One More Week

I'm moving overseas next week. Multiple thoughts and emotions follow in the footsteps of those words (I don't know if words have footsteps but it sounded good). For real though, I have daydreamed of this event in my life for almost 2 decades now. Most of my life I had absolutely no clue I would end up in Germany specifically, or that I would have the joy of mentoring teens as a resident assistant at a boarding school. Now in 7 days I get to enter into the work at BFA that has been happening for many years now. Although some aspects of this journey are very different than what I may have thought when I was a kid, I am excited and humbled that God is leading me to serve him at Black Forest. 

The word transition has been ringing in my ears for months. Some of the transitions are heavy, such as having to say goodbye to special people. I've said real goodbyes and I've already had a dream filled with goodbyes. Then there is saying goodbye to special places, a familiar culture, and way of doing things. I won't even know some of the things that have been ingrained in me my whole life until I dive into a place where life is different, people think differently, and where people do things for reasons that are completely unfamiliar to me. Some of the transitions are lighter and involve wondering how much peanut butter I should pack and discovering the dangers of going to garage sales right before leaving (I may have bought a few things wondering how they would fit in my luggage). Also, answering questions is a struggle. For example, when asked when I am leaving, I get confused if I'm being asked when I'm leaving for Walmart to get chicken or when I'm leaving the country. Lots of clarifying is necessary.

I'm not always good at transitions, for example, transitions between two paragraphs. But thats ok, this is a crazy time and things can't be perfect. I want to thank everyone who has been walking with me. God has used you in so many ways. You've invited me into your houses, let me share about BFA over meals, had Skype and phone conversations, surprised me with gifts, challenged me to be disciplined in the Word, given financially, prayed with me, and been patient as I ran around everywhere this summer.

Thank you for your care. 

Thank you for your passion for the Gospel to be proclaimed among the nations.

During all of this, I am also thankful for God's presence and that I can stop and remember that I can rest in him during whatever is going on. He is my provider and sustainer and he remains the same. His promises don't get cut off when our logic tries to tell us that a situation is too big or overwhelming for him. I don't want to "do ministry" without relying on the One who enables me to even lift a finger or take a breath. I don't want to do the tasks and forget the Creator.

Part of my preparation for living in the German culture has included listening to some German worship songs. This is one of my favorites, written by Rend Collective (performed by someone else). The lyrics are posted below and I would encourage you to listen to this version and the English version, they are both wonderful. 

🎵 By grace alone somehow I stand 

Where even angels fear to tread

Invited by redeeming love

Before the throne of God above 

He pulls me close with nail-scarred hands

Into His everlasting arms

When condemnation grips my heart

And satan tempts me to despair

I hear the voice that scatters fear

The Great I Am The Lord is here

Oh praise the One who fights for me

And shields my soul eternally

Boldly I approach your throne

Blameless now I’m running home

By your blood I come

Welcomed as your own

Into the arms of majesty

Behold the bright and risen Son

More beauty than this world has known

I’m face to face with love Himself

His perfect spotless righteousness

A thousand years, a thousand tongues

Are not enough to sing His praise

This is the art of celebration,

Knowing we’re free from condemnation.

O praise the One, praise the One

Who made an end to all my sin 🎵

I want to invite you to turn this song into a prayer. For me, that I would enter this time constantly approaching the throne of the risen Son, recognizing that I am helpless without him. That I would look at others through his eyes and that I would have wisdom as I learn a new culture and a new ministry. Also, for yourselves, that God would continue to teach you the joy of drawing near to Him wherever you are however He is asking you to serve Him. 

Feel free to contact me with prayer requests you have, encouragements, or anything else on your mind.

Thanks for reading guys!

Preparing for Germany

Hi friends! I wanted to take this opportunity to share what God is doing in my life and I also want to thank you for joining me in this journey! 

The past few months I have been pursuing an opportunity that will be taking me to a community in Kandern, Germany to live and grow with other believers as we build relationships with teens from all over the world. I have been accepted to be a missionary at Black Forest Academy which is an international Christian day and boarding school primarily serving missionary kids and their families. I will be a resident assistant in one of the school's dormitories and will have the privilege of living life alongside the students of BFA. My job will include doing so many different things throughout every day. I will be cooking, cleaning, planning and leading activities, helping with homework, taking kids on errands and doctor visits, going on weekend trips, and enjoying hanging out and relaxing in the dorm. I definitely won't be alone in all of this though! Each BFA dorm is led by a married couple who are the dorm parents and then two or three resident assistants who form each dorm staff team. This is a position that will require me to raise full financial support. Everyone at BFA raises their own support so that the cost for the families of the kids is kept low enough for them to be able to attend. If you want more info on how to pray or how to help partner with me financially you can go to my "How you can help" page. It will have prayer requests that I will keep updating and a link to my online giving form that will take you to Teach Beyond which is the organization that will be helping with training, managing support, and sending me to BFA. 

The ministry at BFA is something that is near to my heart. I have spent the last 2 1/2 years working in a residential setting, caring for 12-19 year olds who were all in very different stages in life and with many who were working through some really tough issues. Growing up, my family and I had many situations with our neighbors where we had to choose whether to respond in anger and vengeance or to continually show them love and let them know we were praying for them regardless of how they treated us. During this time it was cemented in me that we were to show the love of Christ regardless of the circumstances that we were in. Show the love of Christ when we are treated well. Show it when we are treated badly. Be faithful to remind others the truths of the Gospel. Be faithful to share it with those who are confused, hurt, joyful, hopeful, despairing, or angry. Since Christ offered this kind of perseverance and devotion to me, I want others to know His love that doesn't fail. While we can do these things anywhere at anytime, I have loved striving to do these things the past few years while living in a house with a bunch of teenagers, living life together. Getting to work at BFA will combine many things that I have a heart for; being able to mentor missionary kids, being in another culture and learning about cultures from all over the world, residential ministry, being a missionary to missionaries, and working closely alongside other believers and being strengthened in the faith. So these are the things I am looking forward to starting in August 2017!

To wrap up, I recently discovered a song called "Find Me." It was a great reminder to me of what I want God (and others) to see when they interact with me. The chorus says:

"Find me grateful, find me thankful, find me on my knees
find me dreaming, find me singing, find me lost in your grace."

These things can be a real struggle for me sometimes but is a beautiful picture of what I should be asking God for. I titled this blog "Reasons to Sing- Jessica in Germany." This will help me to remember that I will always have a reason to rejoice, a reason to sing, to be grateful, and to be found praising God because I will never be without Him. I also want to record these reasons to sing for others to see what God does in my tiny corner of the world and to encourage others to seek Him wherever they are in life.

Whatever God does in this time, whoever he brings into my life, and wherever He takes me I want to devote all of this to Him. I want to learn to love Him above all else and to walk with Him as He is everything I need. My sin still runs deep but by His grace He will make His name known among the nations through His people who are nowhere near perfect. 

Thanks again for joining me!