Before I forget (or lose my journal), I wanted to take a moment and write out all the various things God has taught me these last few months, along with Scriptures that correlate to some of the lessons. Several of these came out of some very sweet quiet times, while others same during my morning prayer time during my commute to work. Some of the lessons came with much soul-searching and contemplation, while others are just flat-out basic things that I had to be reminded of because I was going through some stuff at the time. They have both challenged and encouraged me, and I am grateful to worship a God who teaches as well as loves.
1) I have to stop wanting to be like others! When I say that, I mean I want to stop trying to model how I love God, worship God and serve God based on how other people do those things. I need to stop because I only need to model my life after Christ. God has put so many faithful and sold-out people in my life, but I think their purpose is to point me more towards Christ through encouragement, prayer and love, not for me to obsessively compare myself to them. I always feel like I'm falling short, but it's because I'm always trying to find fault with how God made me. I know no two people can ever be at the same place spiritually, emotionally, and mentally, so why do I spend time mentally redoing what God has already established in me? Who am I to do that?? At the heart of it, when I am wasting time looking at other people's lives for the purpose of comparing or finding fault, then it means I am not focused on God and not looking at the example His precious Son set for me.
2 Corinthians 10:12
We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
2) I need to be in constant prayer about my job and work environment. God has placed me there for a reason, and I spend 8 hours surrounded by a whole host of influences, behaviors and attitudes. Am I going to be influenced, or will I influence others for Christ? Also, my attitude about my job needs to change, with an emphasis on rejoicing in the fact that I have a great job with really good coworkers, instead of being unproductive and lazy and pessimistic.
Psalm 90:17
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands.
3) Right now I am in my first year of BSF and we are studying the life of Moses. During a lesson a few months ago, we learned about Moses taking advice from his father-in-law Jethro. During the lecture that evening, I was hit with a conviction lightning bolt about how I need to not take any of them for granted, and rejoice for the relationships I have with each one. Not every one has healthy, open relationships with their in-laws, and I am so blessed to be able to spend time with each one without the dread or anxiety others may feel at the thought of spending time with their in-laws. I love each one dearly, and I am grateful to have such loving and considerate in-laws.
Exodus 18: 7-8
So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them.
4) This one was a doozy for me. I don't know if I have mentioned it before on the blog, but my husband and I have been praying and trying to have children for a while now. Through this time, God has been incredibly and abundantly faithful in keeping me focused on Him and not turning into a fretful, ovulation-obssessed bundle of raw nerves and hysteria. However, during this same time, I too often allow myself to entertain thoughts about how long I am willing to wait for God, and what our other "options" might be. How long is too long to wait on Him? During some quiet time reflection, He spoke very gently to my heart and asked if I was waiting on Him, or if I was waiting on His will and timing only in regards to children. Why aren't I just waiting on Him and seeking His will for my life without conditions or expectations? I cannot make my obedience to him dependent on what He may or may not do for me. I must focus on waiting on and serving Him for who He is, and not for what He can do for me. If I am always waiting on Him for something, then I am setting myself up for certain disappoinment.
Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
Psalm 130:5
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
Psalm 25:5
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long
5) God and I spent some time alone this evening, and at the end of my prayer time, He put this on my heart: He has already spoken directly to us through His word, the Bible. It gives comfort, guidance, peace, truth and so much more, but am I listening to it? I have been told by honest and loving people that I need to work on my listening skills. I tend to be the type that half-listens while thinking of things to say in response. With the Bible, it's no different. Often I pray earnestly to know God better, and to have more of Scripture impressed into my heart. But when it comes to the Bible, too often I half-read while thinking of other things. I live in a country with the greatest access to the Scripture, among the whole span of history, and yet I still don't really delve into it as I should. I don't seek it as a precious jewel, or treat it like the treasure it is. I have access to the living Word of God, spoken and written for you and me, and yet I don't tear into it half as fast as I tear open my latest Entertainment Weekly or other magazines. Blech! Woe is me, not just for my unclean lips, but for my unclean eyes, desiring so many things before I desire time with the precious Word of God!
