Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Such a time as this...

Hello!!!! :)

I hope everyone enjoyed they’re Easter and that God moved in similar ways to how he did here.

It was a powerful morning and weekend! We had over 300 people at our city campus alone come to know Christ! It was incredible! :) The month building up to Easter morning, the way we were inviting people to church was with a little “invitation” card that had the image “cross = heart” on one side, and on the other it said “This is love, find out why” with a web link that would take you to a page where Australia’s head pastor, Joel Abel invited the people to join us for our Easter services. Our job as the church, was to give them out with a random act of kindness. It was so much fun! A lot of people bought the coffee for the people behind them in line and gave them a card, I actually made some earrings and punched them through the cards and handed them out to women throughout the city. It was such a fun thing to do, and was so cool to actually be a part of making church happen, aside from behinds the scene stuff!

It was an incredible Easter morning that followed into our evening service.

Just so everyone is aware, Beau (whom I asked everyone to pray for in my last update) was made whole in the presence of our Savior the day after my last post, April 8th. So in saying that, we rejoice that he’s now healed and alive and well, but we don’t forget that his wife and family are still here learning how to do life without him. SO continue to lift the Slocumb’s up in prayer, as well as all of Beau’s friends and other family. I actually avoided church the entire weekend apart from serving in Kids before I heard the news. The first service I attended was my Tuesday morning chapel service. I had been having it out with God the whole weekend and into the week. Was finding it really hard to focus on worship when I had so many questions running through my mind and was just talking to God about it. Decided He’s still worthy and worshiped out of knowing I needed to, and even though I didn’t understand He was still good. During the second song, I totally felt God start talking to me. We were singing one of the new songs coming out on the new Hillsong Live album, and the lyrics just hit me. “There’s nothing in this world that could take you away.” The words just resonated with me, and I felt God saying you guys have it all wrong in seeing it as the end of something when really it’s the beginning. Not even death can separate my children from me. We see death as the end, because all we can see is physical, however, not even death can separate us from Him, as His people, death is our hope, and it's the beginning!! Beau is now living in God’s promise! He is alive and well!! Which God just concreted even more in the last song we sang. All I’m going to say is that I stood there weeping because all I could feel was Beau singing that song not as a hope anymore, but as His reality.

On that day when I see

All that You have for me

When I see You face to face

There surrounded by Your grace

All my fears swept away

In the light of Your embrace

Where Your love is all I need

And forever I am free

Where the streets are made of gold

In Your presence healed and whole

Let the songs of heaven

Rise to You alone

No weeping no hurt or pain

No suffering You hold me now

You hold me now

No darkness no sick or lame

No hiding You hold me now

You hold me now

In this life I will stand

Through my joy and my pain

Knowing there's a greater day

There's a hope that never fails

Where Your Name is lifted high

And forever praises rise

For the glory of Your Name

I'm believing for the day

Where the wars and violence cease

All creation lives in peace

Let the songs of heaven

Rise to You alone

For eternity

All my heart will give

All the glory to Your Name

It’s been an insane busy/challenging month. I can’t believe it’s almost May. That so much has happened in the last 10 months of me being here. That this time last year I was getting ready to come here, and now I know what day I’m booking my flight home. It’s out of control! There’s so much God’s done and shown and I know he still has a heap to do. It’s been a challenge and been a road I never thought was gonna look the way it has, but God’s known from the beginning of time! How cool? :) I love him! Even in the midst of feeling like just a face or just a being, He knows what he’s destined me to do, What he’s purposed my life for. In the midst of not getting the hours I need at work to pay bills, he’s gonna provide, because that’s His character! He doesn’t leave His children stranded anywhere. We’re never alone and never without a way, even if we can’t see it or feel it, He’s there and has gone before.

I can’t wait to be back home with you guys, for however long it may be!! Love you all so much and am praying for you constantly!! I’ll update soon!! After the next 2 weeks, because on Friday, Max’s mom and best friend get here for 2 weeks!! AGHHH!!! :) can’t wait to have a piece of home here, Max and I could not be more excited to have them here and to be able to get out of the city with them!

I love you guys and miss you!! Thanks for all of your prayers and financial support you guys give me!

Side note, if you do want to help support me in the last 2 months that I’m here, I have the “Donate” button on my blog page, up at the top!

Love and miss you guys SO much!! Praying for you!! I’ll talk to you soon, but more importantly, I’ll be seeing you soon! :)

Michelle

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