In the Middle

It feels like time is ticking away until I leave for North Carolina.  I am really getting excited about going, and believe God will use it in ways I can’t guess yet!

For those of you who have asked exactly where I will be, it is Union Mills, North Carolina.  I will post my mailing address there a little later.  

I thank you for making the commitment to pray for me.  I was reading in Genesis a few weeks ago, and I noticed something interesting that has stuck with me regarding the importance of prayer.  

In chapter 20, Abraham and Sarah have lied for the second time about their relationship, claiming to be brother and sister as a means of protection.  After King Abimelech took Sarah as a wife, the Lord came to him that night and rebuked him.  Abimelech pleaded his case to God, saying he did not know Sarah was Abraham’s wife.  In verse 6 God said, “‘Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me.  Therefore I did not let you touch her.  Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live.”  I think it is interesting that God was speaking with Abimelech, which is amazing enough, but rather than healing him in that moment, he tells him to go to Abraham and that Abraham must pray for him to be healed.  I’m not sure if this passage teaches prayer/intercession is key before God moves, or if it primarily teaches about God’s favor towards Abraham.  I like the idea that God desired involvement and participation from Abraham, which is why He told Abimelech to go to him.  What do you think?  

Some things to pray about:

I will meet with the Missions Committee at West Towne Christian Church this Sunday.  Please pray for this meeting.  Ask for God’s will regarding how the church will partner with me.

I will also be meeting with a group of high schoolers in about two weeks.  Please begin to pray for how God would use that time, and that they would be encouraged through our time together.

Pray for my teammates, the Huddlestons as they minister in Japan, and for Elisabeth Johnson as she prepares to move to Japan and raises support.

Praise God for His provision, faithfulness, and love

Please share with me your concerns and joys too!

I want to share the lyrics to a song I’m listening to a lot right now, and is the overflow of my heart.  The title is Psalm 62, by Shane and Shane.

Verse One

He’s the only one strong enough to lean my heaviness against - 

the weight of all my sin falling on a rock,

leaning on a fortress,

Oh the wall of God – Jesus -

He won’t move.

Chorus

On God I rest, my salvation

My fortress shall not be shaken

My mighty rock and my glorious

I lay my head upon his chest

On God I rest

Verse 2

Oh I am calling out – oh my soul - 

Oh my stubborn soul - 

won’t  you wait on him, wait in the quiet

Even in your fear, oh your God is here to lean on

He won’t move

Chorus

On God I rest, my salvation

My fortress shall not be shaken

My mighty rock, et my glorious - 

I lay my head upon his chest

Bridge (?)

He has spoken

Hear his voice

‘I have come for the broken

so all ye weary come and rest.

Chorus again

I love this song and Psalm because it connects with my heart and praises to God.  I once read that great authors don’t tell us things we don’t know, but they put into words that which we were not able.  

Thanks for letting me share.

He is much better at this than Steve Urkel!

“Whom have I in heaven but you?  And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalm 73:25-26

Hi to my friends and prayer supporters!  I hope you’re finding a fresh start in the Lord in 2009!

English lessons will begin again tomorrow night.  Please pray for strength and excitement for the teachers and the students as they meet for the first time this new year.  Here are some pictures from the International Christmas party I attended with some of the students from this ministry hosted by West Park Baptist Church.  Spontaneous dancing by teachers and students was the result of this young man’s instrument.  It was good to share in the excitement and joy of two cultures coming together in the name of Jesus. 

Laura and I

Things feel very busy as I prepare to leave for CIT on February 10.  I am working on support raising, and planning for a couple of opportunities to share about Japan, as well as planning a reunion with some of my friends before one moves to Kansas and I move to Japan.  

