Prepare for Take-Off: My Life in 2014

2014 kinda felt like the year life started taking off for me. There were a lot of changes, some scary and some exciting. There were also a lot of blessings and lessons too. Over all, I grew a lot and changed a lot, so I thought I’d recap my year here.

I definitely make the most of the opportunities that Davis offers and manage to stay pretty busy. I am an RA in the girls’ dorms which also includes leading a small group Bible study, which I enjoy. I am still working with Child Evangelism Fellowship of Broome County as an office assistant and Good News Club teacher. I enjoy doing the office work and also having an opportunity to have a job that allows me to lead children to the Lord and teach them more about him. I continue to be a part of a student led monthly worship night called Ruah. In addition to all of those things, I started volunteering on Saturdays at a youth center in Binghamton. I started taking voice lessons through Davis and really enjoyed getting back into singing. And in my free time (the little I have) I enjoy writing as a hobby. I like to write poems and blog posts and I had a blast writing my first serious novel. I just recently finished and am now in the process of editing it. Mostly I write for fun, but it would be great to see it published someday. Please let me know if you’d like to read it!

I turned 21 in February 2014. I decided to give myself a birthday present by getting my first tattoo. I got the “Blessings, May 31, 2009” tattooed onto my left shoulder blade. That is the date that I had my brain infection and is a reminder to me that even in the biggest trials, God’s blessings can be found. May 31, 2014 marked 5 healthy years since I had the brain infection. I am thankful and blessed! Turning 21 is probably a big reason why I felt like life started taking off. I have definitely noticed a difference in age this year. I have felt myself itching to be more independent and make decisions and choices on my own, which I know is a normal thing to desire and a part of growing up. I know God is preparing me for big things and I can’t wait until my life finishes taking off.

There were several fun events in the spring 2014 semester. My parents came up and celebrated my birthday with me and my friends. I got to go to a masquerade ball at Davis, so that was fun to get dressed up and have a good time with friends. I went on a NYC bus trip with Davis and enjoyed a day touring the city with some of my friends. My favorite thing to do in spring 2014 was to hang out with some of the awesome friends I have made at Davis.

Even though spring 2014 was a good semester, I spent a lot of it feeling rather anxious about my Grandpa’s cancer and knowing that I would have to part ways with my friends at the end of the semester because many of them were moving onto different places. God spoke to me a lot during that time to remind that even though life was uncertain, he was my solid rock, certain and unchanging. On May 6, 2014 I was forced to face both of these impending events that I had been dreading all semester long. It was the last day of the semester and I got a phone call from my mom that Grandpa had passed away. This forced me to also have to say goodbye to my friends a bit early. I had already known how good of friends they all were, but they proved it to me once again that day. As we gathered to say our goodbyes, they went around in a circle and all said something that they loved about me. I got into the car and reluctantly drove away knowing that when I returned to Davis it was going to be a very different place for me. It was definitely an emotional day. As I saw a rainbow in the sky on the drive home, however, I was reminded of God’s faithfulness. Through that rainbow, he reminded me that even on the darkest, rainiest, and cloudiest of days, his faithfulness prevails and he will never let us down even when people come in and out of our lives.

The summer brought on a new kind of adventure. I was finally able to leave my summer job of three years working at Kennywood Amusement Park. Child Evangelism Fellowship of Greater Pittsburgh offered me a job as the Summer Ministries Coordinator. This was definitely a new “big girl” job as I was the acting director over CEF’s 5-Day Club summer ministry and another reason I feel like life started to take off in 2014. My job was to both schedule and oversee the summer missionaries at the 5-Day Clubs. I was blessed when my best friend, Nikki, who I met through CEF in 2008, came and spent a week of her vacation time with me so she could help out. She has been a great friend through the years and I am definitely blessed by her friendship! We reached around 340 kids and saw 50 of them make a decision to ask Jesus to clean their hearts from sin. So it was definitely an exciting summer as God used me in big ways. I was definitely stretched and grew a lot as a result of working with CEF Pittsburgh.

Alex, my brother, joined me at Davis for the 2014-2015 school year. I was a little nervous to start the fall 2014 semester without my friends there. But God continued to speak to me about his faithfulness and provision. The first couple weeks were hard and I faced feeling rather lonely due to the friendship dynamics that had drastically changed without my friends there. It definitely wasn't made any easier when I found out that my pastor of almost 15 years was going to be resigning from my home church because he felt God leading him elsewhere. But God was faithful to provide for me when I met Patrick. Patrick and I got to know each other and after praying about it, we started dating on September 25, 2014. He got to come home with me in October to meet my family and friends. I got to go home with him to Wilmington, North Carolina for Thanksgiving to meet his. Dating and relationships has been something God has been working on my heart with for several years now. So this was a pretty big life step for me to take to get into a relationship with Patrick. But we truly feel God has led us into this relationship with big plans in mind for us. Being in a relationship with Patrick is definitely yet another way that life has started taking off. I am excited to see where God leads us in the next couple of years and am thankful for the company and leadership that Patrick gives me.

I got my first 4.0 in college this past semester at Davis, so that was a nice accomplishment. Though I am a senior, I have one more year after this year because I am doing a double concentration and taking more credits. I will graduate with a bible degree with concentrations in teaching English as a second language and Christian counseling. Right now I am feeling called to ministry within the states, possibly in the inner city with children. We will see where God leads though! I enjoy being involved in various things at Davis and will definitely be sad when my time there comes to a close.

