On Monday I had the wonderful opportunity to share with the girls in the night session. I was praying about what I wanted to do in my time with them, whether or not to share a testimony or a current preview of my life, or share the Word with them. I took a look at what has been going on in my life and decided to be real with them and share about the importance of not comparing ourselves to others and operating in our individual strengths. Lately I have been struggling with this, and God has really been showing me some amazing things in my time with Him, so I wanted to share openly with the girls on the importance of their uniqueness and individuality. I had some things prepared, but God really was speaking to me during the training session and gave me some excellent ideas of how to explain things to the girls.
(I will share briefly what the talk looked like with them): "My name is Niccole Grimaldi and I am from the United States. I'm Italian and in Italy, when we want to say a girl is really pretty we say, Ciao Bella! (and wink) :)(The girls loved this and absolutely ate it up). Today I want to talk to you about comparisons. Have you ever looked at one of your friends and wished you could be like them or look like them or have what they have? How does it make you feel when you realize that it's impossible to be just like them? For me it makes me feel really inadequate and depressed. I feel like I have no peace when I try to be like someone else and not be myself. The goal is to focus on our individual strengths. We are all unique and special in our own way. Look at your fingers and to notice your fingerprint. Did you know that you are the only person in the entire world with that fingerprint? Even if we tried to cut up our finger and shape it like someone else's print, it would be impossible, just like it is impossible for anyone to be like you, and you to be like anyone. I picture God looking down from heaven and chuckling sometimes watching us compare ourselves to others and Him thinking, what are you doing!? I made you so special and with so many amazing qualities and strengths and you're trying to be like someone else? How foolish! (I shared with them the verse in Psalms about us being fearfully and wonderfully made and how God knew us before we were formed). We are each unique and special and one of a kind. God placed strengths on the inside of us that are for His glory and His pleasure and we need to discover what those things are and do them to the best of our ability. Just as you are unique and special and one of a kind, my best friend, Jesus, is one of a kind. And because you were made in His image, you too are one of a kind. I love Jesus so much and there is no one like Him in the entire world, just like there is no one like you." Then I played the song, Shout to the Lord on my guitar and sang with the girls. One of the exciting things was that a lot of the girls knew the song in Spanish so they were able to sing it along with us in Spanish. It was really a special and Holy moment and just absolutely incredible. God is really moving in this place!
On Monday we went to a little village that we had visited the day before that is in the rural area of Catacamas, Honduras. The people in this village are very poor, and don't have much at all. Predisan is working with the people (a man and wife who are pastors take care of the people in the village) about the importance of health and sanitation. Usually what happens is people will go relieve themselves wherever they want, and the problem is that it goes down into the ground and poisons the water for drinking. The water here is not safe to drink for them, so Predisan is teaching them how to build toilet facilities and maintain water that is healthy for them to drink. The man and wife have a home on the land along with their children and the others in the village and they are starting to build these toilets. They are teaching the people to relieve themselves in the toilet instead of just wherever they want. This is really huge for these people and instilling in them proper sanitation. The people in the village were so precious and we saw a small dirt soccer field in the middle of the homes that was on very uneven ground, with goals made out of sticks they had shaved. The girls don't play soccer there, and our hearts really went out to these precious people and we wanted to visit them again.
Yesterday evening we got to do the most amazing thing since we've been here. We went back to that little village with 22 uniforms, shoes, socks and headbands. The people had no idea what we were going to do when we got there, but when we pulled up there were several people just gathered around the church waiting for us to arrive. We had all the girls go inside the church and we made 3 teams of girls and gave them as many uniforms, shoes and socks that we had. Although no everyone got a uniform, we were able to give all of them something. The great thing is that this community of people will be able to share what they have with one another. Seeing their faces light up as we handed them uniforms and shoes--like I said, most don't even have shoes to wear, and they walk on hard ground with rocks and everything else barefoot. It was such a special moment and just absolutely incredible. We went out to that little dirt field and separated them into 3 teams and joined the girls and played soccer for the first time with these girls. THEY LOVED IT!!! Oh my gosh, if I could just explain the awesomeness of this experience! It was by far the most amazing thing we've had the opportunity to do. They were so excited and had so much fun. All the men and the families made a special day out of it and lined the field cheering for their favorite team and their sisters and daughters. It was amazing. We had so much fun with them and it honestly just brought so much joy to our hearts to see their enthusiasm and their excitement.
