There and Back Again...

 Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!

It has been far to long since I last posted, but better late than never I suppose.

We have been back from England now for at least three months, and God is still working in Luton where we had our ministry. While I could fill a book with all the experiences, thoughts, and feelings from England (which I did while I was there) this post will only capture the highlights of the trip. I hope you can praise God after reading about what He did in England this last summer. Cheers!

 When we arrived in England, we were running on nothing but coffee and packaged air plane food. Being packed into a plane for ten hours is NOT a pleasant experience, however, the destination was worth it. We met with the Galbraiths, loaded our suitcases into a trailer, then loaded ourselves into a minibus that would be our part-time home during the trip. 

Seeing England for the first time was not breath taking as I had first expected, but the deeper into the country we drove through out our many travels during those two weeks, the country I had only every dreamed of finally became a reality. 

Our first day was a "meet and greet" of sorts. We met with Stan and Paula Boelman at their adorable little English house. We were sent to our hosts homes to meet them for the first time. The whole team could not stay together, due to our size, so we were split into smaller groups. Another girl and I were taken to our host house and as much as they advised us not to, we finally crashed under the weight of jet lag. After a short nap, we were reunited with our team for tea (which is English for "supper"). 

That first weekend, we spent time looking for team "uniforms" at the wonderful store called Primark (think Walmart or Kmart). We also spent a good deal of time leafleting. By that, I mean we stood in the street way of a mall in Luton and passed out flyers and invited anyone and everyone to our Holiday Bible Club. We were not alone however. While we passed out our flyers to anyone who would take them, other groups were there as well doing things like passing out their literature, street preaching, or asking for charitable gifts.

My roommate and I worked together at this, and at one point, we found ourselves surrounded by the group of "street preachers" so we moved down a bit. After we passed out a good deal of our leaflets and FINALLY found our "uniforms" we went back to the elementary school where Fellowship Baptist Church meets to set up for Sunday and the rest of the week.

The week of ministry is one that I will not soon forget. Every morning we were up and at the school by 9 for team devos. After a Talk by either Stan or Glen, we would pray for our day and divide into our stations. I did games with another guy on our team. Unfortunately  game time was the LAST thing on the schedule every day, but we always found ways to help with our extra time. Part of the time I passed out leaflets with another girl, or I would talk with Stand and Paula, or I would chat with one of the ladies from the church who made our lunches every day, or I would pray with some of the other teammates.

Game time was always a blast! We usually had a pretty good idea of what we wanted the kiddos to do...and part of the time we made it up right before. *Disclaimer - we always had a plan, but part of the time we decided to tweek things...so when I say "we made it up right before" I do NOT mean we did not take time to plan things for the ministry.* One of the games they LOVED the most was water balloon volleyball. Such a simple game, but they absolutely adored it! 

By the end of the week, the kiddos had heard the Gospel at least a dozen times. Our theme was the colors of the wordless book as they correlated with the colors of the Olympics. (rather clever eh?) On the last day, my teammate and I were outside preparing for our last game of the week, when another teammate came out and said two of the boys had just made professions of faith! PRAISE THE LORD! When the two boys ran outside, one of them ran up to my teammate and gave him a bear hug. It was one of the most special moments of my life. At the end of that week, we had two new brothers in Christ. 

Two other ministries we had were two different concerts, one at Portsmouth and one at Fellowship Baptist Church in Luton. Both times were drastically different. The first, we prepared a whole programe and preformed in the open air beside Bethel Church in Portsmouth, but only one man stopped to listen, and that for only a few minutes. The second concert, in contrast, was met with a full house, including some of the parents of the kiddos who came to our Holiday Bible Club. After seeing both sides of ministry in England, I learned this one thing: God does not ask us to be successful, just to be faithful. In both situations, He was glorified. 

The last few days, we spent in London! Stan said it best when he said, "When you are tired of London, you are tired of living." It is SO true! Although I may be slightly biased, I believe that London is the most WONDERFUL city in the world. We saw everything from Buckinham Palace, to Trafalgar Square, to Baker Street, to Windsor Castle, to the British Museum  and so much more!  It was terribly lovely.

Here is a link to the pictures that I took while we were there. These are just from my camera, but all together we must have taken thousands of pictures while we were there.    

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3746276371798.2133901.1122939662&type=1&l=69aa6d7644

Thus concludes the chronicle of our adventure in England. The long expected journey is now over, but I will always remember England. I may have the opportunity to go back in a few years, but until then, keep praying for the ministry over there. God IS at work. 

