One day left

The friends from long, long ago...

Spa day with Christine and mama Inga... Mmm... Spoiled
Rehearsal. Look at the multi-culturalness of it... Sweet.

Yay, one day left. We had a delightful spa day today... Mmmm. Relaxing. Then we quickly got stressed out and headed to the rehearsal. Weird how quickly things can change... Ha. Anyway, we are now about 16 hours from the wedding and about 24 from a full night's sleep :)

Thanks again for your prayers. Grace. I need grace :)

Wedding update 2 - 2.5 days away...

Biking along the Strand The cliffs after a long and relaxing day...

The volleyball nets along The Strand. Waiting for all my volleyball junkie friends...Watching the Coast Guard work exercises on the cliffs of Palos Verdes

The beginning of a very relaxing and stressful day :)

The model and the country girl :

We have been having a wonderful time, a relaxing time, and a stressful time. Yes, that's possible...

Christine took me on a grand outing today and spoiled me rotten. I know all day today, God was revealing His wonderful and amazing love to me. I am so incredibly grateful for Him and His love.

The wedding extravaganza, so far...

Well, it is beyond hard to believe that just 72 hours ago, my very sweet friend Nate picked me up to take me to the airport (yes, at 4:00am :)) to see my friend Christine (who I have known for 13 years and have not seen for almost three years) and to be the maid of honor in her wedding.

First meeting in three years makes you a bit crazy, eh? Hee hee...

Thank you so much for the ways you have all prayed for me and are calling, emailing, texting to encourage me. This is a mission for me.

Christine's favorite meal: sushi

I arrived in LA after a very nice flight, with my bags arriving about one hour after I did (on a different flight...) For the first hour or so, Christine and I remarked that it was very odd (but good) to see each other in the flesh... We were staring a bit, because it was just so weird to see each other after all this time. Since the time I arrived at the airport, it has been a whirlwind tour of pre-wedding stuff. This wedding is bigger and more intense than any others I have been involved in. We have run errands, done final dress fittings, shopped, ate, ate some more. Met the fiance (finally!!!) which was a bit odd, a bit intense, and so very different from what I imagined growing up for Christine. I think he was very nervous, but thankfully God kept me from being nervous. Christine was also very nervous. We witnessed one of the strangest accidents on the freeway on the way to meet Adrian that I've ever seen where a car literally drove up the side of a truck, almost rolled over, then righted itself before it did... We had to pull over and give a statement to the police, which was a bit surreal, and now I know why the LAPD is known for being slow to respond...

Thomas (one of the groomsmen), Adrian, Christine, and moi.

Friday night we celebrated the bachelorette party at Cowboy Country, a very hilarious line dancing, two-stepping place. We dressed Christine up in a t-shirt, boots, and a hat and took off with her. We had her a bit confused until we arrived. I have decided that line dancing could very well be the best workout of all time, and that I miss my country roots a bit... The best part of the place were the people there... The crowd was very kind, quite a few older people, and really just there to dance and learn. Very fun.

Audrey, Jenny, Val, Christine, BettyJenny and Becky

Today, we awoke and ran some more errands. Christine took the bridesmaids for a Gondola ride in the Redondo Beach Pier and Marina for the bridesmaid luncheon. We relaxed (almost fell asleep) for an hour, listened to opera music, and snacked on fruit and cheese.

The gondola ride....Christine, Jenny, Audrey, Vanessa
This is one of the most relaxing things I've ever done... Afterwards, we ran to Christine's house to change into our fancy clothes and head off to the Queen Mary for a ghost tour of the ship and a four-star meal. I ate caviar for the first time in my life. :) I think Christine has been genuinely blessed by this whole experience, which is the goal! I got to see her older brother Jeff for the first time in five years tonight. I have to admit, I screamed and ran up to him, and he has not changed much, but has, too... We graduated high school together and don't talk much anymore, but it is such a joy when we get to. I met his girlfriend (who is amazing) during the bachelorette party and saw her again tonight at the bridal shower. I'm hopeful that they will get married someday. I can see how their gift sets work so well together. It's fun to see him in love...

