30 Things

Turning thirty is pretty exciting!  I love birthdays, and I've been looking forward to this one!  I've learned many valuable lessons over the last 30 years.  Some from teachers.  Some from friends.  Some because I made mistakes, and had to "fix it".  And several lessons were taught to me by my parents.  I was raised by two incredible people.  They were different from each other, but their differences made them a great team; and being a team kept them united.  They were always consistent in their parenting, and they never wasted a teachable moment with my sister or me.  In honor of my 30th birthday, I'd like to share 30 things that I've learned from my parents.  

1.   Love God.

2.   Love unconditionally.  We must love with no strings attached.

3.  Be consistent.  People should know what to expect in their dealings with you.  My parents were always consistent in their parenting.
4.  Respect others.  Period.
5.  Be true to your word & follow through.
6.  Be fair.  It's important to treat people fairly.  That is, in fact, the way that we'd all like to be treated.  However, sometimes people aren't treated fairly, and it's our responsibility to fight for justice.

 7. Be patient.  I was always taught that if you pray for patience, God will give you opportunities to practice patience.  I've learned that you can't rush things.  And you certainly can't rush people.  Everything happens in God's timing. 
8.  Follow your heart.  Pray about important decision.  Take advice from wise and trustworthy friends.  But don't forget to follow your own heart.
9.  Tell people about Jesus.  Use words if you need to, but strive everyday to SHOW others His love.
10. Be silly.  (My dad was really good at this one.)  There is, of course, always a time to be serious.  But being silly when the time is right sure is fun!
11. Tell the truth.  People deserve it.
12. Sometimes the best thing for you is a nap!  I remember, on several occasions, coming home from a sleepover at a friend's house, where we got little to no sleep.  I remember having a bad attitude toward my sister and/or parents.  Mom and Dad would always make me take a nap before I said or did something that was going to get me into trouble.  That principle still applies even though I'm now an adult.
13.  Encourage others.  Life is hard, and sometimes the road we walk is tough.  Encouraging someone, being their personal cheerleader, can change their world.  It's amazing what someone can accomplish if they know someone has got their back and will speak encouraging words over them!
14.  Help those who are down and out.  We are blessed beyond measure and we are called to help others.  
15.  Be compassionate.  Even if I may feel like someone doesn't deserve it.  I definitely didn't deserve God's compassion, grace, or mercy when He sent His Son for me.   But He sent Him anyway.  
16. Share.  Nothing that I have belongs to me, and I can't take it with me when I die.  So why keep it all for myself?
17 Pray.  Do it everyday.  All day.  It's the easiest way to stay connected to and hear from God. 
18. Pick up after yourself.
19.  Leave things in better condition than when you got it.
20. Look people in the eye.  Otherwise, how will they ever find you trustworthy?
21.  Do the right thing, even if nobody is around to see it.
22.  Don't expect praise for everything you do.
23.  Don't judge a book by it's cover.  Who am I to judge someone?  I'm not better than anybody else. 
24.  Everyone has a past, love them anyway.
25.  Obey your parents.  When you do, you're obeying God, too.
26.  Love your siblings, they really are a gift.  The older I get, the easier that is for me.
27.  Tithe.  Give back to God just a small portion of what He's blessed you with.  This has grown my faith more than anything else.  He never fails me.
28.  Pay your bills (on time) before splurging.
29.  Save money.  You never know when you're going to need it.
30.  Strive everyday to be a godly woman.  Stay in constant communication with God so that I can hear His voice and follow the path He wants me to walk down.

I will learn thousands of lessons before I die.  But I am so very thankful for this small handful that I have already learned.  They have shaped and molded me into who I am.  And that is the best birthday gift!

Lima - Days 1 and 2

Most of our team headed to Lima from DFW Sunday morning. Our plane actually boarded on time (which is rare) and we landed in Atlanta, where we met up with the remainder of our team members from Orange, TX. We had a short layover and we able to eat lunch together and get to know one another - four different churches were represented within our team. Then we boarded our plane to Lima and arrived there - after the 5 1/2 hour flight - around 11:30 p.m. The immigration line was ridiculously long, and by the time we got through it, collected our things from baggage claim, experienced a taxi ride in Lima, and checked into our hotel, it was 2:00 a.m. Needless to say, we were pretty exhausted.

