Tasting and Seeing

Romans 7:14-25

2012-01-06T20:51:00.000-08:00

As believers, we all struggle with the flesh. I was encouraged, though, by what RC Sproul had to say in his commentary on these verses:

"The testimony of the greatest saints in history is that the longer they are Christians and the more deeply immersed they become in the Word of God, the more acutely conscious they become of their shortcomings. As we grow in grace, we grow in our understanding of our ongoing need for that grace."

"Life becomes complicated because we are involved in a war that penetrates the very deepest recesses of our souls and lasts until our glorification in heaven."

My prayer is that we will become "more acutely conscious" of our shortcomings.

Grace and peace.

Fullness and Forevermore.2011-12-31T14:54:00.000-08:00

John Piper posted a sermon by C.H. Spurgeon on his blog today about resting in the Lord and the hope we have in him.

That is my prayer for us this evening - we will rest in in the Lord - not in ourselves - not in our families or friends - but in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Spurgeon stated that we have no where else to rest apart from our Lord - not even in the comfort we find in earthly friendships and relationships, or in the good things of this life or anything we hope for short of Heaven.

If I have learned anything over this past year is how inherently sinful I am apart from Christ and I can find no pleasure part from him and his double exchange for me on the cross on Calvary. Psalm 16:11 says, You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Fullness of joy. Pleasures forevermore. 
Fullness AND forevermore. This is the Word of God. Trust this. My prayer is that the Spirit will renew my mind (Romans 12:1-2) to understand, believe, and live out that in God's presence there is FULLNESS of joy and pleasures FOREVERMORE.

Not only joy, but peace...
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Romans 5:1

Paul explains our condition in Romans of being sinful, corrupt, and ungodly people. Our inherent sin is absolutely horrendous in the sight of our holy God. No one is righteous. Therefore, we are enslaved to sin and destined for death (eternal darkness; separation from the holy and good God of light) and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

So where does this rest, hope, and peace come from?

A magnificent, mysterious, and mind-blowing double exchange: Justification by faith alone in Christ Jesus.

Our sin is imputed to Christ and his righteousness is imputed to us. He was the substitutionary atonement for our sins. 

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 
Romans 5:6-11  
 Propitiation: RC Sproul says it is "to satisfy the demands of justice - satisfy the demands of God's wrath."
Expiation: "Christ removes our sin from us and TAKES IT AWAY" (see Psalm 103:12)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, ithrough the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It  was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be  just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:23-26
 
We are justified before we do anything by our flesh. May this be your rest as you end one year and enter the next. Be full of joy as CH Spurgeon was:

But here is the joy, here is the peace of Christians, that our salvation  is a finished one! We have not a farthing to pay   to complete the ransom of our souls. We have not a stitch to set to  finish the robe of our salvation. We have not an act to   perform, a prayer to offer, a tear to weep, a thought to think in  order to finish the work of our redemption! I know that all these things  shall be worked in us and, that by the Spirit of God we shall be made  to do them.

Not only find rest in your justification, but also strive for sanctification. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling (see Philippians 2:12).

People today are not particularly concerned about the gospel because they do not know anything about the law of God, and they are not at all familiar with the revelation of his wrath.
RC Sproul

Justification is the hinge by which everything else turns...
John Calvin

The doctrine of justification is the Atlas that carries the whole of Christian faith on its shoulders.
JI Packer

Justification is that act by which God judicially DECLARES a person to be righteous in his sight.
RC Sproul
 
We are sinners. Our righteous is filthy rags in the presence of a holy God. God willfully crushes his only Son (see Isaiah 53:10). Our sin is imputed to Christ. Christ righteousness ("alien righteousness" as stated by Martin Luther) is imputed to us. We are immediately justified apart from flesh. God is satisfied - for God's wrath was absorbed by Christ. Christ did not want the cup of his death to pass. The cup was full to the brim with God's justified wrath against a world of sinners. BUT God was satisfied and we were justified and are continually being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 

This is euangelion or good news! AND this good news lasts forevermore as we are most satisfied and God is most glorified.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor  height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to  separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39

Grace and peace church. 

 

Do not depart from the temple....

2011-12-24T23:05:00.000-08:00

May the story of the incarnate God - God in human flesh- both fully God and fully human- awaken within us by the Holy Spirit the same love for our Lord and Savior that possessed Anna....

"And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem."
Luke 2:36-38

May we shout as in Isaiah 40 " Behold your God!" and remember the promises of the coming Savior declared and promised in Micah 5....."and he shall be their peace."

Christ is the Lord, O praise his name forever. His power and glory forevermore proclaim!

Grace and peace. I pray you have grace and peace through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the light of the gospel.

Hate your family, take up a device of torture, and give up everything for me....

2011-12-23T21:24:00.000-08:00

Luke 14:25-33

Please take the time to read these verses. Really read them, because I have read these verses so many times and I am still grasping what they actually mean.

These verses at times do not make sense to me. Jesus is calling us to love him more than our own family, to give up everything, and die. DIE! Why? Because he is worth it all....

J.I. Packer says "It is surely clear that, once a person is convinced that his state and need are as described, the New Testament gospel of grace cannot but sweep him off his feet with wonder and joy. For it tells how our Judge has become our Savior."

Right before this Packer states about 'believers' "The thought of themselves as creatures fallen from God's image, rebels against God's rule, guilty and unclean in God's sight, fit only for God's condemnation, never enters their heads."

We are MESSED UP! We really are. And until we even faintly grasp this concept, we will NEVER understand God's grace or at least the depth of God's grace.

However, there is more....

This God - this HOLY, righteous, and majestic God - came in human flesh - both fully human and fully God....

'And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. '
-John 1:14, 16-18

Grace upon grace....grace and truth....FULL of grace and truth....and we get to receive it....

Meditate on your sin, your need for atonement, justification, redemption, and reconciliation. Meditate on who Christ is for you in God.

Meditate on the incarnation of our holy God.

He is worth it all - everything.

Grace and peace.

The Gospel

2011-10-23T04:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those days. Our school had a memorial for the student that suffered from a car wreck this summer. While it was great to celebrate her life, the occasion caused for much thought and reflection.

I reflected on how short this life is. I reflected on how blessed I am to have true, reliable friends who are always there to encourage me. I reflected on Islam.

I reflected on the Gospel and what it means for me and for those I interact with each and every day.

Before going to bed last night I happened to see the following quote by Tim Keller while reading someone's blog:

‎"The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less." Tim Keller

I'm smiling right now because this is good news. However, my smile just disappeared. Do I live like this is good news? No. I do not live as though this is good news that has the power to transform the lives of others.

"And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ." Acts 5:42

They did not cease....

Peter, John, and the many others had experienced something great. They were changed. Their live was no longer theirs. They were living for something far greater than their own reputation or even safety. A dying world needed to be saved from the fiery flames of a literal hell and they would not let anything stop them from proclaiming the message of the cross. The message that God came to this world in human flesh to live a sinless life on our behalf, to bear the punishment and death of our sin on the cross, to rise from the dead, and to grant us the same power that raised him from the dead by sending the Holy Spirit to intercede for us as we proclaim this magnificent story.

In closing, I must say I am blessed. I blessed to have been chosen by this merciful and holy God and I am blessed to have fellow believers to walk beside me each day. May this feeling of gratitude overflow in my speech and interactions with others...

Grace and peace.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his JOY he goes and sells all he has and buys that field." Matthew 13:44

2011-09-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to began. The past month has been absolutely saturated with the workings of God. As Revelation 21 states, He is the beginning and the end.

The first few weeks of classes this semester were very stressful and tiring. Thanks to my awesome friend, Ivy's, wonderful wisdom I gave up a few of my commitments and immediately felt revived. God has been teaching me a lot. I have been humbled before him and reminded of the planned, resurrecting, overcoming, outrageous and future grace that I have in God through his son Jesus Christ dying on the cross as a substitutionary atonement for my wicked sins.

God has been CONSTANTLY drawing me to his own heart and quietly teaching me through prayer, experiences, and interactions with others about how GREAT He is and how weak I am apart from the Holy Spirit. I have witnessed God's amazing strength through our weaknesses as stated by Paul...

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." THEREFORE I will boast ALL THE MORE GLADLY of my weaknesses, so that the POWER of Christ may REST UPON ME. FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. -2 Corinthians 12:9-10

God has become my exceeding joy. He has been demonstrating to me through my weaknesses and through his mighty and planned work in the lives of those around me that He alone is my true joy, peace, love and hope. At the end of time, my ONLY hope for gaining entrance to eternity with the almighty God of the universe is the death of Christ on the cross for my sins--my only hope and your only hope. There is absolutely nothing we can do to gain access to the Father and there is nothing we can say or do for others so that they will gain access to the Father. God ALONE calls sinners and draws them to himself. This is not only our hope for ourselves, but also our hope for millions of people dying in this world. They do not worship the true God, but he has promised us in scripture that He is seeking true worshippers (John 4:23).

God is at work now and all I can do is smile and enjoy his presence in my life and the lives of others.

Psalm 16:11 "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Please take Christ. Take him, please, I beg you. He is FULL of JOY and incredible PLEASURES. All he asks is that we accept his gift of amazing and awesome grace. Take his grace and chase after the marvelous light that provides true life. Take Christ and experience true and forever joy. Sell all you have to gain the treasure hidden in the field. I promise you with everything in me that you will not be disappointed. None of it makes sense, yet it works....

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. BUT God being RICH IN MERCY, because of the GREAT LOVE with which he loved us, even when we were DEAD in our trespasses, made us ALIVE together with Christ-by GRACE you have been saved-and RAISED US UP WITH HIM and seated us WITH HIM in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness TOWARD US in Christ Jesus. For BY GRACE you have been saved though faith. And this is NOT YOUR OWN DOING, it the GIFT of God, NOT A RESULT OF WORKS, so that NO ONE MAY BOAST. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God PREPARED BEFOREHAND, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

If this doesn't absolutely rock your world, I don't know what will. Allow Him to rock your world...

Grace and peace.