One of the major themes of 2014 has definitely been God’s faithfulness. Though there were many changes and big steps in 2014, God remained the same through it all. I have faith that as my life continues to take off and I continue to change, God will be right there with me, guiding me and anchoring me in the faithful way that he always has.

I hope that God is as good and faithful to you in 2015 as he was to me in 2014.

The Lonely Christmas

The Lonely Christmas

Twas the morning of Christmas and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
No one was coming to join in the jubilee.
No extra friends and no extended family.

Just one small family together for the holiday,
You see, everyone else was very far away.
Christmas apart can feel very lonely,
The house is quiet and it is family only.

It doesn’t feel like much of a celebration.
No extra fuss, no need for exclamation.
A loss of fellowship and camaraderie, 
Can often feel like Christmas joy robbery.

But so long ago on that oh holy night,
One small family met for that first silent night.
In a town far from home, away in a manger,
No friends or family came, just a few strangers.

And yet despite the lack of familiar faces,
A heavenly host came singing their praises.
Glory to God in the highest, Christ is born today.
Let us not forget, he’s the reason for this holiday.

So even though no extra people have come,
And that makes it quite easy to feel so glum.
Jesus was born to save us from our sinful state.
For that reason, there’s always cause to celebrate.

Christmas is not about Santa and presents,
It’s not about fellowship, friends, or events.
It’s about taking time to remember the day,
When God became flesh and chose to stay.

Help us to remember, Lord, what this day is all about.
The hope and joy you offer give us grounds to shout.
Remind us that you are with us always,
And that includes all of our lonely holidays.

So even when we’re feeling quite sad and alone,
We can still take joy in the love you’ve shown.
Though at times we feel the burn of unacceptance,
Let us always find peace in your holy presence.

Merry Christmas Jesus.

Christ the Core

A paper I wrote for my General Epistles class at Davis College. I actually enjoyed writing it and am pretty passionate on the topic, so I thought I'd share. Hope you enjoy!

Dr. Charles Colton

General Epistles

13 November 2014

Core Christianity

Doctrinal disagreements and differences have been causing division in the church since the time of Paul. This problem only continued to get worse with the spread and growth of the Christian church. It seems that there are at least two opposing views to every area of doctrine out there. Naturally these disagreements have resulted in the tens of thousands of denominations of Christianity that exist in the world today. With so many denominations, all worshiping in different ways and believing varying doctrines, the worldwide church is no doubt much more divided than Jesus and early church leaders ever would have intended it to be. But there is hope for unity and room for fellowship despite doctrinal disagreements among denominations. This hope can be found when churches are willing to unite at the basic core of Christianity. Believers must consider what core beliefs are essential, when fellowship with core believers is necessary, and when cooperation with groups that do not believe in the core is appropriate.  

Christians must consider what truth are an essential part of these core beliefs. A challenge when determining the basic core of Christianity is deciding which truths in the Bible are nonnegotiable for the Christian believer. This is a challenge because there are so many things that believers disagree on and argue about. So what are the basics that a specific denomination or body must agree on in order to meet the qualifications of being a part of the core? John gives some insight into what this core should be in 2 John 1:7, 9-10 when he says, “I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the Antichrist… Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” John offers believing in Christ as God in the flesh and continuing in his teachings as the basis of core Christianity. If someone does not believe that Jesus is the son of God who became flesh in order to be an atoning sacrifice for believers, they cannot be considered a core believer. Jesus himself makes it clear that there is no room for negotiation on this point when he says in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There is no other way to be saved from our sins other than to believe and accept the grace of God through Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. This is how a believer comes to the father. So as referenced in both passages, a believer cannot have the father unless they have Jesus first. Jesus is the truth. So believing in Jesus and continuing in the things that he taught during his time on earth defines the core of Christianity. If someone does not believe this, John even goes as far as calling these people that reject the teachings of Christ “deceivers” or “the Antichrist.” These are serious statements for John to make but it shows how nonnegotiable belief in Jesus and his salvation is. Based on these passages of scripture, a body of believers must teach five basic things to be considered part of core Christianity. The body must teach that Jesus is the incarnate son of God. They must teach that he offered his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. They must teach that it is only by accepting this gift of grace that one is saved from the punishment of sin. They must teach that he rose from the dead on the third day. And lastly they must not “run ahead” but continue in the teachings of Christ. These five things are the truths that determine the core of Christianity.

With the core of Christianity established, believers in that core must decide when fellowship with core believers but varying doctrinal differences is appropriate. It is human nature to wish to be separate from those that are different or disagree with us. This has certainly played into the way many denominations in the Christian church work today. Doctrinal differences have not only led believers to worship separately, they have also led believers to do things like outreach and community work separately. God is a personal God and so it makes sense that believers would experience him in different ways and believe different things when it comes to details of Christianity aside from the gospel core. Because of this, it also makes sense and is not necessarily wrong that believers would want to worship separately so that a believer may find a worship setting that matches their individual worship style and preference. Weekly worship is an area where it is permissible for core believers to separate from fellowship. However, these preferences should never be something that leads a believer to refuse fellowship completely. It is imperative for core believers to be willing to set minor doctrinal differences aside in order to fellowship with fellow core believers when opportunities arise. As stated in Core Christianity by Dr. Charles Colton, “On doctrinal issues, only those views which would deny the Person and salvific work of the Lord Jesus Christ… would disqualify churches from at least limited joint fellowship or ministry” (Colton 103). The church has failed when it comes to inter-denominational fellowship, not because doctrinal differences and denominations exist, but because many believers are unwilling to fellowship with core believers in spite of those differences. As a result the church is suffering because it is divided. Instead of being a single, strong force, reaching the world for Christ, the church is a series of divided lesser forces reaching scattered parts across the world. The church’s testimony and impact on the world suffers when core believers refuse to work together with other core believing bodies. Believers are warned against this in Philippians 2:1-3 which states, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Believers are called to be united on the basis of Christ. Believers take an unjust position of pride over fellow core believers when they refuse to fellowship with those that disagree doctrinally with them. And that attitude of pride is detrimental to the church and its growth. Core believers must accept that no one has perfect doctrine and so the church must act in humility and work together to reach non-believers in spite of their differences. This could be as simple as hosting trainings, attending Bible studies, or working together in outreaches in fellowship with other core believing churches. No matter what form it takes, for the sake of church growth and expansion, core believers must learn to walk in humility, set differences aside, and fellowship with other core believers.

