8 Ministry Highlights in Kentucky and Indiana

In Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky our hosts have welcomed us in with joy and kindness like family. 

Part of our ministry is helping out with their sweet kids.

The profundity of the simplicity of how kids see things, may we be like them

They said they’ve enjoyed having us so much they want to become an official host/stop for World Race America teams (we were their first). 

Here’s Raquel in God’s glorious lighting and color. As I reflect on what’s happened so far, my heart is so full and taken back to Jesus’ magnificence. 

Some highlights:

1. Two of us met a man at a coffee shop who left and then came back in to thank us for smiling and saying hi. Days later they ended up taking an Uber and this man happened to be their driver! They heard his story involving homelessness and much else and simply asked if they could pray for him. He started balling tears in the car as they did. (Read @kylieday blog for more)

 

2. We had to stop at REI and met the father of the man who wrote songs like Yes and Amen by Housefires. He sweetly couldn’t hold back tears as he talked to us about the insight God has given him, we encouraged him as a man full of anointing. 

 

3. Team time getting Boba Tea we reminisced our time in Asia and shared about our trip with the owner.

Then sitting outside, in the parking spot right by our table, an angelic like down syndrome girl rolls in saying “Hey ladies!!”

If only you could encounter her in person, I couldn’t begin to explain God’s Creation in words.

Unrestrained love, joy, favor, grace.

Not inhibited by brokenness but exhibited in light. She loved us she loved us. She loved us.

Annie speaks the language of signs with her. And for a moment Tess feels seen, known, and loved in a way she hadn’t before. Annie said if she got her degree and learned sign just for this moment; it was worth it. She says bye friend in sign over and over again to Annie.

She couldn’t contain the excitement, and we couldn’t help but tear up at her beauty

 

4. A different two of us had to take an Uber to ministry and ended up praying with the driver. We asked the driver if he knew Jesus; his answer not clear.

He told us why he moved from Morocco and went on to share how he’s been sober for 7 years and has helped his friend to become so as well. We shared Hebrews 12:1-3 and about the hope and purpose found in Jesus. He said he thanks God that he is alive and wished he could meet with us again. 

 

5. We helped paint a new outreach center for a church attempting to increase their diversity and reach to lower-income areas. We became friends with a guy our age (who gave up the American dream for missions) and enjoyed fellowship with him cliff jumping and experiencing strong believers in the country. 

Without doing WRA, not for a moment would’ve we been here with these souls. It’s a beautiful thing to step into specific moments and lives of culture both regional and familial.

To sit at a campfire buring through a country-accent-family hidden in the trees but manifested in joy, togetherness, hospitality, and kindness. To feel a part of something when you wouldn’t have, and to bless them. 

Southern hospitality is real, and I have to say the Christians we have stayed with have hearts like gold. 

 

Everyone has a story

Pigeonhold “types” of Americans have shown me a different story line. I pray we wouldn’t stereotype anyone in America. I pray we would seek to know and love all black or white, republican or democrat, rural or urban, poor or rich; we are all God’s image bearers and we all have a stoy worth sharing!

At the campfire, were rural conservatives, one of them whom reminded me of someone from duck dynasty. Per western stereotype, you wouldn’t know that he has built orphanges in Haiti and couldn’t be a better father. 

We also stayed with a military and police officer veteran with joy and love and care. He admits missing the adventure of taking down drug-lords, the travel, and the brotherhood of the military, but he does not miss playing the difficult role of a parent, attorney, lawyer, social worker, counselor as a police officer in the projects. He dreams of a society without racism where his black brothers and sisters can succeed both in family and career life. His step-daughters persistently talk about how much they love this man who took them in as their own and would do anything to protect them. 

Well-off country gardeners in Kentucky with a pool and Air bnb onsite, greet us missionaries like it’s their calling. Offering us the splendor of their belonging. The cheerful individualist of a father walks over and gives us each $20 and says I support Jesus’ work. I say you’re so generous. He says, the Lord told me to, and I do what He says. And this is the sort of Eden, Kentucky we are in. Where neighbors commune and hold loosely to what they have and gloriously to the beauty they foster through their money. 

 

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
-John 16:33 

 

6. We are serving with an incredible ministry that lifts up homeless communities in an holistic way called Recenter. My heart has melted connecting with men coming from the streets and some from addiction that surprisingly respect us so well and are so gentle to us as we work the thrift and thrive store together. Some of our team wrote letters and prayers to see the unseen. We attempt to appreciate the unappreciated. 

 

Covid has forced charities and ministries into a hard place where the need is great, but the capital weak. They have had to restructure their programs and lack volunteers. The Thrift and thrive store claimed that we were a God – send, and the three working at the Recenter day program are doing essential behind-the-scenes work that wouldn’t be done otherwise. Any help helps right now.

The best part is the excitement that marks all the faces we take the time to notice with the Spirit of Christ.