"your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul." Isaiah 26:8

I had to share this...

2011-08-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

I just purchased a Kindle (which is great!) and started reading The Pursuit of God by A. W Tozer. I just had to share this from the preface of the book....

"For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts."

"Christian theology teaches the doctrine of prevenient grace, which briefly states means this, that BEFORE a man can seek God, God MUST FIRST have sought the man.....We pursue God because, and ONLY because, He has FIRST put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit."

Grace and peace.

And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 17:3

whatever you're doing....

2011-08-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

It's time for healing time to move on
It's time to fix what's been broken too long
Time make right what has been wrong
It's time to find my way to where I belong
There's a wave that's crashing over me
All I can do is surrender

(Chorus)
Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Revaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow your will
or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is you want from me
I give everything I surrender...
To...

(Chorus)

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I've wanted to say for so many years
Time to to release all my held back tears

Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something heavenly

Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This something bigger than me
Larger than life something heavenly
Something heavenly

It's time to face up
Clean this old house
Time breathe in and let everything out

Grace and Peace.

"But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the ONLY God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1: 16-17

I serve a Mighty and Faithful God. He answers prayers....above and beyond what I could every imagine.

2011-08-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

WOW!

O LORD God of hosts,
who is mighty as you are, O LORD,
with your faithfulness all around you?

Psalm 89:8

I just spent the past two weeks in Mombasa, Kenya with 9 of my medical school classmates, 3 nurses from Kansas City, one nurse from Phoenix, and a doctor from Nigeria. All I can say is...praise God!

Leading up to the trip I was in prayer concerning our ministry there and my ministry with those I was traveling to Kenya with and God provided as always. We were able to provide free medical care to many people in different villages and orphanages. We stayed at a small "resort" on the Indian Ocean, which was beautiful! It was so amazing to witness God's wonderful creation both morning and night right from your room. I would awake to hear either the rain beating on my tin roof or the waves crashing on the beach right outside my window.

God provided me with opportunities to have many gospel conversations and grew me in my own relationship with him through my interactions with those around me. I was able to hear the story of the gardner at the resort and share with him the hope I have in the death of Jesus Christ. He grew up wanting to be a doctor and excelled in all of his science classes. However, at the age of 17 in 1992 his mother passed away and his father did not stay around to provide for him. Nevertheless, he was unable to finish financing school and now searches for jobs wherever he can. I first talked with him one evening and I could see the damage his mother's death had caused upon his soul. He was eagerly seeking God, but had lost the hope he once had. I bought him a Bible the next time we were at the store and gave it to him the next day. I was able to talk to him one last time for about 1-2 hours the last night we were in country. I just listened to him continue to tell his story and I shared with him what Jesus had done for us on the cross and despite his situation and poverty he could have hope in Christ. We talked through some verses and I prayed with him. Before we started talking that night he gave me two purses filled with jewelry. I cried as he gave them to me because he said "I got you what I could with the money I had."

Why? Why did he do that? The people of Africa always surprise me with their never ending hospitality and friendship. I hope to somehow stay in touch with him and my prayer is that he will find hope in Christ and that one day he will have the opportunity to live his dream and serve others medically.

As for other stories, please pray. God is working mightily in the hearts of many people right now. Pray I have the words to speak the truth and the truth only.

"...for I am doing a work in your days,
a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you."

Acts 13:41

God is good....

2011-07-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

I am very tired right now, but I just wanted to comment on how good God is. This summer has been very refreshing. I have traveled, shadowed, and simply relaxed with friends and family.

The past week or so has definitely been a blessing and a reminder of how God really knows his children. He knows our future and he knows what is best for us. We must trust this. So often I do not wait for what God has in store for me. Luckily he is sovereign over even my selfish desires and he works things so that he still receives the glory and I am most satisfied in Him.

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. "
-James 3:17

To God be the glory forever and ever... Amen.

Grace and Peace.

Worship and thoughts of Kenya

2011-07-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been very refreshing. I just got back to Louisville on Wednesday evening and I have thoroughly enjoyed having time to myself, but also being able to catch up with friends. I have heard great stories of my friends' travels overseas to places such as Brazil, Honduras, and Ecuador. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by people who are so willing to serve those in need in the name of Jesus Christ. Praise God.

Over the past couple of days, I have felt drawn in closer communion with God. My desk here at my apartment has become my "meeting place" with my best friend, my Rock and Redeemer. Therefore, I have enjoyed being back in town. My quiet time with the Lord has started to become more regular, which is something I have really struggled with over the past year for some reason. I haven't necessarily felt "distanced" from God, but I have not felt that burning desire to be in communion with Him until yesterday and this morning. This morning I was able to spend some much needed extended time in the Word in the book of Genesis. I have started to read through the Bible without a set out plan so that I don't become discouraged or hurried if I fall behind. I am simply reading as it comes. My time in the Word was very helpful for my time during the worship service at Sojourn this morning. For example, the pastor mentioned the "love of God". A principle we have been taught since most of us were very young, but do we really think on this and understand what the love of God is and how long, deep, and wide his love is for us in Christ Jesus. Just this morning I wrote this in my journal: "Discipleship has been a topic that keeps coming up in my conversations with you and fellow believers. I love you - I have listened to others talk about your love for many years yet how much do you, yourself compel me? Am I worried about how I appear to others or am I seriously in tune with you and your desires?" God, He knows us too well.

Kenya:

Less than two weeks. Wow.

I have been in contact with a couple of the nurses joining us at our layover in Detroit. In email, they seem great! I am so excited to meet them with our team and begin serving those surrounding Mombasa. I miss Senegal, but I know God has amazing plans for my time in Kenya as well. I am still amazed by how much God has blessed me with these opportunities to serve him overseas. Many times people will come up to me and say how they could never go to another country and deal with the unknown. I do not look at it in that way at all. He told us to go and he has made it so easy for me, by providing me with these opportunities to go. (I recommend "Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God" by J. I. Packer)

Jesus told us to go. It should never be a matter of whether we should go to this country or go to this friend and talk to him or her. GO! He has chosen us. He has saved us. He has promised and he has equipped us with his Holy Spirit. Therefore, GO.

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. "
-Mark 16:15

Grace and Peace.

Revisiting what matters....

2011-07-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I was getting ready to head to bed before we left for the beach the next morning when I heard the news that one of my dear classmates and friends was killed in a car wreck that evening. I can't explain the emotions that took over me. It took me a long time to fall asleep that night. On the drive down to Hilton Head, I could not think. My mind was completely blank and I felt as if a dark shadow had overtaken me for the day. I basically forced myself to sleep the entire way down.

As I continued to process what had happened, I kept trying to direct myself toward my Maker, my best friend, my One. Yet, I didn't want to go. For one, I had not been spending much time with him so it almost didn't feel right to go to Him. The entire situation awakened my from a slumber of self-absorbance and sheer folly. I kept thinking to myself, "What am I doing?, What have I been doing with my life?"

I began to question all of my motives. I was finally facing the thought that I may not live tomorrow despite what the world tries to tell me through various media sources. We have no promise of tomorrow. My only hope, o God, our only hope is Jesus Christ. It sounds so simple, but it's not. I don't understand it. I still don't understand why the Son of God, the messianic Son of God, would choose to die for me. Not only that, why did He choose me? Why? I don't know. The only answer I can reason is that He is Sovereign. This is not a cop out. God's Sovereignty in this situation is the ONLY hope I have. There is nothing else. True HOPE is in His plan through the death and resurrection of his son.

Yet, why do I run from this each day? Why do I refuse to take up my cross and follow him. This is what He commands through the Scriptures. He wrote it out for us. We don't have to wonder how to draw close to Him in genuine and holy communion. He has given us the road map to his heart, yet I choose to run in the other direction. I choose to chase after my fleshly desires and passion for being accepted, trusted, and thought highly of.

The good news, the hope of the gospel, is that He loves us all the same. BUT I must follow in obedience. My faith is worthless, does not exist, if there is no obedience. Yes, God must direct the first step, but I must take that step...each and every single day. Things may not make sense. There may be a hazy fog ahead, but I know the High Priest. I have a personal relationship with the King of the Universe through the death and resurrection of his Son and the Holy Spirit. This High Priest, the Holy One, my Redeemer has not only chosen me, but his has adopted me as his daughter. He calls me his own. I don't understand, but I do know one thing. He is beautiful to my eyes. He has always accepted me and he is the bright and shining light of my life through the hazy fog of uncertainty.

In light of this truth, namely Him, I don't need to worry about what I don't know. I don't have to worry about why something happens or why something doesn't happen. He created. He promised. He delivered. He gave. He died. He rose. He chose. He saved. He adopted me. He will never let go, because his blood covers everything - He atoned for my sins.

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

-Jesus

This is it.

Please take Jesus. Believe his words.

Week 2/3 and Vacation with the Family

2011-07-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

Home has surprisingly been a pretty good experience this summer. I have been at home for about a month and I am heading back to Louisville in a couple of days to finish planning/packing for Kenya on July 21st.

My second week of shadowing with my Dad was great! I got to suture during surgery for the first time with a general surgeon at the hospital during a ventral hernia repair. I also scrubbed in on a c-section, 2 lap cholecystectomies, and a lower leg laceration repair. Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed surgery!

My time in the clinic with my Dad was also a great experience! I know what otitis media and externa looks like now! I also LOVED talking with the children during the physical exam. Overall, I have so much more respect for how hard my Dad works and how well he treats his patients and the community as a whole. He truly is my hero.

During the 3rd week of shadowing I helped out with VBS at my church and had a wonderful time! I helped my friend Ciera and her mother with the Kindergarten class. My time with the children reminded me of how awesome the gospel is and how much joy we can experience while partaking in its mission.

More to come on how vacation was....

Happy early 4th!

Reflect on how blessed we are to live in the States.

Grace and Peace.

Week One...

2011-06-10T19:15:00.001-07:00

I just finished my first week with my Dad for my Pediatric Externship this summer. I have really enjoyed it so far. It has definitely been different living at home, but God is definitely showing me some new things. More to come on that later.

