Closing out 2010!!!

   I want to first apologize for the delay since the last post.  If you take the times where time was limited, mix in holidays, and throw in a few periods of procrastination, then you'll see why I'm just now updating, but nevertheless, my apologies and I will try to do better this upcoming year ;)
   There's a few things I want to cover including (in order): 1. Overton 2. Burmese 3. Our Discipleship 4. Bible Memorization and 5. Upcoming News.... If only a couple of these interest you, then consider this your table of contents and you can just skip to that section. (It could get lengthy, but hopefully not too long).
    1. Overton High School-  Our meetings have continued on and have been really great.   Each Wednesday, we meet and discuss/disciple the students who will be leading the First Priority club on their high school campus.  Our numbers have gone down a little due to a few various reasons, but it's been good to see the students who want to be there and lead step up.  We're still in the process of actually setting the club up where we will begin meeting on campus, but I believe we will be meeting on campus before January is complete.  We recently challenged our students to pray with someone one week, and the teacher with whom one of the students prayed for wants to be involved with sponsoring the club.  Her name is Mrs. Stafford so you can add her to the list of Overton prayer requests.  Having a supportive sponsor will be so very helpful!  Pray for this lady!  Since the last post, there's also been a big change in partners for me.  My old partner's schedule brought about conflict so my friend Autumn and I are actually getting to work together at Overton, which is a God thing because the majority of our students right now are girls.  It's just been a great situation all the way around.  I know that Overton is receiving prayer.  I can tell, but I do want to encourage you to continue in your prayers for this school.  The other day I told the students that Overton is going to change, and I think it really hit the students for the first time that we're not planting this club/meeting just to have something on campus.  They're fixing to engage Overton as warriors in the Lord with the Gospel, and the Lord will change the school by changing the people in it.  It's not just a hope, it's a promise, BUT it'll happen by the power of prayer, which releases the power of God.  Prayer is our avenue for Power.  Please continue praying as we continue to build this foundation.  1 Corinthians 3:10-15
     2. Burmese Refugees- Our time with the Burmese is always great and always different from the previous experiences.  We had two visits with our friends right before we let out for the holidays.  During the first, we met and told them about Christmas and why we celebrate and such.  It was a real good time as we met in an apartment close to where we live.  There had to be at least sixty different people come through the doors of that apartment with maybe five of them having the ability to speak a good amount of English.  Nevertheless, it was good to share the Good News of Christ by explaining why we celebrate Christmas.  One other thing happened at that meeting though... We were invited to a Burmese birthday party.  We decided that we didn't need to deny this opportunity so we said we'd come.  After helping our friend, Lulu (who is the refugee coordinator for the Burmese), with the lesson plans for the Saturday meetings the Burmese will have until we return to Nashville, we said our good byes and told Lulu we would see her at the birthday party on Wednesday.  Well, Wednesday came, and despite potential bad weather, we decided to head to the party.  We followed three or four Burmese friends down a run down apartment complex to a small apartment filled with people.  Of course, we are the only white people in the place so I figure most of the Burmese are wondering who we are (or what the heck we are doing there).  After a minute or so, I recognize a couple of faces and we go and visit with Lulu.  In our discussion, we were asked how we celebrate birthdays in America, and we said the basics like cake, games, etc...  Then Lulu said something along the lines of "OK, good, so will you lead the party?".  Not only were we invited, now we are the hosts!!! Haha.  It was a great time and we had plans afterward so we couldn't stay as long as we wanted, but we led Simon Says, did the Hokey Pokey, sang Christmas songs & Happy Birthday, and presented the cake... and like always, we try to share God's Word with them.  They're so appreciative, and likewise, we are of their hunger for fellowship, community, and His Word.  I'm going to post a video of the party and a picture or two of some of the guests.  You'll also see the birthday boy too.  He is 2!!! Haha and... His name is Augustino, which by the way Lulu wanted us to spell with 24 candles.  Check out the video and see how we used all 24 to decorate the cake.  It's definitely a hot cake!

