The Aftermath

Whew! my first week has been a whirlwind. my team is awesome. my church is awesome. my pastor is awesome (and he's also my boss). my purpose is awesome and my Jesus is awesome!


Friday night, i met an Iraqi girl and her mom. We hung out and i played with her baby boy all evening while we had a cookout. Yesterday, i went to visit them with a couple people from the weekend missions team we had in (shout-out to First Baptist Montgomery). We found out this team had a guy who could speak Arabic, so he went with us. He ended up talking with the dad of this family for the entire two hours we were there, and apparently was able to talk with him about salvation (i had no idea what they were talking about while we were there). Meanwhile, me and another girl stood in the kitchen with the two oldest daughters and their mom while the made lunch (at 2:30 in the afternoon, mind you). The oldest is a senior in high school and asked us lots of questions about college life and what not. i am excites about being able to spend time with her this summer and help her college hunt! They invited us to stay and eat with them (yum!) which we did and they asked if we were coming back tomorrow! Ha! When i told them i would be here all summer...i've never seen so many people smile so big in my life! No joke!


Out of all my time in Clarkston, this was my favorite house visit ever! i've never been so comfortable with a family as i was with this family of seven, soon to be eight (i'm actually going to be in town when she has her baby!) i am VERY excited about getting to know this family better, especially being able to spend time with the three girls and the mom (who is trying to pass her driver's test...please pray that she does as she has tried before and failed). Also pray for Sara (the oldest) as she begins looking at colleges this summer and throughout her senior year. This family is a HUGE prayer need, as they are Muslim. Please also pray for me, that i would be sensitive to the Spirit as He leads. Pray that God would grant e a solid relationship with this family and that they may see who Isa (Jesus) really is through me. Since the dad seems to be open about talking about his beliefs, there are definitely some open doors.


i do not believe God brings people together for no reason. In Acts 17, Paul is speaking to the people of Athens. After seeing an alter there to "The Unknown God," Paul tells them who this God is...Jesus.

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us."(v.24-27)

God allowed me to find favor in the eyes of this family and i intend to follow His lead. These Iraqis are beautiful people and kind. i desire that they have the hope i do, know the God i know, know Jesus as i know Him...personally.


Paul also talks about the Christian life being warfare, and the Christian being a soldier.

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Paul teaches us that we have the upper hand. We have weapons that can break down Satan's best efforts at keeping the Gospel out of earshot (and therefore out of the hearts) of the lost and dead people of this world we live in. Do you believe that prayer in Jesus' Name above names can breakdown walls of unbelief...hardness of heart...the rut of tradition and culture? i do. my team does. That's how we pray because that's what works.


In Matthew 16:13-18, Jesus reminds us of the victory we work from, not for:

"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" He asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

The rock Jesus was referring to was not Peter, but the truth Peter confessed: that Jesus is "the Messiah, the Son of the living God." This is the truth that Satan hates, that he tries to suppress, that he tries to keep from being proclaimed from the hilltops and in underground house churches. But his efforts will fail and the wimpy white picket fence he puts up around those who follow him cannot withstand the people of God who will storm the gates of Hell on behalf of those who don't know who's side they're on.


Some people, when they can't give money or resources to help, say, "Well, at least we can pray." NO! At most, you can pray. Because the war we're fighting, my brothers and sisters, is not won by paying off the enemy. It's won by calling on the only One who can defeat Satan...JESUS! Will you fight with me?

This Iraqi meal has been my favorite home cooked meal so far. the small bowl of red in the top right is a mixture of corn, tomato sauce and spices. Sounds like Mexican, right? A lot of this food reminded me of Mexican flavors. Interesting! And we each got our own small plate. Sometimes ate off of that and sometimes we ate right off of the large plates with our fingers of with the bread.

Day 5

Wow! What a ride so far. Had the afternoon yesterday to just walk and ride around Clarkston with my team. Had Nepali for lunch AND dinner. Finally passed out at 11:30. WHEW!

Bill (our supervisor) told us that for the first few days, he would be exposing us to all the different aspects of ministry that RTN is involved in. Through this process, we should be able to find places we enjoy and fit well in and places that we're just not intended for. So, last night, we got to get our feet wet at ESL, helping Burmese women learn how to boss their kids around. We took turns telling them to "wash your face" or "brush your teeth" and they would act it out. Then, we switched roles and they had to tell us what to do. We also got to teach them things to tell their kids NOT to do ("Don't leave the house," for example). Honestly, i was scared to death to jump right in without much introduction to teaching English, especially since i can't teach worth a flip. But, by the end of the class, i was hooked. Who knows, maybe i can teach something after all?