This week has consisted of: delivering my first baby, watching a c-section, sore throat from the little ones.....

I'm excited for what other opportunities and experiences await me...

"...as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4:11

The power in a name...

2011-06-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not posted more about the trip. I attended my cousin's graduation yesterday morning in Louisville and today I attended a Bridal shower and a graduation party at home.

I have to say I was not excited when I first found out my Peds. Externship was at home, but I realized tonight after having a conversation with someone that I am exactly where God wants me for this month.

Someone asked me why I go back to Senegal. It's a simple question, but it shot to the core of my soul. It opened up a flood of emotions within me. Why do I go? Why do I go to the same country, the same people group, the same village? Is it the people? Their need? A calling?

I am reminded of Paul in Romans: "...I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, 'Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never hear will understand.' " (Romans 15:20-21)

Yes, I feel called by God to go and I have since 7th grade. However, God has started to make that call more specific over the past 4-5 years. I feel called to go to most importantly meet the spiritual needs. Yes, there is a physical need and I feel it is HIGHLY important to meet physical needs when you are provided with the means to do so. Yet we must not forget what the deepest need is. We cannot lose sight of it, because as a sinner I daily forget what it is. None of us are good. No one seeks the glory of God on his own behalf. We all like dumb sheep have gone astray. We are helpless sheep destined to spend eternity in hell- a place far worse than fire, flames, and demons. We are destined to spend eternity separated from the one and only Holy God of the universe. We are in desperate need of a Lord and Savior.

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person- though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-but God shows his love us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God." Romans 5:6-9

I go to share this wonderful news, the gospel, with people who are destined to die and spend eternity separated from God.

The next part of the question involved How?

Relationships.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Incarnational ministry. The God of the universe became flesh in order that he may live alongside us.

I spent two months in two separate years with the same family and village building relationships. At times it seemed completely pointless. I can't remember how many glasses of tea I drank or how many times I said "Asaala Malekum" or told the same person five times in Wolof "Mangi fii" (I am fine). Yet it holds so much value. Christ (God incarnate) took time to build relationships with us in order that we may know the Father.

Our verses for the trip last summer provide a perfect example of what God calls us to do while we are there:

"For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I become as one under the law (though not myself being under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. "

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

I am so thankful for people in my life who were willing to share this good news with me as a child. Even though God chose me, saved me, and is continually playing an active role in my sanctification, I fail EVERY day. I need to preach this gospel to myself everyday, but I don't. I allow fleshly desires to take over and rule my thoughts and actions. He is still faithful. He is patient. He still accepts me. I don't understand it and I don't think I ever will on this side of heaven. He is my everything.

__________________________________________________________________

Tomorrow is June 5th. Not really an important day to many people. However, I ask you to join me in prayer tomorrow. I know a family in the country I just visited with a daughter who is very sick, but they are seeking the help of spirits apart from our holy God tomorrow. Please pray that she will be healed IN JESUS NAME. The name of Jesus is full of power as demonstrated in Acts 3:1-16.

"And his name- by faith in his name - has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all." Acts 3:16

Pray that she may be healed in Jesus name and that they may see Jesus for who He is- the Son of God. "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." John 17:3

In the name of Jesus (Ci turu Yessu),

Amen.

Creation Story (Part 3)...

2011-05-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

Thursday afternoon:

After lunch Nathan took us to the river with our friend from the village. The guys were able to talk with him while the girls relaxed in the hammocks with our sister. Lindsay and I were able to tag team the creation story with our sister and Lindsay shared her testimony of why she came back to the village. Most of the creation story seemed somewhat familiar to her, but it was still hard to continue a conversation with her concerning Yallah and Yessu.

We were also able to talk some with a fellow believer we had met last summer. Lindsay and I both remembered visiting him at this house and how he described his loneliness as a Talibe Yessu (Follower of Jesus) in his area of town.

Lindsay gave our friend from the village the Ipod one of our friends had sent for him. Rebekah, Taylor, and Lindsay had recorded a few messages and songs for him. He was so excited to not only receive the Ipod, but to also see their faces and hear what they had to say to him.

Friday:

Friday was a wonderful day of storytelling. While the boys helped clean the water filter for our dad, I asked the girls if they wanted to go hang out and talk at the house just across from the chief's house. All of the women were very happy to see us and they immediately put us inside in their "nice" room. At first we just had small talk with a few women while many kids played around us. A little later I asked Lindsay if should try and have "story" time. We asked one of the women and she helped settle the kids down on the floor to listen. With some interruptions Lindsay and I tag teamed telling the creation story with the women and children. It was a loud, yet beautiful scene. Both women sitting with us seemed at least somewhat interested in the conversation, despite having to try and quiet the children. After we had finished the story in choppy Wolof, Lindsay gave her testimony in Wolof. The women seemed VERY interested and engaged once Lindsay began talking about what Yessu had done in her own life.

After Lindsay finished, one of the women asked if we would still be in the village on June 5th. We told her no and she explained how June 5th is when they were having the dancing ceremony to get ride of the evil spirits in someone who was sick in their family. Once she explained what it was I remembered attending one of with Mary Catherine and our sister my first summer in the village and how I definitely never wanted to experience another one in my life. We had already prayed with the family after Lindsay finished her testimony, so we prayed again for healing for the woman. We asked to see her and they took us outside to a spot marked off behind their house containing many stones and shells, which supposedly contained some of the evil spirits. The woman was standing beside it and we asked to pray for her again. We prayed in Wolof and English and continually prayed "in Jesus name, heal her". As we left the house, we told the women we would be praying for their family and for healing of the sick woman. Please be in prayer for her.....

More to come...

Creation Story (Part 2)...

2011-05-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we went to the village again and we were able to spend some time with a good friend and his family. I realized how WONDERFUL our translator was as we talked with our friend that morning. It was such a blessing to have him with us to filter through everything we were communicating. I have omitted a very funny experience from my personal journal. If you must know please ask me in person :)

Afterwards we visited a very close family where we were offered two lunches- yassa gen and ceebu gen AND sodas. It was such a blessing to see how happy they were to see and offer so much for our arrival to their home. After we ate two lunches at their house we ate yassa poulet at the Chief's house (this is how I gained 10 pounds the first summer!). So, overall we had three lunches on Wednesday!

The hardest part for me at the beginning of the trip was our limited time in the village. We arrived around 11am and usually left around 6pm. It was very hard to visit with old friends, while also trying to to build new relationships in order to share the gospel. However, living outside of the village provided us with much needed rest and allowed me to reboot each day and remind myself each day of why I was there- to shine the light of the gospel in the face of Jesus Christ- and that alone.

Thursday:

Words cannot describe how many wonderful things occurred on Thursday due to the presence of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. To begin with, we picked up a missionary and her baby from their house in the town we were staying at on our way to the the village in the morning. Lindsay and I rode with her and had a wonderful conversation concerning missions and how our parents must handle our calling to "go" into the world. It was encouraging to hear how she handled moving to Africa a few years ago.

The family was SO excited to see her toubob (white) baby. During most of the morning all of the girls sat at the house of our oldest sister who is married and now has four children (a new baby this summer!) We had a wonderful time of holding her new baby and talking under the trees. I left for about 30 minutes to go visit another family and I was able to greet them and bandage two of the kids at their house.

When I returned to my sister's house, Lindsay and the missionary were sitting under the tree talking with our sister and two of the older women in the compound. I was amazed at how engaged the women were in the story they were telling. They tag teamed the creation story in Wolof and Lindsay was able to share her testimony as the missionary translated for her in Wolof.

I was SO encouraged by how Lindsay was able to talk in Wolof about the creation story and the missionary did not have to translate alot. This part of the trip was a HUGE turning point for me. I was encouraged and confident to go out and finally share the gospel IN WORD with the people I had spent two summers with building relationships with. God whispered to me..."It's time to talk"

More to come soon...

Creation Story....

2011-05-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

I arrived back from Senegal on Friday evening around 7pm in Cincinnati. The trip was beyond amazing. As I was driving back from my Aunt and Uncle's house this evening I was reminded of how faithful God is in the beautiful sunset on the horizon. It was as if He was saying "Mary Beth, I am still here with you. Even though you want to be there, I am here with you and you have work here now."

Lindsay and I arrived in Dakar, Senegal early Sunday (May16th) morning. Unfortunately the rest of the team did not arrive until the next day due to a cancelled flight. Our IMB facilitator picked us up along with his dad and one of his missionary friends. I was so tired, yet still soooo excited to be back. The smells and sounds seemed so familiar once again!

We rode to a city east of Dakar and more inland where we would be staying for the entirety of the trip. The missionary's house contained numerous guest rooms and they had everything nice and ready for us!

Lindsay and I slept ALOT on Sunday. After a while we got up and Nathan and his friend took us out exploring in the bush. We stopped at a couple baobob trees to climb and just have fun. Later that evening we drove out further into the bush to where Nathan had previously made a fire pit and we sat around the fire, drank ataaya (tea), and just talked. It was marvelous. I miss the "mountain" so much. It was so beautiful to look out across the drop in elevation and see a few nomadic huts set up and see small fires glowing in the distance.

We slept from about 12:30am till 3:00am and then woke up to drive back to Dakar to pick up the rest of the team. They were supposed to arrive around 5:30am, but as it goes...TIA...they didn't arrive till after 9am. Needless to say, we were all very tired by then. We drove back to the town to drop the rest of the team off so they could rest.

That evening we drove out to the "mountain" again and sat by the fire drinking tea, praying, and planning for our first day in the village with my family. As we drove into the village Tuesday morning I was overwhelmed with many emotions. Overall, a huge sense of gratitude and thankfulness overcame me. Soon we could see the mosque and were passing by the clinic. It was so amazing to enter the village after not being there for a year and having people wave and smile at you. The entire time I kept thinking of how thankful I was for God allowing me to have the opportunity to come one more time- and what a blessing it was. As we entered the village the kids started chasing us. Once we got to the house I could see how happy our dad was to see us by the look on his face and his huge smile.

