Sunday, November 27, 2011

Back to School

Oh my, such a lack of anything here, I know!  But it has been Thanksgiving break and I have been working hard on relaxing! 

We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with friends; then we (as always) skipped Black Friday and went out hiking instead.  :)  Break has been very relaxing up till today--actually through today; I just had some last-minute homework to finish, but all in all I am still ahead of the homework game.  Haha.  Now it is back to college for two and a half weeks, and then, Christmas break!  Grandparents coming, best friends coming home, Christmas music (need I say more?)--oh I can hardly wait! 

More later, hopefully...

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

What Inspires Me

Different things inspire all of us. Perhaps if you know me or if you've read some of my previous posts you've learned that my goal is to be a missionary...wherever I end up in the world. So in pictures and words, here are just a few things that inspire me.

Playing on the "blob" at summer camp in the U.S. It's amazing how Christian summer camps impact the kids who come to them. I've experienced it myself and this summer I hope to be a part of that experience for someone else! Camp can show God to kids like almost nothing else can!


Unloading trucks for a medical clinic in the U.S. Maybe I'm not a nurse (yet), but pointing out lines on an eye chart is pretty simple. And you never know when you might get the opportunity to witness to the people you're serving--or to your fellow staff members!


Schoolgirls in Belize. Need I say I love kids, no matter what country they're from? :) Sharing God's love...being the hands and feet and arms of Jesus...that's what really matters!


The city in Lima, Peru. "People live in those things?!" Yes they do...not all of those buildings have roofs and I don't think a single one is what many of you would think of as an "acceptable" house. How many of those people have ever had the chance to hear the gospel?


Birds-eye view of "jungly" area in Belize. Flying over the jungle is amazing--you can hardly see a sign of people anywhere, yet they're down there! Someone has to find them and give them the good news of salvation in Jesus.


Heading under the canopy on a Peruvian river, en route to a jungle village. Peru is where I received my call to missions, and it still holds a special place in my heart.

So many people in this world! Do we really want Jesus to return soon? Really?
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (Matt. 24:14) It's not impossible...we have Jesus' power to see us through! Nothing is impossible with God, no matter what country you're in.

That's what inspires me. What about you?

Saturday, November 12, 2011

He Died...

 
(not my picture)

This weekend at our college is a special Evangelism and Missions Weekend sponsored by the Religion department.  We have a guest speaker, Dwight Nelson, pastor of another Christian college's church in Michigan.  The meetings started last night and today we had three meetings and some seminars.  I only went to last night's and two of today's, but they were such a blessing! 

Anyway, today, Pastor Dwight was talking about what Jesus went through on the cross.  Wow. . . it really came alive for me.  And then he said something that really struck me.  

Jesus died of a broken heart--broken by our sin and by separation from His Father--so that we could live with a broken heart--broken by the world's need of Him.

What would it mean to let God break my heart so that I love the lost like He does?  It doesn't sound pleasant, but I think I want it.  I want to love others like Jesus loves them.  I want to care about them enough to be there for them like He would be.  I want to love them enough to introduce them to Him.  What about you?

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men." (Philippians 2:5-7)