From ESL, we went to Bible study with one of RTN's house groups. This was a Nepali study, with probably 25 people packed in a tiny apartment living room. Being able to sit among these beautiful people and watch their attention to the Word of God being proclaimed and taught was wonderful and convicting. We worshipped in three languages. Tegga, our African pastor and my host parent for the summer, taught us all to sing "Thank You, thank You, Jesus" in Swahili. If i thought learning a song in Nepali was strange, i can't imagine what it was like for Nepalis, Indians and Americans to be learning Swahili. It was awesome! Something that i heard taught a long time ago has stuck with me. A worship pastor was introducing a new song, and told us that, even though the words would not be on the screen, that didn't mean we couldn't worship. He told us to just think about God and sing whatever praises came to mind...thankfulness for how God has moved, crying out to Him for help, or simply standing in awe of who He is. This has been SO helpful to me in worship, both personal and corporate. Last night, as drums and guitars played and voices were raised in foreign language, i was reminded that God speaks all languages AT THE SAME TIME. Just because they were worshipping in Nepali didn't mean i couldn't worship in English. In all the multi-cultural, multi-lingual worship services i've been in, i've never worshipped like last night, just enjoying God for who He is and how far His love reaches. i look forward to worshipping with RTN this summer.

Pray that the hearts of our Nepali brothers and sisters will be burdened to reach out to their own people (and others) in Clarkston and that God would guide me, Bill and our team in equipping them to do so. Also pray that Chinee, Andrew, Mary and i would learn how to take what we learn and do here and apply wherever we go in the fall...and the rest of our lives.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

Lunch at Katmandu Cafe. The brown on the far left is fried potato; the large red piece is Tandoori Chicken; the small red pieces above it are chicken too, a little spicier than Tandoori. The rice had chicken in it, as did the green beans; the yellow at the bottom is curry-like chicken (my favorite); and the orange stuff on the right is dessert...some form of carrots and sugar.

Future home of Reach the Nations Community Church (as of June 1). There are three classrooms to the left of this wall.

Our new  facility will have a full kitchen, too!

Day 2

My boss for the summer asked our team tonight to think about what we each want to learn this summer, as far as personal spiritual growth. As i began to think, my desire, above anything else the summer, is to simply delight in who God is. I want to treasure the Jesus i'm surrendering my life to. Verses like Psalm 16:11 and Matthew 13:44-46 promise His worth. In His Word i trust (or i'm trying to). So i want to really know, really encounter and enjoy this Father that i now have. Someone out there in the universe desires to know me in the most intimate way possible...so i want to know Him, too! This, brothers & sisters, is a way you can pray for me. I also was reminded of how broken and not unified the Church in America is. I will be working with a 1.5 year old church plant that is beginning to really see some establishment. Something interesting i learned about Clarkston (and RTN specifically) is that believers here don't really see a need for them to engage in ministering to their own people, Ethiopians to other Ethiopians for example. They see that Americans are coming to Clarkston to do thatN so they don't see a need to do it themselves. Don't get me wrong, Americans are still needed, as Clarkston is SUCH a huge opportunity for the Gospel to explode on the rest of the world. The Church here, though, is still young and still learning the basics, especially RTN. So what i will be largely involved in this summer is teaching & training girls in our church that are my age (and a little younger) how they can serve RTN once i leave. So i will be modeling what their role can and will be. This is a huge responsibility on my shoulders, and one that can only be borne thru relying on God's grace. Obviously, this is a HUGE prayer need. I love how God works! This past year, i have: -joined a local body in Troy (shout out to First Pres! Love and miss y'all!) -learned what my spiritual gifts are and begun to learn how to work within those (and learned how wearisome it is to work outside those bounds...God designed gifts for a reason!) -learned A TON about discipleship, thru failure and success -been burdened with a desire for the youth in Clarkston, especially girls God has expertly hand-crafted the last year of my life so i could be right where He wants me in Clarkston. Seeing His sovereignty brings such rest to my anxieties. He indeed is enough! I'm so glad He sees the big picture. After all, He did make it! Psalm 33:4-5 "For the word of the Lord is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD." I also met two of my teammates today. Two words: love them. Chinee & Andrew, i look forward to a wonderful, adventurous, jaw-dropping, exciting, challenging summer with you! Please pray for them! May God's grace, peace and love be upon you, my brothers and sisters!

Day 1

First day in Clarkston and i can already tell that this summer is going to be much more adventurous than i anticipated. At dinner, my boss shared the vision for our church plant. Reach the Nations Community Church (RTN) is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic church. This plant has been in motion since January of 2011. I didn't realize until tonight that when i first came to Clarkston in March 2011, that i was helping the very beginning of this plant. Nor did i think that i would end up here again a year later. But alas, here i am, in the middle of the most diverse square mile in the entire country.

I also learned today that, as of tomorrow, RTN will have a place to meet as a congregation. This is very exciting, as RTN has been praying for a place to meet. We will be able to meet there come June 1. Please pray that this venue will be blessed. We thank God for this building.

