For God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power and love and discipline.... Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our own works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.....Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.....For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. - 1 Timothy 1:7-9,14, 7:12
"Give me the love that leads the way, the faith that nothing can dismay, the hope no disappointments tire, the passion that will burn like fire, let me not sink to be a clod: make me Thy fuel, Flame of God." - Amy Carmicheal
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Still No Open Doors
Hi My Family in Christ,
Well, as most of you know, I am still on the hunt for an organization to serve with in Haiti. We are now at the 6 month mark. Its been a difficult 6 months too. For one, I don't know how to go about finding an organization in another country. For another, I don't seem to have the skill sets that are needed there. You hear it said, "It is not enough to just be willing..." and it's TRUE! I recently inquired about a volunteer program with God's Littlest Angels and unless there is a cancellation they are booked with teams until 2015. So, I am now endeavoring to put together my resume and fill out an extensive application for Child Hope, which is a discipleship program. They are one of the organizations I met with back in May. However, I only qualify for two positions which may not even be available, hopefully I will find out soon. Its discouraging and I wonder how long I should keep up the "hunt." There are a lot of short term opportunities that I keep running across. I recently met a couple from Hillside Church that hosts a prayer meeting for Haiti and its been so good to be able to join with others who have the same vision and experiences with Haiti. We may not be there now and even though the miles separate us we can still battle the spiritual darkness and pray for the redemption of this country that God has burdened us for. Its a beautiful thing. They are involved with a ministry called Loving Heart and they are sending a team down in August to do a VBS for those children. HCRM is another organization needing short term teams to go serve. Its a curious thing. Why am I in contact with ministries who need short term-ers and yet I am ready to do a long term. Its not an accident, I just don't understand what I am supposed to do with it.
If you could just be praying for me right now. I NEED direction. It is tiresome waiting and waiting and waiting....I know The Lord has a reason and I am willing. There is a song that says, "Where You go, I'll go and where You stay, I'll stay" I am willing to be there or here but here in the middle of it, unable to make commitments and really get involved with anything I feel like I am just wasting time. That said, it has been a good time of seeking The Lord. With nothing to distract me from Him I have been able to evaluate what I have been doing with my time. Have I been spending it for His kingdom or for the American Dream or for my dream? What does my life say about Him? He is definitely opening doors here for ministries that I could get involved with and I am willing I just need the go ahead from Him. Please be praying that He will either open the door for Haiti or not and pray that I will be sensitive to His leading. That I won't let what I want get in the way of His calling. I need patience and I don't want to make a hasty decision either way. I need the peace of God which surpasses all understanding upon me during this time.
Now, I have to give a praise! Pippin, one of the little boys from HCRM sent me a sweet letter. It made my day! I love him so much and Cleaver his good friend wrote it for him. What sweet boys that just want to be wanted and loved. They have precious hearts and I long for them to have a home and family.
I have a challenge for each of you. There are over 80 children at HCRM, 400 at GLA, 20 at Loving heart, 150 at GHRM, 40 at Child Hope and 200 at New Life. That is almost 700 children and those are just from organizations that I have come across. Those are 700 little lives that need homes and families. That is a tiny fraction of the need in Haiti for Christian homes to be opened to those in need. And isn't that why God blesses us, so that we can then bless others. What's the point if we just keep it for ourselves like the servant who buried the one talent. He was called a wicked slave. I once heard from an adoption advocate that if all the families who claimed to be Christians in America alone would adopt just one child from Haiti each there would be no more orphans in Haiti and more families that could adopt. There are more Christian families in America than there are orphans in Haiti! My challenge to you is if you have never seriously considered adoption DO! and I am not just talking about Haiti. These are real lives, real people and God is fully aware of this situation. He has called those that are here, right now for such a time as this. What are we going to do about it!? This generation is our responsibility. It's not good enough to know that its happening and sit at home and shake our heads. His Godly ones advocate and stand up for what is right. This applies to so many areas abortion, gay rights whatever God has burdened you with its now your responsibility to make a difference. So ask yourself, what are you doing for the kingdom today? What has God called you to? I am asking myself the same questions. It took me having to go to a third world country to finally face it and if the reason God wanted me to go was to see His hurting children and to share in the agony of His heart then it was well worth it. Pray, ask God for His heart, bear His burdens with Him, that's what we are called to do. We have been saved from the pit so that we can go down to the pit and stand in the gap, pointing them to the hope we have, that is Jesus Christ. We are to live like Christ, spending ourselves for His kingdom. May that be the legacy we leave our children and to this generation. May it be said of us that we have given our all to the kingdom. May the Lord say to us, "Well done good and faithful servant." Amen.
