kavita

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I last posted but God is still so good and moving in such incredible ways on my team! Daily we are hearing stories of His provision and favor as the rest of our group continues to collect their funds- believing they will all be supplied for!

I dont have much to report on as far as that goes :) My trip has been completely covered and then some! I won't even have to pay for a meal in the airport or supplies for my trip. Thank you everyone for donating and for sowing prayer into my passion. Now that its all out of the way I'm even more excited because I can really begin to focus and prepare my heart for India. Please continue to pray for me as I discover a lot about myself with the Lord. Its slightly intimidating but really encouraging to learn things I can work on and ways I can be developed, before we leave and while we are there.

I have also been praying for the sweet little lives we are about to change forever- holy cow this is such an awesome thought! In less than 2 months, we get to lead children into their first home, their first family, their first place of safety and refuge AND tell them how much Jesus loves them. Here is just one of the precious faces I will get to meet and I ask that you begin praying for them too, lifting them up by name before the Lord. My new goal is to post one child a day that we can pray for together.

Here is Kavita. She will be celebrating her 8th birthday while we are there!

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name..." bits and pieces of Psalm 91

 
 
[Countdown to India: 53 days]

extravagance

I realize I just blogged yesterday but like I've said a million times- my blog cannot keep up with the goodness of God. So today not only did I reach the total amount of my trip BUT I received OVER $2,995 and enough to cover my visa, and my shot which actually is $102, not $51- the wonderful woman at the health department left that detail out when I last called. So, call me a broken record but I cant stop saying it and I wont anytime soon- GOD IS MY PROVIDER. AND He is the God of MORE THAN ENOUGH. Not just the exact amount I need but above and beyond my needs- needs I don't even see. I didn't know the shot was double the amount. But because my God is good and anticipates my needs before I have them, He had already met that need :) YAAAAYYYYY---> its my new word. I just want to say it all the time. I have the best Father. He is just wow. I serve the God of surplus. Everything in abundance. And its because of His faithfulness that all this happened. Its not just specific to me. I used this example earlier with my friend and I hope it makes sense to you.

In my brain its like Jesus is a baker. He makes THE best cakes ever. And He loves making cakes for people, Hes just waiting for someone to order one so He can 1. show off how great of a baker He is and 2. because He wants everyone to enjoy his wonderful cakes. Its almost upsetting when no one orders a cake because, hes a baker, that's what he is supposed to be doing. Jesus has the best miracles and blessings and plans all for us, just waiting. All he needs is someone God expectant, someone God ready to ask for them! Its disappointing when He doesn't get to do for us what He wants to do because we believe He can we just don't know if He will. For us. I mean because we have pasts and we make and will make more mistakes and maybe that only happened in the Bible times. Wrong wrong wrong and then wrong again. He does it now! and He wants to do it all the time, for everyone!

I cant begin to explain how much my faith has grown just in 3 days. I cant begin to describe how my perspective of God has changed. I feel like I'm really starting to see Him for who He truly is. Let me tell you He is beyond my wildest imagination. Oh man, yaaaayyyyyyy!

He loves us extravagantly- exceeding the limits of reason or necessity, lacking in moderation balance or restraint, excessively elaborate....that is good right there.

Just think about that. Good night all! And you can keep giving to my trip if you want- it will just go towards my group- either way an awesome way to spend your money!

[Countdown to India: 69 days]

YAY!!!!!!

I cannot say enough about the goodness of God and I'll tell you why. Yesterday I woke up with a determination in my heart. I was set on being faithful, set on waiting on the Lord, set on expecting his promises. I read the night before in Psalm 18:30- God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true- and thought to myself, well, He's promised to be my provider and His way is perfect (2+2=4) so He absolutely is going to provide for me. I'm saying all this to myself as I check my spreadsheet that reminds me I have over $1800 left to raise, by Friday. This Friday, of this week. Crazy. That's when it all really hit me. In Ephesians 3:20 God says that he can do EXCEEDINGLY and ABUNDANTLY MORE than we could ever ask or think. I think of $1800 in 4 days and God says- think again, I can do MORE. And then I start to see that this is the perfect situation. Of course I need this much in this amount of time, this is something only God can do. God loves "impossible" situations. It is in these "impossible" situations that He gets to show up and rock our worlds, show us who He really is, be all that His word has promised He is. This way He gets the glory. This way its not me, not anyone else, not coincidence- it could only be and can only be Jesus.

