New Blog!

ANNOUNCEMENT!

I am moving my blog over to a new site, one that I can maintain and customize as I please, and one that will give me a bit more freedom. My archived blogs will remain here, and I can still get your comments here, but from now on all new content will be hosted at

web.me.com/deb.crane  

All new blogs, updated more regualarly, more prayer, more pictures (coming)... Let's just say it's better in general. Still under construction in a couple places, but still very much up and running. So bookmark that, visit often, send it to friends... whatever. You all are amazing, thank you for adjusting with me!

The Bob Challenge

I am issuing a challenge, to my students, my readers, my supporters, everyone. Find something to pray for, and do it. Pray for a month. Pray for 6 months. Just pray, every day, for God to move. The specific challenge that I am issuing is for students at Fisher to pray for their campus over break. Not that I want to end the challenge after a month, but that it's a great place to start. I got the idea from the book If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, by John Ortberg, and while I could summarize it, I'd rather quote it...(note: not mine, belongs to John Ortberg)

“One of my favorite adventures in prayer involves Doug Coe, who has a ministry in Washington, DC, that mostly involves people in politics and statecraft. Doug became acquainted with Bob, an insurance salesman who was completely unconnected with any government circles. Bob became a Christian and began to meet with Doug to learn about his new faith.

One day, Bob came in all excited about a statement in the Bible where Jesus says, “Ask whatever you will in my name, and you shall receive it.”

“Is that really true?“ Bob demanded.
Doug explained, “Well, it's not a blank check. You have to take it in context of the teachings of the whole Scripture on prayer. But yes—it really is true. Jesus really does answer prayer.”
“Great!” Bob said. “Then I gotta start praying for something. I think I'll pray for Africa.”
“That's kind of a broad target. Why don't you narrow it down to one country” Doug advised.
“All right. I'll pray for Kenya.”
“Do you know anyone in Kenya?”
“No.”
“Ever been to Kenya?”
“No.” Bob just wanted to pray for Kenya.
So Doug made an unusual arrangement. He challenged Bob to pray every day for six months for Kenya. If Bob would do that and nothing extraordinary happened, Doug would pay him five hundred dollars. But if something remarkable did happen, Bob would pay Doug five hundred dollars. And if Bob did not pray every day, the whole deal was off. It was a pretty unusual prayer program, but then Doug is a creative guy.
Bob began to pray, and for a long while nothing happened. Then one night he was at a dinner in Washington. The people around the table explained what they did for a living. One woman said she helped run an orphanage in Kenya—the largest of its kind.
Bob saw five hundred dollars suddenly sprout wings and begin to fly away. But he could not keep quiet. Bob roared to life. He had not said much up to this point, and now he pounded her relentlessly with question after question.
“You're obviously very interested in my country,” the woman said to Bob, overwhelmed by his sudden barrage of questions. “You've been to Kenya before?”
“No.”
“You know someone in Kenya?”
“No.”
“Then how do you happen to be so curious?”
“Well, someone is kind of paying me five hundred dollars to pray...”
She asked Bob is he would like to come visit Kenya and tour the orphanage. Bob was so eager to go, he would have left that very night if he could.
When Bob arrived in Kenya, he was appalled by the poverty and the lack of basic health care. Upon returning to Washington, he couldn't get this place out of his mind. He began to write to large pharmaceutical companies, describing to them the vast need he had seen. He reminded them that every year they would trow away large amounts of medical supplies that went unsold. “Why not send them to this place in Kenya?” he asked.
And some of them did. This orphanage received more than a million dollars worth of medical supplies.
The woman called Bob up and said, “Bob, this is amazing! We've had the most phenomenal gifts because of the letters you wrote. We would like to fly you back over and have a big party. Will you come?”
So Bob flew back to Kenya. While he was there, the president of Kenya came to the celebration, because it was the largest orphanage in the country, and offered to take Bob on a tour of Nairobi, the capital city. In the course of the tour they saw a prison. Bob asked about a group of prisoners there.
“They're political prisoners,” he was told.
“That's a bad idea,” Bob said brightly. “You should let them out.”
Bob finished the tour and flew back home. Sometime later, Bob received a phone call from the State Department of the United States government:
“Is this Bob?”
“Yes.”
“Were you recently in Kenya?”
“Yes.”
“Did you make any statements to the president about political prisoners?”
“Yes.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him he should let them out.”
The State Department official explained that the department had been working for years to get the release of these prisoners, to no avail. Normal diplomatic channels and political maneuverings had led to a dead end. But now the prisoners had been released, and the
State Department was told it had been largely because of... Bob. So, the government was calling to say thanks.
Several months later, the president of Kenya made a phone call to Bob. He was going to rearrange his government and select a new cabinet. Would Bob be willing to fly over and pray for him for three days while he worked on this very important task?
So Bob—who was not politically connected at all—boarded a plane once more and flew back to Kenya, where he prayed and asked God to give wisdom for the leader of the nation as he selected his government. All this happened because one man got out of the boat."

