Rose with a Mission

This last week has been very full. For starters my brother got engaged!  We are so happy to welcome this lovely lady into the family and that my brother found such a Godly lady to call his own. While they have jumped into wedding planning, I got a cold. I'm so thankful for the coworkers I have that covered a few days of work for me while I was sick and let me rest. And I'm thankful for the little kids that felt bad for me feeling sick.  I feel like life has been so full that I've been a bit stretched thin lately. So many emotions, so much to do, so much to process, and only so many hours in the day. I'm thankful that God has been showing me how to love those around me well and how to rest and let my body heal. As I continue to walk forward into what He wants me to do, I'm so thankful that He's taken all the guess work out. He keeps reminding me to keep asking for support, keep loving those in front of me, keep doing what I know to do, kee...

  When they handed me my diploma and I was walking back to my chair, I started to cry. I was overwhelmed by God's faithfulness. I remembered all the times He had helped me overcome difficulties to get to this point. We made it! We (God, my team, and I) had made it to the end. I love this group so much. They have taught me so much and become so dear to my heart.  After a ton of pictures, goodbyes, and one victory shout, I went to bed happy at all that God had done.  The next day my dad came and picked me up and took me home. It was so good to see family and get hugs from them. There's nothing quite like family hugs. Plus I loved showing them pictures from Tanzania and stories of what God had done.  This week I've been doing a lot of resting and organizing of my room. I'm glad to have a place to stay for a few months while I fundraise. My plan is to work for the next two months while fundraising to become a full time missionary with YWAM. I've loved my tim...

  Today I graduate SOE!  This has been a crazy amazing journey with Jesus and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  I'm incredibly thankful to Jesus for how He has lead me this year and how He has been drawing me closer to Himself. I'm so thankful for my amazing school leaders Anthony and Emily for loving me, challenging me, and encouraging me in my walk with Christ. I'm hugely thankful to the staff at YWAM who spent hours mentoring me, encouraging me, letting me cry with them, and drawing out the best in me. I'm also so thankful for all of my fellow students. All of you were a part of my spiritual growth and demonstrated God's love to me in such a deep and powerful way. Thank you for all the deep conversations over coffee, the times of volunteering together, discussing lessons on short breaks, comforting me when I was crying, encouraging me when I was feeling down, and helping take care of me when I had a blood blister and a sprained ankle. You are amazing.  And ...

  Just a few days later we were in a bus heading to the Dhaiso village of Bewetti. As we got closer, I got so excited. I couldn't wait to see what God was going to do in response to our showing up.  When we got to the village, the village leader said he didn't know if we would be good for his village. But Pastor Alfred reassured him that we w hiould be better than he might think.  That first day we went to examine some property to purchase for a future church and missions center. The land that we felt like God wanted us to buy is so beautiful. It's on the side of a mountain in Tanzania overlooking the village and has so many large trees.  For hours we prayed for the land and the people and worshiped God. It was great.  The next day we returned to see what we could do. The village leader invited all the kids to come out and play with us. We ended up playing with about 50 kids. It was so fun. I tossed a ball around and we showed them how to do a dance....

  Hey friends, it has been quite the week for me. Yesterday was the three week mark until I leave for Tanzania and the one week mark that all of our funding is due. Where I am I at? I still need $1,628 to be able to go.  God is really growing my faith with this one. I'm having to pray and trust Him as never before. I don't know how that last part will come in, but I am looking to the One who owns it all and has promised me that I'm going to Africa.  Please pray about partnering with me in prayer and with finances.  Below is a video I created yesterday explaining the heart behind why we are going to Tanzania. This weeks topic in class has been Apologetic Worldview. Our teacher was one that we had had in DTS and so I was so excited to have him be teaching in my SOE. His teaching style is very interactive and he asks a lot of questions. I loved how he framed apologetics so differently from the way I've been used to thinking about it before. Apologetics is all about givi...

  It started on Saturday night. I had been feeling some pain in my foot, but I brushed it off. By Sunday night the pain was bad and a white bump had appeared. Thinking it was a wort, I went to bed thinking I would deal with it the next day. I woke up that night in bad pain. By morning it had grown and it was hurting to walk. After consulting with some of the nurses here, they recommended that I get a doctor to look at it. Since I don't have insurance this was problematic because I wasn't sure where to go or what to do. Thankfully God wasn't surprised by my foot problem. He sent one of my classmates to help me. She stepped in and got me an appointment with her foot doctor the next day. Talk about God working to provide for your needs! The next day with bad pain and a growing bump on my heel, I walked into see the doctor. He was quickly able to diagnosed it as an infected blood blister, cut a chunk out of my heel, clean it out, and give me care instructions. His assistant kep...