On Monday, we headed out after breakfast to our first village. We divided up into 3 teams, and began to prayer walk and share the gospel in the streets. I have been on several mission trips over the past 10 years, and I have never done anything quite like this. As I mentioned in my last blog, I was quite nervous about doing street evangelism. Unfortunately, in the states we don't go door-to-door often enough to share our faith. So it was difficult for me to know how to begin talking to a complete stranger, who spoke a different language than me, about Jesus. But God had it all under control. Prayer is so powerful, and we were constantly walking and praying. Praying that God would lead us to the people who He wanted us to talk to. And He did. Most of the people we met and shared Jesus with accepted Christ. Some were unsure and said they wanted more time to think about it. But we knew it wasn't our job to "save" them, it's the job of the Holy Spirit to convict them. We are simply called to share the Good News with them. Our group members relied on each other when we would get "stuck" and not know what to say next. It was definitely a group effort!

After lunch that day, we went to the home of a man who accepted Christ in the street earlier that morning, along with two members of the local church we were working with. We began to disciple him and showed him how to read through the Bible. He had so many great questions, and we could tell just how hungry he was for something. He just didn't know it was Jesus! We were able to spend about an hour with him, and I was so encouraged by his open mind and his willingness to share his home with us.

We headed back to our hotel in late afternoon, then we walked to a restaurant for dinner. To finish the day, we had worship together at the hotel, as well as a time to share with each other experiences from the day. It was great to hear all of the wonderful things that God is doing in the that village that our team got to see.

Peru Mission, Numero Dos!

I'll be heading back to Lima, Peru on Sunday morning. I'm not going with Compassion International this time, but instead with Cottonwood Creek's Denison Campus (my sister's and brother-in-law's church), through the Eric Fuller Evangelistic Assocciation, Inc. We will be serving in a much different way than our group did back in September. Below is a schedule and prayer guide for all of my prayer warriors to use.

Sunday, March 11th - Depart DFW and fly to Atlanta and then onto Lima. Pray for us as we travel.

Monday, March 12th - We will begin the day with team orientation. Pray for the hearts of our team members, that God will give us strength and wisdom as we begin the week. After that, we will do door-to-door evangelism and a home Bible Study. Pray now for the homes that we will visit. That God will soften thier hearts and make them receptive to the Word that we will bring, and that He will stir within them and give them a desire to know Him.

Tuesday, March 13th - We will have a worship service at the First Baptist Churh in the Bocanegra area mid-morning. Then, we will spend the afternoon doing street evangelism in a new community. Again, pray for the hearts of everyone who will hear about Jesus. Some, even for the first time.

Wednesday, March 14th - We will begin the day with more street evangelism with the Frist Baptist Church in New Pachacutec. In the afternoon, we will have a home Bible Study. Pray for everyone who attends.

Thursday, March 15th - We will be sharing the Gospel and speaking at two different locations today. In the morning, we will be at New Pachacutec School, and in the afternoon, we will be at Bocanegra School. Pray for the children who will hear the Good News that we bring!

Friday, March 16th - We will leave Lima VERY early (12:25 a.m.). We will fly back to Atlanta, and then onto DFW. We are scheduled to arrive around 11:00 a.m. Pray that our team is able to rest on the flights as we prepare to be back home with our families. Quite often, it can be a hard adjustment coming back home - at least it is for me. Every time I go on a mission trip, I struggle with going back home. I always feel like I'm leaving part of my heart behind.

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm excited about this trip. My answer is always, "YES! I can't wait!" And even though that is the truth, it's hard to put into words how I'm feeling about this trip. Part of me is a little nervous. Not about the flight or leaving the country or anything. Just a little nervous about door-to-door evangelism. I struggle with rejection, so I'm praying hard that God will open the hearts of everyone we talk to. However, a bigger part of me feels like I'm going home! Peru has had a very special place in my heart for years, and I can't wait to be back there!

Thank you, again, to everyone who is praying for my team and me. You are missionaries, too! I love you all!