Hi friends!
Tomorrow is the big day! We are leaving bright and early tomorrow (Thursday) morning to drive down to LA. We fly out of LAX on Friday the 18th at 3pm. We will arrive in Santiago at 11:20am, their time, on Saturday the 19th. Please keep us in prayer as we travel. We also ask for prayers for our health, productivity, and our discernment with the Spirit during our eight weeks. Pray specifically for energy, as we are all completely exhausted and the trip hasn't even started yet! We love you all so much, and we hope to update as soon as possible. Thank you!
All our love,
Amanda, Matthew & Marissa
Also, the DR team will be at in n out in Elk Grove tonight at 8pm if you would like to say goodbye!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
3 college kids. God. And the DR.
Hi loved ones.
It's Marissa again. I realize that I take up a lot of space on this blog, but I think that Amanda has the kindness of the group, and Matthew manages the money and the details and logistics. So maybe I can be the heart and handle the emotions and the writing.
I wrote last week about God writing a story. I must say, this story hasn't even really begun, and yet it's already more exciting than I ever thought it would be. I remember praying at Nancy and Randal's house many months ago for our trip, and God gave me a vision that there would be obstacles, and that they would not be moved, but that we would have the strength and endurance to get around them. I remember the month of February, when we said "yes" to God's call the the DR and then all 3 of us were hit with severe trials and emotional/spiritual attack. I remember last Tuesday when we needed $2,200 by midnight on Sunday.
And I remember driving around Wilton at 11pm the night that we realized that God had provided above and beyond what we needed. I remember the breeze on my face and Matthew singing along with the music on the radio and I remember the smells and the quietness of my spirit and the tears that poured out of me like the gratefulness of a waterfall. I remember feeling so small, so insignificant, and yet so proud to be a crucial part in this story. We said "Yes." God did the rest.
It amazes me that the God of the universe, the God who gently sculpts the mountains with this fingertips, and rocks the ocean back and forth in a lullaby still took the time to put two moles on my left cheek. It's so rare that people catch the dreams that they've been chasing. I cry, because I am a wuss. But God has made all of this possible, and it has very little to do with me and a whole lot to do with His goodness. It has been a tumultuous 3 months. And the real journey begins next week.
I can sit here and write about how $11,000 came into our hands and in 3 months (and was managed by Matthew, by the way. That guys is AMAZING!) I can write about how our entire trip is paid for. I can say that we have already EXCEEDED our goal financially. But those are just details.
I know that some of you don't know God, and I am terribly sorry if I have offended you. But I would feel wrong to write about this moment and not mention His name. Because, like I said, I didn't do this one on my own. The three of us didn't do this on our own strength. And money is really only one small detail in all of this. We have 2 whole months ahead of us. We get to dive into God's love and grace and joy and peace and majesty and we get to share it with his beloved and beautiful people in the DR.
God is the reason we are going. God is the only thing that could cause us to give up our lives, our comfort, our families and go, headfirst, into the uknown.
This is the story that I want to tell. This is the story that matters. It's God's story. And it's beautiful and compelling and I can't wait to see how it ends.
I send the deepest love I can muster to each of you as you read this. May God's grace bless you. If you have given to us financially, we pray that you would be blessed tenfold. If you have been praying for us, know that we have been praying for you, too. If you have encouraged us, it was worth more than you could ever understand.
3 college kids. God. DR.
It's a good day, today.
With all my love,
Marissa
P.S. For those of you asking, we are driving down to L.A. next Thursday, 6/17. We fly out of of LAX on 6/18 (Friday) at 3pm, and arrive at JFK at 11pm. We fly out of JFK at 7am, Friday 6/18 and we land in Santiago later that day. We will try to give an update as soon as possible. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel!!!
It's Marissa again. I realize that I take up a lot of space on this blog, but I think that Amanda has the kindness of the group, and Matthew manages the money and the details and logistics. So maybe I can be the heart and handle the emotions and the writing.
I wrote last week about God writing a story. I must say, this story hasn't even really begun, and yet it's already more exciting than I ever thought it would be. I remember praying at Nancy and Randal's house many months ago for our trip, and God gave me a vision that there would be obstacles, and that they would not be moved, but that we would have the strength and endurance to get around them. I remember the month of February, when we said "yes" to God's call the the DR and then all 3 of us were hit with severe trials and emotional/spiritual attack. I remember last Tuesday when we needed $2,200 by midnight on Sunday.
And I remember driving around Wilton at 11pm the night that we realized that God had provided above and beyond what we needed. I remember the breeze on my face and Matthew singing along with the music on the radio and I remember the smells and the quietness of my spirit and the tears that poured out of me like the gratefulness of a waterfall. I remember feeling so small, so insignificant, and yet so proud to be a crucial part in this story. We said "Yes." God did the rest.
It amazes me that the God of the universe, the God who gently sculpts the mountains with this fingertips, and rocks the ocean back and forth in a lullaby still took the time to put two moles on my left cheek. It's so rare that people catch the dreams that they've been chasing. I cry, because I am a wuss. But God has made all of this possible, and it has very little to do with me and a whole lot to do with His goodness. It has been a tumultuous 3 months. And the real journey begins next week.
