MOROCCO. (part one)

Most of you know I recently returned from co-leading a team to Morocco located in North Africa. 
To fully express this three month experience in a blog post, pictures, or words is impossible. I will do my best to share a few of my favorite stories and help draw you into the picture of what happened! I know a lot of you were praying for my team and I so appreciate it and know that you are just as apart of these testimonies as we were! There are three parts of our trip. Part one of our journey was spent in the city of Casablanca, part two on an expedition in the desert lands of the Sahara, and part three hiking the Atlas Mountains. I will start with sharing a bit about our time in Casablanca! 

Casablanca.
Matthew 5:14-16 
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. "Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

English Teaching . We spent the first month in the city of Casablanca mostly having English teaching clubs with college students of various ages. Through forming relationships many of us were able to share our faith with the students. 
Being a closed Muslim Nation - it was a touchy subject and we had to be careful with what we could say when, where, and to whom. The best way for us to spread Jesus was by living like Him and showing His truth in love and acts of kindness. Through this it would open doors and people would ask questions then we are free to share our personal faith.  

Faith Journeys 

One day while in Casa the team split into three groups and went on faith journeys wherever God told us to go. Morgan, Kristan and myself went on a faith journey to what we appropriately named "sorcery island". This island has a bridge to get there and is closed off to outsiders with guards. Daddy wanted us on the island to have tea with some ladies and pray for them. He provided us a way on and off via a black floaty and a wooden ladder. Needless to say - God is not limited!

 

Open Doors

Another story I would love to share with you is the time Kristan and I had the open door of sharing our faith with three muslim girls from our ESL Club- Fatima, Hessenia, and Lislan. We discussed what being a follower of Jesus looks like for us personally, the trinity, mother Mary, hearing God's voice, the rapture, and most of all how Jesus is the only key - not the five pillars of Islam or anything else can get us to heaven. They were very curious having had a tainted view of "Christianity" due to media. We were honoring yet real with each other in a loving way, simply discussing and wanting to understand each other. We ended holding hands in prayer. It was beautiful. 

Practical Love

Now, while being in Casablanca one of the weekends we joined a dental campaign taking place in a village a few hours outside the city. My team and I spent the weekend as dental assistants helping to pull teeth, fill cavities, and assist in oral surgeries. Blood squirting up my arm as I'm dodging flying teeth (literally) and holding someones hands as they were having their teeth worked on. It was so beautiful to do such practical help for people and show the love of The Father for them in that way. While it was mostly us girls helping with the dental assisting, the two boys on our team had the privilege of helping with baby boy circumcisions. It was a very important and honored act for the parents. At the end of the weekend someone from the campaign was talking to one of the local villagers and this man with tears in his eyes said "I don't understand why it's the Christians coming to help us and the Muslims aren't." What a testimony to how actions speak louder than words! 

More pictures from the Dental Campaign - 

moroccan transportation 

FUN Moroccan transportation!  

I love doing practical help
to show the love of Jesus

Even MORE in my element
surrounded by a load of
laughing ladies in their
"women's tent" dancing,
eating, & playing charades!

Mark 10:44-45 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Lately

Parents telling jokes and cooking for some friends that came over.
Wish I could be selfish and keep them until I leave. ;) 

Mom made her famous queso!

Talking life over coffee in our PJ's. Perfection.

It was a chill messy bun kinda week.
my parents and I were sitting on the porch one morning
and we saw a dolphin splashing in the ocean!
Reminds me of this wallpaper. 

My parents rented a hotel room before they came
but it got over booked
so the hotel gave my parents a home on the beach for the same price.
WHAT FAVOR! 

Friend Gabby stayed over one night -
we really enjoyed the comfy mattresses.

Lately I have been: 

-so busy in the fact that I didn't realize march was coming up. At the end of this month I'll be on a plane flying over the Atlantic Ocean to another culture, place, and time. Living among unfamiliar people, language, tastes, and smells once again. Oh the excitement that is burning within me to go!

-training with my team. With scarce time remaining until we blast on our voyage across the world - we are cracking down with preparations. Budgets, finances, details, itineraries, ministry opportunities, all of this and more galore - even workouts three mornings a week! 

