(no subject)
Okay.
New York City!!!
What an amazing trip. First off, the girls I went with are amazing women of God. The trip was not intended to be all girls, but that's just how it worked out. In the end, I'm glad it was like that. I felt like I really got close with them and we all got along so well.
God definitely started preparing me for the trip about 5 days before I left. At that point, I was feeling very scared about NYC. I knew we'd have to be praying for people and I never have felt comfortable praying in front of others. So about 5 days before we left, one of the Gathering leaders asked me to go to the sides during the service to be there for people who needed prayer. I agreed, even though I felt really nervous and unprepared to pray for others. Well the time comes and I go over to the side of the room. Shortly after, a friend of mine comes up who needs prayer. I didn't know that she was struggling and she didn't know that I was scared about praying for others. But God put us at the right place in the right time to help each other out. Praying for my friend was so amazing because I learned that I CAN pray for people and that God needs me to pray for people. That experience truly told me that God had a plan for me in NYC and that he definitely is involved in my life.
That being said, I was definitely attacked spiritually before I left. I started getting sick on Wednesday and honestly didn't know if I'd make it to NYC. Of course, I did go but I was pretty much half dead the whole car ride there. Fortunately, I started to feel better shortly into the trip. The first full day there we worked with a Youth Basketball program, went to the top of the Empire State Building, and went to Time Square. We had a delicious dinner at a place called Junior's. The two guys from the NYC ministry that showed us around all week were absolutely hilarious. I am just so glad that they made the trip that much better. I think that day I really remembered that I have to take time out for God.
The second day was a church service. It was really nice to have that experience and I learned a lot about the importance of meditating on the Bible, the relevance of God, and how He continues to work in our lives. I have in my journal that "God will provide and he will come through". That just inspires me so much because I know how hard it is to just lay it down. I also loved that we read from Habakkuk. I honestly have barely read that book, and it really inspired me to reread those smaller books of the Bible. There is so much great stuff in the Bible and I've barely scratched its surface.
The next day was homeless ministry. We made bags for the homeless with clothes, food, soap, and a Bible. We drove around and approached them with the bag. It was really an eyeopening experience. I've never approached a homeless person before. All of them that I talked to accepted the bag. I definitely was humbled by that experience. It also reminded me that all of my possessions are temporary. Only God is eternal and heaven is where I need to place my heart. It made me think of the verses: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18 and "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6: 19-21. We prayed a lot and I sincerely felt God's presence in the truck. I knew that we were showing Christ's love at that moment and that was such a powerful feeling.
The prayer concert the next day was another high point of the trip. We followed the formula ACTS-Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. We prayed about God's nature and all he has done for us. We confessed our sins out loud to God and prayed for each other. It was such a wonderful way for us to grow closer to one another and to God. I felt like I had been spiritually cleansed. That night, we did a fun interview with Walter (one of the guys from the ministry in NYC) that you can listen to at http://www.thenextlevelmissions.blogspot.com/
Aside from the things already mentioned, we also had the opportunity to tutor students, work in a children's after-care program, spend lots of time in fellowship, see Ground Zero, shop on Canal Street and Chinatown, shop along Fifth Ave, see the Statue of Liberty, visit Central Park, and help out in the kitchen that serves the homeless. We heard some amazing testimonies and stories of how God carried people through extremely dark times.
Overall, the trip really encouraged me to spend more time in prayer. I didn't realize how powerful it is to spend time with God. I know now that the more you are in prayer, the more you can be in tune with God's presence. Another key verse from the trip is Romans 12:12 which states, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
Obviously, I didn't write about everything we did and everything I learned about myself and God. There is too much to write and I probably couldn't find the words for a lot of it. What I do know is that God grew me and he stretched me on this trip. And no matter what trouble we ran into, I always knew that God was protecting us.
I'll leave you with another encouraging verse:
"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" Revelations 21:3-4
New York City!!!
What an amazing trip. First off, the girls I went with are amazing women of God. The trip was not intended to be all girls, but that's just how it worked out. In the end, I'm glad it was like that. I felt like I really got close with them and we all got along so well.
God definitely started preparing me for the trip about 5 days before I left. At that point, I was feeling very scared about NYC. I knew we'd have to be praying for people and I never have felt comfortable praying in front of others. So about 5 days before we left, one of the Gathering leaders asked me to go to the sides during the service to be there for people who needed prayer. I agreed, even though I felt really nervous and unprepared to pray for others. Well the time comes and I go over to the side of the room. Shortly after, a friend of mine comes up who needs prayer. I didn't know that she was struggling and she didn't know that I was scared about praying for others. But God put us at the right place in the right time to help each other out. Praying for my friend was so amazing because I learned that I CAN pray for people and that God needs me to pray for people. That experience truly told me that God had a plan for me in NYC and that he definitely is involved in my life.
That being said, I was definitely attacked spiritually before I left. I started getting sick on Wednesday and honestly didn't know if I'd make it to NYC. Of course, I did go but I was pretty much half dead the whole car ride there. Fortunately, I started to feel better shortly into the trip. The first full day there we worked with a Youth Basketball program, went to the top of the Empire State Building, and went to Time Square. We had a delicious dinner at a place called Junior's. The two guys from the NYC ministry that showed us around all week were absolutely hilarious. I am just so glad that they made the trip that much better. I think that day I really remembered that I have to take time out for God.
The second day was a church service. It was really nice to have that experience and I learned a lot about the importance of meditating on the Bible, the relevance of God, and how He continues to work in our lives. I have in my journal that "God will provide and he will come through". That just inspires me so much because I know how hard it is to just lay it down. I also loved that we read from Habakkuk. I honestly have barely read that book, and it really inspired me to reread those smaller books of the Bible. There is so much great stuff in the Bible and I've barely scratched its surface.
The next day was homeless ministry. We made bags for the homeless with clothes, food, soap, and a Bible. We drove around and approached them with the bag. It was really an eyeopening experience. I've never approached a homeless person before. All of them that I talked to accepted the bag. I definitely was humbled by that experience. It also reminded me that all of my possessions are temporary. Only God is eternal and heaven is where I need to place my heart. It made me think of the verses: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18 and "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6: 19-21. We prayed a lot and I sincerely felt God's presence in the truck. I knew that we were showing Christ's love at that moment and that was such a powerful feeling.
The prayer concert the next day was another high point of the trip. We followed the formula ACTS-Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. We prayed about God's nature and all he has done for us. We confessed our sins out loud to God and prayed for each other. It was such a wonderful way for us to grow closer to one another and to God. I felt like I had been spiritually cleansed. That night, we did a fun interview with Walter (one of the guys from the ministry in NYC) that you can listen to at http://www.thenextlevelmissions.blogspot.com/
Aside from the things already mentioned, we also had the opportunity to tutor students, work in a children's after-care program, spend lots of time in fellowship, see Ground Zero, shop on Canal Street and Chinatown, shop along Fifth Ave, see the Statue of Liberty, visit Central Park, and help out in the kitchen that serves the homeless. We heard some amazing testimonies and stories of how God carried people through extremely dark times.
Overall, the trip really encouraged me to spend more time in prayer. I didn't realize how powerful it is to spend time with God. I know now that the more you are in prayer, the more you can be in tune with God's presence. Another key verse from the trip is Romans 12:12 which states, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
Obviously, I didn't write about everything we did and everything I learned about myself and God. There is too much to write and I probably couldn't find the words for a lot of it. What I do know is that God grew me and he stretched me on this trip. And no matter what trouble we ran into, I always knew that God was protecting us.
I'll leave you with another encouraging verse:
"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" Revelations 21:3-4