I can sit here and write about how $11,000 came into our hands and in 3 months (and was managed by Matthew, by the way. That guys is AMAZING!) I can write about how our entire trip is paid for. I can say that we have already EXCEEDED our goal financially. But those are just details.
I know that some of you don't know God, and I am terribly sorry if I have offended you. But I would feel wrong to write about this moment and not mention His name. Because, like I said, I didn't do this one on my own. The three of us didn't do this on our own strength. And money is really only one small detail in all of this. We have 2 whole months ahead of us. We get to dive into God's love and grace and joy and peace and majesty and we get to share it with his beloved and beautiful people in the DR.
God is the reason we are going. God is the only thing that could cause us to give up our lives, our comfort, our families and go, headfirst, into the uknown.
This is the story that I want to tell. This is the story that matters. It's God's story. And it's beautiful and compelling and I can't wait to see how it ends.
I send the deepest love I can muster to each of you as you read this. May God's grace bless you. If you have given to us financially, we pray that you would be blessed tenfold. If you have been praying for us, know that we have been praying for you, too. If you have encouraged us, it was worth more than you could ever understand.
3 college kids. God. DR.
It's a good day, today.
With all my love,
Marissa
P.S. For those of you asking, we are driving down to L.A. next Thursday, 6/17. We fly out of of LAX on 6/18 (Friday) at 3pm, and arrive at JFK at 11pm. We fly out of JFK at 7am, Friday 6/18 and we land in Santiago later that day. We will try to give an update as soon as possible. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel!!!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
DR Update
Hey friends!
Marissa, here. We are leaving in less than 3 weeks for Santiago! Crazy, huh? It seems like just yesterday, Amanda and I were chatting in a hotel in Redding at 4am about how we want to hang out with some DR babies, and now we are actually getting ready to leave! It is amazing how much God has ALREADY done in us and through us. God has provided $8,600 in just a few short months, and so many people have come forward with love and encouragement and support. TONS of support. I am in awe of my friends and family and fellow followers of Jesus. God is using each one of us to better His Kingdom, and I am so excited to read the next chapter in the book God is writing on this trip.
I think you are a part of this story, too. At least, I'd like you to be. You've helped write it this far. We've been shown such love and support in the past few months, and it has very little to do with us, and a whole lot to do with the amazing and wonderful people that we know. We are blessed to call you friends and family.
But this is the fun part. We still need your help. I would like to start by saying that we, above all, ask that you pray for us. We need tons of prayer and encouragement and support emotionally. Please keep us in your thoughts these next few weeks as we prepare, as well as the 8 weeks that we are in the DR. But we also need financial support. And if you have supported us thus far, we are beyond grateful. We are inexplicably gracious for your generosity. We do not ask that you give more than you already have. We ask that you pray before giving, and we ask that you give WITHOUT obligation. If you feel called to donate, every dollar is appreciated. It doesn't have to be a huge. It doesn't have to be momentous or significant. You are helping to write a story, and every letter and word is important and crucial to the telling of that story.
As of right now, we are $1,800 short of our total cost. It's not a huge amount, but it is overwhelming for us. There are several ways that you can support. First, we are continuing to sell tamales through Baja Burrito. They are $20/dozen, and you can choose from pork, chicken, beef and vegetarian. We are putting in an order THIS SUNDAY, June 6, so get the information and payment to us as soon as you can if you are interested. We are also selling tshirts in black and grey, vneck or crew neck for $20 each as well. You can contact any team member for those as well. Lastly, you can just give freewill. Please make checks payable to Marissa Matheny, Matthew McCleary or Living Water Church (for tax-write off purposes) and the donation will be divided equally amongst the group unless otherwise specified.
We thank you so much for your time, support, and encouragement. Every hug, and kind word, and bit of excitement that you are showing for this trip is helping to write an amazing story. And on behalf of Matthew and Amanda, we are beyond blessed to know you, and proud to call you friends, family and brothers and sisters in Christ. Regardless of the outcome of this note, or how anyone responds, we have been blessed thus far, and that is more than enough for us.
Love you all,
Marissa
P.S. Speaking of the concept of story, if you dig it, read "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller. It'll rock your world.
Marissa, here. We are leaving in less than 3 weeks for Santiago! Crazy, huh? It seems like just yesterday, Amanda and I were chatting in a hotel in Redding at 4am about how we want to hang out with some DR babies, and now we are actually getting ready to leave! It is amazing how much God has ALREADY done in us and through us. God has provided $8,600 in just a few short months, and so many people have come forward with love and encouragement and support. TONS of support. I am in awe of my friends and family and fellow followers of Jesus. God is using each one of us to better His Kingdom, and I am so excited to read the next chapter in the book God is writing on this trip.
I think you are a part of this story, too. At least, I'd like you to be. You've helped write it this far. We've been shown such love and support in the past few months, and it has very little to do with us, and a whole lot to do with the amazing and wonderful people that we know. We are blessed to call you friends and family.
