Man of the House

I want you all to meet a special person in my life. He is devastatingly handsome, a joy to be around, and loves worship music! He is great at sticking small objects in his mouth, crying in the middle of night, and stealing everyones attention. Gabe is one of the newest members in our household. He puts us at thirteen people in a three bedroom apartment (and he is the only man of the house!). Did I mention he is only 1.5 years old? This little guy has captured my heart and soul.

   I wish I were telling you about Gabe only because he is cute, but I'm not. I haven't mentioned that Gabe suffers from Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida, in short, is a birth defect that involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord. Because of this condition Gabe is paralyzed from the waist down. He also risks developing serious kidney infections, meningitis, and other life threatening factors. Right now he has a brain shunt that drains  fluids from his head down to his stomach. Although Gabe seems happy, he suffers from a serious condition that is more threatening than he knows. 

  Due to Gabes condition, he is in need of surgery. The procedure would involve resetting the spinal cord and also replacing deteriorating tissue with healthy tissue. This surgery would also help diminish the risk of the various infections listed above. Unfortunately surgery is not free. It has been laid on my teams heart to spread the word about Gabe in order to fund his surgery. In total it will cost $4469. If you do not feel led to support Gabe financially, please lift his health up in prayer. I know that God already has His protective hand over him, but additional prayers are always good! 

  Our goal is to raise the total of $4469 in ONE MONTH! By the time I leave India, I dearly hope this sweet boy is on his way to the hospital for this procedure. Below are the details on how to donate financially. 

PLEASE NOTE: There are SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS so that the donations go to Gabe and not to any specific person on our team:

1. GO TO: www.theworldrace.org

2. Please click the tab “Donate” on the top right side of the page.

3. Click on the link “Click Here To Give!”  

This will take you to the donation page.

4. In the box that appears, you will see:

ONLINE DONATION INFORMATION

 Please select “Support a World Race Project” under Choose Program.

5. ENTER “11MarRLI” in the Project field provided in order to be

sure your funds will go into the account designated for this ministry.

6. Then enter in the amount you would like to give and follow the prompts. 

PLEASE NOTE: These gifts are tax-deductible!! YAY!!

IF you wish to send a donation by mail, please make your check payable

to Adventures In Missions and mail it to:

Adventures In Missions

P.O. Box 534470

Atlanta, GA 30353-4470

Please indicate “Real Life Project Fund – "11MarRLI" in the memo

section of the check.

**I want to stress this so there is no confusion –

you should not give to this fund via our personal world race blog pages or accounts.  If you do,

it goes into our personal support accounts, not into the ministry fund.

FROM SCH, GABE AND TEAM INDIA,

THANK YOU and may you see the blessings of your donation....

Friday Night Life

 Usually Friday nights mean getting dressed up for a night on the town or maybe going to a movie, but in India it means throw on your Indian clothes and walk through the dirt and the dust to pray for people. I am not going to lie, I did not want to wake up from my nap and go walk around for three hours to pray for people that I probably wouldn't see get healed. My attitude was far from what it should have been. Who am I to say I wont see people get healed? Who am I to think the God of the Universe wont show up in India? 

 After my team prayed over the night, I started to feel more energized to go walk around. I had forgotten that it's not about what I see, it's about what I believe can happen. Maybe God won't heal people in front of our eyes, but He is there and our prayers may have started the healing process. Whether we see the results or not, our prayers are powerful and God is moving through us. 

 I remember praying over a lady who asked for prayer of her body and home because there was demonic presence. I will admit that I was a little scared to pray for her because I had no idea what to expect, but what happened was something I had never even thought about. God placed an overwhelming joy in her heart. As we all walked away she had the biggest smile on her face and a light in her eyes that wasn't there before. It wasn't until later that night that I had realized God performed a miracle in that women's heart. Perhaps for the first time she felt joy or maybe she now has hope in a hopeless nation. What ever God did, it was awesome, and it was evident, and now she can be a light in this jaded world.

 Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that God uses people to do His work. He has the power to do it all Himself, but He chooses to work through us. I am constantly reminded about how God used Moses, who had a stuttering problem and felt inadequate, to deliver the Jews from Egypt. He equipped Moses with his brother Aaron, and many other things, and used Moses as a vessel to do His work. God does the same thing with our team. He provides what we need to go out into the villages and pray over people. He provides a translator, energy, strength, people, ect.. He is just so awesome and I can't get over how perfect and mighty He is. 




written: march.18.2011

Picture Time!

Unfathomably Faithful

     God is unfathomable and infamous. He is mysterious and mighty. How can a God so big and powerful love a small girl like me? Sometimes I do not understand the affection that God has for me. It has been easy for me to think that God doesn't love me as much as He loves others, but that is a lie! God knows me personally. He knows every freckle on my face and the number of hairs on my head. Just because God is the King of the universe does not mean He doesn't have time to spend with me. Our God is a personal God and loves to spend time with His children. 

