Tis a Season to bring HOPE

Christmas, it’s not always about what comes wrapped in ribbons, bows, and wrapping paper but it’s about being with friends and family however, for the Dallas Leadership Foundation, it was a season of bringing hope to over 700 families. Months leading into December, we started having meetings in order to plan and prepare for the Treasure of Hope Christmas Store. This is an annual store where merchandise is discounted at 75%-80% and families are able to be referred to the store in order to shop and be able to have hope for the Holiday and possibly allow the family to have a Christmas that may not have been possible beforehand.

There’s a lot of behind the scene stuff that has to happen in order to make the store happen and it takes everyone to help make it happen. Days were spent on delivering toy boxes to abut 40 organizations to help collect toys and merchandise to put in the store, it took shopping a couple of days to get enough merchandise for the store, it took weeks to price all of the merchandise, and the help of numerous volunteers/ supporters/ and staff to make the store possible and a success.

So, the Treasure of Hope store was December 18^th-21^st and even though it was a very exhausting time, it was well worth the energy to know that we were able to help bring a sense of hope to over 700 families and was done in a way that the shoppers didn’t feel offended. They were glad to shop, kept their dignity, and left with more than they arrived with (both spiritually and physically).

Every family not only left with the gifts that they bought, but they also left with a food box to take home to their family. They didn’t only experience shopping at the store but they also experienced a Gospel presentation, a chance to be prayed, a chance to know Christ and experience His love, and a chance to have dinner and interact with many other people.

I was over the registration area and was able to have interaction with almost every person that came through the store. I was also able to use my Spanish major and interact with some of the Hispanic speakers at the store. Knowing that I was using the gifts that God gave me, my major, interacting with those that came through, seeing the impact that was being made, etc was well worth inputting over 900 names and information into our data base so that we could register the shoppers and check that they attended or not. However, now that the store is over and we are all moved out, I am glad to have a break from the data base (apricot) since it was a lot.

So, here are some pictures from the Treasure of Hope store and remember this holiday season to be thankful for what God has given you since you never know who may have less and may be looking for a little bit of hope… HOPE, that’s what the store brought and it was a blessing to be able to help with this event and interact with those we were reaching out to this holiday season. 

More could be said about the store but then again, words don't do justice to what the store is about and the impact that it has on numerous families... Check out my earlier blog post "Bringing Hope" to read more about some of the things that had to take place before the store could open.

A shopper with her bag full and ready to check out

Vehicle full after doing a merchandise pick up from 4 places

Some of the shoppers that enjoyed their purchase of a new bike for their children

James Reed and the pastor from Cristo Rey delivering the Gospel message to the shoppers as they wait to enter the store

The registration team (Friday night)

The President of DLF (Wil) and a manager at Home Depot (Home Depot partnered with the store by putting together all the bikes, volunteering, and purchasing about 50 tool boxes and tool sets for the store!)

T-Ray and Santa at one of the store sessions

Some of the volunteers that were gift wrapping presents for shoppers if they wanted their stuff wrapped!

Every night, the store brought in entertainment as well and this was one of the groups that came in 

Some of the merchandise team helping out a shopper by pricing and making sure they were at or under the price limit

Some of the shoppers from Roosevelt High School (one of the schools that we have a lunch program at where we mentor and help students0

Some of the shoppers that were pleased with their purchase

Another happy shopper after her shopping experience

The store also had a hope fair where shoppers could find out information that would help them out

Packing up the store and getting ready to move out until next year

Spiritual Gifts

“In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t. If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.” ~Romans 12:4-8 (The Message)

Spiritual gifts, what are they? These are gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit and can be both things seen natural abilities as well as things that may seem to be more unnatural. I guess to simply put it, it’s in part how God has wired us and who He has made us to be. Nobody has every “gift” (hence the reason for the need of the entire church to work together since what one person is gifted with may not be what someone else if gifted with but every part is needed) but it’s good to know the “gifts” that we do have.

I was recently asked if I had ever taken a spiritual inventory to see what my “gifts” were and I have taken one but it’s been over a year and all I remember is that I had a high score in multiple areas but didn’t remember those areas. I will also say that one of my learning goals for the next 2 years is to discern and come to a better understanding of what God has equipped me to do (in other words, what are my “gifts” and what has God wired me to do?)