Oh, to blindfold a friend to surprise her...
The group of gals at the Queen Mary

Jenny, Jeff, and Christine (I don't even know how many hours we have logged together as friends...)
Go Sentinel Spartans... We graduated together. Eek.

Overall, this trip has been a wild mix of emotions. If I can be honest, it is incredibly spiritually tough and challenging... Thank you to all who are praying for this time... I am pouring myself out quite a bit, and am generally exhausted, but am also enjoying myself so much... This has truly been an incredible experience. God is meeting me here and teaching me a lot about selflessness, love, and pouring out... I have been so blessed to see Christine be so blessed. I think, too, that I have met some people who I will know for a long time to come. You can please pray for Betty, who is not a believer and has been asking me a lot of questions...

Weddings, Wedding Cakes, and other Ramblings

A few of you have been asking for photos of cakes I've done, so here you go...

For about five years now, my friends and coworkers have been getting married at an alarming rate :) In just two weeks, I will be in an airplane, heading west to Redondo Beach, CA to my best friend from high school's wedding. She lives in California, and well, I live here. It's been fun being a Maid of Honor from across the country, though I can see a bunch of ways it would be easier if I were closer... Some of you know I have coordinated weddings, helped with wedding hair/makeup, I've even gotten to photograph two of them... and most frequently, have made wedding cakes. It all started about five (FIVE!) years ago with Kent and Erin's wedding in beautiful Marble, Colorado. Sorry, don't have pictures of those cakes... I have learned that being IN the wedding and making the cake is not the most intelligent of ideas. Coordinating and doing hair/makeup and the cake is also a bit tricky. Photographing and making the cake is doable, but a bit tiring. It makes your arms want to fall off. I have decorated more cakes than I can actually remember... What a "sweet" way to bless people! Okay, sorry, needed that bit of cheese in there to make sure you were paying attention... Recently, this has been made easier with the help of Sugarplums and Tea's Pastry Chefs, who make the cake and frosting and then I get to decorate away (my favorite part and it sure beats the old days where I made everything, too)... I'm definitely not a pro at this, but I love to play, so it's fun that my friends let me do this for them...

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Rob and Sandy's wedding in Berne, Indiana. I got to "shoot" with my friend Nicola as well, which was fun - Thanks Nic for letting me play with your camera... I may have even taken some of these cake photos. This also wins the prize for the farthest I've traveled with enough cake for 350 people in a car... And a super fun road trip with Nicola, Felixa and Dean, and Tim.

The couple met on a photo/video assignment for GD filming in Kenya. So we thought the groom's cake could be the Nikon D-7o (they joke was that the camera was the thing that started it all, even though we really know it was all God...) I had help from my friend Tim on the groom's cake. He helped carve out the 3-D effects.

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These were probably the most interesting cakes I have done. I was heavily involved in the wedding of Annie and Nigel last fall and it was so much fun. I learned leading a youth retreat the day before a wedding is not a good plan... I thought Nigel was crazy when he told me he wanted this cake... But I love how unique it is and is to this day, one of my favorite cakes I've made. Those are white chocolate "cigarettes" cut to different lengths around the cake and raspberries covered with powdered sugar in the middle.

I love that there's a fly on this cake picture...

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These cakes were for my friend Amy's wedding almost one year ago. She worked with me at GD and I got to do all sorts of fun stuff for her wedding (coordinate, hair/makeup, cakes). It was fun to be so involved and I learned a lot from it! Thank you for trusting me so much on your big day and for being the most laid back couple ever.

They gave me complete artistic liberty with their cakes, so I had fun with this grooms cake.

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This was maybe the second or third wedding cake I made... I was a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding and made the cakes (not sure I'll do that again - that was a bit harder than I bargained for...)

