WERE HERE! Ill try to update and post pics soon, I'm just so tired. this is crazy
thanks for all of your prayers. I almost didnt make it because I was told at 5 yesterday morning that my whole flight was canceled.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
This week has been an amazing way to prepare me for the trip. Altogether there were around 40 students who were leaving for the whole summer or up to a year, going on missions trip all over the world. We had small sessions with amazing speakers, such as Ron Walborn (Alliance Theological Seminary) and Jason Ostrander. Ron spoke on the Holy Spirit, and his role in our lives. Jason spoke on Disorientation, and finding our orientation in Jesus alone. I cant say enough Good about the speakers and their messages.
I had two thoughts really hit me:
a. God could have done, and still can do the work that will be done this summer, yet is using us. He doesn't NEED us to work, yet what an honor to be specifically chosen for a task, directly from God.
b. God has been working where we are going even before we started planning or even working towards going on this trip. We are simply the tools that he will use for His purpose.
EVERYTHING WAS GOING GREAT UNTIL THIS MORNING!
I woke up in a bad mood. I for some reason recently had formed the view of God in my mind that since He is such a Holy, pure and amazing Being, that I have no right even bothering Him with my small things. Sadly...I don't even know know how to approach God anymore. Then because of this, I woke up with the thought: 'does God even like me?' I know he loves me no doubt. That's undeniable. Yet, besides making sure that I bring Him glory and praise, does He really care about ME??
I went to the last session calmed down, yet the question still was bothering me.
Right at the beginning of the session, our worship leader just started speaking directly from his heart. He gave the simple example that He loves and actually LIKES two things: his wife and sushi. Since he LIKES these things, he can talk about them for hours and share with anybody he wants to about it. Then he asked the question 'do you actually LIKE Jesus?' I was hit by a wall. I realized that this is the reason it is so hard to share about Jesus and telling about Him. This is why Im scared to get into conversations about Him: Is it that I dont LIKE him? That hurts so bad to say. I'm so ashamed. I love Jesus, yet there is a difference between loving someone and actually liking them.
Tonight I was drained. I needed to talk to God so bad. I left the motel room so that my roommate could have privacy and walked down to the hotel lobby and found a chair around the corner from the motel's bar. I started reading John. Still the thought 'does God like me?' was in my head. I just said a quick prayer asking God to show me what He is passionate for. I was about to leave. I felt led to read the next chapter in John, which is chapter 15. I got to verse nine which is Jesus speaking to the disciples, saying "Just as the Father Has Loved Me, I have also loved you..." I nearly jumped up out of my chair.
IT'S THAT SIMPLE?? (I sat there laughing, drunk people were around the corner yelling about something while I was in shock.) Its that simple? I have read that verse so many times, yet it never meant the same as it did now. When reading this, I immediately thought of the different Gospel accounts (Jesus' baptism and the transfiguration) where God is talking directly about Jesus. Theres no denying that God sounds like the proudest father in the world, gloating when speaking about Jesus. He sounds crazy about Him.
Then the second part of that verse says that Jesus loves us the same way that the father loves Him. This means that Jesus is crazy in love with us. The kind fatherly love that God the Father had for Him, Jesus has for us. This must mean Jesus likes us.... Jesus likes me. I dont know why such a simple concept was so hard for me to believe. It must be the same way that my dad thinks of me.
When I finally understood it, I was dumbfounded. I have read Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and have been told all of my life that Jesus is crazy about us, yet it never made so much sense until now. I remember sitting in my Romans class this semester being told that from one of my favorite profs, yet I still didn't take it as fact.
Point number one that God had shown me on this trip: He likes me.
Sorry for being long winded hahaha =)
Oh yeah I forgot to add that Our flight leaves tomorrow (Saturday) at 9:25 EST. Please pray that there are no problems with the volcano. Some of the teams going to other countries were delayed a day because of it.
"But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works."
Psalm 73:28
I had two thoughts really hit me:
a. God could have done, and still can do the work that will be done this summer, yet is using us. He doesn't NEED us to work, yet what an honor to be specifically chosen for a task, directly from God.
b. God has been working where we are going even before we started planning or even working towards going on this trip. We are simply the tools that he will use for His purpose.