So I'm telling my friend all this who is also going on the trip and I'm getting pumped. I'm like "yes Jesus, wait until Friday if you want. whatever it takes to give you the glory." I was determined to expect nothing less than for Jesus to do what He does.

SO THEN> I leave working out with my friend (the one I told my above rant to) and I get home. I have like 5 missed calls from my best friend from home so I call her back. She tells me that her dad heard about my trip and decided to donate.... drum roll please.... $1500. I was beyond stunned and shocked. I didn't even send him a support letter. I didn't move, I just stood there with my mouth gaping. Then this morning I had several more people email me to say they put checks in the mail today for my trip.

I say all this to say that Jesus is GOOD. Beyond GOOD. Its His compassion that causes Him to move on our behalf in whatever situation, for whatever we are believing Him for. He says in Malachi 3:10-"Test me in this and see...." We are called to test him at His promises, to remind Him of who He is and what He says Hes going to do. Don't be shy when talking to God, His word says that you have not because you ask not! So ask!

I asked the Lord to move on my behalf for His glory so here goes- glory to God, He is the mighty King, my Provider, my Protector, my Father. He does more than I could ever hope or dream and I'm just so thankful that He loves me. That He loved me first. And nothing I do will ever change that. I love Him. And once again I'm blown away by Him-how He moves and His compassion for me. praise praise praise praise praise. the end.

p.s. our money deadline was extended too so even more glory to God!

[Countdown to India: 70 days]

awaken

Just a quick financial update for everyone- our money is due THIS FRIDAY- so praise be to God for already providing for our whole team- I just know he will do it.


So far, my total is $1415, $1160 towards the $3000 trip cost. If you are reading this and would like to give towards my trip, checks may be made payable to Cornerstone Summit Church with India in the memo. Make sure to attach something that indicates its for me. Checks can be sent to:
                                                     
                                                       Cornerstone Summit Church
                                                       869 Highway 105 Ext. Suite 3
                                                       Boone, NC 28607

Anyways, I learned this week more about the trip and I wanted to share some of it with you. Throughout this process, I haven't been sure why Jesus asked me to go on this trip specifically- though I know hes asked me to. The other trip to Ecuador seems much more "my thing" with its focus being street evangelism. Yesterday I found out that during part of our time we will be participating in the Awaken Women's Conference and suddenly its all starting to make sense. The main purpose of this conference is to awaken women to who they are in Christ, to help them break free of the things holding them back. What a humbling thought. If you think about this conference in an American context its great and I imagine women being freed from insecurity, bad self image, abuse, heartache etc. But bring it to India and I see women getting freed from a culture that says they are worthless because they are women, a religion that doesn't place any value on them, a society that ( as you remember from the article I posted some time ago) says they are unwanted. My heart is aching but bursting because I am so saddened but at the same time overjoyed to think of the freedom that is coming to India, to these precious daughters of God.

If you cant tell, Im beyond excited. This countdown to June 14th seems like an eternity even though Im sure it will be here before I know it.

My prayer request today is for the women of Bihar we will meet. The women that God is already drawing to this conference. That their hearts will be open to receiving Christ's unfathomable love and desire for them. That nothing would hold them back from coming, from believing and from walking in that even after we leave. And I pray that for you to. I pray that for myself. Lets walk in the fullness of who we are as daughters today. [Same goes for you guys :)]

Yay for telling people about Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!

Check it out: http://www.awakenconference.com/

[Countdown to India: 72 days]