But this is the fun part. We still need your help. I would like to start by saying that we, above all, ask that you pray for us. We need tons of prayer and encouragement and support emotionally. Please keep us in your thoughts these next few weeks as we prepare, as well as the 8 weeks that we are in the DR. But we also need financial support. And if you have supported us thus far, we are beyond grateful. We are inexplicably gracious for your generosity. We do not ask that you give more than you already have. We ask that you pray before giving, and we ask that you give WITHOUT obligation. If you feel called to donate, every dollar is appreciated. It doesn't have to be a huge. It doesn't have to be momentous or significant. You are helping to write a story, and every letter and word is important and crucial to the telling of that story.
As of right now, we are $1,800 short of our total cost. It's not a huge amount, but it is overwhelming for us. There are several ways that you can support. First, we are continuing to sell tamales through Baja Burrito. They are $20/dozen, and you can choose from pork, chicken, beef and vegetarian. We are putting in an order THIS SUNDAY, June 6, so get the information and payment to us as soon as you can if you are interested. We are also selling tshirts in black and grey, vneck or crew neck for $20 each as well. You can contact any team member for those as well. Lastly, you can just give freewill. Please make checks payable to Marissa Matheny, Matthew McCleary or Living Water Church (for tax-write off purposes) and the donation will be divided equally amongst the group unless otherwise specified.
We thank you so much for your time, support, and encouragement. Every hug, and kind word, and bit of excitement that you are showing for this trip is helping to write an amazing story. And on behalf of Matthew and Amanda, we are beyond blessed to know you, and proud to call you friends, family and brothers and sisters in Christ. Regardless of the outcome of this note, or how anyone responds, we have been blessed thus far, and that is more than enough for us.
Love you all,
Marissa
P.S. Speaking of the concept of story, if you dig it, read "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller. It'll rock your world.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
32 days.
Hola Amigos!
Yesterday was AMAZING! Thanks to everyone who came out and supported our trip! Baja Burrito es muy delicioso. Special thanks to Colin and the staff at Baja for putting this on for us! We love you guys SO much! Here are some photos from yesterday!
Yesterday was AMAZING! Thanks to everyone who came out and supported our trip! Baja Burrito es muy delicioso. Special thanks to Colin and the staff at Baja for putting this on for us! We love you guys SO much! Here are some photos from yesterday!
The Braithwaite family, PJ, Ashleys and Squaron.
PJ and Kati
Josh and Matt Midthun
Cori & Chris Ashley
Naomi, Derek, Tony, Ariana, and Taylor
Matthew, Joel and Ben
Squaron
Cori and Matthew (in the middle of a conversation about Lost)
Amanda and her brother, Andrew
Andrew. Eating two burritos. At once.
Marissa y Matthew
Team DR (Amanda, Marissa and Matthew)
I know I didn't get pictures of everyone, but thanks to everyone who came! It was great so see so many amazing family and friends there!!! We love you all SO much!
For those of you who have been asking, we leave June 18th, a little less than 5 weeks away! We are still working on getting all of our funds, but God has been providing like crazy lately. Our continued prayer is that "Thus far has the LORD helped us." (1 Samuel 7:12. Read the story of the Ebenezer stone.) We are getting SO excited, and are SO thankful for everything that God has given us so far. If you have donations for the orphanage, get those to us as soon as possible! Dios le bendiga, mis amigos.
En el amor de Dios, Marissa
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Potatoes and Provision!
Hey everyone!
Yesterday we had our first big fundraiser at Matthew's and my home church, Living Water. We decided to do a potato bar, because Remedy (our college group that the three of us go to) had done one in the past, and it had been pretty successful. We ended up raising above and beyond the amount we thought we would make, and we blessed with the presence of family and friends. We cannot express the gratitude we feel for God, and our families, friends, and church.
Saturday afternoon, Matthew and I met with Kris Puccinelli (or Mama Kris, as I call her), our second mother, mentor and college group leader at Living Water to do our big shopping at Sam's Club (Amanda had to work, so she couldn't make it). Then, Matthew, Kris and I went to Kris' house to scrub and wrap the potatoes in foil. Our wonderful friend Ariana helped out, too! We managed to finish all of the preparations in about 2 hours, which gave us time to celebrate our friend Tony's 21st birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY!
Sunday morning, we woke up bright and early and spoke at two of Living Water's services to inform everyone about our trip and our fundraiser, and afterwards we headed over to St. Peter's Lutheran Church (our mother church, big thanks to them!) and used their ovens and kitchen prep area for all of our preparations. We cooked potatoes, made a salad, cut brownies and onions, and crock-potted some chili. Our friend Danielle came and helped us out that afternoon/evening because she is WONDERFUL! Our fundraiser started at 5, and people began PILING in the door. We had about 30 people RSVP and had bought around 100 potatoes (I honestly thought that would be too much) but by about 5:30pm we were wondering if we would have ENOUGH! God provided a miracle for us, and everyone got a potato! One of Matthew's and my former youth leaders, Siobhan, even brought homemade cupcakes for everyone! It was great to see everyone coming together to support us!