The first day in the village we spent most of our time with the family and enjoyed a wonderful meal of ceebu gen (rice and fish). We were so happy to see one another and to introduce our new friends.

I'll continue soon with the activities of Wednesday....

Returning....

2011-05-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

So I leave tomorrow. I say these words, but I don't think I fully understand that I am actually leaving tomorrow. Let me first talk about how this journey initially started....

In the summer of 2008 I was blessed with the wonderful opportunity to serve in Senegal alongside ~20 other college students from various universities. I knew I was going to have a wonderful time, yet I did not realize I would return multiple times to this wonderful country. I was placed with a host family after the first week and quickly fell in love with their joy, hospitality, and gentle smiles. I've been flipping through my journal and this part from the last entry reminded me of why I am returning...

"Over the past few days, numerous people have asked me about my trip and how it was. So many times I catch myself in mid-sentence because I am at a loss of what to say. It is so hard to tell someone else what I have learned, experienced, or seen God do in the past two months of my life. All I know is that God changed my life forever. He has given me a new and wonderful joy for life, new perspectives, and a heart that longs to seek and glorify Him." 7/21/08

Here's a funny story...(I know you remember this Lindsay )

"Around 7:15am Abby walks in with her mat telling us that the water in the village has been shut off. As she is walking into the room her mat gets caught on what she only thinks is the wall, but is actually the water filter. All of sudden I hear a loud CRASH and the sound of water hitting the floor. Our entire water filter (8-10L) emptied its contents onto the floor of our room. We spend the next 30 min. trying to sweep and mop out all of the water out of our room." 6/28/10

These times are always frustrating while you are there, but I can laugh now and appreciate their significance in our trip.

Probably my favorite moment from last summer can be best summarized by this journal entry:

"This morning was amazing. After breakfast, Lindsay went into the sitting room to do her quiet time. Baay happened to be in sitting beside her and started commenting about her Bible. Before we knew it, we were both in good conversation with him about God, Jesus, and the Scriptures. We showed him the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 along with John 14:6. Later Lindsay showed him Matthew 7:7 concerning ask, seek, and knock. She explained how she had prayed to Jesus to provide money for her to go on mission for him and how the next day a follower of Jesus called and offered to give her money. Baay started to read through Matthew 1-10. After each section within a chapter he would stop and summarize for us in Wolof. I was SO HAPPY to see him and hear him reading the gospel in French that I almost started crying. He also commented on how Jesus had allowed us to help take the children in the village to the clinic for care. Later Yaay walked in and started flipping through the French Bible as well..." 7/9/2010

To most reading the Bible may not seem like a big deal. This was MONUMENTAL. Compared to two years prior, this was amazing. To see and experience what God had worked in his heart over the past two years was unbelievable. Even though compared to the states it would not seem as if he was very receptive, Baay was reading the Bible. The words were coming off of his tongue and he wanted to continue reading it.

That's why I am returning. I long to see what God has done and I am beyond excited for the opportunity to join him in his work there.

You will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.

2 “Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.

5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

Isaiah 12

Son of God

2011-05-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-21

My last Block exam of my 1st year of medical school is this Friday. I leave for Senegal 24 hours later. Much to my own surprise, I found myself thinking earlier....Why am I going? I have been there twice before, so they have heard the gospel. What else is there to do? We've tried our best to share the story of Jesus and who is He is for us in God. What will going back one more time do?

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

I'm doing it for the sake of the gospel. I am doing it in hopes that they will look back 5-10 years from now and wonder, "Why did those white people keep coming back to visit us? Why would they want to visit our country so many times?"

O, my prayer is that they WILL look back and have these thoughts and realize we came in order to declare that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is the propitiation for our sins. I want them to have life.

Please be in prayer. I know God is at work in their village. I saw glimpses of his work last summer and I have faith that He has continued to work throughout their lives.

May He be honored and glorified above all.

Pslam 67

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

6 The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Amen.

I am returning!

2011-04-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

God is so faithful. He is allowing me to once again return to Senegal. After much prayer, thought, and discussion with fellow believers, I have decided to return to Senegal this summer. I am scheduled to leave May 14th, which is the day after my last Block exam for school. WOW!!!!! I am still in shock! Glory to God!

My prayer as the time approaches is that God will continue to soften the hearts of those in the village we will be visiting. I know he is at work there. It may not be on my time scale- but he is at work. I am so thankful that he has allowed me to be a part of his wonderful plan for the salvation of their souls. Finally, my prayer that is above else- His name be high and lifted up throughout the village.

"Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ." 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Amen.

I miss Senegal.

2011-03-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

The Wolof of Senegal are on my mind right now. There is a possibility that I will return to Senegal this summer during May for a couple of weeks.

I was reminded of how much I miss the people of Senegal when I was in Atlanta this weekend.

I was driving out of town to merge onto I-75 when a white van with a Senegal license plate appears on the opposite side of the road driving to pull into a driveway on my side of the road. I yelled an "Asaala Malekum" and the man's face lit up! I asked him in Wolof if he understood Wolof and he said a little bit. I asked him how he was and told him that I had been to Senegal before. The smile on his face brought back so many memories of people who did and continue to change my life. My life, my heart, and my soul have been forever changed by the joy, peace, and hospitality of a people group who taught me so much, but who also demonstrated how many people in this world are in a need of the saving grace and hope of Jesus Christ. They are searching for this hope. They say they have faith, yet their words yearn for someone to redeem them. Our Abba has instructed us to go. He has instilled us through the saving work of His son with everything we need for the journey. Whether this journey consists of praying or going, we must respond. People are dying each and every day without the justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Father,

Humble us before you. May we be burdened for those who don't know you. Help us to step back and realize the people you have placed in our lives. May we not be overcome by the mundane of this world. You have called us as a holy priesthood to declare the gospel of God in the light of Jesus Christ.

-But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.- Peter 1:29

The heart of sharing the Gospel is the glory and renown of Your name. May the root of our witness be worship for you alone.

"When we lose our grip on the greatness of God and his name and his kingdom and his global will, we lose our divine equilibrium in life, and we are far more easily overwhelmed by the problems of the mundane." John Piper

Grace and peace.

Love the Glory of God.

2011-03-03T20:46:00.000-08:00

I have really enjoyed the nice weather these past couple days on my runs. Yesterday I took a 6 mile run throughout downtown and across the second street bridge while listening to John Piper's sermon from Feb. 12, 2011. As always, I was captivated by every word. However, what he said at the end of the sermon really grabbed my heart and caused me to reevaluate what I am really seeking in my life right now. Here is excerpt from his sermon:

"3) Strive to increase your spiritual taste for the glory of God as your favorite pleasure

If you wanted to increase your love for the glory of classical music, you would study it and spend time talking with people who love it, and you would listen and listen and listen.

If you wanted to develop a love for the glory of visual art, you would study it and go to museums and spend time with those who love it, and you would look and look and look.

If you wanted to develop a love for the glory of the heavens above, you would get a telescope and you would read astronomy and you would spend time with people who love the stars, and night by night you would gaze and gaze and gaze.

And if you want to love the glory of God above all other glories, then you will study God and spend time with lovers of God, and listen to God and look at God and gaze and gaze and gaze at the revelation of the glory of God—especially in Jesus."

This last paragraph almost caused me to stop running. I was stunned. I've heard statements such as these so many times, but I was convicted to confess my sin, repent, and ask for forgiveness and grace. What do others see as my pleasure right now in my life? Medical school? Pride? Relationships? or the glory of God?

What do I study the most right now? Physio, Biochem, and Neuro. Not that these things are bad in themselves, but I commit SO MUCH OF MY TIME to these subjects. They must hold some importance in my life. I still study the Word, but not always with the intensity of learning to love the glory of God ABOVE ALL OTHER GLORIES. This is the root of the matter. Am I seeking my own glory or the glory of God the Father. He is Holy. He is separate from me. He is high and lifted up. His previous main point (#2) provides guidance:

"Therefore, pray that God would cause his name to be hallowed—glorified, treasured—in your heart above all things, so that your eyes would be open to who he really is."

As Paul says, I want to know Christ and the power of his Resurrection. O I really do want this. I can feel it at the core of my being. Yet I find myself so many times asking, "How I am seeking to know God right now?" or "What can I change so that I am actively learning more about God, His character, and His glory?" Piper answered some of this question earlier in the sermon:

"We need to love making much of God more than we love people making much of us. Being opposed to this is the greatest obstacle to knowing Jesus."

Here is my answer. When I sense this "obstacle", I need to reevaluate what I am loving at the moment. Am I loving make much of God, the creator of the Universe...the Alpha, the Omega, the Redeemer, the Rock, the Holy One, I AM? or Am I loving people making much of me? Am I seeking success in this world as the world views success? Deep down we want to love making much of God, yet our flesh holds us back so many time. This is where I am reminded of how awesome, amazing, wonderful, eye-opening, and simply miraculous the Gospel is! We don't have to depend on ourselves. God steps in, provides grace, and provides a way through the death of Jesus Christ for our will to be in sink with God's will so that we may know God through making much of Him.

"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."

Jude 24-25

May we allow God to step in, change our hearts, and refocus our love so that He is glorified above all.

Grace and peace.

Be Thou My Vision

2011-02-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

I love this song (especially after spending two month in Senegal with Mary Catherine...she loves this song) and its constant reminder of how God must guide us in everything. We are nothing apart from Christ. We are dead in our flesh unless we follow the Holy Spirit's guidance each and every day.

I pray that the Lord is my vision and is also your vision throughout this week.

Grace and peace.

"To those who are called..."

2011-02-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

Jude 1-4:

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Why do I always read these greetings so quickly and miss how marvelous they truly are?

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a conference at Southern Seminary this weekend.

I had just completed my first Block exam for Medical School on Friday and found myself sitting in a chapel 4 hours later listening to CJ Mahaney share the gospel in such a way that I was once again captivated by what God has done for me in Christ Jesus. The gospel- so awesome, powerful, scandalous, and refreshing- yet I forgot to preach it to myself so many times.

Here are the main points from his talk. I pray God captivates you with His love for you in Christ Jesus.