     3. Our Discipleship- Acts has continued to show God's sovereignty more and more (yes, we're still in Acts).  Whether good or bad, we've seen over and over that God is in control no matter the situation.  Our study of Acts has definitely brought encouragement to our group on numerous occasions.  It's just a great book of the Bible.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we've been going through the Old Testament and a book called The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer.  It's been good to experience the Old Testament a little more in depth and see the beauty of God's love for his chosen people.  It's even better knowing that this is the same love God has toward me.  The Pursuit of God was great as well.  We actually finished it the week before we left for the holidays.  I do recommend reading it if you haven't.  It's very short, to the point, and a great book study for a group of believers.  The chapters cover different material, so missing a week wouldn't leave you behind if you were part of a group that was going through the book together (although you would miss out).  I've taken much from this book, and I hope you will as well.
     4. Bible Memorization-  Ok... If by chance you were memorizing scripture with me (or at least trying to), my apologies again.. Right now, I'm at 48 verses and hopefully, I'll have 50 by New Year's Day!!!  I'm just going to list the scriptures for you..  If you see me, please quiz me.  I need all the help I can get in trying to retain these precious Words.
The Word: Matthew 4:4, Hebrews 4:12, Jeremiah 15:16
Prayer: John 16:24, Matthew 21:22, Philippians 4:6-7
Obedience: Romans 12:1-2, John 14:21, Hebrews 5:8
Witnessing: Matthew 4:19, Proverbs 24:11-12, Acts 1:8, Romans 1:16, Matthew 28:18-20
Salvation: Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Hebrews 9:27-28, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 5:24, John 1:12, Revelation 3:20
Assurance: 1 John 5:13-15
Guidance:  James 1:5, Isaiah 30:18, Proverbs 3:5-6
Victory: 1 Corinthians 10:13, Romans 8:35-39
Christ the Lord: John 3:30, Galatians 2:20-21, John 13:13-14, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
    5.  Upcoming News-  This is just to give you a quick run down of what we see happening as 2011 rolls around the corner.  It looks like I'll be in Puerto Rico in February, and there's a possibility of being in the Dominican Republic in March (from what I hear).  I'll keep you updated (a lot better this time) about those as they get closer, but you can start praying for them for sure.  I'm a tad nervous, but I know the Lord usually works best when my confidence is not in myself so I'm looking forward to big things from Him.  Anyway, just pray for it please.  We also start back on January 10th with our discipleship.  The break away has been nice, but I'm ready to get back to some sort of routine as well.  We (the students of Trek-X) have scheduled a get away to Atlanta for the Passion Conference, which should bring in the new year with a bang as we get to enjoy speakers like David Platt, Francis Chan, and John Piper.  I'm looking forward to it and to what 2011 brings.

So... I hope that you feel updated and in the loop just a bit better about what's happening in Trek-X.  Like always, If you have any questions, please ask.  I'll try to answer them the best that I know how to.  Also,  I hope you enjoyed the update.  Maybe you skipped around some, but hopefully you wanted to hear it all.  If not, that's what the table of contents is there for.  ;)  Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed, and I do appreciate all your prayers.  May God keep you and Bless you in 2011. Merry Late Christmas and a Happy New Year!   Isaiah 35:4-5

Merry Christmas!!

O come all ye faithful;

Joyful and Triumphant. 

O come ye, O come ye 

to Bethlehem. 

Come and behold Him; 

Born the King of Angels. 

O, Come let us adore Him, 

O, Come let us adore Him, 

O, Come let us adore Him, 

Christ the Lord. 

Merry Christmas everyone!! May we adore Jesus this Christmas. I love you all!

Happy Birthday Augestino!

Last Wednesday evening our Burmese friends invited us to a birthday party. They invited us to come celebrate and asked Josh to preach :) When we arrived, we were welcomed into their small apartment and asked to wait as they brought more people. This was a big event for them! There were about 20-30 of us packed in this small apartment, when Lulu asked us to lead their party- they wanted an American party. We went from being guests to a little boy's birthday party to being the hosts in a second! They love to play games so we played Simon says and the hokey pokey (trying to explain that "hokey pokey" doesn't even mean anything in english was hilarious!) Then they asked to sing Christmas songs. We sang Away in a Manger as Lulu interpreted, then we all sang Joy to the World together in both English and Myanmar. Their anticipation for Christmas really put me in the spirit.

Then we finally got to meet the birthday boy. His name is Augetsino and he was turning 2! They brought out his cake and asked us to place the candles. They wanted us to spell Augestino but we decided to just go with an 'A' :) However, Lulu insisted we use all 24 candles to make it. The cake was so hot! Then we all sang Happy Birthday together and laughed and clapped. Their excitement about the smallest things is so fun to be around.

Before we left, Josh shared God's Word with them. We shared Matthew 28:18-20 and he spoke to them about how God has all authority and we find our comfort in that He is always in control and always with us. Some of the Burmese people desire God's Word so strongly. Their hunger for the Truth is such an encouragement to us. They thanked Josh again and again for being bold and sharing with them. And thanked us for coming. If they only understood that we are just as blessed by being with them.

God is expanding the love in my heart for the Burmese community in Nashville. Please continue with me in prayer for them. Many of them need jobs and really need to learn English to operate in America. But more than that, many of them need Jesus. And praise the Lord, He has raised up believers within their own community. Who better to reach the Burmese than another Burmese? The way some of them love life and desire to know God more excites me! It reminds me that I have a great purpose on this earth. We all do. And I pray that we fulfill it. Hope you enjoy the pictures and video!

His Grace is Enough

Well, it's been over a month since I've written. A lot has happened in a month! But, school ruled most of my time the past few weeks. But praise God, I finished Monday!! I believe that the Lord really used my school work to test me and stretch me this semester. And I believe Satan took complete advantage of every opportunity to attack me concerning school. But God's grace alone got me through it. Jesus was my sanity during those last few weeks of the semester. So...to update you on what all has gone on other than college...