I absolutely believe with no doubt that “ministry” is my passion and where God has wanted me to be, I wouldn’t be here in TX if it weren’t God’s plan to have me in ministry but rather, I would be possibly miserable with a career that I thought was my dream career (you know, one of those careers where you knew since elementary school that you wanted to be but over time things change and God starts to add “gifts” into your life or make you aware of those “gifts” and you eventually realize that your dream career isn’t actually what you are meant to do.)

So, I am in ministry and working in TX and can honestly say that I love it. Yeah, there may be times that I don’t enjoy it and there may be times that it’s hard but that’s true with every job. However, 90% of the time, I enjoy what I am doing and don’t really see it as a job. However, since being at my placement site, I have been asked more than once what are my passions and what are my gifts. That is a question that I never enjoy and will answer around and never give an actual answer to. But, I do know that everyone has passions and everyone is gifted with something since that’s how God has made us.

Today, I decided to look online for some spiritual inventory tests just to see what the end result would be and they all had a 4 of my top strengths in common which were: administration, servanthood, faith, and leadership. So, what do those top “gifts” mean? At the end of this post, I will put the description of these 4 “gifts” under each area.

So, I know what the 4 different inventories that I took stated are my top “gifts” but do I agree with them?

Administration: I think that’s one that I don’t have to put any thought into since I have been told more times than not over the past 5 years that people see this “gift” in me. I remember when I was completing ministry job applications and my InterVarsity staff worker and mentor told me that he didn’t see me on staff with IFES (one of the ministries that I applied for and InterVarsity’s sister movement) because he knew more about the position and what it would require than I did and he knew what I was strong at. And needless to say, I did not get accepted onto staff with that ministry (there were various factors that played into that so it wasn’t just because of what my staff worker said and saw in me.) Administration comes easy to me so it would make sense that it’s a top “gift” but what does that mean in ministry? I will say one thing that it doesn’t mean is that I should only be doing administration or administration is all I want to do and that is seen through the other top “gifts”. So yes, I do agree with administration being a “gift” and I can guarantee others agree with this “gift” as well.

Servanthood: I would change the working of what the below description will say since I don’t think that servanthood is always about doing for others. The ministry program that I am working through is about ministry with and I believe that servanthood can be just that, ministry with and serving with rather than for. I do have a sense that part of my identity is in service and helping others and that’s why it was a hard choice to make when I was accepted into both AmeriCorps FEMA and ministry. Serventhood is an important part of my life and always has been. So, I would agree on servanthood being a top “gift” but change the wording since I don’t need to be doing for others but rather with others.

Faith: this is one that isn’t always easy and I don’t always agree that it’s a gift but over time I will say that it has developed just as every gift should develop rather than remain where they are. It has taken faith to be where I am and to get where I am. Without faith and knowing that God will provide no matter what, I would not be here in TX and I may not have completed college due to every year not knowing where the funds to pay tuition would come from. However, as I stated, it’s not always easy and I don’t always believe that this is my “gift” especially right now when I am supposed to be raising so much support for the ministry I am doing yet I don’t know how I am going to accomplish the goal and reach what I am asked to reach… I trust that God will provide yet I don’t see how it’s going to happen or even what to do right now.

Leadership: Again, I have been told different times over the past 5 years that this is a strength or “gift”. I minored in leadership studies in college and have always been in some type of leadership position since at least middle school. However, just like faith, it’s not always easy and doesn’t always seem to be a top “gift” but it’s in development and I believe that over time it will become more apparent and be strengthened.

So, in the end, I would say I do agree with these top 4 “gifts” but if I focus on only one area then I am ignoring the others. They all have to be used but what does that look like? So, what do you think? And as a reader, do you know what God has gifted you with and how are you going to put those gifts to use today, tomorrow, and every day?

Administration

“The gift of administration allows a person to organize people and resources for greater efficiency, effectiveness, and success.  Administrators have the natural ability to apply resources where they will do the greatest good.  Administrators are good with details and are deeply aware of how all the parts of a group or organization work together to achieve their goals.”

Servanthood

“Servanthood is the gift of doing for others, sometimes to the exclusion of meeting personal needs.  Servants look for ways to do for others both within and beyond the congregation and community.  Servants do not choose to serve, but serve from a sense of identity and call.  Gifted servants never feel put-upon or taken advantage of, but see each opportunity to do for others as a way to be true to self.”