After the playing session with them, I had the opportunity to preach to the whole crowd that was out there. There was probably at least 70-100 people there last night. During the day I had been preparing what I wanted to speak about and was just praying for God to help me know what to say to them. I had asked Kyle, the missionary who works with Predisan, what they really needed most. He said that they really needed to hear about their uniqueness, especially since the stigma here is that women work in the home and raise the kids and nothing much outside of that. I decided to do a message on dreaming big. As I prepared my notes, I just didn't feel satisfied with what I had prepared. I had a feeling that when I got there God was going to have me scrap the whole thing and just go for it. Well, the bus had taken off to bring some of the other people into town, and my guitar, and my notes were on the bus when it came time for me to preach. :) I had been praying and praying in the Spirit about what to say and just decided to go for it from my heart, trusting God to give me the words He wanted me to say. I ended up doing a message similar to the one I had spoken the previous night, but I added in a little bit on dreams and dreaming big and how God put dreams in our hearts that only we can do. I remember looking at one of the girls holding a baby and asked if it was hers--it was. I said, "Did you know that only YOU can be her mom?" She smiled and it was a really special moment. I asked the men if they had ever dreamed to be able to provide for their families--they all raised their hands that they did. It was amazing to see them really listening and responding. I used the fingerprint analogy again, but God gave me a really neat thing to say to them with the whole, one of a kind thing...I told them if they ever started feeling down on themselves to point their index finger, look at their fingerprint and remind themselves that they are ONE of a kind. It was just neat how God dropped that in my heart right on the spot. I told the girls how beautiful and special they were and how amazing it was to get to share our passion with them and spend time with them, just loving on them. Then God put another thing on my heart right on the spot and I began to talk to them about how God had a huge dream to bring humanity back to Himself so that He could be ONE with them again. I told them about how He sent Jesus to die for us so that we could spend eternity with Him and have grace and love. I then gave a salvation call and at least 20 people responded--including my teammate that came on the trip with us that wasn't saved! :) GOD YOU ARE SOOOO AMAZING!!!!!! We prayed the sinner's prayer and I then told them that they now were my sisters by blood and they all loved that. We sang Shout to the Lord again in English and Spanish and just had a time of worship. It was so annointed...some people were crying and were really touched.
Joey (our leader from FCA) then followed up after me and challenged the men to step up as men and honor their women and lead their families. He really challenged them and encouraged them to be the men that God created them to be. He told them that FCA would be back to bring uniforms and items back for the men and boys in the village, but that they would be challenged them to step up in their walk with God. It was just an incredible moment and God was so glorified! God is just doing amazing things here and I'm so excited to be a part of what He is doing in Honduras!
Please pray for me as I go talk to my teammate about her decision for Christ. I'm not 100% sure if this was an actual commitment or not from her, so please pray for wisdom and the right timing for me to talk to her, and for God to really give me the right words to say. I am going to do it sometime before the trip is over, so please really be holding that up in your prayers!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The Drill
We have been going and going and going all day for the last few days since the inaugural day of the women's soccer league. We are running at least 3 training sessions per day for all of the girls who want to come out and practice their soccer skills. Each day we focus on a particular aspect of the game and we repeat the same training session all throughout the day for all the different sessions. The sun is very hot in Honduras so we're definitely getting some color and having to drink tons of water! It has been so awesome though! The girls are so hungry to learn about soccer and play the game. Their passion for the sport is just amazing, especially since they've grown up with it their whole lives and have never had the opportunity to actually play on a team before. The training sessions are drawing large crowds, and for the first time, people are actually paying attention to these girls. Although the United States has had way more opportunities for women to play, the girls here have so much more knowledge about the game than we do because it has been a huge part of their culture for so long. It is exciting to work with the girls and encourage them in their femininity within the sport, letting them know that it is a women's sport just as much as it is a man's sport, and they are equal on the playing field. It has also been great to teach the coaches some more techniques and drills to work with the girls on their skills, speed, etc.
We brought lots of cleats and uniforms, in addition to headbands and socks for the girls. The cleats we brought are on loan to them since we need some each session for the girls to have. The plan is to give them all away at the end to whomever is in the most need of them. When we separate the teams to play against each other, we have been using headbands of different colors to signify the teams. It is fun because the girls get to keep the headband at the end of each session, so they always have something to take away with them.
Before the session begins, we have a lady speak about the importance of the girls taking care of their bodies so we've been really stressing the importance of stretching and drinking a lot of water--most people here don't drink very much water at all, which is shocking as it is sooooo hot here! After the session we have a man who is a psychologist that works with the Predisan organization come speak to the girls about self-esteem and the way they value themselves as women. We have a pastor with us on the trip too and he gets a chance to do a short devotional with the girls, and then one of us girls goes up and tells our testimony to the girls and/or give a small preach...it has been awesome to see the girls really focus in when one of us is up there speaking.
The girls are all so full of life and excited for the chance and the opportunity to play soccer for the first time in a league. This is really the start of something new and exciting for Catacamas, Honduras. The night sessions are especially fun since the people seem to make a holiday out of the training session, bringing their families and playing Honduran music. It really has been a great few days. We have a couple sessions today with the girls and then tomorrow is our last day to train them before we leave. In the next blog I will talk more specifically about what my role(s) have been on the trip! :)
Monday, October 4, 2010
Inaugural Day
We got to Honduras safely after a short plane ride and a long, bumpy and windy bus ride. Today was a very hot day as the sun is very intense in Honduras...I am looking forward to my sun tan! The team is doing great and I am having an awesome time with the girls getting to know them and spend time with them in addition to playing with them and sharing interest in the Lord.
Today was a full day. We got to go to the inaugural ceremonies for the girl's soccer league that they began here in Honduras since we were coming to help them. It was neat to talk to most of the girls and see history in the making for the town of Catacamas. Usually these girls aren't the ones getting the attention since soccer is more of a man's sport in this country...this is now changing! :) It was great to see the excitement on their faces and the dedication to playing the game.
After the opening ceremonies, we got to visit a substance abuse clinic and hear all about what the organization we are working with, Predisan, is doing to help these people in partnership with the clinic. As we were standing in the middle of the facility, we began to juggle the soccer ball. Immediately the boys ran to their rooms to grab their cleats and begin warming up as we were having a meeting...hahaha! We ended up playing a 7v7 match against them and we tied 1-1. It was a really fun time actually getting to play them and play with one another for the first time since we've been here.
