After today, your life will never be the same...

Someone should have said those words to me last Sunday...
Not that I didn't foresee the change, not that my heart wasn't prepared...but sometimes the reality of certain life changes is simply foreign until you are actually walking in it.

I have mixed emotions in writing this, joy and excitement at what God is doing and His faithfulness, yet sadness at the surrounding circumstances. Laurie and Daryl have stepped down as leaders of After Hours Ministry and have entrusted the ministry to myself and the remaining board members. While the resignation of Laurie and Daryl is a great loss for us, they are acting in obedience to Jesus as they seek to put their marriage first and work on areas that have been a hindrance for them.  First and foremost we would ask you to pray for Laurie and Daryl who have been our friends, our leaders and an inspiration in many ways. Pray that God would work ALL things to good and bring complete healing and restoration in their lives.  Praise God that He had prepared my heart to step into this calling long before I knew it would come. Praise God for the amazing team of people God has brought together to serve Him in this ministry.

Some of you are not surprised at all by this news (why not?! I am!), some of you are a little surprised but not like "flip my world upside down suprised" and some of you are thinking "what in the world? how? who? what?" I know... well, again for as prepared as I was, my world has indeed flipped upside down. Although, not in a real tangible way as yet (other than the dozen boxes of After Hours Ministry supplies filling up my already full room) but in a way that is dropping me straight to me knees at the realization that God has brought me to this place and only He can lead me through.

If you know me, you know that I love to serve, I love to follow as another leads and do it faithfully. I love to be given specific tasks and to go for it. But now... the roles are reversed, while I have great counsel around me the task of leadership has been given to me. I can see God's hand in every step and know that He will use this to draw me even closer to Him. He has taken me once again out of a place that is comfortable and put me in a place where I will rely more fully on the Holy Spirit than my own abilities.

Some of you are reading this and you're still saying, "wait, wait...a ministry to pimps and prostitutes? how? why?" Great questions. When I was in college and 21 years old, during a time of prayer and personal study God broke my heart for women in prostitution, it was a piercing so deep I wept for hours and knew that I needed to pray for these women and pray about how God would use me to share with them the freedom that can only be received through Christ's shed blood on the cross. I prayed for 7 years...that is a very long time. I had no idea how God would ever bring this to pass in my life, I didn't know any prostitutes, hadn't been one, didn't know where to find one...but I continued to pray as the Lord brought it back time and again and my heart continued to be burdened.

I had been serving at a Bible College in Germany for 3 years and shortly after moving back to California I knew that it was time, I still had NO IDEA how, but it was time. Reality had just planted a church in LA and I thought to myself, "if i planted a church in LA I would reach out to prostitutes" (obviously a very normal thought...not!) and I looked up the church website....there it was, "After Hours ministry, a ministry to pimps and prostitutes"... wow! This was not a coincidence, God had led me here and I guess you could say that from that day forward my life has never been the same (although I suppose we have many of those days in a lifetime). I went to a training class a few weeks later and the rest is history.

Can I just say God is faithful, can I tell you that He gives us the desires of our hearts(that He actually puts them in there!), can I confirm for you that He truly works ALL things to good? I hope to, I hope that through my story you will see the detail of His hand in yours.

I have no idea what this means in the long-term, I have hopes and dreams for this ministry but for the moment I believe God has shown me to take it one step at a time and trust Him. I have total peace and I know He will lead, He will provide...this is His ministry.

Would you take a moment now to pray for one of the folllowing things?

• That God would be glorified not only through this ministry but even in this time of transition
• For vision and direction
• For unity in our team
• For protection over every aspect
• For Laurie and Daryl
• For humility and grace in every moment

Thank you!

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and he shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:3-5

Chapel: Are you all in with Jesus?

Here's what they had to say! :)

Radical!

2 1/2 weeks later

well, we made it....and by "we" I mean Jackson. I didn't kill him...lucky kid. We definitely had our ups and downs during this time but I believe God has been using it for good for all of us. Tomorrow Mom and Dad come home (thank God!) and I get to go home to my bed and my own things and my roommates (see how it's all about me? ;) ).

But they're not done with me yet! Thursday morning Jacqueline and I are speaking at our school's chapel about our trip to Cambodia. We are very excited about the things God has been showing us and the opportunity to share it with others. Would you join with us in praying for the hearts of the staff and students that they will have ears to hear that morning. Pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to and through us and that hearts will be changed. We are praying and believe that God is already stirring in the hearts of some things which He will confirm through our time on Thursday.