EVERYTHING WAS GOING GREAT UNTIL THIS MORNING!
I woke up in a bad mood. I for some reason recently had formed the view of God in my mind that since He is such a Holy, pure and amazing Being, that I have no right even bothering Him with my small things. Sadly...I don't even know know how to approach God anymore. Then because of this, I woke up with the thought: 'does God even like me?' I know he loves me no doubt. That's undeniable. Yet, besides making sure that I bring Him glory and praise, does He really care about ME??
I went to the last session calmed down, yet the question still was bothering me.
Right at the beginning of the session, our worship leader just started speaking directly from his heart. He gave the simple example that He loves and actually LIKES two things: his wife and sushi. Since he LIKES these things, he can talk about them for hours and share with anybody he wants to about it. Then he asked the question 'do you actually LIKE Jesus?' I was hit by a wall. I realized that this is the reason it is so hard to share about Jesus and telling about Him. This is why Im scared to get into conversations about Him: Is it that I dont LIKE him? That hurts so bad to say. I'm so ashamed. I love Jesus, yet there is a difference between loving someone and actually liking them.
Tonight I was drained. I needed to talk to God so bad. I left the motel room so that my roommate could have privacy and walked down to the hotel lobby and found a chair around the corner from the motel's bar. I started reading John. Still the thought 'does God like me?' was in my head. I just said a quick prayer asking God to show me what He is passionate for. I was about to leave. I felt led to read the next chapter in John, which is chapter 15. I got to verse nine which is Jesus speaking to the disciples, saying "Just as the Father Has Loved Me, I have also loved you..." I nearly jumped up out of my chair.
IT'S THAT SIMPLE?? (I sat there laughing, drunk people were around the corner yelling about something while I was in shock.) Its that simple? I have read that verse so many times, yet it never meant the same as it did now. When reading this, I immediately thought of the different Gospel accounts (Jesus' baptism and the transfiguration) where God is talking directly about Jesus. Theres no denying that God sounds like the proudest father in the world, gloating when speaking about Jesus. He sounds crazy about Him.
Then the second part of that verse says that Jesus loves us the same way that the father loves Him. This means that Jesus is crazy in love with us. The kind fatherly love that God the Father had for Him, Jesus has for us. This must mean Jesus likes us.... Jesus likes me. I dont know why such a simple concept was so hard for me to believe. It must be the same way that my dad thinks of me.
When I finally understood it, I was dumbfounded. I have read Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and have been told all of my life that Jesus is crazy about us, yet it never made so much sense until now. I remember sitting in my Romans class this semester being told that from one of my favorite profs, yet I still didn't take it as fact.
Point number one that God had shown me on this trip: He likes me.
Sorry for being long winded hahaha =)
Oh yeah I forgot to add that Our flight leaves tomorrow (Saturday) at 9:25 EST. Please pray that there are no problems with the volcano. Some of the teams going to other countries were delayed a day because of it.
"But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works."
Psalm 73:28
Saturday, May 22, 2010
I dont feel real.
I am laying in my bed at the Hotel in San Diego. So tired. I just had my first meal in 24 hours . I think ill take another nap. Tomorrow we have to take a shuttle back to the airport to meet up with the rest of the interns that will be with us in Mexico for a week of training. We will have two awesome speakers for the training and have been told we will be surprised as to what all will take place there. Im pretty excited. We have no idea what kind of living conditions we will be in, what food we will eat, or what we will be doing.
We found out that when we do actually leave here for Africa, it will be a 30 hour trip. I dont think I like that plan. I cant wait to actually get there and to serve however Gods uses us. This summer will be such an experience that I know God will use to help shape our lives and paths we take.
Last thought: God is so funny how He encourages and calms us in ways that would only make sense to us individually. Yesterday I was starting to wonder if I was really following Gods desires or my own to Go back to Gabon. He made it known to me again that it was His plan.
We have a funny God.
Ill try and update sometime this upcoming week.