Good night.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Monday, October 13, 2008
Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder
I've heard that saying a lot over the years, and had come to understand and appreciate its meaning during several key events of my life. But, this simple phrase became so very real to me yesterday morning when I stood in church and worshipped there for the first time in over a month. Because of Hurricane Ike, our two weeks away in Russia, and then some crappy stomach pains I had last week, I had missed several weeks of church.
While in Russia I had several chances to participate in individual worship as well as corporate worship with our brothers and sisters there. But, being back home at our church, seeing the familiar faces of those who partnered with us through prayer and support, and then hearing the powerful and majestic music of praise to our Lord was almost too much for me. I felt like my insides were going to burst with a mix of joy and awe and peace and reverance.
Hearing these words being sung aloud to a sovereign and glorious God, especially in light of what I just witnessed Him do in Russia, was definitely a high point for me.
After wrapping up my BSF lesson tonight, I began reading some of Psalms, and I came across Psalm 144, where David tells God he will sing a new song to him, and will play a 10-stringed harp for him. Throughout this book and others are countless stories of men and women singing praises to God and playing instruments to Him. It made me stop and think about the first ones on earth who played music. Did they understand what it was right away? Did they begin to look for more things that would make interesting sounds and noises? And once they found an instrument, at what point did they realize they could use it to make joyful noises unto the Lord? When did they realize their voices could be a way to honor and celebrate God and His goodness?
Thinking of all this made me realize how gracious God was to give us music. He could have just been ok with us speaking praises to Him alone. Or writing Him a nice letter of praise and thanks and petitions. But, he allows us to experience this rich and rewarding gift, and then use it to give Him thanks for it. I love that He loves music and worship in its various forms. I can't wait to find out what heavenly music and worship will sound like.
While in Russia I had several chances to participate in individual worship as well as corporate worship with our brothers and sisters there. But, being back home at our church, seeing the familiar faces of those who partnered with us through prayer and support, and then hearing the powerful and majestic music of praise to our Lord was almost too much for me. I felt like my insides were going to burst with a mix of joy and awe and peace and reverance.
Hearing these words being sung aloud to a sovereign and glorious God, especially in light of what I just witnessed Him do in Russia, was definitely a high point for me.
After wrapping up my BSF lesson tonight, I began reading some of Psalms, and I came across Psalm 144, where David tells God he will sing a new song to him, and will play a 10-stringed harp for him. Throughout this book and others are countless stories of men and women singing praises to God and playing instruments to Him. It made me stop and think about the first ones on earth who played music. Did they understand what it was right away? Did they begin to look for more things that would make interesting sounds and noises? And once they found an instrument, at what point did they realize they could use it to make joyful noises unto the Lord? When did they realize their voices could be a way to honor and celebrate God and His goodness?
Thinking of all this made me realize how gracious God was to give us music. He could have just been ok with us speaking praises to Him alone. Or writing Him a nice letter of praise and thanks and petitions. But, he allows us to experience this rich and rewarding gift, and then use it to give Him thanks for it. I love that He loves music and worship in its various forms. I can't wait to find out what heavenly music and worship will sound like.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
"So How Was Your Trip?"
I have had about 50 people ask me that question so far, and the first response I come up with is, "Great!" To be quite honest, after a few days back home, my first answer was a little more "good" than "great". What caused the difference?
The reason is comparison.
When I first came back, I struggled nearly every day to not compare this trip to last year's trip. Last year's trip was an epiphany for me, opening my eyes to God's vastness and power and beauty and holiness and mercy in an immediate way. I saw Him in ways I never thought would be possible for someone as broken as me. It was also the catalyst for new ministry opportunities, as well as deeper investment and involvement in other people's lives.
I do see that He changed me as a result of this trip, albeit in vastly different ways than last year. Instead of an immediate charge of excitement and zeal, I came back with a lot of quiet reflection and clarity about how God used me and grew me during my time there. I had a lot of powerful and exciting conversations last year, with four women praying to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. This time, I didn't have those same kind of "powerful" conversations, but I did have good conversations where I either got to present the gospel or encourage someone in their walk with God.
