Singing in the rain

I would like to take some time to tell about all the wonderful ways God has been working in our lives, the lives of others, and how He has answered some prayers. 

First, Country and Grace have been praying that we would be able to bond with kids where we live, that our apartment would be a place of peace and that they would feel welcomed here. This past week was the first time we have had kids come and play with us and for us to get to know them. 

Second, as a team we have been praying that God would stir the hearts of those living here in Nashville to come along side us and to have more workers come to the field. We had three people come along side us one weekend to minister to kids and share the gospel to so many people. Also, we have more people coming for short periods of time to come love the people and share the gospel.

There are many more stories like this that God has been opening doors, brightening the path in which we should go, and encouraging us. Through all these prayers God did not answer it the way we thought He would, but He knew exactly the way it needed to be answered. Thus making us all the more glad that we serve and all knowing, all powerful, and loving God. To God be the glory!

Please pray that we continue to seek Gods will and join us in rejoicing in what God is doing in this city!

-Grace

Knocks Gone Unanswered

Only 4 days left of living in Nashville! I can distinctly remember moving in to the apartment complex thinking "Eight weeks is forever and it's going to be sooooo long." Now that the end is approaching and I can speak for myself as well as the rest of my team when I say that this has been the fastest 52 days of our lives. As I reflect on all God has done through AND in me, I am awestruck. He has allowed me to meet people of all ages, colors, and languages from all over the world. However I can't help but wonder if I had missed out on any divine appointments.

From the first week in the apartment complex, children have knocked on our door asking us to come play. These knocks led to relationships built with the kids as well as their parents. The knocks led to countless meals and laughter. They have led to hours playing soccer (mostly for MaryRuth because she is a soccer phenomenon). All these opportunities have been incredible, but what about the times we were not there? Who knocked desperately when there was no one there to answer? What if we HAD been there to answer?

These wonderings have led me to appreciate the fact that our God ALWAYS answers when we knock on Heaven's door. "Knock and it will be opened to you." He answers whether we simply need to visit or are in dire need of His sweet love and encouragement. I am going to miss the precious sound of children knocking, calling me out of laziness (we have a very comfortable couch) and into their little worlds. I am grateful for a God who does not ignore our pounding on His door.

Please pray that God will bring people into the apartment complex who will answer
knocks and continue loving the children.
Pray that they will begin to knock on God's door.

Sufficient Grace

"My grace is sufficient for you. My grace is sufficient for you. My grace is sufficient for you." (2 Cor. 12:9-10) 

These words have been on repeat in my mind over the past two weeks. I have lived so much of my life relying on my own strength. Up to this point, I have found energy in the encouragement that others give me and that has been enough. However, anything less than God's grace is insufficient. Very seldom does He call us to a place where we can be successful on our own. This realization has been incredibly humbling but also freeing! God has given me strength to accomplish whatever He asks me too, and I should never be overwhelmed by the task at hand. I pray that God would use me and my team to reach Nashville in a way that cannot be done without Him. His grace is and will ALWAYS be enough!

Pray for the people in Nashville who have run out of strength and don't know of God's sufficient grace.

God's Creation

The earth is a place of overwhelming beauty. The mountains echo the glory of the Lord and show His strength. The oceans give us a picture of His vast and incomprehensible love. The sunsets are paintings in the sky, formed by His fingertips. The flowers are better dressed than any clothing humans can design. It is natural for us to admire God's handiwork and think "Wow, Lord, what a wonderful Creator You are!"

However, we have missed the most breathtaking, captivating, and truly amazing part of ALL creation: US!!! While God created every pretty thing we can imagine, He still calls us His treasure. Living among the nations represented in Nashville, I am often stunned by the beauty I see all around me in the people. There is wonder in the elderly Nepali woman sitting in the medical clinic. There is joy emanating from the smile of the energetic Congolese girl. God's fingerprints are all over EVERY SINGLE PERSON. How could I have been so ignorant? My heart breaks for my friends who do not see how truly gorgeous they are to the One who knit their very souls. With so little time left, I pray that God will pour His love out through me and my time until they cannot possibly ignore Him.

Please pray that the people of Nashville will realize that they are God's prized creation.
Pray that they will feel the presence of God and be aware of His love for them.

The Nations Tour Downtown Nashville

Recently in Nashville we took about 30 newly arrived refugees to the downtown public library. We had families from Syria, Burma, the Congo, and Cuba... so many languages and cultures! We picked them up at their apartments and taught them how to use the bus system. Unfortunately, not many of them spoke English... having just arrived to the States a few days ago. So, I spent the bus ride covering them in prayer. I can't imagine the stress and culture shock they must be experiencing. How overwhelming everything must seem to them! I asked the Lord to help me share the love of the Gospel though my smiles and encouraging gestures. On the way back to our apartments, we realized (a little too late) that we had gotten on the wrong bus! Our refugee friends were very understanding and forgiving, saying 'It is good. It is ok. No problem."

Pray for these newly arrived families... that they would feel safe and cared for during their first few weeks in America. 