Core believers must determine when cooperation with non-core believers is appropriate or necessary. Core believers certainly could not cooperate with non-core believers when it comes to things like worship or missionary outreach. Core believers should not set out to go door to door alongside a Mormon of Jehovah’s Witness. Due to the vast differences on the core belief, doing something like that would be impossible to do without compromising gospel truths. However, there are instances when it is possible for core believers to partner with non-core believers for sake of penetrating the world with the gospel. Colton states in Core Christianity, “…Churches must work within a set of cooperative guidelines that will preserve a clear biblical testimony, and yet leave doors open to both institutional and personal ministry” (Colton 119). Some examples of this kind of setting might be a situation like a ministry or church setting up a booth at a community fair or festival in order to share the gospel with the people there. A church might also take the opportunity to work alongside Mormons or Catholics in disaster relief or in meeting community needs like poverty or hunger. This is not only permissible for core believing bodies to do so, it is to some extent necessary in order to be able to reach secular people with the truths of the gospel. Unsaved people are not always likely to come to the church to hear the gospel. The church must be willing to take the gospel into the communities when the opportunity arises. If a core believing body has the opportunity to share the gospel without compromising any of its truths in a community setting among non-core believers, that body should take the opportunity. Taking such opportunities brings the gospel to ears of people that might not otherwise hear the truths of Christ.

The core of Christianity can be defined as the belief in Christ and his gospel message. Core believers must be willing to humbly fellowship with other core believers for the sake of church expansion. Core believers should take opportunities to share the uncompromised gospel in cooperation with non-core believers. In all things as followers of Christ, believers must follow his example and show love to those around them. The greatest commandment that God gave his people found in Mark 12:30-31 simply states, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” This has nothing to do with doctrinal preferences. It does not require believers to tolerate only those that agree with them and yet it is the greatest commandment. Believers must set doctrinal beliefs aside and choose to love one another, believers or non-believers. Love conquers doctrine. So walk in love before walking in doctrine.

Works Cited

Colton, Charles J. Core Christianity. N.p.: Panama Baptist, n.d. Print.

Worth the Wait

I’ve wasted so much time,
Looking for the perfect guy.
I kept falling in infatuation,
But each time it was all a lie.

I’ve suffered much heartbreak,
As a result of the temporary.
I kept optimistically jumping in,
Hoping just once the results would vary.

But they never once did,
The end was always the same.
I ended up broken hearted,
More often than not, also ashamed.

When I step back, I realize,
I was looking for a man among boys.
I should have expected heart break.
For they treated my heart like their toys.

My biggest problem of all was this,
I was desperately searching for “love,”
But my priorities were terribly amiss,
I should’ve been pursuing God above.

It was only when I fell in love with Christ,
That he decided to bring you along.
I’ll love you yesterday and today,
Tomorrow, forever, all my life long.

It’s all so perfectly different this time.
You’re everything the others were not.
Everything is falling into place.
You are so much better than I ever thought.

To the one who’s feeling restless, 
Watching the time tick away.
Take it from me, don’t rush it!
Because God does not delay.

It may take some time and patience,
But God, he never runs late!
Just fall in love with the Father,
He’ll bring someone that’s worth the wait.

The Speed of God's Timing

Where do you get off thinking,
God’s timing can only be slow?
If my God does not delay,
Is a quick answer less thorough?

Why do we only speak of patience,
When we discuss the timing of God?
Did it ever cross your minds to brace yourselves,
Because his timing might be faster than you thought?

How dare you make your judgments,
Based on absolute speed alone!
Asking not about my prayer life,
Or these convictions of my own!

Forgive me, but I don’t feel naïve to say,
Speed does not determine validity.
We serve a God outside our concept of time,
Outside of slowness or rapidity.

I’m not accusing you of no faith in God,
As much as it seems to be a lack of trust in me.
If you would just think outside the box,
You might discover more than you currently see.

I dare you to think bigger than your fear,
I dare you to give me a little more credit.
I dare you not to worry about speed,
Trust that I am walking as led by the Spirit.

Disqualified

Disqualified
“High risk, not safe, disqualified.”
Just a few of the reasons I hear them say.
Once more, a willing heart denied,
Because of a tainted past that’s not today.

Forgive me, but I must ask this,
Where is the line between our safety and God’s grace?
I wonder if there’s something we may have missed?
Can’t God use them in spite of all their mistakes?

I understand, safety’s needed,
No room for risky people in ministry.
But what makes me squirm where I’m seated,
Is didn’t Jesus take a bigger risk on me?