The only reason this trip initially seemed "lesser" than last year's is because I kept comparing the two, to my own detriment. After much praying, I see now that God had very specific lessons for my last trip. This time, there were different lessons and experiences to be had, but I was so busy comparing and expecting something else that I almost missed the point entirely.
The point is that God is the same then, now and forever. He worked in incredible, vivid ways last year, and He was the same incredible, vivid God this time, but it's my own narrow vision and scope that saw less and celebrated less.
My vision has to change. I don't want to look at mission trips like these and see them for what I think they are. I want to see them as God sees them, and celebrate every person, conversation and opportunity. I want to look back and not have regret over things that could have been said or done differently, but to look at them with excitement and fervent joy and happiness because of who He is. I want to be overjoyed thinking back at all the times I was out of my comfort zone, whether it was sharing my testimony in front of 30 people, or helping entertain a room full of school kids, or being stranded on a quiet highway in a broken bus.
More importantly, my life's focus has to be on Christ and what He did for me on the cross, and nothing else. No experience or conversation or moment will ever match or compare. That is what I want people to know about my life and my heart. That I was forever changed because of what He did, and not what I saw or experienced. My belief in Him and His love and forgiveness and mercy and righteousness is what makes me who I am.
"The greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things. The redemption of Christ is not an experience, it is the great act of God which He has performed through Christ, and I have to build my faith on it. If I construct my faith on my own experience, I produce the most unscriptural kind of life— an isolated life, with my eyes focused solely on my own holiness. Beware of that human holiness that is not based on the atonement of the Lord. It has no value for anything except a life of isolation— it is useless to God and a nuisance to man. Measure every kind of experience you have by our Lord Himself. We cannot do anything pleasing to God unless we deliberately build on the foundation of the atonement by the Cross of Christ."
- Oswald Chambers
Here are some pictures from the trip. Enjoy!
From our room in Moscow.
Me, Erik, his interpreter Alain, Sasha (in the middle with shorter hair), her friend Irya, and her brother Vovo. When I met Sasha in the park, she had a tiny kitten hidden inside her hoodie. I am not a fan of cats, but this was one of the cutest cats I'd ever seen. I was thrilled she came and brought her friend and brother.
Two shy girls at our children's program Tuesday night. They were very sweet and had a lot of fun playing Hot Potato.
The reason is comparison.
When I first came back, I struggled nearly every day to not compare this trip to last year's trip. Last year's trip was an epiphany for me, opening my eyes to God's vastness and power and beauty and holiness and mercy in an immediate way. I saw Him in ways I never thought would be possible for someone as broken as me. It was also the catalyst for new ministry opportunities, as well as deeper investment and involvement in other people's lives.
I do see that He changed me as a result of this trip, albeit in vastly different ways than last year. Instead of an immediate charge of excitement and zeal, I came back with a lot of quiet reflection and clarity about how God used me and grew me during my time there. I had a lot of powerful and exciting conversations last year, with four women praying to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. This time, I didn't have those same kind of "powerful" conversations, but I did have good conversations where I either got to present the gospel or encourage someone in their walk with God.
The only reason this trip initially seemed "lesser" than last year's is because I kept comparing the two, to my own detriment. After much praying, I see now that God had very specific lessons for my last trip. This time, there were different lessons and experiences to be had, but I was so busy comparing and expecting something else that I almost missed the point entirely.
The point is that God is the same then, now and forever. He worked in incredible, vivid ways last year, and He was the same incredible, vivid God this time, but it's my own narrow vision and scope that saw less and celebrated less.
My vision has to change. I don't want to look at mission trips like these and see them for what I think they are. I want to see them as God sees them, and celebrate every person, conversation and opportunity. I want to look back and not have regret over things that could have been said or done differently, but to look at them with excitement and fervent joy and happiness because of who He is. I want to be overjoyed thinking back at all the times I was out of my comfort zone, whether it was sharing my testimony in front of 30 people, or helping entertain a room full of school kids, or being stranded on a quiet highway in a broken bus.