Later in the day we got to visit a family who pastor the local church in a rural area on the outskirts of town that is more poor than where we are staying. The people were so precious and we got to see their families, their homes, their gardens and their lives. One of the ways Predisan is working with these families is by helping them build toilet facilities. Since Malaria is an epidemic in Honduras and the water is unsanitary to drink, Pedisan is helping to make the environment healthier for these people. They have a drinking facility that now provides for 30 people. Additionally, they are building toilets and encouraging sanitation by making it a point to remind people to use the bathroom facilities now instead of just going wherever they want...this will help the sanitation of the water, and the food for the families. We got to go see all the places they are building and it is really neat to see what they are doing and how much it is helping them. After the tour, we went to their church and had a beautiful time of Honduran worship followed by a Word that our pastor on the trip prepared to preach. It was such a nice time with the people...they have such beautiful hearts.
After the home visit, we headed off to the stadium facility to catch the end of a division 2 men's professional team, right before our game. We played some of the girls that we will be training during the week on the field. We ended up beating them 6-0 and had a really fun time with one another. The girls we played also had a great time...this is the first time that they are actually getting the attention in the sport of soccer, so it was huge that it drew a crowd for them, especially since the girl's league is just now starting. Although I didn't play as well as I would have liked to, I was proud of myself for reminding myself that it's okay...I just needed to cut myself a little slack and realize that I haven't played for 2 years and of course I'm going to be a little bit rusty. After the game I was a little bummed, but I gave myself 2 options: 1.) sulk and be miserable and beat myself up and not have any fun with my teammates, or 2.) drop it and move on and don't let it rob my joy and my time with my teammates. I am pleased to announce, I chose option #2! :) yay!!!
Because I chose the higher road, I ended up having a great time with my teammates at dinner when we went out to eat and there were 5 of us that had amazing conversations about Jesus, the Bible, life, Free Chapel church, Christine Caine, Lisa Bevere, and the list goes on...it is so amazing to just be doing life with these girls and learning about their lives, their families, and where they are in their walk with Jesus. It was also a great time of subtle ministry as one of the girls I was sitting with is not saved yet. Join with me to believe for her salvation and that God so reveals Himself to her that it is absolutely undeniable!
Tomorrow is a full day of training the girls...I'm off to bed now...
Prayer Requests:
1.) That Jesus' name would be made famous in Honduras
2.) Health and safety of everyone on the trip
3.) Doors to be open to minister within the team, and outside the team
4.) My feet (been causing me a lot of pain) and my nose (smashed it in the car door)
5.) For me to choose joy and not be so hard on myself
6.) For all of us to have FUN!!!!
Today was a full day. We got to go to the inaugural ceremonies for the girl's soccer league that they began here in Honduras since we were coming to help them. It was neat to talk to most of the girls and see history in the making for the town of Catacamas. Usually these girls aren't the ones getting the attention since soccer is more of a man's sport in this country...this is now changing! :) It was great to see the excitement on their faces and the dedication to playing the game.
After the opening ceremonies, we got to visit a substance abuse clinic and hear all about what the organization we are working with, Predisan, is doing to help these people in partnership with the clinic. As we were standing in the middle of the facility, we began to juggle the soccer ball. Immediately the boys ran to their rooms to grab their cleats and begin warming up as we were having a meeting...hahaha! We ended up playing a 7v7 match against them and we tied 1-1. It was a really fun time actually getting to play them and play with one another for the first time since we've been here.
Later in the day we got to visit a family who pastor the local church in a rural area on the outskirts of town that is more poor than where we are staying. The people were so precious and we got to see their families, their homes, their gardens and their lives. One of the ways Predisan is working with these families is by helping them build toilet facilities. Since Malaria is an epidemic in Honduras and the water is unsanitary to drink, Pedisan is helping to make the environment healthier for these people. They have a drinking facility that now provides for 30 people. Additionally, they are building toilets and encouraging sanitation by making it a point to remind people to use the bathroom facilities now instead of just going wherever they want...this will help the sanitation of the water, and the food for the families. We got to go see all the places they are building and it is really neat to see what they are doing and how much it is helping them. After the tour, we went to their church and had a beautiful time of Honduran worship followed by a Word that our pastor on the trip prepared to preach. It was such a nice time with the people...they have such beautiful hearts.
After the home visit, we headed off to the stadium facility to catch the end of a division 2 men's professional team, right before our game. We played some of the girls that we will be training during the week on the field. We ended up beating them 6-0 and had a really fun time with one another. The girls we played also had a great time...this is the first time that they are actually getting the attention in the sport of soccer, so it was huge that it drew a crowd for them, especially since the girl's league is just now starting. Although I didn't play as well as I would have liked to, I was proud of myself for reminding myself that it's okay...I just needed to cut myself a little slack and realize that I haven't played for 2 years and of course I'm going to be a little bit rusty. After the game I was a little bummed, but I gave myself 2 options: 1.) sulk and be miserable and beat myself up and not have any fun with my teammates, or 2.) drop it and move on and don't let it rob my joy and my time with my teammates. I am pleased to announce, I chose option #2! :) yay!!!
