Fearless

Last year, several ladies from my home church and I began reading and discussing the book, Fearless  by Max Lucado.  Fear was a study topic I had encouraged my friend, and fellow book enthusiast, to look into when we first chatted about beginning a book discussion group at our church.  You see, fear has been a large part of my life for as long as I can remember.  My folks will tell you, I was not the baby who giggled when her daddy playfully tossed her up in the air.  I didn't learn to properly ride a bicycle until I was, well, let's just say there were double-digits.  I didn't learn to swim until I was sixteen and only managed to pass my swimming class by choosing to dive into the deep end on the spur of the moment, just because I was in a good mood that day.  In my late teens, I began struggling with depression and anxiety, for which I was later medicated and received counselling.  As an adult, I've been plagued by worry over finances, health and my family's well-being.  For every idea my husband has had, I can give you about a hundred "what-ifs."  Fear stinks.

I've tried so many times in my life to just "Let go and let God."  The letting go part isn't so difficult.  It is the not taking it back part that is the challenge.  So many nights, I've prayed and said, "Okay, Lord, I'm giving this to you," only to pick whatever it was back up in the morning.

The Lord tells us in His word, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)  Only a few months ago, during another discussion group, a pastor shared this word and I decided I needed to make it my word.  Needless to say, tonight, I think I may have begun to clue in.

This past Friday, May 31st, Lacey and I were able to speak about our journey on the local Christian radio station.

The question was asked,  "How did you feel going into Africa?  Were you afraid at all?" 

Both Lacey and I responded with an overwhelming, "No!"

Our reasoning was, of course, that we were there because God wanted us to be.  He had a purpose for us there and, because He was with us, we had nothing to fear.

"Be strong and of good courage, 

do not fear nor be afraid of them; 

for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. 

He will not leave you nor forsake you." 

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)

It is true.  Before we left, I was not afraid of going to Africa or anything that went along with it.  I was nervous about leaving my family behind and missing them; but, that was all that concerned me.  

As I look back on my time in Rwanda and Kenya, I miss it so much.  I miss the people and the places and the work.  Most of all, I miss the freedom from fear.  Each day as I awoke, I felt so much purpose. With that purpose, fear was pushed aside.  I literally was on a mission and it was God's will.  Knowing that gave me freedom.  

I wasn't concerned about mosquito bites and malaria.  (Later was tested for it upon my return, but I'm fine and that's another story all together.)  I cradled ill children and taught parents how to help their little ones feel better.  I hugged, held and cried with amazing women who happened to be HIV+.  I worked with a wonderful nurse and prayed over the sick.   I climbed up the steep hills and mountains of Rwanda, not worrying if I slipped down the muddy trail.  I rode in a very questionable boat taking on water over a lake that was reportedly some seven kilometres deep.  I preached for the first time, completely on the fly.  I walked through the thirty acre dump in Nairobi, Kenya, flanked by armed guards, strolled through the slums skipping over puddles of raw sewage, and I gave a testimony I had never shared with anyone before in front of a room full of almost complete strangers.  Most amazingly of all, I discovered a painful secret from my childhood, while holding a child that God told me had gone through the same thing.  Through this child and through the prayer of a beautiful sister in Christ, God released me from that pain and much of the fear it had caused me to feel for so many years.

Now, I am back in Canada.  I am back to what some may call my "real" life.  Everything I experienced in Rwanda and Kenya is indeed real life.  It was a God-given experience, meant not only to be a way He would use me in a tiny, tiny way to perhaps bring some joy and the love of Christ to others, but also to teach me something so valuable.  When God gives us a purpose, when He chooses us to do His work in whatever respect, be it raising a family to love Him or leading thousands of people to Him... He means for us to be fearless.

This may very well be something I will need to be reminded of.  I am so thankful that I can draw on these wonderful experiences.  Sometimes, I just lie in my bed and think, "Wow! I may never have gone to Hawaii or skied down the Alps (or anywhere else for that matter), but God sent me to Africa and I wasn't afraid.  How cool is that?" 

So, tonight, as I have done many nights before, I am releasing fear to God; but, this time is different.  This time, I know from experience that I am capable of living in a fearless manner thanks to my Father in Heaven.  If, tomorrow morning, I try to pick up that nasty fear again, do me a favor, convict me of it will you?  After all, a life without fear is freedom in Christ!

"Do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God

I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,

Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10 (NASB)

Love,

Michelle

Reading in Preparation

I have been doing a lot of reading lately. Two books in particular have struck me as life-changing. The first is called "Children and the Supernatural" by Jennifer Toledo. It is the story of how children all over the world are being filled with the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to work. What makes this book so close to my heart is that her story begins in Kenya. Here is a link to an interview of Jennifer about her experience in Kenya by Sid Roth.                                                          

The other book is "Revolution in World Missions" by K.P. Yohannan. It is a common book in Christian circles, probably because copies are routinely given away free. I had had a copy for a few years, but had never read it. In preparation of our trip to Africa, God told me that I needed to read this book. It is the story of the founder of Gospel for Asia. As a native from India, he does a wonderful job of pointing out how comfortable we are in North America. We just do not realize that outside of our affluence, 2/3 of the world live in such poverty. Here is a quote from page 42-43:

  "Often when I spoke at a church, the people would appear moved as I told of suffering and needs of the native evangelists. They usually took an offering and presented me with a check for what seemed like a great amount of money. Then with their usual hospitality, they invited me to eat with the leaders following the meeting. To my horror, the food and "fellowship" frequently cost more than the money they had just given to missions. And I was amazed to find that American families routinely eat enough meat at one meal to feed an Asian family for a week. No one ever seemed to notice this but me, and slowly I realized they just had not heard the meaning of my message. They were simply incapable of understanding the enormous needs overseas."