One of my favorite parts about last night was the feeling of family. I've been going to Living Water Church since I was in the 6th grade (I'm 23 now) and, at times, it is hard to be a part of a place that has known you since before you hit puberty. I so often just want to GET AWAY and do something different, but last night, I was reminded of what church is all about. I get grumpy sometimes, and can complain, but when we needed it, God used our church, which is basically my family, to provide. That says something. I thank God for each person in my church, no matter how I feel about them sometimes, because they are my family, and families love each other, support each other, and help each other grow. I come from a family that wasn't always consistent, and people that were supposed to me in my life, were not. I think that is what gets me most about last night is what it meant when people showed up. And what it means when people give, or when they pray. It means you care. And that resonates in me more deeply than I ever thought it would. This is my dream, and my calling, and to be supported and encourage and loved like family through it all is God's gift to me. YOU are God's gift to me.
The other major blessing of last night was the fact that each of our parents came and supported us last night. Both of Amanda's parents, my mother, and Matthew's dad came. I don't think there are words to describe what a wonderful blessing that was to each one of us, so I'll leave it at that. God knows.
Lastly, I just wanted to thank you for your continued support of our trip! Whether you are digging into your wallet, reading our blogs, praying for us, or just giving us hugs, we are so humbled to be a part of YOUR family. Thank you for helping send us. We love you.
We managed to take a few photos this weekend as we got everything together, and I wanted to share them with you! Enjoy!
Matthew preparing some potatoes!
Mama Kris helping us prepare
Our wonderful friend, Ariana helping scrub potatoes
A very excited Matthew (which is pretty typical)
Amanda making a salad
Matthew and the huge can of chili (and we had 4 of them)
Marissa cutting some brownies
The Amazing Danielle, who helped us out all day Sunday
Amanda and Danielle
Hot Potatoes!
Oven Mitt Five!
Mama Kris and Matthew doing some set up at Living Water
The Spread!
cupcakes made by the wonderful Siobhan!
Jeret wafting the smells!
Enjoying the Food
We heart Ashley!
Matthew & Amanda (Can you feel the excitement?)
Marissa and Jocelyn and Ainsley Feaster
Amanda and her dad
All $1535 in my hands (and now in a bank account!)
Thanks again, everyone for making this fundraiser such a huge success!
With all the love I have in my heart,
Marissa
P.S. I, again, want to thank some special people who went out of their way to help us this weekend. Kris Puccinelli is God's gift to me when my life seems to be falling apart, but she also somehow manages to take care of everyone's everything. She helped prepare, shop, and plan this event! Thanks to Ariana Nicholson who helped scrub potatoes on Saturday, and Danielle Sipes who gave up her Sunday afternoon and evening to hang out with us and prepare everything! (She even did a run to the grocery store because we had to get lemonade!) And to Siobhan Russell, who brought homemade cupcakes for everyone! Thanks to Pastor Joel Midthun (PJ!) for letting us throw this shindig, and everyone at Living Water, Remedy, and our friends and family who came and enjoyed a potato or two. Blessings to you!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Joy because of Pain, not in spite of it.
I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while now, but I keep putting it off. But today, considering everything that has been going on, not only in our team but also in my friends and other people around us, it feels especially appropriate. I’m talking about trials. All three of us have been going through some really rough stuff lately. I think there was one week when all three of us were hit with different things pretty bad. And for me personally, I’m having a very trial-iffic year. I’ve experienced more family drama than I’ve ever had to deal with, and then a little over a month ago, just weeks after we decided to go on this trip, my house was broken into and all of my stuff was stolen. It sucked. I’m not trying to sit here and tell you how bad my life is, or that you should feel sorry for me. Actually I feel incredibly blessed and I’ve felt closer to God this past month than I have in a long time. He is amazing. I write about this because this is my life right now, and I can feel God working in me like never before. It’s a good feeling.
James chapter 1 says:
“2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James is my favorite book of the Bible, and this is one of my favorite passages. God wants us to be joyful when our lives are falling apart. I love that. I want to be like that. I try to be like that. I’ve just got to throw myself into Him because He’s all I’ve got, and that becomes even more apparent when life isn’t so great. No matter how bad things may get here, He never changes and He is always great. Honestly trials excite me (maybe not right away; the days after my dad moved out were not quite exciting for me) because I know that God is doing something in me. At the end of it all I want to be “not lacking anything,” and all the growing that comes from these trials is going to make me a better Christian with a more mature faith and relationship with Him, and I’ll be better equipped to serve Him. I don’t think that a year ago I was mature enough in my faith to go on a two-month mission trip to a foreign country. But a lot can change in a year, and a lot has. I know that I’m closer to God today than I was a year ago, and though I might never be fully prepared for whatever I’m going to experience this summer, I’m closer to maturity now than ever.