Faith

“The gift of faith is more than belief in Jesus Christ, but an abiding foundation of confidence that God works all things together for good, and that they people of God can rise above any obstacle.  Faith is the bedrock upon which we build lives, congregations, and communities.  People with the gift of faith hold fast to the deep conviction that no matter what we see with our eyes, we can trust the promises and plan of God.”

Leadership

“The gift of leadership is a visionary, and forward looking gift that enables people to stay focused on where God might be leading us as individuals, congregations, and communities at any given time.  Leaders look more to where we are going rather than where we currently are, or where we have been.  Leaders motivate others to work together in ways that help them achieve more together than any could on their own.  Leaders provide examples of how we should order our lives to honor and glorify God.”

Give Thanksgiving

 As the holiday season fast approaches, I am reminded that I am not around family however, at the same time, God is reminding me that there are many things to be thankful for. In everything, we are meant to give God thanks and praise Him but too often we get caught up in the hard times and forget about all the good in our lives.

However, in all honesty, right now is a time where I am finding myself caught up in the hard times and forgetting to thank God for what I do have and what He has given me. I have seen God provide and lead me in the right path more times than I even know yet I still seem to overlook His provision, guidance, and what He has given for other things.

Today started out good yet in a blink of an eye, I was reminded that the enemy comes only to kill, steal, and destroy. The enemy wants to take away any joy in our lives and he wants to cause havoc on us. He wants to make us believe in the lies of this world and he wants to distract us from what God is doing and is capable of doing. So rather than focusing on what the enemy is up to, since he is never up to any good, I am going to try to counteract his attacks by giving God thanks for what He has provided and given.

1. I am thankful for God calling me out of education. I had always dreamed of being a teacher yet since I have been in TX and in the schools, I am realizing that maybe teaching in the public school is not what God has gifted me with and given me the passion for. If I had continued ignoring God then I would possibly be miserable right now but instead, I gave into God’s calling and it has become apparent that ministry truly is my passion and what God had intended for me to do. 

     2. I am thankful for God providing and putting people in the right place at the right time. I came to

         TX not knowing where I would be staying but had faith in God that things would work out. In 

         other words, I am thankful that one my supervisors mentioned that they needed a place for me to

         stay when I arrived to TX and that the lady that I am staying with now was at church that Sunday

         and heard the request and offered to have me stay at her place since she usually rents the upstairs 

         to seminary students but didn’t have anyone renting from her at the time the request was made.

      3. I am thankful for the people that I work with and the environment that I work in. It’s not  

          everyday that you get the chance to work with a group of people that all have faith in God and 

          living out the Gospel. Yeah, there may be times that we don’t see eye to eye and there may be 

          tension at times but over all, it’s a blessing to be able to work with great people and for a great 

          cause. Ministry isn’t always easy but you can tell that God is at work in the lives of those I work 

          with and in the ministry that they are doing!

      4. I am very thankful for people that understand and are willing to walk along side you in the call

          that God has given. For me, that call is to be a missionary and also included leaving everything 

          that I knew behind and coming to a place where I knew only 1-3 people.

      5. I am thankful for one of my supervisor and his family for being welcoming and in all honesty,   

          becoming somewhat “family” (Family in Christ). Also, thankful for them extending an invite to  

          be with their family this Thanksgiving season and understanding being a missionary and   

          everything that comes along with that. There's really no right words to say/ describe how 

          thankful I am for them and what they have done for me.

      6. I am thankful for this opportunity to serve with the Dallas Leadership Foundation and with the

          Methodist Church. That I was able to graduate college and enter into full time ministry. I am 

          thankful for the opportunity to serve with others in Dallas and to get to know a wide range of

          people and see what God is doing and wanting to do in Dallas.

There are many things that I may not have mentioned that I am thankful for since there are many things that are too often overlooked and taken for granted. While there are many things to be thankful for, there are also things that interfere and sometimes prevent me from seeing the things that I should be thankful for. In those areas I would ask that you be praying.

