Anytime I get the chance to visit the ocean I always make it a point to walk to the edge of the shoreline just to listen and watch as the waves crash violently against each other. Is this a Bumble bio or the beginning of a sappy blog? Read on to find out. Two days ago I woke up early, put on all my hiking gear I had laid out from the night before, grabbed my pack and my mini Cliff-Notes journal and walked to the train station. I took a thirty-minute ride to a town called Saltburn-by-the-Sea where I hiked the cliffs along the shore for the entirety of the morning. Halfway through my hike, when I reached the highest part of the cliff formation, I sat and pulled out my Bible to spend time with the Lord. I sat in silence as the chilly ocean air pierced through my scarf and stung my lips. The pull of the wind forced reluctant tears from the corners of my wide eyes. The hairs on my neck stood up as I looked out over the vast ocean. What a mystery the ocean is. May I never take for granted the awe-inspiring wonder one gets when standing small before something so great and powerful. I spent the remainder of my time reflecting on my Christmas break and everything that had passed over the last month. I hiked back, logged my hike in my notes and grabbed a fish n' chips to munch on as I walked down the pier and fended my lunch off from seagulls. I just can't express to you how refreshing it was to have some of my family come over and visit this month. If you know my mother than you know she's basically Snow White plus the fairy godmother from Cinderella because she's beautiful, kind, breaks out into song often, but also she takes care of business and makes sure all your dreams come true. We crammed in everything to see/eat/experience in England during their stay. From sun-up to sun-down we were on our feet exploring and adventuring. I just want to pause and say a MASSIVE thank you to the Burns family for dragging us all over and making us feel right at home during all of their family Christmas parties. They completely planned our entire itinerary and made sure we had the best time ever. Much love to you people xxx We spent Christmas in London and it was absolutely magical. I've never in my life seen a city go so all-out for the holiday and let me just say, they did not disappoint. We got all of our steps in, closed all of our Apple Watch "rings" and got a month's worth of cardio in during the couple of days we were there. Seeing London on foot was the way to go, no doubt, however, I'd suggest good walking shoes (eh-hum, mom). Well, ya girl is twenty-four now. Thats right - my birthday was December 27th and for all of you who didn't wish me a happy birthday, God sees. On a serious note, it was the best birthday I've ever had. We stayed in a gorgeous little manor off the ocean, had afternoon tea (involves various assortment of pastries, coffee, tea and homies) and we even got lost, corporately mind you, in a life-sized maize made out of hedges, Alice in Wonderland-style. This Christmas break was just what the doctor prescribed to we gap-year workers after an intense five months of service here in the North of England. I got to enjoy my time-off with gracious friends, heart-filling family and two weeks worth of fun, food and adventure. Although it's all over, we get to turn around and get right back into our ministries refreshed and recharged for the next seven months ahead. Looking forward to what the future holds on the horizon!
Thank you for your support and prayers, Vanz xxx
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I can't believe it's already December. The days have flown into weeks and weeks to months and now it's already Christmastime. I want to start out by saying MERRY CHRISTMAS everybody! I'm so ridiculously excited about this time of the year -- snow or sub-zero temperatures, it's a wonderful time to be alive. For those of you who are trying to keep up with me, I AM SO SORRY I didn't blog in November. It's been absolutely nuts here but with things slowing down for the holidays, I'm giddy to power-up my computer, grab a hot drink and patch the quilt of this past month's story. For obvious reasons, people don't celebrate Thanksgiving around here, so Christmas decorating commences early to mid- November. This town doesn't play around either. The main street, or High Street, is decked out top-to-bottom in neon snowflakes, polar bears, giant Santa's and candy canes. Our church, located in the center of High Street and not wanting to be left out or outdone, decided to do the same. So we vacated the cozy confines of our homes, weathered the cold