I will be meeting the rest of my team tomorrow as we head out of town for our orientation. Please pray for unity, good communication and for our personal spiritual lives. Spiritual warfare is definitely something we will be encountering this summer, so pray we learn how to fight.

Please keep our Fijian pastor, Kumar, in your prayers as he & his son will be leaving the states for a month to minister in Fiji. They will be doing relief work there and will be gone for about a month. He leaves town Thursday.

And i ask you to pray for my parents, that they have a peace about me being away, with people they barely know. May they be blessed for allowing me to come to Clarkston.

I am expecting to learn so much this summer and return to Troy a changed person. May God receive every ounce of the glory! Thank you!

A Little Respite

Four days to go...i'm excited! And yet anxious. i read The Church at Brook Hill's blog today, interviewing their summer missionaries. One question asked was "What is your biggest fear for the summer?"

i've been home for a week and all i can do is lay around the house, sometimes not even mentally able to do something as simple as read a book! i'm tired all day, but all i do os sleep til noon. Why? Because i practically ran around like a chicken with my head cut off every day, trying to get everything done on time. Being home has shown me just how hard i pushed myself.

This week has brought about one of my biggest fears for the summer: not getting enough rest. When teams are in, i'm expected to be in leadership. "But what if i'm just plain tired?" "What if i just can't keep going?"

These thoughts swirl around in my head as Sunday draws nearer. i long to find that sweet rest in the LORD everyday. But when those days come along–like today–when i can't hardly even focus on God, how can i keep going?

This is definitely a concern of mine. Prayers for strength and opportunities to rest are much appreciated! Thank you to all those following me this summer and praying for Clarkston. Glory to God!

The Calm Before the Storm

After another year of college, i'm finally enjoying a few days of rest. But in 6 days, i'll be immersed in a city filled with foreign cultures, languages and beliefs for 3 months. Clarkston, GA is near to my heart for many reasons: the people, the culture, the food, but mostly the need, both physical and spiritual. Refugees from every walk of life live here. Clarkston is home to 120+ nationalities, 50+ languages and a wide array of beliefs, largely including Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.  Many have never heard a clear presentation of the good news of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Most are are poor, having many children and little means to provide for them. The teen generation is in confusion, trying to be American to fit in at school and Indian, for example, to fit in at home. The children are bursting with energy. Some families have been in the States for 15 years, others 15 days.


While in Clarkston, i usually feel like i've left the country. Despite all the differences, the needs of these precious people are the same as mine and yours. We all want to feel like we belong. That we have a reason to exist. That there's something more than this unsatisfying world we find ourselves in. That there's an answer to our questions. That there exists something big enough to fill the emptiness we feel inside. They hunger just like we do...and their only hope is the same as ours. Only Jesus can bring the joy they yearn for, the answers they seek, the fullness they crave. And God has given us the privilege of telling them that there is hope. 


"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:14-21


i love Clarkston. My trips there are some of my favorite weeks out of the whole year. but being there has taught me something about every day life. Why is it that i am willing to give my summer to move to a tiny city filled with people that are largely different in belief and just about every other aspect of life...willing to give up fun time and sleep in order to potentially be rejected and mocked for my faith...why am i willing to go and do these things, but not stay and do the same things the rest of the year? Is missions and event...or a lifestyle?


"And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore 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 observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20


"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8


i've heard it said that "missions exists because worship doesn't." If everyone worshipped Jesus, there would be no missions...but they don't. Therefore, we must go. Jesus Himself commanded His Church to bear witness to Him and make disciples of every nation on the planet. It's not a calling for some, but a command for all. Christian, whether you ever leave the town you were born in or you move to the other side of the world, are you living the life Jesus calls you to? Are you bearing Him witness? Are you making disciples?


As far as Clarkston in concerned, here are some prayer needs:


1. Our pastors: Our pastoral team seeks diligently to submit themselves to the will of God and His direction.  Please pray for their families, health, and spirits as they seek to follow Christ and be good shepherds of the people God gives them.


2. A place to meet: RTN is seeking a place to meet for corporate worship.  We long to see a day where the nations worship together on this side of heaven.


3. Small groups: Please pray for our small groups that are meeting every week.  RTN longs to see new small groups; so pray for God to raise up leaders.


4. Community: Please pray for the communities and leaders of Stone Moutain and Clarkston.  Our community is filled with different faiths, people, and needs.  Pray for God to heal, restore, and set them free for His glory.


i will be posting updates, stories, and thoughts throughout the summer. Though there will be many more to come, here's some photos to whet your appetite. Pray for these dear people. The nations are here. They are real and they have real needs, real hearts. And our hope is very real. Jesus is risen!

Troy BCM

me and Yuwainy, from Sri Lanka

Troy BCM with a Nepali family on their 28th day in America

Retu, one of my favorite kids. He'll barely speak a word to you, but he loves to color!