Alive & Well

 

Hi everyone!

I've been a major slacker about my blog the past few weeks and summer is flying by, so I want to take a moment to update everyone on how things are going.

The Internship
I can't begin to write out all the many things Refuge for Women is teaching me. It has been such a great experience and I don't want it to end. Claire, my wise friend, told me at the beginning of the summer that it's going to get really sweet right before I have to leave. She was so right.

Costa Rica
In less than three weeks, I set off for Costa Rica. The trip is becoming more and more real. I have a plane ticket and I have the itinerary of what we will be doing. I got emotional just reading the schedule. It's weird walking into something with the knowledge that it's going to wreck you. It's also weird to be so excited even with that knowledge.

*Note* I'm almost fully funded! I'm lacking $363. Thank you so much to all who have already supported me! If you are interested in supporting my trip, please read here for more information on how to do that.

Life
Life in general is really sweet. I'm so thankful for this time to practice adulthood, to be without academic responsibility, to have the time to connect with many dear friends, to make new friends, to journal, read, and self-reflect, to strengthen my relationship with Bryce, to learn how to cook, and to grow in my faith. I was able to go home a few weeks ago for a wedding (Congrats Ila & Gabe!!). It was great to see family! Now I'm just trying to cherish my last few weeks here and prepare for Costa Rica.

Prayer Requests
If you would, please pray for my trip to Costa Rica; that the Lord would ready the hearts of the people for the seed of the Gospel to be planted, that our team would stay focused, healthy, and safe, and that we will glorify the Lord in everything we do. Also, please pray for the remainder of my internship, that bonds would strengthen, that the Lord would protect the women from the lies of the enemy, and that Christ would break chains and truly heal them. I really appreciate your prayers.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July!
                                                                                                                                                               Joy & Peace,

Fearless Trust

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies,
they stumbled and fell.
Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.
One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You,
"Your face, O Lord, I shall seek."
Do not hide Your face from me.
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a level path
Because of my foes.
Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

One of the first things I learned at Refuge is that I'm going to learn a whole lot more from the women there than they will ever learn from me. Something that has really struck me is their courage. The past year I've been wrestling with fear, and I mean wrestling.

When it comes down to it, I am afraid of the world. The world is a dark, dangerous place where everyone is out to get you, use you, hurt you...so don't trust anyone. I have no reason to believe this except for observing and reading about all the evil things that happen in the world. But these women have every reason to believe this; they've experienced it firsthand and yet they display this fearless trust in the Lord written out in Psalm 27. I admire their courage to take a step in faith and come to Refuge. Most of them do not know of another way of life, yet they reach out for the hope of a better life and they put themselves in the care of complete strangers. They are stripped of all the things that hide them from people and they are vulnerable. Still they seek refuge and that takes more courage than I can even fathom. I deeply admire these women and I'm thankful that Refuge is a place where they can experience God and all the good things that flow from Him.

"One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek..." Of all the things to ask for, why is that the one thing? What about protection or safety or a painless life?! Because what we should want above all else is to see the face of our Lord and behold His beauty and His glory. In the face of God, fear of all the pains in this world vanish. There is no comparison. "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." So we believe, we seek, we fix our eyes, so that we don't despair. The Psalms are a sweet companion this summer as they are teaching me how to trust in the Lord, to seek Him, and to live life courageously for the sake of His glory. 

                                                                                                                                                               Joy & Peace,