Can’t we look deeper than who they were?
Couldn’t we consider God’s great redemption?
Realize how God has made them pure,
How he might use them for kingdom expansion?

Please take some time to ponder and ask,
Would the Apostle Paul, with all his sins,
Horrible crimes, and treacherous past,
From your ministry, be disqualified?



Explanation:
I was prompted to write this poem because I got to thinking about some of the qualifications some ministries put on their volunteers. Recently, I know of someone being turned away from working with a ministry because of a criminal record that was just too recent. I firmly believe that this friend is changed and would have been a wonderful asset to the ministry. So I’m wondering, what’s the line between protecting our ministries but also realizing that God redeems and transforms people.

The harsh reality is that many modern churches would have disqualified the Apostle Paul from working in their ministries. God didn’t need Paul to wait a couple years before being far enough removed from his past to start his ministry. God had an encounter with Paul and then he was ready to start serving God. Through the great redeeming that God did with Paul, the persecutor and murderer, he was able to become one of the most influential missionaries in the faith.

So where’s the line? Where does consequence meet redemption? At what point do we disqualify people from working in ministry if they have a past with criminal records? If God can transform hearts and truly change people and Christianity is in the redemption business, then why do we disqualify people because of their past?

I suppose the best answer to that is relationship. Rather than blanket rules and qualifications, we should contact people who know the individual in question and see if they are truly a risk or not. Who are we to say that a background check should disqualify someone from working in ministry? What if that ministry is exactly what God wants to use to raise someone up to be a strong Christian leader expanding the kingdom of God? We should be less concerned about the number of charges in the past and more concerned about the heart in the present moment. 

If we look at only the past, the apostle Paul himself would have been disqualified from working in ministry. But when we look at the heart, we are able to examine what God has done instead of focusing on what that person has done.

Christ the Solid Rock: Part 2

I have been reading through the Psalms lately. Some of them are really depressing and harsh or extreme. But it never ceases to amaze me that even if the psalmist spends 75% of the psalm whining about how good things are, at some point in the psalm, they always give glory back to God. I’ve realized as I have read through the psalms, that it’s because even when the circumstances of life sucks, it has no reflection on the goodness of God. I realize my post last week was a bit down in the dumps. But here’s part 2… here’s the part where I give glory back to God.

Last week, I was definitely struggling with feeling alone and overwhelmed by all of the change taking place in my life. Even so far in this first month of school, there have nights full of tears and journal entries full of fears. But I am realizing now that I never should have doubted God’s faithfulness in any of this. I had briefly considered transferring schools for my third year of college a while ago. I knew I was on a five year plan and was a little nervous to stay at Davis where options for friends seemed to be running out. But God eventually convicted my heart and showed me that my motives for wanting to transfer were only based in fear. He spoke to my heart to stay here, where he had led me, and to trust that if I stayed where God wanted me to be and trusted in him, he would provide exactly what I needed.

It’s amazing how quickly we forget those promises from God when the storm comes. The storm certainly raged this semester, and it is not necessarily done raging. But this week, God’s faithfulness started to shine through the storm. Unexpected friends came into my life that I am so grateful for already. I was reminded that I have a great mentor who is there for me when I met with her this weekend. And I ran into a couple I used to go to church with and they invited me back to the young adults group at that church. I wasn’t sure about going at first but I recognized it as a potential blessing from God, an opportunity to make some friends. I did end up going and I even brought one of those new friends from Davis along with me. We had a great time and I am feeling blessed by the unexpected but wonderful ways that God works.

I’m not saying that within a week, everything in my life has gone from hard to just fine and dandy. But God has begun to give me joy in the midst of the hard time. And he is coming through for me just like he always promised he would do. I am feeling so blessed because of that tonight. I know the storm isn’t over, but I’m speaking against fear and clinging the promises that God has given me until it ends.

Christ the Solid Rock: Part 1

I won’t try and paint a rosy picture for you all. Life is a little bit of a struggle lately. As you may remember from previous posts, I said goodbye to some very close friends last semester.  They have moved on to other things and aren’t taking classes here at Davis this year. I had been anticipating that a lot was going to change as a result of that and so far I have not been wrong.

One of my biggest fears is being alone. I didn’t have a very good experience in my last two years of high school due to loneliness. Since then, I have been terrified of facing that type of loneliness again. But I sense that God is currently leading me into a season of loneliness and also change. That change scares me! I was so happy and content with my life the way it was last year. And now suddenly everything is changing. My pastor is moving to a different church. My friends are gone. Everything seems very uncertain.

A huge lesson I am learning right now is that God is the solid, eternal, unchanging rock. And we can rely on him for support when everything else is changing. I’ve been reminding myself of that a lot lately. It’s not that I’m trying to that truth as a blanket statement Band-Aid to make the fear and hurt go away. I keep reminding myself of that so that I will actually learn it. 

It’s been hard. And it’s certainly not going to go away all at once. But I am learning to trust the God that never moves even when this world around me seems to be like shifting sand. I’m hoping that through these trials he will teach me something big. I titled this as part one of a series because I have faith that God is going to keep speaking to me and teaching me this valuable lesson. Part 1 is a bit gloomy, I know. But I know that God will be faithful to bring a part 2. I appreciate your prayers as I continue pursuing him to discover what it is. 

Scars

I had been thinking a lot about the negative connotation that the word "scar" often holds. But for the Christian, those scars are actually valuable parts of our testimony. We should embrace them instead of hide them. We shouldn't feel guilty for who we used to be but instead should see that our testimonies are a tribute to God's redeeming powers. So I put all this into a poem, check it out....

