The Ultimate Protector and Provider

At times, situations are not what we would like them to be and that has seemed to be the case throughout this past week. In the midst of all that though it is good to realize that God has things planned out just the way He wants them. It is not about what we want, it is about what He wants for us. I have been shown that I was not called here for my plans or to be comfortable. Our walk as Christians is not supposed to be easy. Times are going to be tough but this is when He expects to turn to Him and look to Him for our strength.Now this does not mean that we are always going to be struggling with things. God also blesses us and allows times t be good. These are times that we will grow to cherish.

We spend quite a bit of time waiting to figure out what we are going to do or what our advisors want us to do. In these many times I have been able to read and pray quite a bit. I find myself looking and talking to God more than I ever have in my life. There are very few distractions here and so it is good to just sit in silent prayer for the people I have come in contact with. It was in one of these silent times that I came across Colossians 4:5-6 which says, "Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace."

God has blessed me so much this past week and I have been able to realize even more how amazing He truly is. This past week started out differently than I could have ever imagined. My good friend Emily, who happened to be on the same internship, was not feeling well. I was able to hang out with her the first couple days of the week. On Tuesday night she was able to go back home and is feeling better now. I am so thankful that she was able to return home safely. By Tuesday night I was wondering what the rest of the week was going to turn out to be like. After pondering it for a while I just had to give it to God. It does not matter what I think or what I want to happen. What does matter is that God has it all planned out along with the rest of my life. It is so encouraging to know that our Perfect Creator is in control of my life and that He will never put me in danger. He will ALWAYS protect me and provide for me.

The end of the week was definitely a gift for God. I was introduced to Diana, a girl whom I get the opportunity to counsel the rest of the summer! Our first meeting was a little shakey because I was so new to her and we had never met before. I was definitely discouraged but then asked God for his guidance and counseling and at our second session she was able to open up a little more to me. We need to let ourselves go and let God.

The people of Mathare are helping me more than I could have ever imagined. I am learning more each and every day. In Romans 12:13 it mentions sharing with those who are in need. Coming in to this I was selfish and thought that I was going to help all the people who are need here. Maybe I should have taken a step back and realized how needy I was and how they are going to help me. God is changing my life through this experience and through these people and I would not have it any other way.

ATTENTION: Our fasting date has changed but it would be great if you are sill able to fast with the interns. If you have no clue what I am talking about I mentioned it in my previous blog. The new date for this is just the next week on Friday July 13, 2012. Thank ya!

In Him,

Alicia

Therefore, Humble Yourselves Like Children

Week one in Mathare has flown by. We started out our time going through orientation in five different departments. The departments are Community Health Evangelism (CHE), Spiritual Development and Counseling, Social Work, and Microfinance. It was great to see how all of the different departments are helping people in such different ways.After the orientations, I was placed in social work for half the time I am here and in counseling the other half.

The Kenyans we are working with have been very welcoming. Last Friday the host missionaries, Keith and Kathy Ham, had us over for dinner and they made us spaghetti and meatballs. It was fun to get to know them and hear about what all they do. Mary and Wallace Kamau are the nationals who started Missions of Hope International (MOHI). They have a huge heart for people and genuinely care for each individual they come in contact with. I have not had much time to talk with them but they have invited us over for dinner tonight. Our group as a whole will get to know them better and hear more about how they decided God was calling them to start MOHI.

Over the last few days I have been able to spend some time with some amazing children. I got the opportunity to teach them songs and games and in return they taught me some songs and they also taught me how to dance.It was great to see the excitement they had in their faces. They are so innocent and joyful even after all they have seen and lived through. Seeing and realizing this reminds me of the verses in Matthew 18:3-4 which says, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Our minds have been corrupted by the things of this world and God has called us to humble ourselves like these children in the midst of it all. It literally breaks my heart to see a child so hungry that they have to resort to eating styrafoam or plastic and they think nothing of it. These children are running around giggling and singing joyful songs. They are the ones who truly know what it means to be humble.

This has shown me that I don't need worldly possessions to make me happy. If I hand everything over to God He will take care of it in the best way possible. The people of Mathare are welcoming and very kind and it is going to be a changing summer being able to get to know these people more and getting to talk with them. God has called each and every one of us to the places we are and there is a specific reason He has called us. I am excited to see where God is going to take us interns this summer and what He is going to reveal to us.

Ok supporters, I need your support. One of our interns has an idea and the rest of our group realized that it was a good idea. We have decided that in a few weeks we are going to fast from food all day and we would like for all of you to join us. We are going to fast from sun-up to sun-down on Friday, July 6th. If you are not able to fast the whole day maybe you could fast a meal, the TV, music, or even your cell phone. The reason for doing this is so that we will be reminded to pray for the people of Mathare and really focus on God during the times we would regularly eat. I just ask that you please consider and pray for this to see if this is something you would be willing to do. Also, please continue praying for our team and the people of Mathare.
 Until next time, God Bless!

In Him,
Alicia

Deuces America!

After sitting through meeting for the past five days, the team is now packing and flying out tomorrow. We leave the place we have been staying around 9:00 AM and our plane is scheduled to take off at 12:25. After all of the preparation and information we have gone through we are now a little more prepared to take this journey the Lord is leading us on. As more time passes I find myself experiencing almost every emotion you could possibly imagine. I have noticed that over the course of these five days the Lord has really softened my heart and has allowed me to see how important it is to ask for help sometimes
For most of my life I have been the person to jump right in and help someone in need. If someone needs a person to listen to them I am willing to listen no matter what they need to say. Something that God has really laid on my heart is that even though it is good to be the one who is there for others, it is ok to let others be there for me and help me out. This is something that really hit me hard. For some reason, it has always been hard for me to ask for help. I want to do things on my own and be the tough person. This is not a good attitude to have because God did not intend for us to do things on our own. God intended for us to build each other up and when we are struggling to ask others for help. Especially when in a different culture, a person is going to need help physically and emotionally, and spiritually. The Mathare Valley team is filled with amazing people who have all been given different gifts and talents. Already, we are able to go up to one another and ask for help or offer our help whether that be in a task or praying for one another. "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2

In saying this, I ask that you be praying for our team in our travels and also when we arrive in Mathare Valley. Also, I ask that you please keep the other interns in your prayers as well. There are 37 interns all together and all are going to many different places across the world. We cannot do what we need to do without the help of our supporters nor without the help of God. I thank you all so much for your prayers and support! Please continue praying throughout the summer.