Peace in the Midst of Discomfort

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a month since my last post! Last week the TVYFC team took a trip to Northern Ireland to lead a kid’s club for about 40 kids. We had a lot of fun playing games with them, teaching them Bible verses, and most importantly sharing the love of Christ with them! We were also able to do some sightseeing while we were there, and it was absolutely beautiful. The Lord has blessed me immensely with such an incredible team. My favorite part about the week was seeing all of us come together to make this kid’s club happen. Each one of us is so different and possess so many unique qualities and abilities, yet we all share a common purpose: to see Christ’s name made famous among the people of the U.K. One thing this trip reminded me is that the Body of Christ is extremely powerful when we unite together in order to achieve a specific task. I was also encouraged to remember that He is at work EVERYWHERE. No matter what continent you’re on or what country you’re in, His purposes are being fulfilled and He’s calling us to join in on the mission of seeing people from every tribe, tongue, and nation come to know Him. 

Another exciting event I was able to take part in this month was the fall youth retreat. We had about 20 kids from 3 churches in the central Stockton area come together for the weekend. The theme for the retreat was “identity in Christ” and the kids had an absolute blast. I had the privilege of teaching the first session and leading worship for the other two sessions, but my favorite part of the weekend was the country western night. All the kids dressed up in their country western gear and we bobbed for apples, ate chips and salsa, practiced our best country accents, AND taught the kids a couple line dances. Honestly, we had no idea how the kids would react to this “theme night”, but it turned out to be a HUGE success. They loved learning the dances and wanted to keep doing them after the night was over! All in all, it was a great weekend. Furthermore, it gave our youth band some practice before leading worship for the congregation that next Sunday in the morning AND evening services. This has become one of my main responsibilities as a youth worker in the church. The band consists of me and around 3-4 young people in our youth group. At first, I was a little nervous to take on this “project”, but it has actually turned out to be a huge blessing. The young people are doing a great job and I think it has really blessed the congregation to see them lead. As of right now we are scheduled to lead worship once a month, so please pray that the Lord would continue to give me guidance and direction as I lead.

As I reflect on these past couple of months, I’ve realized how much the Lord is stretching me. Each day presents new challenges, but I am SO thankful to be pushed out of my comfort zone. I have much to learn and so many areas to grow in, but I find comfort and peace in knowing that the Lord will never leave me (Deut. 31:6). In fact, Hebrews 13:21 says that He will perfectly equip me for whatever He’s calling me to do. My job is simply to be obedient. Please pray for my team as we continue our work in the Tees Valley and pray for life change among the youth and the children. I am genuinely so thankful for each one of you, and my prayer is that the Lord would equip YOU for whatever task He’s calling you to. Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement! 

“20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21

Expect the Unexpected

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind, but from the moment I stepped off the plane I’ve experienced an overwhelming sense of peace. The Lord has continued to reveal his faithfulness to me through his provision even in the most intricate of details. I absolutely love my host family and the team I’ll be working closely with this year. Everyone is so different, but it’s been amazing to see how the power of the gospel binds believers together so quickly (1 Cor. 12:12-13). I’ve already been into two of the (hopefully) four schools I’ll be working in this year. Two are primary schools (1st-5th grade) and two are secondary (6th-10th grade). In these schools we arrive around 12, eat lunch with the kids, and then head to the classrooms. The teachers are extremely happy to have any kind of assistance, so we just jump in with the kids and help wherever we can. Last week we even talked about prayer as part of the religious education (R.E.) curriculum. I was shocked when I heard how much the kids knew ABOUT prayer, but was saddened to find that only about 3 of the 25 actually attended church regularly. These children are ready and open to hear the truth of the gospel. They just need someone to share the love of Christ with them. My prayer is that they would begin to understand Christianity not as a religion, but as a relationship with the God who uniquely created them and deeply loves them. I’ve also begun getting to know the students in our church youth group. They are extremely intelligent, and my prayer is that barriers would continue to be broken down so that I can get to know them on a deeper level and encourage them in their walks with Christ. They too are ready to flourish and grow. They just need to be pushed and encouraged to do so. 

Overall, I know there is much work to be done here, but the Lord has challenged me to begin to pray big prayers. Do I really believe he is who he says he is? Do I trust he is going to do what he says he is going to do? These are the questions that have continually been on my mind since I arrived here. I’ve recognized that my view of God is far too small, and even when I don’t realize it, I automatically begin to limit him when I try to think “rationally” or “realistically” instead of asking him to move and to work in whatever way he sees fit. Thus, my desire is to see God do absolutely incredible things this year—things I never even believed possible. I want to rely more on the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction instead of trying to plan everything out myself. I have no doubt he has placed me here for a specific purpose and has already ordained the conversations I will have with students in and out of the classroom. Please continue to pray that the Lord will give me boldness, and that I will continually rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to reveal to me the relationships I need to invest in and to open up doors for intentional conversations. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers. Knowing that I have so many lifting me and my team up to the Lord means more to me than I could ever express. 

“Peace be to the brothers (and sisters), and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.” Ephesians 6:23-24 

The Beauty of Surrender

First off, I want to thank everyone who has chosen to support me financially and/or pray for me over this next year. I know this journey wouldn't be possible without you, and it absolutely means the world to me to know that the Body of Christ is actively lifting me up in prayer.

Over the past several months as I've been preparing to travel to England the Lord has laid on my heart several passages of Scripture. Since I've always struggled with the fear of rejection when it comes to sharing my faith, He has continuously reminded me that He did not give us, as His children, a spirit of fear (2 Tim. 1:6-7). Thus, any fears and insecurities I have are not of Him, which means it is my responsibility to continually pray against them and keep my eyes fixed on the only One who possesses the ability to draw men to Himself (Col. 2:13-15). I must remember that my job is simply to be obedient to what He's called me to do, which is to boldly proclaim the truth of the gospel to the people of England, and more specifically the Tees Valley (Eph. 6:17-20). My prayer is that I would daily present myself to the Lord as a clean vessel (2 Tim. 2:20-21) and willingly offer my body as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2), which will require a daily renewing of my mind and a conscious effort to think on the things that are true, honorable, and pure (Philip. 4:8). Although this will be difficult at times, Scripture is clear that only when we hand over our lives to Christ can we experience true freedom and joy (Gal. 5:1;13). One of the gap year workers posted this quote from Oswald Chambers on our Facebook page, and I believe it sums up this point beautifully:

"Put everything in your life afloat upon God, going out to sea on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and your eyes will be opened. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself-begin to have spiritual discernment." -My Utmost For His Highest  

With your prayers and support along with the Lord's guidance this is what I desire to do, and my hope is that you too would be willing to let go of the fears and insecurities that are holding you back and surrender your life to Christ in order to fully experience the freedom and joy He has waiting for you. Thank you again for your prayers and support. As I leave tomorrow for England I can't wait to keep you updated on all the Lord is doing!

In Him,
Bethany Laughlin