Looking Forward-2018

Next year will be the year 2018. A year of many new things. Next year I will marry the love of my life. I am currently preparing for the adventure of a lifetime. If you would have asked me a year ago, where I would be today I would not have been able to imagine it. Even as a little girl, I dreamed of marrying a wonderful man, settling down, and starting a family. I suppose most little girls have this dream. Maybe even more than dreaming of marriage, most little girls dream of their wedding day.

They dream of walking down the aisle in a beautiful white gown, shiny jewelry, a veil or maybe a tiara. They dream of the colors and the flowers, of the meal and of the cake, and of the people that will be there to celebrate with them. And not to mention, dreaming of the man who will share that day with them.  As that little girl grows older, the pressures of social media helping to solidify an idea of how their wedding day has to go. Pinterest boards grow as teenagers pin pictures of dresses and hairdos, and maybe even engagement rings that they like. Pins of flowers, gowns, wedding parties, tables, DIY decorations, and foods begin to pile up and compile a 'fairytale wedding'.

I will not lie and say I do not have a Pinterest board. That I don't have pictures of bridesmaid dresses, flowers, and table settings.  Or even that I am not excited to go pick out a wedding gown and find the perfect hair style. Because I am. But more than that I am excited to spend hours with my fiancé pouring over ideas together. I am excited to make home cooked meals that we will eat while looking over our song and guest list. To sit by his side and dream of our special day and make plans together that will soon become a reality.

I cannot wait for the day that I walk down the aisle, with my father by my side, looking up at the man that I will spend the rest of my life with.  I am excited to worship alongside of him and everyone that is there to celebrate our special day together. I am excited to say "I do" and exchange our vows-not to mention share our first kiss as a married couple. I dream of the moment we will get to dance to our song; the song that I feel was written just for us and is able to perfectly say what is always on my mind. I also know that the flowers and table settings and food will be wonderful, and that we will enjoy seeing everyone that we love.... 

But more than any of the wedding planning and the actual wedding day, there is something else that I am looking forward to next year. Because as beautiful as a wedding is and as much as I appreciate the symbolism and declaration-it is just one day. One crazy day that people often get so caught up in, that they do not think past that day. Next year what I am most excited for is growing with my best friend. Not just when we get married, but each moment leading up to it and after it. 

Life is made up of little moments that make memories. Each little moment is an opportunity to grow whether for the worst or the best and in the case of a relationship, whether closer together or farther apart. The year 2018 is a special year because I get to say "I do" to my best friend. Each moment before our wedding will be dearly cherished, as I already am cherishing each moment. I will continue to cherish each moment after we exchange our vows. It does not end there...living together and waking up with his face next to mine. Continue to cook meals together, listening to each other share about work, and taking care of our home together.

 

There will be laughter and mushy moments, but there will also be tears and frustrating moments. I look forward to the hard times just as much as the fun and easy moments. Because it is in these moments that God will challenge us and help us to grow. We will continue to learn how to disagree and compromise, and how to forgive and unconditionally (agape) love each other. It is during next  year that my soon to be husband and I will continue to build up the foundation that God has laid before us. The foundation that we will build the rest of our lives upon. 2018 will be a year to remember because I am looking forward to doing life with my other half.

All photographs taken by: Danielle Trista Photography

http://danielletristaphot.wixsite.com/danielletrista

Recently I had the opportunity to return to Costa Rica and to visit Guatemala for the first time. There are two things that I love most about traveling. The first is that traveling to new places and seeing new cultures always allows me to have a deeper view of who God is through discovering and understanding (a little) of parts of Him that I had not know before. And the second is the relationships. The relationships with people that I am able to renew and create new memories with and also the new relationships that I am able to build. There is something special about having friends all over the globe.

I was able to travel to Costa Rica, to attend my dear friend, Teresa's wedding. Teresa was one of the girls that I did my DTS in YWAM with and I had the amazing opportunity to stay with four of my different DTS leaders and connect with many beloved friends (family).

Costa Rica here I come!

Breakfast with my YWAM outreach leaders and my dear friend Nina.

The adorable room I stayed in.

The entrance of where the wedding took place and one of the flower arrangement

With Teresa-such a beautiful bride <3

My first time back on the YWAM base since June 2013.

Pops Ice cream with Nela and her family!

This was my first time going to Guatemala and I stayed at Fundaniños. Fundaniños is a children's home and I had the opportunity to spend four days observing classes at the school they have on campus and spending time getting to know the children. Even after just four days it was very hard for me to leave. I am praying that I will have the opportunity to be further involved there in the future. 

The view from Fundaniños

Some of the pre-school age children that I had the opportunity to read to and spend time with.

