Thanksgiving hits Middlesbrough!!!

This week all led up to THANKSGIVING!!!!! including the snow!!!!!

 

On Monday, at Archibald, my RE lesson was on Jesus' Death and Resurrection, assembly was on thankfulness and telling the truth, and Blast was on thankfulness, as well.  In Blast, I showed three things I was thankful for: 1- a card with a Texas flag and the word home 2- a picture of me and Austin at midnight march - thankful for one of my best friends 3- an MCC flyer representing the church family I am privileged to serve.  We then all sat around in a circle, 22 kids, and said what we are thankful for: most of them on their second turn said that they were thankful for this club, Kimberly, and Ms. Clark - how precious!!!! That was a great end to my school day.

Then God reminded me in lifegroup that my significance is found in Him, no one else.  Tuesday I met a lady who also struggles with asthma (still amazes me that God uses that part of my life - Praise Him!!) and had buried her head in the sand regarding her debts - God has got her in his reach, she just needs to turn to him - can't wait!!!! Then Wednesday was toddlers which is always a blast, and getting some time to hang out with Hannah. Lifegroup on wednesday was about discipleship, which was really good!!!

Then.... thursday....THANKSGIVING!!!!!! We started cooking at 12pm and ate at 7pm - brilliant!!

I'll just show some pictures because words can't describe how good it was! Then Friday was the CAP fundraising awards dinner where Freda won the "nevertheless" award for her bravery and courage.







The cooks of the evening



Loved having Shaina over!!!



Freda with her award!!!!



Humbled....

This blog is very difficult for me to write. Not because I have had a tough week, but because I am struggling to find the words to describe what God is doing in my life.  I have hit the most humble position I have ever been to in my life - and i'm abolutely in love with the God I serve.

This week we went to Istanbul.... and by went to Istanbul, I mean we were in a Ramada hotel for a week working 14 hour days with incredible kids. I was surrounded by families who have sacrificed everything to be Jesus to people who are far from him, in dangerous circumstances, and with their brilliant families. We split up into "tribes" and I was on orange with ages 7-11. We did numerous games, challenges, team building, and frienship building, trying to win "treasure" which was cards with words from Psalm 23 on it.  These kids blow me away.  They have forever impacted my life, and ministered to me far more than I think we ministered to them.  Praise the Lord for giving a fire to families to share Jesus to the lost. 

In thinking about the sacrifices these families make daily, I am immediately humbled.  I am humbled by the fact that God gave me a passion for the people of Middlesbrough.  I'm humbled that he gave me a family who is so supportive of me following a call from God.  I am humbled that the entire deacon body at my home church prayed for my sinus problems this week - and i was healed from them. I am humbled by the team from MCC that i was with this week.  I'm humbled by the perspective that my life is all about serving and making His name known to the world.  I'm humbled that he opened the door for me to serve with some great people this last week.  I'm humbled that the adults who are risking their lives were coming to us to tell us how amazing we were.... They are the ones who are amazing!!!

Thank you Jesus for giving me power in your Spirit to be your witness in "Jerusalem, Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth."  I'm truly humbled by your majesty.

That's all the words I can come up with - still processing what God is teaching me from this last week, and very excited about the week ahead!!!!

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you are serving the Lord, not men." Ephesians 6:7

Winter is here!!!

Hello everyone!!! It is finally winter here - absolutely windy and freezing!!

Thanks to everyone who was praying for Archibald because Monday was fantastic!!! We had 27 kids at BLAST and RE went really well.  I got a message after school that the year 6 teachers are changing their timetable so they can allow more time for RE lessons - praise the Lord!!!
Tuesday we did a second visit with Sally and Dave, which was one of the best visits so far because they were so open and willing to accepting the budget we gave them. Then the CU meeting was good, we discussed sin and the weight of it.

Toddlers on Wednesday and I was the main speaker at our lifegroup on Monday - discussing singleness and being set apart. I have pretty good experience with the single bit, and my testimony has a lot to do with getting to the point of finding my worth in the Lord after various other human relationships. I love it when God uses my past/testimony to impact and encourage others!

Thursday was a second visit with Robert, and first visit with Stephen - both went really well. Highlight of my week was meeting up with Shaina and Kimberly (both american) and discussing our week and praying for our respective ministries!! It was also the last Youth Alpha, which went well.

Please pray for the team of people from MCC as we travel to Istanbul, Turkey this week.  We will be helping out at a conference, and it will be absolutely exhausting - i can't wait!!!

Not to us, but to Your name, be the glory!!

In awe of my creator...

Wow this week was crazy - i feel like it just flew by!!!