and congregated to deck the church halls in everything merry and bright. Bing Crosby would be proud to say the least. // P A U S E // To my Christian readers; please support the Church of England by praying for churches this Christmas season. Pray that the community pours in and lives are changed. Pray for people's hearts, that they are softened and open to hearing the gospel. Pray for hope and revival in a spiritually cold place. Welcome to Grove Hill Lunch Club. Grove Hill is a housing estate in Middlesbrough where a handful of people and myself provide a lunch for the community on Friday afternoons. We also have a ten-minute slot where we talk about our Christian faith and share a piece of our life stories. For the most part, these are unchurched adults who are either new to the faith or don't believe in God at all. Some of their stories are amazing and if I ever get the honor to share one via video interview, some of it would floor you. We have a very small budget for this ministry but fortunately a food market in the area has agreed to donate food weekly. Because the local church in this area is so cold this time of year, they are temporarily closing down until Spring. That means, our lunch club is currently recognized as the only weekly "church service" in the small community. Occasionally, I will play three or four worship songs on my pawn-shop guitar before whoever speaks gives their talk. It's been an interesting experience so far as we do not have all the equipment one would deem necessary for a worship experience. But hey, we're making it work. As some Southerners would say, "we're gitt'n er done." // P A U S E // Pray for the ministry being done in Grove Hill. Pray that the chains of alcohol and drug addiction are broken. Pray that families are restored and the community is built up in the hope of a better future. Pray. For. The. Kids. Pray that they realize who God says they are. That their lives are worth so much and they can dream big and have purpose-filled futures. This is a room full of British Christians. Somebody thought it would be a good idea to bring all the churches together in the Tees Valley to talk about change. People showed up, worshipped and started a plan on how the church as a whole was going to wake up the Tees Valley. This was the first ever event of it's kind and let me be the first to tell you that it was a huge success. These people care about their community and they want to see change more than ever. In what I would call what really is a pre-Christian country, churches are reaching up for living water like small plants bursting through the concrete cracks in a city. // P A U S E // Pray for church leaders and British Christians. Pray that they find the boldness to share their faith and the truth and freedom of the gospel, Pray that churches come together regardless of denomination, size or structure and rally for solutions. Pray that the church rises up as a beacon of refuge, community outreach and light. The Christmas Markets of York opened during the first week of December so naturally, a few friends and I hopped on a train to attend the first opening day. York is what you think of when you think of England. It's like centuries old, full of history and dripping in everything British cliche in the best kind of way. After running all over the city, eating everything in sight and getting in every possible photo-op, I split from the crew I rolled in with to meet up with a friend at a nearby cafe who is currently attending school at the University of York. Walking down the Christmas-light-strung street, I couldn't help but feel grateful. A little chilly, but nothing a jacket can't handle., the smell of roasted cinnamon chestnuts and mulled wine, and the sound of men singing, "Sweet Caroline" in loud tipsy voices as you walk passed windows filled with warmth and life. It was a perfect little North England night. I finally met up with my friend, Emmie, and we sat in the back garden for I don't know how long talking about past, present and future. With Thanksgiving in the rear-view mirror and Christmas at the next stop, my heart is filled to the brim with the thankfulness I have to be here and the excitement I have for what's ahead.
I'm not going to front for a second, it hasn't been perfect. There are up's and down's, zig-zag's and 360's, but one thing I do know is true --- "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" - Isaiah 43:19 - Vanz xxx Today I got up, made breakfast, went for a run around my foggy little town and then came back and opened up my Bible study that I started just before I left.