-blessed that my parents came for a visit. It was so refreshing to see them before I embark again. We had a special time and enjoyed catching up, relaxing, and searching for seashells for the kiddos! A special thanks to my big sis Meghan and my brother in law Cody for taking on the three amigas so my parents could come. Cannot wait to see y'all in a short three months! I am beyond blessed, thank You Jesus. 

-reading a new book series.  Right now I am reading a book series called The Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers. It is a five part series and each book tells the story of a woman leading up to the time of Jesus - His lineage. They talk about the struggles these women went through in their culture, what they went through for their belief, and how they overcame. I am only on the second book (seeing I don't have much time for pleasure reading), but I already recommend it! 

-a forever hopeless romantic. God is continuing to ravish my heart. Everyday more and more I just feel myself getting closer to Him in some simple way. Whether it's in worship, something I hear in class, or a simple thought. It's beautiful.  

Refreshing Tidings .

There are many things God has freed in me this past week - but right now I would like to write about some fun I've had the pleasure of having this weekend. It was my first free weekend since the beginning. God is a God of fun.


A truck load of friends and I drove up to Mauna Kea at 3am Saturday morning -a two hour drive from Kona. It's the highest mountain in the world from under sea level to top. We drove nearly five miles from the top (as far as Chelsea's small truck would volunteer take us) and parked under the spray painted starry sky. I have never seen a sky full of so many stars - and I'm from Texas! We laid in the bed of her truck snuggled with blankets, scarves, sleeping bags, and pillows galore. It was nice to be cold for once when you have many bodies in close proximity to keep warm, I suppose! 
(girlfriends who went: Chelsea, Rebecca, Kerry, Gabriella, Hannah, and Annie) 

Watching the sunrise over the clouds.
PC: Rebecca Hepner

Chilly Saturday morning at Mauna Kea 

 (Annie, Gabriella, Hannah, myself, and Rebecca) 
Some of girls laying the bed of the truck 
at Mauna Kea
watching the stars at 3am until sunrise.

inhale, exhale .

Shortly after we returned home Saturday morning, we all crashed in our beds and relaxed a few hours. Around noon on Saturday I went to the water with my friend Melody and had a picnic. The water was strikingly bluer than usual. 

The water was especially blue,
 I had to capture it.
Kona, Hawaii 

Saturday evening my friend Kesia (my roommate, fellow Engage Staffer, and dear friend) invited a group of girls to her family's house - where I like to go ever so often for a "home" environment. There we all baked sweet goods, played Twister and Apples to Apples, then watched a movie. 

My beloved friend Kesia - this is her family's house//
my escape home.
(the natural sun-rays blow me away)

Kesia and I playing a friendly,
competitive game of Twister. 

I could wash dishes all day
with a view like this! 

The small blessings:
getting to use a kitchen.

It's now Sunday morning and I am contemplating over a hot cup of Chamomile Tea in bed whether or not to go out today - or keep journaling, studying, & listening to podcasts on my fluffy cloud until our staff meeting this evening. 
What do you think?  

The recent things .

Life .  The staffing rush.  The change in weather.  The good moods, the sour ones.  The Outreach revealings.  The preparations.  The classes. The coffee runs.  The revelations.  The twenty-four-hour prayer and worship burn.  The new friendships.  The life transformations.  

Goodness .  The constant goodness of God.  The calm of life has been to a quicker step this month of January.  Extreme joyful highs, and extreme soul wrenching transformations.  The beauty of seeing a fearful student step out in faith.  My heart, mind, and feet have been on the go go go. I enjoy it, I'm thankful.  

So right now I'm stopping - slowing down the record player to reminisce on the first month of 2013.  The students.  I can't express how thrilled I am they are here.  It has been such a ride - I can hardly believe I've only known these radical life changers for merely three weeks.  Maybe since I had been processing their applications, calling, and emailing a number of them four months prior- I feel like I've know them much longer.  They are a unique group of Jesus followers - passionately in love with Jesus. Seeking truth.  Seeking identity.  Seeking God's voice.  I am humbled to be running alongside this team of 51 God-picked students and having my 19 fellow staff family. 