A few people have expressed worry to us that maybe the reason we’re going on this trip is to get away from all of our troubles. I understand why someone might think that. We’re three friends who are having kind of a bad run right now and two months away from family and all of that drama would be great. But for us that is not the case. When I first started thinking and praying about this trip the thought of leaving to get away from everything never crossed my mind. The bottom line is that I’m going to serve God, to serve and have an incredible experience that I get to share with people that are very close to me. But going to “get away” is not one of my reasons for this trip. People might say that all the bad things that are happening might be a reason for me to leave and run away, but I see the trials as confirmation that this trip is what I’m supposed to be doing. They’re confirmation not because it’s further proof that life sucks and I might as well leave now but rather because every bad thing is an attack, a reason to stay and deal with everything here. If I let my family problems consume me then I’ll lose sight of the amazing journey I’ve started in this trip. If I focus on my problems then I’m making things about myself rather than about God and I’m not letting myself serve Him. Satan does not want us to go to the Dominican Republic. Each of us has been attacked in one form or another. I’m joyful for the pain because it’s Satan’s attempt to get me away from God’s work.
In all of this we’ve been able to stand by each other, supporting each other, and holding each other up. In the midst of broken relationships, financial worries, the stress of school, discouraging friends, and more family drama than any college students should have to go through we’ve all been there, right there, for each other with encouragement and prayers like nothing else. I feel truly blessed to have these two people in my life, not only as teammates, but also as incredible friends. I feel like because we’ve gone through all of these different things together, supporting and encouraging each other, that we are closer friends and teammates than we ever would have been if our lives were great and there was nothing to complain about. As far as our trip goes, I feel that all of our shared experiences, and every opportunity to encourage, pray, and just be there for each other has been the best training for this summer.
God is going to get us through all the crap. He is all we have. All I can do is encourage my friends towards Him, and they do the same for me. And every hard day, every bit of pain; it’s been a pure joy.
-Matthew
Thursday, March 25, 2010
In the Presence of God
Blessings to all.....
I am so excited to see what God is doing in my life, in the lives of my friends, and in the lives on my teammates. He is revealing Himself and His mighty works to us everyday. He is so glorious and worthy to be praised. I am so thankful that I have a Father who loves me so much that He sent His son to die for the payment of my sins. I am such a sinner and so unworthy for that amazing sacrifice, but He gave His son because He loves us and that through Him we might be saved. What a great God we have! Thank you, God, for loving us!!!
I wanted to let you know a little about what is going on in our lives; me, Marissa, and Matthew. I wanted to share just little ways we have seen God's presences and His work in our lives. It says in Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in My name I am there in the midst of them." I absolutely love this verse, because I know where there are two people coming together in the name of Christ there He is. It is just this beautiful feeling when you can just feel Him right there beside you. This happened to Marissa and I about a week ago at a prayer and worship night at Remedy, our college group.
After worship we separated off into small group or individual prayers. Marissa turned to me and asked if we could pray together, and I was so excited to pray with my beautiful, amazing sister. We went into the back room and began to talk and pray with one another. I feel totally blessed to have a sister in the Lord who loves and supports me; who encourages me everyday to seek a closer and fuller relationship with God. As we were praying, I could feel God's love just pouring out on us. There were only two for us but as it is said in Matthew "Where two or three are gathered in my name there I am there in the midst of them." He was there present and listening to us, surrounding us, and comforting us. It was just this beautiful moment in the presence of God.
We ended up missing the last couple worship songs, so we decided to worship God where we were. We said "Lord give us a song to sing." The first song that came to me was 'Surrender.' (I'm giving you my heart. And all that is within. I'm laying it all down. For the sake of you my king. I'm giving you my dreams. I'm laying down my rights. I'm giving up my pride. For the promise of new live. And I surrender it all to you, all to you. And I surrender it all to you, all to you). Right as I began to sing Marissa turned to me, "That was the song I was just about to sing." At that moment a chill went through my whole body, because I knew God was right there in that room with us. We began to sing out to God, singing we surrender all to Him. After Surrender, I began to sing, "The splendor of a King...." and Marissa yells with excitement, "I was just thinking 'How great is our God'." At that moment, we looked at each other and just knew our Lord and Savior was in this little dark room with us, and it was beautiful. There were just two voices, but God heard our praise. Even through the chaos of the world and the heaviness of our hearts, He still heard us and meet us right where we were. We knew that moment was so special, and there was no way we could just leave that place. So we kept on worshiping God with our voices.
We were in that room for quite a long time, but we just did not want to leave because we felt His presence. In silences, I heard Marissa begin to sing, "He is jealous for me. Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy. And Oh how He loves us." What an amazing testament to God, that we know He loves us, and that we can sing that out to Him. There is so much junk going on in both of our lives, and Satan is trying to get in and destroy who we are in Christ, but because we know that "He loves us" we have a rock to stand on. We know we have a God who is fighting for us, and because of that Satan has no foothold over our lives because we are His children and Oh how He loves us. Thank you for loving us...
It was just an overwhelming and beautiful night. We sat there in the presence of God singing songs and surrender our hearts to Him. It was this time of total peace within our souls. We ended the night out singing as loud as our voices would let us "WE LOVE YOU, OH HOW WE LOVE YOU, YES LORD WE LOVE YOU, OH HOW WE LOVE." We thanked Him for loving us, and we wanted to yell out how much we loved Him.