This is the passage from the Bible I read for today: "If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in." -Isaiah 58:10-12 I've been studying Abraham's relationship with God here lately and in my last blog I kind of touched on it. When the Lord was fed up with all the wickedness screaming from the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham was the one who would plead on it's behalf. Genesis 18 records the conversation Abraham had with the Lord, "So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?...Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be it from you! Shall not the Judge of the earth do what is just?" Holy flip that's bold. If you keep reading, Abraham goes on to basically bargain with God. Abe asks God to spare the city if there are but 50 righteous people. When God agrees, Abe pushes again with 45. God agrees. He pushes until he gets to 10. God agrees. There are not many people in history who have had to honor of literally standing before and speaking with God. Abrahams relationship with God was clearly on another level. My mom has always said, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease!" -- not sure if she coined this phrase or what, but it has been my life motto from an early age. Whether it was begging to stay up one extra hour on a school night, convincing my professor why I thought I deserved that A instead of the B+ or bargaining my rent down a couple hundred bucks, I have been successful nine times out of ten when it has come to being "squeaky". It's perseverance. It's not giving up when you're broke and out of ideas. It's having the chutzpah to stand in a building filled with middle-aged men in three-piece suits and ask the controversial question no one else will. For some reason, God was pleased with the way Abraham went about his plea. He heard Abe and agreed. I'm not here to have small faith. It's just not in my genetic makeup. I know we don't always get to see the fruit from the seeds we plant, but it's time for a harvest. It's time for fruit. The God I believe in uses the least likely people to do big things. Abraham was an old man, Rahab - a prostitute, David - an adulterer and murderer, Jonah - a man who ran from God, a little boy with five loaves of bread and two fish, Saul - a former prosecutor of Christians. The MAIN question I have received since I've been here is, "What ya doin in borough??" People want to know why I've come all the way from the United States to this small, dreary town. The rest of England kind of forgets about this place. The people who live here don't even like it here. Drugs, alcohol abuse, human trafficking and poverty have taken over this place. These people are beat down and long for more, walk around the streets for a day and you can see it in their eyes. I work with a lot of kids in the more deprived areas of the Tees Valley and it's like no one ever has told them that there's more for them-- that they can succeed. Freddie is four years old. (I've changed his name for this entry). He walks himself down his street (one of the worst places to live in Stockton) and has been attending one of the kids clubs we put on in an old church in the community every week. No one picks him up, no one drops him off but sometimes he is accompanied by his 8-year-old brother. Each kid has a story that would knock you on your butt. I've been to that kids club twice and I've already had rocks thrown at me, cussed out and witnessed two emotional breakdowns. If you are a youth worker or teacher back in the states, you are aware of the kids that need special attention due to personality disorder, home-life or emotional needs. Okay, now imagine your whole class is made up of those kids. That's what we are working with. It has occurred to me that we could very well be the only people investing into these kids lives. This valley of towns is probably the least likely of places one would think God could use to do something big. But just remember this -- God uses the least likely. Why Middlesbrough? Why here? Because it's unlikely. My prayer today is that God would breath life into this dry valley of bones. "He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life." -Ezekiel 37:2 Lord -- use the unlikeliest of cities to reach the whole of Europe. Start here. "And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in." Rebuild this ancient city, repair the breach and restore the streets. - xxx Vanz KESWICK, THE LAKE DISTRICT, UK // 07.03.18 - 07.07.18. // LODGING: BASSENFELL MANOR CHRISTIAN CENTRE PART I: THE POTATOES I got into Stockton-on-Tees, Stockton, UK on Saturday. That day was pretty blurry due to jet lag and extreme sleepiness but I did manage to walk to a local Sainsbury's (neighborhood Walmart) with a couple of girls I'll be lodging with for the year. We picked up some last minute supplies and then went to a chain coffee shop called Costa for some iced caffeinated drinks because believe it or not it was hot outside. That evening, we met up with the rest of the Resource Team that I'll be working closely with this year and we went for pizza at Barbarossa Pizza in Middlesborough. Sunday, I got to visit my host church, Stockton Parish Church, or SPC, and holy cow I fell in love. I will write another blog later solely on how awesome that church is and why I'm so excited to be there. You will cry. On Monday, our directors took us out to The Lakes District located in the city of Keswick and we checked into our... hotel? I guess technically it's called a 'manor'-- whatever that means. Regardless, I felt super high class checking into Bassenfell Manor that afternoon. The narrow streets wind up and around and in-between meadows of healthy green grass spotted with sheep and cattle. On each piece of land is some kind of cathedral-like, cobblestone house dating back before the United Stated was even a thought. On the way to our hotel, we passed through several small, quaint towns. The streets lined with white-stone storefronts and homes with flowered bay windows each plated with a house name near the door. Our hotel was just as cute. Take any ideas of this hotel you have and throw them out the window aggressively. We walked in and were immediately greeted with a grand red-carpeted, wooden spiral staircase. The entire manor was filled with staircases leading to hallways full of rooms. Out every window, you can expect to see a valley, sheep, a lake and a mountain side. SURPRISE VIEW, UK