We've continued going through Acts, reading The Pursuit of God, and doing our in-depth analysis of the New Testament.
In the past month and a half we were blessed to meet some really special people. Peter Abungu, our contact in Kenya, came to visit. He shared about the ministry the Lord has given him in Kenya and challenged us spiritually. I was so encouraged by Peter's testimony and how strongly I felt the presence of God every time we were around him. (I also fell in love with all things Africa :)
We also met Heather Mercer, who some of you may remember. Heather was imprisoned in Afghanistan in 2001 for sharing her faith. The Lord has given her a heart for Afghan and Iraqi people and has blessed her ministry with them greatly since 2001. We were able to spend time with Heather and her newly wed husband Mohaned, hearing about their lives and praying with them. To hear how God is at work globally is energizing!
We also had a new door open for ministry. World Relief is an organization that empowers the local church to stand for the vulnerable. (worldrelief.org explains in it detail- it's an amazing organization) World Relief helps new refugees assimilate into American culture and become self-sustaining individuals. However, because they receive government funds they are limited as to what the can do for the refugees eternally. But this is where volunteers like us come in! Volunteers help set up apartments for new families and help them move in. They can also "adopt" a family, befriend them, and hopefully be able to share the Gospel with them. We will not be able to adopt our own family until January, but we have been setting up apartments, meeting neighbors of the new families, and praying for them for a few weeks now and the blessing that comes from it is overwhelming. It is such a perfect opportunity to show someone the Love of Jesus Christ.
As for the things we have been involved with for a while..Lulu and our Burmese friends are great! God is truly at work among the Burmese community in Nashville. They hunger and thirst for His righteousness. The connection we have with them is no doubt the supernatural work of God. And First Priority is also going well. I have moved to Overton High School. Brentwood Middle already has a Christian club and was really not showing much interest in another. So, after time in prayer, I moved to Overton with Josh to help start a club there. I see now that God moved me at just the right time- all of our students so far are females so it's good for me as a female to be there. But God has answered our prayer in giving us some believers at Overton who have a strong desire to make Him known on their campus. We cannot meet on campus until it is approved by the principal and we have a teacher sponsor, but we have been meeting at a church and discipling these girls and preparing them to lead the club. God gave us some warriors! They are so excited about being a part of Kingdom work and have even been praying with their teachers. I cannot wait to see what the Lord does at Overton in the next two years.

Josh, Peter, Mohaned, Heather, me, Monica, and Chris 

Please continue to pray for Trek-X and what all is going on here. Prayer is the force behind our work as Christ followers. Thank you and God bless you!

Our God is Good

What a week! I don't think I can share with you all what all the Lord has done this week. I would be typing for hours. So this will have to suffice.

Let's see.. I'll start with last weekend. Monica, Josh, and I traveled to Birmingham for Secret Church. (if you don't know what this is check it out online- just google it) It's basically a night for believers to gather and join hearts with the persecuted church in other countries. For six to seven hours we went through the Word and spent time in prayer for our brothers and sisters around the world who meet at the risk of their LIVES to read the Word and worship together. We studied about the Body of Christ. I learned what the Bible says about the church (which is pretty far from what America says) and basically just fell more in love with Christ for the way He set everything up. The Body is such a beautiful thing! I can't tell you all about it- but the podcast from the night should be online soon. It's lengthy, but it's well worth it. I won't look at the church the same.

Now for this week..Tuesday, Peter Abungu (our brother from Kenya) came to spend the afternoon with us again. He shared pictures of his wife and two children as well as some of his other family members and fellow believers sharing the love of Jesus with other Africans. Please pray for Peter as he will be away from his family for another 5 weeks (8 weeks total). Our time with Peter was surreal. He encouraged us about PRAYER. He shared that during his time in America he has noticed our lack of prayer. We meet and eat and talk and strategize but rarely do we pray. But prayer is the force behind our work. Jesus Himself took time to pray to the Father; seeking His will. Do we really think we can do God's work without praying over it?? I was so convicted by Peter's words. Our Lord is worthy of our trust. God is power. And I must seek Him constantly, asking in power for Him to reveal Himself and His ways to me. As Peter asked what he could be in prayer for for each of us, the Lord broke my hardened heart. I have been placing such a burden on myself. My school work is a challenge for me- it has been since I got here. I had grown to feel that school was keeping me from doing the work the Lord prepared for me. And I felt ashamed for spending so much time doing school work and not spending more time with people-sharing the gospel of Jesus. As I shared my heart with the group, they (acting as the Body of Christ) encouraged me, reminding me that God is not as concerned with my activities as He is with the attitude of my heart. Each time is necessary for its own work and during this time of my life God is preparing me for what is ahead. School is preparation. And I must learn diligently. God is not condemning me for not being super spiritual. He desires a pure heart for me. Ahh! It was so freeing to give that to the Lord and remember how much He loves me

Tuesday nights we spend time at Chris and Christy White's house. This Tuesday Peter joined us. We ate together and then spent time in prayer. We repented of our sins and asked the Lord to reveal Himself to us and just praised His Name. The presence of the Lord was truly felt in power and truth. We worship a Living God!

Ok, this is a lot, I know. But the Lord is doing great things! Today we met at Benny Proffitt's home. (the founder of First Priority). We met there with Benny and Peter and Heather Mercer and her husband Mohaned. You may have heard of Heather. She is a missionary to the Middle East. A few years ago, Heather was arrested and imprisoned in Afghanistan for sharing her faith. She was sentenced to death when the US Army (by the Lord's grace) redeemed her. Heather has since returned to the Middle East, building a "freedom center" to use for ministry there. She has also married a brother in Christ, Mohaned. Heather and Mohaned are in the States raising support and taking care of other logistics. We got to sit and listen to them and hear how the gospel is advancing in Iraq. Her boldness and complete surrender to the Lord was humbling, as was hearing a former Muslim proclaim the love of Jesus.

