Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! So sorry for the silence over the past couple months. Thanksgiving and Christmas absolutely flew by, and the next thing I knew it was 2015! I just returned to England about a week ago after spending some much needed time with family and friends, and even though it was very difficult to come back I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is exactly where the Lord wants me to be. He has opened up so many doors here, and I know He is calling me to finish what I’ve started. One of the coolest things I’ve started doing here over the past few months has been mentoring. I meet with two middle school aged girls once a week at the secondary school we work with and have really enjoyed getting to know them on a one-on-one basis. They are two of the more “troubled” students in the school, and thus the teachers are more than happy to let them skip class in order to meet with me :). It’s been an incredible opportunity to simply develop relationships with them outside the classroom and even get to share my faith with them. They have no idea who Jesus is, and even though we still have a long way to go I firmly believe the Lord has placed me in their lives in order to model for them what it looks like to be a follower of Christ and to show them that He loves them deeply and has a unique plan for them.
Please pray that the Lord would help me remain faithful to the work He has called me to do here. One thing He has reminded me of over the past few weeks is that He blesses those who choose to walk in obedience. Psalm 84:11-12 says, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you.” To be perfectly honest, almost everything within me wanted to stay in America, in the safety and comfort of my own home, but I know that decision would have been disobedient. The Lord is at work here, and I must continue to trust that to be anywhere else would not be His best for me. Please also join me in praying for continued opportunities to share the love of Christ with these children and teenagers. Sometimes I get so caught up in the details and planning that I loose sight of why I’m here. My desire is to see these young people not only come to know Jesus, but also to grow in their relationship with him. I know these next six months will be challenging, but I am truly excited to see what the Lord has in store. Your prayers are invaluable to me, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past few months, it’s that the Lord answers the prayers of His people. So thank you for your continued prayers and support. May the Lord bless you in ALL your endeavors this year!
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