Update: Monday was RE (good), Assembly (object lesson on honesty), and BLAST!!! We only had twenty kids because it was the first day back after half term, but it was really fun!!! We played Gorrilla, Man, Net and talked about the parable of the Rich Fool - how we need to share what we have.  I went to the new Acklam lifegroup that night, and we talked about Creation. We specifically discussed creation of earth and how we are made in God's image.  On Tuesday, we went on a first visit with CAP - this husband and wife win the most organized award!! They are so ready to be debt free so they can have that weight lifted and healing can come to their marriage.  Tuesday night at the CU meeting we talked about.... ready for this.... CREATION! Specifically the creation of the earth, and how we are made in God's image - see a common theme?? Wednesady included toddlers, and lifegroup. We discussed heavenly hope, and actually touched on how we are created in Gods image... the theme continues... Thursday was a first visit with Richard, a single guy who became the sole carer of his brother when he was 21, and is Roman Catholic.  He needs the joy Jesus brings!!! Saturday was American day: Shaina, and Kimberly (from Baylor working with TVCC) came over to watch some movies and discuss home: SO needed.
Today was Acklam sunday - and we had 9 kids in the kids work, which is a lot for that church plant, and it was loads of Fun!! One of the kids even said it was the most fun ever because of the games, and the texan - how precious!!!

God has reminded me this week that we are created in His image, and with that comes loads of responsibility.  We are to be His messengers, period. end of story. We have eternal instincts and drives that should motivate us to preach the word wherever we go - people seek eternity - they have eternity in their hearts. Jesus brings eternal life. As his ambassadors - we carry the responsibility to take that message to the world - praise the Lord for that awesome privilege!!!!

Please pray for:
~BLAST as the numbers will climb tomorrow
~Turkey: i will be there from the 13th to the 20th. Pray for safe travels, and a great time with our team.
~Richard, Sally, Davey, Eddy, and Audrey: the CAP clients we met with this week - God would draw them closer to Himself.
~God to speak new joys into my life, and reveal more of who He is!!

You're the God of this City!

You're the God of this city... THIS city. We sang this song this morning at MCC and it always moves me.  I think today I finally realized why. It's my calling as a Christian - it's our purpose. It's moving past the mundane and the norm to really embracing the place God has allowed you to live in.  I was told a few weeks ago, that God wanted to use this time in my life to launch me back into ministry at home. My response - but I love Middlesbrough! I'm tired of the Bible belt.... but no - God is to be proclaimed to people at home as well. He IS real, He requires wholly surrender, He gives purpose and burdens for a reason - He IS the God of this city. Just as "greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done" in Middlesbrough, the same great things are still to come in Texas - a revival is necessary to change the hearts of those that love Jesus from a to-do list, to passionate service of our Savior. It's time - time for a revival, time to proclaim that God, my Jesus, my Savior, my Redeemer, is the God of THIS city!!!!!

So after my paragraph on what God taught me this morning, here is a quick look at my week:
I went to York on Monday for a day away, which was great! Tuesday was a CAP visit with a lady named Anu, a university student - funniest visit ever!!  On Wednesday i got to spend some time with Shaina, my friend from UMHB who is working in Nunthorpe with Youth For Christ - SO great to hear an American voice! Lifegroup was brilliant as always. Thursday was amazing because God yet again used my asthma and health problems to relate to a CAP client - Edward and Audrey. It is just a matter of time before God pulls them back to himself. I was also the main speaker again at youth alpha on How and why we read the Bible, and adult alpha was just amazing!! Saturday was our Youth Alpha day away where we talked about the Holy Spirit, and then youth club was great as well - we had a bounce house in the main hall!!!!

God is showing me daily that my life is to be a living representation of the hope Jesus can give. Wholly surrender. Please continue to pray for my health and asthma, the Istanbul trip coming up, and the CAP clients!

"Missions is less about the transportation of God from one place to another and more about the identification of a God who is already there." Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell.

"²⁶From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. ²⁷God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ²⁸'For in him we live and move and have our being." Acts 17:26-28

Let's take a tour...

Hello all!!! Just thought I would give a quick tour of where I spend most of my time: Middlesbrough Community Church - St. Aiden's Centre.  The video is an update until this past Thursday.  Youth Alpha went really really well. Our topic was how can we pray: I got to pray over the four girls in my group which was brilliant!! Then we had our Beloved debrief - next year is going to be even better!!! We worked through loads, and these ladies are set to start planning next years!!! (p.s. i hope they fly in a really cool Texan to attend... aka- ME!!!) Then, tonight was ignite - it was pretty hectic, but I'm getting to know the kids a lot better so that was a plus!!

Alright - here's the video - please excuse the noise from the microphone messing up. Enjoy!!!

Be High and Lifted Up

Here is my update in video form!!! I forgot to mention the Inspire CAP conference for support workers that I attended on Saturday afternoon. We heard from founder John Kirby telling us his story of how he started CAP 14 years ago. Heard a seminar about being a giver - and another from Anne about going into peoples homes and changing lives. It was a great afternoon!!!