That Moment When...

God totally changes your heart and give you a revelation at the same time. This happened to me about the second week into fundraising. I was getting gas and there was a guy selling candy bars to raise money for a school trip. I instantly sympathized with him because I could understand how hard and how humbling it is to ask people for money. So I bought to candy bars got in my car and I drove away I prayed this " Lord, if the whole point of this experience (Czech) is to soften my heart towards people who are fundraising and to be able to sympathize with them then let me do my best to serve you by serving these people with my resources."  You better believe that eve since that night I have had opportunity upon opportunity to give to people financially. But one very unique opportunity came up about a week ago to support a little girl who is supporting her family in a cause that is very near and dear to my heart.

Some of you may know Todd and Summer Roughton. Todd was my old High School pastor and Summer was at one point my small group leader. They just happen to be in Czech when I was there last year doing camps the week before us and so we got to meet up with them. I reconnected with Summer there. What a precious moment. Well, the Lord is taking Todd Summer and their two kids, Ashlynn and Jeremy, into a really amazing season of adoption. You can read more about it here!
 I was so excited to hear that they are adoption. I have such a heart for adoption and I was excited to see two peopel I look up to pursue something so amazing!  As I was following them in their journey this last week Summer post something about how Ashlynn, their 9 year old daughter, was selling jewelry to help raise money for her Compassion Kids. I thought " Hey, that's awesome!". I went to her store and looked around. Come to find out that Ashlynn had changed the mission of her store. She is now taking the ALL the funds that she has raised and is giving it to her mom and dad to help bring home her new little brother. WOW!!! Talk about the tenderness and compassion of a child's heart. Once I saw this I HAD to buy something. Not only is this something that I passionate about, I am feeling lead to help people raising money, now a 9 YEAR OLD is showing her selfless heart. I was overwhelmed with amazement at this little girl that I use to babysit is living out the 1Timothy 4:12. Just because she is young she is not letting that get her down. She has a heart to give and she is finding creative ways to make that happen. I love it! I was so encouraged and I want to tell everyone about this amazing little girl and what she is doing to help her family! It is testament that God uses all people of all ages to make his plan happen!

If you get a chance go read Todd and Summers blog and check out Ashlynn's shop! Just click on the word HERE and the word STORE in the blog post!


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Jackie


Prayer Request
1) Pray for Todd and Summer as they continue to walk through the adoption process.
2) Pray for my continued preparation
3) Pray for the preparation of the Czech youth groups as this is the time that they start making plans for summer.

SOAR

This last weekend I spent Friday starting 6pm until Saturday at 7pm with a group of High School juniors and seniors. Yes a total of 25 hrs straight! It was a student ministries conference It had three different sessions spread out over the tow days, a worship concert, sleepovers at a host home with your group, discussion groups, devotional times, and an Amazing Race literally ALL OVER the Santa Clarita Valley. I loved every minute of it!

I got to get to know some of the girls in my weekly small group better and get to know some other girls in the youth group. I was SO exhausted coming off of these crazy fun jam packed 25 hrs but every single minute was worth it. As I was reflecting back on the weekend I could help but praise God of the love he has given me for students. I desire to see them grow deeper and I desire to see live out their faith. I pray that having a relationship with God and being a Christian isn't something that is normal and common to them, that it is not something that they take advantage of. I pray for thriving and active relationships that are passionate and life changing. As leader for these girls I have responsibility to live out what I am preaching to them because they are looking up to me and I am responsible to set an example to them.

As the girls, myself, and my fabulous friend Jenny who I co-lead with were sitting down to each lunch we started talking about Matthew 28:19-20 " Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This is known as  The Great Commission and our discussion lead into how we can live this commission out right here right now. Just because we aren't over seas and in a different country doesn't mean we can ignore this. We chatted about how our faith can be living and active and how, just like Jesus did, we can walk amongst the "sick".  It got me thinking " How am I living this out right here right now in my waiting period to go Czech?" I was really challenged by this. Just because God has called me to Czech for 3 month doesn't mean that this commission only applies to me when I get there. It applies to me RIGHT NOW! How am I walking amongst the "sick"? Am i turning a blind eye to them and saying " Someone else will take care of it?" or am I walking with them and loving on them and investing in them to share the good news of Christ with them.

So, in this waiting period I pray that I am not letting it be wasted just sitting around doing nothing to help others, invest in others, be Jesus to others. I want my faith to be living and active all the time. I want to walk amongst the sick no matter where I go. I want to live like Jesus lived!


Prayer Request:

1) That I make the most of the time I have while I am still here in America
2) God continues to break me in ways that I need to be a better leader and better example to the students I am leading now and will lead while in Czech


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 Jackie



Here is a picture of me, my co-leader, and our girls from this weekend during the Amazing Race. We have 15 different spots to go to and take pictures at. It was all over the Santa Clarita valley. I drove!  We had 3 hrs to finish it. We did it in 2 hrs 45 min... we were the first team back! =)