So I'm daring you to pray. Every day. Pray for revival amongst students and faculty, for renewed vision, for changed hearts, for broken spirits, for a call out to God would issue from the hearts and mouths of students. Pray that we would see change, see lives turned around, and see hearts turned to Christ. I challenge you!

PRAISE GOD!

Praise God!!! We have a new sister in Christ tonight! Tiffany, a student at Fisher and a friend of one of the girls I have been discipling, accepted Jesus as her Savior tonight! Please keep her in your prayers, and praise God for the work that He is doing in her. Our God is a God who saves! 

God knows what we need

Last night was the last Bible study at Fisher for the semester, and we spent a good amount of time discussing prayer. We were able to talk about the greatness of God, how He's answered prayer throughout the Bible, and how much He loves to have us talk to Him, from the smartest and most intelligent prayers to the prayers of children. 

One of my students, Rachel, told a story about a child that she works with in children's church. This girl is 5 years old and completely blind, she lives daily on the faith that she'll get where she needs to. 

One day on the bus home she said "Miss Rachel, where does Jesus live?"

"Jesus lives in my heart," Rachel told her.

"Is He ever gonna come out?"

"No, He will stay there forever and never leave me"

"But I want Jesus in my heart too!" the young girl told her.

So Rachel told her about how to accept Jesus into her heart, and the girl offered up this amazing prayer to God, completely innocent and honest. A while later she said "Miss Rachel, do you hear Jesus talking?" "No," Rachel replied, "do you hear Him?" "Yes! He says I don't need to be afraid" How amazing is that!?! God cares about us so much, down to a small child, and He wants us to know that we are loved and taken care of. 

The other story I wanted to share was about what my students did for me. Last night after our study was over, they said that they had something for me, and I was a little confused... Well, they pulled out a cake and a card that they had all signed (all 3 of them, but still amazing!) They had figured out it was my birthday tomorrow and wanted to do that for me as a gift and to say thank you for all I had done this semester. It was just so great to know that I had actually made a difference for them this year, especially when I've been feeling so frustrated with it at times, wondering if I was having any impact at all. Later on that night another student was talking about the possibility of her leaving Fisher, and got very emotional about it. She said she knew that God would take care of her no matter what, but that she just didn't want to leave. She didn't care about living in the dorms, or getting a degree, but she just wanted to be involved with FCF. Hearing that made the hardships of this semester completely worth it. Knowing that my students are growing in their faith, becoming more and more Christ-like, and soaking it all up... That was the best birthday gift I could have gotten. Ever. 

God is just so good, He knows what we need to hear, to have happen, and delivers when we need it the most. 

Be Thou My Vision

I just spent the last few days up in Speculator NY for the Northeast CCC staff. Let me tell you, it was phenomenal! Aside from it being an introvert's nightmare, it was a great time. There were 165 staff and interns assembled, plus 99 staff kids, which is crazy. One of the big things we talked about was grace... grace and truth (John 1:14), grace and peace (Romans 1:7), and grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:8). I can go into detail later about them all, and I will, but right now I'm waiting for someone in a coffee shop, and don't think I'll have time. So I'm going to just put this here to remind me to post later, and leave you with my overwhelming for the weekend...

God is good, so good, and wants the best for us, wants intimacy with us. How can we keep that to ourselves? I just have a renewed desire to share the Gospel, and introduce others to the Savior of the world. 

