Journey of Faith

It is incredibly hard to believe that I am halfway through my journey here in Clarkston. As I sit here in Panera, it is still hard to process that half of my time here is up. The Lord has taught me an incredible amount of things in the first half of this journey, and I am excited to see what He will continue to teach me. I have a sneaking suspicion that this second half is going to fly by, much like the first half has. I'm praying that God will use me however he sees fit over these next four weeks. But now, I would like to shift the focus off of myself. One of my dear friends "I," who I have worked very closely with over this past month works for this incredible organization called Plywood People. This organization hires refugee women, much like herself, who would otherwise have an incredibly difficult time finding work. The company trains women to take old billboard materials and "upcycle" them into various bags, wallets, cases, and other things. Not only doe...

Being in Clarkston has been a whirlwind of crazy. It has convicted me, challenged me, and changed me. Convicting me. I have been convicted time and time again of my lifestyle of complacency. Sure, I go to church. Sure, I serve. Sure, I'll tear up a little at a video of a hurting child. But holy cow, being on the mission field has been a wake-up call. I have SO MUCH. I care SO LITTLE. If I truly loved like Jesus, would I really be sitting around in a comfort-filled life, thinking about how giving a 10% tithe is really taking a dent out of my already small paychecks? NO. I would be living on that 10% and giving the other 90%. I would be giving not just with every paycheck, but with every day. I wouldn't secretly scoff at the homeless person begging for change, thinking that they probably put themselves in that situation. I mean seriously, who do I think I am? Challenging me. Like I mentioned before, I've gotten to a fairly complacent life. I let Jesus convict me just enou...

This week, I have been overwhelmed by so many feelings. For starters, I have been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of need that I encounter on a daily basis. I know that would sound obvious, seeing as I’m working with refugees. However, it still amazes me. It also saddens me that so little is known about Clarkston and even less being done to help these people. I’ve been in prayer, trying to figure out what it is that God may have me do to help change this. I’ve also been overwhelmed by the goodness of God. My friend “I” has recently come to the Lord and it has been the coolest thing to watch and be a part of her growth. We have started participating in a Bible study with her, going through the book of John. Watching her realize that she too has the Holy Spirit in her and what that means has been a blessing to see. Lastly, I’ve been overwhelmed with a sense of peace. Last night, we had some fellow American Christian friends around our age over for a game night. Until last ni...

We sing things like "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the water." But when it comes down to it, do we really mean it? Would you be willing if God asked, to deplete your retirement funds to pay off your debt, sell virtually all that you own, and pick up your family to move to a country that is hostile to missionaries in order to spread love in Jesus' name? Would you be willing to pay one month of rent for a single mother of three, who has no income and speaks no English? Would you by a couch for a lady who had to sell hers to help make ends meet? I don't ask those questions to provoke guilt, but because they have made me question the size of my faith. Of course, the natal answer to those hypothetical questions is, "Yes, of course I would, if God wanted me to." However, none of those questions are hypothetical. The last two are very real needs that I have come across in meeting new friends. And the first question is a pictur...