Scars
My past littered with dirt and filth,
Shouts of distress and cries for help.
My heart was dark, lost, and scared.
But in trying to escape I continuously fell.

But then he found, loved, and redeemed me,
Picked me up and cleansed my soul.
A new creation finally free,
He filled me ‘til my spirit was full.

But though I have been born again,
My spirit living pure and freely,
Some days, every now and then,
Past memories still come back to me.

I remember who it is I used to be,
The memories heavy and painful.
God, take these terrible scars away from me!
They make me feel so guilty and shameful.

But in a still, small voice you gently remind,
These memories and scars bring you glory.
So instead of wishing to simply rewind,
I must view the scars as an amazing grace story.

Don’t try to wash the scars away,
Instead be willing to show them to others.
For the very scars you tend to hate,
Could greatly impact your sisters and brothers.

Each scar is a beautiful thing, you see,
No longer a wound but proof of his healing.
All together, they make a testimony,
A tribute to God’s power of redeeming.

Why, oh why, do you still hide your scars?
You don’t have to be ashamed anymore.

Confessions of a Pittsburgh Missionary: The Last One

Confessions of a Pittsburgh Missionary: The Last One

CEF Week 11 (July 27-August 2), Week 12 (August 3-August 9), and Beyond

I know this update is coming much later than it’s supposed to and is long overdue. But life has been nothing short of hectic since my last update. So here’s my update on the last two weeks of working with CEF Pittsburgh.

In the week of July 28 to August 1, we had two clubs. The first club was at a Salvation Army day camp on the North Side. AJ, Chloe, and I all really enjoyed these kids. They were very welcoming, and while they sometimes were a little rowdy, they were also very loving. One of the little girls asked me in counseling, “If God is Jesus’ father, who are his aunts, uncles, and cousins?” They were truly genuine kids. I’m excited to hear that this particular Salvation Army has decided to continue in CEF ministry through hosting a Good News Club. Maybe next summer I’ll be able to return and be surprised by how much the kids have grown.

Our next club after that was at a park in Pitcairn. This club turned out to be a little more like open air evangelism. The first day we were rained out and no one was at the park. The second day we reached a couple girls and painted their faces. But it wasn’t until the third day that we were able to start having a club. We probably reached about fifteen kids and I believe there were 2 salvations from the club. It was a perfect example of not giving up on a club. We could have just left, it wasn’t an easy club. But instead we stuck around and two children came to know the Lord because of it.

The next week was the week of August 4 to August 8. We were supposed to have three clubs, but one of them ended up being cancelled. I guess it was a blessing in disguise because I ended up needing the extra time to get packed for college. We had one club at the Eastminster Childcare Center. This was our first daycare club and it was definitely an adjustment. Chloe and I had to find ways to adapt our material to 2-4 year olds who had a short attention span and were very concerned about fairness. While we didn’t have any salvations with this club, we still had a great time with the little ones.

And our final club was at the East Liberty Salvation Army Family Caring Center. This club was at a homeless shelter and it was definitely humbling. We didn’t have many kids but the kids we did have were great. They were such sweet kids who really enjoyed being with us. They loved putting prayer requests in our God can. And the requests they put in were very humbling. There were many prayer requests similar to “I pray that we can find a home” or “I pray mommy finds a job.” Some requests seemed petty to me at first, like “I pray I can go to the concert.” But I realized that a concert could be like a dream come true to a little girl who is homeless. It’s more than just a concert, it’s a chance to enjoy something she probably rarely gets to enjoy. We had two children accept Christ at this club. I hope to be able to do more with them in the future as they were a great bunch of kids.

I wrapped up my summer with CEF on August 9 by planning an end of summer testimony event. I called it the “Summer Scoop” because we were sharing the scoop on the ministry that summer. I had lots of activities for kids beforehand like face painting, hair glitter, and a bunch of games. Then we went inside for sharing and a love offering and then ended the time with ice cream. I was grateful for help getting things decorated and set up. But the event went very smoothly. It was a great time of reflection on all the awesome events that happened throughout the summer. I got home from the event, unloaded my car from CEF stuff and then reloaded it with college stuff and left the next morning. Needless to say there wasn’t much turn around. But I managed.

This summer was an awesome experience. I can honestly say I could have done that job much longer and still be happy. And for those of you that know me well, it’s saying a lot to say that I was willing to be in Pittsburgh longer. I absolutely loved my job this summer. And God worked through it in some awesome ways! We reached around 340 kids, saw 50 of them make first time salvation decisions, counseled well over 20 for assurance or other questions, gave out 40 Bibles, and signed 28 kids up for Truth Chasers Club. It was such a blessing to be a part of God’s kingdom work through CEF Pittsburgh this summer.

I learned many valuable lessons. I learned how to trust God to give me the power in all circumstances. There were many times when I was stretched and challenged and had to ask God for help. There was a time when I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull a schedule together for the summer, but God made it happen. God is able to do big things through us when we step out in faith and trust him to lead the way.

