Waiting Patiently....

Hello everyone! My sincerest apologies for not writing sooner! It's been a hectic month, and things have been pretty crazy! I'll start with news: 1. I got my visa! Which was super exciting! Claire also received her visa later that week, after a very interesting trip to Chicago (which included some delicious deep dish pizza!). 2. I am about 76% funded! Yay! I still need about $900 for set up, and $600 in monthly pledges. 3. I was approached by a new friend, Candy, who is helping me do a candle fundraiser to raise the rest of the money I need! It's such a great and exciting opportunity! If you're interested in helping me financially (and getting a little something extra in return!) Please check out the link at the bottom of this page! 4. My team has shrunk DRASTICALLY! We are now down to three team members: Christine, Claire, and me! I am excited to share this experience with these two wonderful women! 5. My classmates that were headed to Kenya had a huge change in plans, and will now be joining with out Thailand team! That was a big, but exciting change for many friends of mine! Please keep them all in prayer as well! That is all for the news updates!

So, what is God teaching me in this season? PATIENCE! It is definitely a lesson the Lord is constantly teaching me! It is an area in my life that I have had to grow in quite a bit, so I am continuing to grow in this area now, through this process. The Thailand team has their plane tickets bought, and will be leaving in about two weeks. I am SO excited for them! Our France team is still waiting to buy plane tickets. There are a few logistical things being worked out still, as well as Christine and I needing to fundriase a bit more. It's hard. Hard when you want to leave, you want to go out, and share the gospel, learn a new language, and start ministering overseas. But we're having to wait. And pray. And wait. While it feels like there are constant obstacles in our way, and we are barely inching forward, I am having to be content, and stay joyful. It's hard! But the Lord is always speaking to my heart, reminding me that while it feels like I'm not in the right place, I am right where He wants me to be. That while I feel like I'm stuck in limbo, I'm not. I'm right where I should be. And when I stop trying to see far beyond my sight, take a second, and look around, I realize all that I have right here in front of me. I have been so blessed by my friends that surround me here in Minnesota, people I thought I wouldn't see again until after I got back from internship are able to hang out with me a few times a week. I am able to share in the celebrations, the trials, the joy, and the sadness that they are experiencing. Able to be there for them, and with them. And more importantly, the Lord is teaching me to learn from them, to glean wisdom from them, and love on them while I can. I am blessed to be in a place where I am able to spend time with Jesus. To slow down, and take time to let Him speak to me. To read His word when everything isn't making sense, or I am frustrated beyond belief. And most importantly, He is teaching me all about patience in the times when we're ready to jump out of the gate, but the gate just isn't opening yet. I am also learning to be patient with the people around me, to learn that not everyone thinks the same way that I do. It's a hard lesson to learn.

So be encouraged! If God has you in a place that feels like a waiting room, you aren't the only one! Trust that He has a plan for the time He has you there. Learn from the people He has around you, and never write anyone off as someone you can't learn from, they might be teaching you the biggest lesson of all!

Blessings and Love,

Chrissy


P.S. Here is the link for my fundraiser (mentioned at the beginning of the post!): https://www.facebook.com/events/554631631276534/

As Summer Ends and Autumn Falls....

Well hello again everyone! I'm sorry for the delay in writing, things have been pretty hectic! I am now back in Minnesota, living on campus until we leave for internship. I was able to apply for my visa before I left Florida, which was an interesting experience to say the least... But still a fun little adventure to take! I am pretty sure that I got it, although I can't say that officially yet, at least not until I have it in my hands.

To update you on finances, I am doing incredibly well! I am so excited to see what God does to bring in the rest of the money! I am currently at about 70%, maybe more. I have pretty much all of my set up, pending a few donations, so that takes care of $12,500 of my budget, praise God! As far as my monthly, I currently have $1,100 of it pledged! At this point I still need $700 pledged monthly for thirteen months. That's it! Isn't that wonderful? I'm so excited to see what happens with this last little bit that I need! I figure if I can get 28 people to give $25 a month for thirteen months, everything will be taken care of, so we'll see what happens!

I was able to take a road trip with my best friend Claire to North Dakota last weekend, for our friends' wedding. Manny and Ranee had a celebration of their union in Ranee's hometown of Elgin. It was gorgeous! I never knew North Dakota could be that beautiful! It was such a special time, being friends with both Manny and Ranee, and being able to celebrate with them, I was beyond happy to be there! I love them both very much, and I'm so excited to see what god does in and through them on this journey of their lives! Claire and I also enjoyed our time getting there, and getting back. Things explored were the world's biggest cow, Salem Sue, and the world's biggest buffalo, Dakota Thunder, as well as Frontier Village, or and we can't forget the French Gratitude train car we came across in Bismark! Needles to say, we had a great time! It was such a blessing to spend so much time with some pretty amazing people, who love Jesus with all their hearts!

