Simply Trusting

Dear Friends, What an amazing journey of faith this time of raising support has been, and it's only the beginning! I am ridiculously excited to be leaving for Germany and BFA to start a new season of ministry! God has supplied so much, and through so many of you! Thank you so much for partnering with me, both in prayer and financially. It has been humbling to watch the ways that God has led so many to give. I will continue to post here about the things God is doing at BFA. When I think about how big He is and how He blessed the last time, my heart thrills to think of the possibilities this new season holds. I have to admit that over the last week, as I've prepared to leave, I've had some recurring sadness as I realized all over again that I won't be going back to help shepherd (and feed!) a guys' dorm. God gave such amazing relationships with students and staff, and I will truly miss serving in that capacity. However, I am thrilled to be teaching music, sharing s...

Last week was full of the kind of excitement the leaves you wondering what this new week is going to hold. My support has taken a dramatic turn upwards, and I am now only $275/month shy of boarding an airplane. The more I think about the amazing way the God is meeting this need, and the way He is moving people to partner with me, my heart is filled with gratitude. I am excited to say that I have begun the packing process, even though I don't yet have a departure date. For those of you who know me well, you know that packing is one of my LEAST favorite activities, so I'm thankful for a little extra time in which to do it. I am also looking forward to the day when my blog posts are not filled with pleas for support, and I am free to share about what God is doing in the community in Germany! So my requests for this week are simple. First, would you please pray that God would move in the hearts of those whom He wishes to partner with me, and that they would respond quickly? I have...

As we begin the month of November, I'm already thankful for so many things. God has answered so much prayer, and in specific ways. My financial need in returning to Germany has been huge. Many have responded and given generously, and I want to say a huge thank you to everyone supporting me prayerfully and financially. I am humbled and encouraged by your partnership with me, and I pray for you daily. Not only is my percentage of support almost where it needs to be, my startup costs are completely covered. I am so excited to be able to leave and begin doing life in Germany! I am also thankful for this time of waiting. I've shared more about this time in a previous blog post (10/25/14), but every day I thank the Lord for His perfect will and guidance. Because of the amazingly generous giving of so many people, I am very close to being able to leave! Currently I only need $320 more per month until I reach 90% , and $580 more per month until I am 100% fully funded. Every am...

I was hesitant to put the following thoughts out in public. Not because they're controversial or earth shattering, but because they are so close to my heart. Waiting . If I weren't waiting for support, I'd be waiting for something else. I'm not being cynical, but  I have noticed this become an apparent pattern in my adult life. There are always hopes, dreams, goals, achievements, among other things, to be looked forward to. However, before those things come there is often a waiting period. These are times which the Lord uses to teach us, grow us, change us, remove things from our lives (I should say "my life") that shouldn't be there, again the list goes on. However, I find myself impatiently wishing for the end of the waiting instead of looking for what God is doing right now, in me, around me and hopefully through me. So while I do get antsy in the waiting, I am learning, slowly but surely, to be still while I wait to get my plane ticket and start a ...

We all have needs. If we're honest, talking about them comes easily, sometimes more easily than praying about them. As I think about my needs for support, my need to get back to Germany and BFA, and then the needs of my siblings and family, the result is that my focus is directed at the need rather than the One Who can meet the need. So this week I've been challenged to revise how I've been praying for my needs. I'd like to share with you some questions on which to reflect as you pray: 1)By dwelling on the need, am I allowing it to become bigger than it is?  2)What do I know about God? How big do I really know Him to be? 3) Do I believe that God is big enough to meet my needs? And do I trust Him to answer in His perfect way and timing?  Another great way to pray is to pray Scripture, and the Psalms are a current favorite of mine. I can't seem to get away from them. For starters, check out Psalm 16.  Please understand that I know that many people carr...

Six months ago, I thought that I had this school year (and the following ones) figured out. However, our best laid plans are not always identical to the plans that God has for us. I am thankful for everything that the last year has held, and I am thankful to be where I am. In just under two months, God has brought in 50% of my support, which is amazing!! This is a huge hurdle to be past, and I know that now that I'm past the halfway point, excitement continues to build. There is still a huge need to be met and I am still praying for 14-15 people to commit to $100 per month. If you would like to partner with me and help to meet this need, click here:  Click here to help support Lauren I've referred to Psalm 138:8a before, but this verse has been on my heart often lately and I wanted to mention it once more. "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever." The word "fulfill" can also be translated "complete"...

There's great power in memory, no? Through memory, we re-live, reminisce, keep alive, learn, grow, change. Some of us live in fear of forgetting, because we fear if we forget, we run the risk of leaving behind part of who we are. Memory motivates us to action. Like many people, I enjoy a good ramble down memory lane, and I try to retrace those steps regularly. I've been doing a lot of remembering lately, and reading through blogs and journal entries from before I went to Germany the first time, in the fall of 2010. As I write today, I find myself in a similar situation to when I first began to write about "Simply Trusting." Today, as then, I have a great financial need to be met before I am able to depart for Germany. Today, as then, I have seen God meet a large part of that need through His people. Today, as then, I am hopeful and confident that He will complete the work that He started, not only financially, but in my life longterm. Today, I have the richness of fr...