-A call to contend for the faith; protect/preserve the gospel

-we must contend our own heart; we must preach the gospel to our hearts/guard our hearts

-Before he writes the rest of the letter, Jude reminds them to remember/contemplate the gospel.

- 1. To those are called (A gracious, personal call)

-Divine: He initiated it.

-Ephesians 2:1

-Jude is calling us to review our conversion process

-He called us because He LOVED us.

-The reason for his love for us is not within us- Look to Calvary!

-He loved us so much He did not spare His son.

-I will always be unworthy of His love.

-2. He Loves

-3. He will KEEP those He CALLS.

-Jude v. 24-25: He has promised to preserve AND present me blameless through Jesus Christ with GREAT JOY. Oh that we would understand the magnitude behind this statement.

The gospel. I can't imagine life without it. Yet in my flesh, I choose so many wordly passions and desires over it each and every day.

O that we would contend for the gospel.

I pray that you are encouraged to meditate on the gospel and reflect on what God has done for you in Christ Jesus. HE CALLED US. We are hidden in Christ because God CHOSE to CALL us to HIM.

Grace and Peace.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

2011-02-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

May He be glorified this week.

"The LORD will provide"

2011-01-31T20:25:00.001-08:00

"The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son."

Genesis 22:8

The LORD will provide. I don't always trust in this. I know he is there, but many times I place my trust in my pride, anxiety, and circumstances. I attended a new church yesterday and the pastor spoke on Acts 23 and 24. I was most convicted by his challenge to not let circumstances dictate when we share the Gospel. He reminded us of Paul and how he remained faithful to God's call for him to preach the Good News - regardless of the trials and persecutions he faced.

The Gospel has to be our focus. Our all consuming passion should be to see Jesus high and lifted up. He is exalted when others profess his name. How are they to know if we do not allow God to speak through us? He will provide. He has promised us that in Scripture. The Word is truth. Therefore let us trust what it says - The LORD will provide. He has promised to be with us to the end of the age.

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you."

John 14:26

Grace and peace.

Times of refreshing...

2011-01-25T20:05:00.000-08:00

"Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of UNIVERSAL RESTORATION that God announced long ago through his holy prophets." Acts 3:19-21

I was blessed with the wonderful opportunity to attend a CMDA (Christian Medical Dental Association) retreat in Hillsdale, MI this past weekend. To be honest I was secretly hoping that the weather would bad enough to have an excuse not to go. I wanted to go, but also wanted to stay home for the weekend and relax/study. As usual, though, God had different plans.

What stuck out the most from the retreat was the talk about Hezekiah and his choice to either drop everything or to Trust in God. The week prior I had really been convicted to simply trust in God. I have been dealing with some sins over the past year that have caused my focus to move away from God and his Son, Jesus Christ. In other words, I have been putting my faith in my own desires and hopes for what I think will bring me personal enjoyment. Furthermore, I have also felt like Hezekiah since I started Medical School. As the information begins to pile up with each week, I find myself spending less and less time with my Father. This weekend allowed me to confess some sins, repent, and experience a wonderful time of refreshment in the presence of God.

I pray that you experience this time of refreshment.

"He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me."

Psalm 18:19

He delights in us. Let that sink in.

Lastly, I was encouraged this evening from the following verses from Psalm 20:

Verses 7-10

"The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the decrees of the Lord are sure,

making wise the simple;

the precepts of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is clear,

enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever;

the ordinances of the Lord are true

and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

sweeter also that honey,

and drippings of the honeycomb."

NRSV.

He has given us His word and we have access to it. I have about 10 Bibles sitting on my bookshelf right now, while many across the World gather to hear the Word recited because they do not own a Bible.

I am reminded of an experience in Senegal. We traveled to another village where a few believers lived (unusual for this area). Many of these men gathered in order that they could hear another man recite Scripture. They were coming for food. They were hungry and were coming for strength. Before the new Scripture was read, one person would re-tell the story from the previous week. On this particular day, a young boy (12-14 years old) recited an entire passage of Scripture with great enthusiasm. They get it. They understand it so much more than I do. These words are life. They are truth. They are food for the soul. Be reminded of God's Word and the power it has in our lives and the lives of those around us.

Grace and Peace.

The beauty of an ink pen...

2011-01-16T20:11:00.001-08:00

An ink pen. I just bought a pack of ink pens for less than two dollars and didn't even give it a second thought...until just now as I was doing my quiet time. I started writing a sentence and happened to glance at the picture of my wonderful little friends from Senegal on the background of my laptop. I can still remember the need in the teacher's eyes as he explained to us that they needed pens. The children did not always have something to write with. Sometimes they just had to share amongst three or four or find another way of recording their studies.

Wow.

I have have 10 or more pens in my room now and some schools across this world do not have enough so that every child can have just one to write his name down and learn about the world around them. An ink pen. There are so many other things. I just saw a website that stated 2,000 children die each day because of malaria. If they had a simple ten dollar mosquito net, most of it could be prevented. Here I am, sitting comfortably on my bed. Sometimes it is so hard to think about situations such as these. Why were we blessed as we are? Why must they suffer as they do? Why do I have the opportunity to not only go to high school, but also to college and professional school? Why does my friend Seynabou in Senegal not have the chance to be a doctor as she so desires? Why must she labor each day for her family, while studying by candle light on the roof at night after her chores are completed?

I don't know. He does though. I must trust that. He is Sovereign. He has a plan. We must trust Him. However, to trust Him means to obey Him. I must listen to what he commands. I must pray for these people described above. God is waiting to hear our prayers. He is waiting to complete his will and to bring his kingdom here as it is in heaven, but we are so consumed with our busy and "important" lives. How am I part of bringing his kingdom here to earth? He must be glorified. He will tolerate nothing less.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:1-4

AMEN.

Kenya

2011-01-15T21:13:00.001-08:00

Today has been a good day.

I found out this evening that I will be spending two weeks at the end of the upcoming summer in Kenya, Africa with some of my fellow medical students! I am beyond excited. I'm going back. Even though it's not Senegal, I know God has a plan. He has been faithful as always to provide me with another wonderful opportunity to learn and serve Him through those in need. I have been praying and thinking a lot of about what to do this summer and I am happy to say that I now have peace with the plans thus far.

On another note, I just got home from my Psych-ER Preceptorship. The beginning of it was pretty boring because the residents had to feel out a lot of paperwork. After an hour or so we got to sit in on one pre-screen and then two interviews. I know I am doing what I enjoy and what I have been called to do. I can't see myself doing anything else. Not that I want to go into Psychiatry, but it was refreshing to be around those practicing medicine. It is a wonderful calling and I feel so undeserving of it. I pray that God blesses the rest of my journey to becoming a physician.

Most of all, I am glad God is Sovereign. I am so blessed to have been called by a God who is both my Savior and Lord. I still cannot wrap my mind around why he chose me - He did and I am so thankful. I am thankful he directs my life through his will even in times when I wish circumstances were different. He knows best.

"The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps." Proverbs 16:9

But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.

Lamentations 3:21-25

2011-01-07T15:21:00.001-08:00

NeedtoBreate

In your ocean, I'm ankle deep
I feel the waves crashin' on my feet
It's like I know where I need to be
But I can't figure out, yeah I can't figure out

Just how much air I will need to breathe
When your tide rushes over me
There's only one way to figure out
Will ya let me drown, will ya let me drown

Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful
To touch me, I know that I'm in reach
'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful
Oh,Oh,Oh something beautiful

And the water is risin' quick
And for years I was scared of it
We can't be sure when it will subside
So I won't leave your side, no I can't leave your side

Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful
To touch me, I know that I'm in reach
'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful
Oh,Oh,Oh Something Beautiful
Oh,Oh,Oh Something Beautiful

In a daydream, I couldn't live like this
I wouldn't stop until I found something beautiful
When I wake up, and all i want i have
You know it's still not what i need something beautiful

Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful
To touch me, I know that I'm in reach
'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful
Oh,Oh,Oh something beautiful
Oh,Oh,Oh

The True Light, which enlightens everyone....

2010-12-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas is upon us. A time when we gather with family and celebrate the Holidays. I love it. I also love it because at the center of it is a Light- a marvelous Light that keeps the world spinning and keeps each and everyone of us alive. I love it because this Light orchestrates each and every event in the past, present, and future - whether we view it as good, bad, holy, or evil. This Light is Sovereign.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

"Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the EXACT imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he saw down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs."

Hebrews 1:1-4

"The Son of God became a man to
enable men to become the sons of God."

C.S.Lewis

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19

I have nothing to say. He came and dwelt among us. Do we realize how awesome this is. He stepped down from heaven and decided to hang out with us in order that we may become sons of God as C.S. Lewis explains it. In response to this wonderful gift, we should be uplifting praise and glory to our wonderful Savior and Lord, Christ Jesus. He calls us to himself. He calls us to leave everything behind. And wny would we not? He is the Light. He is our portion. He is the Truth. He is the Way. He is the True Witness. He is the Redeemer. He is God with Us. He is the Holy One. He is our Comfort. He is the Sustainer. He is our true Love. He is our King of Kings, He is our Father. He is our Treasure. He is our Savior. He is our Joy. He is our Peace. He is our only Hope. He is I AM. He is our Creator. He is our Messiah. He is the Mediator. He is the Lion and the Lamb. He is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

He is the treasure hidden in the field.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his JOY he goes and sells all he has and buys that field." Matthew 13:44

And we shall respond as he commands us...

"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Matthew 10: 16

"Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Luke 10: 60

"If anyone should come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

There are billions who do not know of this light. He has commanded us to go and take the Word to the ends of the earth. How are we doing this right now, where we are?

He is Worthy...I am not

2010-12-21T11:35:00.000-08:00

"I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first."

Revelation 2:2-5

3 months later...

2010-10-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

Almost three months have passed since I returned from Senegal. Alot has happened in three months. I have moved to a new city. I have started Medical School. I have made some great new friends.