Outreach .  The excitement.  The nerves.  The preparations.  The relationships.  The faith.  The prayer.  March 27 anticipation.  A closed nation. Therefore I cannot post anywhere the location in which I will be leading a team. But if you'd like to know - you can send me a private message and I will gladly tell you so you can keep us in your prayers.  The students recently found out which of the ten outreach locations they will be going on, who their team members are, are their outreach leaders.  It is so fun to be in our outreach teams now - let the bonding begin.  I have five students (4 girls and 1 boy) along with my trusty co-leader/little brother-like friend, Caleb. 

Revelation .  Who are you?  Not your name.  Not your calling.  Not prophetic words. Not what you do.  Not your gifts.  Not your family.  
It's time we sons and daughters of Christ know our identity.  I mean - who are you really.  Are you finding yourself in a bit of an identity crisis? I did.   
David Gava came and taught in our school last week and he brought these truths of who The Lord says we are straight from The Word.  Below I have them listed.  This is profound truth and it removes every lie about what the devil says about you because the truth sets you free from every lie.

I advise printing them out and declaring these truths over yourself daily! 

Quotes .  in relevance to the identity heart-lesson. 
"If you don't know who you are - you will always compete with the person next to you." 
"If you don't know your identity - it affect what you think about God." 
"To think that we can find our identity, purpose, and meaning in life apart from God is the deception of sin." -Diane Kurtnbach 
"If you see yourself as your sin - than your sin has become an idol." 
"When we find out who God is - we find out who we are." 
"God speaks to the potential He sees in you." 
"Christ did not die for a denomination, but for a person." 
"'How' is never a question we should ask God, that's His business - not ours." 

Identity . 

·         I am Redeemed (Rev 5:9)

·        I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20)

·        I am Blood bought (1 Pet 1:19, Rev 5:9)

·        I am valuable to God (Mt 10:31)

·        I am one in which God has an inheritance (Eph 1:18)

·        I am reconciled to God (2 Cor 5:18)

·        I am made clean (Jn 13:10)

·        I am saved by the Gospel (1 Cor 15:2)

·        I am born again of incorruptible seed (1 Peter 1:23)

·        I am a new creation (2 Cor 5:17)

·        I am in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:30)

·        I am complete in Him (Col 2:10)

·        I am free from the control of man (1 Cor 9:19)

·        I am free from sin (Romans 6:18,22)

·        I am free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2)

·        I am free from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13)

·        I am free indeed (John 8:32-36)

·        I am called according to His purpose (Rom 8:30)

·        I am called into the fellowship of His Son (1 Cor 1:9)

·        I am called to peace (1 Cor 7:15)

·        I am called to liberty (Gal 5:13)

·        I am called to His eternal glory (1 Peter 5:10)

·        I am God's field (1 Cor 3:9)

·        I am God's building (1 Cor 3:9)

·        I am a branch connected into the Vine Jesus Christ and His life flows through me (John 15:5)

·        I am healed from every infirmity (1 Peter 2;24, Isaiah 53:5)

·        I am immune from every sickness and disease (Ex 23:25, Deut 7:15)

·        I am an epistle of Christ, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God (2 Corinthians 3:3)

·        I am Christ's (1 Cor 3:23)

·        I am the Friend of God (Jn 15:15)

·        I am a servant of God (1 Cor 9:19)

·        I am a part of the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)

·        I am one of the saints in Christ Jesus. (Romans 1:6, Galatians 3:28)

·        I am a fellow citizen with all the saints in the Kingdom of God (Eph 2:19)

·        I am the temple of the Lord and the Holy Spirit dwells within me (1 Cor 3:16, 6:19, 2 Cor 6:16, John 14:7)

·         I am Abraham's seed (Galatians 3:29)

·        I am an heir according to the promises made to Abraham. (Galatians 3:29)

·        I am part of a chosen generation (1 Peter 2:9)

·        I am a member of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9)

·        I am a citizen of a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9)

·        I am one of His own special people (1 Peter 2:9)

·        I am an heir of God a joint heir with Jesus Christ (Gal 4:7)

·        I am member of the household of God (Eph 2:19)

·        I am a child of the most high God (Rom 8:16, Gal 3:26, Gal 4:7)

·        I am a child of light (Ephesians 5:8, 1 Thess 5:8)

·        I am a child of the day (1 Thess 5:8)

·        I am a proclaimer of the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)

·        I am light in the Lord. (Eph 5:8)

·        I am the light of the world (Matt 5:14)

·        I am the salt of the earth (Matt 5:13)