More importantly, my life's focus has to be on Christ and what He did for me on the cross, and nothing else. No experience or conversation or moment will ever match or compare. That is what I want people to know about my life and my heart. That I was forever changed because of what He did, and not what I saw or experienced. My belief in Him and His love and forgiveness and mercy and righteousness is what makes me who I am.
"The greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things. The redemption of Christ is not an experience, it is the great act of God which He has performed through Christ, and I have to build my faith on it. If I construct my faith on my own experience, I produce the most unscriptural kind of life— an isolated life, with my eyes focused solely on my own holiness. Beware of that human holiness that is not based on the atonement of the Lord. It has no value for anything except a life of isolation— it is useless to God and a nuisance to man. Measure every kind of experience you have by our Lord Himself. We cannot do anything pleasing to God unless we deliberately build on the foundation of the atonement by the Cross of Christ."
- Oswald Chambers
Here are some pictures from the trip. Enjoy!
From our room in Moscow.
Me, Erik, his interpreter Alain, Sasha (in the middle with shorter hair), her friend Irya, and her brother Vovo. When I met Sasha in the park, she had a tiny kitten hidden inside her hoodie. I am not a fan of cats, but this was one of the cutest cats I'd ever seen. I was thrilled she came and brought her friend and brother.
Two shy girls at our children's program Tuesday night. They were very sweet and had a lot of fun playing Hot Potato.
Me and Dinara during our home visit with Nina, one of the graduates from a rehab center in Verknee Hava just outside Voronezh. She is a believer, and asked us to keep her family in our prayers. She and her husband desire to raise their children in a God-honoring way, and pray their children would all be strong followers of God.
A concert in Shilova by some of the church youth. They were amazing, and sang with a lot of passion. They sang "How Great is Our God", which is one of my favorites.
Finally, this is me with my awesome interpreter Dinara. I was so blessed to meet her and work with her!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Back in Houston
I just realized that I forgot to update you all and let you know that we did make it home ok on Sunday evening. Sorry! I'm back at work, recovering from jet lag, but doing well. More to come later!
Love,
Nickie
Love,
Nickie
Friday, September 26, 2008
Goodbye for now
Just a quick note before we get ready to leave for the train station back to Moscow. I want to thank everyone for their commitment to pray for our trip and group, especially in light of what's going on back home. It seems like things have not improved much in Houston, and that the nightly news only gets worse. If there's anything I've learned from my time here in Russia, it's that God is so much bigger than the issues we face, and that the verse from John 16 is true. In this world we will have trouble, but He has overcome the world.
It has been nice to be able to leave normal life behind for a week and focus solely on working with ministry events here in the city. But, the true challenge becomes taking what He's shown me here, and what He's taught me here, applying it to the "normal life." One of the things I will take back home is a deeper appreciation for the beauty of simple worship. Hearing familiar Christian worship songs being sung in Russian by people completely on fire for God gives me a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes like nothing else.
More on this later, because we have to start packing for the train to Moscow. Thank you again, and I look forward to sharing more stories later.
Love,
Nickie
It has been nice to be able to leave normal life behind for a week and focus solely on working with ministry events here in the city. But, the true challenge becomes taking what He's shown me here, and what He's taught me here, applying it to the "normal life." One of the things I will take back home is a deeper appreciation for the beauty of simple worship. Hearing familiar Christian worship songs being sung in Russian by people completely on fire for God gives me a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes like nothing else.
More on this later, because we have to start packing for the train to Moscow. Thank you again, and I look forward to sharing more stories later.
Love,
Nickie
Thursday, September 25, 2008
More Voronezh Updates
Hi all! I am finally getting to post an update again, although now our ministry week is almost over. It has been an exciting and rewarding time here in Voronezh, and we've seen God do amazing things. Erik and haven't seen much of each other the last few days since we've been working on separate ministry projects, so he may have to find out what I've been up to by checking my blog :)
Anyway, so that you know what I've been up to, here's a brief recap:
On Monday Erik and I spent time working with a local pastor to promote a movie night and brief concert. We had about 12 people from the local community there, and many of them heard the gospel for the first time. A girl I met in the park (Sasha) came and brought her brother and school friend, so I got to share with them and get to know them better. They were very sweet and were eager to return to the church that weekend for youth ministry events.