I also learned that in ministry, you must learn to be both flexible and proactive. There were many times that a club didn’t go as I expected and that we would have been justified in just giving up. There were times when there weren’t kids waiting for us and we could have just shrugged our shoulders, said “oh well!” and went home to relax. But I didn’t give up so easily. I learned to be flexible. I learned to try different and creative approaches to try to get kids to come over and join us. I didn’t try to force a program if it didn’t work. But I was also proactive. We went up to kids and invited them over. We didn’t give up, we kept trying. I was willing to work with people’s schedules even if a full five day club didn’t work. At the end of the day I was setting out to accomplish a goal. My goal was to teach children about Jesus and present the gospel to them. And if a formal 5-day club setting wasn’t going to accomplish that, then I had to learn to be willing to try something else. God is able to pave the way for us and set things up as we expect them at times. But sometimes he has us help with the process. If I had given up on the tough clubs, there are many children that wouldn’t have heard about Jesus this summer. And I wasn’t willing to let that happen.

Thank you so much for all of your support! Whether you supported me through praying, financial giving, donations, hosting, or anything else, I couldn’t have done it without you! And I definitely couldn’t have done it without God. It was an awesome summer packed full with blessings from doing kingdom work for an awesome God. My heart is full!

Thankfully it’s not the end. Now that I am back up in Binghamton for school, I get to start working part time with the CEF chapter here. I am so blessed to be able to have jobs in ministry while I go to school for ministry. I know most college students are not so fortunate. The CEF ministry of Good News Clubs are starting soon so there is even more work to be done. Keep praying and stay posted! Until then…

This is a video of AJ's testimony from the summer because he was unable to attend the Summer Scoop. Check out the bloopers below as well!

Confessions of a Pittsburgh Missionary: Witnessing Transformation

Confessions of a Pittsburgh Missionary: Witnessing Transformation
Week 10: July 20-26, 2014

My week of ministry actually started on the weekend as I was able to serve with my church at Light of Life Rescue Mission on the North Side. It was good to get out of my comfort zone a little and be stretched in serving in a way that’s not so easy to do. And then Sunday morning the ministry continued. Many of the members of our church were away at church camp and so there were only about twenty of us on Sunday morning. After the sermon we gathered around each other and prayed over each other for different needs. We prayed over one lady who was particularly burdened and hurt. As we prayed, I asked God to give me an encouraging word to share with her. God did give it to me and I delivered it to her right after prayer time was over. It was so encouraging to me when she told me that the exact phrase that had been in my message was what God had been speaking to her about. I have had opportunities to prophesy over people before, but it is not so often that those words are confirmed. When they are confirmed it is even more exciting because you know for sure that God chose to use you to share his words with someone else. And that’s exciting! I was humbled and blessed to be able to be used by God in this way to deliver an encouraging and confirming word to a sister in Christ. 

Then the week got off to a start! This was the busiest week of the summer so far with four different clubs. I was feeling a little nervous going into this week because Chloe and I were going to have to handle the clubs on our own. I put out a request for help to Westmoreland County and one of their missionaries, Mary Cooper, graciously volunteered to help out. It was great to have her around to help Chloe and me out. We had two clubs in the morning in Crawford and Harrison Village in McKeesport, then we had a house club in East Pittsburgh, and then we had a VBS in Shadyside. It was a busy week but I think this was one of my favorite weeks so far. We reached over 75 kids, saw 15 of them give their lives to Christ for the first time, counseled several others for assurance or answered other questions, gave away 9 Bibles, and signed 8 kids up for the CEF mailbox club. So to date, CEF Pittsburgh has reached about 230 kids this summer and we have seen 32 children give their lives to Christ. 

Our first club was in Crawford Village. This was a pretty good bunch of kids. From what I have gathered by talking to some other ministries in the area, groups come in pretty often to work with these kids. We held the program at a YMCA there right after a free meal program. We reached thirty kids there. These kids were thinkers, I had the opportunity to lead five of them to Christ and that was exciting. But most days our counseling time was used to answer the multitude of questions kids had. “Why doesn’t God always answer prayers?” “Can God make me a NBA player?” And there were others even harder than that! There were also leaders in the room with them that also heard the gospel. I smiled on the last day when we were singing a song and I looked over to see that one of the leaders was singing along while she worked on something else. As you pray, don’t pray that only the children would come to know Christ but that the leaders and parents we come across would as well.

Next was Harrison Village. We arrived on the first day and were a bit surprised to discover that there was no structured program for us to partner with. Our hostess had not realized until that day that they are in between buildings and without a summer program for the kids. There was a free lunch program going on however. So we went over, tried to get kids to participate with a game, but we couldn’t get anyone but a young girl to come play. We tried to continue with the young girl, but it was very hard to hold her attention because there were many people milling around the facility. Some of the girls that had refused to play were sitting in a doorway near to us. One little girl called out while we were in the middle of talking to the little girl, “Can I play?” We figured she was messing with us, so we tried to ignore her, but she kept at it. Finally I said, “Yes, come on over here and sit down.” I watched her to see how she’d respond, she didn’t move and instead she yelled, “Sike! I DON’T wanna play!” A passing by adult made her apologize to us shortly after but needless to say we ended early and left feeling very discouraged. 

