JOY in my journey...

I was recently challenged as a man came to share his life and journey with us as a staff... You see, it was a staff equipping day, but it turned out to be a "life giving" day for me... He was sharing how we have to be listeners, learners, then share the truth in love.

I was listening to this man teach how to relate to people of other religions when I asked him how to relate to those in my life of different religions. They will see the JOY and LOVE. As soon as he told me that they would see my JOY, I was impacted by this and broke down crying during our prayer time.

While I didn't share this with anyone until later that night when I shared it with my husband, I had to repent to God. I repented for believing the lie that to be spiritually mature, I had to be quiet, reserved, serious. I let go of the JOY God gave to me for the lie of being distinguished... I believed that I had to listen to those who think being quiet and reserved is the right way... So many times in my life I've been told I'm too joyful, too happy...

Well, yes. I have survived much. I need to have JOY. God gave it to me. It is His precious gift to me... After years and years of trials, and struggles, I could be bitter and angry, but He gave me the gift of JOY and I almost threw it away for the world. Some would say they don't see me as having little joy, but it's not the abundant JOY of my heart... It's the watered down, simplified joy. The kind that comes from feeling I need to muffle it...

So on Wednesday, I committed to God and myself that I will return to the JOY God has given to me.... I will return to being the person HE wants me to be, not what my "world" tells me I should be. Yes, I will listen to wisdom and counsel, but I will unleash the long-locked away JOY that is inside me desperate to rise up and show the world His love...

Annual ??? Fourth of July Camping/Beach Trip

Well, we did it again. Bradley Beach for the Fourth of July with some of our very favorite people! And my very first camping trip as a married woman - woop!

We headed out Thursday after work to set up camp, get ready for the weekend, and just enjoy nature! Nate worked hard to cut down a tree for our firewood (oak, we think, so it was HARD). I worked at setting up camp and cooking. I do love to cook, even in the wilderness :)

Our friends (Luke, Janine, Josh, Rosemary) arrived by 9:00 and we enjoyed some burgers and dogs. Thankfully we ate most of the brownies before the rascally racoon snuck off with the rest in the middle of the night :)

We woke up Friday and lounged around the campsite before heading to Bradley Beach! We do love this beach so much! The ocean! The sand between your toes! Friends! Cheese! Watermelon! It was awesome. Oh, except, like last year, the water was SUPER COLD! So we didn't brave it too much, except our fish friend Luke, who is crazy... Sometimes... We got to catch up with the Landis' and Brennan's, too, which is always a treat! Such dear people!

After an evening of S'mores, food (very little bread and buns, thanks to aforementioned rascally racoon who CHEWED OPEN our very hefty camping box - you know the ones, the rubbermaid ones... yeah... R.A.S.C.A.L.!!!!), and talking by the fire, we retired for the night, only to be awakened by a big rain storm! So Nate and I ran to the guys/girls tents and slept in there for the night.

We were going to go to the beach again, but laziness or intelligence, made us decide to head home early, which I'm glad we did. Putting stuff away always takes a long time! Oh, but it's SO WORTH IT!

God is so good, His creation is awesome and His love is unending. I'm enjoying being challenged daily by His life and by His love. I don't know why He chooses to allow me to experience this life, but I do love it so much. I am challenged today to live a life more grateful. Even for the things that bug me. So I will try. On His strength....

Am I Different?

So, I'm back at work, back in my calling, but with a new name and a different life... I think I'm supposed to feel different, like my world is completely different, but I don't. I am now a wife to an incredible man, no longer living alone, but I am still me. My passions are still the same, but with some new ones added in, my call is the same, with some new ones added in, but I am still me. I am blessed to be able to be with a man who loves me for me and who challenges me to push beyond who I am today to be better tomorrow. The greatest news is that I don't deserve any of this, but God blesses me simply because He can and He's good.

I am back in this passion... This calling I get to live out day by day. I returned to work yesterday, so excited for this amazing job I get to do. It's such a huge blessing to work here. I was welcomed back and it was such a joy to receive congratulations from coworkers here and around the world.

I can't stop thinking about some things... I can't stop thanking God for these incredible blessings. The gifts that He just keeps lavishing on me... I can't stop thanking God for people's incredible generosity. Never before in my life have I experienced such an outpouring of love from people. The words of encouragement, blessing, joy, and acts of service I have received have been astounding. The generosity of gifts to bless us as we begin our life together have almost overwhelmed me. Then I return to work and I have receipts in my box from my generous supporters and I'm once again reminded of all the people who pray for me, support me, and bless me to be able to do this job. To be able to be part of the big picture, of what God is doing in the nations. I am in awe. Thank you all as my friends, family, and supporters for standing with me so faithfully. I couldn't do this without you and I'm so grateful.

