About Halfway There

 1 Peter 5: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly,[a] not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

I'm about halfway through this internship and I just can't believe how it passes in the blink of an eye. It seems like just yesterday I was being handed an intern key and settling into my desk.

But a whole semester has come and gone and now I'm sitting in one of the pastor's house as I house-sit for the winter while nearly everyone else has gone. It's a strange feeling to go from being completely busy and social, to doing almost nothing and in such a quiet place. I think I've forgotten how to relax... 

But the Lord has been speaking to me about next semester. You see, I think every semester there is a theme for each person of what God is trying to show that person. This past semester I was just seeing how weak I am. And how much I need God to be my strength. And it was one of the most humbling and best lessons of my life. I'm so grateful for the girls I got to spend time with and encourage and I was encouraged right back! We got to share in our weaknesses and see the Lord work in them!

And now I think God is showing me how this upcoming semester will be about being an example to girls. Especially when it comes to how to interact with our guy friends at the school. You see, the castle is a whole different world where you do almost everything together, girls and boy alike. And it's hard. It's really, really hard. And I feel the Lord exhorting me to be retrained on how to interact appropriately with our brothers. (Be holy for He is holy, and do not even have the appearance of sin!). And I'm so glad this last semester was about my weakness and His strength...because this is just not something I can do in my own self. I need Him to be my strength and guidance in this. 

And I know that He will. 

Where God has given us a name and a place, there we abide.

-Spurgeon

Christina and I :)

A Day Out With My Girls <3

Christmas Party 2013

PS. Goodbye Mr Foster :(

Hunger Games.

We went as a group from the school to see Hunger Games.

Christina and I didn't want anyone to go hungry.

Matthew 25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Set a fire down in my soul...that I can't contain, that I can't control..

I'm so blessed to be doing this internship. I believe that it is equipping me for life in ministry in so many ways.
This past week we were blessed by the pastors to be able to do our weekly intern study in Budapest in order to ask Phil Metzger (head pastor of Golgota Budapest and long time missionary) questions about sermon prep and teaching. It's such an honor to be sitting at the feet of so many wise and experienced missionaries and pastors.

I can't believe there are only about three weeks left of this semester. These students are so special to me and when I look out into the coffeeshop at school I can really see the future and what God wants to do through all of us in this broken world.

As I think back at my life I think of how I never thought I'd get out of all the chaos and mess I was in. I really believed there was no way out of the pit of depression and no way out of an average life. Who knew Jesus could turn one's life so upside down? I'm so thankful and I am so unworthy! I'm ever-aware of that fact, and so please never misread me as bragging about my life. I boast only in the power of Jesus!

I miss my family, my church, my city so, so much. But that fire inside me for missions is burning wildly in my heart. There is no turning back!

Please pray for me as I continue this internship and as I pray about my future. As of right now I strongly desire to move to Turkey to live out my faith there and share the love of God there. I could use so much prayer! Thank you all. I can't believe this page is almost at 2000 views. Who are you crazy people?
I love you all, whoever you are.

I started a fundraising site for those who desire to help:
GoFundMe

Romania

It's been about a week or so since I've been back from Bistrita, Romania. I got to lead a team of 6 others on an outreach to the church out there. I'm so grateful to have gotten that opportunity, to have had such a wonderful team, and to be around a wonderful church yet again.
If you remember, I went to Bistrita exactly a year ago, but as a student and not an intern. It was a whole different ballgame this time, in my opinion.

To be completely honest it's really hard for me to get detailed about outreaches because I want to be very careful about exploiting the people we meet along the way...but I will attach some pictures and briefly explain what we did....

The train ride there was about 8 hours to Cluj and then the pastor was so gracious as to drive so late at night to pick us up and take us to Bistrita. We got into our apartment at about 12:30am. It felt so great to be back in that apartment (and the new central heating system definitely was a bonus since I'm terrible at making a fire!)

Our first day was spent doing practical ministry for the pastor and church. I got to stack wood and rake a massive amount of leaves for the first time. It was really great to be able to help out and save the missionaries time by doing this. 

We met a girl named Bianca that was so sweet and she came over and cooked us a real Romanian meal. It was a sweet time with her and we got to share our lives with each other and encourage each other. I think meeting her and making that new friendship was so divine :)

My favorite part of the outreach I unfortunately can't post pictures of: the orphanage. Every morning we got to go to the orphanage and bring the babies out into the sun. One of the missionaries, Natalie, has done so much in that orphanage (Praise God). Before she started volunteering there, the workers didn't care for the children at all; babies left in cribs all day to sit in their dirty diapers, no loving looks into their eyes, and no going the extra mile to love them. No wonder attachment disorder is so rampant in Romania. But to be able to bring them out into the sun and give them some real life experiences was so amazing. You can see how it has affected the babies. I fell in love with a little baby named Valentine. There was a moment where we were invited to an old woman's house where we sat in her beautiful courtyard, drinking her Turkish coffee, and eating her grapes of the vine while she shared about WWII. And I had the baby on my lap and it just felt so purely lovely. It was really hard to leave him once the week was over. But I'm so thrilled Natalie remains there to continue the work. And speaking of the old woman, she is not a Christian, yet we got to pray for her and talk to her and it was really another divine and lovely moment. 