I am happy to announce that God has provided my one time costs for going to Japan!  One time costs refer to things like missionary training (CIT), some needed equipment, and the estimated cost of my plain ticket.  During the time surrounding my grandmother’s death, God provided two large special gifts, and two pledges for monthly support.  This was so timely because of the need to pay for CIT, and because of the doubts I was facing in my heart regarding leaving so close to my grandmother’s death.  I felt God was assuring me that He is still leading and providing.  Because the one time costs have been met, this allows all my attention to be focussed on the need for monthly support.  I must raise all of this before I can follow the desire God has placed on my heart of going to Japan.  I am currently at 10% of this need.  Please pray for God to provide monthly supporters to join in this ministry.   Waiting is difficult, but God uses difficulties to draw us closer to Himself and continue shaping us into the image of his son. 

• Please pray for God to lead me as I decide who to contact and what to say as I try to communicate the things He has put on my heart regarding Japan. 
• Thank God for His provision and closeness during my family’s first Christmas without my grandmother
• Thank God for His goodness and the start of a new year to give to Him
• Please begin praying for CIT and how God would use it to prepare me in every way for Japan.  Pray for an open heart as I engage in the activities there, and that we (the other students, staff and I) would know Him more.

Thank you for keeping up with me and praying for me.  Please let me know how I can pray for you!  Leave a comment and let me know you were here!

Let’s go out in joy,

Lora

Dear Prayer Warriors,

I apologize for being so long between updates.  I have some sad news to share.  My grandmother died on Saturday, December 20.  Now, over a week later it still doesn’t seem possible that she is gone at times.  I am thankful for my family and the time we’ve had together this past week, and for the Lord’s sovereignty as I’m reminded of how little control or understanding I have. 

Please pray for this difficult time, that my family and I could be at peace with saying goodbye to my grandmother and grieve as those with hope.   Also please pray against the enemy’s attacks and accusations over things left undone and unsaid.  The Lord does not accuse.  Pray we could accept His love and closeness. 

I would like to share a praise with you also.  Since my last update, I have received two large special gifts, and gained three new commitments of monthly supporters.  It is so humbling to receive the support of God’s saints – to know He is working though us and uniting us in purpose in this way.  I am humbled by your generosity, and pledge to always try to work in a manner that is worthy of the Lord and of your trust.  The special gifts will be enough to pay for the missionary training I will attend that in February.  Praise God!

Please let me know what is going on in your lives!

Lora

Highlights from Psalm 84

vs 2 “My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord.”

vs 10 “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

vs 11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord bestows favor and honor.  No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

I told the Lord I want to know Him more, to relate to Him.  He has impressed on me that all of my strivings are for Him.  The hurt and disappointment, the motivation, the hope, it is all met and settled in Him.  I also see how I fail to realize this, and so pursue lesser things, only to feel shortchanged.  I don’t feel guilty about this, but instead am happy to remember the goodness of the Lord, and who I’m living for.  It’s much better than going out aimlessly.  

May He rekindle my heart to its first love – Him.

Hi to everyone,

The past week went by strangely fast.  Several things I planned remained on my ‘to do’ list as the week ended on what felt to me like Wednesday.  

I’ve begun fund raising and God has been using this process to encourage me and solidify His plans.  When I feel I deserve it least, He blesses me most.  I hardly know what to do with that.  It is so encouraging to see this vision begin to take on legs and form a skeleton.  It is also incredibly encouraging as more of God’s people come alongside me.  We are a team!

“And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.  There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.”  And they scolded her.  But Jesus said, “Leave her alone.  Why do you trouble her?  She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them.  But you will not always have me.  she has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.  And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

This passage has continued to pop up as a theme in my life over the past few weeks.  It is where I am camped out at the moment, and what I am praying about.  I want to pour all of myself out on Jesus.  Often it feels what I can pour out is small and will amount to little, but even so, where else could be worthy of pouring it?  I want to do what I can for the Lord.  It is enough for him, and I’m learning to let it be enough for me.  It will be far more in his hands.

My first Japanese speech!

I shared that I would be giving a speech in Japanese class.  It went well!  My pictures wouldn’t load to the computer in the classroom, so this temporarily threw me off, but overall it was a lot of fun!  In this picture I’m showing a video of my friend Chiaki singing karaoke!  The class enjoyed seeing daily life in Japan.