Pray that our team would continually reach out to them and love on them with the truth of the Gospel. 

First Fourth: Two Worlds-One Family

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to experience the Fourth of July for the first time? Here in Nashville, "First Fourths" are very common. New refugees arrive each week. Three weeks ago, a Muslim family arrived from a camp in Rwanda. I (Hannah) have learned to follow where God draws my heart, and this family definitely pulled me. The family consists of two boys, A (20) and S (16), and three girls, F (19), S1 (15), and S2 (9), and their mother M. Their father remains in Africa.

Since my family lives close to Nashville, they decided to join me for July 4th. I wanted to introduce them to the Rwandan family, and after sharing a meal together, it was decided that we would all go to downtown Nashville for fireworks. I wondered if it was the right decision. After all, the crowds might overwhelm them, they dressed differently, and M had said that fireworks reminded her of gunshots.

Within the first hour, my worries evaporated. The two families (mine and the new Americans) could not have been more different, but we all walked together, dancing to the blaring country music and sharing the occasional hug or high five. Although the rain completely snuffed out the fireworks, it will forever be the most memorable Fourth of July. F told me she was so glad to spend her First Fourth with me and that she never wants to forget it. God blessed me incredibly by allowing my family to meet and connect with people I a ministering to. The relationships that were formed between us all that night will remain for years to come. Isn't God amazing?!?

-Hannah

Please pray that our team will have opportunities to share Jesus' love with this beautiful family. 
Pray that He will provide a way for their father to join them in America. 

 Dinner cooked by the talented F!

 A's First Fourth!

 Shaylyn, my apartment roommate, joined us!

God bless!

Camp Wings

Giggles filled the air, erupting from joyful faces. What actually caused this laughter, we had no idea. Nikki, MaryRuth and I (Hannah) had the privilege of going to a farmhouse with 10 Burmese Refugee girls. Though most of them spoke English, they preferred to speak to each other in Quran. However, we were never annoyed. It was rewarding to see these girls who had been through so much laughing, smiling, and teasing each other.

During small group time, we split up into our groups to teach about Ruth. I had grown up hearing Ruth's story, but it was completely new to the girls. They were overjoyed when Ruth finally married Boaz and were amazed by her kindness and dedication to Naomi. One girl told me she wishes she could be just like Ruth. By the grace of God, I pray that she will be!

Throughout the two days, we took the girls fishing (for their first time!), picked blackberries, went on a hike, and made s'mores. Although no professions of faith were made, plenty of questions were asked, and I pray that their precious hearts will be drawn to their Creator and One True Love.

Please pray that the girls will realize their need for Christ, that they will continue to be filled with joy, and that they may, in fact, become women like Ruth.

A New Sister

As we continue to meet more families, it has been refreshing to see some familiar faces each week.  My first night in Nashville I stayed with a family from Myanmar. They were extremely welcoming and are also Christians. We continued to follow up with them and quickly built a relationship. One of the daughters posed to be the easiest to relate to and spoke very clear English. We continued to talk to her and invite her to our apartment. Our second week here she invited us to attend church with her. It was not what I was expecting and was different from what I am used to, but I realized that different does not mean that I should give up on it. She invited us to go back with her the following week, but only Hannah and I were able to go with one of our other roommates. It was a little easier for me to feel comfortable the second time. It was still different, but I felt that I was being called to continue to invest in the lives of this small group of people.

The third week (this past Saturday) came around and I was the only one that was able to go. I was a bit hesitant, but they have been the only believers that we have met that have been open to reaching out to the refugees, and I felt that I should continue to invest in them. Little did I know that I was in for a joyous surprise during this third meeting. One of the members of the church is a middle-aged man from China. I had not met him before.  He brought his niece that had just arrived in Nashville earlier that week. She will be moving to Michigan at the end of the summer to begin classes towards earning her master’s degree in engineering.  

The night progressed and we began our time of worship. We came to a song about “abiding in the vine”. We stopped and the sweet lady whose house this week’s meeting was held in asked the guest if she understood what it means to abide in the vine. She said she was not sure. After speaking with her further, we learned that she did not believe in Jesus. She informed us that she had “heard stories of Jesus but does not know Jesus”. The sweet hostess and I began to talk to her and explain who Jesus is and what He has done for us. I could see her face light up just bit. She said she understood and right there she decided to follow Jesus. My heart filled with joy as we prayed. I could just see the light shining through her. We read through some scripture about accepting Christ and she read it in Chinese.

 
It amazes me how God uses our smallest steps of obedience to show us just how powerful He is and how His grace is truly sufficient. God is still in the business of saving lives and working miracles. I just ask that you pray for our new sister in Christ and that we may have more encounters with people that are open to hearing about and accepting Jesus.

-Nikki

The First Time

I must be honest. As I read over the Nehemiah Team posts, I am convicted with how little the Nashville Project 52 team has been verbally sharing the Gospel. While we are living it and building relationships, we are struggling with actually sharing with these precious people. After an intense team meeting, I decided I would not go another day without sharing my beliefs. 