We sang this song a few times during worship, and it really has become my prayer this week. That Jesus would be my vision, that my eyes would be set on Him at all times. 

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

October Summary

Sorry for the lack of posts. Here's a brief update. I'll try to be better about it in the future...

This has been a month of changes and growth, no doubt about that. The last few days of September we took our students on the Upstate NY Fall Retreat along with students from Buffalo, Syracuse, Cornell, and Albany. In total there were around 250 people there, including almost 90 from Rochester! We had 8 students come from MCC, which is 6 more than ever before, and 10 deaf students from RIT. It was a great weekend as we learned and talked about trusting God with our pasts, presents, and futures. During worship Sunday morning one of the deaf students, Philip, fainted, falling on his face on the concrete floor and was quickly surrounded by blood. Instead of panicking, students all over the room broke into prayer until the students moved to the dining hall to allow the paramedics more room and privacy. Once relocated, the students continued to pray and began to worship God through song in some of the most honest worship I have seen. 

The concept of trusting that God is in control at all times was put to the test that day; it challenged all of us as we understood from experience rather than from hearing someone speak about it. Philip ended up being fine, with only a couple chipped teeth, and when he learned about how the students had prayed for him, he began to cry, astounded at the idea that hearing people could care for him, a deaf person, so much. 

Ministry on campus since the retreat has been challenging, but rewarding. MCC’s small groups continue to grow and the students are really grasping the importance of the Gospel and sharing it with their friends and families. St John Fisher has been more of a challenge; while many students signed up to be involved, only about 10 have stuck with it. I am working individually with one of the girls, however, and we are going to be beginning an outreach in her dorm this year and starting to share the Gospel with them. We are still in the startup phase at Fisher and are hoping to see some real growth as the year progresses. 

Hallelujah! God is Good!

Our God is a God of wonders, miracles, creator of the universe, builder of the mountains, and yet finds the time to love me and sees importance in my miniscule unimportant life! I am so in awe of my God right now. I've been praying about a question in my life for a while now, something that I haven't been able to let go of for a long time, and tonight through a couple avenues He answered my prayers. I had been begging for clarity, I was so confused, completely turned on end, and begging Him to be blunt with me. He's just smacked me over the head with His goodness, His wonder, and His truth. 

Let me just say that there is nothing better in this world, or anywhere, than the love of Christ. He quenches all thirsts, makes any anguish disappear, and gives a peace that passes all understanding. I have been in agony over one of my relationships, trying to figure out God's will for it, and have been torn between my wants and what I have thought God had for me. How foolish am I to think that my ideas could even start to compare with His plans? There is a part of me that longs for immediacy, I want what I want, and I want it now, and part of me would settle for less just to be appeased for the moment. But what I've realized is that God's plan is immensely better, bigger, and completely perfect, while mine is utter folly. What may appear to me to be an appropriate solution in my mind is a waste of the plan that God has for me. That's like me saying that I really appreciate the effort that Jesus put forward in his death and resurrection, but I'll find my own way to salvation. His plan is ALWAYS better!

It's like when I told God that I would go anywhere but Rochester for ministry; He knew where He wanted me, where I would end up, and had a plan to get me back here. I went my own way, and frankly, made a mess of the last 5 months. So what now? Now it's time to stop trying to live by my own power. I know that I can do nothing on my own, only by the power of Christ can I do any small thing, let alone something huge.  

1 Samuel says that "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams" and 2 Timothy says to "fan into flames the gift of God, which is in you". God's Spirit lives in those who follow Him. It's not something that we have to get back, it's not something that we can lose. We fail, habitually, and God knew that we would! He knows that we aren't perfect, He knew before we were each born how we would screw up, and He made a way for us to be with Him eternally, even though He knew our hearts. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, we have the Spirit of God, the power of God, living in us! How amazing is that? Paul writes to Timothy that he only needs to fan it into flames. It's there, burning, it just needs something to catch on, something to stoke it. If we would be willing to become alight of the Spirit, He would burn eagerly within us and use us to do His will in the world.

God is doing amazing things here. I will update more next week, but know that He is really moving in Rochacha. There are 200 students registered for this weekend's Fall Retreat!!! So please pray for safe travels, and great times this weekend, that God would really show up and lives would be changed. 

