please keep praying. Another earthquake hit Christchurch this week. This is devastating.

Am I in College Again?

I'm sitting in a dorm lobby of Indiana Wesleyan University working on a laptop. Haven't I done this before??? :) Today I started three weeks of Missionary Training Institute. My fellow missionaries (including some good friends from seminary and from Missionary Orientation) and I will be in training sessions from 8 to 5, Monday through Friday. It will be pretty intense from what I hear! Please pray for me that 1) I will absorb all I need to from this training, 2) God will give me victory over feelings of inferiority and false condemnation, and 3) that support raising will continue to keep moving along while I am here. I will be speaking in a church every weekend during this time, so I won't really have much opportunity for sabbath rest. Please pray for renewed strength and vision!

This weekend was definitely eventful already. I was able to stay the night yesterday with one of my former students/present best friends and her family. It was great to reconnect with them. This morning I spoke about New Zealand at the Wesleyan church in Delphi, Indiana. It was a great experience! I even met long-lost relatives there! Of course, I sat in on the youth Sunday School class and made some great friends. Pastor Dan's message was EXACTLY what I needed to hear about the power we have through the Holy Spirit. This afternoon, I checked into my room for M.T.I. Tonight we all shared a meal together and went over our schedule for the next three weeks. I'd better get to bed, actually, so I will be fresh and ready to start tomorrow! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for lifting me up to the Lord. I am humbled by my complete dependency on both the Lord and your prayers.

25%

I officially reached 25% of my Faith Promise Goal!!! Please pray the numbers will keep increasing exponentially!!! :)

Reunion, Chinchilla, the Devil's Preferred Diet, and Ice Cream

School is out for the summer! I subbed for an English high school teacher the last day--it was a little crazy! The students weren't bad, but the last day of school is just its own wild entity! Everyone is already checked out and ready to celebrate. I will miss the students for the summer (along with the paychecks), but I am excited to devote more time to "New Zealand stuff." The past week I've been spending time on getting out more mailers to churches and individuals, making phone calls, and reading missiological books. This coming weekend I'll be speaking at a church in Evansville. I will be in a church every weekend this month as well as spending three weeks at Missionary Training Institute. Yay for a full month! Please keep the prayers coming for God to put together the support team He has called and for me to become as equipped as possible for the work.

Ok, now for the themes in my blog title. :)

1) Reunion: A couple whom I am dear friends with and are part of my support team came to visit this past weekend. We were able to spend some quality time together, talking about the Lord and His Word as well as laughing... a lot. It was medicine for my soul. You two know who you are--thanks for being incredible friends in Christ. You mean a LOT to me.

2) Chinchilla: One of my super friends here at home has a pet chinchilla! How cool is that? The chinchilla needed a temporary residence, so he's been staying with me for a few days. Did you know a) chinchillas can bark, b) they are nocturnal, and c) they enjoy making their running wheel spin and squeak all night? :) In all seriousness, it's been a joy to have a pet for a while. The youth group LOVED it Tuesday night.

3) The Devil's Preferred Diet: So, at youth group this week, we had a small group because several people were out of town after Memorial Day. I decided to take a break from Romans for the week, so we were talking about spiritual warfare. We read from I Peter chapter 5 about the devil prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Well, thanks to the popularity of Narnia (which don't get me wrong, I love), the youth were a bit confused. They were like, "We thought Jesus was a lion, but the devil is a lion?" We went on to struggle with the analogy for quite some time. I felt like I was hitting my head up against a wall trying to explain that it meant Satan was an Enemy who wants to destroy us while Jesus is the majestic King. I even went so far as to compare Jesus to Mufasa and the devil to Scar from The Lion King. Finally, one of the girls said, "So, the moral of the story is... the devil wants to eat us?" There was quite the outburst of laughter at this point. The night somewhat recovered its seriousness eventually, and we were able to pray together before I just took them all out for 4) ice cream. Maybe we will need to talk about spiritual warfare again another time. :)