The wedding day was perfect, beautiful, more than I could have asked for. I didn't really grow up dreaming of my wedding. But if I had, that would have been it. The sun was shining, there was a light breeze, it was warm, but not too hot. I was surrounded by so many I love. As Nate and I shared our vows that day, I was amazed at the love of Christ in that place. His glory was on us. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Our hearts' desire was to honor God and I think it worked! The words spoken, the worship, the ceremony, all of it was just wonderful. So many people poured themselves out to bless us that day. And I'm still amazed at the blessings that continue.

I say all of this to note that I know I'm blessed, I don't take that for granted, and I know Who to thank for these blessings... I thank God for each one of you who have blessed my life...

Our wedding verse and a verse we hold dear as we begin this journey together is Isaiah 26:8 - "Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for You; Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts."

I pray He finds our hearts ready for Him...

Some wedding pics...

Hey all,

In case you're interested in some wedding photos, you can click: http://picasaweb.google.com/nateandjenny.blogspot.com

I'll try to post an update if/when I get caught up here... Ha.

Blessings!

Jenny

All I can say... My limited words... Cannot express...

Wow!

I stand amazed right now... God is so good, so faithful, so loving and definitely so patient with me...

This year, so far, has been filled with travels to Ethiopia and India and connecting to many friends and coworkers who are radically in love with Jesus, a parasite (not so friendly) problem I picked up in Ethiopia, and carried with me to India and then home again... A trip out west to ski and get engaged, wedding planning, missing out on a trip to Colombia due to the nasty parasite (try explaining to me why I couldn't go on the trip, why it was safest for me to stay here, when so many I have grown to love were there, just a plane ride away... I cried every time I thought of it for days...), a visit from my mom and sister over Easter weekend, and all that before the first quarter of the year ended.

My trips to Ethiopia and India, once again, made me fall more in love with God, more in love with those He has created and called into a love relationship with Him, and a renewed sense of duty and calling for the 1.8 billion who have never even had a chance to choose Jesus... I am heartbroken again, at the hopelessness... At the same time, I am alive in the truth that God is sovereign and absolutely beautiful. He wants their hearts. He loves them with a passion we cannot understand as humans. I am delighted as His undending love envelops me. I am delighted that He is allowing me to work for Him in this role... I love it!

I came home from the trips honestly very overwhelmed. Three years ago, when I started, there were 20 programs, and now there are almost 100. Lord, what are you doing? Lord, can I handle this? His answer is always, "I am calling the nations into their inheritance. And yes, you can handle this, if you remember to rely on Me.". Ah, yes. Rely on Him. I'm still trying to understand that... I can no longer remember everyone's names at the meetings, but their faces, their stories, are undoubtedly etched on my heart... The testimonies of God's grace and goodness are too, and I am in awe. Truly in awe. God is amazng!

I am taking a Bible Study right now called "A Woman More Precious than Jewels" and I am challenged. The writer continually turns our eyes and hearts to the Lord, reminding us that submission to our husbands doesn't come easily and cannot come if we are not submitted to God. She also reminds us that we never sin against man until we have first sinned against God (ouch!). Loving the men in our lives comes from our heart to God. Do we really trust Him? If so, why is it so hard to trust the men God calls into our lives? Why do we try to change them? Aren't they created for God's glory? Didn't He bless us with them? It is not our job. God, help me as I prepare for marriage, to continually trust God with my life and with Nate's life. He alone is worthy and He alone can do it. God wants the best for our lives, I just know it!

My friends and mom and sister held a bridal shower for me last night. I can honestly say it will go down as one of my favorite nights of my life... So wonderful... I sat there, surrounded by 30 women, all who love me, as they poured out advice, wisdom, encouragement, etc. onto me... I am in awe that God has chosen to give me so many who love me... Who am I? It is a gift.

This life that God gives me, I am reminded as we celebrate the Easter season, is nothing short of a miracle. The gift of knowing Him, of loving Him, and of being loved by Him is astonishing. It blows my mind... God, Jesus, would die for me... He wants to be Lord and Savior to so many more! How wonderful. How tragic. I hope they can hear... I desperately want them to hear... My heart longs to know I will see them in heaven... My heart, however, cannot fathom the depths of God's heart for them... It must ache.