The first day had been a disaster! But I didn’t want to just give up on those kids… they clearly needed to know about Jesus. So we got to brainstorming ways we could still minister to these kids that were hesitant to participate. I figured it wouldn’t do any good to try and make them sit through a structured program and we probably needed to build some relationships first. So I went and got some face painting and the next day we planned on playing games only. The kids were gathered in the gym again and we called out to them offering to paint their faces. Many of them were reluctant to come participate because they were gathered around a movie. But the same little girl that had mockingly yelled at us the day before, anxiously ran forward to have her face painted. I learned that her name was Sanai. As I painted her face, I went through the wordless book with her. Sanai asked Jesus to clean her heart from sin that day and gave her life to God. We gave her a Bible and I painted a few more faces and then we were on our way feeling a little better about the club. We went back the next day and this time kids were looking forward to face painting and other games. We also brought nail polish for the girls. Mary painted nails, I painted faces, Chloe started off playing sports with boys but eventually had to help with face painting. Kids were coming out of the wood work! Kids were getting their faces painted, leaving and telling their friends, and bringing more back with them. I shared the wordless book as I painted with many and was able to lead two other children to the Lord that day. Sanai was there again and informed me that she was going to a VBS at a church and had started reading her Bible. She now seemed to have a genuine desire to learn more about God. We had so many kids that we stayed twice as long as we were supposed to! These kids had wanted nothing to do with us two days before, now they didn’t want us to leave. Thursday we returned with games to play but planned on trying to incorporate a circle time to share the gospel with the kids. We played kickball and hand clapping games with a few kids and then gathered around in a circle. Chloe shared her testimony with the kids. Most of them had already accepted the Lord but they were still very attentive to Chloe’s story. When Chloe asked them if they had believed in Jesus to save them from their sins, Sanai got a wide smile on her face and raised her hand, excited to show the other kids that she had done this. It was so amazing to me to see the transformation in her in just a few short days! She went from mocking us to reading her Bible and telling others. I have had the opportunity to lead many children to Christ, but I have never seen as dramatic a transformation in a child in such a short time as I saw in Sanai. The last day we returned and played with play dough, sidewalk chalk, and some board games. This time they were anxious to see us and came running forward to see what we would do today. This was one of the hardest club locations I have ever been to, but even though we weren’t able to do a structured 5-Day Club program, those kids still stole my heart. It also helped me learn the value of building some relationship when doing ministry. I think Harrison Village was probably one of my favorite locations this summer. Pray that Sanai would continue to grow in her faith.

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we had a house club in East Pittsburgh. This was a smaller crew of mostly saved kids but we still had a good time. These kids gave us lots of laughs. One day while I presenting the missions moment about the CEF Missionary we are sponsoring, I asked, “Do you guys remember who this is?” And one little boy called out, “That’s the guy we have to give all that money to!” The honesty of a child is a beautiful thing and should be cherished. He gave us all a good laugh. We hope to be back there next summer and maybe do a couple monthly clubs throughout the year there. The hostess shared with me that she wants to try and build relationships with the children in her neighborhood which is a great thing!

And Monday through Thursday we helped at a VBS at Third Presbyterian Church in Shadyside. The kids there were dramatically different than the ones we had in the McKeesport clubs, but they were equally as lovable. We had a lot of fun with them. I know God must have given us energy for this club because there is no way we could’ve been so energized by our own power. We weren’t seeing much of a response all week from this group at counseling time in spite of having a lot of fun with them. But on the last night when I gave the invitation I was able to lead six of them to the Lord. I was surprised to see that several of the children that came back were actually teen helpers making a first time decision for the Lord (once again, pray for the leaders as well). The coordinator of the VBS had the kids write on large pieces of paper the first day. There was a “What do you know about God?” category, a “What do you want to know about God?” category and on the last day they filled out the “What did you learn about God?” category. It was good to see some of the responses. It was evident to me that they really had learned something which always makes me feel better about the ministry I am doing. 

God is doing great things through CEF in Pittsburgh! Keep praying for us as we fight the enemy and try to reach lost children with the gospel. By the way, I love my job! I feel blessed almost every day to be able to be doing this kingdom work in Pittsburgh for the Lord.

Confessions of a Pittsburgh Missionary: A Cultural Experience

Confessions of a Pittsburgh Missionary: A Cultural Experience

Week 9: July 12-19, 2014

I realize this weekly update is coming three days into the week after, but it’s been kind of busy lately for CEF Greater Pittsburgh.  The week started off with the blessing of getting to see a girl, who’s not so little anymore, get baptized. This was special to me because she shared in her testimony right before that she came to know Christ for the first time after praying for salvation with me at a VBS at our church in 2010. It was a huge blessing to get to see someone I had the opportunity of leading to Christ make the decision to publically proclaim that through baptism.

The rest of the week continued and I had lots of helpers! My friend Nikki who I met at CEF Training School in 2008, came for a week to help. She was a huge blessing to me and she actually gave up a week of vacation to come to Pittsburgh and help. She is also the one who recruited Chloe for the summer, so she has been a huge help to CEF Pittsburgh. I am blessed to have a friend like her who has such a servant’s heart, has truly stuck with me through lows and highs of life, and goes out of her way to be a help to me. I also had a girl from church tag along a couple days as a helper. She is thirteen and able to do CEF next year. So I offered to let her tag along a couple times and be helper so she could see what it was like to decide for sure. So Chloe, AJ, Nikki, Sophia, and I all set out for ministry in the Pittsburgh area.

We were originally supposed to have three clubs but I am quickly learning to be flexible. One club, due to lack of advertising needed to be pushed to another week. And the remaining two clubs had to be shortened to four days instead of five days. But we proceeded and made the most of it regardless. It was kind of nice to have Monday off. I took Nikki into Pittsburgh and we did some tourist stuff since she was giving up her vacation to come help me. Our two clubs were in Elizabeth and Braddock. These are vastly different areas and so the clubs were also very different. But we experienced different cultures as we went to both. 