Well it's starting to cool off here in Minnesota, it's still warm, but not hot. It's so strange to be back here, almost like a dream. There's plenty of new faces, and not so many familiar ones, but I'm excited to get to know some of these new faces! Campus is so lovely this time of year. Almost like a living picture. It's funny, to see everything around me changing, and I feel like I'm waiting to jump into the water, to start this new season in my life. But God has me waiting here, for now, and I know I will do plenty of growing, and searching while I'm here. It's a beautiful time, to reflect, and look forward all at the same time.

So stay tuned for what God is doing! I'm sure it'll continue to be an exciting ride!

Blessings and Love,

Chrissy

The Heart and Soul...

Hello friends and family! Thank you all for your continued support! First to start off I want to praise God for His faithfulness and unfailing love! I am blessed to serve such and amazing and awesome God! He sends encouragement when I need it most!

So to keep you all updated on fundraising, here is where I'm at: For one time donations I've got about $10,500! Which means that I still need roughly $3,000 still. This is very exciting for me, because I'm almost done with fundraising for one time donations! I'm so much closer to my goal! Now for monthly I'm still sitting at $800, so I still need monthly pledges of $1,000. At this point I am asking that if you are thinking of supporting me financially, please consider a monthly pledge! Every little bit helps, even if it's only $10, it adds up over the 13 months and brings me closer to my goal! Thank you to all who are praying for me, and supporting me, it does not go unnoticed, and is appreciated more than you know!


So this week has been a week of loving encouragement from the Lord. And I really want to share this with you, because He has also brought me back to the heart and soul of the work He is doing in me, and the work that He has called me to.

Early this week I was challenged, by my sister, to really examine what I was doing. And I really took it to the Lord, because honestly I've been so focused on my goals, I haven't stopped to think about what I am giving up and sacrificing by answering the call to be a missionary. I saw before me a life, that I could choose if I wanted to, a life that was simple, and comfortable, and beautiful. A life that was cozy, and lovely. And I wept, because it was a life that I would never know. But then I saw the life I was choosing, and in my heart I felt such a powerful warmth, knowing that I was not wasting my life, or ignoring its purpose. I was answering the call that had been placed on my life, to be a mother to orphans, to show women the strength and beauty that they could only see when looking at themselves through God's eyes. And I wept in pure joy and excitement for what my future held.

Now, I am not trying to say that if you are not doing what I'm doing your life has no meaning. Please, do not think that is what I am saying at all. We are all called to a different purpose. Mothers that raise their children, whether that's while holding down another job as a single mom, or being a stay at home mom that homeschools her children, are just as important to the kingdom of God as I am. We all play a part, and have a purpose in the kingdom of heaven. Moms and dads alike are raising up a generation of believers! Bravo and hats off to you all because you are fulfilling your purpose right there! But my purpose is different. I do feel called to be a wife and mother, but not just a mother to my children, but to children without families. and I am so incredibly excited to do so!

That being said, I began to ask God for help. To get to that place, to go on internship, and begin down the road of being a missionary. And man did He help me! He sent me so much encouragement this week I am blown away! I was able to meet with Tim and Heather Williams, who are very excited to hear what God is doing in and through me, and in this ministry to Marseille! And I was just so incredibly blessed and encouraged by them, and their enthusiasm! They are such a wonderful couple, and I couldn't begin to thank them enough for their encouragement and support, so I pray many blessings over them and their beautiful family!

Then today, I was so blessed in meeting with Pastor Violet. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and encouragement. And I truly began to catch the vision once again of my mission: love. This is not a mission to hurt people, tear them down, or cause anger and strife. I am on a mission to love people, to show them how Christ has loved me. To witness in love, and speak in love to them. It is not a message of hate, or an argument of my God is better than yours, but rather a message of hope, and of love. Now, in saying this, do not confuse love with tolerance of anything and everything, and do not confuse hate with speaking up when something is wrong. I would not be a very good mother if I did not grab my child up as he wandered off into the street, would I? Now he might get upset about it, but once he sees why it was dangerous he knows I did it out of love, to protect him from being hit by a car. It all comes from a heart full of love.

