Friends on Missions and a Giveaway!

I have so many friends who have chosen to serve God 

through mission trips in the coming months! 

I have a limited amount of resources but I want to help support them as much as I can!

God has called us to live a life of missions, as we go (Matt 28:18-20)

but there is something life-changing about devoting a set amount of time

to fully and completely focusing on sharing God's love with others.

When I served in summer missions, it completely changed the course of my life, 

leading me to student ministry... where I am now!

So today, I'm giving away a couple of AH-MAZE-ING handmade items that 

help support mission trips and spread the name of Jesus!  

First, this GORGEOUS hand-stitched envelope clutch from Kerrie's shop- perfect for spring and summer, the purchase of which goes directly to helping send Kerrie to India!

From Kerrie:

Jemisee! 

That's a Christian greeting in Nepali.  India is one of the most beautiful places we've ever been to!  In 2009 my husband and I joined a medical team on a journey to India where we treated over 1,000 people and experienced about 200 lives changed through hearing the truth of Christ!  Wade was one of the pharmacists on the team and I worked in the prayer room.  On the last day, we were honored to go to a leprosy colony where we simply walked around, hugging and touching the deemed - "untouchables."  One of the hardest parts of the trip was hearing the women's response to the gospel -- much like in Africa, when presented with the gift of salvation, many women wanted to accept Christ's freedom but were too fearful of their husbands.  What was different in India is that surrendering to Christ often meant being disowned from their families and communities. In some villages, to be a Christian was to be lowest in the cast system.  You may as well be a leper -- you would not even be able to enter a Hindu's kitchen for fear of making it "unclean."  To give your life to Jesus in India is often to truly give Him your life.  There is much persecution in India, and I hope you will pray along with us that the nation will be confronted with the gospel and surrender themselves to the One True God. 

In January 2013 we will finally be returning to this beautiful country.  This time we will be hiking through the Himalayas to encourage the churches, as well as spending time working in the children's home.  To raise the funds for this trip, I am selling hand-made envelope clutches and more in my store, "Missionary Kerrie's".  Thank you Chelsea for thinking of me for your giveaway and even more for sponsoring our mission trip!

Check out all of Kerrie's beautiful designs here!
You can also support their trip by sponsoring Kerrie's blog, The Williams Post!

And second, a stunning handmade necklace from Jennifer Blair, of Jennifer Blair photography! She and her husband are fundraising to go to Ethiopia where they want to capture the stories of those trapped by injustice and be a voice for those who have none.  Read more about their journey here and how they'll be using photography to reach the people of Ethiopia. 

The combined value of this giveaway is over $50! 

(Items have been purchased by me because I love y'all!)

To enter, leave a comment telling me one way God has blessed you this week!

extra entries (leave a comment for each):

- follow my blog via GFC

-follow me on Twitter

-follow me on Pinterest

Winner will be announced Friday May 11th! 

Planting Seeds

linkin up with Kerrie at The Williams Post!

Over spring break, I led a team of high school students and some helpers on a mission trip to the Edinburg/McAllen/Mission, Texas area. We partnered with Faith Baptist Church there and devoted our mornings to Backyard Bible Clubs and our afternoons to serving our host church. 

The past two years, we've participated in Mission Arlington's spring break activities. It's an awesome organization that has made a huge impact on the DFW area. Their backyard Bible club program is called Rainbow Express, and we'd have between twenty and fifty children at our Rainbow Express twice a day. They target apartment complexes and mobile home parks, making it simple to reach a large number of families and children in a small area. The two years we participated, the children we met were so happy to see us and participate in Rainbow Express. We were overjoyed to be used to lead multiple children to Christ. Last year my students became so attached to the children we met that it was truly painful to come home at the end of the week.

So that is kinda what we were expecting to happen here. 

Spoiler alert- that's not how it went. 

I had five amazing students take part in this trip.

At first I was disappointed, even angry, that others had dropped out or decided to spend their time doing something less meaningful (in my mind). 

However, this small group of students was absolutely perfect for the week. 

It was absolutely a testament of God's control over the entire situation to see how everything worked out the way He had planned. 

This was the first youth trip I've ever led with zero behavior issues.

Each student worked hard, stayed positive, 

and was respectful and obedient to myself and the other leaders with us. 

I was humbled by their leadership and the initiative they took 

in serving each other and the community we were in. 

When we arrived at the church,
We were assigned to a nearby park

to do our backyard Bible club.

We made a huge advertising promotion in chalk by the park entrance

canvased over 100 homes

and knocked on nearly every door in the neighborhood 

to let them know about Rainbow Express

But our first day there,

we had no kids show up.

People were polite but uninterested

So we prayer walked the area, 

covering the neighborhood in specific and meaningful prayer

In the midst of prayer walking,

we came across a group of people passing out the gospel to every door

and a mobile vacation bible school ministry

It was so encouraging to see God using all kinds of people 

to reach this community with the good news!

We also met a sweet East Indian family going for a walk.

They joined us back at the park and we were able to share 

our Bible story with them and color some pictures.

They were so genuinely interested in the story from Mark 2 of the paralytic 

man whose friends lowered him through the roof to Jesus!

Our guys met a high school student playing basketball alone the park

and were able to interact with and pray over him.

We had better response the following days 

and were able to 

sing silly songs

play lots of kickball

eat snacks together

color with crayons and chalk

and share beautiful stories about Jesus

We only met about ten children over the course of the week and

we didn't get to see any children come to know Jesus 

But 

we learned that sometimes God calls you to just plant seeds

Sometimes you just show people how awesome Jesus is

and God sends someone else to continue to teach them

We're so grateful that we got to share with 

Eric, Adi, Gopika, Davika, Lucia, Jayne, Joey, Nathan and Noah!

But we know that God loves each of them so much more deeply than we ever could

and have faith that He will continue to show them love.

During our Bible study Wednedsday night, our associate pastor shared 1 Corinthians 15:58 which says that the work we do in the name of the Lord is never in vain. 

We're clinging to that promise,

grateful to have planted seeds

praying for water and sunshine and harvesters 

and most of all for Jesus to reach this community!

Be encouraged wherever you are,

whatever it is that you are doing and know 

that even when things don't meet our expectations-

God does not measure success by numbers

and His plans are so much better than our own.

Continue to give yourself fully to the work of the Lord 

because it's never in vain!

Stay tuned to hear more of what God taught us!