I am laying in my bed at the Hotel in San Diego. So tired. I just had my first meal in 24 hours . I think ill take another nap. Tomorrow we have to take a shuttle back to the airport to meet up with the rest of the interns that will be with us in Mexico for a week of training. We will have two awesome speakers for the training and have been told we will be surprised as to what all will take place there. Im pretty excited. We have no idea what kind of living conditions we will be in, what food we will eat, or what we will be doing.
We found out that when we do actually leave here for Africa, it will be a 30 hour trip. I dont think I like that plan. I cant wait to actually get there and to serve however Gods uses us. This summer will be such an experience that I know God will use to help shape our lives and paths we take.
Last thought: God is so funny how He encourages and calms us in ways that would only make sense to us individually. Yesterday I was starting to wonder if I was really following Gods desires or my own to Go back to Gabon. He made it known to me again that it was His plan.
We have a funny God.
Ill try and update sometime this upcoming week.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Nerves
Yeah, so if you haven't already been on here, this will be my blog for when I'm in Gabon. I will leave this Saturday for a week of training in San Diego and Ensenada Mexico, and will be in Gabon from May 30th til August 13. I'm not so sure what will happen during the training in Mexico. I think they want us to be surprised actually.
My two friends along with 7 other interns and I will help lead groups that are staying with Tim and Meredith Brokopp, which are the missionaries that we are staying with. Along with helping the groups, we will help the Brokopps in their different ministries, such as the Hope House, a mobile medical clinic etc. I really like the mobile medical clinic and cant wait to work at the Bongolo Hospital. We will also be able to connect and build relationships with the Gabonese people.
We will need prayer for safety and for health. Also, please pray that God will prepare our hearts and they we will always be ready for service.
Yeah, its soon. I'm just ready to be there now.
Keep us in your prayers.
Drew
My two friends along with 7 other interns and I will help lead groups that are staying with Tim and Meredith Brokopp, which are the missionaries that we are staying with. Along with helping the groups, we will help the Brokopps in their different ministries, such as the Hope House, a mobile medical clinic etc. I really like the mobile medical clinic and cant wait to work at the Bongolo Hospital. We will also be able to connect and build relationships with the Gabonese people.
We will need prayer for safety and for health. Also, please pray that God will prepare our hearts and they we will always be ready for service.
Yeah, its soon. I'm just ready to be there now.
Keep us in your prayers.
Drew
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
I have no words to express my thoughts right now. I have been sitting here for 15 minutes trying to get my thoughts gathered. With just finishing up classes, all I can think of is summer...
I leave for Gabon in 11 days. I have 3 days to pack up my life here at school and then one week to pack up my life for the summer, in only 70 pounds of baggage. ugg, I just want to be there now.
My two friends and I leave May 22 for a week of training in San Diego. I just found out that we will be staying a few days in Ensenada Mexico for part of the training, but I dont know of what all we will be doing. We then leave May 29 for Gabon. I woke up the other morning almost nauseous from the thought. I feel like last summer is just a taste of what God had in store for us this summer. 10 days was simply not enough.
Im almost done reading CrazyLove. Its about living your life in such a way for a God that loves us with a ridiculous love. Just something Francis Chan says: "A person who is obsessed with God is characterized by committed, settled, passionate love for God, above and before every other thing, and every other being." I hope that can someday be said of me.
My friends and I will be reading Follow me to Freedom before we leave. It looks good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkIZV3k-U84
I leave for Gabon in 11 days. I have 3 days to pack up my life here at school and then one week to pack up my life for the summer, in only 70 pounds of baggage. ugg, I just want to be there now.
My two friends and I leave May 22 for a week of training in San Diego. I just found out that we will be staying a few days in Ensenada Mexico for part of the training, but I dont know of what all we will be doing. We then leave May 29 for Gabon. I woke up the other morning almost nauseous from the thought. I feel like last summer is just a taste of what God had in store for us this summer. 10 days was simply not enough.
Im almost done reading CrazyLove. Its about living your life in such a way for a God that loves us with a ridiculous love. Just something Francis Chan says: "A person who is obsessed with God is characterized by committed, settled, passionate love for God, above and before every other thing, and every other being." I hope that can someday be said of me.
My friends and I will be reading Follow me to Freedom before we leave. It looks good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkIZV3k-U84
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