Everyday we also got to hang out at the after school space for the Roma kids. Some days we just helped them with homework and hung out, building relationship, and some days we got to share a bible study with them. It was really cool to see them again. 

I remember last year one of my favorite things about the outreach was getting to share with the teen girl bible study. Last year I shared my testimony, and this year I shared about the woman caught in adultery in John 8 and about God's grace. It was so cool to be remembered by these girls and to get to hug and love them all over again. 

It was really fun to be able to teach a song about Jesus to a young English class :) They were so sweet and we had a blast. 

We also got to visit a Roma village and see some hunger for the word of God. 

All in all it was an amazing trip that further fanned the flame of my heart for missions.
God is showing me so much about the future and I am oh so excited for it!

Pictures from the outreach!

I've counted up the cost, and You are worth it.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

It's no coincidence that this weeks intern study was about the Holy Spirit abiding with us, in us, and working through us. And also that I'm a teacher's aid for Acts class, which is all about the Holy Spirit. I've been feeling so empowered by the Holy Spirit. The first bit of my internship was me constantly feeling inadequate and lost. And I am. In my own flesh and strength I absolutely am. But lately I have been realizing how much power we have in Christ. He is constantly multiplying my time to get everything done, opening up my mind to understand the things we study, and just giving me favor in so many things. It's...wonderful.

Ten Day to...ROMANIA
Next month we have our ten day mission trip to a country of our choosing. Now that I'm an intern I get the opportunity to organize and lead my own. Back in June the Fout's family asked me to lead one to their city (the same city I went to last Fall as a student on outreach). I prayed about it, and the Lord has confirmed many times that that is where I need to be. I have an amazing and solid group of 5 coming alongside me. I am so excited. Please pray that I would have wisdom on how to lead, that we would be effective encouragements to the church there, and that we would have favor with the gypsy kids we will minister to. Honestly, the scariest thing to me is leading people into a whole different country; especially since I don't speak a lick of Romanian. I mean...unless I need to tell border patrol that "Isus te Iubeste" (Jesus loves you)...which, hey, you never know...

And I'm so thankful that I got the money for this outreach during my birthday back in June. It's such a blessing to have that provided for since I haven't even paid for my internship yet. God is good!

Homesick?

I've been missing my family a lot lately. I haven't seen my mom or sister since January. That is the longest I have ever gone and it is especially hard knowing I wont be home until August 2014 (depending on if I have money for a plane ticket by then). And I think of my grandparents and cousin and even my puppy and I cringe. What I would give for one cuddle with each of them! BUT, Jesus said “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life."

I trust Him when I feel the sting of homesickness. He gives me 100 fold. Who else gets to live in Europe serving the Lord??

Pécs

I got to lead my first weekend outreach (co-leading with Hillary) back to Pecs where I spent my 30 day. It was so refreshing to be back there. God's hand is ever-on that church and ministry. It's so different to lead an outreach than to be on one, however. The responsibility of getting all the girls on a completely full/standing-out-the-door-room only bus, or handling money, or walking them through the city. But it's truly an honor and it was so amazing to get to help the church sort out bags upon bags of donated clothing for the giveaway we did on Saturday. I hope to go back very soon. 

Please Pray For:

Finances

Homesickness&My family

My 10 Day to Romania

Diligence and
An Overflow of the Holy Spirit

Website: roxieinhungary.weebly.com

Paypal: Donations

Just got out of a really great Intern Study and Intern prayer meeting. I'm starting to feel connected to my fellow interns in a more intimate way. As we share experiences and pray with each other I feel the bonds forming and tis so sweet!
I'm truly thankful for the interns and staff here who work as the body of Christ. It's very uplifting!

Hillary and I are gearing up to lead the first weekend outreach of the semester to my dear Pécs! I'm so stoked to be going back there and seeing old faces and helping out with whatever needs to be done. They are going to have us be at their new youth group, helping sort clothes for the clothing give away, and doing children's ministry this Sunday morning. It's the first outreach I've ever led (so thankful Hillary is doing this with me!) so please pray that it wont be chaotic and that we would get to the bus on time!! Pray that we will bless the church rather than create more work for them ;)

We are also going to be announcing 10 day outreaches this Friday and I'm so excited! I can't wait to lead a team back to Bistrita, Romania...especially to encourage the church there after the sudden death of their assistant pastor and his son.  Plus, I miss those faces there and feel so loved by the pastor and family out there. I know it's such a good place to lead my first 10 day because A) I'm familiar with it and B) the family will be gracious with all the mistakes I'm bound to make.

Life here is going great. Sure it's full of challenges, but these trials produce endurance and they perfect us. And God gives me so many gifts; such as Deanna Carver coming for a visit. It was so amazing to see her face and hear her wisdom.

Please pray for:
Upcoming outreaches listed above
Financial Provision
Continuance of language study in Hungarian
Discipleship with the students
My heart to be content in all situations

Check out my new website 

Psalm 19:7-9

The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
 the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
 the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules[d] of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.