Josh, Peter, Mohaned, Heather, Me, Monica, and Chris 

I cannot comprehend God's power. His presence in this world is unbelievable and my finite mind can barely grasp it. His love is overwhelming. His mercy and grace are full. He is perfect and eternal. He is a healer and comforter. He does NOT need me, yet He chooses to use me. He has a purpose to fulfill and is letting me come alongside to see if fulfilled. Praise His name! Our God is Good.

"Look among the nations and see; wonder and be astonished. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if I told." Habakkuk 1:5

Sorry for the long windedness :) God Bless You.

Philippians 4:6-7

Hey everyone,
I just got back from a weekend visit in Starkville! I went to get some school things taken care of and visit with friends. The weekend was such a blessing! I was able to share some of the things the Lord has been teaching me and just fellowship with sweet friends that I have missed so much. The school things got taken care of too (which was an answered prayer). Praise God!

I just wanted to update you a little:
Thursday before we headed out of town, Peter Abungu (Mobilizing Students' contact in Kenya) came to our afternoon training. He shared a little bit about himself and what God is doing in Kenya. I enjoyed listening to him so much! His passion and zeal for the Lord is contagious. Peter shared with us some of the ministries he is a part of in Kenya. Please join me in prayer for the Muslim students that will hear the gospel in their schools and for how families react to those who put their faith in the Jesus Christ. Also be in prayer for young girls who are, for the first time, told that they do not have to sell their sex to help support their families. My heart is burdened for these girls. Pray for Peter and his family as they continue to serve our Lord in Africa.

Also on Thursday, we had a "mid-term" for our scripture memorization. We are almost up to 30 verses now! I can't explain to you the power in the Word. I have an awful memory! But as I continue to add verses to my little flip notecard book, it is as if my mind keeps expanding! It is completely the Lord, but the verses just keep getting easier and easier. And my desire for the Word just continues to grow. I am seeing how the Lord allows His Word to come to life by bringing up the verses I am studying during the day. It is a beautiful part of this journey! Thanks to those of you who have been praying for my mind to be able to soak up all my school and to memorize the scripture. He is faithful to answer prayers. I encourage you all to write God's Word on your hearts as well.

Last weekend was our monthly get-away. Our group spent a weekend camping at Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky. The weather was PERFECT and our time was sweet. I was reminded while there that the Lord's presence is always surrounding me. I am ashamed by how often I do not notice Him speaking to me. As I thought about what all my Father has been teaching me, I became overwhelmed with His Goodness. I'm praying for a heart that is sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

I hope you are all doing well..
John 8:31-32

the 9th week

Once again, the previous week was amazing material in Acts.  There's so much packed into these chapters, so I just suggest you read Acts 14 and 15 and look through the eyes of each person throughout the verses.  It's amazing stuff and I'd rather you observe it, interpret it, relate it, and apply it for yourself... You'll see that the people of Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra resemble our culture very much.  It's really interesting to see the comparison.

Besides that, I just encourage you to put on the armor of God this day (Ephesians 6) and hold true to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.  It reads: 

"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,"

Also: Matt 28:18-20, Romans 1:16, John 14:21, Hebrews 5:8, and Romans 12:1-2 are verses for last week and this week if you're trying to memorize these things along with me.

I recently sent out my second newsletter, for October, which gave a quick rundown of what we've been up to the past month. At the close of the letter, I asked for prayer for Brentwood Middle School as we try to form a First Priority club on the campus. I ask you as well to pray for us to find a time for a parent-student meeting and that the right people will show. Also pray for the lost students at BMS and favor with the faculty there. The second thing I asked for prayer on was for our Burmese friends I have mentioned before. We had not been able to meet with them the past few weeks for various reasons but we prayed against discouragement and that our friendships with them would continue to grow in Jesus' Name. I asked for prayer for God's timing on us meeting again.

Well.."the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working!" (James 5:16) We got to meet with them Saturday!! I hate that it's Wednesday night and I am just getting around to posting this, but I am just now finding the time. We were still not able to meet in the church, but Lulu said that God showed her that church is not about the building and we were invited to one of the refugee's apartment. The joy they had to meet with us was overwhelming. We sang and worshipped (their Myanmar dialect and our southern slang went beautifully together!) and we played games such as simon says and a spelling game. (My parents were in for a visit so my little brother got to come with us and he led us in the games) We also helped them with some English language tips and taught them phone etiquette. They were so eager to learn! We dove in to God's Word with them as we sat in a circle in the floor. We read about the armor of God in Ephesians 6 and discussed the importance of being armed. We encouraged them to spend time alone with the Lord and reading His Word as well as encouraging them to continue to meet together as the Body and truly be a picture of Acts 2:42. As we closed, Lulu put us in to small groups to discuss struggles we've been facing lately. (Neither of the two in my group felt comfortable speaking English so I did a lot of the talking here!) We ended with a beautiful time of prayer. We all called out to the Lord in our own languages, together with one voice.

To end the night, they cooked for us! We literally felt like we were at a feast. They were overjoyed to serve us. We continued to fellowship with them and took several pictures (of course!) As we left the apartment Lulu and the others waved goodbye to us until we were completely out of their sight. 

We couldn't quit talking about the night when we left. It was so refreshing! Isn't is crazy how we think we need to pay for entertainment or doing something exciting to really fulfill a Saturday night? The greatest satisfaction I felt this weekend was sitting in the floor with some refugees from Myanmar soaking up the Word of God and worshipping Him together. 