The first culture we experienced was apartment culture in Elizabeth. We quickly discovered at the apartments in Elizabeth that these kids had a hard time listening and following rules. The first day was chaos as we tried to maintain control! But we lost them. We piled into the car after it was finally over and debriefed and came up with ways to make the next day better. Our hostess explained that a lot of apartment parents leave for work and let their kids sleep in as long as they want and stay up late as well. Then most of them go swimming all day and the lifeguard is basically the babysitter. This proved to make the group of apartment kids rather challenging to control since they were not used to much discipline outside of a school setting. We came back the next day with coloring sheets and moved games to the middle and found that it was much easier for the kids to pay attention. And praise God, we saw at least one salvation decision come as a result of that club.

The second culture we experienced was inner city or urban culture in Braddock. Most of the kids that were at the next club were tough, street, city kids. It was a little intimidating at first, but we eventually found that they actually were better behaved than our apartment kids. This was especially a cultural experience for Sophia. Sophia has been all over the world and seen many different cultures, but this was a culture she was not used to. I was reminded of how different of cultures we were with on the first day when a little boy I was sitting next to pointed at Nikki’s converse shoes, crinkled his nose, and asked, “What’s wrong with her shoes?” He couldn’t understand why someone would wear scuffed up shoes like that. I was reminded again of the different culture a couple days later when counseling some boys that wanted prayer. One of the boy’s requests was for his family because his uncle had just been shot. I was reminded that these boys had probably seen more hurt and pain than me even in the short 5-12 years they’d lived. And they definitely needed to hear that Jesus was always with them and would never leave even if people do.

This week was a good reminder to me that you can experience many different cultures without even leaving your city. You can even experience different cultures with people of the same ethnicity. But Jesus loved across cultural lines, so people going into ministry better be prepared to minister and love across cultural lines as well. 

Be willing to get out of your comfort zone, keep an open mind to other’s backgrounds, and learn to be flexible.

AJ enthusiastically sharing the missionary story at our club in Elizabeth.

Nikki teaching the memory verse at our club in Braddock.

Confessions of a Pittsburgh Missionary: Trusting God in Sickness and Success

Confessions of a Pittsburgh Missionary: Trusting God in Sickness and Success

Week 8: July 6 to July 11, 2014

Week eight of my summer ministry and week three of doing clubs was an awesome week. I felt like this week, Chloe and I actually got a real taste of what our summer doing 5-Day Clubs would really be like. It only took us a couple days to fall into our own groove and way of doing things. And we are still figuring some things out, but this week finally felt less like we were preparing and more like we were actually doing! So that was exciting. We had two clubs this past week. One was in Rankin and the other in Elizabeth. We were happy to have our Westmoreland County friends come and help us with the Elizabeth club. We always have fun working with them. I have found that it is so much easier to be high energy when you have more people to work with as well. 

On the first night of soccer camp, the Elizabeth club, I had the privilege of teaching and then also leading some little ones to the Lord. My heart is always warmed when kids come over for counseling and respond to me asking why they came back with, “I want to ask Jesus to clean up my heart from sin.” We were blessed with some really great clubs this week. I really enjoyed our morning club in Rankin, the kids there were very sweet and eager to learn. We reached 123 kids this past week. We had the opportunity to lead 16 of them to Christ for the first time. We counseled several for assurance of their salvation and gave away 7 Bibles. I was very pleased with the way the week went. And I share these numbers not because of anything we have done by our own strength, but as a testimony to the work God is doing through us. I am so honored that God has allowed us to take this part in children’s lives. I can’t wait to reach even more children in the rest of the summer!

I had a little bit of a health scare on Wednesday night and I was reminded that there is an enemy at work. I passed out right before our Elizabeth club started. I came to after about a minute to Chloe tapping me on the shoulder. I had been shaking a bit and moaning as if I was in pain. Instances like these are always extra concerning for me, given my history of seizures due to the brain infection I had when I was sixteen. I was concerned that this little episode had been an unexpected seizure. That was especially concerning because if it was a seizure, I would have to give up my license for six months. And I really can’t afford to not be driving, especially this summer. It was a very worrisome event. I have gone to a doctor and my chiropractor since then. Both have told me they believe it was a vasovagal reaction to either kneeling, having pulled a muscle in my neck shortly before, or a combination of both. While they don’t think it was a seizure, I am still going to go to a neurologist to get checked out as a precaution. So please pray that all of the reports will be seizure free and that God would continue to bless me with good health this summer.

The whole incident was pretty scary, but I was reminded how important it is to trust God in circumstances like these. It reminded me that I am so limited in what I am able to do. But it stretched me to trust God and remember that he is not limited in anything that he does! I’ve been reading through the Psalms in my personal devotions and I was making my way through Psalm 37 this week. It was great timing because the psalm is pretty much all about God being faithful to those that follow him and defending them from the enemy. One part of the Psalm says, “Wait for the Lord and keep his way and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.” This was such a great reminder to me that I need to be praying expectantly, waiting for God to answer my prayer as I follow and serve him. For this reason, why should I fear? What can man or the enemy do to me when I have a God who is faithful and protects his children. And because of that, even the possibility of seizures shouldn’t give me reason to worry. God is way bigger than anything that could harm my body. So though the situation was scary, it was also a good reminder that I need to trust God and pray expectantly.

Keep praying! Pray that all the reports as the result of appointments I’ll have to go to will continue to point towards being seizure free. Pray that God would keep the enemy from me and the work of CEF Pittsburgh this summer. Pray for endurance and energy as the long weeks go on and we have three clubs next week. And pray that we would continue to be able to reach many children and have even more make decisions for Christ.