As I sit in a small room studying histology slides I am reminded that there is a world inside and outside of these walls in desperate need of Jesus Christ. However, I forget this sometimes as I am walking to class or doing a disseciton in Gross Anatomy Lab. Even more important, I sometimes forget I am daily in desperate need of Jesus Christ myself. I must preach the gospel to myself each day, so that it my be proclaimed fully to others.

Walking doing a sandy path in a small village in Senegal, West Africa---It is so easy to see the hurt surrounding you and the need of a Savior. Why do I forget this as I am walking through downtown Louisville each morning? This is where God has me for now and this is where he wants His name proclaimed to others.

May we rest in the hope we have in what Christ has done and is continually doing in us.

Phillipians 2:12-13

Grace and peace.

A short story about Senegal

2010-08-04T14:51:00.001-07:00

I have not posted in a while due to- well, basically I just haven't posted...

I have a quick story to tell that happened on my way back from Senegal a couple weeks ago. Something I struggled with during parts of the summer was whether I needed to be there for 10 weeks. As always, God answered this question. As I boarded the bus at the Senegal airport to transport us to the airplane, I noticed a Senegalese man dressed in Senegalese attire. He had old tennis shoes on and seemed to be carrying all of his belongings in a plastic bag. Prior to boarding the bus I had taken advantage of every opportunity to speak Wolof before I left. However, once I boarded the bus you could say that I had almost "tuned out" of the Senegalese culture and was ready to be home! As I continued to glance at him, I quickly begin to feel intense compassion for this man. He just seemed to have a need and I wanted to meet that need even though I had no idea what the need was. I kept saying to myself "Come on Mary Beth it's time to go home. Quick trying to speak Wolof." God, though, kept saying "Just great him. He needs my love." After debating in my head for at least a couple of minutes I finally turned around and said "Assala Malekum". His content face quickly turned to a smile as he responded to my greeting. We were soon in conversation and he told me he was going to Washington, D.C. to stay and he actually had a friend who had been to Lexington, KY!!! He stuttered a little bit when he was nervous, but overall we had a pleasant conversation. Eventually we made it to the airplane and started to board. As Katie and I were searching for our seats Katie told me that the man behind her had given her his boarding pass. I was somewhat confused until I realized it was from the man I had previously met and that he needed help finding his seat. I sat my belongings in my seat beside Katie and led the man to his seat. He said thanks and I made my way back to my seat to sleep for a majority of the trip. After I had filled my customs card out I went to the bathroom. I waved at him in his seat and he smiled and waved back. I went back to my seat and he then walked past my seat and then back by me again to his seat. I could sense that he needed help. I went to his seat and discovered that he did not understand English enough to fill out his customs card. Within no time I was filling out his customs card and those of his two Senegalese friends.

God is amazing! He did want me to stay for 10 weeks and he wanted me on that exact South African flight home so that I could help the Senegalese man and his two friends. He also let me speak Wolof one last time- when I wasn't even in Senegal anymore, but in the air!

Don't ever doubt what God has called you to do. And if you do, just ask him to provide you with rest and assurance of His promises- He is always faithful to deliver a response.

Adjusting

2010-07-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

How is it that you can go on a mission trip 4,000 miles away from what you call home and feel so out of tune with everything once you are back? That is how I feel. Part of it is culture shock and part of it is just pure dryness. I am so thankful for what God has done and what he is still doing in the place I left. I am so thankful for the life that I have been blessed with and the circumstances God has placed me in. However, I found myself these past few days just feeling "ugh". I know this too shall past.

I have friends still there that I need to be praying for and friends who are sick and are mission in other parts of the States and the world. Yet, the way I feel now is what I experienced about discipleship this summer. I discovered that this calling-this calling to follow after Jesus- is not what we always think it is. It is more than butterflies and wonderful feelings of happiness. It hurts sometimes and gosh darnit it sometimes just doesn't make any sense. Sometimes the pieces of the puzzle don't always fit and the right people aren't always rewarded for their hard work. BUT he is Sovereign. He knows EXACTLY what he is doing and that is what we have to trust. I have to trust that even though these past three days have flown by and I sit here now and wonder what in the world I have accomplished or what I have done to bring honor and glory to his name. Even though I have yelled at my mom and had a self-pity party a number of times, He is still there. He knows my name. And that is what brings me joy. I don't understand it. I don't understand this costly grace. I do know that he reveals one more facet of his grace to me with each new experience. I must hold on to this. I must hold on to the hope that Jesus Christ is the only true way to the Father. Even though other ways are appealing and so much easier to follow, I must wake up each day and decide to walk down that narrow path. This narrow path promises suffering, which leads to subsequent glories.

"Prone to wonder Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart Lord take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above."

Grace and Peace.

Home Sweet Home

2010-07-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

I am officially back in the States. I landed in Lousiville, KY yesterday afternoon around 1:00pm. I was so happy to see my family and friends. I know I have not updated what happened in the village since the 4th of July. Therefore, I am going to take some time to highlight some events and give an overview of the trip.

Once we returned to the village after the 4th, we taught for one of the older English classes in the village. After we went over an exam with them I asked the students if they wanted to go to University and what they wanted to eventually do. Some said teachers, doctors, policemen, soldiers, and one even said a president! It was a wonderful experience and so exciting to see that these kids still have dreams for themselves and for others, despite their extreme poverty. Later that afternoon we went to the beach with some of the family. I almost felt as if I was going to the beach with my family in the States because we had grown so close to the family.

AMAZING!!!!: One morning we woke up to do our quiet times and ended up in great conversation with our dad or chief of the village. He started commenting about Lindsay's Bible and before we knew it, we were in good conversation about Jesus, God, and the Scriptures. We showed him the miracle of feeding the 5,000 along with John 14:6. Later Lindsay showed him Matthew 7:7 concerning ask, seek, and knock. She explained how she had prayed to Jesus to provide money for her to go on mission for him and how the next day a Follower of Jesus called and offered to give her money. Our dad ended up reading through to Matthew 10 from chapter 7 in the French Bible. After each section within a chapter he would stop and summarize it for us in Wolof. I was so happy to see him and hear him reading the gospel in French that I almost started crying. He also commented on how Jesus had helped Lindsay and I in taking the children to the clinic and giving away bandaids. Later our mom walked in and started flipping through the French Bible as well.

A few days later I walked into the sitting room and our dad was sitting there quietly reading the Bible in French on his own!

The next evening, Lindsay and I had a wonderful conversation with a brother and sister on the roof about Islam and Christianity. We discussed the different sects of Islam in their area. I enjoyed listening to them talk about their religion, but it broke my heart to hear them say they are unsure of their salvation.

Another afternoon I met a guy who spoke English really well. Come to find out we had met this guy two years ago and they guys on that trip had shared the gospel with him. I talked to him some and then Lindsay and I were able to go back the next day and share our testimony and the gospel with him.

The day we left the village was bittersweet. I had children crying in my arms as well as grown ups. After being in the same village for a total of 4.5 months (including 2 years ago), it starts to hold a special place in my heart. It was so hard to leave the village again, because I had grown even closer to them over the past 2.5 months. Before I left for the States, our family sent us a text message (in English- which they don't know much of) that read: "I love you awa and astou". (our Senegalese names).

Overall, the summer was amazing. God was beyond faithful as always. I learned so much and will continue posting concering that matter. Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts. They mean more than you will every know. Please keep Senegal in your prayers.

Love you all.

Grace and peace.

4th of July in Senegal

2010-07-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

It is good to be together with other Americans this 4th of July.

Just today I have thought some of how wonderfully blessed I am to have been born in the United States of America. Please Please Please take the time to meditate on this at some point during the day. Even though we have taken advantage of many of our opportunities for the worse, feel blessed in what God has provided you with. We have freedom in so many ways...praise Him for your freedom to freely voice that you are a disciple of His son if you are.

The past few days in the village have been great. I was a little sick on evening, but God has been gracious and I feel so much better now. We are at Dakar Academy again enjoying a wonderful getaway weekend of sloppy joes, movies, grilling out, and fireworks.

We are heading back to the village tomorrow afternoon and I will be returning back to Dakar a week from Monday. One week left in the village - 7 days. 8 weeks have gone by and God has done so much. I have also experienced spiritual dryness, ect. that I know will strengthen my relationship with Christ as the future unfolds.

Happy 4th of July everyone! Enjoy the country you were blessed to be born in!

It has been a while...

2010-07-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since I last posted. This past Thursday the rest of our team came to visit Lindsay and I in Guereo. Things have been going a lot better but we definitely needed some encouragement, good English, and American fellowship. We went to the river with some friends from the village and experienced a little bit of spiritual warfare at the river in our conversations about God, the Bible, and Jesus. Even though it was very discouraging and we found out someone doesnt stand in their faith where we thought he did God has still been faithful. We were able to meet and talk with a Senegalese believer who lives by himself now due to his faith. In some ways we feel as if the Devil has been attacking us; but that is ok. Where the Devil is we know God is doing something wonderful. On Sunday we went back to Mbour with our group and the Chief of our village to visit the Senegalese Christian group there. Even though the Chief did not stay for the worship service he now knows that there really are Jesus Followers who are Senegalese.

I was still feeling tired and sick during the Senegalese service but by the grace of God I ran into some old American missionary friends from two summers ago who provided much needed spiritual encouragement. If I had time I would explain in detail how sovereign God has been in orchestrating many events this summer to make them work out for his glory. During our team in Mbour we were able to later worship with the Americans and it was definitely one of the most uplifting and vulnerable worship times I have ever experienced. God is so good.

Also, as a result of us going to Mbour we were able to recieve a loudspeaker that has Wolof stories and the Wolof New Testament on it. Lindsay brought it up to the roof while were talking to our 16 yr old brother in the house. He listened to it for over an hour and within 5 minutes he jumped and asked me if Jesus really died and we were able to share the some of the gospel with him. AMEN!

So we have a getaway weekend at a nice hotel this weekend Saturday through Monday and then I only have seven days left in the village! To be honest I am ready to be home but I am also extremely sad about leaving. I know when I return to the village on Monday and realize I only have seven days left in the village I will want it to last longer. Once we are in Dakar on July 12th I will have less than a week until I return home to the states on July 18th. Pray God continues to move and gives our team the much needed energy and encouragement to finish his work here in Senegal.