And if you want to come...come! It's at 8am at Hillcrest Christian School... see you there! :)

Giving Him praise and glory and honor in advance!
Jen

Grounded...

Now I see why parents don't want to ground their kids...because that means they are also grounded, not fun :/ but I also see the great importance of following through with consequences and consistency. Praying for this time to bear fruit in the long run.

What is human trafficking?

Human Trafficking has become quite a buzz word lately yet many still don't understand what is meant by it.
Here is the actual definition: "the obtaining, harboring, provision for or movement of a person through force, fraud or coercion."

*if a minor is involved force, fraud and coercion does not have to be proved

If you ever suspect that groups or individuals may be involved in human trafficking you can call the human trafficking hotline at: 1 888 3737 888

I think I would at least be tied for this title...

Here is a link to Jamie the very worst missionary's blog
http://www.theveryworstmissionary.com/

This blog is followed by many and I found it through my friend Jen. Warning: she uses some inappropriate language and may be a little harsh at times but she is very REAL and I love that.

Parenting-ish

I have been watching two teenagers for the last week and will be with them for the next week and a half. Now let me say this first, I love kids and hope to be a mom someday but... At first I just felt stressed, their schedules added to mine was a little more than I wanted to handle (all I can say is I have a new level of respect and empathy for single parents and the many sacrifices you make). The first few days were rough establishing boundaries and routines. But after a few days we were in step with one another and we began to enjoy each other. I saw that I wasnt just someone to drive them around and make sure there was food on the table, but that I could provide them with the love, guidance and security they needed in their parent's absence. As we did homework together or watched movies or I listened to the stories from their day and prayed through their struggles with them, I began to see this time as a privilege rather than a burden. You never know how God might surprise you and what circumstances He might use to open your heart. I am thankful for how God surprised me this week :)

What it's like to be me...

I hate being asked to describe myself, what would I say really? Awkward, selfish, impatient...hmmm, so much for that. No really, let's start with awkward, if you've ever met me for the first time (which I assume you have if you're reading this) you probably remember a quiet girl who seemed to have nothing to say and in fact sort of acted like she'd rather be anywhere else. Well, let me put your fears to rest, it was not on account of you that I wanted to make a run for it but the deep fear that you might actually break through my fortress walls and ultimately see something that repulsed you and of course run for the hills yourself. There is really no better way to defend yourself than to never actually need to do so.

Selfish and impatient go together, just ask any one of my students who has asked me one too many questions. I wrap myself so far in my own world that I can't see the needs of others, let alone put them above my own.

Now before you decide never to read my blog again because you are now so depressed you're reaching for the chocolate ice cream know this...I am confident that He who began a good work in me(and you) will bring it to completion. Seeing my sin and weakness is only one piece of the puzzle, the gospel of Christ which covers my sin, the Holy Spirit who renews my heart and mind make me complete and whole and most important hopeful.

And, since there are two side to every story you might know (if you stuck around after that awful first meeting) that I am a very loyal friend and in the same breath of impatience and selfishness I have a great deal of compassion for those who are broken and hurting around me. So, I guess it's not all so bad. The point is, I am human and so are you and describing yourself in 200 words is just weird. ;)

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Spanish Class

This semester I have a much easier teaching schedule which is absolutely incredible! I actually have prep periods! :) So I decided to take a course in Spanish and basically just chose the one that fit my schedule, which landed me in Spanish 3! Now before you go thinking I'm crazy, I actually took 4 years of Spanish in high school and got around pretty well with the language until.... I moved to Germany. It was almost as if my brain's maximum capacity was 2 languages, so when German came in Spanish began to pack it's bags :/
The worst part is that when I moved back to the states I couldn't speak either one! If someone asked me a question in Spanish I would answer in German without even knowing it! I had understood the question but was no longer able to select the right language.

Since Spanish is slightly more useful in the states than German I have decided to focus my studies on this language and as I thought about signing up for school somewhere I realized I can simply attend class here on campus for free and go whenever I have time. Awesome!

I am going to get a book and actually do the homework, I think I might even take a quiz or two... :)

Anyways, I'm very excited and blessed that I have this opportunity.

Adios Amigos! :)

I'm All In

This is the question I've been asking myself throughout each day...Am I all in? Whatever it is that God has brought my way, am I all in for His sake? Am I willing? Am I ready? Am I persevering? Am I trusting? Am I hoping? Is my everything in who Jesus Christ is and what His Word says? And each time something unexpected comes my way, with each challenge or blessing I remind myself to say as Christ has said and demonstrated to me..."I'm All In"

Are you all in?

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20