I am so thankful for the opportunity that God had given me to go on this trip. And I am especially blessed by the memories that were made and the people that have touched my heart.

Thy Will

As I am writing this, my heart is hurting. Sometimes I make mistakes and know that the consequence is a result of the mistake, but there are other times where I'm belwildered. I know I'm in the center of God's will-It doesn't make any sense. As I fall to my knees I'm at a loss for my own words and these lyrics come to mind.....

"I'm so confused

I know I hear you loud and clear

So, I followed through 

Somehow I ended up here

I don't want to think

I may never understand 

That my broken heart is a part of your plan

When I try to pray 

All I've got is hurt and these four words. 

Thy will be done."

This is the beginning of the song Thy Will Be Done by Hillary Scott. This is a song that my heart often cries out when I can put it into my own words. The song goes on to repeat "Thy will be done" over and over and I find myself clinging to these four words.

No one ever said that life was going to be easy, and God especially never told me that following him would make my life easier. But sometimes as Christians we put off the message that accepting Jesus as your savior will make your life easier- Sometimes people even think that if something bad happens it must be because you are not in God's will.  But in reality "picking up our cross and following Jesus" might be the hardest thing we've ever had to do. There are going to be times when you are in the center of God's will when everything made sense and then suddenly it falls apart. The song goes on to say...

"I know you're good

But this doesn't feel good right now

And I know you think 

Of things I could never think about 

It's hard to count it all joy

Distracted by the noise

Just trying to make sense

Of all your promises

Sometimes I gotta stop

Remember that you're God

And I am not" 

The song goes onto express exactly what my heart is thinking...and sometimes the part I forget. Yes, it doesn't feel good. Yes, it makes absolutely no sense. But God has the bigger picture and He is God, I AM NOT. Ultimately He has allowed this to happen even if it doesn't make sense to me. And Yes I am hurting, but that doesn't mean God doesn't care and it doesn't mean that He isn't hurting with me. So whether it is a relationship, a job opportunity, or something I have been been praying about I cling to Him and..

"Like a child on my knees all that comes to me is

Thy will be done

Thy will be done

Thy will be done

I know you see me

I know you hear me, Lord"

And I choose to trust in His promises even though I might not understand right now. Someday I will and now I choose to accept His will in my life.

Hillary Scott-Thy Will Be Done

Privilege AND Obligation

Since coming back I have had a lot of thoughts on my mind and heart, but as I am still processing I have a hard time verbalizing them. I mentioned that during my time in Ethiopia, God made it very clear to me His heart for missions, so when people ask my about my trip I share about that. Over and over I have left conversations feeling confused and empty over people's responses. Many people seem to look at what I say as "MY calling", but I see it more as God's command, or obligation to follow. Durng this time I have also read the book "Radical" by David Platt. He has been able to much more eloquently state what has been on my heart. 

 When I look at this picture, I think of all the hundreds of people inside these tin houses that may have never heard of Jesus before. 

"I wonder if we in some ways intentionally and in other ways unknowingly erected lines of defense against the global purpose God has for our lives. It's not uncommon to hear Christians say, "Well not everyone is called to foreign missions," or more specifically, "I am not called to foreign missions." When we say this, we are usually referring to foreign missions as an optional program in the church for a faithful few who are apparently called to that. In this mind-set, missions is a compartmentalized program of the church, and select folks are good at missions and passionate at missions. Meanwhile, the rest of us are willing to watch the missions slide shows when the missionaries come home, but in the end God has just not called us to do the missions thing. 

But where in the Bible is missions ever identified as an optional program in the church? We have just seen that we were created by God, saved from our sins, and blessed by God to make his glory known in all the world. Indeed, Jesus himself has not merely called us to go to all nations; he has created us and commanded us to go to all nations. We have take this command, though, and reduces it to a calling-something only a few people recieve.

I find is interesting that we don't do this with other words for Jesus. We take Jesus' command in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations, and we say, "That means other people." But we look at Jesus' command in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest," and we say, "Now, that means me." We take Jesus' promise in Acts 1:8 that the Spirit will lead us to the ends of the earth, and we say, "That means some people." But we take Jesus' promise in John 10:10 that we will have abundant life, and we say, "That means me."

In the process we have unnecessarily (and unbiblically) drawn a line of distinction, assigning the obligations of Christianity to a few while keeping the privileges of Christianity for us all. In this way we choose to send off other people to carry out the global purpose of Christianity while the rest of us sit back because we are 'just not called to that.' 

...."Maybe the most common response that arises among Christians regarding the global purpose of God is "What about the needs here? Why do we need to be involved with other nations when there are so many in our nation?" 