Mon Phet That (bananas and sticky rice in seaweed)
Yum! 

Vermicile Soup from the Kyazan' Tribe
So HOT!

        "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them."
                                  Matthew 18:20

              Praise God for sweet time with His children! Thank you for your prayers. 

Prayer Updates...

Also... Wanted to update you on two prayer requests that I'd mentioned before: 1. Overton High School- We had our meeting and had 7 students show, which was more than expected! and they are on fall break this week, but on the 27th, we have a meeting to start training the kids in the First Priority material (Pray, Bless, Serve, and Tell) which all comes back to one purpose.  We want every kid at Overton High School to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.(approx. 2000).. Remember, God is at Overton.. The Gov't did not take him out of school.  It's foolish to think someone can take God out of anywhere!!  Some people really belittle God and think the US Gov't has that power. (They don't)... Anyway, It's an awesome club/avenue for students to be able to share Christ and make disciples all while reclaiming God's territory at John Overton High School.  So be praying for this next meeting and that the right students will show...  and 2. I asked you to pray that we would get to start meeting with the Burmese Refugees again, because something was inhibiting us from meeting and we couldn't figure out why. Well... Check out the answered prayer through these pictures...

It's actually a Burmese Bible... I have no clue what's being read.
It's Ephesians though!

I had no clue what song they were singing

They cooked for us. Very interesting. Very Hot.

Mon Phet Thot (Banana, sticky rice, in seaweed roll)
Notice my red lips from the Vermicile soup.

week 8... The Authority of God...

Hey, sorry I'm just now updating.  Last week was great.  In Acts, the gospel has now moved on to the Gentiles, which is a major shift and not taken well by the Jewish leaders of the synagogue.  Peter is imprisoned, but God does a miraculous work in setting him free all while the local body of Christ is diligently praying for his rescue. (read Acts 12!) Let's see.. King Herod tries to steal God's Glory in Acts 12 and God will not put up with it. (may it be a lesson to us all, God takes sin and His Glory very seriously; hence.. Jesus's crucifixion)...
... Acts 12 really is an amazing chapter, but the thought that I want to share with you the most comes from Acts 13.  Here we see that Paul and Barnabas are sent off for work the Lord has called them to (Acts 13:2) and they go, but as they come to a place, they don't come as we usually do when we approach evangelizing or sharing our faith.  They take authority over wherever they are.  They aren't rude or disrespectful, but they let it be known they have authority.  They act with authority, and the reason is because they do actually have all authority.  It's not a strategy or a mind game they come up with on their own.  "ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Jesus)....and behold, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, to the end of the age." -Matthew 28:18-20.  We must wrap our heads around this concept that the whole earth and everything in it is under God's Authority.  I think sometimes we see the battle between good and evil, and we make satan out to be God's counterpart (like they are equal opposites), but he is not.  Satan is not allowed to do anything, except that which God allows him to do.  Read in Job where satan has to ask permission to test God's servant Job.  Without God allowing it, satan can do nothing.  Satan has no authority over our God! So, with that said, we have to remember that everything is God's.  We cannot look at the bars, strip joints, prostitution houses, and slums and say, "That's satan's territory".  NO IT'S NOT!!! Satan may temporarily be reigning in that place, but IT IS NOT HIS!! Too many times we walk into a dark place, feel the presence of evil, get uncomfortable and say nothing.  This doesn't have to be in an dark "place"; it may be walking into a conversation that you know is shedding no light and nothing but darkness is coming from it.  When you stumble upon a conversation like that, does the subject quickly change? Is the authority of Christ made known (w/ or without words)???  If you have the Spirit of God living in you, you have all authority in heaven and on earth with you.  May our coward hearts believe this and stop running from people and places that have no authority at all.  Do we not trust that God himself can handle any situation?  Do we really have the faith that we proclaim we do?  I pray for whoever is reading this to have boldness to truly believe this and walk in the Authority of God. AMEN.

fall creek falls

Fall Creek Falls 

Once a month we will be taking weekend retreats or getaways. This time is used to reflect and refocus. We will pull away from our busy schedules to reflect on the things the Lord has been teaching us. We will share with one another and just relax and enjoy the Lord. Theses retreats are a time for us to remind ourselves why we are doing what we are doing. It is easy to let Trek-X become academic or informational, but this is far from what Trek-X is supposed to be. It is a Journey with Christ and it is to be experiential. When we take this time away, we ask God to refocus our hearts on Him alone. We're doing what we're doing for His glory- to make Him famous.

These are pictures from our first retreat in September (sorry I'm late on getting them up). We went to Fall Creek Falls a couple of hours out of Nashville. We canoed, hiked to the top of the waterfall, had a picnic, and took some time to reflect and rejuvenate and enjoy God's beautiful creation.

We will be going on our next retreat next weekend. We're going camping! Hope you all are having an amazing week. Much love..