Because I chose the higher road, I ended up having a great time with my teammates at dinner when we went out to eat and there were 5 of us that had amazing conversations about Jesus, the Bible, life, Free Chapel church, Christine Caine, Lisa Bevere, and the list goes on...it is so amazing to just be doing life with these girls and learning about their lives, their families, and where they are in their walk with Jesus. It was also a great time of subtle ministry as one of the girls I was sitting with is not saved yet. Join with me to believe for her salvation and that God so reveals Himself to her that it is absolutely undeniable!
Tomorrow is a full day of training the girls...I'm off to bed now...
Prayer Requests:
1.) That Jesus' name would be made famous in Honduras
2.) Health and safety of everyone on the trip
3.) Doors to be open to minister within the team, and outside the team
4.) My feet (been causing me a lot of pain) and my nose (smashed it in the car door)
5.) For me to choose joy and not be so hard on myself
6.) For all of us to have FUN!!!!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
I'm Going to Honduras!!!
Dear Family & Friends,
I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the summertime. I spent the summer (9-weeks) in Italy and in the UK working with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) doing sports ministry and receiving missions training. Italy is absolutely beautiful—if you didn’t know that already—and it was such an amazing experience and exciting for me to go back to my roots and live among my fellow Italians. I learned so much during my time away about myself and about serving people through missions, and I’m excited about the things that God has placed on my heart.
When I got back to the States I received a phone call from a friend who works for FCA asking me if I was interested in doing a soccer missions trip with FCA in Honduras. Of course my ears perked at the words “soccer,” “missions” and “Honduras,” so I was definitely on board for the trip. Before I tell you about the trip I just want to share my heart for a minute about why this trip has tugged on my heart so strongly. Think about the things that God has placed on the inside of you that just make sense…for me, it’s athletics, and soccer in particular. Now imagine if the Body of Christ (the Church) actually used their God-given abilities and passions to win souls for Christ and bridged the gap between “their world” and “the Church”…it would be absolutely amazing. After my collegiate career was over, my direct access to the athletic realm at the university seemed to fall away, as did my influence with that athletic demographic. I believe that God has been calling my heart back to my first love—other than Jesus of course—soccer. My heart beats for being able to share my sport with kids all over the world, particularly in Latin America. To see their faces light up when you pull a ball out of a backpack is unreal. I believe that this will be a life-changing experience for the people we will work with in Honduras, for the team of people on the trip, and for me, and I sincerely look forward to being a part.
I will be going to Honduras with Women’s Professional Soccer Players and the trip will be from October 2nd-9th, 2010. I’m particularly excited about this because there will be ministry opportunities within the team as well as in Honduras, and I have been working on getting in shape to play soccer semi- or professionally again so it will be fun to jump in with the girls and play while we are there. There is also a chance that we will have an opportunity to play a women’s team from Honduras so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for that! We will hold camps for local coaches and athletes to support the sport in the Orphanages & Community. Most all of the girls in the orphanages have been sexually abused/raped, but we have the opportunity to share Christ's love with them. We are serving along with Catamas, Honduras (www.pedisan.org) which is the local Honduran church. While in Honduras, we will also spend a half-day repairing houses for families whose weekly income is around $50. The family we will help build a house for has never had their own house before so I am looking forward to being able to be a blessing to this family and the others we will serve. There may also be opportunities for me to work with some of the families in the area of business, similar to what I was able to do in South Africa with the entrepreneurs in the Townships. Many of the children in the area of which we will serve in Honduras have never heard about Christ, and most do not know the impact of Christ through sports ministry. How exciting it will be to impact the world for Jesus while playing sports that they love, and that we love!
First and foremost I want to ask you to please keep us in your prayers as we are training and preparing our hearts for this trip. Please pray for God to prepare the hearts of all the people in Honduras we will encounter so that they will be open to hearing the message of salvation and will accept Jesus into their lives. Please pray for protection and for good health as we are there and traveling, and for wisdom, safety and provision. Everyone on the team is working on raising support to be able to go on this trip, so if you can also pray for our needs to be met financially as well, we would all greatly appreciate it.
In order for me to serve with FCA in Honduras, I have been asked to raise $700 to cover the cost of airfare, lodging and food. The total cost of the trip is $1,400, but I received a $700 scholarship to apply towards the airfare so I now only have to raise $700...I obviously could not pass up this opportunity! Please consider partnering with me to minister to the children and orphans through soccer! All donations are 100% tax deductible (tax notice is given at the end of the year). You can donate online at www.atlantafca.org/soccermission. You just need to choose my name from the drop-down menu option. There isn’t a place to put what kind of card you are using, so you can just write Visa/Mastercard/Etc. in the “Special Instructions” box at the bottom of the screen. If you prefer to donate by check, they can be made payable to “The FCA Missions – Honduras” with my name on the memo line. You can send the checks to my new address: 3220 Cypress Mill, Stillwater, OK 74074.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for your prayers and consideration of supporting me for this trip. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call me, I’d love to hear from you! My cell number is (562) 754-7021.
Changing the World in Christ,
Niccole Grimaldi
I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the summertime. I spent the summer (9-weeks) in Italy and in the UK working with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) doing sports ministry and receiving missions training. Italy is absolutely beautiful—if you didn’t know that already—and it was such an amazing experience and exciting for me to go back to my roots and live among my fellow Italians. I learned so much during my time away about myself and about serving people through missions, and I’m excited about the things that God has placed on my heart.