...Certainly there are great needs here. But must we insist on dividing the Great Commission into an either-or proposition? Who told us that we had to choose to have a heart for the United States or a heart for the world? Based on the purpose of God we've seen in the Scripture, shouldn't every Christian's heart be ultimately consumed with how we can make God's glory known in all the world? 

...In all this mission's talk, you may begin to think, Well, surely you're not suggesting that we're all supposed to move overseas. That is certainly not what I'm suggesting (though I'm not completely ruling it out!). But this is precisely the problem. We have created the idea that if you have a heart for the world and you are passionate about global mission, then you move overseas. But if you have a heart for the United States and are not passionate about global mission, then you stay here and support those who go. Meanwhile, flying right in the face of this idea is Scripture's claim that regardless of where we live-here or overseas- our hearts should be consumed with make the glory of God known in all nations." -David Platt (taken from pages 72-76)

David Platt goes on to share many examples and stories of people living both overseas and in the United States who are having a global impact. I know that this is a challening and maybe controversial subject for many people, but I think I needs to be considered, talked about, and even applied to our lives. I wish I could quote the entire book-there was so much more that I was impacted by. If you were in anyway challenged, convicted, or encouraged by this excerpt I encourage you to read the whole book; it will be time well spent! 

In light of all I have seen, what God has put on my heart, and what I learning now through the bible and books like this, I am challenged to look at my life and consider both the privileges and obligations that I have as a Christian. Am I living the biblically, the way Jesus has called me to live? What needs to change in my life in order to live out the global command that I have been given? 
In light of all of this, How will you live? 

Platt, David. Radical: taking back your faith from the American Dream. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah , 2015. Print.

Returning Home

Whether it's from a week long mission's trip or many years of living abroad, returning home is never easy. And for a number of different reasons. "Reverse culture shock" is often one of the culprits; and for me it is always a culture shock to return to culture of American Christianity in relation to the Christianity that I see and experience abroad. No matter how much I try to to prepare myself, it never ceases to catch hold of me. 

Another reason returning home can be so hard is because of the passion that you develop while abroad (I've noticed this can even happen at weekend conferences). You often come back wanting to change the world right away and it's easy to get overwhelmed or discouraged. I am getting better at preparing myself for all the adjusting and knowing that I need to make efforts not to lose that passion. 

But the hardest thing about returning home, to me, is telling people about my time there. Everyone asks about your trip, but for the most part people don't actually want to hear about it. They like hearing that it was great and maybe about the food or an experience or two, but the topic often gets changed after a minute or two. Sometimes though, I find it even harder to talk about my time with the people that genuinely want to know. Where do I start? How much do I share? What is the best way to convey what God was/is teaching me (if I can even put it into words)? What about my experience will best impact them? 

One thing that I have taken from my time in Ethiopia has been a widened perspective of who God is. Genesis 1: 27 says, "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them." We can catch a glimpse of who God is by looking at ourselves and the people around us. But as a young white woman from small town Pennsylvania it is very easy for me to picture the image of God as myself and those I am surrounded by. But each new place I go to and each new culture that I am exposed to widens my image of who God is. I am just not made in God's image, but the man sitting in the corporate office in New York is made in God's image. The young single mom in Nicaragua, washing her clothing in the river is made in God's image. The old drunk man asleep on the side of the road in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is made in God's image. Just as the young malnourished child in an orphanage in Asia is also made in God's image. The more people I meet and learn their stories the more my love for my God has grown-How creative, how wonderful and how loving of a God He is!

Through that God has been teaching me more of his heart. In Ethiopia, it was as if God was saying to me, "See Lauren? See all of the beautiful people, created in my image? I love each and every one of them so much!" I was able to see God's love for ALL of the nations through my experience, and His desire for them to all know and experience His love. More than ever I have seen the importance of have a global mindset and loving ALL people as God has called HIS people to do. Sometimes we don't know a specific call that God has created us for, but God does layout some very clear callings already for us in the bible. Matthew 28: 19-20 says, "Therefore go and make disciples of ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.." That is a call to His people, to Christians. We are called not just to share Jesus and love those right around us-but to do this for all God's people! Even though for each of us, our individual walks look different and we live out that call differently, God has reiterated to me the importance of missions and prayer for ALL of the world.

So as I settled in back home, my heart and mind is overwhelmed with all that I heard and saw. But God is working. He is working in the teachers at the International School, in the children attending the school, in the missionaries serving in Ethiopia, and the missionaries all around the world. God is working in the children and the adults who are being reached by those missionaries. And God wants to continue is work in you and in me! The love that God has for each of us is indescribable! And every single one of us can play a role in the call and purpose that He has given to us. I know for sure that I will never be the same. And as I continue to process everything I cling to Him and what he is going to do next in me and through me!