Prayer requests:

• My relationship with the Lord would continue to grow and deepen
• Protection from the discouragement of the enemy – it has no place here!
• Praise God for the people He has provided to help financially!
• Praise God for His faithfulness
• That He would continue to go before me and strengthen my faith through this process and provide people to partner with
• Upcoming missionary training – more to come on this
• Praise God for clearly answering a friend’s prayers for direction
• My teammates, the Huddleston family and Elisabeth Johnson

Please let me know how I can pray for you!  You can leave comments below, or send me an e-mail.

Let’s go out in joy!

Have you ever heard the song “Wholly Yours” by David Crowder Band?  The lyrics are:

“I am full of earth
, You are heaven’s worth


I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity


You are everything that is bright and clean
, The antonym for me


You are divinity


But a certain sign of grace is this, 
from the broken earth flowers come up
, pushing through the dirt

You are holy, holy, holy


All heaven cries Holy, holy God


You are holy, holy, holy


I want to be holy like You are

You are everything that is bright and clean, 
and You’re covering me with Your majesty


And the truest sign of grace was this
, from wounded hands redemption fell down, 
liberating man

You are holy, holy, holy


All heaven cries Holy, holy God


You are holy, holy, holy


I want to be holy like You are

But the harder I try the more clearly can I feel the depth of our fall and the weight of it all


And so this might could be the most impossible thing
, Your grandness in me making me clean

Glory, hallelujah 
Glory, glory, hallelujah


So here I am, all of me


Finally everything


Wholly, wholly, wholly


I am wholly, wholly
, I am wholly, wholly, wholly
 Yours”

This song summarizes some of what I’ve been feeling lately.  God has shown me areas of my heart that I hadn’t given Him.  I confessed and determined to give Him all of me.  As I try to do that, I realize again and again there is nothing I can do to make myself more acceptable to Him.   And so, I’m all the more eager to accept God’s acceptance of me on His terms – grace.  

Lord, help me to let go of any claims I could make and to joyfully live in gratitude of Yours.

“God uses ordinary people.”  -My teammates

Hi friends,

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families.  I took pictures of each dish so I could show my friends in Japan what an American Thanksgiving looks like.  Ours wasn’t the most traditional since we didn’t have turkey, but we had some good American dishes nonetheless.  Everything we had was delicious.  Thanks Mom, Nana, and Nanny!  By the way, if you want to say that the food you just ate was delicious in Japanese, you say ‘oishikata.’  

Well God is working deep in my heart on some things.  My teammate (Elisabeth) is back in Tennessee, which is very encouraging to me.  She spent the last two months at a missionary training (which I will be attending early next year).  Praise God for the ways He prepared her for the work ahead.  Please begin to pray for this time for me, that I could soak in all of the information and continue to be transformed by God.  I love that He is never content to leave us as we are.   

Please pray for:

• I plan to begin visiting people in the upcoming weeks and see who may be interested in coming alongside me in this ministry financially.  Please pray for God’s guidance and timing in this, and that He would give people a heart for Japan and a desire to give to His Kingdom.  Please pray that I would speak clearly about the need and the things God has put on my heart.
• Praise God for Elisabeth’s safe return and that we can be close geographically during this time of transition.
• Pray for a specific student at the English class who is hardened to the Gospel.  
• Pray that I would rely on God for all my needs, knowing only He is capable of meeting them (see the link to the right ‘go out in joy’ under ‘pages’ on the right).
• Pray for my teammates and the people in Japan.
• I will be giving a 5 minute speech in my Japanese class on Monday.  The content will be my summer.  Pray for me as I prepare and try to memorize the lines.  More importantly, pray for how God may use it as a testimony to Him and His work there.

Please let me know about any prayer needs in your family.

Let’s go out in joy,

Lora

P.S. If you have time, check out the links on the right under ‘blogrolls’.  You can get to know my teammates through their webpages, and learn about specific ways to pray for Japan.