The week was jam-packed with activities ranging from kayaking in the most beautiful lake, trekking through the English countryside to hiking Catbells "Walk" as they call it -- I about died. The view from atop Catbells was just breathtaking to say the least. You can basically see all of Cumbria from it's summit. PART II: THE MEAT We arrived back at our host homes this afternoon where I retreated to my loft upstairs, turned on my lamp and lit a candle. Beyond all of the fun of this week, I really feel God doing something in my heart. I can't help but feel like there is so much to this that I haven't even begun to unpack yet. Something clicked when I stepped off that plane. My personality wants to hit the ground running but I'm asking God for patience as I empty my cup of expectations and allow for him to fill it with his direction. The future is unclear but the possibilities are endless. "The LORD had said to Abraham, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you." - Genesis 12:1 "It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going." - Hebrews 11:8 I'm inspired by the obedience, faith and heart Abraham had when the Lord told him to go. Though the destination was overall unclear, he followed in the general direction that the Lord was willing for him to go. I believe that sometimes we are asked to go in a certain direction before we are given our final destination. It's a walk-about of faith. How far out will you walk in faith? The longer I am in this place, the more I dream. With each devotional I do, I can feel the Lord pulling at my heart trying to reveal something to me. As I press in and seek him more, each day I feel closer to what it is he's trying to show me. The more I knock on his heavenly door, the closer I am to stepping into the calling that awaits for me on the other side. Until then, I'll do everything I can for this town with my heart, soul, camera, pen, hands and feet. I hate flying. As I make my way across the pond I’m reminded of this. It doesn’t help that I’m restless, impatient and the slightest bit claustrophobic either. Crammed between two people, muggy air topped with turbulence make for a ride of a lifetime. The middle seat is the worst seat. To sleep, you have to just shrug down because God forbid you lean to one side a little too much and make the person to your right or left uncomfortable. As we all know, shrug-sleep is the best kind of sleep. Don’t get me started on the kid three rows up screaming at his parents for some juice. You know the phrase, “packed like sardines”? Ok, well imagine that coach is now that metaphorical can of sardines. Now imagine that I’m that oh-so-unlucky fish wedged smack in the middle of the can. It's damp, smelly and dark in this tin can, being hurled at one million miles per hour across the world. I find myself nosily peering at the passenger’s screens in front of me, judging the kind of people they are based on the quality of their movies. I’m that person who pushes the boundaries of the arm rests, ‘how far is too far, Shelia-from-Idaho?’ I’m not the only one antsy on this giant airbus, me and every other mammal on here are all anticipating that ONE stewardess with the bar cart to slowly make her way back here to row forty, yes forty, and give us pretzels condescendingly and HOPEFULLY, God-willing, give us some water. If you’re lucky, you’ll actually get water and not club soda like I did. What is this this. I’m still thirsty. OH, and pro tip, asking to throw away trash before the designated trash time are fighting words. All this and I couldn’t be happier still. What seemed liked a reach is now a reality. I’m 15 hours away from the rest of my life. I’m not even a day away from my destiny. It’s finally here and I can hardly wrap my brain around it. I’ll land in London at roughly five o’clock in the morning United States time, have a brief layover where I’ll publish this blog and then jump back on a plane to Newcastle. Then it’s a 45-minute drive to where I’ll be lodging on-and-off for the next year. ** Side note: The person behind me keeps touching my heels with their toes and it’s freaking me out. My face scrunches every time it happens. Pray for me. I can’t wait to learn the city and love her people. Although I have a plan and purpose over the duration of my stay, I am also excited for the unknown. What other plans await me in this new place? What does God have up his sleeve for this Oki-born girl? Let my life be a canvas for the earths creator—the artist of artists. Splash color, virtue and meaning across this story. Rewrite my narrative into a masterpiece. An epic of what only You can do with just a average willing person who’s only worthy attribute is being completely captivated and consumed by You. Allow me to offer up what I can and do my best with what I’ve been entrusted so that I may help in the most effective way possible. Sometimes the journey is rough, sometimes the plane is hot, the food is drab and your seat mate is sick. No matter how turbulent the flight, remember the destination. The destination is worth the process. This weekend I freed up some time to steal away for a couple of days and go see my mother. After three hours of driving, I finally pulled into her new housing addition for the first time since she moved in. As I pulled into her new drive way I felt gratitude. I was grateful for her, for her new home that God has blessed her with and for finally being able to get out of my 2013 Chevy after miles and miles of mid-day Dallas traffic. She wasn't off work just yet so I decided to give myself a tour of her new home.