"I have taken you from the ends of the earth and called you from its most distant places. I said to you, 'You are my servant. I've chosen you; I haven't rejected you. Don't be afraid, because I am with you. Don't be intimidated; I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will support you with my victorious right hand...Don't  be afraid; I will help you." Isaiah 41:9-10, 13b  

From the Heart- Written by Alicia Thompson

Zambia...I can't even explain the experiences and emotions that came from this trip but all in all, it was amazing. 

The people, the kids, the culture, everything  completely changed my perspective on life and my future. It's so easy in the first world, especially in America, to get caught up in success and comfort and wealth, but all those things are so empty compared to fulfilling relationships with other people and with God. 

These past few months have been super rough for me, and I'm still trying to find my way back. Life can be hard no matter who you are or where you live. Each day is a battle not to let the darkness win, but to me, if you're still fighting, that's a victory in and of itself. 

In the people of Zambia, there's this renewed hope; that even the smallest things can change a person's life, that in the poorest parts of the world, love and laughter exist, and that even when things are dark, there is still life, there is still beauty, and God is still there. I've seen children and adults who have next to nothing sing at the top of their lungs to a Creator who is so, so worthy of praise. And it's real. They've had ups and downs and everything in between on a far more extreme scale than I ever will, and yet, they have faith and hope that are strong enough to withstand it all and to overflow into the lives of people like me. 

The smallest things and the briefest words have slowly shifted my ever changing perspective - people and food and kids and insanely bumpy dirt roads and bugs and fear and smells and rain and heat and dogs and stories and silence and laughter and kindness and music and everything in between. I have a better idea now of what I want to do and how I can do it, and it feels really good. So much pressure is lifted when you realize what's truly important and what's just not. 

Zambia honestly took whatever presuppositions I had about life and needs and other people and turned them upside down, forcing me to look inside myself and figure out who and what I depend on. 

I'm so grateful for the people I've met, the things I've heard and seen, and really the whole experience; I wish it was much longer. I've learned so much about myself and my God, but now I guess it's time to go home. 

Bye for now, Africa. I'll be back very soon. ❤️🌍

This is a little bit of Alicia Thompson's heart- She is a 17 year old senior in high school and just returned from a 2 week trip in Zambia, Africa. She has a heart for missions, loves children, 

and enjoys crafts, music, reading, and playing sports. 

Out of the Hopelessness

 "I always thank God about Compassion's ministry for the needy, oppressed, depressed and hopeless ones like me." 

On my trip to visit Ruzeya I learned so much about Compassion International and how it has helped and is helping so many people. I wanted to share another encouraging story with you. A story of Hope. During my time traveling to visit Ruzeya I got to hear the my translator, John's*, story. John was actually a sponsored child who grew up in Addis. He entered the Compassion program when he was around 8 or 9 years old. 

During his time in the program he had multiple sponsors, but there was one sponsor that he had for over 7 years and he said that she helped him get through the hardest times of his life. During the time that she was sponsoring him, things weren't easy at home and when he felt depressed or as if things weren't going to get better her letters reminded him that he was worth it and that he had a future. There was now hope for him. 

Many times children in developing countries don't even finish secondary school since their families can't afford the school fees. But not only was he able to finish secondary school but he also went through the Compassion leadership development program and went to University. John has now been working for Compassion Ethiopia for 7 years and is also currently taking classes for his MA.

He said, "I don't know where would I be and how I would end up without it. My family had nothing to feed me up, to buy me clothes with or to send me to school. The time Compassion appeared to my life it was a BIG & HUGE surprise. Words will never express my appreciation that I have for Compassion!"

Because of the Compassion program, John also learned about God and became a Christian, growing in relationship with Him. Sponsorship in John's life not only met his physical needs, but also his mental, emotional and spiritual needs. He has two younger siblings, a brother and a sister, who were not enrolled in Compassion's program. Today, neither of them are Christians and John's younger brother spends his time on the streets of Addis addicted to the local hallucinogen and alcohol. It is amazing how the future of a life can be changed when there is hope. Being born into poverty can lead to a mentality that says "I am nothing" and "This is just the way things are". But through encouragement, discipliship and knowing God, John now lives a completely different life than he ever imagined. 

"You know what God did through Compassion? It not only released me from financial or economic poverty but from every aspect, especially from hopelessness and despair and it made me think that there is life beyond the challenges that I was passing through."

*This name has been changed for the privacy of the translator and his family