prayer.

"Prayer is the most reassuring thing in the most unclear moments. Never stop talking to the One who has already written your story."

 

Prayer. The quiet moments talking with my Savior. The calm in the storm, the peace in the chaos. The time with my Father. 

 

I've been learning a lot about prayer lately-like how no, you do not HAVE to pray with your eyes closed and yes-it's ok to pray with a pen and paper and journal them.

But I've also learned much more than that. Like when you don't know what to say-when your soul is crying out to God but you don't have the words to express, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings that are too deep for words (Romans 8:26). That audacious prayers-when we know the power and the authority that we walk in, when we remember the power of the God we serve, we can ask in confidence. And he will answer. Maybe not how you imagine, but in a way that is only His. 

We have the ability to seek out God and ask for His wisdom, but to ask for His wisdom without doubting Him, and he will give it to us. (James 1:5-7)

 

We have an open line with out Father-wherever we are, in every situation. With the only one who knows what is going to happen. He promises that he will never leave us or forsake us (Deut. 31:8). 

The God who held the sun and moon still for Joshua? He is the same God who holds my whole world, yours too. Why do we pray asking, "If you can..." or "God could you please..." Ask in confidence, and he will answer.

If God wasn't ok leaving us in our sin, how can we think He is ok leaving us in our current situations alone?

He won't.

Pray audacious prayers.

He WILL answer.

Closing out year one! (December 2011)

experience.

This year has been full of new people, things and learning experiences. I’ve tried everything from raw coffee beans straight off the bush (delicious) all the way to sushi (forced by a kindergartner, also yummy). I’ve pushed my way through crowds of people to get to a cemetery so that I could watch enormous kites take flight. I’ve learned that photographing a groom as he catches the first glimpse of his gorgeous bride gliding down the aisle is one of the sweetest things possible. I’ve learned worshiping together, praising the one who gives us life is an experience one shouldn’t pass up. I’ve learned that language is used as an excuse, not a barrier. 
Never would I trade any of these experiences…All together they made this year, the year of two-thousand and eleven one of the greatest years I’ve ever had. And while this year is coming to a close I know that God has even greater plans in store for the next year, and I can’t wait to see them unfold.

like lava. (august 2011)

"Daddy, can we go to the ZOO?", Claire asked Dad early this morning…after we’d had some thought on whether to hike up Pacaya or not. Dad, thinking she meant the Auto Safari in Chapin, rather distant from our home, politely declined her request. By this point we were thinking no Pacaya, no Zoo….what are we going to do? After a little talk, we decided that a trip to the hot springs (NEAR Pacaya) sounded like a marvelous plan for the day. So a little after eleven, we all loaded into the van and took off.
More than half of the family, plus our guests, had never been to the hot springs before. The place itself, as picturesque as my sister had told me previous to our trip, was surrounded by ruins of some sort which we later explored. The pools, filled with water warmed by the volcano, crystal clear. Plants growing, making their way up the wall feet high. Absolutely gorgeous.
While everyone enjoyed the pools or basking in the sun, I think they all found that filling the water that felt like lava flowing from a volcano to be the highlight of our time at the springs. As the care keeper came to refill the pool, he warned us of the very hot water about to flow from the water fall. Ok, this was not water like…turning your shower all the way hot. No, it was more like pouring a bowl of boiling soup on yourself. That hot. And no, this is not an exaggeration… haha.
The ruins, overrun with greenery and moss was my favorite part. The steps, leading you higher and higher, past rooms whose contents remain unknown to us tourists. Amazing. The view from the almost top was amazing. I didn’t dare venture to the top part…:) It was cool non the less!
Well today did not turn out as expected, it was definitely one of the most fun days we’ve had here. Tomorrow they all head to Las Vistas and I my first day of work!

little adventures (august 2011)

Buildings of remarkable shades. Cars speeding by forcing you to remain on or close by the sidewalk. Marketplaces with people shouting out their ‘special prices for you!’. Nothing quite compares to the life and experience of a day in Antigua. The market, full of color and new things is just…amazing. I never tire of entering the market and just…listening. “Blanket for you Miss?”-“What are you looking for?”- the voices of those calling out to the foreigners…or to the kids giggling because I totally just butchered my Spanish, again. I wouldn’t trade it for the world!
While I’ve journeyed to Antigua multiple times, I’ve never been to Cerro de la Cruz. It’s just a short little hike to the top of a hill in Antigua, and from there you can look out and see the whole town-it’s so cool.
Cerro de la Cruz. one of the most breath-taking views I’ve ever seen in all of Guatemala, found in the quaint historical town of Antigua. There are so many things that I haven’t done in Guatemala yet, and climbing to the cross was one of them. Until today. Climbing, and seeing this huge cross just really struck me. It’s one of those things where, I know Christ died on a cross. I know that the cross picture we all hold in our minds probably aren’t actually like what the cross Jesus died on was like. Seeing that cross was like-wow. Christ died on one of THOSE for me. All because he has this amazing love for me that my mind just can’t comprehend.
While we haven’t done much thus far, tomorrow is Pacaya…promising an eventful post! :)

En Route (August 2011)