It's Official!

Yep, that's right, I am officially at 100% of my support now! Praise God! I know that there is no way I could have ever done this, it is all the work of God. He is SO good. 

I moved up to Rochester earlier this week, and had my first day on campus today. I am going to be focusing on St. John Fisher College and Monroe Community College this year, trying to get movements going on those campuses. These have been campuses that have been hard to reach in the past, but it looks like we have some interested students this year, so I am super excited about what God is doing there. Fisher had an "involvement festival" today, so I was there meeting students, handing out Freshman Survival Kits (FSKs), and getting incredibly sunburned. It was a great day and we had about 50 students come out and sign up.

I will keep updating as I go, and will be sending out a prayer letter this coming week hopefully, so if you want to be included in that mailing (either snail mail or email) let me know, leave a comment, and I will make sure you get one. Love you all, God bless. 

Almost Done

85% now!!! I need 5 more people to partner with me at $100/month, and I am done! 

Now, as soon as I am done, I will be in Rochester NY at RIT! Classes started there today, and I cannot wait to be there too. The students had a club day yesterday to hand out Freshman Survival Kits (FSKs) that included a laundry bag, book, Bible, water bottle, info on CCC, and an invitation to upcoming events. Last night, they then held a "Rootbeer Kegger" to welcome all of the students. There was a good turnout, and a lot of our old-timers got to meet some new students and some new friendships were made. Please pray that these new relationships will continue on to discipleship, and will change lives and the campus. 

I'll keep you updated as time goes about what is happening on campus, and with me as I get there. Thanks for all of your prayers and support!

Final Stretch!

Just wanted to keep you updated. Students moved in this weekend at RIT, and classes start on Monday (I'm sure a lot of you know this and are inwardly groaning), but this means that I need to finish raising my support ASAP so that I can be there and start working with students! 

I am currently at 75% of my goal, and only need 7 more partners at $100/month (or the equivalent of that), and am hoping to finish up by Monday. I know this sounds like a huge undertaking, but I believe that God will provide it. It is not too late to get in on the support or get someone you know in on it. You can contribute online at give.ccci.org/give/0607089 or drop something in the mail.  

God is going to do some amazing things in Rochester this year, and I am so excited to be a part of what is going on there. Please pray and trust God with me that He will get me there soon. Love you all!

Resolution

Well, as I mentioned before that I might not be going to Serbia, it has come. I WILL NOT be in Serbia this year. While it is sad that I won't be able to work with those student and on that team, I am still excited for what God has in store to me. 

Instead, I will be in Rochester NY working on the campuses there. It has never been about location, rather it is all about where I can serve, and I am trusting God to do amazing things this year in Rochester. 

I am still raising support, however, and it turns out that the cost of living in NY is higher than it is in Serbia, so it adds a little more work, but I am trusting God to provide in all ways. I am being challenged to find 15 people to give $100/month, or the equivalent of that. So if you are able to give at all, or know of anyone I can talk to, I would appreciate it a lot. 

Please just pray that God would raise up support and get me to campus as soon as possible. I love you all and thank you for all the prayers and support! God bless. 

Serving

As I'm looking at what to do this year, I need to stop looking at what I want and what I think is best, but rather how I can best serve. In what capacity would I be the most useful, where am I most needed? I need to be thinking about these things. Jesus came to serve, and if I am going to be like Him, I need to be a servant. I can do pretty much anything, but I don't want to choose what to do based on what I think would be fun or cool or whatever I think, it needs to be based on who God is, who I am in Him, and what that means. Where can I serve? Am I able to serve as I am, or do I need the benefit of experienced staff around to help me serve better? I really don't know. I just know that I want to serve, and I want to be a blessing to the people around me. Part of me wants to stay stateside so that I can be around family too, another part of me wants to go overseas so that I am more challenged and completely out of my comfort zone. I really just need wisdom here. There are things on either side that would make my experience amazing, and I'm at a loss for what God wants. PRaying. Definitely.

Chaos

Ok, so I am NOT going to Serbia, they won't send me as the only girl. I am working with CCC to see where I can go. I am considering returning to Rochester possibly, but am waiting to hear what my options are. Right now I am just trusting that God will put me where He wants me, and I am trusting that He is in control. There is no doubt or worry in my mind, rather just a desire to know what will happen. Please pray with me that this transition will go smoothly, and that everyone would be granted wisdom during the process. 