When I got back to the States I received a phone call from a friend who works for FCA asking me if I was interested in doing a soccer missions trip with FCA in Honduras. Of course my ears perked at the words “soccer,” “missions” and “Honduras,” so I was definitely on board for the trip. Before I tell you about the trip I just want to share my heart for a minute about why this trip has tugged on my heart so strongly. Think about the things that God has placed on the inside of you that just make sense…for me, it’s athletics, and soccer in particular. Now imagine if the Body of Christ (the Church) actually used their God-given abilities and passions to win souls for Christ and bridged the gap between “their world” and “the Church”…it would be absolutely amazing. After my collegiate career was over, my direct access to the athletic realm at the university seemed to fall away, as did my influence with that athletic demographic. I believe that God has been calling my heart back to my first love—other than Jesus of course—soccer. My heart beats for being able to share my sport with kids all over the world, particularly in Latin America. To see their faces light up when you pull a ball out of a backpack is unreal. I believe that this will be a life-changing experience for the people we will work with in Honduras, for the team of people on the trip, and for me, and I sincerely look forward to being a part.
I will be going to Honduras with Women’s Professional Soccer Players and the trip will be from October 2nd-9th, 2010. I’m particularly excited about this because there will be ministry opportunities within the team as well as in Honduras, and I have been working on getting in shape to play soccer semi- or professionally again so it will be fun to jump in with the girls and play while we are there. There is also a chance that we will have an opportunity to play a women’s team from Honduras so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for that! We will hold camps for local coaches and athletes to support the sport in the Orphanages & Community. Most all of the girls in the orphanages have been sexually abused/raped, but we have the opportunity to share Christ's love with them. We are serving along with Catamas, Honduras (www.pedisan.org) which is the local Honduran church. While in Honduras, we will also spend a half-day repairing houses for families whose weekly income is around $50. The family we will help build a house for has never had their own house before so I am looking forward to being able to be a blessing to this family and the others we will serve. There may also be opportunities for me to work with some of the families in the area of business, similar to what I was able to do in South Africa with the entrepreneurs in the Townships. Many of the children in the area of which we will serve in Honduras have never heard about Christ, and most do not know the impact of Christ through sports ministry. How exciting it will be to impact the world for Jesus while playing sports that they love, and that we love!
First and foremost I want to ask you to please keep us in your prayers as we are training and preparing our hearts for this trip. Please pray for God to prepare the hearts of all the people in Honduras we will encounter so that they will be open to hearing the message of salvation and will accept Jesus into their lives. Please pray for protection and for good health as we are there and traveling, and for wisdom, safety and provision. Everyone on the team is working on raising support to be able to go on this trip, so if you can also pray for our needs to be met financially as well, we would all greatly appreciate it.
In order for me to serve with FCA in Honduras, I have been asked to raise $700 to cover the cost of airfare, lodging and food. The total cost of the trip is $1,400, but I received a $700 scholarship to apply towards the airfare so I now only have to raise $700...I obviously could not pass up this opportunity! Please consider partnering with me to minister to the children and orphans through soccer! All donations are 100% tax deductible (tax notice is given at the end of the year). You can donate online at www.atlantafca.org/soccermission. You just need to choose my name from the drop-down menu option. There isn’t a place to put what kind of card you are using, so you can just write Visa/Mastercard/Etc. in the “Special Instructions” box at the bottom of the screen. If you prefer to donate by check, they can be made payable to “The FCA Missions – Honduras” with my name on the memo line. You can send the checks to my new address: 3220 Cypress Mill, Stillwater, OK 74074.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for your prayers and consideration of supporting me for this trip. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call me, I’d love to hear from you! My cell number is (562) 754-7021.
Changing the World in Christ,
Niccole Grimaldi
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Prayer Requests
I will update the blog from all the happenings today tomorrow since it's so late, but I wanted to send out a blog to let you know the immediate prayer requests we need to come our way for tomorrow:
1) Anna and I are having dinner with the female leader of the youth center in the Muslim community...please pray for open doors and wisdom for us as we speak and build a relationship with the girl. This is huge that we were invited to her home and that she is picking us up, so please keep it in your prayers constantly throughout the day. We are looking to have a meal with her around 7pm.
2) All five of us are going again to the park tomorrow to try and play soccer with the older boys and really just have a good time continuing to build relationships with them. Please pray that the boys show up and that there will be opportunities for us to mention God if possible...we cannot provoke, but we can answer if asked.
3) Continued unity for our entire team.
4) We have an outreach tomorrow with some kids so please pray that the kids have a great time and that they feel the love of Jesus and that God just radiates out of all of us who will be involved in the day.
5) Pray that we will be able to set up another soccer day for the boys and a rescheduled girls night with the girls for Friday evening.
1) Anna and I are having dinner with the female leader of the youth center in the Muslim community...please pray for open doors and wisdom for us as we speak and build a relationship with the girl. This is huge that we were invited to her home and that she is picking us up, so please keep it in your prayers constantly throughout the day. We are looking to have a meal with her around 7pm.
2) All five of us are going again to the park tomorrow to try and play soccer with the older boys and really just have a good time continuing to build relationships with them. Please pray that the boys show up and that there will be opportunities for us to mention God if possible...we cannot provoke, but we can answer if asked.
3) Continued unity for our entire team.
4) We have an outreach tomorrow with some kids so please pray that the kids have a great time and that they feel the love of Jesus and that God just radiates out of all of us who will be involved in the day.
5) Pray that we will be able to set up another soccer day for the boys and a rescheduled girls night with the girls for Friday evening.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Catching You Up to Speed...