"Come on girls- time to wake up. You have 40 minutes before you have to leave". This is what Betsy, Megan and I woke to at 3:15 this morning. Papa up,dressed and ready to go. So we rolled out of bed (off the couches?) and began to go about the normal morning departure routine. You know things like checking the luggage, making sure it all made it to the van, rechecking oh and rechecking once more.
Surely our two months in the Shire had not dwindled down to a measly forty minutes. But it had. And there we were clinging to our cups of coffee and to each other, so thankful for the time we had shared.
As we loaded into the van and began our journey to Logan International Airport, the car was silent. Not silent like it had been on our first journey in December, but rather quiet with the anticipation of arriving home and being with Dad later that day-and with the excitement of having the Scotts with us! Ok, maybe the fact that it was merely 5 a.m. also had part in the reasoning for silence…maybe.
I’ve never flown out of an airport in the ‘mid’ morning, and as we stood in the checking line for two and a half hours, I now see WHY it is that we always try to get to the airport early. Finally, at 7:30 (our flight leaves at 8:10) we get to the counter to check our 22 bags, and rush over to TSA. TSA may not seem all that daunting to some, but today it was just mom and I taking the other five children through…definitely a learning experience! (brief the kids on what to do BEFORE you get to the line…it’ll save you.) Claire starts whipping things out of her backpack and then so does Anna. But we made it! And no one got in trouble:)
We arrived to our gate right as they made the last call for The Wilsons and The Scotts, and quite literally ran right onto the plane. Picture this group of eleven people, half of them over five foot nine, with matching tie-dyed shirts running towards you. We know how to hit the airports in style, and how to make a fashionably late entrance.
Our short layover was in Miami, where we had time to finally catch our breath and get some lunch. We ended up bumping into a group who’s going to Chichitenango this week (Chichi is like 3 hours from Guat. City). Crazy how God brought them into our lives! It was an awesome reminder about how connected the Family really is :)
This flight we made with no trouble, and was one full of excitement. The thought that in three hours we would see my dad was pretty cool-it’s been a long few weeks! The smiles that lit up the faces of my family and our newly made friends when the plane finally hit the tarmac…priceless. The excitement just couldn’t be contained!
Ok now, everyone’s going through immigration and getting papers pulled together just so….ready for this week to begin.
So we go to pick up our twenty-two pieces of luggage and we’re counting them-one,two,three,four,five,six,seven,eight,nine,ten…….Wait.What?Ten? What happened to the other eleven bags?! Well, somewhere in the shuffle of today eleven of our bags were misplaced. Huh.I know it probably doesn’t SEEM like a big deal, but…our company now doesn’t have things like toothbrushes and deodorant. Because four of the missing eleven where theirs. But does this stop us from jumping up and down as we load into the van and begin our trek to San Cristobal? Absolutely not.
While I didn’t ride with the guys and Alex (he was with my dad at the airport), my aunt did ride with us. Oh how I wish I could have videotaped the ride! Let’s just say…Drivings a little different here.
But we made it! And now as we’re all chilling out after our travels today, I begin to see how special our hectic day was. After all, it’s not everyday that you get to bring your cousins home with you…to Guatemala ;)

Missions prior to Guate: Welcome to Portland, ME. Last bit of the week

Portland (last bit of the week)

Mission trips are so impacting. More impacting that most people realize unless they themselves have been on one. The kids who were in the projects for the last part of the week were just amazing. We had a friend of ours lend us a portable microphone, so everyone in the projects could hear us. The kids would start shouting the chorus to Hallelujah at the top of their lungs, trying to beat the other team and if you were to turn around during any point of the song, you could see others gathering along the sidewalk or peeking out of their curtains to see what the commotion was all about.
As the week continued and the group continued to grow, I was amazed at how God was working in these kids lives. They were asking questions, they were paying attention. Some made decisions. Oh if only the whole world had the faith of a child.
And such faith these children had! A lot of our group consisted of muslim kids, who were there against their parents wishes, but they wanted to hear more. One girl, Ikran, was sitting practically on my feet as I was telling them about the God. She was asking questions and understanding! Last year when I was in a park full of Somalians, we were asked not to return, and now they are asking questions! Purely an act of God alone.

Here's the video from the week:

http://animoto.com/play/19A900LizZV2KsDPDMBE0g

Missions prior to Guate: Welcome to Portland, ME. Day 2.

Day Two:

The clubs were spectacular. We had over twenty kids come out from the projects today, and words can’t even describe how captivated they were by all that was going on.
My heart was full of such joy at the sight of how God is working in these inner-city kids lives…it’s simply amazing. It’s only day two and here I am trying to put my thoughts from today into words…and I can’t! These kids are SO excited that we’re coming ALL week to play with them. It breaks your heart when you sit back and think that the reason they are so excited about us coming is purely because they don’t receive that kind of love from the people in their lives. They come up to you and just…steal your heart!
There’s this little girl named Nyaluak. (NYE-AH-LOO-NACK….haha) She’s so sweet, and would totally run the show if you’d let her. She’s become my little buddy for the week. Then there are the little two year olds Alfred (Adanaki is his real name….I’ve been calling this poor kid the wrong name for two days now!) and Henry, who are technically to little to come, but who can turn away kids when we are teaching them about God’s love for us?
Needless to say, both clubs went great again. And if I could put this into better words, I would! But I can’t even get my mind to convey the words to my fingertips as I’m typing this…It’s just simply an act of God.