What I take away from this is: How many times have I been presented with how great the need is, and I am uncaring, or at the very least completely unable to imagine the suffering and the hunger because I have never suffered or hungered like the 1 billion hungry people in 2/3 of the world. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to go and see how great the need is. I do not doubt that God will break my heart when I see the destitute first hand. It is my responsibility, however, to prepare my heart to perform God's work for me, whether it be in Africa, or here at home.
In a fun "Pray by Numbers Game"*, it was prophesied that God has given me a work to do and that I am to do it. I know He has called me to both Streets Alive and Africa and I thank everyone for their support - in prayers, monetarily, emotional and even physical support (Thanks to my hubby and mom for looking after my kids!)



*The Pray by Numbers Game is a simple exercise. Count the number of people in your group (X), and place papers labelled 1 through X in a hat. Everyone grabs a number, but does not look at it. Then the group prays for the person representing each number. God may give a word, phrase, vision, or a myriad of other things. One person records what is said, and each person gets to see at the end what was prayed over them. It is not uncommon to find that God has given you something about yourself!

It's Getting REAL!

Yes, I'm shouting!  I can't tell you how exciting it was to attend our first (albeit virtual) meeting with the members of our Home of Hope May 2013 team!  We received our basic agenda via email today and went over it during the meeting.  We discussed some of the wonderful things we will be able to do during our trip such as teaching young children, ministering to women, and helping care for infants in the Dream Centre.  I'm particularly excited that I've been added to the women's ministry team, which is something that has been on my heart so much, especially to work with the expectant mothers.  Lacey and I will be working together with teens, sharing our testimony and with music (wink).

We were able to communicate following the meeting with our team leader, Brian Thomson, and a couple of the ladies we'll be working with in women's ministry.  It was so wonderful to hear what they have already been doing in Rwanda and Kenya, praying with women and helping them to overcome shame and fear and embrace our Heavenly Father.

Tonight, I have a lot to think about.  We still have so much to do to prepare for our trip.  We ask for your continued prayer.  If your heart is so moved, we are still in need of donations to help us reach our financial obligations for the trip.  All funds must be in no later than April 15, 2013.  We pray that we are used for God's glory.

In closing, I'm happy to leave you with this, a video with Brian Thomson, showing some of what Home of Hope is doing in the Dream Centre.   Enjoy and God bless!!

Love,

Michelle

Mums to Slums

I write to you today at the end of a wonderful day. Have you ever reconnected with old friends, and there is a feeling that you were never apart for long? Such was the case for me today as I re-visted my MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) group. Due to doing preschool at home, I have been unable to attend this year, but was invited back to speak about our trip to Africa. What a blessing! I have truly missed getting together with other moms in the same life stage to discuss our current struggles and (sometimes) distant dreams. 

We talked a lot about the slum in Nairobi, Kenya that Michelle and I will be visiting.I have been learning a little about the slums there. About how dangerous they can be. About the open sewers. About how many people live in such a crowded area. About the despair.  But I know it is God's will that we go, and I want to be His tool, guided by His hands.  It is for His children that I want to go and not only help, but to learn from the people there. I may have grown up and live in the elite of the world, but I am well aware that these people and babies halfway across the world have much to teach me.

After a whirl wind day of being here and there, I am ready to take some time with my Maker to be still. I ask that you too do the same, and pray for those living in the slums throughout the world. Although this is normally declared at the beginning of the day, I can gladly declare that This is the Day that the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Giving Thanks, Looking Forward

Poster designed by Sydne Maisonville, age 9.

It's been a whole week since we've posted on the blog and what a week it was!  Thursday, January 17th started out with Lacey and I on the morning show with Charles Sciortino on 98.1 CKVN.  Thank you so much to Charles and the staff at CKVN for welcoming us into the studio and helping us to share our story with Lethbridge!

After my family and I left the station, we were en route to Great Falls, Montana, USA, where I am originally from, for a memorial service for one of my old friends.  It was a bittersweet day.  While I know it may seem to have little to do with our mission here for Home of Hope, I wanted to share a little bit of my experience here as it really impacted me.

I had heard about my friend's passing on Friday, January 11th.  It was the birthday of my former Sunday School teacher, who had also passed, and I had been taking the day to remember her.  The news of my friend's death threw me for a loop and I immediately sank into overwhelming grief.  I began looking back at all of the memories I had of him.  The more I thought, the more I cried and at one point, I almost felt as though the part of my life that included him was also gone.  It was very painful and I spent the next several days trying to work through my grief and focus on our planning for our mission trip.