On Tuesday, I was working again with the same pastor, only this time we invited neighborhood children to the children's program we held that night. A lot of the kids were thrilled to talk to Americans, and we saw lots of smiling faces and nervous giggles as we spoke in English to them. We had a turnout of about 16 kids, with 8 praying to accept Christ. The kids had a lot of fun playing games, and wearing their balloon hats we made for them, and they were over the moon at getting American candy. It was amazing to see how engrossed they were during the gospel presentation and how much fun they had with games and gifts that probably would have been been considered boring to American children.
Wednesday we visited a rehab center/working farm in a city two hours outside of Voronezh. The local pastor had been praying for years to get the facility built because of his heart for drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and it was exciting to tour a building that God had so graciously provided for his group. God is changing so many hearts and lives at this center, so I was grateful to visit and meet some of the graduates. We later had a home visit with a woman named Nina, who was a graduate of the rehab center. She shared her testimony of a difficult youth and how several major setbacks drove her to seek solace in alcohol. She was homeless for a while and felt utter despair until she began to hear about God's love for her. She entered the rehab center and immediately felt God working in her life, giving her strength and encouragement to get better. She gave her heart to God while there, and later met the man who would later become her husband, who was also a graduate of the facility. She asked us to keep her family in our prayers because she and her husband want to make sure they raise their three children in a godly home so they don't make the mistakes they both did. It was an amazing time visiting with her, and I will have to post more on our visit later.
I've got to wrap up the recap for now, so hopefully I can post the Wednesday night and Thursday events once I get back to Moscow.
Please know that we appreciate all your prayers and encouragement while we're here. For those watching our dogs, we send you many thanks from Russia! I'm sure if it gets really quiet here we could probably hear their barking from Voronezh:)
Specifically, we would appreciate prayers for the following things:
-Our final ministry time Friday morning as we travel to a local orphanage. We will visit over 170 children there, so please pray that our time would be fruitful and that hearts and lives would be changed.
-For there to be good follow-up with the local pastors and the people we met with who either had questions about God or committed their hearts to God during this week.
-For safety and health as we prepare to travel back to Moscow. Also that we would not get sick as the weather in Voronezh is much colder than it was last year.
-That the local pastors/ministries here in Voronezh and in the neighboring areas would flourish and grow, and those in difficult areas would be encouraged and be blessed with an abundance of hope and peace as they face persecution in their areas.
- For us as we prepare to end this amazing week. Please pray that we can make a smooth adjustment back home, and that the lessons God has taught us will impact us on a daily basis, and that our stories of His work here would be an encouragement and blessing to those at home.
Thanks, and I'll see you soon!
Nickie
Anyway, so that you know what I've been up to, here's a brief recap:
On Monday Erik and I spent time working with a local pastor to promote a movie night and brief concert. We had about 12 people from the local community there, and many of them heard the gospel for the first time. A girl I met in the park (Sasha) came and brought her brother and school friend, so I got to share with them and get to know them better. They were very sweet and were eager to return to the church that weekend for youth ministry events.
On Tuesday, I was working again with the same pastor, only this time we invited neighborhood children to the children's program we held that night. A lot of the kids were thrilled to talk to Americans, and we saw lots of smiling faces and nervous giggles as we spoke in English to them. We had a turnout of about 16 kids, with 8 praying to accept Christ. The kids had a lot of fun playing games, and wearing their balloon hats we made for them, and they were over the moon at getting American candy. It was amazing to see how engrossed they were during the gospel presentation and how much fun they had with games and gifts that probably would have been been considered boring to American children.