Friday:learned slumdog millionaire dance, boys club, home visit, cricket, made dinner for everyone
Saturday:moved down town, worked out, showered and got dressed up, major storming
Sunday:team devotional, major storming, church, futbol game, world cup finals, major storming
Monday:team devotional, some storming, ran, girls from youth center, starting to plan, ice cream
I'll just fill you guys in on some of the major points of what happened since Friday and if you have additional questions about what I wrote above, feel free and email or post a comment on the blog and I will expand when I get some extra time. On Friday the boys got to play futbol with a few boys and spend some time with them in the boys club. The boys said that the kids were pretty mischievious and really didn't respect them and wouldn't allow them to form the teams but they instead picked their own teams. This culture is interesting and has presented us all with so many challenges in the planning and execution of things we are wanting to do. We are constantly on our toes and having to really keep in sync with the culture and the best way to just serve and love the people, knowing that there is a team on the ground here for the long haul and we want to make sure that we represent them well and don't cause any problems for them. This community is very tight knit where everyone knows each other. Reputations can be lost in the snap of a finger and typically when they go down the pot, there's no coming back. While the boys were with the young boys, us girls got to go visit the girl that we visited a couple of days ago and her brothers as well. It was a fun little visit as they wanted Anna and I to perform our dance that we learned earlier that day from Slumdog Millionarie. We were all bored earlier in the day so the boys and us girls found the dance they do to Jai-Ho in Slumdog Millionarie and definitely filmed a music video...absolutely hilarious...I promise to show you later on but it can't be put anywhere public due to the discression here. Anyways, the girl and her brothers wanted Anna and I to do it so we totally did and made fools out of ourselves, but we all had a really fun time and they all began to really open up to us. The boys wanted to teach us how to play cricket so we all went outside and played, which was fun. I had never played before or really seen it before, so it was a cool and cultural experience. The neat thing was that our host girl told us that the boys don't warm up to her friends very well and although Anna and I had done some things wrong in our visit (due to cultural standards), the boys were begging us to come back the next day, and the girl loves us and was laughing so hard the whole time we were together, so that was just God working in the midst of that situation. Oh how I love the favor of the Lord!
On Saturday we moved from the house we were staying at to the base for the organization we're working with. We are staying in a room with bunk beds and several girls in one room and community showers. I've been sleeping well so no complaints on my end. I think everyone is doing well here too, but we are just making commuting trips back and forth to the Muslim community in the car that we were given to drive, which is pretty cool. The team has trusted us with a car and a lot of freedom so that is super awesome. After leaving the Muslim community for the day we all took long showers and got all dolled up and went out to try and watch the Germany v. Uruguay game...Anna and I hadn't felt much like girls all week since we've been in super baggy clothing from head to toe in addition to having to pull our hair back everyday, so it was nice to put on a tank top, jeans and have our hair down and make-up on. It was also nice to wash my hair since it hadn't happened in a few days so that was a much needed thing. After going out we definitely went home and stormed it out with each other over some things, so that really began the storming process for the team that I talked about in the previous blog.
On Sunday I led a team devotional before we went to church. We traveled about 30 minutes to church and actually attended a very spirit-filled church that was awesome. We all loved the service and really had a great time of worship and hearing a couple from the church speak about some of their experiences in sharing about Jesus in their workplaces. It was a great time for our team to get to go to church and to go to one that was spirit-filled. It was great to just be in the house with other believers and really cry out to God. After the service the pastor announced that the church would be getting together later on to watch the finals of the World Cup at the church, but that they would also be playing a futbol match together before the game. Our ears definitely perked up, especially Anna and I since we've been unable to play as much as we've wanted to in the community we've been in. We decided that we'd do that and ended up having a great time. The boys were actually pretty good and the game was legit so that was really cool. They told me that I was the first girl to come to "Monday Night Futbol" (although it was on Sunday due to the game), so that was pretty cool becasue I was able to hang in with them well, and then Anna joined and did a great job as well. It was great to get to play and to really be challenged. It took a little bit of time for them to trust all of us that played, even the boys, but once we all proved to be "worthy" then we got more passes and more respect on the field so that was cool. All of the players weren't from the church so it was neat to see how the church was using futbol as a ministry as well. To all of their credit, the game was under control, no one was swearing or chewing the other out, and we really had a lot of fun. I believe God smiled on us as we were playing! :)
On Sunday evening we had some major storming among the group. We tried to talk it out before bedtime so that the sun wouldn't go down on our wrath, but unfortunately it did. :( I spent time in my bed praying and journaling and just asking God to convict me and speak to my heart about my attitude and my frustrations and what-not. I almost ended up setting the facility on fire as well as I decided that it would be a smart idea to lean up against a pillow over the floresent light that we each have on our bed...I started smelling a burning smell which ended up being a hole burnt through my pillow and also burned the outside of the bulb...I was thankful that I smelled it since I also have an allergy cold at the moment and so grateful that I did not start a fire because if it would have been on there any longer, I'm sure a small flame would have emerged. Thank you Jesus! When I woke up in the morning, I put on my worship music and began to read the Word and really continue to reflect over our storming. Last night I was literally ready to quit and leave my team forever and book a plane out of here. I was so angry and frustrated and had no clue how I was ever going to work with them. I told God that if marriage was anything like this then maybe I needed to stay single for the rest of my life...hahaha (but not really funny). It was bad. But thankfully God is faithful and He pointed me to an amazing set of scripture in Romans that really spoke to me and changed my heart. In our team meeting in the morning, I decided to apologize to the team and ask forgiveness on my end for my short comings and frustrations. I also told them that I'd like them to read the passages of Romans for us to discuss on Tuesday, so I think that will be great. You can just continue to pray for unity in our team.
