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"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28: 18-20

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" Hebrews 13:8

This is not where I planned on starting, but time calls for me to start somewhere, and to start quickly.

There came a point in my walk where there was a severe realization of how REAL Jesus is. Since February, God has been showing me that when we ask Him to use us, that is indeed what He does. We are the only ones that hinder our walk and how close we get to Him for the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and will not go where He is not wanted. If we ask in an earnest heart, we can be assured that He has heard us.

After I was saved, I asked God to help me find a church, and this is what He did. I asked Him to get me involved, and He did. I asked Him for help...and He did. But all of these are different stories which I will tell later. See, I don't want to give the impression that God is a genie. If anyone is under that impression, you are dead wrong. Everything is for God's glory.

Then I asked God if I could do His work, if He would walk with me, because nothing else is worth it if He is not with me and I am in love with Him...

People have a tendency to get uncomfortable when God becomes real to them. Someone explained it to me this way: we are like a glass table top, it looks pretty and clean in the dark, but when you open up the blinds and let the sun hit it, you can see all the smudges. This makes people uncomfortable. God does not make people comfortable all of the time. Sometimes, more often than not, He asks us to do things that make us terribly uncomfortable and that are inconvenient to our lifestyles.

But then...I remembered...this is what I asked for.

About this time last year, an evangelist visited our small Pentecostal church. He prophesied to many. To this day I don't remember his name and I can barely remember what he looked like. All I remember is standing in a particular part of the sanctuary, my hands raised, and him putting his hand on my head. He told me I would be a missionary. I laughed at the thought, and pretty much at him (keep in mind I have been saved for a long time here). Nice idea buddy, but that is sooo not me. Sounds like just a bunch of generalized prayer and fluff to get the word out.

I laughed at the thought and the poor guy!

Well...today I am sitting here at my office computer cramming this blog in. There is a sore spot on my left arm where the travel clinician shot me with Hepatitis A vaccinations and my stomach is growling because the Typhoid vaccination needs to be absorbed into my system before I can eat. Today, I am not laughing at the ridiculousness of the thought of me being a missionary. Today, I am filled with excited anxiety that I am leaving to do God's work with the realization of how much He is in love with me and I with Him. There is no other place I would rather be at this moment than knowing He is sending me to Guatemala to do His work...and that He will be walking with me the whole time.

Next weekend, July 27th, I will be leaving to Guatemala to preach the Gospel to those who have never heard Jesus' name, to help build a community around the existing church, to aid homeless children, and just show God's love to those who need to hear it.

When I first was told about this trip in February, it was after God sent another to my church who gave me a word. The man was a youth pastor at a church in the area. For those of you who don't know, I have been leading praise and worship at my church for about two years now. When this man came to pray for those at the altar, my eyes were closed and hands held up; I didn't know he was talking to me until he came up to me with the microphone and had me open my eyes. He told me that when I sing "Holy, Holy, Holy" that the angels come down. That when I sing, people will fall down, people will get saved. He was looking me square in the face the whole time.

Morning service ended and I went about my business as usual. I came back ready for evening service and sat in the back prayer room. The praise and worship leader closed the door and asked if he could talk to me. For some reason I thought I was in trouble, but in fact, this marked something incredibly life changing. He told me that he didn't want me to think that what goes on in the church goes unnoticed. God's angels don't come down for just anyone, and that I am different. As I stared at him wondering what he was getting at, he hesitated and then said, "That's why Pastor Jesse wants you to go to Guatemala."

My mouth dropped open in sheer astonishment and I became for the first time in my life completely speechless. Me?? Mission work?? When I had breath and words I told him I didn't understand why I am to go, I don't know anything about missionary work, I'm not nearly spiritually grown enough...after all I have never led anyone to Christ before.

He assured me that God wouldn't have me go unless He wanted me to go, and if that is the case, then of course He would give me what I needed.

Time goes by. Pastor asks my praise leader, Josh, if he would go. Interestingly enough, he was just as shocked as I was upon hearing that. Now I want you to know, I didn't decide I was going until later, so the year has been quite long in going back and forth with the idea. But God gave me my confirmation with the first scripture in this entry. And my confidence lies within the truth of the second scripture here.

Very recently God gave me a miracle. I will share this with you a little later on. But upon praising God for it, He told me that He is capable of greater things and assured me that there are greater things yet in store for me to be witness of. God's love is so real and so tangible...we are the only ones who hold ourselves back from an incredible out pouring of love and grace.

Knowing God is an active pursuit, a daily relationship, and He moves in our lives everyday and every moment. It is up to us to take that in our hearts and bury ourselves in His love. It is my goal with these entries to show you this. But all I can do is show you what He has done for me and for others I love..the rest is up to you.

So I ask for all of you reading to just keep me in prayer throughout this trip. Not just me, but the others with me, and those who will be hearing the message we bring. I love you all and hope that this message has blessed you a little bit in a small part of your heart. I could go on forever on this one entry topic, but I will end it here.

I will be gone July 27th through August 11th for those curious. We seriously need the support of your prayers.

God bless.
Grace