1. For my family back home, my 5 year old niece in particular who is in the hospital
2. For patience when things don’t go as I had intended or when I just need patience with others
3. A huge request that has been burdening me some is the financial fund raising. We received a reminder email today about the amount we are supposed to raise by the end of the first year of service and then the end of the second year of service. This is something that has been hard for me since day one. It’s not easy but I know I have to have trust in God and his providing (for more info, go to my blog post titled “the struggle of support” since that’s still exactly where I am at…) It’s a struggle and prayers are appreciated in this area
4. That I get connected with other young adults and continue to grow in my faith and walk with God
5. That I truly discover what God has planned for me during these 2 years of service and truly see what's going on rather than getting caught up in "going through the motions"

Thanks for the prayers and for reading this post! My question for you is, what are you thankful for and what has God given you?! Also, please feel free to leave comments and let me know how I can be praying for you!

Bringing HOPE!

Making a difference and bringing hope to a family or even a single person is not something that happens overnight but it is an ongoing process that takes time and resources. One of the events that the Dallas Leadership Foundation does yearly is a Christmas outreach called Treasures of Hope. This is a Christmas store that is out together and allows families to be able to purchase gifts for their family at a discount of 75%-80%. However, this is a process that does NOT happen overnight or even in a month.

This is the first time that I will be participating in helping with the treasure of hope since I just arrived to Texas at the end of August and this is my 2^nd event with the Dallas Leadership Foundation. I was told going into this program that it was a big event that took a lot of time but I didn’t realize how big it was or how much time is put into it until now and I still don’t know the full understanding of how much goes into this event since there’s still a lot to be done.

So, what has been going on so far?

Last Wednesday, November 13, we had to move everything from our big warehouse into the Plaza of America where the store will be taking place. This was no simple task and we kept running into bumps in the road. We had attempted and planned on moving into the Plaza on the 2^nd but then found out that there weren’t enough people to help move so it got postponed and changed. The date was then changed to move into the Plaza on the 9^th but on the 8^th we found out that we wouldn’t have enough people to move in again and that the moving trucks were not going to be available that day. So, the move ended up taking place on the 13^th but it still didn’t go as planned and anticipated since there wasn’t many people to help make the move. However, the move had to happen so there were about 15 guys that stayed out till midnight helping to pack up everything from the warehouse and move it all into the Plaza of America.

Before things were moved into the Plaza

In the process of moving things into the Plaza

All the bikes moved into the Plaza

Unloading things and moving them into the Plaza on a cold night (2 moving trucks full)

Some merchandice that needs priced moved into the Plaza

Moving everything into the Plaza was just the start to getting the store together and preparing for the families to be able to shop for their loved ones and have a Christmas that may not be possible without the help that is provided through the store. Now that everything was moved into the Plaza of Americas, it was time to start getting things ready to get the merchandise for the families to purchase. The first step for this was to pick up boxes to assemble to give out to various organizations and churches to collect merchandise. So, last Saturday (November 16^th) about 15-20 people came out to the Plaza of America from 10-2 to help put together the boxes. About 50 boxes were completed and assembled on Saturday and are being distributed this week to the organizations and churches that wanted a box to help collect merchandise, toys, clothes, etc to help make the store possible and to help reach as many families as we can.

The finished toy boxes that will be delivered to collect merchandise for the store

Box Assembly Day: Ann-Marie and myself prepairing the paper to be wraped inside the toy boxes (Photo thanks to Stephanie Howard)

Box Assembly Day: myself, T-Ray, Ann-Marie, and Kirk (Photo thanks to Stephanie Howard)

Now that the boxes were assembled and started to be distributed, we had a day today (November 20^th) where Home Depot came out to the Plaza of America to help assemble bikes that will sold in the Christmas store.  There were about 9 people from Home Depot that gave up there day today to assemble 124 bikes. These are bikes that would originally cost $80 or so and will be sold to the families attending the Christmas store for about $15.

Thanks to the help of Home Depot, those that came out on Saturday, and the men that stayed out till midnight, we will be able to help give families a Christmas that they may not have had if it weren’t for the partnerships and help that we have had. As the title says, we are bringing hope to these families and with the help of everyone; there will be many happy kids and families this Christmas season. The people I mentioned are not the only one helping in making the Christmas store possible but there are many others that are apart of making the store possible and giving up time and resources to help impact the lives of many families (last year they were able to help about 700 families and right now we have over 500 families registered to shop at the store).