Third Day - Love Heals Your Heart

Did you think you were immune to this

Did you think you could escape without infection

You do all you're able to resist

Just to avoid the danger of rejection

Memory warns you of the past

When it all went wrong

When you think your life is shattered

And there's no way to be fixed again

Love heals your heart

At a time you least expected

You're alive like you have never been

Love heals your heart

Everybody has a wall to climb

That was built to guard the pain that holds them captive

Every smile that they would hide behind

Will try to mask the hurt beneath the surface

Sometimes it's hard to understand

How we're trapped inside

Newsletter 6/1/07

I remarked to a friend yesterday about the depth of some of the relationships God has entrusted to me. I am humbled that He would trust me to walk with anyone, to speak into anyone's life. I was talking about this very special young woman named Christina who is graduating from high school today and the wonderful ways I've been able to know her. She is a gem of a person. A real joy to be around. I pray that God guides and leads her all the days of her life. That her focus could remain complete in Him and her worth would be found only in Him. She has been interning here at GD for the past six months (for free :) and helping me out a lot. She also has been keeping me sane with a large dose of laughter during my most stressful times. I thank God for her. Today, my boss wondered if she would be willing to work with us for the next year while she takes some classes. So I might get to see a lot more of her. God, I pray that you would increase her and use her in the nations!

I think about the depth of relationships I've had in the past and I have now. God has gifted me with friends and family spread around the globe and across this country. I think of friendships God has allowed me to have for years, since I was a young girl (Christine, I love you); I think of "families" I have scattered around the US. While I don't have a perfect family, God has given me many families who love me (Weavers, Hess', Baitis', Keeton’s, Rickard’s, Horvath’s (thanks for calling me last week... that meant a lot to me), Pursley’s, and many more). I will get to see quite a few old friends/family in the next month as I travel to California for Christine’s wedding. It will be amazing to see some folks that I haven’t seen for YEARS there. Some of whom I haven’t seen in 10 years or longer. I am also continually blessed by people contacting me from all the places I have called home. Thank you for keeping in touch.

I have been gifted with a group of friends here in PA that blows me away with their love and kindness and the ways they correct and challenge me. I have enjoyed the ways He continues to knit our hearts together. Thank you, Lord, for the love you lavish on me through them. Nate, you are an extraordinary young man with a whole lot of gifts, thank you for speaking so much into my life. I hope to learn a lot from you. God has big plans for your life. Luke, you make me laugh harder than just about anyone I know and you challenge me with the simple ways you love the lost. Josh, you are intense. I appreciate that about you, you don’t bend on your convictions. Vanessa and Justin, I’m glad God has allowed me to be friends with such close siblings whose love for one another blesses me. I pray I can learn from you all... The girls at 735, I am so overjoyed to know you. I love your hearts and I love having lady friends who get it. You bless me. Thanks for walking through life with me and sharing in the joys and pains of being a woman. I am also greatly enjoying my new living situation and my housemate Tasha. Though we are rarely home together (she’s a nurse and worship leader and travels some, too), I have enjoyed getting to know her better. I’m so grateful for her prayers, friendship, and long talks late into the night about God and life. Thank you all for praying with me, ministering to me, and just being great at loving me. It is so nice to pray with and share with the Hess’ and the Weavers. You have known me longer than anyone else out here and you put up with me anyway. You might even like me a little. Thank you for your constant love, patience, encouragement, sharing your families and lives with me, and the incredible depth with which you challenge me. You all make it hard to leave home for my trips!



Shepherding the Flock
1 Peter 5:1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
This morning at work, my boss Galen was leading prayer and shared the verses above. Not that we are elders or pastors (well, some are to an extent), but that we have been entrusted to an incredibly diverse and wonderful group of relationships. He shared with the group that for someone my age, a young woman, to have the favor of God to speak into the lives of over 100 leaders scattered across the nations is amazing. He shared that I have a role in refining, encouraging, etc. I guess on some level I knew that, but to hear it made it a bit more real. I am humbled. Completely. I am amazed that God would allow me to do this, to be part of lives around the world and here. It also made me realize I need to be even more focused on the Lord and his leading if I'm going to do this well. I know I can’t do it; it is only possible if I get out of the way and let Him move me... As I completely rely on Him, He will open my heart and my mouth to share with others. What a wonderful and amazing God we serve! I DO want to serve God and be with His people. God, may this servant of yours be a sweet offering to you... May I be found worthy in Your sight of the calling You have placed on my life...