Prayer Request

I just spoke with Elise, the other girl who was going to Serbia, and the Lord has made it clear to her that she should not go this year. While I am sad that she won't be there, I am also glad that she is following the leadings of the Spirit. She wanted to be there more than anything, and for her to step down is a big step. 

I don't know what this means for me, however. I am now the only girl going, and I don't know how that will work, or even if it will. I might just live with a family for a while before finding roommates, or something else could happen, I just don't know. Please pray with me for guidance and wisdom in this. And pray for Elise as she figures out what she will do this year and that the Lord would comfort her in her decision. Pray that the people in charge of STINTers will make wise choices, and that everything would work out according to God's plan. 

If this isn't where God wants me, I am confidant that He will make my way straight and let me be ok with where I am. My dad is taking this hard, he sees it as another reason not to trust people, rather than another way to trust in God to take care of our needs. I am praying that he will be able to see my sense of calm with this and see the peace I have with it, and realize that it's not naivete that is fueling it, but peace in knowing that God is in control and will work everything together to achieve His will. At this point, I just have to let go and let God. 

What I've Realized

I've realized lately that I am far from the person that I want to be. I lose track of time, lose contact with friends, and am not everything that I think I am. We all hope that we are there for the people that we love, but in all honesty we can't always be. We all fall short, and all we can ask for is forgiveness. I know that I have let people down over the years, I have hurt people, and I have not been the person I should have been. I humbly ask for forgiveness and pray that the time we have all spent together can be looked upon fondly. Especially at this time when I am leaving NY and going through so many transitions, I am realizing that I have slacked in a lot of things, and have not made the best use of my time. It is easy to say that there is always tomorrow, but that's not always true. 

For those who have moved on before, the last couple years, I am sorry that I haven't kept in better touch. I really do value your friendship, and I'm sorry I haven't shown that more. 

For those that I am preparing to leave now, I love you all and am sorry that there hasn't been time to spend with each of you. I let life get in my way more times than I want to admit, and I am sorry for not being around more. 

All in all, I urge each of you to use the time you have to its fullest, treasure your friends, and live every day as if you would never see anyone again. The days that we have are few and in the big scope of things, our lives are a quick second in history. Spend it wisely. For those of you whom I may not see again, take care, and may God be with you, I will keep you in my prayers. 

How great is our God!

A friend and I went out last night to the drive-in theater around here, a double feature of recently released movies (Wall-E and The Hulk) for only $7, uum, YES. Well, we stayed a bit later after the movie, about an hour late, and just laid in her truck bed and looked at the stars for a while. It was so clear and beautiful, I have never seen so many stars in my life! We could even see the Milky Way! 

When we got to talking, I was just so in awe of how big our God is. He made every star, placed them where they still sit today, breathed the stars into being! 

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.Psalm 33:6

Our God is a star-breather! He placed the stars in the sky for His good pleasure, and yet He still looks upon us with love and compassion! How awesome is He that as He holds us next to a star, the sun of some other solar system, he treasures us more! What we look at in awe is nothing compared to us in God's eyes. He died for us, not for a star, not for all the stars, but for each and every one of us as individuals. And not only that, but our God, the star-breather, came back from the grave so that we could live with Him eternally! Each of those stars will one day burn out, and die, and that's the end for them. But for those who believe upon the name of Jesus, those He will save and give everlasting life! And we look at the stars, in awe of their beauty? Our Heavenly Father made us even more beautiful to Himself. 

Last night I thought of how beautiful the night sky must be to God, to see it all in its entirety, be able to zoom in, see close up, and see the whole sky as well. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that He takes just as much, and more, joy in knowing us and our hearts. We ought to look at each other as we do the stars, as beautiful works or a marvelous Creator, who are loved beyond anything in the sky. He knows their names, but He knows our names, the numbers of hairs on our heads, the number of our days, and the plans that He has for each of us. Now how great is our God, truly. 