Wednesday we visited a rehab center/working farm in a city two hours outside of Voronezh. The local pastor had been praying for years to get the facility built because of his heart for drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and it was exciting to tour a building that God had so graciously provided for his group. God is changing so many hearts and lives at this center, so I was grateful to visit and meet some of the graduates. We later had a home visit with a woman named Nina, who was a graduate of the rehab center. She shared her testimony of a difficult youth and how several major setbacks drove her to seek solace in alcohol. She was homeless for a while and felt utter despair until she began to hear about God's love for her. She entered the rehab center and immediately felt God working in her life, giving her strength and encouragement to get better. She gave her heart to God while there, and later met the man who would later become her husband, who was also a graduate of the facility. She asked us to keep her family in our prayers because she and her husband want to make sure they raise their three children in a godly home so they don't make the mistakes they both did. It was an amazing time visiting with her, and I will have to post more on our visit later.
I've got to wrap up the recap for now, so hopefully I can post the Wednesday night and Thursday events once I get back to Moscow.
Please know that we appreciate all your prayers and encouragement while we're here. For those watching our dogs, we send you many thanks from Russia! I'm sure if it gets really quiet here we could probably hear their barking from Voronezh:)
Specifically, we would appreciate prayers for the following things:
-Our final ministry time Friday morning as we travel to a local orphanage. We will visit over 170 children there, so please pray that our time would be fruitful and that hearts and lives would be changed.
-For there to be good follow-up with the local pastors and the people we met with who either had questions about God or committed their hearts to God during this week.
-For safety and health as we prepare to travel back to Moscow. Also that we would not get sick as the weather in Voronezh is much colder than it was last year.
-That the local pastors/ministries here in Voronezh and in the neighboring areas would flourish and grow, and those in difficult areas would be encouraged and be blessed with an abundance of hope and peace as they face persecution in their areas.
- For us as we prepare to end this amazing week. Please pray that we can make a smooth adjustment back home, and that the lessons God has taught us will impact us on a daily basis, and that our stories of His work here would be an encouragement and blessing to those at home.
Thanks, and I'll see you soon!
Nickie
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Hi From Voronezh
Just a quick update for you. We've both been very busy these past few days and we never seem to be around the Internet cafe while it's open, which is we haven't posted much. Things here are great!
The 2 ministry days have been very rewarding and many people (especially children) are hearing the gospel for the first time. We had a movie night and showed the film "Most" and had a good turnout. Erik and I both shared our testimonies along with the local pastor.
Erik has also been working on a construction project and I've been working with kids and families dealing with addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Please pray for our remaining ministry days, that they would be fruitful and hearts would be changed.
Love,
Erik and Nickie
The 2 ministry days have been very rewarding and many people (especially children) are hearing the gospel for the first time. We had a movie night and showed the film "Most" and had a good turnout. Erik and I both shared our testimonies along with the local pastor.
Erik has also been working on a construction project and I've been working with kids and families dealing with addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Please pray for our remaining ministry days, that they would be fruitful and hearts would be changed.
Love,
Erik and Nickie
Friday, September 19, 2008
Moscow Update
Greetings from Moscow! First of all, thank you so much for your prayers! If you read my last post, you saw our prayer request for good health during our flight to Moscow. We had a very bumpy landing when we arrived in Atlanta, and I was concerned I was getting a case of vertigo-related nausea. Thankfully, the queasy feeling we both felt went away very quickly, and we had a very smooth flight to Moscow.
I used the 9+ hours on the flight to read some of God’s word, going through the book of Nehemiah, and continuing my reading of John, as well as more of the book Trusting God by Jerry Bridges. The Scriptures I read really encouraged and strengthened me as I left behind various worries and concerns in Houston, so it is my prayer that God would continue to give us daily insight and peace through His word as we start each ministry day.
Yesterday we had the privilege of meeting our other team members in Atlanta, and it has been so exciting to catch up with old friends and make new friends with the other team members! Twelve of us will be taking the overnight train tomorrow night to Voronezh, and the other eight will fly tomorrow to their ministry city of Volgograd. Please join us in praying for the safety and health of this team as they fly to Volgograd and for our team as well.
Erik and I didn’t get any sleep on the plane so we are running on fumes right now. Right now it’s 10:00 am Friday morning in Houston (7:00 pm in Moscow), and we’ve been up since 5:00 am Thursday morning. We are going to bed very shortly, so we are praying for deep, replenishing sleep tonight.
