Coming Alive

We are in our third week of the Faith trip and we have seen and experienced some extraordinary things since being here. First, it is incredible that we have felt so at home here...there has been no displacement in unity between the States and the England. Second, we have had some amazing opportunities to see God's Kingdom at work in the community of Perivale- healings, breakthroughs, and freedom.

Next Thursday we leave for Ireland, and I must admit I am a bit nervous because we have yet to set up accomodations. This is where the faith part of our trip will really be called into action. We fly into Shannon and from there we will pray that God will lead us to someone or some place and from there we will see what happens according to His guidance and direction. We will also be going to Belfast, which at the moment is a place of turmoil due to religious and political conflict, so please pray for us.

I would also like to report that during my time here in London I have met someone who I think is rather special. He is incredibly kind, has a wonderful heart for God, and a genuine love for people. I could go on and on, but if you'd like to know more feel free to ask. So it looks like I may be staying in Europe longer than I had originally anticipated :)

Katie and I are hoping to see Blueprint ministries really take off during our time here and I will keep you all updated with how things progress. Please pray for God's provision during our time here, we feel as if God will call us to give much of our money away (which already isn't much) but we really feel like He is going to bless us and then allow us to bless others, in a constant cycle of giving.

Much love and blessings!

London

Katie and I arrived in London on Tuesday after a long journey through New York, New Jersey, Iceland, and finally our destination. We met Tim at the airport and got picked up by our British friends Luke and Leigh. We were brought to a coffee shop where we will be staying for the next few weeks. Our first night here we met with Billy Fray from Lexington, KY who is going to move to London to start a pub ministry. The second night we joined a men's small group and were able to share and pray for them. Living at the coffee shop gives us an opportunity to meet and talk with people from all over the community. There are lots of church activities going on here which gives us a lot to be involved in. This is a unique place in that it offers healing prayer for anyone who would want it. There have been occasions where people have walked in the doors and immediately experienced the healing touch of God, before even entering the prayer room. We are getting to work on our documentary so there should be some video updates soon!

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Letters to Jesus

I was hesitant to share some of these personal journal entries, but if even just one person will find encouragement in them then it's for something... some of the entries were from points of desperation in my life, others from times of peace and revelation.

From my journal:

10-20-2008 I am dying of thirst by the side of the fountain.

For so long I found it difficult to believe that I was worthy of love. Forgive me for the times I didn't trust you. You have been so patient with me. You have looked at my heart; you saw my tortured soul and you rescued me from darkness. You loved me even when I betrayed you and went back to my old ways. You never gave up on me. What is it that you want to break in me Lord, so that my heart is capable of love, love as you intended it to be?

10-1-2009 Why do I insist on wasting my time and effort on the things that don't fill me up?

11-2-2009 I can see the cross at the top of the hill.

12-28-2009 Your light is greater than my darkness.

12-29-2009 We have a plan that is set before us by God, no one's plan looks the exact same, which means that we can't look at others beside us and compare ourselves to them; we must look ahead to the finish line where Jesus waits, cheering us on.

1-13-2010 Your faith is not a concept, it's a conviction; and every ounce of your being must pour into that conviction.

The Lord filled them with joy by changing their attitude.

3-12-2010 How is it that I can let your beauty escape me?

Remind me of the blood you shed so that I may have peace and joy, so that I may be free.
Your sacrifice paid the price and your ressurection made me free.

You
Defeated
Death...

So Lord I ask you to defeat me, defeat my flesh, defeat my will, defeat my sin, and defeat everything inside of me that stands against you.

8-1-2010 Thank you my sweet Jesus for giving me a new life. I am no longer bound by chains for your Spirit is within me, all is forgiven and I am clean.

You make known to me the path of life, in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11

There's a flowing river that I sit beside I cannot leave it, for it gives me life.

This is the time...

I am exactly who I was meant to be. There is no striving today, no need to make something out of nothing...it is in this simple place where I can hear you breathing.

I am like a bird. I am free to fly from tree to tree, smelling the flowers each keeps. I am free to build a nest, I am free. Every bird has been given its own voice. I am free to make a new melody.