Home Depot group putting together bikes

Home Depot putting together bikes

Home Depot putting together bikes

Home Depot putting together bikes

Home Depot putting together bikes (tricycles)

All of the bikes assembled thanks to Home Depot (picture taken by T-Ray Manley)

The Home Depot team and the finished bikes (picture taken by T-Ray Manley)

This is ministry and this is making an impact. We are bringing hope to the families we serve yet there is a lot of behind the scene work that has to be completed in order to get to the finished product, which is the store and giving families the experience of being able to shop and buy gifts for their families during this Holiday season. Being able to see even a single life changed through this entire process is worth all of the work that is going into making this store possible and I look forward to being able to journey with the Dallas Leadership Foundation in this process!

You as the reader please be praying for this outreach and for all of the work that is still to be done. Pray for people to give to the boxes so that we are able to reach more families and impact the lives of families this Holiday season. Pray for everyone that is busy and overwhelmed with work and that God would continue to remind us all why it is that we are doing this and have been working on this for months now. It doesn’t happen overnight but it is a process. Ministry doesn’t happen overnight and impacting a life doesn’t happen overnight and this is a prime example of what goes into making the end result possible!

Sent out 2-by-2, NOT alone

The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. ~Luke 10:1

Once again, I am going to attempt writing a new blog post since I have been finding myself at the point that I am not able to complete a post once I start writing. However, this is one thing that had been at the forefront of various conversations and being realized. I realized that the decision to enter into ministry was not an easy decision to make and one of the things that I had to consider was that I would be leaving many relationships. The other options that I considered were options that would lead me to being around many people my age and working with them as a team however, the option to enter into ministry that I am in now, was not that way.

In college, I had numerous relationships and groups to interact with. I was in apart of a service sorority, a member of the leadership team with InterVarsity, attended many conferences and events, and the list goes on. In college, it seemed to me that relationships came easy and I never had to work at building relationship since I can get along with just about anyone.

One of the conferences that I attended during my senior year of college was InterVarsity’s Greek Conference and I went through the influence track, which was for seniors that were getting ready to graduate. During that track, they had some recent graduates talk about their transition after graduating yet it seemed like a majority of them were in graduate school so they were still connected with people around their age. However, this was one thing that kept coming up during that weekend and a concern for many of us that were getting ready to graduate. How would we build relationships? Where would we go to church? What did post college life look like? Would we be lonely? And the questions just kept coming.

Entering into ministry, I knew that it wouldn’t be the easiest of paths to enter into yet for the first 2 months of being in Texas, things have been going well until this past weekend when it dawned on me that I am not connected. I love the people I work with and the interactions that I have at work but I realize that right now, that’s the only interaction with people that I have. I have realized that I need to get connected in a church and engage in relationships with others around my age. I am realizing that I am realizing that I may have people around me but in the end, once I leave work every day, I find myself alone and starting to deal with the effects of loneliness, especially as the holiday season is approaching. It’s hard to describe what I am talking about but it seems to me that some of my other US-2 and Mission Intern friends are dealing with the same thing. So, what’s to come and where will things take me?

I am now realizing why God sent the disciples and others out in pairs. He didn’t intend on us being alone and I trust and believe that the connections will be made somewhere so that I don’t look back and realize what I had and what it is that I no longer have. This is a new journey and a time for growth. Ministry was never meant to be easy and leaving everything that I ever knew and all of the relationships and interactions that I had was not easy. I went from having people to hang out with most of the time to now, not doing much since I don’t want to do things alone.

So, if you are reading this, I ask that you pray for strength and for relationships to be formed, both those that have already started and those that may not be present at the moment. I pray that God continues working in Dallas and through the organization that I am partnering with and that God blesses us all abundantly and meets all of our needs. 

What's going on in the neighborhoods?

Neighborhood Community Development Department

This is the second department that I am working with while serving with the Dallas Leadership Foundation. Right now, we are in the middle of trying to wrap up a veteran home repair project and I have been able to go along and do some house visits with the veterans. I would say that this experience has made me aware of struggles in Dallas. A man named Mr. Jackson owned one of the houses we looked at a few weeks ago and he served in the Army.  While doing the home visit with Mr. Jackson he showed told us that he has had numerous cataract surgeries and still is not able to see well yet he was in good spirit. Now when it came to his house, he showed us 3 broken windows, a broken water heater, a gas leak, and 2 torn up doors. With all of the problems with the house, he was still in good spirit and thankful for us coming out. It’s good to be able to get someone’s story rather than just serving them since a story is powerful and as Veterans Day is coming up, we are trying to give back and serve some veterans and thank them for serving our country. That’s just one of many stories of the people that we come into contact with at the Dallas Leadership Foundation and it’s stories like these that make me thankful for what God has given me and the opportunity that I have to be in ministry and serve with others.