  From crying in the classroom, to hearing stories over lunch, to encountering spiritual warfare, to deep conversations with friends, to a visit from my family this pasty week has been packed.  It was so fun to have my family come visit. It felt so good to share meals with fun conversations, play spoons and keep track of points with Hersey kisses, stay up late talking about friendships, share chocolate covered strawberries, get a ton of hugs, and laugh at inside jokes. It was the best.  As they rolled out of the parking lot, I cried. I won't see most of them until graduation and I was already missing them. Even though I know this is exactly where I'm supposed to be, there are moments that I have to pay the cost of the path God has called me on. And still God calls me on. They joy in Him is worth anything I have to give up.  Class this week was focused on fulfilling the great commission, practical steps for being a good missionary, and the history of missions. Our spe...

  Today marks the halfway point in lecture phase. I find that hard to believe. It seems like just yesterday that I showed up back here and now we are deep in the middle of classes, growing relationships, and spending time with Jesus.   This week has been a challenging one for me. In class we were challenged with studying 2 Peter 1:5 - 7. Add to your faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge; self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, Godliness; and to Godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. Our teacher started with the beginning of this list and worked all the way through to the end. Wow, each one of these qualities was amazing to consider. Our teacher challenged us with questions were deep and probing. I've had a lot of conversations with God this week about where my heart is. Am I really living what I say I believe? Am I trusting Him in every area? I have emerged from this with Him with a deeper relationship and a deep...

  Surprisingly this has been one of my favorite weeks of the School of Evangelism so far. This week we explored the topic of finances. I struggled at first to stay focused. I thought I knew pretty much what was going to be taught and didn't need this teaching, but I was wrong. I was reminded that it all belongs to God. We are merely stewards of His resources. We cannot choose what God will give us, but we can choose how we will steward what we've been given. I was convicted that I need to more diligently steward what has been given to me. I want to make a budget for what has been given to me and stick to it.   I love how our teacher this week kept emphasizing obedience to God over every plan, creative strategy, and clever speech. "It's not about what you can get out of it. It's about obeying God in whatever He tells you to do." She reminded us often. Ultimately we have to realize that it's not about us. It's all about Jesus and His kingdom. Money is ju...

    This weeks topic has been on the disciple making movement. We talked a lot about Gods heart for multiplication and how to create a small group that can be reproduced in any context. While not completely new information, I was so grateful for the Christ focus of this week and for all the time we spent in the Bible.  Through class this week and through some conversations, I’ve been convicted that I need to expand my relational network. I all too often pick one or two friends and that’s who I share most of my heart and life with. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I’m sensing that God wants me to pour into a lot of people. While I put the E in extrovert I worry that I’ll spread myself too thin. But here again God has been reminding me that He will replenish what I give away. He will show me who I need to reach out to. So I’m reaching out to others more and am looking for people to encourage.  The sunrises and sunsets here have been so beautiful. Even with the...

  This week God reminded me of the reason that I am here. On Sunday I listened through a sermon series from my church back home. They were preaching on Revelation 20 and the final judgement. I was struck by the fact that one day the option for eternal comfort will be gone. One day we will either live eternally with Christ or be sent the the sent to the place of eternal torment. In both cases they are options that we chose. God doesn't force either option on us, each of us choses to reject or receive Christ. There is no middle ground.  This is the reason I am in the school of evangelism. I want to share the hope of Christ with as many as I can. I want to bring as many people with me into Gods presence as possible. We live in a dying and hurting world. We must share His love and grace before it's too late. How do I plan to do that? Continue being the light wherever I go. As often as I have opportunity, share the hope that I have. And do things like go to Tanzania and share the g...

  I finished filmmaking school!  This week we filmed and edited a music video, learned how to record and edit high quality audio, learned about green-screening, finished the short film that we shot last week, and had a showing of the short film. It was great fun to collaborate with these new friends and I learned so much. On Friday they handed out awards to the class. I got the Golden Smile award. I think partially for my smile and partly for my goldfish cracker obsession. Before I came home had the privilege of spending some time with Diane. She's an elderly single woman that has served the Lord all her life. It shows in her stories and conversation. She encouraged me by her calm wisdom and sweet faithfulness. I came away encouraged that you can serve the Lord faithfully and beautifully as a single. I'm so thankful for the people I got to meet on this trip. From the instructors that I learned so much from, to my hosts that cared...

  I was so excited when we started out from Tyler. Even at 2 AM, I was so excited to begin the outreach adventure! It was so fun sitting with Marisa on the bus being excited for the new sights. It was Marisa's first time to Dallas. While I've been there many times it was fun seeing the city through her eyes. Full of wonder and fun. We arrived early and made our way through security. It was then that I started to feel bad. I didn't drink enough water the day before and it made me sick. I'm so thankful for the team I was with. Even though I felt awful, they took such good care of me. Marisa was my seat buddy and helped me navigate through the day. The guys on my team carried my bags. Joy (a classmate) prayed for me. Emily (my school leader) gave me a hug and helped me to calm down. And so many asked me how I was doing and just loved me even when I was feeling tired. Thankfully that afternoon when I arrived at our host home I was able to get some rest, water, a...