At-home is exactly the way I felt from the second I walked in. A smile stuck to my face as I roamed quietly around her walls. My mother keeps her house as though her kids still live with her. The fridge is stocked with our favorite foods, the beds are made up awaiting our arrival at any time, and the drawers are left empty just in case. Her simple, clean, modern taste is splashed throughout the canvas of her home with hints of color added here and there. The kitchen smells like bleach, the rooms like fabric softener and the pantry like herbs and spices. Everything in order and everything in its place. Every single thing in her home is designed to make it's visitors feel like guests. You're comfortable, you're safe, you're home. It's not until she walks in the door that you've really felt at home. When I heard the click of the door unlock I immediately started to make my way down her winding stair case. My mom has a way of making you feel special. Making you feel valued. Making you feel loved. Ask literally anyone who has spent more that five minutes with her. She is my cheerleader and she is the reason I am the woman I am today. She is my biggest inspiration and my forever superhero. She is a wonder of a woman, a class-act and way cooler than your mom or any of your friends moms. I'd bet money on that one. She is a leader, a world-class speaker, a mediator, a counselor, a teacher, a passionate follower of Christ and an advocate. She fights for justice and will not be silenced. She is a Joan of Arc and she never backs down. She's no one's fool and she always lands on her feet. As I ran into Wonder Woman's arms this last weekend, I squeezed her close and said a small prayer of gratitude. She held me for as long as I wanted to -- she always does. She smelled like her signature clean, soapy scent and told me how happy she was to see me. I took a deep inhale and a long exhale. It's good to be here. It's good to be with you -- at home. xxxx welp. It's over. College came and went in a blur of crimson grand stands, overpriced text books and an abundance of microwavable dinners. I blinked and the next thing I knew, I was trading my grades in for a degree. Out of my enormous graduating class, I think I was the only student to dance across the stage and bear hug my dean. There will always be a sense of home when I think of the four and a half years I spent at the University of Oklahoma. I owe a part of who I am today to that ancient library, the countless hours in the edit bays of Gaylord Hall, the professors who always saw the potential in me and to the caf; may your Chick-fil-a Polynesian sauce never run dry. Bitt Live on University. In four short months I say goodbye to Okla-home-a and hello to a whole new world. I can't explain to you what these last few months have been like. I've had my up's and down's of stress and worry but as the months start closing in, I can't help but feel complete and utter excitement. I feel like that guy off of the Alien movie right before the alien pops out of his stomach... but like in a good way. Nevermind, bad example. The word that comes to my mind is brink. brink noun 1. The edge or margin of a steep place or of land bordering water. 2. Any extreme edge; verge. 3. A crucial or critical point, especially of a situation or state beyond which success or catastrophe occurs I like John. You know, the one from the Bible. John was a wild man living in the dessert. He didn't dress, act or even talk like most people. He devoted his life to sharing God's love and the Gospel and didn't care about the consequences that would one day cost him his life. Because of his obedience and his heart, John's life started a new era of Christianity beginning with the Baptism of Jesus Himself. Jesus refereed to John as one of the greatest servants of God who had ever lived. He was bold and strong in his faith. Lived off the land, had a fiery passion for sharing the word and wasn't shy to call out the phonies. (date me). "...When the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, "Who are you?" He came right out and said, "I am not the Messiah." "Well then, who are you?" they asked. "Are you the Prophet we are expecting?" "No," He replied. "Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?..." "I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Clear the way for the Lord is coming!'' -John 1:19 John stood on the threshold, the brink, of a new age, shouting it's coming to all who would hear. "Clear the way," as if to say 'clear out the distractions,' as if to say, 'get ready.' Because the Lord is coming and when the Lord comes through dead things come to life, people's hearts wake up, depression turns into hope, chaos turns into peace and fear turns into big bold faith. "I am a voice shouting in the wilderness." Shouting. Same John, same. I can relate to this kind of excitement. I'm no John the Baptist by any means but DAAANNG do I wanna be like him. I can't express to you how humbling it is to have an opportunity to go share good news with people an ocean away looking for hope. My prayer is that God gives me opportunity after opportunity to help people and leave positive long-lasting impacts that point back to him. Abba, if I have to swim to Europe you know I will. Let your guidance be the wind to the sails of my heart. Our weekend kicked-off at Syrup Breakfast Boutique with brunch and latte's after dad picked me up from my little college-town apartment. We planned our weekend trip to Amarillo, psychoanalyzed everyone in the restaurant and argued over the amount of sugar dad puts in his coffee. Dad's recommendation: THE NOMPTON My recommendation: Huevos Rancheros Approximately five minutes into our first podcast we were falling asleep. We both decided that an audio book about law makers in London in the 1800's wasn't the best choice for a five hour road trip. Upon arrival at The Embassy Suites in Downtown Amarillo, we received a call from my little brother alerting us that dad's house FLOODED. Good, good. All my worries slipped away when I opened the hotel door and was greeted with sunlight and white bed spreads. Dad is scheduled to speak on Sunday at a church in Amarillo called Summit. Their team left gifts on both of our beds to welcome our arrival complete with our personalized favorite snacks. I love surprises. Today we got to explore Palo Duro Canyon State Park in twenty degree weather. The chill didn't faze us as we gazed over the ancient canyon. I tried to picture Clint Eastwood in cowboy boots trotting along the tall terraces. Seemed fitting. Each awakening breath fills your lungs with crisp and cold air. As I stood in front of the enormous canyon overlooking its magnitude and greatness, I was reminded of the majesty and wonder that is God's love and divine creativity. Humbling.