Along with doing the veteran home repair project, we also serve in 9 neighborhoods and help support the neighborhood leaders. The leaders are people just like you and me yet many of them live in areas that have crime issues. The leaders amaze me though since they are serving their neighborhoods and trying to reduce the crime rates and improve their neighborhood. They are trying to reach out to their neighbors and revitalize the neighborhoods. Many people in these neighborhoods know each other and that alone amazes me since it seems like now a days, we don’t take the time to get to know those around us, we may live in one place our entire lives yet know very few to nobody in our neighborhood. So, again I will say, that God is starting to get me to realize that there is a need for Him to be brought into the areas of the United States, including Dallas and there is a need for missionaries here in the United States. And, I am glad that God called me to Dallas rather than overseas for the time being.

The above are just a few things that have been taking place since I have been in Dallas and I pray that God will continue allowing me to see the world as it truly is and take the time to get to know those we are serving. As I stated earlier, a story is powerful and it’s great to get to know people rather than just serve them. That’s partially what I am realizing while serving at the Dallas Leadership Foundation, that it’s a lot about building relationships rather than the project itself. Without the relationships, then what progress and impact are we truly making? “Break my heart for what breaks yours.”

The entire US-2 program is about ministry with and ministry with is not easy. It means building the relationships and taking time rather to get to know others. It’s not a project or an assignment and it’s not always easy but God build relationships with those that He served and He did ministry with so shouldn’t we be doing the same and shouldn’t we be looking to Him for strength when it’s hard? I pray that God helps me to slow down and truly utilize what He wants me to get out of these next 2 years rather than have an agenda and schedule. So, I ask that you pray for me as I continue serving with the Dallas Leadership Foundation and that God continues to work through me and those that I work with. That we would build relationships and do ministry with rather than be caught up in an agenda and the busyness of this world that we end up only seeing numbers rather than people and stories. 

Break my heart for what breaks yours

I have been struggling with coming up with something to blog about all week. Every time I have started writing, I ended up stopping since it didn’t seem to be right. Then tonight I watched a movie called “unconditional” and it lead me to this post and what I am writing about. I have been in Dallas for about 10 weeks now, so over 2 months, and a lot has been going on but I have found myself too busy to truly see what’s in front of me and what’s going on. As I have stated in previous posts, I used to think that to be a missionary, you needed to leave the country, but the more I am in Dallas and the more I am doing with the Dallas Leadership Foundation and meeting with people, the more I am seeing the need for Christ right here in the United States and in Dallas. That there is brokenness in our backyards and I am thankful that God has brought me here rather than sending me overseas to be a missionary.

So, what has been going on in Texas since I have been here?

Youth Leadership Department

For the past couple of weeks I have been in 2 different schools and helping to be a mentor during the lunch program in the schools. I am in Lake Highlands Freshman Center on Tuesday’s and Roosevelt High School on Thursday’s and I am working with the females in both schools. While I was not the biggest fan of being in the schools after my first school visit, I am realizing the need in the schools. Both schools are different than what I am used to and different than my high school and for a while, I was wondering what the need was in the schools. That mind set changed after being in the schools for a few weeks and looking through pre-evaluations of the students. After these 2 things, I realized the need to be in the schools and reach out to these students. At the same time, I am broken by the life styles of these students and what they are dealing with. It breaks me to see how many of the students are living with only one parent, which is usually the mother, since they don’t have a father. The movie that I watched tonight stated that, “28% of all children in the world live without their biological father and 24.7million of those live in America.” With that being said, I am thankful for having a Heavenly Father that is always there and will never leave our side. So, I would say that God is working on me and breaking me through the experiences and life styles of the students that we are working with.

In the next blog I will post about the other department that I am working in as well, the Neighborhood Community Development department.  So, check that post out as well.

Faith and Hot Sauce

I have been in Texas for about 9 weeks now and it seems like everyone I come into contact with is always having hot sauce with their food. It’s as if, it’s not complete without the sauce or it just doesn’t seem right without the sauce. I have been avoiding hot sauce since I have been here until today when I found myself using hot sauce but definitely not the hottest of hot sauces. Even though it wasn’t the hottest of sauces, and I can almost guarantee that I will have some people convincing me and getting me to try other hot sauces as well.