  In some ways this has been the most mixed week since I arrived.  Last weekend I found out that a dear couple from my home Church was battling covid. It was a heavy burden that I carried into Monday.  Also over the weekend I said something that hurt one of my friends and was dealing with feeling like a failure.  That coupled with a new week of teaching, feeling like I didn't get much done over the weekend, some other hard things thrown into the mix and I was overwhelmed. I felt like I couldn't even process through one thing before something else would hit me.  On Monday nights we have class worship in the evening. As they started singing I felt awful. I couldn't sing because I was so overwhelmed by what was going on. I couldn't even stand up. In the middle of my overwhelmed brain, God spoke. "Go over to a staff member and ask for prayer." After a moments hesitation I crawled over and asked a staff member for prayer. She prayed for me and by the end of it I wa...

  Wow! The Lord is so good. I've been blown away by His love and care for me.  For starters the 4th of July was great. We swam in the lake, ate hot dogs and burgers with a ton of good sides, had a good time of fellowship, and then went to watch fireworks over a lake. They were beautiful. I was mesmerized.  This week we have been learning about hearing the voice of God. Our teacher was a man named Josh Langer. Originally from Germany, he was a very engaging speaker. I found myself amazed by how many different ways God communicates with us and how He invites us to partner with Him in the great commission. We looked at things that hinder us from hearing the voice of God and what our heart posture should be in approaching God. It was amazing how he brought truths to light that I knew already, but had become buried. I feel like I've been able to clear dirt away from precious jewels and examine their beauty again.  One of the things I'm really enjoying about YW...

  I have some exciting news to share with you. The quilt is done!  Over a month of work, lots of team work, and a lot of sewing the quilt came together. It's so comfy and I can't wait to curl up in it.  With one week until my move in day, I've been saying a lot of goodbyes. I know that (Lord willing) I'll return, yet I know things won't be the same. My friends and family will grow as God shapes them to be more like His Son. While I won't be here to grow with them, I want them to know that I still love, support, and pray for them. Ultimately I know they are in the best hands possible.  Thank you for your prayers. The Lord has been walking with me through every step of conviction and transformation. As we have been walking, I'm seeing more of how He wants me to live. He's been faithful to sustain me and lead me. He brings clarity to help me remove sin, distractions, and weights in my life. For that I'm so grateful.  As I continue to prepare...

  This week I feel like I’ve been on an amusement park ride with life going by packed, fun and super-fast.   On Sunday I got a text from my boss asking me to sub for just one day. I was all too happy to come in and get more kid hugs. While the day was a bit crazy keeping up with kids, restocking cleaners, and trying to get back into work mode for the day, I was also thrilled to see my kids again. It felt great to cuddle little T when he was feeling sad. It was fun to have several of my kids see me and excitedly call out, “Miss Rose!” followed up by a sweet hug. I was a happy tired at the end of the day. Tuesday through Thursday was the 4 th Annual Siblings Retreat. When planning when to do siblings retreat, the vote was unanimous that they didn’t want to do it without me. I have the best siblings. We had so much fun playing games, eating M & M’s, taking a hike complete with dip in the river, talking and laughing together, and watching some fun movies together. It was ...

This week has been really good. Now that I'm in full time preparation for YWAM, I'm starting to tackle the things that need to get done before I leave. Things like cleaning out the closet (a scary task, but I wanted to leave it clean), sew a special quilt, continuing to gather items needed, write letters, and normal things like cleaning and Bible time. Despite all these projects, I didn't want to neglect the what's most important: relationships. This week the Lord has graciously given me a lot of time to pour into family and friends. I was able to enjoy the zoo with my family, take some long walks with my sister, have some good talks with Jesus, write a long letter to a friend whose on a mission of her own, have a good long phone call with a friend in Cali, text and voice message several good friends, as well as touch base with some old coworkers and share my new adventure with them. I love all the amazing people that God has put into my life and how they encourage and ...

This week has been more of a struggle for me. I've been dealing with an infection that caused quite a bit of pain. Despite that, I'm so grateful.  I praise God for medical professionals that we could consult and get medicine to fight the infection. The Lord has been so good. As I've come to Him and cried out, He has given me peace. It's been an exercise in trusting God and not in my own resources. While I am still learning, I'm grateful for the opportunity to grow in trusting Him.  I'm so grateful for the family who took care of me and loved me even when I woke up in pain at 3 AM. They are a great comfort and encouragement to my heart. I'm grateful for the friends who prayed for me fervently and lovingly.  I'm so grateful for the comforts of home, medicine to treat infections, kind bosses, naps, and really good food.  I'm grateful for the four days of work I was able to go in this week and for the kid hugs I got.  I'm grateful for the donations I...