Two wonderful years! I just celebrated my two year anniversary with Global. I can’t believe it was so long ago that I moved here with the help of my dear friend Crystal (I still can’t believe you drove all the way across the country with me – I love you!), because it feels like it was about a day ago. I understand a bit more of what I’m doing, but have so much to learn. There’s something incredibly refining about working cross-culturally. You literally can’t hold on to any of your ideas or rights or even your preferences. I am learning to “go with the flow” and to be flexible. I’m learning to think more fully before I speak (though I’ve still got a long way to go on this front...) It’s great! I have been so incredibly blessed to be surrounded and led by such an incredible crew of coworkers (both here an in other parts of the world). I sit in awe sometimes at the team God has called together. It is not without struggle, but it definitely brings joy and fruit. I am different now than I ever thought I would be.

A little ministry update for you: After four meetings have now been completed in India, Kenya, Bolivia, and British Columbia (for those curious, in the past 12 months, I have logged 145 hours or so in airports or on airplanes so far)... The first meeting I planned in 2006 had 65 people, this year’s meetings had a turnout of just under 200. I sit and think that in a couple of years when we all meet globally, I could be responsible for a meeting of 1000 or so. Yikes. I wish I could say things are slowing down now... But they just aren’t. In fact, the opposite is happening. We are currently working on our review and planning for the past year and up to four years down the road. I am largely responsible for compiling, editing, refining, etc. all of the ARPAs from all of the tracks. It’s a crazy process, but it’s fun, too. I get to dream big dreams with cool people J I think the document will be over 100 pages long this year...

And while we’re talking about airplanes/airports, I would be foolish not to thank those who have made long airport runs to drop me off or collect me as I travel. I know it’s a sacrifice for you and I really appreciate it! So thank you Luke, Erin (times 2), and Rosemary. It’s so nice before and after long trips to not have to drive myself... or ride the train...

The GDT Alliance is seeing even more tremendous growth than I ever would have imagined. We just talked to our Facilitator in India who told us of a few new programs there that will begin in the coming days and we are up to 81 discipleship mission training programs by the middle of June that I know of. A couple of weeks ago, I received eight new applications from Africa. And there’s no sign of anything slowing down. If some of you remember when I first started here, we worked with 20 or so. I’m not telling you this for a report of the number of programs, but when we think that each of these programs trains between 15 and 100 people per year to go into cross-cultural missions, my heart can’t help but race to think about how many people are hearing about Jesus! Incredible! Things have changed so much, completely by God’s grace and the working of the Holy Spirit! We are gearing up to welcome a new staff person to join me in the work of the Alliance. He will move here in a month from Eth-op-a with his family. What a huge change and challenge that will be for him and his family, but a HUGE relief to me. I’ve been working 10-14 hour days lately and think that will continue for some time to come. There is much to do. God has given me a renewed sense of vision and passion (and energy even through little sleep) for what I do. Thank you, Jesus! The more I remove myself from the equation and get out of the way, the more I can see God moving. What a relief that He’s so patient with us!

We just got home from a trip to Canada (a very short one at that!). I was amazed at the incredible unity that God provided for us in a short period of time as we prayed and dreamed together (this was the North America/European meeting for program directors). I have to admit, I was in awe at how God was moving and working in the group. I experienced some of the most meaningful times of ministry in my life during those days. I’m going to include an excerpt from Sam Dick, who leads a mission program we work with in Canada and chaired the meetings last week. He sent this to the group after we got home. I am tremendously blessed to work with men and women like this around the globe:

“We have no idea how God will use our time together. I feel like God had his way among us. I love the fact that we prayed for each and spoke into each others lives. I appreciate the way in which you all embrace your questions and concerns with love and open hearts. Thanks for so quickly sharing so much of yourselves with each other. I seriously believe that we have a significant role together to play in the GDT alliance. Keep asking the Lord for clarity and vision to see past the numbers, time and $$ - to the potential we have together to touch the world with the love of Jesus. It is quite incredible actually.
Today I look forward to seeing you in the near future. I am asking the Lord that I do not forget our time and the way I feel today. Feelings will fade of course, but the reality and truth and strength of relationships, now there is lasting fruit. I challenge you all to engage and communicate at the level the Lord asks you to engage, in the days and weeks to come...every step toward each other in any creative way will renew the feelings again, and rekindle the reality of the fact that we love each other.”