     India is such a dark and oppressed place and it's not always easy to feel God's presence. It is easy to feel alone. I constantly have to remind myself that just because I cannot feel God does not mean He isn't there. I have to remember that God wants to be with me. It is not a matter of feeling God, it is a matter acknowledging that God never leaves your side. I am so thankful for how faithful and loving He is. 

     Last night I was up late working on an administrative project. Although I was not looking to feel God's presence, He decided to show up. He reminded me that He loves me and will never leave me alone. He will shelter me from the rain and hold me through the storm. He will never let me go. God reminded me that the definition of His name is love. He is not a big scary God who wants to make my life a hot mess, He is a loving god who is here to hold me and keep me safe from the confusion of this world. 

 "But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from evil… May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ." 
 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5

Just Some Stuff

Oh how these kids capture my heart! I am sorry I don't have time to upload all of my pictures but there will be more at some point! The boy in the pictures above is one of my favorites. He is incredibly funny. Forgive me, for I do not remember his name right now, but know that he is adorable in every way! The little baby girl is a dwarf baby. This picture does not portray how tiny she truly is. She is precious and I love her! Then there is my girl Hannah! Our team went to a carnival where we rode camels and a really scary ferris wheel. I think of it as the ferris wheel of death, but it's whatever! We had a blast! 

I miss ya'll at home! Know that I am having a wonderful time and God is blessing my team everyday! 

Let me walk you through a day of ministry. We wake up around eight, eat, have worship, and head out the door around ten. We work in Sarah's Covenant Homes from then to around four thirty. Our day there consists of cleaning and playing with all the kids. It as been such a blessing to be there and I know God has big plans for this team! This friday we are actually going to a village to do some decipleship. I am excited to see what God has for us there! We haven't done this yet and so we need some prayer to prepare our hearts. 

I apologize that I am not going into depth about everything. I am very tired right now, but I wanted ya'll to have some pictures! 

xoxo, molls. 

Before I left for India, I knew I needed to get right with God. I needed to be honest with myself, God, and with the people around me. As I packed up my bags, I called out to the Lord and asked for His peace to sweep in over my life. I asked for joy, love, faith, and hope. I admitted I was trying to pursue those things elsewhere. It doesn't take very long to realize that worldly possessions do not fulfill wholeness. I came to India with an open heart and an open mind to what God wanted to show me, and it definitely payed off to keep myself vulnerable. All the desires of my heart God has given me. After I gave up the fight and decided to let God take care of me, everything fell into place. My hurt is being healed, I have joy, I have more faith than I have ever had before, I have overflowing love, and an unstoppable hope.

Someone had told me that a mission trip is just as much about the person who is going as it is the ministry. I have found this to be true. I have never experienced a mission trip that has changed my heart this much. Mexico was eye opening and got my heart warmed up, Romania was stretching and pulled my heart apart, and India is fulfilling and is putting my heart back together. God's timing and plans are perfect.

No, my life did not all of a sudden become completely easy. No, my heart is not completely healed. Yes, I still miss my friends and family at home. But yes, India is amazing and God has showed me over and over again that He is bigger than me in every way.

I dearly thank all of my supporters for making this trip possible. I am so overjoyed to be here and I know our God has big plans for my team. Although I just found out I have lice, India is amazing.

Prayer.

I'll keep it short and simple. Our team needs some prayer. Some of us felt completely overwhelmed today as we walked around town. Others of us have felt physically sick. And personally, I feel numb to everything. I do not feel overwhelmed, India isn't phasing me, and I haven't cried. Is it possible that God prepared me better than I thought He did? Maybe that's why I feel numb. God has placed His courage in my heart and with God's strength pushing me forward, nothing is too big to overcome. Usually when I see countries in need, my heart breaks. Why isn't my heart breaking? Maybe it is and I don't know it yet. 

Lets review prayer needs:

1. Strength

2. Health

3. Clartiy

Insanity.

The first plane right, not so bad. It was short and simple and NOT heartbreaking. The second plane was definitely more heartbreaking. After saying my final goodbyes on the phones to my family and friends, I found my way to checking in. You know that when you walk up to the lady who asks for your passport and you can't find it, you should start to panic. Luckily, my leader is amazing and she wasn't so flustered as me and found it at the top of my bag. I am seriously so thankful. I boarded the plane safe and sound, except I wasn't sound at all. I was still rushing through goodbyes with my best friends. I couldn't call so everything was texting, which didn't help the goodbye process at all. As the plane started to move, I said goodbye to both of them, and with out anything back, the plane took off and I was gone. I held back my tears and prayed that God would give me peace about leaving.
  Our God is an awesome God, because little did I know God would provide internet connection in Doha and Hyderabad. I said my goodbyes and still have chances to chat here and there. Most of all though, I am thankful for the girls I am with. They are my home away from home and am incredibly blessed to have them on this trip. God handpicked us all and we fit perfect. I am learning to trust God more and more everyday with all of my worries. I was worried I would be homesick, I'm not. God delivered home through these girls to me. I thought I wouldn't be in touch with my best friends till next week, but here I am with internet.
  Upon arriving to India, I realized this country is just as insane as I am. Imagine Mexico drivers.. now intensify that by ten. Talk about being scared for your life. I love how insane it is here. God has definitely put me in the right place at the right time. As you pray, keep me and the girls in mind so that we may have peace and courage in our hearts as we try to change India.

