Never too late for Thanks!!

          In the craziness of November I never got the chance to write down all the things I am thankful for, so despite the fact that we are well into the Christmas season, I’m going to rewind for a bit!

          I love the end of the year -and the beginning and middle :) - but I really love the end because it gives me a chance to look around, reflect on the happenings of the past year and spend some time with the Lord-thanking Him for all the provisions and blessings He laid upon me that I would never have given thought to if I didn’t take a moment to stop running.

          2012 has been quite the year. That is an understatement, it has been the best and hardest and most wonderful year of my life. It started with the loss of my special grandmother, included some humbling provision of the Lord through all of you, the birth of a sweet niece, a proposal by the man I love, the realization of an incredible dream of loving kids on Eleuthera, the ups and downs of life as a missionary, storms, parties, struggles, joys and about a million other amazing things that God has blessed me with this year! They are not all the most fun thing, in fact some were horrible…but they all worked together to create the year where I have had to hold close to Jesus in a way I never understood before…and in that, He who works all things to the good of those who love Him, did just that!

          I am thankful for the births and deaths this year because it reminds me of the gift my life is and that when this one ends the next will be even better!! I’m thankful for times when God released an overflow of provision and times when the money wasn’t there because it reminds me that He is all I need and all I need He will provide! I’m thankful for times where I was lonelier than I thought possible and time when I felt more loved than ever because it reminds me that God is both always enough and created us for intimate relationships which He, in His grace, brings us to and blesses! I’m thankful for my new Bahamian friends and the kids I get to share life with here-I have never been more humbled by my inadequacy to love them as they deserve to be loved nor by how far that simple broken love can go when the Lord uses it!!

          Everyday, the rest of our lives, Ben and I will be thankful for the fact that God has allowed us, along with many of you, to be a part of His very special plan for the people of Eleuthera! That He gave us the chance to depend on each other and Him in a way we’ve never had to do before…and that above all else He came at Christmas time because He loves us desperately and was willing to give His life away so that we (a broken people) could have the privilege of an intimate relationship with our Lord. Thankful doesn't even begin to cover it!

          If you are like me and haven’t taken a real timeout to reflect and thank God for his hand in your life this year…take some time today or tomorrow to do it! You may just find the Christmas season a little sweeter because of it!

Messy, Crazy, Beautiful Life!

The Lord is good!...and faithful, and merciful and loving and about a million other truly wonderful things! I am so thankful for the prayers ya’ll have been lifting up on our island’s account – He has heard them and honored them…let me tell you how!!

Last week we began leader training at Windemere High School (insert loud cheers here!) with two teachers that are going to be leading Campaigners next semester for their high school! I am sooooo excited to watch the Lord’s faithfulness in this. Pray that we have awesome training time and that this couple falls more in love with the Lord through their own involvement with Young Life- that they will then have more to share with kids!

Last week we also had our first club time at the school! Because of the distance between the settlements and the fact that the kids don’t have much mobility outside of the school bus, we have decided to do Campaigners (small groups) by settlement (so 6 different Campaigner’s groups for Central High School) and club during lunchtime at the school! The club situation has been one we have been praying for and studying and trying to figure out the best way to arrange it so the maximum number of kids would have the option to come. Then two Mondays ago at my girls’ choir performance I met a teacher, Shalini, who is very passionate about these kids and loves the Lord. She offered to let us meet in her room (Room 11) on Fridays to have club! I think she would make an incredible leader, pray that she gets a great introduction to Young Life and that as we get to know each other better, I would know that she’s a good fit and she would see the Lord in what we’re doing and be open to being even more involved with it!

I also got to brave my first hurricane on the island the week before last-my kids say I’ve got my “Storm-cred” now, haha! It was just Allie and I in the back room of my house and, while it was not an experience I really want to repeat again, there is something beautiful about knowing that the only thing there was to do was snuggle up with Allie in the dark and pray my heart out. There in an intimacy with the Father that only comes when you feel a desperate, tangible need for Him and His power and comfort-what a blessing for me to be allowed to see my need for Him this way! In the midst of the storm (literally) I found peace the only place it really exists, with Him! Pray with me this week for that same peace to make the way into the hearts of our brothers and sisters up north that are still dealing with the aftermath of that same storm!

Also hurricanes have an effect on the bonding of people, when there’s no power, people don’t go to school or work, everyone sits outside and visits. I met more new people after the hurricane than in the past four months combined!!! You guys had been praying for real friends for me and that is one of the ways I see the Lord answering prayers distinctly right now! I have a family that I am real true friends with on Spanish Wells! Amy and Michael have four adorable kids, and are here working with the Haitian Refugee camps. They get it. It is such a blessing to be with them, their sweet love and trust in the Lord shines in their life and their familiar culture makes their home a restful place when I get to make it over there. Also I have gotten to spend some time with Pam and Gregory’s daughter, Amy. She and her husband Paul are just a couple years older than Ben and I and are Bahamian, but feel very familiar from their extensive time in American culture. Amy is funny, funny, funny and I am so excited to get to know them better!!