Love and miss you all!

Faithfulness

2010-06-23T04:04:00.000-07:00

If one word sums up this summer thus far it is faithfulness. God has been more than faithful and he has taught me what it means to be faithful. He has shown me that it is not necessarily about having more faith but it is about simply having faith. We are called to have faith even when the storms come and we cannot see the end. I believe he has called me to be faithull here. He has called me to wake up each day... no matter how tired I am or how hot it is or how many children are screaming my name and asking for bandaids......and to follow his Holy Spirit. This may include a conversation with a Senegalese person about Jesus or this may include me trying my best to make it through one more day. He is with us and he has not called us to comfort. He has called us to suffer. He has called us to follow him and each day I found out more of what that includes.

This past weekend Lindsay and I got to visit Katie at the school. We were able to go to a worship service led by the senior students at the school. We sang 5 or 6 songs and everyone of them spoke to me in a unique way. I almost cried when we sang Revelation Song becaus Ma Mbaye loves when Lindsay sings it for him. My favorite part was to see the Missionary Kids worship wholeheartedly. One thing I always considered when thinking about missions, was the life for my children. However, my times at the two schools here have assurred me that God will take care of that as well.

There are not many days left in the village. As of this weekend we only have 2 weeks left in the village and 3 weeks in country. I am super sad about leaving, but so excited about returning home and seeing family/friends and starting medical school. I am so thankful for this summer and for what the rest of the year holds.

Love and miss you all!

Grace and peace.

Perseverance

2010-06-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

I have always heard of the marathoners wall. Even though I have ran a marathon and a few half marathons, I have never hit the wall. However, I have recently discovered that you can hit the culture wall and that is what has occurred this week in my life. Lindsay and I returned to our village this past Sunday and it was so refreshing to be back home for lack of a better word. I had definitely missed the family. Yet, everything seemed out of tune. Little things made me angry and if one more person told me I was heavy or fat I was going to scream. Thankfully God sent his Holy Spirit to work through me this week and allowed me to act peacefully and lovingly with the people here. He has allowed me to persevere through each and every day this week.

We had lunch at one of the teachers houses this week and I have watched more World Cup soccer matches than I can count on my fingers.

This week we have also had a few visits to the clinic with some of the children. We took one little boy to the clinic because he had horrible looking open sores on his head. This morning we took a girl to the clinic because she had a very bad burn on her foot from hot water spilling on it. Lindsay and I both felt like her mom as we felt her pain when the nurse pulled the dead skin off of her foot.

Even though this week has been tougher, I have still laughed and smiled everyday. Maybe it is because God has called me here and has caused me to fall in love with the people here. I love my family so much here that little things they do now sometimes get on my nerves and I believe the same is true of me for them.

One night we watched our little cousin dance in just her underwear after dinner when the power was out. Today I cheered on the USA soccer team despite my younger brother rooting against us just to be funny.

Last night some of those from the BCM group called us and it was VERY refreshing. They called at the right time! As of this weekend, Lindsay and I only have 3 weeks left in the village. This may seem like a long time but in comparison to the past 6 weeks these 3 weeks will probably pass by faster than I would like. Therefore, pray that Lindsay and I make the best of every opportunity. Pray that we resist the Devils temptations of being homesick and such.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying. Know your prayers are greatly appreciated and are heard by someone who is Mighty and Faithful!

Relaxing

2010-06-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend we are on our first getaway weekend in Dakar at Dakar Academy. It has been a very relaxful time. Today we had eggs, bacon, biscuits, and gravy for breakfast and then went to the Artisan Village to do some shopping. This afternoon we watched Marley and Me and then ate dinner and went out for some wonderful ice cream!

Even though it has been wonderful to get away, I really miss my family.

On this note I have an awesome story to tell:

Two days ago I blogged that I was starting to get a little homesick. Well within that same day Lindsay and I had 4 different people tell us we were either heavy or fat and you know for girls that doesn't help our self esteem. Included within these 4 was a guy in our house. He was completely joking around and was actually referencing to something else, but his comment made me snap. Luckily Lindsay noticed and told me she would stand with them while they finished dinner so I could go outside. As soon as I walked out the door I started to cry. I believe the tears came because the past 5 weeks had just finally caught up with me and I had not let any of my emotions out up to that point. I looked up to the beautiful stars and just cried out to God. I had no where else to go. My mom wasn't there. Falon or Alison were not there. All I could do was cry out to God and unleash everything my heart felt at that moment.

All of sudden, Baay or our dad walks out of the house and says "Ki Kan Lay?" or "Who is it?". I told him it was me. As he started to talk with me Lindsay came to the doorm and we shared with Baay how beautiful we thought the stars were. Deep down we both wanted him to leave so we could just be to ourselves. However, God is amazing and he still uses us in our times of weakness. Baay then said that Yallah or God put them there and we said we thought so as well. Then out of no where (this is amazing and only by the wonderful grace of God) he said, "Talibe Yessu buggna cur chi Guereo?" or "Do Christians want a house in Guereo?". "They have one in the other villages." WOW!!!!!! WHAT?!!!!!!!!! This man (the Muslim Chief of the Village) was asking us if CHRISTIANS wanted a house in his village. He was basically saying he didn't care or almost wanted us to have one. It gets even better. Lindsay and I then asked him if he would like to see the House of Prayer in another village and he responded that he would go with us next weekend. God is AMAZING!!!

PLEASE PLEASE pray for this. Pray that God would continue to move in this. Who knows if there will ever be a house there. Who knows if that house could eventually turn into a church. Who knows. All I know is that my God is great and he is moving in the hearts of the people here. They see something that is different and they want to know about it. PRAY

Behold, God is my Salvation!

2010-06-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

The Senegalese wedding was a lot of fun! We dressed up in Senegalese outfits and our sister in the house made sure to have us each sit in the front! We got many stares and we were once again allowed the wonderful opportunity to take a picture with the bride. It was interesting to see the American and Senegalese culture mix at the wedding.

Three days ago we went to another village called Mbour with the girls from Syracuse. We FINALLY found our way to our intended destination! We were able to meet with Senegalese believers in the village and worship our Mighty God together! Our time there was such a blessing.It was so refreshing to worship with Senegalese believers in a service of consisting of three languages...Wolof, French, and English.

The girls from Syracuse left the day before yesterday. They were a wonderful encouragement for our ministry here in Guereo, specifically in our house.

We were able to meet with a teacher in the village yesterday morning. We talked about the differences between Christianity and Islam and we were both able to share our faith in Jesus with him.

Two nights ago we finally convinved our father in the house to let us just have bread, chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas for dinner. We introduced the entire family to the American peanut butter banana sandwich. They all loved them!

Today when I first looked on facebook I got homesick for the first time! Please pray that I do not allow the devil to use this against my ministry here. The devil has also grabbed onto other areas of my life here. Pray I will resist him with the mighty strength and help of my LORD.

Behold God is my salvation
I will trust him and will not be afraid
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song
and he has become my salvation

Amen

He is Faithful

2010-06-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

So I was suffering from some stomach issues the night before last and God has answered my prayers!!! I feel much better! Yaay and Baay came into check on me like good parents do to make sure I was okay and that I had medicine to take.

Yesterday the girls from Syracuse came and we were able to hang out with the family and went to the beach later in the evening with some of the kids. Luckily the three girls know French and have been able to communicate with those in the house very well. One (Awa Njiaye...Senegalese name) was able to share the gospel with both Yaay and Baay! Praise God! He knew exactly what He was doing in bringing them here for 3 days.

Today we had a lot of visitors in the house due to a family wedding. Some of us helped with the cooking and we will be leaving for the ceremony in just over an hour.

Tomorrow we have plans to travel to Mbour and visit some believers in their village. Pray that God blesses our time there.

Until next time...

Ana Yallah?

2010-06-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

I had just settled down onto my mat to rest in hopes that my stomach pain wouldbe relieved. Suddenly Lindsay says Come here I think Baay just asked where Yallah is. I jumped up quickly and ran into the sitting room and asked him to say it again. Sure enough he had asked where God is. Through this question we were both able to share our beliefs with Yaay and Baay concerning God and Jesus. God is amazing!

Pray that these questions and conversations would continue!!!

Yesteday we took Katie to the BCS Missionary school where she will be teaching for the next month. It was wonderful to be around others who speak English. I am going to miss Katie a lot but I know she is exactly where God wants here and that brings me joy. On our way to the school Ma Mbaye asked if we would sing the other Jesus song, which was Revelation Song. He started to say some of the lyrics...Jesus Your name is power... Lindsay and sang most of the song for him and he asked if we could write the lyrics down for him and teach him the song later.

Tomorrow morning we have three girls from Syracuse visiting our village. Pray that their time here is fruitful and that we are provided with ways to serve the others in this village.

Hope America is great as ever! Miss you all!!!!

But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.
Isaiah 8:13

Ana Yallah?

2010-06-03T06:27:00.000-07:00

Ana Yessu?

2010-06-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

Words cannot describe the joy when I heard the above phrase come out of Hannahs (code name) mouth this morning when we were cooking lunch. She started to sing a song and I asked her what the song was. She said the song was for a certain Muslim leader. I then proceeded to tell her that we always sing Jesus songs on the roof at night. She sat there for a few minutes and then out of no where asked Ana Yessu which means Where is Jesus? If you only knew how amazing it is that she would ask this question. I pointed to my heart and said Chi Beer which means inside. Next she asked Ana Yallah which means where is God? and I responded in the same manner and also pointed to the sky. God is awesome and He is here. Pray that Hannah will see Jesus in her dreams and that God would reveal Himself to here in ways only He can.

Last night after dinner we talked and joke around with Hannah. Our relationship with here has developed in so many ways. I know that I am going to miss her terribly once I have to leave for the States. Pray that we make the most of every opportunity in our conversation with here. Pray that in everything we think say and do Christ is represented.