Nate and I are working through our premarital counseling right now and it has been so good. Hard, but good. I like it. I am challenged. In the first week, we wrote out our individual missions. This week, we got to sit down and dream together. What will God call us to? We think He will use us for sharing His love, building up the broken-hearted here in the US and around the world. It's exciting to me to be with a man who is not afraid of living cross-culturally, or counter-culturally. He is not afraid of marrying a woman who travels and lives a somewhat odd existence (by the world's standards), whose calling is a bit radical. I like it! Who knows what God will do with us? We do know for now, and always, we will hopefully remain faithful to the One who is worthy... With His help... With His help.

I love you all, thank you for your love, your friendship, your challenge in my life... I am in love with God and I am definitely in love with the Jesus I see in you... You are with me...

I think I will count this as a year where I begin to understand just a bit more of God's love for me... It is overwhelmingly sweet. I love Him.

Jenny

PS - wedding planning is not stressful, if you don't let it be :) Oh, and if you're surrounded by AMAZING people :)

Our Wedding Blog

http://natejenny.blogspot.com/

Our Mountain Top!

Hey all,

Well, I write this blog with joy, excitement and great peace... I am honored to be able to tell you that Nate proposed to me on the side of Mt. Hood in Oregon and I said yes! It was a wonderful week in Oregon, and truly, a huge blessing to promise our lives to each other that day! I'm sure you want some details, so here you go...

We flew to Portland, Oregon on the 6th to attend some work meetings with Nate's company. We spent Friday all day and Saturday part day in meetings, learning more about responding to disasters, what God is doing, and much more... in the evenings, we would hang out with friends or go on little trips into the city. I was able to relax some, which was good. I'm still fighting off this parasite problem and resting was good for me!

On Saturday afternoon, we rented a car to drive to Salem to visit my grandparents. We took the scenic route through silver falls and enjoyed the drive down. Seeing my grandparents and introducing him to Nate was such a gift. They loved him! And for those of you who may not remember... the last time I visited them, was when Galen called me about this amazing ministry I'm part of now, so their home holds significance in my life...

We spent time Saturday night catching up with Grandma and Grandpa and my cousin Stephen who also lives in Salem. What a joy!

Sunday, we woke up, shared breakfast with my grandparents, then went to the coast for some sightseeing! It was a clowdy day, which made for some great wave shows on the rocky beaches! It was a day where you literally couldn't help but praise God for His majesty and power.

Monday morning, when we woke up, I wasn't sure if we could go to Mt. Hood to ski since I have been sick and was feeling very weak from it... We prayed for wisdom, and for God to make it clear if we should ski or not. Nate told me that even if we didn't ski, we could still drive to the mountain and see what we thought when we got there. They had gotten 40 feet of snow there and it was beautiful driving along snow covered old-growth pines, I loved it! We got to the Timberline Lodge in the afternoon, rented skis, got lift tickets and hit the slopes! It was a beautiful day!!!

After a short run and chairlift ride, Nate asked if I wanted to sit down for a minute, since I was weak from being sick... We climbed over a drift, overlooking the Cascade Mountains, and carved out a love seat in the snow... He talked to me for a while, as I sat there thinking, "wow, I think this is really happening", and "just remember to breathe...". He shared that the mountain was symbolic to him of God's strength and foundation in our lives and shared that he, too, wanted to be a solid rock for me, someone I could turn to, and lean on... I wish I could remember everything he said! And if you're wondering, I teared up a couple times, but didn't cry hard, amazing! He asked me if I would marry him and I immediately said "YES!" and then we had our first kiss and he gave me the most beautiful ring I've ever seen...

Afterwards, we skied back down to the lodge, I went in, and Nate skied one more run, then we called our families and toured the lodge, which was beautiful. When we stepped outside, we were shocked to see the most beautiful sunset! Nate remarked it was as if God was saying, "I'm happy about this!!!"

We are so excited! We thank God for this beautiful gift!!! We'll keep you posted on details...

Thank you for praying for us and for being part of this journey and adventure we're on... God is so GOOD! His creation is magnificent in the scenery he paints for us, and most definitely in the man I get to call my husband...

PS - more pictures on my web albums...

Mumbai, India!!!!

THANK YOU for your prayers. We are here, we are safe, we are enjoying this time!