Today was absolutely amazing. Anna and I were able to host six girls from the youth center in the Muslim community to our facility to play futbol, which never happens in this community...girls really don't meet together and they certainly don't go outside to a new location to meet with one another. That was a huge wall broken down. The girls ended up not being interested in futbol at all and we did some Tae Kwon-Do with them, and then opened up the gym for them to play pool and xbox. Anna and I were able to connect with the youth center leader and her friend that also works with her and she actually invited us to her house to talk more and get to know each other better. That was huge! We're actually going to go to her house on Thursday and she's going to pick us up so you can just be praying that she will see Jesus in Anna and I and that God gives us wisdom in the things we say to her and/or our responses to her. There are several key words we're not to say while we're here, so we really need to be intentional in everything we do and say. The girl from the youth center is definitely more modern in her approach to Islam and approaches the life of a Muslim woman a lot differently than the others in the community. She works with the girls on identity issues and also encourages the girls to do the things that they enjoy doing. We are really believing for her salvation since she has amazing reach with the community and the girls in the community. To be honest, she was the 100% best contact we could have made here to really help develop a relationship with her and really be Jesus to her. We're going to bring one of the girls on the team here with us on Thursday to meet with her since she is here long-term and will be here when we are gone so we're praying that they really connect well as well so keep that in your prayers. It's so amazing how God works. They found out that I sang and they wanted me to sing and told me that it was okay if I sang a Christian song so I ended up singing the bridge to Father of My Life, so that was really neat. We were able to share some things with them in addition to talking about neutral subjects such as human trafficking and also talked about their culture and the dynamics of home-life. I am just praying for the two girls that they will really see Jesus and accept Him as their Savior so that they can be apart of the Body of Christ, and also so they can partner with us in affecting these girls in the long-term. How amazing would it be if she was saved and was able to do identity with the girls from a Christian perspective instead of a Muslim perspective? Amazing!!! Continue to keep all of this in your prayers and I will update you all again in a day or two!
Love you much!!!
Saturday:moved down town, worked out, showered and got dressed up, major storming
Sunday:team devotional, major storming, church, futbol game, world cup finals, major storming
Monday:team devotional, some storming, ran, girls from youth center, starting to plan, ice cream
I'll just fill you guys in on some of the major points of what happened since Friday and if you have additional questions about what I wrote above, feel free and email or post a comment on the blog and I will expand when I get some extra time. On Friday the boys got to play futbol with a few boys and spend some time with them in the boys club. The boys said that the kids were pretty mischievious and really didn't respect them and wouldn't allow them to form the teams but they instead picked their own teams. This culture is interesting and has presented us all with so many challenges in the planning and execution of things we are wanting to do. We are constantly on our toes and having to really keep in sync with the culture and the best way to just serve and love the people, knowing that there is a team on the ground here for the long haul and we want to make sure that we represent them well and don't cause any problems for them. This community is very tight knit where everyone knows each other. Reputations can be lost in the snap of a finger and typically when they go down the pot, there's no coming back. While the boys were with the young boys, us girls got to go visit the girl that we visited a couple of days ago and her brothers as well. It was a fun little visit as they wanted Anna and I to perform our dance that we learned earlier that day from Slumdog Millionarie. We were all bored earlier in the day so the boys and us girls found the dance they do to Jai-Ho in Slumdog Millionarie and definitely filmed a music video...absolutely hilarious...I promise to show you later on but it can't be put anywhere public due to the discression here. Anyways, the girl and her brothers wanted Anna and I to do it so we totally did and made fools out of ourselves, but we all had a really fun time and they all began to really open up to us. The boys wanted to teach us how to play cricket so we all went outside and played, which was fun. I had never played before or really seen it before, so it was a cool and cultural experience. The neat thing was that our host girl told us that the boys don't warm up to her friends very well and although Anna and I had done some things wrong in our visit (due to cultural standards), the boys were begging us to come back the next day, and the girl loves us and was laughing so hard the whole time we were together, so that was just God working in the midst of that situation. Oh how I love the favor of the Lord!
On Saturday we moved from the house we were staying at to the base for the organization we're working with. We are staying in a room with bunk beds and several girls in one room and community showers. I've been sleeping well so no complaints on my end. I think everyone is doing well here too, but we are just making commuting trips back and forth to the Muslim community in the car that we were given to drive, which is pretty cool. The team has trusted us with a car and a lot of freedom so that is super awesome. After leaving the Muslim community for the day we all took long showers and got all dolled up and went out to try and watch the Germany v. Uruguay game...Anna and I hadn't felt much like girls all week since we've been in super baggy clothing from head to toe in addition to having to pull our hair back everyday, so it was nice to put on a tank top, jeans and have our hair down and make-up on. It was also nice to wash my hair since it hadn't happened in a few days so that was a much needed thing. After going out we definitely went home and stormed it out with each other over some things, so that really began the storming process for the team that I talked about in the previous blog.