England, Here We Come...

Hello Friends!

My how the summer has flown bye! We leave for London, England TOMORROW!!! I hope to write and post pictures while I am away, so keep checking. 

Here are a few prayer requests to leave with you:

1. Pray that we might Glorify God in everything we say and do during this trip. None of us got this far because of our own merit, all of this trip was of the Lord.

2. Pray that we might speak boldly as we ought to speak! (Col. 4:3-4)

3. Pray for the Kids and Adults we will get to minister to. We have been asking God to be preparing hearts in advance for the work He will do. 

4. Pray for our hosts...hopefully they wont feel "invaded" lol

5. Pray for awesome weather. The forecast shows 60-70 temp's while we are there and hopefully the rain will stay away during game time =)

6. Pray for the hearts of EACH team mate. At our last meeting, Mr. G told us up front that a HUGE part of this trip is for recruitment. England needs missionaries. Pray that hearts would be soft and that the Holy Spirit would speak to those hearts. 

7. Oh ya, one more thing, pray for safety and SMOOTHNESS in travel. Going through security is one thing, but going through customs is quite another....Lol

I cant wait to share with you all about what God is doing in England! 

Excitement is building...

Colossians 4:2-6

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.

Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Complete in Christ,

Tiffany 

God IS in Control

I have a praise to share with you all!

This summer I decided to take a college class online through my community college so as to lighten my credit load this fall. After searching, I found one a week ago. It seemed perfect except for one small detail, the course ran from May 28 through July 23. That meant I would be in England on my missions trip when the class would be ending. Well, I prayed about it, tried some doors, called various people to get some questions answered about the course...then I took the step and signed up. All the while, I hoped my Professor would allow me to finish my work early so I could leave the country without  a load on my mind.

This last Tuesday the class began. Like any eager student, I looked through my syllabus and outlined my homework for the next eight weeks...and I took my eyes off my Father. Seeing my last week before leaving for England was terrifying. In the four days before leaving I would have four chapters of reading, four assignments, various online "class discussions," and one more thing...oh ya a FINAL EXAM.That night I emailed my Professor and asked if it would be possible for me to work ahead. I clicked "send" and tried not to worry.

Most of Wednesday, I was discouraged. I fought the "what ifs" all day and sometimes gave into them. Finally, after work on my way home, I let it go. Putting worries back into my Father's hands is a lesson He is always patiently teaching me. After I got home, ate dinner, and dressed for church, I took some time to check my email...

My Professor had responded! The first  thing he wrote was this:

"After having taught Online for 5 years, I have found it is much easier to make the work when you come back from the Mission Trip, rather than do it ahead of time.  I also know this from experience as last  Summer, I was in Berlin, Germany with Jews for Jesus helping an evangelistic outreach to Germans at a sporting event (so you see, we have a lot in common already).  Please contact me when you get back and we will begin the "Make-up" Process."


"Mom!" I screamed. She didn't hear me, but my sister came running. The the sounds that tumbled out of my mouth were much like long, slurred consonants and vowels. When the words finally came I read to her what my Professor had said.Of all the Professors I could have had, God allowed me to have one who had been on a missions trip and understood the time commitment. God is so good! Once again my Father had proved His faithfulness and loving kindness despite my lack of faith.


Now I will be able to work on my class work up until I leave, then complete it when I get back. No extra stress, worry, or anxiety. My friends, we serve a living God who hears and cares about the small details of my life AND your life as well.

"O God, you are my God;

 earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; 

my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 

Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise YOU. 

So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. 

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 

for YOU have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me."

Psalm 63:1-8

Complete in Christ,

Tiffany

Silver Threads

The following is a message of encouragement to anyone passionately pursuing Christ who find themselves tired and weary because of the trials or afflictions. 

Please be encouraged!

Silver Threads

It was the last week of freshman year and extra time was popping up all over my daily schedule. As the "rat race" of college life began to slow, I resolved to take time for a 3 mile run. 

The evening was perfect. As I set out, I noticed the sun was slowly sinking to my left while stretching it's golden fingers over the fields, trees, and houses. The sky was brilliant as well. Small puffy clouds like lambs wandered in a field of blue sky. The rays of the sun kissed their puffy faces causing them to blush with a coral pink. My dad always said "running heightens all of your senses" and tonight I felt that he could not be more right. I settled into a easy pace to enjoy God's awesome handiwork.