Tomorrow begins our 8th week of Trek-X. I can hardly believe I've been in Nashville for two months. Things are starting to become more normal and relationships are being formed. I'm so excited about what the Lord is going to do in Nashville while we are here. The song "God of This City" comes to my mind..Greater things are yet to come. Our training and discipleship last week was jam-packed. We began an analysis of the Old Testament and also started reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. In our morning discipleship time we are still going through the book of Acts. As we search the Word, we continuously see how the Holy Spirit is always present when miracles, healings, etc. take place. This is a good reminder that we must always be full of the Spirit. The latter part of the week we dug in to chapter 10, where the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles. As Peter went around preaching, he understood that the Lord was telling him to show no partiality among people. This reminded me how the Gentiles have been ADOPTED into the Kingdom. This is huge! We were not God's chosen people (Israel was), yet He chose to adopt us as His children. He shows no partiality. Praise God! 

Last week I was led to read a blog written by Katie, a young woman (21 years old) from Brentwood, TN who is dying to live. She has given up her life of wealth and comfort in the U.S. to live in a village in Uganda, Africa. It's a beautiful story. Katie has adopted 14 Ugandan children and gives her life away for the glory of the Father as she nourishes them and teaches them and LOVES them. She is a single woman, only 21 remember, who despite these children's past, despite the color of their skin, despite their filth and desperate need, has taken them in as her very own children and loves them unconditionally. As I sat in tears reading Katie's blog, I was reminded of the Gospel. Just like these precious children, I have been ADOPTED! By grace, through faith, I have been saved. It is not at all my own doing, but a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Despite my past, despite my filthy sin and desperate need, God sent His Son, and Jesus died for me. And He found great joy in doing so. And because of His Love for me, I live. I still can't wrap my mind around how incredibly amazing this is.
Please check out Katie's blog at http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/ and as you read some of the stories, think about the Grace and Love of Jesus Christ.

Week 7

Well... It was a long week guys, but a good one.  It was probably the deepest discipleship we've had yet as we started the well known book, The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer.  You may have read it before, but if not, it's like one of the top ten books for a Christians to read.  I actually saw lists online that said it was in the top ten.  Personally, I haven't read 10 Christian books in my lifetime.  Anyway,  it reads like it's talking to the church today, but it was written over 50 yrs ago!

The rest of the discipleship went well too.  We're still marching through Acts.  Saul experiences Christ on the road to Damascus and you've probably heard the story many times, but the main application I want to draw out of this is that Saul believed he was doing God a favor in persecuting the Way as it is called in Acts many times.  I've always taken it as Saul knew exactly what was going on and he was trying to go against God, but that's not the case.  He was killing Christians and thinking that he was doing God a favor to wipe these people off the face of the earth since they didn't line up with the Pharisee teachings.  So it must've absolutely messed Saul up to find out the Truth.  Of course, it's a good brokenness, but still... you can imagine his whole way of life be shaken! SO.... in thinking about this, I have to ask God (and myself), "What is there in my life that I've taken as truth that does not line up with your Word?" and.. in asking this, I have to be humble enough to open my ears up to what God's going to say...  Lately, God has unblinded my eyes to many lies that I took as truth my whole life just because someone told me that when I was young, and I never checked it with scripture.  So.. I encourage you to pray that prayer in some manner and see what it is that God wants to show you next... May your eyes be opened. (Acts 9:1-20)

This week we also had a guest come in from down under.  Martin, a professor from Sydney, Austrailia, joined us along with Benny Proffitt from First Priority.  We met and discussed Trek-X and the possibility of starting something in Austrailia (in the future) which resembled the same model that Trek-X uses (which is just a biblical model of discipleship).  It was a really interesting time, which was filled with a lot of wisdom ranging from spiritual warfare, to Western (American) Christianity, to the role of leadership in the church, to the path the gospel has taken across the globe, to trying to put new wine into old wine skins, etc... all of which was backed by scripture.  I think the part that amazed me the most was how the passage on the wineskins was broken down (Luke 5:33-39).  This passage helps me see a lot of the disfunction and complications that arise in the modern churches, but it also lets us know how to handle these "wineskin" issues that the church faces. Anyway.. there's been a lot of knowledge taken in this week, so pray that the same knowledge and wisdom will be given just as it was received.  Thanks for the prayers.  By the way, new verses for this week are Proverbs 24:11-12 if you're wanting to memorize.  Until next post, take care.

Bible Memorization

I wanted to let you know a little ahout this part of Trek-X.  Basically, I'll be learning approximately 100 verses this year which cover different topics such as the Word, witnessing, salvation, assurance of faith, etc. and I get to memorize a book of the Bible as well.  After praying and asking others in the faith whose opinion I respect, I chose... (drum roll).... EPHESIANS..  It's gonna be hard, but we shall see what happens.
Here are the verses I know word for word right now.  If you aren't memorizing scripture, I encourage you to start.
The Bridge verses
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
Hebrews 9:27
Romans 5:8
Ephesians 2:8-9
John 5:24
John 1:12
Revelation 3:20

The Word
Matthew 4:4
Hebrews 4:12
Jeremiah 15:16

This week I'm covering Matt 4:19 and Acts 1:8 as well for all you who want to join with me in the memorization.
Much Love,
Josh

Morning Discipleship Highlights (Weeks 1-6)

Hey everyone,
  Just wanted to update you with all that's going on here in Nashville.  I'm just going to highlight some of our focuses throughout these first few weeks to catch some of you up that haven't received updates lately.  I'm going to try to write a post at the end of each week from here on out.  Even if it's short, I'm going to try to post something.  Also, these first few weeks are just our morning sessions that we call RPM (Reading, Prayer, Memorization).  There's other facets of Trek-X that I'll be letting you know about too, but as for now, this is just a catch-up post to summarize the main themes throughout this first month and a half of our morning sessions.