Changing Lanes

So last month I left Kentucky, embarking on a long term road trip across the US, first I would be going to Boston and then I would be off to the next location. Well you may not have heard but on the second day of my road trip my car broke down in New Jersey and I left it there with an extra $250 in my hand :)

As you can imagine this changed my plans just a little bit. It didn't take long for it to become evident that God had a plan that was slightly different than what I had originally intended. Right now I am living with my friend Katie, who I met in Belize through YWAM. She lives with her parents, grandmother, and siblings, and they have adopted me into their family. Within the first week of being in New England, Katie and I were able to reconnect with one of the speakers we had at our DTS and the meeting was uplifting and encouraging. The speaker (Brenda) nvited us to share with the YWAM base students in Boston and it turned out to be a precursor of a calling that was to come.

After Katie and I met with Brenda we felt like God was setting up something bigger than anything we could have anticipated. You see, Katie has a unique gift in performing arts and when I heard her do spoken word for the first time on the topic on teenage pregnancy, I realized that my testimony tied into this incredible talent she had, since I had been in a situation going through the process of adoption. We both have a heart for people to experience God in a real, tangible way...so we started dreaming up the possibilities to share the things God has done in our lives.

For the last three weeks Katie and I have been speaking at youth retreats about Jesus' love and how to hear from God...and it has been a priviledge and a blessing. Just today we witnessed God at work in the heart's of 20 highschool girls; through tears and laughter it was evident that God was moving in big ways....and we don't want to stop there. Back when Katie and I were in the Philippines we had dreams of going to Europe, following the lead of the Holy Spirit, and putting all our faith and trust in God to lead us to people who need to be encouraged, instilled with hope, or just hear how much God loves them. So we bought one way tickets to London for June 13th and we are counting on God to provide everything necessary for our trip. I plan to keep all my loved ones updated on how this trip progresses; I feel like the journey of faith is not only meant to help build my faith but also of those who will experience it with me.

God calls us all into amazing things, regardless of geography. It is such a blessing that God gives us the chance to encounter people on a daily basis; we may not know where they come from or what they've been through, but we do know this for sure- God loves them with an everlasting love and we can be messengers of this hope.

Check out the website for Blueprint Ministries :)

www.wix.com/europemission2011/blueprint

The Traveling Vagabond

I found this Franciscan Blessing in my journal yesterday and the words spoke right into my soul...

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, opression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out to comfort them and turn their pain into joy. May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. And the Blessing of God who creates, redeems, and sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forevermore.

I have been home now for a couple months and to be honest the adjustment has been a little difficult. I tried to enter back into the life I lived last year, but my life now isn't the same as it was then. There have also been anxieties over making plans for the future...and let me tell you, this state of histeria was completely foreign to me...I mean usually it is my LACK of worry that concerns others (and by others I mean my mother :) I love you mom).

I was feeling stuck...and I also was getting really comfortable...I mean having my own bedroom and only having to share a bathroom with one other person instead of 19 people....how could you not get used that?! While being back in Richmond has been great (seeing old friends, and being at the church I love so much), life has been lacking something, and I realized it was purpose. Right now I am sure you're asking, "How do you fix this lack of purpose in your life?" Don't worry, I'm about to tell you....... You pack up all your belongings into your car and you go to Boston, duh. :D

So going on a long term road trip has been something I've wanted to do for a couple years now, but I never actually thought it was feasible. So when God told me to chart the map during the new year, my response was "I don't really know what you mean by that." Plus I had this internship to Russia to focus on. So it wasn't until I hit my breaking point a couple weeks ago that I decided the right next step was to go. But I did wrestle with this...I wondered whether it was a wise and responsible thing to do (see how much change this DTS has changed me!!)

But then I read some words written by my friend Josh about a conversation he had with his mentor Jon....in response to 1 Tim 4:12 "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity; show yourself as an example of those who believe." :

Jon said "youthfulness could be synonymous to foolishness, but that foolishness isn't based on wisdom but on faith. When people see your faith they are prone to think you are weird and foolish. But let them". (Josh speaking:) The fact is I felt that God was asking me to quit my job, leave my home and go overseas. That calling not only shocked me, but it shocked the adults in my life who thought it was foolish and irresponsible. But I'm in good company if people start thinking I'm foolish by the world's standards.

This was what I needed to hear in order to feel released to take yet another risky step in my life. So the plan is to get in my car and drive, listening to the Lord and being obedient to what He asks...go where He asks, pray for those He shows me, and just enjoy this amazing life that I get to live. Russia is still on the horizon, I find out next month if I have been selected for an internship in Moscow....but until then it seems as if God is allowing me to pursue the desires of my heart, which is just another reason why He is so awesome and totally worthy of all honor and glory. So get ready America!!! haha