November 11, 2010

First I'd like to take the time to say thank you to all the veterans of the United States military and the English military. Thank you for putting your life on the line to save ours just like Christ first did. Thank you for having so much pride and love for your country that you would leave your homes and families for the sake of freedom. God Bless You.

Now, I know it's been a long time since I've written. I have been so busy and put it off for such a long time. Bare with me, I don't like to write much. Tomorrow morning at 7am we leave for mini outreach in Sheffield (about 4 hours north of Harlesdon where I live and I am SO excited! Not so much about waking up before 7 but because it's the first time I feel like I get to go make a difference somewhere. We are performing a couple dramas; one for the youth group and one for the kids. The one for the youth is called "Masks" and the little kid one is "The Chair". While we're there we're there we will be working on a house for women and getting it ready to be lived in, visiting a retirement home to sing some hymns and share a little message, a men's shelter and the youth group and children's part of church.

We have also FINALLY been told the possible locations for out big outreach. They are (big dramatic pause) Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, Serbia or possibly Israel. We haven't made any definite plans so please pray for direction and clarity from God about where we are supposed to go! So there you go! The suspense is over...kind of. Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers and for supporting me while I've been away. You don't know how much it means to me and how lucky I feel to know I am supported at home.

This last week (the week I didn't write) we started to learn about the "plumbline of God's will". We discovered in ourselves things from our past or things that have been taught to us by authority figures that were holdings us back and causing us to build up walls to God and His divine will for our lives. It was weird to me what kind of things came up that I had pushed under the rug and thought nothing of for the longest time. I had already forgiven these things but I didn't realize that I was still having a hard time getting over them. God really revealed His Father heart to me and I could feel it in my heart instead of knowing it in my head.

I can honestly say that the confession time we had was the best thing I think i have ever done for myself. I feel so much more free of guilt and understood than I have in a long time. I don't like to cry so normally I do it when I'm alone, but I was surprised at how easily the tears came when I was sharing my heart with these people that I have only known a month. Even though I've known them so short a time, I feel like they know better than most of my friends. They know my struggles and where my heart is and how I have become who I am today. I love them with all my heart and hearing some of their stories made me hurt and cry with them. I was so happy to let God lift this burden off of me and I can feel the spiritual difference in myself and my family (ywam) in everything we do. We know and understand each other a lot better and I feel like I can trust every one of them with anything and everything.

It has started to get a LOT colder out but I absolutely love it! The park we walk through to get to the other house is covered in beautifully colored leaves and the fresh cold air feels amazing to my lungs when I finally get out of the house. It's amazing the difference a short cold intercession walk can have on your whole attitude. It wakes me up and makes me start the day with God on my mind and in my heart.

On Saturday I had the amazing privilege of spending the entire day with Mrs. Bestie McLain! We went to the National Gallery, the British Museum and the Tate Modern Museum. It was way too much beauty for my brain to handle but I felt so blessed to be able to go and see more of where I live. We also went to a really great pub not too far from the main square where I had my first fish n' chips meal. SO GOOD!(: There's nothing better in the world than walking through gorgeous London with a good friend, great conversation and so many amazing things to see! It was a very lovely day; probably the best I've had since I've been here!

I won't have internet while I'm on mini outreach until Monday I don't think...But I will try to be better about blogging when I get back and teling you all about my adventures(: God Bless! He and I love you!