He Has Overcome

So, this past week was nothing short of trying. All of us definitely felt attacked in a number of ways. From Bessie (our faithful bus) breaking down to the breaks going out on the van to the power washer quitting to a sudden death in the family of one of our participants Satan was alive and well. Despite all of these evidences of Satan's power, there are so many more that displayed God's might.

First of all, although the death of Bridgette's mother was extremely tragic, it was absolutely astonishing to see God work through that. All of the students from different backgrounds, youth groups, denominations, and races came together as one body and wept together. They were truly mourning with those who mourned though they had only met Bridgette and her dad 3 days earlier.

Beyond that, on Thursday morning after we had found out about Bridgette's mom, every one was incredibly tired and really unmotivated to be ministering at a Vacation Bible School for 100 elementary schoolers. We decided to pray long and hard before getting started simply because it was evident that we needed God's power to even make it through. We prayed that God's power would be made perfect in our weakness. We prayed for him to speak through us. We prayed that we would not get in the way, but that he would be able to use us to glorify himself. We prayed for his energy and power to get us through that day. Though I didn't realize it until that night, God answered our prayers in a mighty way. By lunch time, the group was laughing together. Our lesson that day had been about the cross. What a time to preach Christ's unending love! Right when we needed it most! God did use us to teach the children about his redemption. In the second and third grade class alone, when we explained what eternal life with Jesus was, a little girl exclaimed with a reverence beyond her years, "Wooooow!" Another girl came up after the lesson and asked, "You mean, if my aunt who died believed in Jesus and lived it, she is still alive in heaven?" And finally, another girl came up to me after the lesson and said, "Those Roman soldiers who killed Jesus...they...they didn't believe in him!" This summer has truly been teaching me the importance of "letting the little children come to Him." Jesus said the kingdom belongs to such as these. It is truly a blessing to get to work with them this summer.

Another tremendous answer to prayer occurred when my dad went in Wednesday to have a stint put in. They ended up putting three stints in, one of which reopened his native artery that had been unsuccessfully bypassed twice. There are only 5 doctors in the nation who have the ability to reopen blocked native arteries and there just happed to be one who work with the Prairie Heart Institute at St. John's who could work on my dad! Anyway, as I wrote in a previous blog, my dad's heart was functioning at 25% and they were going to have to put in the stint as well as a pacemaker with a defibrillator. However, after his surgery Wednesday, his heart is now functioning at 45%! That is better than his heart has functioned in the last 15 years since his first heart attack. The doctors did not expect it to go that well at all, but they said that since it did, they are just going to monitor his heart for the next 6 months. They are not going to put the pacemaker in or anything! What an answer to prayer! Now, on to the bladder cancer check up. :)

Anyway, like a said, although Satan was certainly trying to distract us this week through numerous trials, Jesus' faithfulness was so evident. I am so encouraged by His words, "In this world you will have trouble. But, take heart! I have overcome the world." I pray that will encourage you this week as well. Thanks for reading.

-Kelsey

The Learning Never Ceases

First of all, this video that Jenna James gives a beautiful picture of what I have been doing this summer. Check it out! http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=228547740383&comments

Doesn't that make you want to become an intern??? :) God is good, and He is undeniably at work. I can't believe how much my eyes have been opened this summer. I just began reading Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution. Highly recommend it. Wow. What a powerful witness of the church. I am convicted by James when he says that anyone who knows the good he ought to do yet doesn't do it sins. Now, that God has shown me the good I must do, I must do it.

Tim Hughes' song "God of Justice" speaks of just a glimpse of the good we are called to do as Christians:

God of Justice, Saviour to all.
Came to rescue the weak and the poor.
Chose to serve and not be served.
Jesus, You have called us
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give
We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go
To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in everyway
Walking humbly before You God
You have shown us, what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord © 2007 Sparrow

I must go and do.

This week I will be leading a youth group in a Vacation Bible School for a local day camp. Please pray for us. Pray for the open hearts of the children. Pray that the Holy Spirit would move and use even our weak attempts to speak of the good news. Pray that our love would be an overwhelming but small picture of the depth of God's love for them. I love you all.

-Kelsey

Learning to Trust

This week was amazing! I can't even begin to list the ways that God was working. I worked this week with the Hazelwood Christian Church junior high youth group. Amazing! They all have true servant's hearts. It was a delight to see them question, grow, work, and love. I can't wait to see what God is going to do in them and through them.

We were absolutely privileged to serve Faye Brown this week. Her husband past away about 3 years ago. We were able to do a great deal of scraping, caulking, priming, and painting on her house. She was absolutely wonderful and so hospitable. We got delicious goodies every afternoon: no bakes, cupcakes, and ice cream! Here is a picture of our group on the last day standing on Miss Faye's front porch.

So, for those of you who don't know, I found out this week on Wednesday that my dad is in heart failure due to the damage done to his heart years ago after his heart attacks. His heart is only functioning at 25%. I knew he was going in for tests at the beginning of this last week, but I certainly was not expecting that news. During the next several weeks, he has about 5 different doctor appointments so that they can decide what they are going to do. I have prayed for years that God would glorify himself through my dad's life, but somehow this was not what I was expecting. However, I know that God will use this for his own glory for his ways are higher than mine. I have been clinging to and attempting to understand the truths of Proverbs 3:5-6 this week. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." Wow. I have had that verse memorized for over 10 years, but suddenly it has new meaning. The "ALL of your heart" and "lean not on your own understanding" really hit me. Have a truly given God all of my trust in every part of my heart? And do I still try to make sense of the things that God does? I cannot lean on my own understanding of these things. I am learning to trust.

Below is a picture of me and my dad from today at my grandma's house.

Please continue to be in prayer for him and for our family. Pray that I will allow God to use me where I am. Also, pray that God would use this in his redemption of all things to himself. Pray that we will have the humility and trust to allow him to do that in whatever way He sees fit. Thanks again, guys.

Love in Christ,

Kels