So, thank you, to everyone who has encouraged me this week! Thank you all for being so faithful to God, and His purposes and promises for your lives! Keep pushing on, set aside those things that could have been, and look at the possibilities of what God has for you, I promise you they are so much better than you can begin to imagine!

Love and Blessings,

Chrissy

Pressure of the Ticking Clock

Hello all! Well just to give a quick update: I am currently at about 57% of my funds raised! Yay! This is SO great! But I still have a little ways to go. To put things into money terms here's how it looks: In my one time set up donations I have $9,000 which means that I still need $5,000 towards one time donations. For my monthly pledges I have $800, which means that I still need $1,000 in monthly pledges. Our budget has also been revised since there are less people going now, so my monthly has increased about $100. Prayers and support are highly encouraged and appreciated!

Thank you all for what you have done to help. I am starting to prepare for departure to Minnesota. In other news, our departure date has been pushed back to October 15th. So I will be living on campus until we leave. I will be leaving Florida for Minnesota on August 30th, just in time to make it to the wedding of some very dear friends of mine on September 1st! I am very excited, and happy to be able to stay on campus, and see people I haven't been able to say good bye to before I leave.

I am so excited to be heading to Marseille to do ministry, and learn, and grow. It almost seems unreal because it isn't super close yet, but I know once it's upon me I'll be getting even more excited! I can't wait to see what the Lord does, and how He'll work in this time I'll be spending in France.

Please continue to pray for preparedness, and finances to come in! i appreciate all the support you have already provided! Thank you.

Blessings and Love,

Chrissy

Remember Who You Are...

Hello all! Well I keep on trekking through fundraising! I'm close to 40% now which is GREAT! But I'm still needing some more funds, majorly in my monthly giving. To give you a better picture of where I'm at, in my one time giving I still need about $7,500; in my monthly I still need $1,400 in monthly pledges. So, if you're reading this, and thinking that you would like to give, please feel free to contact me, or go ahead and check out the "Ways to Give" tab up at the top of this page! I'm really excited to be closer to my goal, and I pray that someone who reads this will be able to bring me even closer! To all those that have already supported, THANK YOU! You have done so much for me in giving towards my internship!

So this past week I watched The Lion King, one of my all time FAVORITE Disney movies! I love that movie a lot. One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Simba sees his father, Mufasa in the clouds, and Mufasa says to him: "Simba you have forgotten me." Simba replies: "No, how could I?" then Mufasa tells him: "You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba you are more than what you have become..." so Simba asks: "How can I go back?" and Mufasa tells him: "Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king. Remember...who you are.... Remember." and Mufasa fades out. Well if you've seen the Lion King, you know that Simba does go back, to challenge his uncle, and take his place as king of Pride Rock. You also know that it took the urging of his lady lion, Nala, AND the strange, albeit wise shenanigans of Rafiki and finally this interaction with his father's ghost to get him to return.


I always tear up during this scene, because it reminds me so much of our interactions with our heavenly Father. So often we veer off the path he has set us on because we are afraid of letting past decisions, and the fear of others to stop us. Simba felt he couldn't go back because Scar had convinced him it was his fault that Mufasa had died, and Simba feared that all the other lions in the pride would feel the same, that if it hadn't been for Simba, Mufasa would still be alive. I know I have this problem more often than I care to admit. I know that sometimes I'm afraid to walk out in the calling on my life because of my past, and what others will think of me. But God reminds me, in the same way Mufasa reminded Simba, to remember who I am. I am his daughter, and a princess. I am royalty. I should not be afraid to do what He tells me to, I should not fear the outcome of different situations, because I am a daughter of the King, and this King is ruler over ALL things! He KNOWS what will happen when I step out and walk out in the calling over my life, to follow the destiny that has been prepared for me.

So you need to remember this. Remember who you are. Do not ignore your calling, your destiny  because you are afraid of the shadows of your past. God has forgiven you all of your sins, and you are spotless and new. You have a calling on your life, and it is time. Time to answer the call, to follow God's leading, and walk down the road you were destined to walk. It may be dark, and perilous, the night is dark and full of terror, but guess what? The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, is walking beside you! He will not let you fall, He will guide you through the valley of the shadow of death, and you will not fear, because He is with you. So jump, and trust that He will catch you. Go back, challenge the devil for the land he has taken, and take your rightful place of royalty.


“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

Matthew 7:9-11


Love and Blessings,

Chrissy