Turing my first corner, the sun was now on my back. I watched my shadow stretch out before me while I ran. The path was busier now. Other runners and cyclists passed as I hastened on toward my goal. Each face told a different story. I wondered who they were, where they had come from, and where they were going.  A small pain was growing in my side, but forcing my stomach out with each breath stayed off the pain for a bit longer. I was alone again on the path when I realized that up ahead was my third corner.

The sun splashed itself on my right side now. The soccer fields to my right reminded me of my past. So many years ago I had played on a field just like that one. As I pounded out each stride on the pavement, I wondered at God's amazing grace in my life. While I had chosen my steps, all along He had directed my path. I snapped out my pensive mood for a moment as I approached a street. As I shot a glace left over my shoulder I saw no cars, then I looked left. I kept my eyes low, for while the sun light made the world dance in the brilliant colors of twilight, looking into the sun is always painful. A white ford had pulled to a stop and allowed me to cross the street. With a wave and a smile, I picked up my pace across the street, all the while blinking my eyes in an attempt to remove the spots the sun had left in my vision. Looking ahead, I saw my final corner. 

I forced myself to keep pace for I knew sprinting now would kill my pace in the end. Finally, I turned the corner. Instantly, I knew this part of the run was different. The sun was now right in front of me. It's brilliant fiery light was all that I could see for a few moments. Dropping my chin down and squinting my eyes, I pushed on despite the bright light. My face wrinkled like a prune. My shoulders began to tighten together causing my breathing to become more labored. Shafts of sunlight shot through gaps in the trees like flaming arrows toward my face. If there is one thing I hate about running, it's running into the sunlight. This was the only way to the finish line -- couldn't quit now. 

In an attempt to distract myself, I began again looking around me at God's beautiful creation. Back and forth, my eyes scanned the trees on the bike path, the brick library, the houses, and the runners on the other side of the street-- the ones with the sun at their back. A small part of me began to envy them. They didn't have to deal with the extra stress of sun in their faces. I pulled my envious gaze away and pushed on. That's when I saw it. Blinking twice, I looked again to make sure what I has seen wasn't a product of my overactive imagination. Down on the grass beside me, a nearly invisible silver thread was stretched criss-cross between the blades of grass. The sunlight had caught the edge of a spiders silken thread stretched between the grass that other wise might have been invisible if the sun hadn't illuminated them. I stared at them while I ran for about one hundred feet. The threads seemed endless. Back and forth they ran weft to the warp finger blades of grass. Across the lawn they wove themselves into a thin blanket of silver light. 

My thoughts turned to my Father to make sense of this small lesson. Running toward the sun is hard. Physically and mentally, it's harder than running with the sun to your back. Looking at other runners who have the "easy" path on the other side of the road in the shade causes us to wonder if it's even worth the it. Sometimes it would just be easier to take a different route, one with less pain. The only trouble was tonight, that wasn't an option. The finish line was toward the sun, and that was the only way I could go. 

Similarly, running toward the Son is hard sometimes to. Spiritually and emotionally, we want to believe that it would be easier to run with the Son to our backs. And sometimes it would just be easier to take a different route, one with less pain. We look at others around us on the "easy path" they are running and wonder if the one we are on is worth all the pain. Sometimes we even question if running toward the Son is truly the "best" path or if taking a different one would be better. The trouble is, that's not an option. The finish line is toward the Son, and it's the only way we can go. 

Then there are the spider webs in the grass, those silver threads that would be invisible if I were going any other direction than toward the sun, which reminded me that even through the Christian race is hard and at times painful, God is still sovereign and if we were running in any direction other than toward the Son, there are blessings we would never see. God is not a God far off. He see's our toils, our sufferings, our burdens, our cares, and grants us small blessings or gifts of encouragements as if to say, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 

Sun light that had before been a torture before, now warmed my face as I pondered this lesson from my Father. The rest of the run, though it was into the sun's light, was precious to me because of the Silver Threads and the sufficient strength of my Savior. 

*                           *                               *

Friends, be encouraged! Even Paul struggled in his service for God. In his affliction he prayed, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which so clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Continue, my dear friends! Run toward the Son, for in the end, He will be worth all the pain!

Complete in Christ,

Tiffany 

        

Jehovah Jireh

God has been at work! 

Just yesterday, the last $19.40 needed for the missions trip to England was promised and will be mailed soon. In His time and through His ways, God provided all $3,000 needed for His trip!
It is hard to think that just 4 months ago I wondered if the money would ever come in. God has been so faithful!