We also had the wonderful opportunity to talked with Ma Mbaye about the Bible yesterday. We talked about ghosts, sins, and how we can see God. Even though he gets off subject sometimes, I love his curiousity and willingness to know more about Jesus. His friend that we have given a Bible to was also there and I allowed him to use one of our French New Testaments while were talking. Before he left he asked if the book was different than the one he had and I told him no. Instead of simply giving the book back to me he asked if he could give the New Testament to one of his friends. Alleluia! He is already willing to share Gods Word before he is even a believer.

As I was trying to nap today I stumbled upon the Jeremy Camp song There Will Be a Day. This song encouraged me a lot, especially for the suffering and darkness I see each day...

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4

Vaccinatoin and urination

2010-05-30T05:06:00.000-07:00

Today Lindsay and I walked around the villag with the nurses from the clinic to give Vitamin A and polio vaccination. Unfortunately, I also experienced a small chubby child urinating on my lap through my skirt. Bound to happen eventually. We just finished our orientation for the two month trip two days ago. There are seven of us on a team spread across three villages.

We did some language, culture, and religion lessons. Guereo is great as ever. Last night Lindsay and I talked with some guys about Revelation and James concerning asking God for wisdom. God is so amazing and he is at work more than ever in the this village. Please keep praying.

Last night we came home late because we were talking to the men about the Bible for over an hour...Baay and the women in the house pretended to be mad because it was after dark and they were hungry. As always, though, they were just joking with us. Admist their joking anger they came toward us with shoes and sticks. I love the family here and their hospitality.

I feel as if there is so much more to write about but I cant remeber all of the funny moments right now.

During orientation we were able test our taxing skills by catching taxis to various places in and around Dakar. It was definitely a fun experience, especially when we stopped by a French Bakery and bought chocolate eclairs!

I have been doing the most reflection on the trip during our 2 hour ride between Dakar and Guereo. My heart breaks at the poverty I see on the side of the road. The hardest part is to not give money to the talibe boys. These are usually orphans the Muslim leaders receive because the parents are unable to take care of them. These boys are forced to go out and beg for money or they do not receive food. The best thing to do is to buy them food and simply pray.

God is still working...

Seek Glory and Honor

2010-05-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

The UK BCM team is no longer here. Last night was filled with tears of joy and sadness. We returned to the village and our family without 7 of our friends: Rama, Ibrahima, Babacar, Mamadou, Sali, Abduli, and Yacine (Senegalese names of course). I miss them all so much and I am so thankful of their service and sharing of the gospel in Guereo.

As for yesterday our bus arrived at 10am instead of the scheduled 7am...Africa time for you! Also, on our way back to Dakar our bus broke down and we had to taxi everyone into Dakar in three different vehicles including their luggage which safely made it to Dakar for their flight home. It was definitely a crazy day for them but GOD provided and they were able to see the sights and but gifts.

Our orientation for the two month summer trip starts this Thursday. Two weeks down...8 more to go! Pray...Even though you are half a world away God still works through them. I have seen the results of your prayers already. Know that he is working and his WORD is going forth and producing fruit.

Let all the nations praise HIS holy name!

2010-05-22T05:13:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day for the BCM team in Guereo, Senegal. God has been so faithful. I have seen the gospel shared verbally and through actions so many times and in so many different ways. God has done more in these past two weeks through our team than I would had ever imagined and this is due to your prayers...So keep praying that the Spirit would move in this village. This village is filled with darkness but God is definitely at work now and it is amazing to watch.

Prayer requests....

Safe travels for the BCM team returning home
John (code name) a guy that Taylor was able to share the gospel to and has been asking many questions
Dan (code name) a teacher in the village who desires to be moved closer to his family in another village

Also, please pray for the three of us staying for two more months. It is going to be different not having the rest of the team here. There will be many days next week when we will probably not want to be here. Pray that the Spirit would move and that through God spirit we can resist the Devils temptations.

Today has been a hard day for me seeing others getting ready to leave for the states. However I am beyond excited about serving God here and sharing the gospel here for another 2 months...His WORD will go forth.

Dafa tang!

2010-05-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

It is hot in Guereo right now!

Our time here so far has been wonderful. God has allowed so many conversations to happen that I would had never imagined.

Today Mama Mbaye took us to Popenguine, which is another village down the coast.

Yesterday three of the guys were able to give some French Bibles to some men and me and some of the other team had another conversation with a teacher in the village. We were able to teach in his class and another class this week. During our conversation with the teacher, one of the guys was able to share the gospel and then we talked with him about the differences between the American and Senegalese school systems.

Mame Mbaye has grown so much already in his relationship with Christ. He is basically already sharing the gospel with others through us.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

"Sing a Jesus song for me" ....Mamae Mbaye

2010-05-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Wow....God is here. It seems like I never left the village. We had our first Jesus talk with Mame Mbaye today and it was great.

Yesterday Ibu and Hadi told me that I was Senegalese now, which meant so much to be considered one of them now. Last night spent a lot of time with the family joking around because the power went out and they couldnt watch TV. Hadi was making jokes and we watched Taylor dance to Single Ladies.

Mama Mbaye is loving the camera that I got him. He brought it to the river today and took many pictures of us.

Please pray for our team. I know within the next few days many of them will be getting very tired...pray for rest and peace. So much has happened since we have been here...more than I would ever had imagined...Praise be to GOD!

Senegal bi neex na boox ba!

2010-05-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

WOW! word cannot describe the emotions I have felt within the past two days in the village. I screamed when I saw the tower to the mosque for the village and almost cried when I hugged the family and children. God is so faithful. Our team here has already made friends and everyone has been friendly as always.

Please pray for the village. We were able to pray with Fatous family...he girl who passed away two summers ago. Pray God speaks to their hearts even though they cannot understand us verbally.

Many people are waiting to use the internet. I will post in a few days!

Ahhhh....every bit like I remember

2010-05-11T00:49:00.000-07:00

So I almost cried on the flight over just thinking about seeing the family and kids in the village again. We made it here safely about 2 hours ago and everyone is trying to get some rest before we head out to the village. I don't know what the internet situation is....so we will see how often I will get to update the blog.

The people are still nice as ever and I still remember the smell of the heat, beach, ect. and I love it.

Pray for us today as we head out to the village in a few hours. I'll post soon, but I am going to go nap since I was unable to fall asleep on the plane.

Ba ci kanaam (Until next time)

Senegal Bound...

2010-05-09T20:11:00.001-07:00

Well tomorrow is it. We leave for Senegal. I have been looking forward to this day for a long time. Even though the past few days have been very stressful with graduation and preparation for the trip...God has been faithful as always. Even when I have become so consumed with myself and with taking control of every situation...He has still been there and that's why I am going. I am going to Senegal to share this unconditional love bought for me with costly grace. I am going so that the LORD God Almighty may be glorified by more tongues. I am going so that others may hear the GOSPEL and taste and see that the LORD is indeed good.

Please pray for our trip. Pray for peace and safety. Pray that we may not grow weary of continually serving the Wolof people in the village of Guereo.

Pray for Mame Mbaye...a believer in Guereo who is so full of the love of God that he cannot help but laugh, smile, and ask the tough questions. Pray that we may have the strength from God to disciple him in order that he may glorify God by sharing the gospel with others.

I will try to post as often as I can. My email address is maryuk12@gmail.com. Encouraging messages are always a delight when you're away from home.

Thank you to everyone for your support and most importantly thank you for interceding to God on my behalf.

May His name be exalted.

Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty!

2010-05-07T22:49:00.000-07:00

I can't go to sleep and I am stressed about packing...So I turn to Psalm 91 to keep my focus:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Prayer. I simply need prayer...

Graduation, Senegal.....God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9

2010-04-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

So graduation is soon....and I leave for Senegal, Africa two days later....

I was able to serve the Lebou people of Senegal in the small village of Guereo two summers ago for 2 months. I still remember leaving the last day as the children tugged at my skirt and asked "Awa, are you coming back to see us?".

I did not have any words. I did not know what to tell them. Deep down I wanted to come back, but a small part of me knew the chances of me actually returning were very small. However, God is FAITHFUL. I will be returning on May 10th to live with the same family. Please pray. Pray that God will be glorified.

Pray for our team from the BCM. Pray that the gospel of Christ will be spoken.

May He be glorified, honored, and praised above all things....

..."This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

John 11:4

Interesting Facts from a Piper sermon.

2010-02-02T06:03:00.001-08:00

Why Plant Churches?

But before he does, I want to give you a historical and biblical setting for what we believe God is doing. But first, why is church planting so important?

There are about 200 million non-churched people in America, making America one of the four largest “unchurched” nations in the world.
Each year about 3,500 churches close their doors permanently.
Today, of the approximately 350,000 churches in America, four out of five are either plateaued or declining.
One American denomination recently found that 80% of its converts came to Christ in churches less than two years old.

Matthew 16:18

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Suffering leads to Subsequent Glories

2010-01-31T18:48:00.000-08:00

God's word is life...

Today's message in church concerned 1 Peter 3:18-22. I very much enjoyed the message, but was deeply convicted. However, the following verses read at the beginning of the service are still ringing in my ears...

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, [1] and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:3-16

Born again to a living hope and set your hope fully on the grace....

WOW!

These two passages are filled with the grace and glory of our most precious Savior.

I am convicted not only to have hope, but to also push aside my fleshly passions. Moreover, I am encouraged to be joyful during my sufferings. For these sufferings will results in praise, glory and honor for the Most High. Why shouldn't we strive for and rejoice in these sufferings, which bring about subsequent glories for the Lord of Hosts?

To blog or not to blog

2010-01-29T20:03:00.000-08:00

I have never been a fan of blogs, yet I always find myself deeply intrigued by what others are thinking or have to say. Simply put, I love to hear how God is working in the lives of those around the world. So my only goal for this blog is to express as best I can the glory of God- for that is the chief end of man. I have no plans to post a long blog tonight so here is a Psalm that has blessed my life this week...

Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength [fn] of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:23-26

Grace and Peace.