So, why am I talking about this? It’s because the above can be related to our faith as well. While some think that they need to have hot sauce with their food to make it complete, so to do we need Christ in our every day lives and at the center of everything to be complete. Without Christ in the center of what we do, then things will not be complete and we will be left with a faith that has no “taste”. Just as if you eat tortilla chips, it’s different when they are eaten without anything and then when you add hot sauce to them, then the taste is different, the sauce adds flavor and for some it makes sense to have the sauce with the chips and see why someone would eat the tortilla chips plain.

That’s the same with our faith. As Christians, we need to add flavor and purpose to what we believe and have Christ as the center. If we overlook Christ then we are left with a faith that doesn’t make sense just like the tortilla chips with no hot sauce. Also, the sauce makes a difference and as Christians and a body of Christ, we are meant to make a difference in this world. We are meant to glorify God with everything that we do, we are meant to exemplify Christ where people see Christ in us through our actions and just by looking at us rather than having to wonder about what we believe, etc. Just like the chips with hot sauce, you can tell by looking at the chip if it is dull or if it has flavor just by looking and seeing if it has hot sauce on it.

As I continue living in Texas and working in Texas, I am hoping that I am someone that makes a difference rather than make no difference, that people will be able to see Christ exemplified in me through my actions and not have to wonder what I believe, and that I continue putting God at the center of everything I do! As for the hot sauce, we will see what comes from that and if people are successful at convincing me into using hot sauce since they do have 2 years to accomplish this.

So, are you like hot sauce and making a difference and putting God at the center of everything or are you living a faith that doesn’t make sense just like tortilla chips and food without hot sauce doesn’t make sense to many people? 

The struggle of support

This past week, things kept seeming to go down hill. The vehicle I was driving started acting up and I found myself dependent on others for help… I am going to stop there for a second, if anyone knows me then you know that it’s not easy for me to ask for help yet I found myself in a situation where I had to ask for help. The vehicle was out of my control and again, if you know me then you know that I prefer having some control over my situation yet this was different.

So, I had no control over the situation or what would happen and I had to ask for help and be dependent on others. While writing that last sentence, I am thinking about how God wants us to be dependent upon Him and ask Him for help and allow Him to have the control over our lives and every situation. Everything that I just stated that it hard for me. I am a believer that in every situation there is something that God wants to teach us and show us. For me, I guess it was partially the fact that I need to put all of the above in God’s hands.  I need to give up control to God, I need to be completely dependent upon God, and I need to ask God for help. Yeah, all of those are challenges due to my human nature and what this world says.

Part of being a US-2 young adult missionary is that I am supposed to raise some financial support and this has been a difficult process for me. I have asked people and have been told no more than yes. In fact, I haven’t really been told a definite yes that someone wanted to partner with me in being a financial supporter. Support raising is not easy and it goes back to what I was saying above. I need to give the control of support raising to God, I need to be dependent on God and trust that He will provide the support that I need once I do the work on my end. I also need to ask God for help in this area and that He would direct me to those to send emails or letters to.  Since I don’t like asking for help, this is hard for me to do. Since I don’t like asking for things, especially when it comes to money, this is very hard for me to do. But then again, God has a reason for everything and support raising is about more than the financial aspect of it.

During the time that I was relying on others and getting help to get to and from work, one of the conversations that came up was on support raising. That conversation was one that I needed to hear since I have often wondered how I could continue with ministry after these 2 years if I can’t even raise the support that I need right now. And trust me, it’s a minimal amount of support compared to the other ministries that I had applied for and looked into before becoming a US-2 missionary. This is where putting complete trust in God, giving complete control over to God, and asking God for help comes into play.

Support raising is a place where as a missionary, I have to put complete trust and control into God’s hands since I don’t know how the funds will be raised but God does. God knows what is needed and He has called me into ministry, not for me to fail but for me to grow. As I stated earlier, support raising is about more than just money. It’s about relationships. While raising support, you are also sending out newsletters, emails, and staying in contact with people and therefore building relationship or growing relationship with others. This is also a time to allow those that can’t physically go into full time ministry, to be apart of the ministry that you are doing.