We remarked today at lunch how grateful we are to be part of a global family and that out of all the people in the world, God chose us to serve in this way. Incredible.

Many of the participants are here and the rest arrive this afternoon/evening, so there's a lot going on here! We will have just over 90 people attending, including local guests and the worship team. It will be a good sized meeting and one full of great joy, I am sure! We wait in expectancy for what God wants to do!

We begin the meeting with a brief gathering tonight for prayer, worship, and a bit of an explanation of ear plugs so people don't eat them like they did in Africa :) and a brief introduction. Tomorrow is when the meeting begins and we are looking forward to it!

Solo just realized today that his visa expires on the 27th and he's not due to leave until the 31st, so please join us in praying for favor as he visits the embassy here... Also pray against fear or discouragement. He and a pastor friend are at the embassy right now.

We are all a bit sleepy and tired, but not bad. We've been busy, but it's good.

Thank you again for all the ways you helped us get here. Your love, prayers, support, and help have been instrumental in things going well. By the way, things are going Very Well! There have been a few glitches, but we all keep remarking how organized and ready we feel. That's good! This team of people is incredible to work with and such a true blessing. It's fun to see their servant leadership come out in this scenario.

Anyway, we love you, we thank you, and we thank God for you!

Jenny

Few Pics from Ethiopia

Hey Everyone! Nate Here. Jenny sent a few pictures of the group at the Ethiopia training. She left Addis on the 17th (Thursday) and is now in Mumbai, India. Things are going great and she is excited about how God is moving among the participants and in her own life. The Training meetings start on Tuesday the 22nd. Blessings to You!

Whole Group minus some secure ones.

And one of her....Just because I can.
They take personal shots of all of the participants at the meetings.
This is Ethiopia.

Update from Ethiopia

Since many of you are so far away, and so many may never make it here, I
will try to paint a picture for you of what it’s like to be here. I know
my simple words can’t do it justice, but I will sure try. Thank you for
your love, support, and prayers... I couldn’t do this without you and I
know I carry each one of you in my heart as I go!

Addis Ababa, Eth-opia thus far has been a country unlike any I’ve been to,
in more ways than I could have imagined. For some reason in my brain
(this is silly, really) I thought that Ethiopia would be more like Kenya.
But it is so different in so many ways. This is a country of many
religions, of much poverty, of beauty that makes your heart ache. There
are people who are poor and needy and I’m sure, though I haven’t seen
them, people with much. They are a warm and friendly people, not as much
so as in Kenya, but in their own lovely way. A way that welcomes you with
a look, with a smile, a quiet way about them. But that is where the quiet
stops. Throughout the day and into the night, all night really, there are
noises unlike I’ve heard before. It even rivals India in it’s amount of
noise. Throughout the night, you can hear the sounds of dogs barking,
music – as loud as possible, trucks driving, roosters crowing (long before
the sun comes up), Coptic Orthodox church PA systems that are so loud, it
sounds like someone is blowing a fog horn in your ear, calls to pray by
our cousins, and banging (not sure what it’s from, but it’s loud). It’s
amazing how loud it can be 24 hours a day. You would think it would quiet
down at night, but it doesn’t.

Our hotel is frequented by UN workers and is very close to a m-sq-e and an
orthodox temple. It’s an interesting place to people watch. The varied
religious activity here makes it difficult. There’s such a big spiritual
battle going on here, it breaks your heart. I have been praying so often
for the people here, for freedom! There have been days I just put my MP3
player in to hear worship songs so I don’t become too overwhelmed with the
oppression here.

The weather here is beautiful. Blue skies, warm weather, cool breezes.
It’s nice, but does get a bit hot in the afternoons, though it’s not
humid. At night it can get downright chilly! The altitude here is 7000
feet, so it makes you feel a bit light-headed at times and a bit
breathless when hiking or walking up stairs.

The people here are varied, thus far I have seen many from Eth., Som-li-,
Sudan, and even China. The Chinese are working on the road crews. They
are attempting to make the roads nicer to drive on and let me tell you,
they need it! The roads here are so intense, sometimes you think you will
vibrate your teeth right out of your head. They would rival some of our
very best off-road courses in America. And since the roads are so dusty
because, well, they are almost all dirt roads (at least the ones I have
been on), everything is dirty. As I type this, I notice a film of dust
all over my laptop. It’s gritty. It gets in your teeth and all over your
body. Maybe I’ll turn permanently brown  from this trip.
We were able to visit a church here in Ethiopia, where many of the members
were forced underground during the years of persecution. It’s incredible
to hear the stories and to see what God has done. It’s interesting and
challenging. Galen preached an incredible sermon, one that challenged me:
how will you prepare a place in your hearts to receive God? 1. God will
come to those who are humble, 2. God will come to those with a contrite
heart, 3. God will come to those who tremble at His word, who revere and
esteem Him highly. It was Christmas Eve here in Ethiopia, so that was
special. Oh, I got to celebrate Christmas twice this year, thanks to
their different calendar.

(Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony)

The food here is interesting. There’s only so much injera a person should
consume and I think my limit was reached before I came. I have only eaten
it twice since arriving. Ah, the food. I think I got a pretty bad case
of food poisoning on my second day here, which left me very sick and very
weak for a few days. Today, Thursday, is the first day I have had energy
and joy for a few days and it’s so nice. I am so grateful for God's
healing touch and for all who prayed and joined me in hoping for recovery
during my illness. Thank you for your encouragement, it pulled me through
some frustrating times. I can tell you this, it’s never fun being sick like that, but
it’s even worse in a foreign country. Thankfully, I have a group of
amazing coworkers who picked up where I couldn’t and blessed me with
releasing me to get well. The first night I was sick, I was awake almost
all night, and for some of it I was just crying out to God, asking Him to
heal me and wondering how I was so sick, wondering why He would call me
here to let me get so sick (how’s that for a faith test?)... But, today,
the first day of the meetings, I am well! I have joy, lots of spunk, and
my smile is back and now for my favorite part of my job: the people!!!!

Most of the participants are here, except a few who couldn’t get visas,
couldn’t get in, or just didn’t come. There are people here from all over
Africa, some from North America, a few from Asia, and it’s beautiful. The
color of their skin, the sound of their voices, the way they move, it’s
all really special. God’s creativity is amazing. I have gotten to see so
many old friends, and finally meet people who have been names on paper and
prayers in my heart for all these months. It’s great. Greatest job in
the world!

This trip has been my hardest so far, no question about it, but it is
good. God has already used so many of these leaders to encourage my soul,
to lift me up, to bring joy. Just to see their beautiful smiles, painted
on the canvas that God gave to them is such an incredible gift. I love
them. I would die for them. I know they would do the same for me. It’s
hard to believe I only have six more days with them. Sad, really... Oh,
funny story, some of the leaders thought I was either very old, very big,
very much a man, or a mix of the above. It's fun to see their shock when
I'm young, a woman, and not big. ha.

Oh, for those of you who know of him, I am sitting next to Benson, the
Desert Boy, he arrived with others from Kenya this morning. So cool. I
keep thinking about his challenge to me last year, that if God is with me
I have nothing to fear. Amen!

After some meetings, dealing with lots and lots of logistics and welcoming
most participants, we heard that some brothers from Sudan were detained
for not having visas, so I jumped in a car with Tariku and one other guy
and we went to the airport to encourage and see what we could do. It was
really hard to get back through immigration and tough to sit and talk to
them. We are hopeful they will get in tomorrow morning, though it seems
unlikely. We are praying for favor and having faith. If not, they will
be deported back to Sudan.

We have just finished dinner, and I am finally “home” to the hotel and
it’s only 8:30 at night. Wonderful. I hope to get lots of sleep tonight
 I plan to plow headfirst into my pillow – it’s amazing how tired
you can get in one day at these meetings. Your brain being on overdrive
all day is hard work!

Thanks again for all you have been to me to get me to this point – for
your love, prayers, and support. Thanks, too, for those of you who helped
me get ready for this trip in so many ways. From the shirts I wear, to
the packets I hand out, it was a team effort all the way! I have also
been reading some of the wonderful cards you sent along with me - thanks!

Oh, yeah. Internet here is difficult, so you may not hear much from me...

And one more thing! On the way back from the airport (on some very nice
roads, by the way-I finally found them!), I saw a sign on a restaurant, it
had a Denver Bronco head (not kidding you) and was called Denver Café. I,
of course, squealed in delight and the driver turned around so I could get
a picture. Ah, my favorite team is even famous in Eth-opia!

Love to you all!

Jenny

-Hey everyone! I am posting this blog on behalf of Jenny. She doesn't have very good access where she is. Here is a picture of us at the airport just before she left. It hasn't been easy but God's grace is enough. Thank you for your prayers. I am so blessed. -Nate