I’m continually learning to hold my life in a very open hand. NOTHING I have is mine. I’m grateful to know the One who is able and can hold it all so well.

I am continually grateful for so many things, I think this letter could become a novel, but I’ll spare you all. For some, it’s probably a lot longer than you wish it was, sorry about that.

Thank you to all who support the ministry God has placed me in through your prayers, your words of encouragement, and financially. I am blessed and honored by you. I know I couldn’t do this without you. I’m reminded of Paul and those who sent him out and I am so grateful to be sent by such a loving group. Thank you. You are with me when I work in my office, when I travel in airplanes, sit in airports (quickly becoming one of my least favorite places to be J), in my moments of intense sleep deprivation where I actually questioned if one foot would go in front of the other in a pattern that looked something like walking, in my joy, in my sorrow for the nations, when I sleep in strange beds in foreign lands with lots of bugs and heat (but even in that, God has gifted me with being able to sleep just about anywhere, thankfully), and when I experience God’s creation around the world. I think you’re even with me when I’m laying my head on my desk crying out to God for help J

Please continue to pray for me as I work in this ministry. I still have to pinch myself sometimes as I wonder how I got here. I thanked my boss with tears flowing out of my eyes last week in Canada for taking such a huge risk in hiring me with no missions experience and very little cross-cultural experience. I know he took a leap of faith with me. He responded with tears, too at God’s wonderful faithfulness. I tear up when I think about how blessed I am here.

One of the things I am hopeful for is that this year I can reach full support. I have been incredibly blessed at the creative and surprising ways God has provided. I have received some support from people I don’t even know who are family members or friends of some of you. I have even seen God use a square dance to bring support my way. That’s pretty fun!

If you want to keep updated on what I’m up to, where I’m going, etc., feel free to check out my blog: http://jennydub.blogspot.com. I try to keep it updated for all of you...

God bless you and keep you, may His face shine upon you.

Jenny

Romans 4:20-21 20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God had power (GOD IS ABLE!) to do what he had promised.

Shepherding the Flock

1 Peter 5:1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

I remarked to a friend yesterday about the depth of some of the relationships God has entrusted to me. I am humbled that He would trust me to walk with anyone, to speak into anyone's life. I was talking about this very special young woman named Christina who is graduating from high school today and the wonderful ways I've been able to know her. She is a gem of a person. A real joy to be around. I pray that God guides and leads her all the days of her life. That her focus could remain complete in Him and her worth would be found only in Him. She has been interning here at GD for the past six months (for free :) and helping me out a lot. She also has been keeping me sane with a large dose of laughter during my most stressful times. I thank God for her. Today, my boss wondered if she would be willing to work with us for the next year while she takes some classes. So I might get to see a lot more of her. God, I pray that you would increase her and use her in the nations!

I think about the depth of relationships I've had in the past and I have now. God has gifted me with friends and family spread around the globe and across this country. I think of friendships God has allowed me to have for years, since I was a young girl (Christine, I love you); I think of "families" I have scattered around the US. While I don't have a large family, God has given me many families who love me (Weavers, Hess', Baitis', Keetons, Rickards, and many more). I have been gifted with a group of friends that blows me away with their love and kindness and the ways they correct and challenge me. Thank you, Lord, for the love you lavish on me through them.

This morning at work, my boss Galen was leading prayer and shared the verses above. Not that we are elders or pastors (well, some are to an extent), but that we have been entrusted to an incredibly diverse and wonderful group of relationships. He shared with the group that for someone my age, to have the favor of God to speak into the lives of over 100 leaders scattered across the nations is amazing. He shared that I have a role in refining, encouraging, etc. I guess on some level I knew that, but to hear it made it a bit more real. I am humbled. Completely. I am amazed that God would allow me to do this, to be part of lives around the world and here. It also made me realize I need to be even more focused on the Lord and his leading if I'm going to do this well. That as I completely rely on Him, He will open my heart and my mouth to share with others. What a wonderful and amazing God we serve! I DO want to serve God and be with His people. God, may this servant of yours be a sweet offering to you... May I be found worthy in Your sight of the calling You have placed on my life...