Back at Masters

Well I'm back at Masters. It's been wild, but good. I'm super tired, so this will be short, hopefully. Tomorrow I will be blessed to return to Placerita Baptist once more.

Yesterday my dad and I got down here in good time. He pretty much did all the work. Thanks Dad! I had to go copy a form before I could move everything in, so he unpacked everything. So good to see some friends. I was blessed to have dinner with my friend John. He will be studying abroad for a semester, so this was my only time to visit. Went down to Skid Row. It was amazing to see God open up different opportunities there. We were encouraged by a fellow Christian where we buy our tacos, and we were also encouraged by several Christians passing out water and tracks downtown. We don't serve from a specific church, or college... we are all servants of God. Brothers and sisters here in the US.

Today I helped my good friend Tyler unpack. We unpacked for maybe 5 hours, but also chatted and caught up. He got married two weeks ago! So excited for him. I love him and his wife so much. They're an amazing example to me. I was so excited to get his call yesterday. We talked almost the whole day. haha. Then, came back to Hotchkiss. Played cards with Stephen and Amy for a bit. Then Amy and I chatted for sometime. Good to bounce ideas back and forth and hear how each others summers went.

Well, I'm exhausted, so good night!

A Blessed Day

I haven't posted here in a bit. I'm not really sure that anyone's reading it right now, with it being summer and me changing to this site, but I will update anyway.

Today I spent some time with my grandfather and grandmother in Antioch. Had a good time going to the store with my grandfather and then chatting with my Granny and Gramps for a bit.

Headed out to Byron to meet with my former high school science teacher, Mrs. Bell. She is now a missionary in Uganda, in a small village outside Kampala. I had not seen her for about 5-6 years, but we got in contact and decided to meet up today to talk. She is home for several months until she returns back to Uganda. I can't tell you what an amazing blessing it was to meet with her! God encouraged me so much hearing through her what He's doing in Africa.

So much of the news we hear is focused on death, HIV, orphans, widows, homeless, wars, and so on. We hear only the problems, the darkness, the hopelessness of Africa. But while all the death is real, more real than I can fathom, God is working among His children there! I don't know how many times my emotions flipped back and forth on me while I listened to Mrs. Bell speak... there is so much saddness... but there is so much joy as people come to know the hope of Jesus Christ as their Savior! She told me how she prays with multitudes of families who are watching loved ones die from AIDS, and how she offers to pray for peace. Not that they will be healed, for there is no cure now, but that God, the God of the universe, might grant them peace in their situation. Life is hard, life is brutal, but God is in control, and God does have a plan for each person's life. I thought it so interesting that she does not offer a false hope, but proclaims the hope of Christ to the sick.

I asked her if she ever has a hard time trusting God seeing the pain that has enveloped so many peoples there... in Uganda and the Sudan. She told me that she never does... she sees people turn to Christ. In their seemingly hopeless lives they can see Christ as the glorious Rock and Healer, Sustainer... unlike so many who live comfortable, easy lives. Unlike many blinded by hedonism, so many can see their need for salvation in our Lord. I thought of the passages that talk about Christ coming to save the sick... for they know they need to be healed. We all, every man, woman, and child needs the Healer, but only those that know of their need of Him can run to him.

This is too long... but I'll just say it was a huge blessing to hang out with my grandparents and to visit Mrs. Bell and hear all about God's great workings in Uganda and the Sudan.

A Huge Blessing

It has been over a week since I have returned to the States, and I feel it is time to do some sort of “short” recap of what happened in Kazakhstan.

I left for Almaty, Kazakhstan nearly a month ago. July 12 I left San Francisco for my ‘other’ home. It was so sweet to reunite with my brothers and sisters. I felt home, even though my ‘real’ home was so far away. Our full ministry did not really begin until Monday of that week (we arrived on Saturday morning). The first week we spent our mornings serving alongside Resurrection Church hosting a VBS and spent our afternoons and evenings teaching English. It was not unusual for me to wake up between 4 and 5am and fall to sleep between 12 and 1am.

But this weakness allowed me to see God’s faithfulness and strength! Isaiah 40 was a huge encouragement to me: “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” I can’t explain to you how awesome it was to see God’s amazing faithfulness to me in giving me strength, in giving me energy. I so wanted to pass out and collapse so many times, but God provided energy for me to serve. I was pressed for strength at VBS and English Club especially, but when I hit my lowest I could see His power in my weakness.

Another verse that encouraged me was Galatians 6 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” I had to remember never to grow weary in doing in. Sleep can be such a temptation, laziness can be such a temptation, but I must never grow weary in doing good.

VBS was such an amazing experience for me this year. I served as a leader for the 7-9 year old gang. My group had a Kazakh leader (Ura), and then Ashley and I as leaders, and then 10-15 kids. I was blessed to gain three small friends. The first day two little kids, Muslim and Lusht, became my friends. The second day I gained my best little friend, Pasha. He had been pretty silent the first day, but I tried speaking to him in Russian, and he became my little buddy. I was so tired every morning, but God encouraged me to serve through His Word and these three little kids. Pasha had to be the cutest little kid I’d ever seen – one day he came up to me and asked me if I was his friend (eta moi druge?) and when I said ‘da’ he got so happy. I was so blessed. The last day he brought me a present, and Lena (the pastor’s wife) told me he’d been crying all night because he was afraid he wouldn’t see me again. Broke my heart! I was so sad to have to leave Pasha and the rest of the gang. It was so hard sometimes just physically to serve, but it was such a joy!

English Club was a little different this year, but God opened up some new opportunities. I helped teach Beginning English with Ashley and Kristen S. I love teaching beginners. It’s so much fun to act everything out with them. We teach English for about 3 hours, and then have ‘spiritual time’ with them afterwards. This year I got to share my testimony during spiritual time. It was so awesome to share my testimony in the country that God really worked on my heart. I wanted to share the joy that I now have with those who are darkened there. I also had the awesome blessing to share the gospel to my class! I had not expected to share it in class, but on the last day of classes Justin asked me to share. I had a horrible stomach that day, and was very nervous about being able to just stand up and give it. But about 10 mins before I was to share, God completely cleared my stomach, and I was able to share the gospel, the good news, with about 15 non believers! Slava Bogu!

The final days there were spent at the Bible Camp. This year’s camp was frustrating to me because of my lack of being able to communicate well, but it was still amazing to see God working through those from Resurrection Church. I think the partnership we have shone most brightly here. We passed off our work to them, and they have much more work ahead of them.

It’s always so hard coming home, wondering if it all really happened. I am here in my kitchen in Pittsburg, more than 13,000 miles from my home. I must remind myself that God is here and there, and all over the world bringing people to Himself! It was such a blessing and joy to return to Almaty and serve Him again there. It was so much harder physically this year, but I was able to grow in my trust in God by seeing His awesome and unwavering faithfulness daily, hourly. What an amazing God we serve! His love is all too beautiful to understand, is it not? I went to serve, and yet God blessed me more than I can write. Yes I served, oh how much work it was at times, but what joy did I find in Christ and in serving Him! I felt so low several times at Bible Camp, but He reminded me that He’s always in control, always there.

Slava Bogu!