Week 1
  After RPM was explained to us, we read about martyrs in the Faith from the book "Jesus Freaks" by D.C. Talk.  It's always humbling to see the extremes of our faith.  In our church language, we separate the the word witness and martyr, but they actually are the same thing. We use witness more as a verb meaning to share the gospel, but it actually means "martyr" or a witness unto death.  It doesn't mean all witnesses will die (for their faith), but a true witness embraces death for the advancement of the Truth.  Anyway, it's very easy to forget, ignore, and/or turn our minds away from the fact that right now someone in the world is probably dying for their faith in Christ.  We also began reading and studying Acts in depth.  If we are going to plant churches, then this made sense to study Acts.

Week 2
  We hit Acts 2:42 in this week and we spent a few days on it too.  The verse lays out exactly what the early church devoted itself to (which is probably what we need to do too... maybe???).  There are four things they devoted themselves to: 1. Apostle's Teachings 2. Fellowship 3. Breaking of Bread 4. Prayer.  SO.. let's break this down...
1) Apostle's Teachings= Scripture... These were not just words.  This was a whole new way of thinking.  It's the deprogramming of the Old Covenant life style where God existed inside a building or object to this New Covenant in which He indwells believers.  Like, this was a major switch where God was explaining this New Covenant to His people through the Apostle's Teachings.  Remember: They didn't have the New Testament scriptures.  This represents the whole Bible for us. (Matt 4:4)
2) Fellowship= Sharing what Christ has done and is doing in your life with other believers (and non-believers)... Usually, we think of fellowship as eating together and shootin' the breeze or watching a ball game together.  That's not the fellowship talked about here.  This is simply sharing what God was doing and how He was moving in their lives so that they could know Him more.  I imagine there was plenty of vulnerability here as well. (Phil 3:10)
3) Breaking of Bread=Community.... I'm not sure if we get Communion from community or if we get community from Communion, but this represents the bond and unity that is supposed to be within the Body of Christ.  It's the kinda community that says, whatever it is you're going through, come Hell or high water, I got your back.  Very close knit.  (Eph 4)
4) Prayer= well... This is just prayer.  Talking to God and bringing everything before Him. (Phil 4:6)

The last thing I want to point out is the definition of Devote: To give or apply (one's time, attention, or self) entirely to a particular activity, pursuit, cause, or person.


It is one thing to participate and do these things.  It's another to be devoted.


Week 3
  So.. week 2 was really good as you can see.  In week 3, we met with Benny Proffitt from First Priority, which is a campus club on high school that is sort of like FCA in some ways.  He talked to us about visions that God gives us (not like the vision you literally see), and how God's timing is not our timing.  He shared a story of how 20 years after he had started First Priority, he asked God why it was taking so long, and he said that he could almost hear God laugh and tell him, "What's twenty years to me?"  God is far outside of our minds and outside of our restraints (such as time).  It's important to keep this in your mind.  God's ways are far beyond and above ours. (Isaiah 55:8-9)  His time table differs from our culture which promotes now now now.  Heck, in America, we get upset if it takes longer than 10 seconds for a text message to send. 
  The other thing I took from Benny is that Jesus never once spoke about the gospel of salvation, but He spoke in terms of the gospel of the Kingdom.  I'm not going to go into explanation on this because God is still revealing a lot to me about it, but I do encourage you to pray and ask God what's the significance here and what's the difference?


Week 4
  This week brought about a whole different concept that is summed up in John 15:5, which says "I am the vine, you are the branches, whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" in the English Standard Version.  I think it had gotten to the point this week that we were learning so much and taking in a lot, but we had forgotten the simple fact that we need God!  It sounds silly I know, but it was refreshing to know that God is not asking us for results.  He simply just wants us to abide in Him.  When we TRULY abide and experience Him (not just knowledge about Him, but Jesus Himself), the results take care of themselves and we cannot help but speak the Truth of God.  This is a hard concept for many hard workers to grip their mind around, but God does not need us nor does He need us to accomplish His work.  He is sovereign and can get it done without us, but in His Grace, we have been chosen and included to experience Him and be a part in the eternal story of God and His Kingdom (John 15:16).  So.. abide in Him, and see what He does.  There will be an unnatural boldness that He puts in you that you cannot contain.  (Acts 4:20)


Week 5
  This week we covered martyrs in the faith and looked into how these people could be burned alive, watch their loved ones killed, and go through other things that are real life stories that I don't even want to think about AND do it in PURE JOY! How do they do it? The answer is because they were already dead.  The Only way someone can experience these things in pure joy is to be holding on to nothing of this world or life.  All these witnesses had this one thing in common. They had nothing to lose, but everything to gain.  It's easy to read this and say ''Yea, that makes sense", but really... That's crazy... These people had considered everything apart from Christ as filthy rags. (which I found out what the literal filthy rags of the scripture means.. it's gross)  This makes me think of Luke 14:26 and Matt 10:37.  Check the verses out and think on what it really means to have nothing to lose! Is your wife, husband, child, mom, dad, job or your life nothing to you in comparison to Christ?  What does God have to chisel away from you to present you with this love for God that Paul has? ck out (Phil 3:8) READ THIS ONE