yay, i am in India and i look like a troll. :]

Love, Joy, and Rocky Road

My heart has been overflowing with love and joy today. I also ate icecream, YUM.

      I love my team so much. God has blessed me with a greatest group of girls. We instantly bonded from day one. I went into this trip thinking "Crap, I am with 7 other girls.. I super dislike groups of girls. Drama drama drama!" Now that I am here, they are one of the biggest blessings God has ever given me. These girls are amazing. They absolutely love God and even though they are all messed up and all hurting, they stay strong and push through. They inspire me.
     I am also overflowing with joy. I have been stumped over something(personal, sorry!) for the past month or two and finally God said yes, okay. Once again, God showed me clarity. I have had a smile on my face all day and I am overwhelmed with joy. So praise God.
     My ice cream was yummy. I ate chocolate with reeses pieces in it. Yes, I swirled it all up into mush. Speaking of food, I want Taco Bell.
 Goodnight!

P.S- we are not allowed to get mail. sad i know. sorry everyone! love yall.

Here Safe.

The past two days have been so crazy. We arrived yesterday at the Atlanta Airport and sat around for 4 hours waiting for other team members. When everyone got there we split into our mission teams( SE Asia, Kenya, Uganda, Nicaragua, and India) and got sent on a scavenger hunt to our housing for the night. We boarded the tram and hit downtown Atlanta. We found our way with (no help from our leaders) to a homeless shelter called Safeway(keep in mind we had no idea that that's where we would be staying for a night.) We were all surprised but very thankful to see a bed. No, the night wasn't over. We went out onto the streets of Atlanta and ministered to homeless people. It was so cold but incredible. I met a lot of people but my favorite was a guy named Copper..aka Coppermann(with two n's). He was so funny. We got to share with him about how God is the ONLY truth. After that we got to sleep.. well, not me.. I woke up around 2 in the morning with a spider in my bed.. Sleep went out the window. 

On day two we traveled to who knows where on a school bus. We ended up at a camp (similar to Hartland, maybe a little smaller). We will be here till Wednesday and then we take off. Tonight I experienced worship in a very different way. It was some LOUD worship, but not because of the instruments, but of the people. People were dancing and yelling out to the Lord and crying and anything you can imagine being loud, it was happening. I have never seen worship at that intensity. I was confused at first, but it soaked in and these people truly love God, it's amazing. 

So I keep saying 'we'. 'We' usually means my team of 6 other girls. I am the baby of the team by two years. So, I'll start with Mackenzie Frownfelter. She is the tallest on the team and is incredible. She was the first girl I bonded with before the trip and will always have that specialness in my heart. There is Hannah Laibe, she is really funny andd I can't wait to get to know her more. Then there is Sarah Boje, she is the introvert on the team. She has a quiet personality but I still love her. After that comes Alyssa Palma, she is beatiful inside and out. We share so so so much in common and I love that. Finally we have Crystal Froelich. She is the short talkive one. She is from Canada! She is halarious. Okay, one more, My fearless leader Linsey Eaton. She is fantastic! No one better for the job. SOOOO FUNN!!

Goodnight!

"Commished"

I can not express in words how thankful I am that my church

decided to support me. I am so excited to be going on my trip and that I have my entire church family backing me up. I am standing up there with the LBC Slovenia Team. They are leaving near the end of January, so it would be great if you could also pray for them as they go on their adventure. They will be serving missionary families by producing a VBS for all the kids while their parents are in conferences. Please keep them in your prayers, for it is not always simple when it comes to lots and lots of kids(not all english speaking). Pray that God furthers our knowledge of His glory while we are serving Him. 

Sixth Grade

Today I got the chance to share about my trip with the LBC sixth grade kiddos. It was the first time I sat down in front of a group of people to share about what I will be doing in India. These kids were amazing. The best audience I've ever had. There is nothing better than sharing my heart for God to young kids. I could tell that they truly grasped how big God is and how much He loves us. Thank you Marshburns for giving me the opportunity to share my heart. Love you guys.

I am now fully "commished". This morning I was commissioned in both church services. It was a true blessing to have my church embrace and pray for me. Today has definitely been a day of the Lord.