xxxx Vanz *** I AM SO EXCITED TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU GUYS WOW OH MY GOODNESS. *** Okay, but before I tell you the news, you HAVE to hear my heart on this... Up until the final month of classes this semester, I thought I was going to be a reporter for a television news station in Lubbock, Texas. **insert cow mooing** There's nothing wrong with this, in fact, I'd just gone to school for the past four-and-a-half years to become just that. There's a rewarding part about telling the "little guy's" story. In Journalism we call this giving a voice to the voiceless. In my experience, you can change a person's perspective, put them in another's shoes, or even take them across the world with a good story. Story-telling has the power to change minds, hearts and lives if it's done well. My whole life altered this summer when I had the chance to go to Europe. I was just four hours outside of London when the terrorist attacks broke out cancelling all transportation to the city for the next day. I was heartbroken not only for the city but for her people. Against everybody’s advice, as soon as transportation became available, I was in London. I remember praying as I walked through the streets, that if it was God’s will and timing, that he would someday send me back to Europe. Europe has been on my heart for a very, very long time. The best way to describe it would be to compare me to a piece of fruit. I feel like I’ve been dangling from a tree waiting to be picked for the past 10 years. My heart is so tender and ripe at this point in my life when it comes to Europe that I break down and cry every time I start thinking about it. I knew I was supposed to go but I didn't know how and I couldn't help but feel as if I had just wasted the past five years of my life. The more I thought about all the obstacles in my way, I began to worry. As days rolled into weeks it felt like Europe was further away than it ever had been before. I began to feel homesick and sad. One day, as I was spending time with God in prayer, I wrote in my journal, "God, if you'll do your part, I'll do mine. I'm willing to go wherever you call and I'm ready." Who God calls, he equips. Fast-forward to today... I'm thrilled to announce that I will be joining Greater Europe Mission (GEM) helping pioneer it's Emerge Internship Program. The intention of the program is to empower people interested in ministry by completely immersing them in what GEM is doing all over Europe! Emerge will be aimed at those who are interested in mission work and want to develop their skills and gifts in ministry. The program will formally begin in August of 2019, but I have been chosen, along with one other gal my age to test out the program, see its strengths and weaknesses, and help build the foundation for what will hopefully be an amazing program by next year. Europe is really the center of the world right now—historically, economically, and politically—but only 2% of Europeans claim to have a relationship with Jesus. The mission and vision of GEM is to “reach Europe by multiplying disciples and growing Christ’s church." Many of the details of the trip are still being ironed out because it’s hard to predict what will be going on in 2019 Europe, which will certainly affect visas and even ministries, but the tentative plan right now is to travel to the UK, France, Germany, Macedonia, Ireland, and Spain over the course of 12 months. We will be doing a lot of work with church plants, refugee ministries, youth ministries and education centers. As things are nailed down more firmly, I will be sharing them with all of you via blog and newsletter if you opt for that. Along with some of the things I will be doing, story-telling is one of them. I'll get to tell the stories of missionaries, educators, refugees and immigrants. I'll be doing what I feel that I was put on this earth to do. I can't tell you what the next 50 years of my life look like. I can tell you that I'm praying about doing something like this for the rest of my life and GEM feels like home. The last few years have been such a journey for me filled to the brim with ups and downs, mistakes and accomplishments and do's and dont's. God continues to pursue my heart and his patience with me is more comforting and warm than the Oklahoma sun on a hot southern day. I'll be raising my own funds for the year. The cost of the trip is estimated to be $24k. This will cover absolutely everything as far as flights, visas, cost of living (which is considerably higher throughout much of Europe), meals, etc. I already have a fundraising page set up through GEM if you’re