Again, thank you all for your prayers and encouragement, and we hope to have more updates soon!
Love,
Nickie
I used the 9+ hours on the flight to read some of God’s word, going through the book of Nehemiah, and continuing my reading of John, as well as more of the book Trusting God by Jerry Bridges. The Scriptures I read really encouraged and strengthened me as I left behind various worries and concerns in Houston, so it is my prayer that God would continue to give us daily insight and peace through His word as we start each ministry day.
Yesterday we had the privilege of meeting our other team members in Atlanta, and it has been so exciting to catch up with old friends and make new friends with the other team members! Twelve of us will be taking the overnight train tomorrow night to Voronezh, and the other eight will fly tomorrow to their ministry city of Volgograd. Please join us in praying for the safety and health of this team as they fly to Volgograd and for our team as well.
Erik and I didn’t get any sleep on the plane so we are running on fumes right now. Right now it’s 10:00 am Friday morning in Houston (7:00 pm in Moscow), and we’ve been up since 5:00 am Thursday morning. We are going to bed very shortly, so we are praying for deep, replenishing sleep tonight.
Again, thank you all for your prayers and encouragement, and we hope to have more updates soon!
Love,
Nickie
Thursday, September 18, 2008
In Atlanta
We made it ok to Atlanta and are already meeting up with our other team
members (yay)! It's good to see everyone again and to learn what all God
has been doing since we last saw each other. Our prayer request for the
next few hours would be that Erik and I make it through the flight without
feeling queasy. We had a very bumpy landing here and our stomachs still
feel a little weird. We do have Drammamine but hope to not need it :)
members (yay)! It's good to see everyone again and to learn what all God
has been doing since we last saw each other. Our prayer request for the
next few hours would be that Erik and I make it through the flight without
feeling queasy. We had a very bumpy landing here and our stomachs still
feel a little weird. We do have Drammamine but hope to not need it :)
Hope to have another update soon! Thanks for your prayers!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Final Countdown
First let me say that as I was typing the title of this post, I had laugh because I automatically thought of the 80's song by the band Europe called "The Final Countdown." If you're a fan of the TV show Arrested Development (and Gob Bluth), or a fan of cheesy 80's synth-pop, then you'll love this song.
Anyway, it's been over a month since my last post, so I'm well overdue for a new post. We are now 16 (!) days away from our trip back to Voronezh, and I'm getting more and more excited as the days fly by. I often think back to the faces I saw my first time there, my awe at the beauty of the country, and the joy at meeting other belivers and pastors half a world away. Even though I've been there before and sort of know what to expect logistically, I really have no clue whatsoever what all we will see God accomplish, or what we will be doing during our time there. Although I have always tended to be a person who hated not knowing what's next, or how to prepare, I am so thankful that I serve a sovereign and mighty God who already knows our steps and our journey. The joy of God's sovereigny and not having to overthink or fret about every little thing is incredibly liberating to me, and I long for more of this joy.
The past several weeks have been a time of serious growing and reflection as God graciously helped guide me back to regular, refreshing quiet times with Him, which I often struggled to have during the summer. It has been a blessed time getting back into His word and also being introduced to so many amazing Christian writers with so much insight to offer on the Christian life and the traits of God. Right now I am wrapping up my study of Numbers, reading the book of John, reading John Piper's When I Don't Desire God, finishing up Jerry Bridges' Trusting God, and reading Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest. Also I reread Phillipians and Colossians tonight, and those two are amazing books.
Along with my end-of-summer reading, I've also been spending time with family and friends, including my beautiful new nephew Benjamin.
He is a cutie, and is growing larger by the minute. We're so blessed that he received such good care at the hospital, and we're so thankful that he's home and doing well. We are thankful for the many prayers of family and friends.
I've also had a lot going on with work, but it's all been great. God has been reminding me on an almost daily basis that I don't need to stress about the work I'm leaving behind because it will all get done, and I am leaving it in the hands of extremely talented and kind women who will do a fantastic job. My initial stress was for nothing, and the other work-related issues I thought would be a factor (office relocation and system conversion) won't happen now until after I return from Russia. Woo hoo for God working out the small details!