·        I am blessed in the city and in the country (Deut 28:3)

·        I am the Father/Mother of blessed children (Deut 28:4)

·         I am blessed in all I lay my hands to (Deut 28:4-5,8)

·         I am blessed when I come in and when I go out (Deut 28:6)

·         I am invincible before my enemies (Deut 28:7)

·         I am the head and not the tail (Deut 28:13)

·         I am above and not beneath (Deut 28:13)

·         I am a lender not a borrower (Deut 15:6, 28:12)

·         I am strong in the Lord (1 John 2:14)

·         I am one in whom the word of God abides (1 John 2:14)

·         I am one who has overcome the wicked one (1 John 2:14)

·         I am rich in Him (Romans 8:32, Rev 2:9)

·        I am gifted with powerful gifts from the Holy Ghost (1 Cor 12:4-11)

·         I am a believer in Jesus Christ therefore I am one who casts out demons in His Name (Mark 16:17)

·       I am one who speaks with new tongues (Mark 16:17)

·       I am one who has power over serpents (Mark 16:18)

·       I am one who cannot be poisoned (Mark 16:18)

·       I am one who lays hands on the sick, so that they will recover (Mark 16:18)

·       I am one who loves (Gal 5:22, 1 John 4:16)

·       I am one who has joy (Gal 5:22, John 15:11)

·       I am one who has peace (Gal 5:22, John 14:27)

·       I am one who has patience (Gal 5:22)

·       I am one who has kindness (Gal 5:22)

·       I am one who has goodness (Gal 5:22)

·       I am one who has faith (Gal 5:22)

·        I am one who has gentleness (Gal 5:23)

·       I am one who has self-control (Gal 5:23)

·       I am one who has all the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22,23)

·       I am one who has the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16)

·       I am led by the Spirit of God (Gal 5:18)

·        I am chosen (1 Cor 1:27,28, James 2:5)

·       I am a disciple (John 8:31)

·       I am a priest (1 Peter 2:9, Rev 1:6)

·       I am a king (Rev 1:6)

·       I am an ambassador for Christ (1 Cor 5:20)

·       I am an intercessor who stands in the gap (Ezek 22:30)

·       I am a watchman on the wall (Ezek 3:17)

·       I am baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4)

·       I am endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49)

·       I am one who has overcome (1 Jn 4:4)

·       I am one who has been freely given all things through Christ (Rom 8:32, 1 Cor 3:21)

·       I am one who can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13)

·       I am one God always leads in triumph in Christ (2 Cor 2:14)

·       I am one God gives the victory to through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:57)

·       I am one who has within him the One who is greater than he that is in the world. (1 Jn 4:4)

·       I am one who treads upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent I trample underfoot (Ps 91:13)

·       I am one who can run through a troop and leap over a wall (Ps 18:29)

·       I am a soldier of Christ (2 Tim 2:3-4)

·       I am a royal horse in the day of battle (Zech 10:3)

·       I am fully armed with weapons that are mighty through God (2 Cor 10:5)

·       I am more than a conqueror (Rom 8:37)

·       I am able to pull down strongholds (2 Cor 10:5)

·       I am able to cast down imaginations and every high lofty thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Cor 10:5)

·       I am able to bring into captivity every thought (2 Cor 10:5)

·       I am a stranger to this world, a pilgrim just passing through (Heb 11:13)

·       I am a witness (1 Thess 2:10)

·       I am bold (2 Cor 11:21)

·       I am the Bride of Jesus Christ (Rev 21:2-10)

·       I am jealous for the saints with a godly jealousy. (2 Corinthians 11:2)

·       I am a minister of the Gospel of Christ (2 Cor 11:23, Romans 1:16)

·       I am not my own (1 Cor 6:19)

·        I am not of this world (John 15:9)

·       I am not under the law (Gal 5:18)

·       I am not a slave (Gal 4:7)

·       I am not inferior (Job 13:2)

·       I am not alone (John 8:16, 16:32)

·       I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ (Rom 1:16)

·       I am not ashamed of who I am (2 Tim 1:12)

 Challenge .  Join me.  Find at least two people to encourage everyday.  If you can't think of what to say - ask The Lord what He thinks about that person.  It's amazing how much we can get filled when we encourage others.