"The brutal, soul-shaking truth is that we are so earthly minded that we are of no heavenly value." - Leonard Ravenhill
Your Sister in Christ and
Fellow Servant,
Lauren
Well, as most of you know, I am still on the hunt for an organization to serve with in Haiti. We are now at the 6 month mark. Its been a difficult 6 months too. For one, I don't know how to go about finding an organization in another country. For another, I don't seem to have the skill sets that are needed there. You hear it said, "It is not enough to just be willing..." and it's TRUE! I recently inquired about a volunteer program with God's Littlest Angels and unless there is a cancellation they are booked with teams until 2015. So, I am now endeavoring to put together my resume and fill out an extensive application for Child Hope, which is a discipleship program. They are one of the organizations I met with back in May. However, I only qualify for two positions which may not even be available, hopefully I will find out soon. Its discouraging and I wonder how long I should keep up the "hunt." There are a lot of short term opportunities that I keep running across. I recently met a couple from Hillside Church that hosts a prayer meeting for Haiti and its been so good to be able to join with others who have the same vision and experiences with Haiti. We may not be there now and even though the miles separate us we can still battle the spiritual darkness and pray for the redemption of this country that God has burdened us for. Its a beautiful thing. They are involved with a ministry called Loving Heart and they are sending a team down in August to do a VBS for those children. HCRM is another organization needing short term teams to go serve. Its a curious thing. Why am I in contact with ministries who need short term-ers and yet I am ready to do a long term. Its not an accident, I just don't understand what I am supposed to do with it.
If you could just be praying for me right now. I NEED direction. It is tiresome waiting and waiting and waiting....I know The Lord has a reason and I am willing. There is a song that says, "Where You go, I'll go and where You stay, I'll stay" I am willing to be there or here but here in the middle of it, unable to make commitments and really get involved with anything I feel like I am just wasting time. That said, it has been a good time of seeking The Lord. With nothing to distract me from Him I have been able to evaluate what I have been doing with my time. Have I been spending it for His kingdom or for the American Dream or for my dream? What does my life say about Him? He is definitely opening doors here for ministries that I could get involved with and I am willing I just need the go ahead from Him. Please be praying that He will either open the door for Haiti or not and pray that I will be sensitive to His leading. That I won't let what I want get in the way of His calling. I need patience and I don't want to make a hasty decision either way. I need the peace of God which surpasses all understanding upon me during this time.
Now, I have to give a praise! Pippin, one of the little boys from HCRM sent me a sweet letter. It made my day! I love him so much and Cleaver his good friend wrote it for him. What sweet boys that just want to be wanted and loved. They have precious hearts and I long for them to have a home and family.
I have a challenge for each of you. There are over 80 children at HCRM, 400 at GLA, 20 at Loving heart, 150 at GHRM, 40 at Child Hope and 200 at New Life. That is almost 700 children and those are just from organizations that I have come across. Those are 700 little lives that need homes and families. That is a tiny fraction of the need in Haiti for Christian homes to be opened to those in need. And isn't that why God blesses us, so that we can then bless others. What's the point if we just keep it for ourselves like the servant who buried the one talent. He was called a wicked slave. I once heard from an adoption advocate that if all the families who claimed to be Christians in America alone would adopt just one child from Haiti each there would be no more orphans in Haiti and more families that could adopt. There are more Christian families in America than there are orphans in Haiti! My challenge to you is if you have never seriously considered adoption DO! and I am not just talking about Haiti. These are real lives, real people and God is fully aware of this situation. He has called those that are here, right now for such a time as this. What are we going to do about it!? This generation is our responsibility. It's not good enough to know that its happening and sit at home and shake our heads. His Godly ones advocate and stand up for what is right. This applies to so many areas abortion, gay rights whatever God has burdened you with its now your responsibility to make a difference. So ask yourself, what are you doing for the kingdom today? What has God called you to? I am asking myself the same questions. It took me having to go to a third world country to finally face it and if the reason God wanted me to go was to see His hurting children and to share in the agony of His heart then it was well worth it. Pray, ask God for His heart, bear His burdens with Him, that's what we are called to do. We have been saved from the pit so that we can go down to the pit and stand in the gap, pointing them to the hope we have, that is Jesus Christ. We are to live like Christ, spending ourselves for His kingdom. May that be the legacy we leave our children and to this generation. May it be said of us that we have given our all to the kingdom. May the Lord say to us, "Well done good and faithful servant." Amen.
"The brutal, soul-shaking truth is that we are so earthly minded that we are of no heavenly value." - Leonard Ravenhill
Your Sister in Christ and
Fellow Servant,
Lauren
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