This was just a beautiful moment that I was able to share with my amazing friend, sister, and teammate. God has been moving in our lives and revealing His mighty works. He has blessed the three of us with the deposit money we needed by April 1, 2010 for our trip. This was just a blessing for all of us. We have been a bit worried at times about our funds, so for that money to come in it was just another great confirmation that God is going to be working in such amazing ways. We sent our deposit today, and it was just this relief knowing we are totally 100% willing and ready to be used by God. Our hands are wide open and we are saying "YES LORD!!! Send me." Please keep us in your prayers, while we are continuing this journey. Love you all so much. Be blessed. Amanda
Saturday, March 20, 2010
On Planting, and Watering, and Growing
Hey everyone!
It is definitely Amanda's turn to write a blog, but she hasn't done it yet, (hmmm...) but I wanted to take a few minutes and write what has been on my heart lately. We are leaving 3 months from last Thursday, and our deposit is due in about 2 weeks. We have delivered many support letters, and are now just waiting on God's perfect timing. It is much easier said than done.
I have been spending the past 5 months since I've returned from Kenya really meditating on what it means to be a servant, and whether or not I made any sort of a difference at all during my time there. If I am being completely honest, those 6 months were the most difficult 6 months of my life, however, the experience changed me from the inside out and I will never be the same again. My biggest struggle with the experience came from my own human desires and needs to have my work validated and affirmed; it's so difficult to attempt to plant seeds and try to love people as much as you can and not see the fruits of your labor. In Kenya, I would spend my time with the boys, and I would pray and pour my heart into their lives, and they would still choose to live on the streets and sniff glue. For every boy that wanted to change, there were 5 more running to the streets. The hopelessness of the country starts to wear on you, and it takes submission to the Spirit to keep from becoming cynical. I cannot begin to explain the toll it takes on your heart and your spirit to be amidst the poverty, corruption, and spiritual oppression that exists in that country and so many others like it in Africa.
I did not build anything, I did not teach in a classroom or perform surgeries or donate millions of dollars for relief in Kenya. It still pains me sometimes, to wonder if I even made a difference. But I had to really give my heart and my actions over to God. If I can say anything about missions, it is this: you cannot change anyone. But God can. You have to sacrifice yourself everyday and devote your time to God, and trust that He will take care of it. It sounds really silly, and I wish I could give you the actual insight that is coming from my heart, but all I can say is that it is so much harder to really live it out than it sounds.
I actually took the time to read through most of the New Testament during my 6 months in Kenya, and I came across this verse that convicted my heart. In 1 Corinthians 3, it says, "After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building."
We spend so much time wondering if we are doing this whole "life" thing right, that we forget that that's not even the point. We are meant to serve and love God, nothing more. It is not my job to change Kenya or the Dominican Republic, or even the people of Sacramento. It is my job to humble myself and dedicate my time and my service to loving people and reaching them, because that is the job that God has given us as His children. It does not matter who plants the seed and it does not matter who waters it. It does not matter how many kids run to the streets in Kenya because God is in the business of changing lives, and I am in the business of following God. If I skip that middle step, and try to take over God's business, then this spiritual economy that we have going on is screwed because I never took a business class and I hate money.
This is my prayer for our team, and for my own life and my own calling: that we would simply seek God's will and somehow get transfer into the lives of the people that we meet, no matter where we go. Loving people is a tricky art, one that may or may not ever be mastered by any human, but it is our calling to attempt it, and trust that God will clean up the mess we make anyway. We are so excited as a team to get out there and spend time with God's beautiful babies and the wonderful people of the Dominican Republic. Above all, we seek to honor and serve Him. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue on this exciting journey! We love you all, and thank you for reading!
Love,
Marissa
P.S. We also need financial provision. As I said above, our deposit is due in a few weeks. Please say some prayers with us! Thank you!
P.P.S. On a brighter note, I spent some time with a guy from Kenya who now lives in Sacramento and goes to my church. He was a street boy in Nairobi, and sniffed the glue and even went to jail. But he and I talked a lot about his life and my experiences in Kenya, and how I question whether my time in Africa even matters. I asked him if he remembers seeing any wzungu (white people) in Kenya, and he said he did. He remembers their help, and he remembers going to an orphanage started by a mzungu and that was where he turned his life around. He was sponsored by Compassion International, and is now here in America.
So, it matters. (Not that it matters whether it matters. Because it doesn't. But it still makes me smile.)
It is definitely Amanda's turn to write a blog, but she hasn't done it yet, (hmmm...) but I wanted to take a few minutes and write what has been on my heart lately. We are leaving 3 months from last Thursday, and our deposit is due in about 2 weeks. We have delivered many support letters, and are now just waiting on God's perfect timing. It is much easier said than done.