Quick 3am update

Just a quick note, I sent out some letters last week and will be sending some more this week, and I am following up each letter with a phone call. Please pray that God will work in the hearts of these people to give and to think of friends that I could contact. Please also pray for me.  I am finding myself getting very nervous before each call. I know that God is in control and will give me the strength for each call. I am trusting in God to provide everything that I need, but sometimes I wish I could just trust and it would happen without me having to do anything. So I just ask that God would remove my anxiety over everything. I know that He will do it. 

Our God is so good. So so good!

Saving and Giving

The last few weeks at my church in Rochester we've been talking about money, to follow up with a budgeting course they were offering. Now, normally, I hate church talks on money, but this one was different, it actually hit home with me. We were talking about saving all you can and giving all you can.  John Wesley used to say "make all you can, save all you can, and give all you can." I missed the talk on making all you can, but the other two really spoke to my heart. 

Saving all you can is something that I've been thinking a lot about lately. This doesn't mean hoarding all your money or saving everything and being amazingly cheap, depriving yourself of what you need and want. It simply means that we should figure out ways to spend only what we need to. How much do we need to live on? Do we really need to own everything ourselves, or can we rent it from the library or lend from a friend? Yes, God wants us to have the best, wants us to have all we need, but where do we draw the line between what we need and superfluity? I've been struggling with this lately because I want to keep my things, but I find that with moving so much, I just don't have room to keep it. I don't really need 50 t-shirts, or 30 DVDs, or any of it. I am coming to realize that as long as I have a place to sleep, clothes on my back, food in my stomach, and the Word of God, I've got all I need. Now, I'm sure that this will all change when I have a family and want them to have space and toys and all the good things that kids want, but I still don't want them to take it for granted. You don't realize what you have until you don't have it anymore, and it's all worth less to us if we don't have to earn it. I want to instill that in any children that I may raise. 

Giving all you can is something that I have been slacking on majorly. I tend to say, "but I'm a poor college student, I don't have anything!" But that's not true. Everything that I have is a gift from God, and I need to be giving part of it back into His service. Deuteronomy 16:16-17 says "No man should appear before the LORD empty-handed: 17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you." Even if our portions have been small, a small offering is still due. We talked about three places to give, (1) to the church, (2) to missions, and (3) to the poor. Malachi 3 talks about how if we bring the tithe into the storehouse, God will bless us abundantly, and 2 Corinthians 9 says that God loves a cheerful giver. I want to be more faithful in my giving, I tend to rely on myself too much though, and want to make sure that I have enough saved up. I know that God is with me and provides in every way, I have seen Him do it!  It was a good reminder to hear, and very encouraging for me. 

It was just good to hear encouragement in this area. With my support raising right now, this is a touchy topic for me. I tend to inch away from these topics because I feel like I am imposing on so many people by asking them to give. I need to change my thinking though and look at it from a biblical perspective. People need to give, the Bible says we need to, it is a form of worship; I am giving people an opportunity to give, not begging.  I need to start seeing money not as something to hold at arms length and never think about or discuss, but rather another gifting from God that I need to learn how to manage in a way that will glorify Him. 

And I'm Back!

Well, it's been a while since my last post... Sorry about that. A lot has happened in the past month and a half. Chief amongst the happenings is the fact that I have now GRADUATED!!! YES!!! I am officially no longer a student! All cheering aside, the last month or so of classes was super crazy, and I did my fair share of all-nighters at Denny's... I know the night staff by name now. 

I am also now in the full swing of ministry partner development. This stressful and faith stretching time is going to be tough, but very rewarding. I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I know that it will all get done. I am currently seeking people to partner with me both financially and prayerfully as I go to minister in Serbia. I am so excited for this time in my life, and am equally excited to share with others what I will be doing and the heart that God has given me. Please pray for me during this time, and prayerfully consider joining my team of ministry partners, and please pass word of my ministry on to anyone that you think might be interested. I have updated the links on the right to include a way for you to give, as well as a link to my facebook group. So check those out, leave comments, email me, anything. I love you all. God bless. 

Completely Excited!!!

Well, it's official, I'M GOING TO SERBIA!!! Right now I am in New Hampshire at Intern Kickoff Weekend getting officially hired, filling out the multitudes of paperwork, getting to know the other interns from the Northeast, and getting started with Ministry Partner Development... I'll give a better update sometime this week maybe on the weekend.

