Friendships in ministry: Jules & Em

Our ministry is focused on partnering with local churches and university ministry. We are praying for friendships with unbelievers that will lead to their salvation! We have been blessed with an apartment that is a great place for hosting & inviting people in. We're hoping that we can become closer with a lot of the students. We are also so thankful for our whole team here. We have already received so much wisdom & encouragement from them! We are also so grateful to be here together and the Lord has been truly evident in our friendship. 

Continued prayers for the relationships we're building and the local churches we're serving would be so appreciated.

-Jules & Em

He is good & He is working: Julia

God has been teaching me patience over this past month. The country I am living in has strong Buddhist & Taoist beliefs. People are reserved & it takes time to build relationships. I struggled with this our first few weeks in country. We were meeting new people & not growing close as quickly as I hoped. 

I thought I was failing. God was not failing, in fact, He is always working. Regardless of what I counted as success. 

Through my quiet times, God has reminded me that He is good & He is working in people's hearts. I surrendered my definition of success to God. 

I decided to jump in where I saw God working... and wouldn't you know?? We have met people ready to hear the Gospel! Whether it's walking down the street, seeing a regular worker at a tea shop or youth at church. We have been so blessed to begin building relationships where people are open to the Gospel. As we continue to steadily build out friendships, I pray for continued patience and an ear to hear God's voice.

-Julia

True joy in Jesus: Cambree

The Lord has been teaching me to live Romans 12:9-16. How to love & love genuinely. How to take the lead in honoring others & be patient when things are hard & pray always. To rejoice with those who rejoice and help carry the burdens of those who weep. 

He is teaching me that to truly live a selfless life is to think of others as more important than myself. (Philippians 2:3). I know that verse, but do I live it?? 

This past month has been a month of realizing that the Lord still wants to teach me SO much, and i'm grateful for that. I am learning how to really be a doer of the Word, especially when it's hard. 

It's easy to read the Bible and only listen to the verses I like, but that's not the way God has called me to live. I have found true joy in reading the Word daily and actually LOOKING for ways I need to grow- so I can become more like Jesus. 

I am not ashamed at all to admit that I am weak & being convicted for something new like every single day, because that means I have more opportunity to grow & become who God has created me to me. I could write a book at this point honestly... but probably the biggest thing i have learned is that I have to let Christ be my strength. Some days are super hard here & I cannot be independent or think I can do anything without Jesus, because I actually can't. I need Him more & more every day.

-Cambree

I sure do love Jesus: Lydia

The Lord has been teaching me that time is precious & so is everyone. 

Everyone is worthy & needs to hear the Gospel. 

Every single moment is spent making a decision. 

Every decision made will affect someone, somehow. 

Every word will mean something to someone. 

Every moment that is wasted because I was hesitant to talk to someone will never be able to be recovered.

I have been learning that Jesus does not care who I talk to as long as I am loving them & sharing with them His love & His life story.

Every sunrise & sunset counts.

Every person should hear.

Everyone should know.

There was once an older Christian man who told me I shouldn't look to share with drunkards, only peaceful people. I realize now how foolish it was for me to believe that. 

Everyone deserves to hear about Jesus!! They may not believer BUT they should know His name & His love.

I sure do love Jesus.

-Lydia

A day in the life: Lydia & Cambree

Ministry during this season of the Gap Year looks a lot different than it has until now. We are in charge of making our schedule & being intentional with our time. A typical day will see us getting out & exploring the city, trying to meeting people. We try to do this prayfully so we don't miss any opportunities God provides to share the Truth.

If we make friends, we try to go back & follow up within the week, inviting them to hang out. The Lord has opened so many doors & we have been able to have some amazing conversations with people. We currently are studying the book of Matthew with a girl who is interested in following Jesus. It has been a joy to watch her slowly understand that Jesus loves HER and died for HER so that she can live in freedom. Please pray for her to know the trust & be set free.

We usually end our days with watching the sunset by the ocean... isn't ministry life so hard??!! It's a great way to meet more people also. We live in the middle of the city so it's great to have tons of people walking around right outside our place. We are in awe of God's power & ability to guide conversations right into the Gospel. Super, super honored & blessed to be able to grow & serve Him.

-Lydia & Cambree

Bold prayer: Andrew

Prayer.

Praying bold, specific & consistent prayers out loud is something God has been teaching me lately.

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah comes against the prophets of Baal & challenges them to show the power of their god, and he would show the power of his God. After the prophets of Baal fail, Elijah prays to God (vs 36-37). There's no "if you want" or "only if it be your will" in that prayer. Rather Elijah has complete faith in God that He will do it.

How many times when asking God to heal another, or to bring our friends & family to Him, do we add in that "if it be your will" simply because we don't have the faith to believe He will actually do it? This isn't some prosperity gospel where you just have to believe hard enough & you'll get a brand new car. Maybe if more of us truly believed God would do what we pray for Him to do, then we might have a few more miracles and a few less lost friends in our lives, not for our glory, but His.

-Andrew 

All in good time: Addi

This past month, the Lord has been teaching me to trust in His timing. I also feel He's teaching me to grow in being intentional. It's been much harder to make friends & build close relationships with people than it was in the other places I've been so far this year.

In past places, it seemed so easy to find times to meet up with people. Sometimes it was hard not not double book our time! But here, we've met lots of people, but trying to find times to meet up with them again can be a struggle. 

I've been growing in being more intentional with initiating conversations and continually pushing to set up times to follow up with the contacts we make on campus. Even though it's been a little hard, i'm learning to trust that the Father's timing is perfect. We will make good friends in His time.

-Addi