So, this leads me to wondering once again, how am I going to raise the support that we are asked to raise? I have seen God provide numerous times and many times it has been around financial needs so I trust that God will provide once again. I pray that God leads me into relationship with those that are looking for a ministry to partner with and support. And I pray that God continues using these next 2 years as a time to rely on Him, grow in Him, see where He is currently at work, works in my life, and so much more! I want these next 2 years to be a time that I don’t regret but a time that I leave from, knowing that I was where God wanted me to be and learned what God wanted me to get out the experience.

So, to whoever is reading this, thanks for following my blog posts and I ask that you join me in praying for these next 2 years. Pray that God will bring me into relationship with those that are wanting to financially support a ministry, pray that I continue to trust God every day, pray that I grow in my relationship with Christ and get back into a routine of having daily devotionals, and pray for the financial support to come in.

If you are someone that wants to partner with me in the ministry that I am doing financially, then please talk to me and I will get you the information that you need in order to do so. Or, if you just want to know more about what specifically it is that I am doing in Texas, then please leave a comment since I would be more than glad to talk with you about the ministry that I am apart of, the organization I am partnering with, and the work that I am doing!

Thanks and blessings and please let me know how I can be praying for you all!

This is God’s city

The last song that was sung today at church was Chris Tomlin’s “God of this City.” While listening to what was being said and singing this song, I was reminded that God indeed is the God of this city. I will admit and say that I used to be one of those people that thought that to be a missionary, you had to leave the United States so when I was placed as a US-2, I was a little disappointed. However, ministry is everywhere and there is a need for the presence of Christ to be everywhere, even in the United States.

So, I was placed in Dallas, Texas. I came to Dallas not knowing much about the area and even though I have only been here for 8 weeks, there is stuff that I am seeing, hearing, realizing, etc. However, there is still a lot that I don’t know and haven’t seen. Before being placed in Texas, I would have thought that there was no need for missionaries to be sent here, however, that’s one thing God is changing my outlook on. There is a need for missionaries everywhere.

One of my learning goals is to understand and realize where God is already working in Dallas and more particularly, in the neighborhoods and areas that the Dallas Leadership Foundation serves in. This is a hard goal since it’s not always easy to see what God is doing or where He is present when there is so much poverty and pain in the areas that we are serving in. The song “God of this city” was a good reminder that God is the God of Dallas and the neighborhoods and areas that we are serving in. But, the question rises up, do we truly believe that God is the God of the neighborhoods, Dallas, and the areas we are serving in and that He is at work and wants to take over the areas?

I feel like so often, we only see the negatives and hear the negatives but there has to be good in the midst of all the bad, right? God is already present and at work in the areas that we serve in, so why is it so hard to see where He is present? We are able to see the poverty, we are able to see the lives that youth live, we are able to see the violence, we are able to see the living conditions people are living in, etc but how come we overlook God in this all? I think that it is in part due to the fact that the things we see are visible things and the things God is doing and where He is present isn’t always visible to us or we are just oblivious and overlooking it.

A few of the lyrics are “for greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city” My challenge for anyone reading this is, do you truly believe that greater things are yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city? God is a big God and He wants the city and He is the king of the nations and of the people. Are we willing to accept this and truly believe it or are we going to get caught up with only seeing the things that aren’t good?

This is a challenge to myself as well since God is a mysterious God and there’s a lot that we can’t see or understand. We like to be able to see results and have something tangible but God isn’t someone that we can see and the work He is doing isn’t always something that we can see. He is present everywhere and He is already working everywhere, we just need to keep our eyes open and see where God is present. He’s present in every bad situation, in every life, in every home… The question is, how is He present? It may not be in a way that we expect or understand. We may overlook things because we think, how could God be present in this situation or that situation but it is not uncommon for God to use bad and hard situations for His glory. God uses every situation and is in every situation, we just need to answer the hard question of “how is He present” and “what is He currently doing”?

Lastly, ask yourself this question once you figure out what God’s doing. “How can you partner with God in the work that He is already currently doing”?

Maybe the question isn't is God at work but how is He at work. I have been in Dallas for 8 weeks and I can say that God is very present and at work in the area but if you ask me how, then you may not get an answer since that's a question that is harder to answer than "is God at work"? That's just some things that came to mind today during the church service and as I continue serving in Dallas with the Dallas Leadership Foundation.