For the past two weeks, my heart has been drawn to a Kurdish woman... we'll call her Z. As some of you may know, yesterday was the first day of Ramadan. MaryRuth and I had the privilege of breaking the fast with Z and her family. After we finished, Z and I began to discuss the differences and similarities of Christianity and Islam. While she has family members who are Christian and has personally read the Bible, she is very set on Islam. While she still struggles with English, her ability to speak it has increased greatly (I believe this is completely due to God's grace over me since I have been discouraged by the language barrier). As she told me her beliefs, I prayed God would speak through me and I did my best to show her His truth. She asked many questions I had no answer to, and in those moments I felt like the worst defender of Christianity, but I must remember that it is the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts the heart. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness to open doors (literally) and encourage our hearts.

• Please pray that P52 Nashville will become increasingly more intentional in sharing God's truth. 
• Pray the He will reveal himself to the Muslims that are seeking during this time of fasting. 
• Pray that He will seek through me in future conversations with Z.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Driving MC

As I pulled up to the driveway, I took a deep breath and sent up a quick prayer. When I turned to greet the smiling faces, my heart melted and I was reminded why I came to Nashville.  This week I have had the privilege of driving a pregnant Burmese mother, MC, and her three sons to a Vacation Bible School at a local church. MC and her family have been in America for seven years now. She has even become an official citizen! Yet her new life is still far from perfect. 

Each morning that I drove her, I was able to find out more and more about her. MC was married at the age of 20 and gave birth to her first son in a Thai refugee camp. Though I am unsure as to what made her flee her beloved country, I do know that the rest of her family is still in Burma.. When I asked what she appreciates most about America, her response touched me. “In Burma, education costs money. No money, no school. I want my sons to have better opportunities. That is the best thing here.” MC herself was only able to attend school through 6^th grade.  

This morning she shared her testimony with the other Burmese mothers and me. “I became a Christian when I married my husband and moved into the refugee camp. In Burma, there are only churches in the cities. No churches in the mountains where I lived. My husband explained to me who God is and I believed. When I was pregnant in the states, I prayed that my husband would be with me for the birth of my boys. Jesus answered that prayer. There are still many things I do not know, but I ask God and my husband and I try to find answers.”- MC

Please pray for the people of Burma. There are still so many who have not heard the name of Jesus.
Please pray for the Burmese who have found refuge among us, that they will more importantly find refuge in Christ.

Good Neighbor: A Lesson on Hospitality

Most of us are familiar with the term “Southern Hospitality.” Having moved to Georgia from Wisconsin, it was something I experienced first hand. However, we as Americans still have a long ways to go when it comes to being “a good neighbor.” I love the American culture, but the warmth I have received from the refugee community in Nashville has completely opened my eyes. 

My first night in the refugee apartment complex I stayed with a Rwandan family. They brought me platters of fruits, replaced warm water bottles with colder ones, and repeatedly told me to come visit at ANY time. Knocking isn’t necessary! What a foreign concept (literally) to those of us who are too conscious of intruding in the business of others. 

Momena, the Somalian mother across from my apartment, stressed the importance of visiting. “Neighbors should ALWAYS check on eachother! What if someone is sick and he/she needs help? What if they need you to make them dinner or clean? My other neighbors never visited. You MUST visit. It’s what a good neighbor does,” she told me. Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. So often I offer my help to those around me. I tell them to let me know if they need anything at all, but rarely do I take the initiative to truly serve. Because my team and I are living with the refugee community, this concept of initiative must be grasped. These precious people welcome us in even if they speak little to no English. They offer us everything they have even if it means missing a few meals. In relationships with hindering language barriers, where words are hardly understood, actions must speak louder than words.

Please pray that this team will have a door that is always open, that we will continue to be well received, and that our actions would speak loud and clear.

A Day in Their Clothes

A Day in Their Clothes

         A Sudanese daughter. A mother from Eritrea. A Burmese man. An Ethiopian woman. Each of us was assigned a new identity and nationality shortly after arriving in Nashville for job specific training. The first step was to make it through a mock interview to receive permission to come to America. After several failures, we were finally granted consent to come. However, that was not all. Each team member spent the night in the home of a refugee family. These families fed us ethnic foods and spoke their native language. The next day began with a language lesson taught completely in Swahili, and each member was given a bus pass and told to navigate through the Nashville while wearing various ethnic clothing.  Because the buses ran slow, we only rode it once and walked everywhere else. By the time we reached our final destination, we wanted nothing more than to sit and sleep.

To be completely honest, I wasn’t very excited at the beginning of the simulation. I thought it would be enough to simply “know” what the refugees go through. I couldn’t have been farther from the truth. It’s true when people say you must walk in their shoes to understand where they come from. While I will never truly be able to understand everything these precious people have experienced, my eyes were opened to just a small portion of their world. While I am already homesick, I will be home in two months. These refugees will most likely never be able to go home. 

The P52-Nashville team asks that you pray for God to use us in making America a place the nations can call a new home.