I am officially working now, trying to build my team of supporters to partner with me for the next year. This is going to be a trying journey, trusting God the whole way. I fully believe that God will provide for me in all things. Please be in prayer for me during this process, and let me know how I can be praying for you as well. I love you all so much!

Here's some info on where I will be next year for you to browse while I contemplate a better update: Novi Sad

Change in Plans

Well, I got news today that there has been a change in plans. While I was placed in London, no one else was, and they will not send me alone. So I have a couple options here. I can stay state-side, Albany needs help starting a movement, or I can stay international, Serbia needs at least 1 more girl to go. I really have no desire to go to Albany or stay in New York at all. Serbia scared me to death when I first heard of it, but the more I look at it, the more I like the idea of it. I am still talking with people from the Serbia team (it's in Novi Sad, in the north of Serbia, one of the safest places there), but I think I might go for it. I have to admit that London was comfortable for me, not too much of a stretch, and I think I might have been coasting a bit. Serbia is much like England in it's spiritual mindset, just a different culture. This could very well be a good thing, a God thing. Please pray for me as I seek God's will for me next year.

God bless you all.

Happy Resurrection Day!

I hope this Easter finds everyone well, surrounded by loved ones, and just truly blessed. This is a day when we celebrate God's love for us, that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on a cross and to be raised from the dead as atonement for our sins. This is what the Christian message is all about, if Easter never happened, then we would have no hope, no joy, so Savior, no salvation. Think of the faith of the Israelites, the hope that they had in a coming Messiah, the joy they had in their hope. How much more should our joy be in the fulfillment of God's promise. This is God showing His love for us. Here is what C.S. Lewis had to say about it.

 "God, who needs nothing, loves into existence wholly superfluous creatures in order that He may love and perfect them. He creates the universe, already foreseeing – or should we say "seeing"? there are no tenses in God – the buzzing cloud of flies about the cross, the flayed back pressed against the uneven stake, the nails driven through the mesial nerves, the repeated incipient suffocation as the body droops, the repeated torture of back and arms as it is time after time, for breath's sake, hitched up. If I may dare the biological image, God is a "host" who deliberately creates His own parasites; causes us to be that we may exploit and "take advantage of" Him. Herein is love. This is the diagram of Love Himself, the inventor of all loves." 

Hallelujah! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Be blessed this week. 

London Calling

Well, I got the call today. I have been placed in London for next year. Now we are just praying that I would get the needed support, and that God would provide an amazing London team this coming year. We are short some people and need them to apply and get accepted, or we might not be able to have a full team there. But YAY!!!! LONDON!!!!!! Praise God!

My Soularium

We do these on campus, so I thought it would be fun to do one for myself...

What 3 images describe your life right now?
1- At times I feel at odds with the rest of the world, like I am under dressed for some fine occasion or I just haven't caught on to what life should be about. But maybe it's that I'm not where I'm going yet, I'm not settled, and maybe I'm not called to be where everyone else is. Maybe I'm not left out, maybe I'm set apart for something different.


2- This one shows how I'm docked right now in a sense. I am stuck in one place until I'm told that I can go. I'm here to finish school, I can't leave until I do, but then the seas are wide open for me. It's that tension of how long to stay, where do I go, scared of the journey to come, but excited about it at the same time.



3- I am walking through life, unsure of what is to come, and walking away from what has happened. I can only see so far ahead, but God is shining His light on it to show me the way to go, to follow Him. If I don't take the small steps at first, I'll never see beyond my little circle of light, but the more steps I take, the more He reveals to me.







What images do you want to describe your life?









Both of these describe how I want life to be. I want to have joy and peace beyond measure. Not out of naivety, but out of the love and grace of God. I want to know what's going on, stand in the rain and dance. I want to have the joy and dependence on God that a child has on their parents.

How do you see God?
I see God as a loving, caring father. The Creator of everything, who holds us all in the palm of His hand, no matter how small, weak, or insignificant we are. He cares for us, plain and simple. He loves us. He laid His life down for us, and still guides us every step of the way. God is love and comfort, joy and goodness, peace and healing, and everlasting atonement. God is every good thing.


What has your spiritual journey been like?