God is good to me beyond all I could ask or imagine. We still have struggles, I have a lot of fundraising to do this December before I can come back and continue the work we have begun here, it’s still hard to be away from my fiancé at this point in our lives, and I am still being humbled everyday by how much I still have yet to learn about life here…but it’s not overwhelming. When God is in the center of all of it, the struggles mix in with the blessings and what comes out is a messy, crazy, beautiful life that we are learning to love more and more everyday. Thank you for praying with us, for loving us, for loving this island and walking with us as we continually build this ministry and attempt to create a “life-well lived” among the people we’re here to serve! 

September Updates!!

This post starts the beginning of a new blogger!! One who posts alot, shares more about her life and ministry, and attempts to share this journey with you guys on a more regular basis...hold me to it!!

This past month started with a visit from my husband-to-be. And it was wonderful! Everyone knew he was coming and people stopped us all over to meet him! His birthday was Sunday and we celebrated with a 3 hour back-to-school church service and a thunderstorm that kept us in, instead of the birthday dinner plans I had (no worries the storm cleared a couple days later and an awesome dinner out happened!)

We planned his coming with the start of school so he got to go with me to meet with teachers, administration and welcome the students to school with brownies...brownies that we made at 4am so they'd be warm, yum!!

The rest of the week included lunch with a friend and her son, spending time with a missionary family on Spanish wells who is here working with the Haitian refugee camps, introducing Ben to the people and places he hadn't gotten to visit when he moved me in and figuring out yet more of the logistics of our new life!

At the risk of being ridiculous, I have to take a moment to say, life is better with Ben here. Not only does he solve the loneliness factor, but it is just easier to deal with life here when there is someone to tackle it with. I knew that would be true in my head but it is really something to see God's faithfulness in this area play out. I knew I loved that man but I didn't realize how perfectly God designed us to fit together so that we do His will with more ease, effectiveness and grace...I can't wait to share my life with him!

The next week I was stateside for a Staff Conference in Virginia. While all of the training and information was really helpful, what moved me to tears was the worship. And then it hit me...that was the only time since I left and probably the only time til I come home for the holidays that I would get to  worship the Lord in a room of believer's that had a faith that looked like mine. Now don't get me wrong, my church here is amazing and their worship is powerful, but it's still foreign and there is something sweetly comforting and moving about a roomful of people singing praise songs you grew up with in an accent and manner that you share. A later blogpost will be needed to explain those thoughts, but for now all that needs to be said it that is was exactly what I needed!

I got to finish the time stateside with Ben and our families, a touch of wedding planning and surprise appearance at one of my best friend's engagement party. Thank you Lord for sweet time at home!

The next few days were a whirlwind of getting my long-awaited work visa, visiting with our Young Life group in Freeport and a first meeting with a couple of rockstars in Nassau that are going to begin a Young Lives ministry . The Lord is moving!

The couple of weeks I have been back on island have been full steam ahead! Between opening the new ministry in Nassau, settling into a school routine and continuing to get the leadership on Eleuthera together, there hasn't been much time to sit and catch up.

Some big things that the Lord put on my heart this month were following through doors that He opens and creating a life well lived outside of ministry (sustainability).

Being sensitive to the Lord's direction is something I have had on our prayer requests for a while and I can tell you guys are placing that before the Lord because He is working on me. Ministry flows better when I don't blunder ahead but take time to stop and pray and listen. Many of you may be like "duh Sarah", but I can tell you honestly I am STILL learning this DAILY. Is a frustrating process but the Lord is using it to refine me for His work and for that I am very grateful.

As far as creating a life well lived: Alot of people that I trust and admire have sought out time to ask me what life outside of ministry looks like...almost as if they already know my answer. For now there isn't really such a thing. I am struggling to put up good boundaries and find genuine friends, things that are necessary for sustainability in ministry and frankly, peace and joy in daily life. This is a huge part of what God and I are working through in my time with Him and your prayers on it will be much appreciated. Specific things to pray for would be one or two friends that are in the same stage in life as me with the same faith...its amazing what you can conquer when you have someone to share it with and that is something I am realizing I definitely need here.

With that life-well-lived, I have also been advised to not discount the toll that being engaged while in two separate countries/cultures with a sketchy skype connection can be having, whether I want to admit it or not. Please pray with Ben and I as we do our best to honor God's call to each other and this huge step of marriage in the same way that we are honoring this difficult call to ministry here! That I don't ever put the second above the first, which has been a tendency, but to seek God's directing in our engagement and marriage the same way I would in ministry, knowing that family comes first and then we approach this call to ministry together. Pray that priorities and practicalities line up with the Lord's will for us this year!!

Whew, a whirlwind view of ministry and life which reflects the whirlwind of things in my heart right now. Ben and I loved walking through the good, bad and crazy parts of life and ministry with you guys and we are more thankful for your prayers and support than you would ever know.

This ministry would not be possible without the part each of you play in it and I can't think of people I am more excited to be in it with than you guys surrounding us now!