I have been spending the past 5 months since I've returned from Kenya really meditating on what it means to be a servant, and whether or not I made any sort of a difference at all during my time there. If I am being completely honest, those 6 months were the most difficult 6 months of my life, however, the experience changed me from the inside out and I will never be the same again. My biggest struggle with the experience came from my own human desires and needs to have my work validated and affirmed; it's so difficult to attempt to plant seeds and try to love people as much as you can and not see the fruits of your labor. In Kenya, I would spend my time with the boys, and I would pray and pour my heart into their lives, and they would still choose to live on the streets and sniff glue. For every boy that wanted to change, there were 5 more running to the streets. The hopelessness of the country starts to wear on you, and it takes submission to the Spirit to keep from becoming cynical. I cannot begin to explain the toll it takes on your heart and your spirit to be amidst the poverty, corruption, and spiritual oppression that exists in that country and so many others like it in Africa.
I did not build anything, I did not teach in a classroom or perform surgeries or donate millions of dollars for relief in Kenya. It still pains me sometimes, to wonder if I even made a difference. But I had to really give my heart and my actions over to God. If I can say anything about missions, it is this: you cannot change anyone. But God can. You have to sacrifice yourself everyday and devote your time to God, and trust that He will take care of it. It sounds really silly, and I wish I could give you the actual insight that is coming from my heart, but all I can say is that it is so much harder to really live it out than it sounds.
I actually took the time to read through most of the New Testament during my 6 months in Kenya, and I came across this verse that convicted my heart. In 1 Corinthians 3, it says, "After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building."
We spend so much time wondering if we are doing this whole "life" thing right, that we forget that that's not even the point. We are meant to serve and love God, nothing more. It is not my job to change Kenya or the Dominican Republic, or even the people of Sacramento. It is my job to humble myself and dedicate my time and my service to loving people and reaching them, because that is the job that God has given us as His children. It does not matter who plants the seed and it does not matter who waters it. It does not matter how many kids run to the streets in Kenya because God is in the business of changing lives, and I am in the business of following God. If I skip that middle step, and try to take over God's business, then this spiritual economy that we have going on is screwed because I never took a business class and I hate money.
This is my prayer for our team, and for my own life and my own calling: that we would simply seek God's will and somehow get transfer into the lives of the people that we meet, no matter where we go. Loving people is a tricky art, one that may or may not ever be mastered by any human, but it is our calling to attempt it, and trust that God will clean up the mess we make anyway. We are so excited as a team to get out there and spend time with God's beautiful babies and the wonderful people of the Dominican Republic. Above all, we seek to honor and serve Him. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue on this exciting journey! We love you all, and thank you for reading!
Love,
Marissa
P.S. We also need financial provision. As I said above, our deposit is due in a few weeks. Please say some prayers with us! Thank you!
P.P.S. On a brighter note, I spent some time with a guy from Kenya who now lives in Sacramento and goes to my church. He was a street boy in Nairobi, and sniffed the glue and even went to jail. But he and I talked a lot about his life and my experiences in Kenya, and how I question whether my time in Africa even matters. I asked him if he remembers seeing any wzungu (white people) in Kenya, and he said he did. He remembers their help, and he remembers going to an orphanage started by a mzungu and that was where he turned his life around. He was sponsored by Compassion International, and is now here in America.
So, it matters. (Not that it matters whether it matters. Because it doesn't. But it still makes me smile.)
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
“Surely we can change…something.”
The other night the three of us went to what we thought was going to be a college and young adults group at a church up in Vacaville. It turns out they’ve done some reorganizing with the program and what we went to was a jr. high and high school event. We were cool with that, especially because we only were really going for their worship anyway. Worship was great at this place, passionate anointed people leading a huge group of young people in praising God, it was awesome and I’m glad we all went. We bailed after worship and then we did what we always do; we sat in my car in the parking lot, listened to music, and talked to each other. That night we actually had things to do in my car! We had a stack of 120 support letters for this trip to stuff into envelopes and get ready to send to everyone we know. We sat there for probably two hours listening to a David Crowder Band CD and folding letters. It was great, and we always have good conversation. But then something happened. We had just finished putting together the last of the letters, and were just talking when the last song on the CD came on. Amanda whispered, “Turn it up.” For the next six minutes we sat there without saying a word to each other but simply listening to this song, soaking up every word. It was one of the holiest and most worshipful moments I can remember in a long time. It didn’t take a big band, fancy lights, a big group of people, or a snazzy video to go with it all. God met us where we were. He met three college students sitting in a car in a random parking lot in Vacaville. It was perfect, just sitting there with those two friends and being moved by the Holy Spirit in that way was something special. And then there was the song itself. It wasn’t just some random David Crowder song, and this one has been speaking to me for a long time now.
“Where there is pain,
Let us bring grace.
Where there is suffering,
Bring serenity.
For those afraid,
Let us be brave.
Where there is misery,
Let us bring them relief.
And surely we can change,
Surely we can change,
Oh surely we can change…something…the whole world’s about to change.”
Let us bring grace.
Where there is suffering,
Bring serenity.
For those afraid,
Let us be brave.
Where there is misery,
Let us bring them relief.
And surely we can change,
Surely we can change,
Oh surely we can change…something…the whole world’s about to change.”
“Surely We Can Change” by David Crowder, it’s quite a song.