On Sunday I led a team devotional before we went to church. We traveled about 30 minutes to church and actually attended a very spirit-filled church that was awesome. We all loved the service and really had a great time of worship and hearing a couple from the church speak about some of their experiences in sharing about Jesus in their workplaces. It was a great time for our team to get to go to church and to go to one that was spirit-filled. It was great to just be in the house with other believers and really cry out to God. After the service the pastor announced that the church would be getting together later on to watch the finals of the World Cup at the church, but that they would also be playing a futbol match together before the game. Our ears definitely perked up, especially Anna and I since we've been unable to play as much as we've wanted to in the community we've been in. We decided that we'd do that and ended up having a great time. The boys were actually pretty good and the game was legit so that was really cool. They told me that I was the first girl to come to "Monday Night Futbol" (although it was on Sunday due to the game), so that was pretty cool becasue I was able to hang in with them well, and then Anna joined and did a great job as well. It was great to get to play and to really be challenged. It took a little bit of time for them to trust all of us that played, even the boys, but once we all proved to be "worthy" then we got more passes and more respect on the field so that was cool. All of the players weren't from the church so it was neat to see how the church was using futbol as a ministry as well. To all of their credit, the game was under control, no one was swearing or chewing the other out, and we really had a lot of fun. I believe God smiled on us as we were playing! :)
On Sunday evening we had some major storming among the group. We tried to talk it out before bedtime so that the sun wouldn't go down on our wrath, but unfortunately it did. :( I spent time in my bed praying and journaling and just asking God to convict me and speak to my heart about my attitude and my frustrations and what-not. I almost ended up setting the facility on fire as well as I decided that it would be a smart idea to lean up against a pillow over the floresent light that we each have on our bed...I started smelling a burning smell which ended up being a hole burnt through my pillow and also burned the outside of the bulb...I was thankful that I smelled it since I also have an allergy cold at the moment and so grateful that I did not start a fire because if it would have been on there any longer, I'm sure a small flame would have emerged. Thank you Jesus! When I woke up in the morning, I put on my worship music and began to read the Word and really continue to reflect over our storming. Last night I was literally ready to quit and leave my team forever and book a plane out of here. I was so angry and frustrated and had no clue how I was ever going to work with them. I told God that if marriage was anything like this then maybe I needed to stay single for the rest of my life...hahaha (but not really funny). It was bad. But thankfully God is faithful and He pointed me to an amazing set of scripture in Romans that really spoke to me and changed my heart. In our team meeting in the morning, I decided to apologize to the team and ask forgiveness on my end for my short comings and frustrations. I also told them that I'd like them to read the passages of Romans for us to discuss on Tuesday, so I think that will be great. You can just continue to pray for unity in our team.
Today was absolutely amazing. Anna and I were able to host six girls from the youth center in the Muslim community to our facility to play futbol, which never happens in this community...girls really don't meet together and they certainly don't go outside to a new location to meet with one another. That was a huge wall broken down. The girls ended up not being interested in futbol at all and we did some Tae Kwon-Do with them, and then opened up the gym for them to play pool and xbox. Anna and I were able to connect with the youth center leader and her friend that also works with her and she actually invited us to her house to talk more and get to know each other better. That was huge! We're actually going to go to her house on Thursday and she's going to pick us up so you can just be praying that she will see Jesus in Anna and I and that God gives us wisdom in the things we say to her and/or our responses to her. There are several key words we're not to say while we're here, so we really need to be intentional in everything we do and say. The girl from the youth center is definitely more modern in her approach to Islam and approaches the life of a Muslim woman a lot differently than the others in the community. She works with the girls on identity issues and also encourages the girls to do the things that they enjoy doing. We are really believing for her salvation since she has amazing reach with the community and the girls in the community. To be honest, she was the 100% best contact we could have made here to really help develop a relationship with her and really be Jesus to her. We're going to bring one of the girls on the team here with us on Thursday to meet with her since she is here long-term and will be here when we are gone so we're praying that they really connect well as well so keep that in your prayers. It's so amazing how God works. They found out that I sang and they wanted me to sing and told me that it was okay if I sang a Christian song so I ended up singing the bridge to Father of My Life, so that was really neat. We were able to share some things with them in addition to talking about neutral subjects such as human trafficking and also talked about their culture and the dynamics of home-life. I am just praying for the two girls that they will really see Jesus and accept Him as their Savior so that they can be apart of the Body of Christ, and also so they can partner with us in affecting these girls in the long-term. How amazing would it be if she was saved and was able to do identity with the girls from a Christian perspective instead of a Muslim perspective? Amazing!!! Continue to keep all of this in your prayers and I will update you all again in a day or two!
Love you much!!!
Let the storming begin!
So management literature tells us that a team goes through five stages on the way to becoming a true team: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning...we have officially entered the storming phase here! Although it is a healthy and necessary aspect for all teams to go through, it is a very painful and frustrating process. We are definitely a family here and frustrations with one another and with the team are coming out. The enemy is at work to come in and cause division, but we are pressing through and continuing to discuss, pray and work through the trials and frustrations. We believe that God has huge things planned for us while we are here--we are already seeing many walls come down in just this short time--so you better believe that Satan will attack at this point. Please keep our team in your prayers for unity, patience, grace and love with one another. The last couple of days were rough, but thank Jesus we stormed it out for those days and really got back on board making sure we were praying and doing our team devotionals with each other and today was a fantastic day (I will write about it in the next blog). Greater things are yet to come!
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