2018, what a year! I moved to Georgia, started a new job and helped send 1,500 people across the US, Puerto Rico and Cuba to share the love of Jesus! I was able to personally lead a few teams to the following locations: Duffield, VA; Detroit, MI; New Orleans, LA; Haiti; Cuba and a vision trip to Puerto Rico. To keep from writing a novel, I would like to share just a few highlights of what God has been teaching me this year. I will also be sharing a testimony from a participant who went to Puerto Rico. I hope you’re encouraged by what God has been doing in me and around the world!
TO FEEL KNOWN:
I started out this year struggling to truly know God as my Father. As a lot of us do, I put my earthly example of a father onto my heavenly Father. I knew He loved me but I didn’t feel known by Him. Have you realized, there are tons of people who know hundreds of facts about your life thanks to social media but they don’t truly know you? I believe this is why so many people feel so lonely and struggle with depression. This is exactly how I was feeling about God, that He knew me but didn’t truly know me. I started praying that I would feel more known by God. After a couple of months, nothing really changed. I started to get frustrated, and that’s when I heard God say “The more you get to know Me, the more you will feel known by Me.” I changed my focus as I opened up the Bible. I started reading scripture about God’s character and His promises and started making them personal for me. The more I personalized the message I was reading, the more loved I felt by Him. As I got to know Him, I truly did feel known by Him.
“See what kind of love the Father has given us (me), that we (I) should be called children (the daughter) of God..” 1 John 3:1
CONQUERING FEAR:
Throughout most of my life, I have been a leader in one way or another. But when it came to leading these mission trips I was terrified. Praying out loud for people I didn’t know, giving spiritual guidance and counsel, leading a bible study and cooking for a team! All of these things scared me! I didn’t think I was good enough, skilled enough, or spiritual enough! That’s when God reminded me that if I led the mission trip the way it should be led, I had nothing to worry about. That meant giving God the reins and letting Him lead. I had to be reminded that I was a tool for Him to use. Leading trips quickly became my favorite part of my job. Being able to pour into others, encourage them in their faith, and watch as they stepped out of their comfort zone to love other people, was absolutely amazing! I’m so thankful God gave me the courage to let go of the fear, step out of my comfort zone, and enter into leadership.
‘Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10
MISSIONS IN CUBA:
After months of hearing how amazing Cuba trips were, I finally had the chance to go on one! The ministry work going on in Cuba made me feel like I could see a glimpse into what the early church. It was as if Jesus had just given them the great commission and departed from their presence. We joined them as they went from home to home meeting with people in the community. Some of these people were church members and others were just neighbors. We shared our stories, encouraged people in their faith, and prayed over them. One of the days we were walking from one house to another and I noticed the pastor who was walking with us had stopped. I turned around to see him talking with a lady sitting on her porch. We were in a little bit of a rush so I wondered what he was talking to her about. Once he caught back up, I asked him what he was doing and he said, “God wanted me to share the gospel with her.” He said it so casually as if he shares the gospel with people on a daily basis! I don’t know why this surprised me so much. The pastors we served with in Cuba was completely sold out for what they believed and what God had called them to do. They didn’t just teach on Sunday, but they also went out throughout the week and met with people individually. Encouraging them, praying with them, and studying with them. They truly understand the importance of discipleship. I wonder what it would look like if we were completely sold out for what God has called us to? What it would look like if we invested a little more time into our neighbors, our colleagues or the person that sits next to us at church on Sunday?
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always until the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
PARTICIPANT TESTIMONY:
“When we arrived in Puerto Rico, we went to scout out the projects we would be working on throughout the week. We came to a ladies house named Wanda, to find out how we could help. After seeing the work that needed to be done around her home, I asked if I could pray for her. She said yes. I invited the Pastor to come and pray with us, Wanda looked at me and said: “he’s a pastor?” I said, “yes, you didn’t know that?” She said “not really…he came to my house on Monday and asked me if I needed help. I told him yes.” She shared that after the storm she walked away from God and tried to commit suicide after someone killed her son on her doorstep. She was struggling with severe depression. She said, “Last Sunday I went back to church for the first time and I cried to God, ‘If you still love me and you are real show me somehow!’ and last Monday this man came to see if I needed any help and today here you are.” She was crying and she said “God still loves me and God is real! You are an answer to prayer.” The rest of the week we did ministry all around her house and we saw the transformation in her house, her faith, her life, and her neighborhood. It was truly God at work and it was just amazing to watch!” -Karla
“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39
I hope you were encouraged by what God’s been doing. If you have more questions about what has been going on in my life, please reach out. I would love to hear from you! It’s truly been an incredible year, and I can’t wait to see what God has for me in 2019.
Some of my goals for 2019:
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Spend more time at the gym
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Eat less pizza (unless I get to the gym)
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Journal more
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Pray for my loved ones consistently
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Spend more time with Jesus
These are all things I have to make a decision to do on my own. However, there is one goal you can help me with! One of my goals for 2019 is to become fully funded. I’m only $300 away from reaching my monthly goal and I believe with your help I can reach it! I’ve been so blessed by what God is doing through Adventures in Missions and none of it would be possible without the generosity of people like you. If you would like to come on my team as a monthly supporter or give a one time gift please click on the link above to donate.
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written. “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:14-15