When my husband and I arrived at the chapel for my friend's celebration of life, we did not expect a Christian service.  My friend was an amazingly eclectic person, but not one that I had remembered subscribing to one religion.  We were pleasantly surprised when his cousin, who led the service, began to speak.  He was a Christian and related to the Lord many times in his speech.  It was a comfort to our hearts.

Here is where I began to see the correlation between my friend's passing, or rather his life, and our work with Home of Hope. My friend had a big heart.  He saw no race, no gender, no life circumstances.  He did not seek out the richest, the most beautiful, or the most perfect people.  He loved genuinely and with his whole heart.  He looked not at the outside, but to the soul.

My friend's cousin so gently pointed out that there was once another man on this earth who did the same.  A man who sat with prostitutes, visited the homes of the tax collectors, and beckoned even the smallest of the small to come unto Him.  He is our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.

No, I do not compare Jesus to a mortal man; rather, I see how we as Christians can embody His goodness. How we should strive to take on His character more everyday.

I lost a friend; but, I gained the Godly eye salve to see what I could be...what we all can be.  God has used this experience to change my heart, to open it and to let His love radiate through me.  I do not need to look back with sorrow, but rather look forward with joy in knowing that God can use me and you to share His love with the world.  It doesn't have to be a large production.  It doesn't have to be difficult.  All our Lord is asking is for us to open our hearts to those in need.  They could be our neighbors or they could be worlds away in Africa.  It all begins with a smile, a cup of coffee, or a listening ear.

Thank you again for your support of our journey.  God bless you all!

Love,
Michelle

Sharing God's Love

I am happy to be posting for the first time ever on a blog! The purpose of my post today is to explain a little bit about who I am, and why I want to go to Africa.

For those who don't know me, I grew up in the Lethbridge area and have been a Christian for my whole life. I was blessed to be raised in a home where I was taught about God and His love for mankind. Two years ago, God called us to our local mission at Streets Alive. Through a few miraculous events, God made it clear that He wanted us to serve there. I have learned lots, but have so much more to learn about showing God's love! A little over a year ago I heard a message by Brian Thomson - the director of Home of Hope. As soon as he talked about how they were rescuing babies from a dump in Kenya, I knew I wanted to go and help. We had two little girls at the time and were expecting our third child. I have never considered myself a "natural born" mom, and God has taught me much about loving my kids. I believe that He has taught me this not just for my own kids, but to show God's love to orphans and widows too. I want to live James 1:27 and visit the orphans and widows. This trip to Africa will most likely be my only chance to go as a wet nurse, and I am excited to do so.

I have asked God if it is His will that I go on this trip, and He answered me with an undoubtable YES! He has also designed it so that I cannot pay my own way to go, so I have to trust Him. Thank you for this opportunity God! You are my biggest supporter!

Why Africa?

Thank you so much for visiting our blog.  I'd like to begin by giving you a little background into why I personally feel so strongly about embarking upon a mission trip to Africa - specifically Rwanda and Kenya - this Spring 2013.

When I was growing up, we had visiting ministers come to our church several times a year.  Many of them had worked in "far off lands" like India, Africa and Asia.  I would fight to sit close to these people of God and listen to their stories of the mission work that they did.  One story particularly touched my heart, even as a little girl, and I've never forgotten it.

Somewhere in Africa, I'm not completely sure of the country, there was a place where children were taken and murdered.  A trough ran to a body of water and it spilled over as a river of blood.

I prayed often for these children and their lost souls.  From my early childhood on, I felt a strong connection to infants and expectant mothers.  In my adulthood, after my own children were born, I found my calling as a certified birth doula and I now work helping families welcome newborns into their homes.  

I try to keep abreast of women's and children's issues worldwide and advocate for better healthcare during the childbearing year.  Still, I was shocked when my longtime friend, Lacey Klassen, told me about what was happening in Kenya.  Newborn children are being thrown away in a city dump. Home of Hope is working to rescue these children and have set up the Dream Centre, where children are fed and cared for.  Yet, with so many children being left in the dump, Home of Hope has their hands full caring for them and needs volunteers to help with feeding, educating and supporting expectant mothers, and even simply holding and loving these sweet little ones.  

After months of praying and talking things over with my husband and my two children, I feel compelled to go to Kenya and Rwanda to assist Home of Hope in their efforts.  I know that there may be dangers, but I do not fear.  I know the Lord is with us and He will protect us.  I dream of the faces of infants and children.  I dream of their mothers in their desperation.  A piece of my heart is in Africa and I know a bigger piece of my heart will be left there when I return from mission work.  

Dear family, friends and supporters, I ask for your prayers.  Pray for the children.  Pray for Home of Hope.  Pray for Lacey and me in our efforts to raise funds to go to Africa and, above all, pray for our safe travels.  We look forward to sharing our journey with you.  We are so thankful for your continued support!  

God Bless You All!

Love,

Michelle