Before we left school for the summer, we had one last team meeting to go over the details of our trip. Our leader took some time to give specs on our flights, ministries, and answer any questions we might have. My assignment for this trip is to co-lead game time for the Holiday Bible Club we are helping with. Because the 2012 Olympic Games will be in London about the same time we are in Luton, our games will reflect this. Another aspect of our trip that has me excited is the church we are serving in. Fellowship Baptist Church is a small church in Luton led by Pastor Stan Boelman. While the congregation is not large, the church family is truly unique. In the small group, there are about 5 different people groups present. Here is the link to the site Faith Baptist Church Being a person who LOVES church, the thought of having a church family half way across the world is exciting to me!

But for now, summer is here. As of today, there are only 9 weeks and 4 days until we board our plane for England. It seems so far away, and yet I know that I will go fast. And even though school ended just last week, God has been teaching me and preparing me for His ministry. Long before school let out, I committed my summer to my Father because I knew that I must serve Him in His strength. With thoughts of ministry on my heart, I began reading 2 Corinthians. Paul wrote at length about ministry. Whether he writes about afflictions, interruptions in plans, or ministry in general, he always brings the focus back to Christ.

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but 

our sufficiency is from God,

who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, 

not of the letter but of the Spirit. 

For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:5-6

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay,

 to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

2 Corinthians 4:5-7

Needless to say, I am enjoying studying 2 Corinthians! God has also been teaching me about prayer in these first few days of summer. I started reading a book called Prayer Force by Kenneth Spink. The writing is not "heavy" but the points he makes about prayer remind me that "we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it" (Hebrews 2:1). I am almost finished with it, and I hope to write a review for those who are curious about Mr. Spink's book. (If you would like to purchase is you can find it here 

Faith Bookstore)

Looking ahead to the next few weeks, I hope to spend much time in prayer for this trip. I would love for others to pray as well. Here are some specific requests:

1. Pray that each of our team members might grow closer to Christ during this summer.

2. Praise our Father for the ways that He has provided lessons and funds over the past 5 months.

3. Pray that as we travel for 9 hours on an airplane that we might lean heavily on our Father for strength and that we might have the endurance to start service right away. 

4. Pray that my team mate and I might find the right games to do during the Holiday Bible Club.

Thanks for reading friends!

Complete in Christ,

Tiffany 

We proclaim Him, 

admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, 

so that we may present every man 

complete in Christ.

 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, 

which mightily works within me.

Colossians 1:28-29

Prayer Card

At the Beginning...again

Well friends, here we are at the beginning again and God has been at work!

While God has closed the door on a missions trip to Scotland, he had opened the door to another area of ministry -- England.

Eyes on the Prize: England 2012

            Here is an overview of the trip. Fourteen of us will be traveling to Luton, England to assist missionaries Stand and Paula Boelman in various ministries at Fellowship Baptist Church as well as to visit Portsmouth, the possible location of Glen and Tammi Galbraith’s next ministry. Our team will have many opportunities to serve Christ through making contact with local families, Holiday Bible Club, Evangelistic Meetings, and various church ministries.

The dates for this trip are the same. We will be leaving the United States on Thursday, July 19^th and will return Wednesday, August 1^st. In regard to travel, I recently received my Passport in the mail, which is a blessing because it arrived in a relatively short amount of time.

The price for this trip is also the same. Here I would like to give a “sacrifice of praise” to my Father. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” This promise has taken on new meaning in the last few months. Through the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people, God has provided enough so that all that is needed is about $500 for this trip! He has been so gracious to provide in the most unexpected ways! I want to give another gift of thanks to those who are contributing by donating their cans. While this may seem like an insignificant form of giving, about $215 worth has been from Can money. (That's about 4300 cans and bottles!) The deadline for the final amount of money has been set for April 30, 2012. I look forward to how He will continue to provide.

We have also received our assignments as to what area of ministry we will be serving. I have the privilege to co-lead the game time for the Holiday Bible Club. Additionally, we will get to serve in regular Sunday services during the two Sundays we are in England. I am personally looking forward to worshiping beside believers in another "culture." One thing God has been reminding me, especially since Missions Conference here at Faith, is the truth of His Immutability. We poor humans are bound by space and time, but  our Awesome God is NOT! He is the same God in England AND in America. This may sound simplistic but  I can't seem to wrap my mind around it!

Thank you all for your prayers! I will continue to post updates through the summer as we get closer to our trip in July.

“I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our

Lord, because He judged me faithful, 

appointing me to His service.” 

I Timothy 1:12

Complete in Christ,

Tiffany