Revolution in World Missions: K.P. Yohannan 

If we knew the horrors of the potential judgement that hangs over us- if we really believed in what is coming- how differently we would live. Why aren’t christians living in obedience to God? Because of unbelief. Why did Eve fall into sin? Because she did not truly believe in the judgement- that death really would come is she ate what God forbade. This is the same reason many live in lives of sin and disobedience. 

 C.T. Studd: 

       If I firmly believed, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another then religion would mean everything to me. 

       Earth consequences would never stay my  hand, or seal my lips. Earth, its joys and its griefs, would occupy no moment of my thoughts. I would strive to look unto eternity alone, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly happy or everlastingly miserable. 

      I would go forth to the world and preach to it in season and out of season, and my text would be: 

      ” what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? “ 

 

This world isn’t really reality.

Hello! Fall has arrived to the mountains of North Carolina! The trees are a mixture of red, orange, green, and brown. Its a wonderful thing to be surrounded by their beauty. The Lord did a good thing in creating them and then in bring me to them!

Its been a busy couple of months! Over the past 4 weeks we’ve had students in every week. This past weekend was probably the hardest weekend group we’ve had in a long time. The group as whole just did NOT have a good understanding of the gospel and what it really means to be believers. Which was cool because we realized that and emphasized and preached the gospel ALL weekend. I had one conversation with a girl named Madison and she was under the impression that since she wrote her name in her bible a year ago that it meant she was saved. So I asked her what her life has looked like since then and she said, “well… I’ve been working with animals and finding them homes.” I’m not kidding. Its really sad to me that people who are actively apart of a local church can remain so confused and not be growing in the spirit and knowledge of the Lord.

Next week we’ll start traveling to visit some of the churches that come to us in the summer. We’re actually doing a “revival” for Turners Chapel in Sanford, NC. We’ll do 5 services Saturday-Monday. It’ll be my first official World Tour with camp!

Probably one of the most exciting things to me about life here is the local ministry. I’ve started disciplining a local girl named Stephanie. She’s 13 and in the 8th grade. She’s very eager to learn and grow and I’m very eager to be apart of her life! It’s VERY humbling, even overwhelming having the opportunity to daily speak into her life. Stephanie goes to Marble Springs which is the southern baptist church in town, and I’ve become involved with the youth ministry there during the week. We meet Sunday and Wednesday nights and have a service and then break up into small groups and I’ve been helping lead the 6-8th grade girls in small group discussions. Its added a whole different dimension to my life here and I really enjoy it.

I’m raising support to go to Honduras in December. I’m about half way there with $520 left to raise. The Lord essentially handed me a job cleaning an office building 3 nights a week, which is a huge blessing!

That’s it and that’s all folks.

snowbird campus photo shoot

week 2

I was so encouraged by my campers this past week. I had a group of just 3 students come in and I worked with them by myself. They are 15, 15, and 18. I’ve never, never had campers who were so hungry for the lord and so genuinely cared about knowing scripture, and truth the way they did. I needed to be reminded that its possibly to be 15 and seek the Lord with all your heart. You so rarely see it.

This week has also been the year long anniversarys of the death of staff last summer, and the funerals. It was an emotional week but I’m learning through this time its good. But its still hard.

I’m grateful for the weekend, and rest.

seasons, and tears

i cried leaving my little boys today…

snowbird on sunday. 3 days.

Ahem. Happy Valentines Day?

[The following is a "love letter" my brother Micah gave me yesterday on Valentines Day.]

Oh, Hannah.

Today is Valentines Day, the 14 of February. Today is the day to  show my love. Today I am to show you my gratitude.

Today is my time to irritate.

So I write you this letter.

I love you because

1) your hot.

2) your crazy

3)your stupid

4) your painfully honest

5) your roll on the ground funny

6) your the perfect example of evolution: a cross between platipus, monkey, hippo, bear, and a clown.

7) your responsible

your loving

9)your kind (sometimes)

10)your evil

11) your godly

12) your AWESOME

13) did i mention your hot?

Ok, well at least you think I’m hot. Why don’t you help me?

1)

2)

3)

4)

I love you!!!

[oh boy..]

eph 4:15-16

Rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped- when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that is builds itself up in love.

1- I was really convicted reading this. As a “part” of the body- am I functioning properly? I don’t think we can take our position as gentile believers in the body lightly.

2- I think its clear when we don’t function properly we don’t just affect ourselves but the whole body. It’s not just about us. I know the spirit wanted me to hear that part loud and clear.

3- “builds itself up in love” I really want to grow in my ability to love others. I don’t know what this looks like but I know its something we’re called to and I know I’m not doing it. And it know it doesn’t come natural.

Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief.

Do justly now.

Love mercy now.

Walk humbly now.

You are not obligated to complete the work, But neither are you free to abandon it.

- from the Talmud

I found this on my friend’s refrigerator tonight and I liked it. Then I saw “Talmud” and I thought, “oh, is that okay for me to like that?” and let me be the first to say..”dumb.” I hate that the christian culture has had that influence on me and that I’ve been suckered into thinking I can’t see beauty and truth in anything not typically christian.

Clearly i have much to learn.

yay books.

I’ve been reading The Gutter: where life is meant to be lived by Craig Gross. It’s one of those new fangled books but I’ve really been challenged and encouraged. He encourages us to think outside the box in terms of ministry-and truly viewing people as the Lord would see them. He really stresses on building relationships with people- where their at. He also uses scripture to back up his thoughts, which is always good. So I’ve copied down some of it for your reading pleasure.

• Since I’ve been rescued from the gutter, I can now go back and show other people the way out, too. Through the cross, I have been given a mandate to serve, love, and embrace those who have yet to find freedom in Jesus.
• We have to have a lifestyle of consistently and constantly perceiving the world through God’s eyes.
• ” The thing I love about Dave (his friend) is how aware he is of the different gutters of the world and all the different people who are dwelling there. He has an enormous, genuine love for people.”
• You must be willing to go where most people have no gone or say they cannot go. Sure, its risky but you have to take risks, especially if you’re passionate about something. If you think to much, you might wind up scaring yourself out of it.
• The modern church stays out of the gutter-the same way the Pharisees stayed away from the unrighteous. Sometimes we just think we’re better than them, or we’re afraid we might revert back to our old gutter lifestyle. BUT where is our compassion for the lost? Peter and Paul, at the end of their lives, weren’t bragging about their place in the Church-they we’re still broken for the lost. (it talks somewhere in the NT about how paul would give up his salvation for one of those lost people-that’s how broken he was for them) Jesus continually showed compassion for those in the gutter.
• We must be living out our calling-we must put words into action. We must be compelled by the love of Christ to complete our calling and get into the gutter.

Merry Christmas Eve

Micah 7:18-20

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in his steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us-he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

Reading this passage was very timely for me this morning-as I’ve been so frustrated with myself because I don’t seem to ever be able to do right-and to please the Lord, which is my utmost desire. BUT, I’m reminded that its not about me–I don’t “do” right to please the Lord, I “do” right because the Lord has saved me for that purpose- but his steadfast love and faithfulness has already been set upon me, and He is good enough to me to even cast all my sins into the depth of the sea. It’s helpful to remind myself that sin is equivalent to the way I just spoke to my brother, my impulsive behavior, my lack of thoughtfulness, etc.

(I’m attaching some photos of my boys. They came to my house and we’re “wrestling” which  basically means Blake lays on Will, and Will giggles.