For a long time I’ve been chasing this idea that I can somehow, with the help of God, change the world and make a huge difference here, all the while thanking Him that I haven’t become too cynical to believe otherwise. I often have conversations with my friends about this stuff, whether or not we think we’ll make a difference. Most of my friends think it’s impossible to make s significant difference in our world today. But I love this song because it’s about just that, about making changes in the world, and not big sweeping changes but rather real change that effects the entire world, change that stems from single acts of kindness, peace, and grace, change that affects one person at a time. Just look at Jesus, he completely changed history by teaching his message and loving weirdos. This song is why I’m so excited for the Dominican Republic. I get to go to a foreign country and love people for eight weeks, what could be better than that? I’ve always said that I want to change the world, and I hope that we are.
Like I said, I’ve had plenty of conversations lately about my place in changing the world. Often I become discouraged because my friends believe there’s nothing we can do that has any significance. But when I look at myself and where I’m at, I think I’m at a point in my relationship with God and my own willingness to go for Him that there’s nothing else I can do but at least try to change…something.
-Matthew
Friday, March 12, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Video Blog #2! We have a support letter!
We finally have a finished support letter. We're a little excited.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
"The greatest among you will be your servant."
Hey everyone!
It's time for our weekly blog update. We'll try and update this thing at least once a week, usually on Mondays when we have our team meetings. We're really getting things going with this trip; we've all told our families, we're starting to really feel God's call and each of us are getting real confirmation from God that this is what He wants for us. We are continually praying for His guidance and further confirmation that this trip is God's will. I know we would all really appreciate continued prayer for us as we continue stepping in faith to be His hands and feet.
But the big question many people have been asking us is "Why are you going?" This isn't an easy question to answer, and we've all been wrestling with this call. We've all had to ask ourselves if this is really what God wants for us. There are plenty of reasons to want to go on a mission trip: it's something exciting to do, it's a new experience, it's an opportunity to get away from all the crap here for a few months. But when it really comes down to it and after we've all prayed and looked into ourselves I think the answer to that question is simple. Aron said it best, we want to go because we "want to be like Jesus."
Jesus says, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Matthew 19:21). That's a pretty heavy command, I wish I could sell all my crap and live like that. Honestly though, I'm not at that point yet, but this trip is a first step. Jesus tells us to take care of the poor and the orphans and that's what I'm doing this summer. God is giving me the opportunity to do what he commands and give up two months of my summer vacation to serve others. I can't wait. In Matthew 23 Jesus says, "The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Verses 11-12). We're not going so we can tell everyone what awesome people we are, we're not interested in our own glorification but rather God's glorification through what we do. We're going to serve the people of the Dominican Republic. We're going to serve God.
Keep us in your prayers! Thanks everyone!
-Matthew
It's time for our weekly blog update. We'll try and update this thing at least once a week, usually on Mondays when we have our team meetings. We're really getting things going with this trip; we've all told our families, we're starting to really feel God's call and each of us are getting real confirmation from God that this is what He wants for us. We are continually praying for His guidance and further confirmation that this trip is God's will. I know we would all really appreciate continued prayer for us as we continue stepping in faith to be His hands and feet.
But the big question many people have been asking us is "Why are you going?" This isn't an easy question to answer, and we've all been wrestling with this call. We've all had to ask ourselves if this is really what God wants for us. There are plenty of reasons to want to go on a mission trip: it's something exciting to do, it's a new experience, it's an opportunity to get away from all the crap here for a few months. But when it really comes down to it and after we've all prayed and looked into ourselves I think the answer to that question is simple. Aron said it best, we want to go because we "want to be like Jesus."
Jesus says, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Matthew 19:21). That's a pretty heavy command, I wish I could sell all my crap and live like that. Honestly though, I'm not at that point yet, but this trip is a first step. Jesus tells us to take care of the poor and the orphans and that's what I'm doing this summer. God is giving me the opportunity to do what he commands and give up two months of my summer vacation to serve others. I can't wait. In Matthew 23 Jesus says, "The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Verses 11-12). We're not going so we can tell everyone what awesome people we are, we're not interested in our own glorification but rather God's glorification through what we do. We're going to serve the people of the Dominican Republic. We're going to serve God.
Keep us in your prayers! Thanks everyone!
-Matthew
Sunday, February 28, 2010
First Official Video Blog!
All four of us are here for our first official video blog! Mustaches! Thin is in!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Our First Blog!
Hey Guys!
It's Marissa, Aron, Matthew & Amanda! We are so excited for our trip to the DR this summer. For those of you who don't know, and somehow stumbled upon our blog, we are going on an 8-week mission to Santiago, Dominican Republic this summer! We are planning to leave June 18th and return August 14th! Our main duties (as we understand) will be to work in the orphanage with the kids, and work in the schools teaching English. We are SO excited to answer God's call and be His hands and feet.
We ask for your prayers of protection over each one of us as we begin this journey. In the past 3 days, we have experienced the attack of the enemy in a few of our team members, and, though we know that God makes everything glorious, the stuff going on pretty much... SUCKS. Keep us in your prayers, as we continue to make plans, and please pray for the remaining team members, as they still have to talk about our plans to their family members! Hooray!!!
Love,
Marissa
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