I'm trying to think of what else has gone on lately... The Olympics were awesome, and it was amazing to see the beauty and strength of the human body that God so lovingly created. The Olympic athletes were amazing, and I was nearly speechless at the artistic wonder of the opening ceremonies. However, I lost a LOT of sleep during those two weeks, so I'm glad that they come around every four years (yes, I know that the Winter Olympics will be here in 2010, but they just don't offer the same kind of excitement as the Summer Olympics. Sorry Vancouver).
Overall, I think we're making good progress getting ready for the trip, and we've still got time to take care of the little details that always seem to come up at the last minute. However, we would greatly appreciate your prayers for the following:
- For continued focus on the trip, and that God would remove any distractions or obstacles the enemy would try to send our way.
- Good health for us and the other team members, as well as for our families that we're leaving behind.
- For all the team members to get their full financial support for the trip
- For all the small travel details to be worked out
- That God would be preparing the hearts of those we will be meeting there in Voronezh, and for the pastors we'll be working with.
- For God to be glorifed every step of the way
Good night!
Anyway, it's been over a month since my last post, so I'm well overdue for a new post. We are now 16 (!) days away from our trip back to Voronezh, and I'm getting more and more excited as the days fly by. I often think back to the faces I saw my first time there, my awe at the beauty of the country, and the joy at meeting other belivers and pastors half a world away. Even though I've been there before and sort of know what to expect logistically, I really have no clue whatsoever what all we will see God accomplish, or what we will be doing during our time there. Although I have always tended to be a person who hated not knowing what's next, or how to prepare, I am so thankful that I serve a sovereign and mighty God who already knows our steps and our journey. The joy of God's sovereigny and not having to overthink or fret about every little thing is incredibly liberating to me, and I long for more of this joy.
The past several weeks have been a time of serious growing and reflection as God graciously helped guide me back to regular, refreshing quiet times with Him, which I often struggled to have during the summer. It has been a blessed time getting back into His word and also being introduced to so many amazing Christian writers with so much insight to offer on the Christian life and the traits of God. Right now I am wrapping up my study of Numbers, reading the book of John, reading John Piper's When I Don't Desire God, finishing up Jerry Bridges' Trusting God, and reading Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest. Also I reread Phillipians and Colossians tonight, and those two are amazing books.
Along with my end-of-summer reading, I've also been spending time with family and friends, including my beautiful new nephew Benjamin.
He is a cutie, and is growing larger by the minute. We're so blessed that he received such good care at the hospital, and we're so thankful that he's home and doing well. We are thankful for the many prayers of family and friends.
I've also had a lot going on with work, but it's all been great. God has been reminding me on an almost daily basis that I don't need to stress about the work I'm leaving behind because it will all get done, and I am leaving it in the hands of extremely talented and kind women who will do a fantastic job. My initial stress was for nothing, and the other work-related issues I thought would be a factor (office relocation and system conversion) won't happen now until after I return from Russia. Woo hoo for God working out the small details!
I'm trying to think of what else has gone on lately... The Olympics were awesome, and it was amazing to see the beauty and strength of the human body that God so lovingly created. The Olympic athletes were amazing, and I was nearly speechless at the artistic wonder of the opening ceremonies. However, I lost a LOT of sleep during those two weeks, so I'm glad that they come around every four years (yes, I know that the Winter Olympics will be here in 2010, but they just don't offer the same kind of excitement as the Summer Olympics. Sorry Vancouver).
Overall, I think we're making good progress getting ready for the trip, and we've still got time to take care of the little details that always seem to come up at the last minute. However, we would greatly appreciate your prayers for the following:
- For continued focus on the trip, and that God would remove any distractions or obstacles the enemy would try to send our way.
- Good health for us and the other team members, as well as for our families that we're leaving behind.
- For all the team members to get their full financial support for the trip
- For all the small travel details to be worked out
- That God would be preparing the hearts of those we will be meeting there in Voronezh, and for the pastors we'll be working with.
- For God to be glorifed every step of the way
Good night!
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