My journey has been up and down. I have my times where I am so on fire for God, and those when I listen to the enemies lies and I distance myself. Overall, I would say that God is molding me into the person that He has made me to be, but there is a cleaning process, a polishing and perfection process that I am going through. I'm not finished yet, but I am being refined by a master craftsman, and the final product, underneath all my own filth, is beautiful.




What do you want your spiritual life to look like?
I want my walk with God to be hand in hand, where He goes, I follow, running the race that is set before me. The world may be in turmoil around me, but I want to see the face of God as clear as day and be reaching toward Him for every direction. I want it to be a partnership where no one leaves the other, and where I am so focussed on Him that nothing can draw me away.

So that is my Soularium. If you want to do it for yourself or see the responses of others, check out mysoularium.com.

As always, I love you.
Debbie

Pre-Accepted!!!

Well, I interviewed today, and I'm pre-accepted! Pretty much I'm in, they just need to do the paperwork. I'm not placed yet though, so I'm praying that I'll go to London, but I could get sent somewhere else if it is full or something. But yeah. YAY GOD! God is so good, I'm just praising Him for so much right now. And on top of all of that, we had a pretty good sized group of students really interested in going on a Summer Project with Crusade this summer from Rochester. I'm so excited! God is moving here, and I can't wait to see what happens.

Application Update

Well, my application was received in full, recommendations and all. I've been assigned a staff woman to evaluate me, and we should be doing a phone interview this week sometime, and I should have an answer in the next couple weeks. Please continue to pray for me, that the interview would go well, and that I would just continue to walk hand in hand with the Lord. Recently I have just been in awe of God and everything that He does through me and in spite of me. His love for us is just astounding, and I am so excited for the opportunity to spend a year or two of my life simply telling people about Jesus. What an honor that would be.

**EDIT**
My interview in Friday at 2, so keep me in your prayers if you think of it. Pray that God puts me where He wants me.

Sara's gone home.

My aunt Sara died yesterday morning. My mom sent this out to family and friends, and I will repost it:

She has fought a long battle with cancer and it was time to let go. We are going to miss her very much but she was ready to meet her Lord Jesus. She said repeatedly "It's not about the cancer, it's about God". She was courageous and faithful to the end.

I am so in awe of the woman that Sara was, and I look forward to seeing her again in Heaven. Please keep my family in your prayers this weekend as we are all traveling and dealing with everything. We have faith and are certain that we will see Sara again, but we will miss her in the meantime. We are just remembering God's goodness and faithfulness to save us, and keep us in the palm of His hand for eternity.

Please Pray for my Aunt Sara

My Aunt Sara lives in Des Moines Iowa and is suffering from Melanoma. She is in hospice care right now, and someone from the family is with her at all times. She is in a lot of pain and has gotten very weak. She is an amazing woman and truly loves the Lord; she wants to go home at this point. Just pray that her pain would ease, that God would continue to give her strength.

Much Has Happened.

Well, a lot has happened since I last posted. I went home for Christmas, and yes, I told my dad about my plans for next year. He was surprised at first, but the more we talked about it, the more he warmed to the idea. He is even supportive now! Praise God. I also went to Boston for the annual Boston Winter Conference. That is a whole new story...

I have wanted to stay in Rochester and intern, but it seems like God has other ideas for me. Everything that has bound me here is being cut loose and my desire to stay is lessening. God has given me such a heart for the world, and I am so excited to see what He will use me for. I looked for a while at working with the Jesus Film project and traveling with them to record new languages. I realized pretty soon after talking to them that my motion sickness would be a pretty good sign that a job where I would be traveling so often just may kill me, or at least make my life pretty miserable. However, I was introduced to Shelley from London STINT (short term international). She is in her 2nd year in London with Agape (Campus Crusade's branch in Europe). After talking with her for a while, I really felt like this was where God wants me. There is a huge international population in London, and a huge Indian and Muslim population as well. These are cultures that I truly have a heart for, and being able to work with them as well as with the English people would be a perfect combination for me.

So, today, I sent in my application to STINT in London next year. It sounds crazy, and I am scared, but I am also so so very excited. I pray that I get accepted and can raise the support that I will need to go. Please keep me in your prayers for all this. God bless you all.