ivy and orchid

I consider myself a pretty simple person who doesn't need many things in life. However, one thing I have a difficult time without is my sound machine. I cannot stand all of the sounds of "silence" like my circulatory system pounding away in my ears. So, my ideal setting is white noise--constant sound without interruptions. Fun fact, white noise is an accumulation of all pitches similar to the way the shade of white is an accumulation of all the colors. I bring this up because I have recently had conversations about life being black and white. For example, there are only two outcomes in a situation or people are either good or bad. However, in my life, I have seen God use his body, and even people from my past, in my current situations. When my limited mind could think of probabilities or outcomes, God always does something that I could never imagine. God uses people and situations all together for good. He combines this beautiful body of believers to fulfill his purpose. ...

It's been a while since I've written here. When I heard we were moving to a creative access country, I was unsure of what I can say here or even if I could keep what I've written before. What I have realized is that I need to process all of the thoughts swirling in my head right now. As I have been preparing to go to a country that is predominantly Muslim, I am preparing myself for the differences I expect. I am preparing to see many more women wearing hijab. I am preparing to hear the call to prayer multiple times a day. I am preparing to censor what I say and how I act. I am preparing to face oppression and warfare because of my beliefs. What I haven't been preparing for was that I would face the oppression and warfare here and now right before I leave my country. The last couple of weeks have made me realize something: Because of COVID, the only people I have interacted with have been believers and they have been some amazing, Love-the-Lord-with-all-your-heart, sacri...

I am always awestruck when thinking about how much God loves us to send Jesus to save us from ourselves. While the ways we love each other can seem trivial in comparison, it is a great feeling to be the proverbial "hands and feet" of Jesus. Sometimes it is apparently obvious how we can love others, lending a hand when asked or offering assistance when we see someone in need. While other times being thoughtful about how we do and present things. This is the wonderful opportunity that technology classes in particular offers. It is a blessing to be able to walk alongside the students in Indonesia and help them think through not only how technology can be used, but more importantly, how we can use it to truly show our love for each other. What a great reminder of how small things like the format we choose to send a file in is an opportunity to show our love for one another. It also presents me with a reminder to be very intentional in everything I do. While this can seem daunting...

My life is really great. I have never starved. I have always had a roof over my head. I have a loving family. I have a supportive community. The few times I have gone through difficult periods in my life, I have gotten through all of them. Well, I didn't do it on my own; it was God who has gotten me this far and has provided more than I ever could imagine. It is the reminders of how God has gotten me this far that keeps me going. It is His promises that encourage me to keep believing-- to keep dreaming--about tomorrow. I know we are quarantined in our homes. I know most countries' borders are closed. I know the economy is rough right now. But I keep dreaming anyway. It was at the Global Leadership Summit (GLS) in 2016 that I realized we were destined for Global Missions. So last week, when I was beginning to think I should be more of a realist rather than a dreamer, I watched a video from that GLS of Jossy Chacko speaking and in it he said, " don't let the earth...

In the midst of being in quarantine due to COVID-19, this isolation has left me wondering how to make the most of my time. Never in my life have I been part of anything that affects the entire world like this pandemic has. Outside all of our doors, the world has pushed pause. It hasn't stopped. It has paused-enough that we can sit and ponder what is important in our lives. Since the quarantine began, I have seen people taking necessary time to [electronically] gather. I have seen people supporting their local restaurants so that their businesses may continue. Teachers are staying connected to their students for the sake of knowledge and well-being. I have seen people proudly sharing their gifts without fear or judgement. Churches are creatively reaching people and proving that the church is not limited to the walls of a building. I have witnessed the need for God like never before. This is why Easter is so necessary right now . Christ had come to earth, to live among ...

About two months ago, before COVID-19 was a serious issue in the United States, I kept having a recurring dream. In my dream, I was driving on the highway when all of the sudden, my view changed. It was as if I had put on virtual reality glasses and I was looking at a roller coaster with all the turns and loops. In my dream, I was aware that I was driving quickly on the road, but I  could not see it because of the wild vision I was seeing in front of me. I had the same dream a second time, and that time the VR image was much more wild. I told myself that although I could not see the road I was driving on, as long as I continue moving forward, like before, I would be safe and get where I was heading. I had the dream one last time and the vision changed from the highway to the crazy roller coaster. More than ever, I remained focused on continuing straight as before and trusting that I would not swerve off course. During the fuel crisis in Haiti last year, we were isolated at ...

Before the new year, a  Bethel Music worship leader, Kalley Heiligenthal, and her husband lost their 2-year old daughter. Over the following 5 days, they asked for bold prayers that their daughter would be resurrected. Crazy, right? But as Christians, we read in the Bible that Jesus did bring people back to life after their death. (Jairus' daughter ( Luke 8 ), Lazarus ( John 11 ), Jesus Christ et al). Each night, she and her husband, along with Bethel and many more worshiped hard . I saw videos of people believing and worshiping like never before. In the end, their daughter was not resurrected but it is what followed that has been on my mind. The Heiligenthals had to face the reality that their daughter was gone and they continue to worship and praise hard . Do you know why? Because God hurts along with us. God feels our pain. And God brings us through these hard times.  So, let me tell you, our experiences in Haiti were hard. I was prepared to have to practically build ...