interested in financially supporting my journey. All donations will be tax deductible and there are options for one-time and/or reoccurring monthly donations. In the meantime I'm selling everything I have lol The website to donate is http://www.gemission.org/donate and you can search my name (Savannah Hurst) or my account number (23452). You can also send donations to: GEM USA P.O.Box 1669 Monument, CO 80132-1669 [please attach a note with my name and account number (do not write it into the memo line on the check)] Most importantly, I'm asking you all to keep me in your prayers and thoughts as I continue to navigate through the next few months of fundraising and planning. I'd love to talk with you if you have questions or want to hear more! Love you guys, Vanz [email protected] Chaos swept over the masses like wildfire.
People were screaming and crying and searching for their loved ones. Fear seized the crowd and people began trampling over one another is desperation for survival as bullets rained down from the sky killing and injuring the multitude. Sons. Daughters. Mothers. Fathers. Died that day. People sought refuge anywhere they could find cover. Scared and panicked, one couple ran into a nearby hotel and managed to make it up to the 23rd floor. They banged on the first door they saw and begged to come inside seeking medical help. They were turned down. Since the tragedy had just occured, many hotel guests in nearby hotels were already asleep and hadn't yet realized what had just taken place right outside their windows. The bleeding couple ran to a second door. The door of an Oklahoman named Sara Jensen. Sara hesitantly let them in and provided them with some bandages and water. Crying, they told her the story of what had just happened and she listened. As Sara told me this story via Skype, it had only been 24 hours after the calamity. She was shaken and from what I could tell, hadn't really come to grips with what she had been apart of. I want to stop here and recognize the power of one person in an instance such as this. In that moment, Sara did everything she could with what she had at her disposal. She aided to their needs, provided them shelter and listened to what they had to say. For the rest of their lives, this couple will remember what was referred to as the worst mass shooting in modern American history. But they will also remember the kindness of a woman named Sara who opened her door and said yes. Whether Sara realizes this or not, she had impacted their lives. How many times do we take for granted the power of one person? We think since we aren't as passionate as the people picketing in the streets or moving to third world countries that our voices don't matter. We believe that we can't make a difference. That we can't change minds. It's an overarching theme we let dominate if we aren't careful. We fear failure so we use that as a scapegoat. We don't even try. We stay paralyzed and put blinders on. We stay in our American bubbles and pretend that crap's not hitting the fan in other countries. If we stay ignorant, we won't feel guilty. If we don't feel guilty, we won't have to move. We can stay comfortable in our homes and in our jobs. I believe there is something we are all passionate about. Maybe you can't put your finger on it. Let me help you -- What bothers you? What makes you mad? What breaks your heart? You're welcome. You can do something. I'm not asking you to give a million dollars to charity or go picket at the White House. I'm challenging you to take the next right baby step. The next time an opportunity arises at school, work, home or at the gym, I encourage you to have a conversation. I encourage you to do research about what it is you're passionate about. Say you're bothered about the refugee crisis -- explore the UN Refugee Agency website, learn as much as you can and the next time someone brings it up, be able to speak knowledgeably on the topic. Buy a book, watch a documentary -- just take a baby step. This is important because if you talk to just one person and educate just one person, you have made a difference. That person tells someone who tells his or her brother who shares the information with his girlfriend who shares it with her dad and so on. People are naturally attracted to passion in other people. If you have a spouse whom you love think for a second why you love that person. Go beyond, "sweet, kind and funny." A lot of times, the things we admire most about these people are their zeal and passion for what they do. We admire heart. A wildfire begins with a spark. If you'd only light that little spark, your passion will spread. |