 

7. A ministry, Scarlet Hope, helping oppressed women in America amazed us. Interceding with the women who have been called to this work in such dark, heavy places moved us to our core (corona proposes new danger for sex trafficked, pray pray pray for them). The same Spirit that we saw powerful abroad is here too and is flowing through on-fire believers here. 

 

8. It been special to use my marketing and fine arts degree for ministry. The Holy Spirit has been breathing life into my creativity and words the past years, and it been so fulfilling to lead my team in this area and proofread their content. I also was asked to give a talk at our debrief coming up in Washington with all WRA squads about the power of storytelling!

Nothing could feel better than being able to express a feeling or a moment or a season of your spirit in a way that hits the mark

The arts absolutely bring me to God

-depths and truths you don’t see and mysteries true profound to measure and that that makes God beautiful 

I took photos for the church our host pastors that is providing essential resources to get kids back to school amid covid. We also are cooking breakfast for the teachers one morning.  We prayer walked and interceded for Graceland, and I just know Jesus will answer those prayers in power. 

We have this special opportunity to help the Church be the Church in America. Like Jimmy talks about in this sermon, we exist to bring healing and wholeness to everyone. To show them Jesus is not only able but willing to come and bless and transform every individual he touches. Christ in us the hope of glory, and Holy Spirit, is Jesus’ touch!

 

 

As for me? What is God doing in my life? 

 

I’m convinced you don’t find yourself, you become yourself. Don’t be yourself, you haven’t arrived, you’re becoming yourself

 

Well…on our send off, with the spot-on Matthew 10 (MSG version) as our commissioning, we encountered the Lord.

Gisele, a powerful WRA leader, prophesied over me…

She says the Lord brought her back to a childhood memory with her father. 

Her father, holding her hand, led her into the ocean waves. Her hesitation when the wave overcame her, caused her to fear the ocean to this day and to not want to go back. Gisele said I’m called to not look at the waves around me but to hold Jesus’ hand into deeper waters.  

She had no clue that God told me to “Go Deeper” in Indonesia and that I just wrote a blog on going deeper into Jesus’ waters. The central point of the blog was that it’s difficult to go deeper, but in the waters of His Grace are abundance of life and freeness of gravity. The most devastating thing I could imagine is not swimming in His Waters ever again. In Him, I found everything. And to him alone will I continue to look for everything. 

He showed me, I’m not as far along and deep as I might think. I’m his kid who sometimes feels like I am (because a kid with the most loving protective amazing Father feels like they are invincible and soooo important). But I have soooo far to go. And I feel him calling me to make the decision again to be all in wherever that takes me.

And when covid and fear of the future and existencial doubt and the cost of giving my life away crashes over me,

I look to Jesus 

 

After that prophesy, I decided that the Gospels are next and again in my devotion. I’ve been writing down all the characteristics I see in Jesus from his open/welcoming character to his love for teaching by lakes to his unashamed boldness.  

Like the song, “Jesus is taking me back to the heart of worship. Where it’s all about you. It’s all about you Jesus.”

He’s searching my heart for the ways my trust in Him falters. He’s calling me to not shrink back and warning me to not.

Can I fight the good fight and continue the Race until the day of Christ Jesus?

 

Pray that I will

Pray that I will go deeper humbly but boldly

Pray for discernment going forward for me and all of us that we would walk in obedience and faith

Pray for all the lives Jesus is touching through us

Pray for those who feel misunderstood and stereotyped within our nation, pray that we would love like Christ, pray that fire for Christ would rage within this country and throughout the world

 

I’ve enjoyed walking in more confidence to pray boldly, out-loud in groups interceding and over individuals. He’s leading me to surrender myself and serve my team well, along with surrendering my notions of “greatness” to see that Jesus paved the only Way of greatness which is serving your neighbor. 

 

God is simultaneously doing something completely new and refreshingly nostalgic out here. 

I find myself feeling at the center of God’s Will when I’m on mission in Kingdom community on an adventure spreading creativity and love. 

 

I don’t know what my future looks like in the slightest. My hope is that it would involve all these things and my heart for international people and family. It’s starting to look like after World Race America, I will be moving onto something new… Finally, entering life out of college and the World Race

 

It’s scary, but exciting

All I need and want is Jesus

and that is enough

for joy and purpose

in all circumstances

 

Just like Paul lost navigation on his way to testifying in Rome and ended impacting an entire island that he didn’t plan to step foot on along the way, God is leading us to trust him even when the path is hard and unclear and when we aren’t where we wanted to be (Acts 27-28, Christine Caine’s sermon on this is so good!). 

Just like he persisted with his first disciples, Jesus is asking me when I think I don’t have a hopeful future in him (when I think I don’t have enough bread)…

Don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?…

And when I…

Do you still not understand? – Mark 8

 

When will I see that He has never failed me! When will I see that endlessly He has touched me supernaturally and led me into glorious stages of life! How much more will he lead me into the next! He will provide!!!! He has in abundance for so long, why would he stop!

He has been so, so good to me

Just give him the loaves in your hand and he’ll multiply them into magnificence (Like the Chosen series director did!)