Week 6
  As we continue in Acts, we see that persecution has now set in on the Church of the living God.  We covered Stephen's death, and looked closely into it, but I'm gonna skip the details here.  Just know that Stephen shares the good news of Christ and they don't like it becomes it accuses them so they stone him.  It's just fine though because Stephen had nothing to lose, but everything to gain. Look at Acts 7:60 and see that Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit.  There is no other way that he makes the statement about forgiving the ones who were stoning him apart from God.  ANYWAY.... the last point we were shown is that in the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20 and in Acts 1:8, God promises that the people would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.  Well.. As of Acts 7, they haven't left Jerusalem so.. what happens?... In Acts 8, Saul starts ravaging the church and the people got the heck out of town!  Verse 4 says that those who were scattered went about preaching the word.  SO... what does it all mean???
  It means that God is sovereign.  It means that just because we may disobey and not do what God is trying to let us take part in, that does not mean God's purposes will be hindered.  He will accomplish His purposes with or without us.  He allowed the persecution and scattered His people.  Our God is in Control and Sovereign.  Thanks be to God.


Thanks for reading.  Hoping the rest of the blogs won't be as long, but this was an attempt to let you in on a small part of our discipleship.  Hope you enjoyed. Sorry for any typos. Not really feeling like proofreading this.
Much Love,
Josh

Nashville

First Priority Back to School Rally 

Nashville Sounds baseball game 

Just a few of the things we have done in Nashville...
 

English Class with Burmese Refugees

We have also gone to a Celebration of Cultures Festival, visited the Parthenon at Centennial Park, See You at the Pole at various schools, and a lot of other things to involve ourselves in the community. 

Thanks for all of your prayers. I love you all 

Are you Dying to Live??

To explain everything that God has taught me since the beginning of Trek-X would take hours upon hours. My eyes have been opened, my faith has been stretched, my theology has been turned upside down. God is doing INCREDIBLE things! This morning in our Spiritual Discipline time as we read through Acts 9 we talked about how the Lord gives us affirmations. He affirms that what we are doing either is or is not of His will. The affirmations of Trek-X for me have been the times in the past 8 weeks when I have found myself on my face in tears or just staring at the Word. WOW moments. I'm learning what it means to ABIDE in Him (John 15:4-5). I can do nothing good on my own. The things God asks us to do are impossible. Without Him. But when I am abiding in Him there is nothing He cannot do. Matthew 4:19 has brought the question "if I'm not fishing, am I even following?" How much do I have to hate someone not to tell them about eternal Life in Jesus? I have learned that there are two voices that speak to us: the voice of God and the voice of Satan. I must constantly pray for discernment to know the voice of God when I hear it. Satan only speaks fear and condemnation- God speaks love and peace and encouragement.
Lastly I want to share with you how God has opened my eyes to the Kingdom dream. Am I working towards American success and storing treasures up here on earth to eventually DIE and leave behind? Or am I giving away the gifts the Lord has entrusted to me? Am I sharing JESUS with people? Am I being a disciple, a true Christ follower? Am I living to die or DYING TO LIVE??

Newsletter 1

This is kind of a recap of the newsletter I sent out to those who are supporting and praying me through this journey with Christ. It is just an overview of what a week at Trek-X looks like as well as a few of the things we got involved in the first month we were here.

We begin each morning with Spiritual Discipline where we spend time checking our RPMs– reading,  praying, and memorizing. Our time in God’s Word has been rich and deep. We have been challenged this first year to memorize 

100 selected verses as well as a book of the Bible. This will prepare us to give an answer for anyone “who asks for a reason for the hope that is in us” (1 Peter 3:15). We have also been challenged to begin a small group Bible study in our apartment complex. In addition to our daily spiritual disciplines, we meet every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon for Core Training where we are going through David Platt’s “How to Study the Bible.” Beginning next week we will also be doing an in-depth study of the Old Testament. Next year we will study the New Testament.   

Also in our first weeks of Trek-X we have been engaged with the student ministry First Priority (much like Fellowship of Christian Athletes.) For the next two years we will be discipling  middle and high school Christian leaders in multiple public schools.  Discipling, in essence, is teaching them what the Lord is teaching us. The students will become prepared to share the Gospel with their peers. In turn, it will prepare us to share Jesus and true discipleship with people groups overseas. My partner and I have been assigned to Brentwood Middle School. BMS is the first middle school that First Priority has gone into in the Nashville area, so it is very exciting to be a part of it. The other Trek-Xers and I  have also built a relationship with two Burmese refugees, Lulu and Mun. They fled to America from their home country Myanmar, seeking refuge from a Civil War. The girls invited us to help teach English to a group of about 15 other Burmese refugees at a church in Brentwood, TN. These classes are a  time of laughing and praying together and teaching  about Biblical truths as well as cultural adjustments. We are truly blessed by their lively spirits. We will be helping with these English classes as much as we are able. Lastly, in this first month I have also began my junior year of college online at Mississippi State.              

Trek-X

Hi friends and family!

I hope you're all doing well. I'll be using this blog to update everyone on all that we are doing in Trek-X: different things that we are learning, ministries we get involved with, people we meet, and pictures of all the things we are doing. This is just another way that you get to be a part of this journey with me. Hope you enjoy it! 

God Bless You. 

Acts 1:8 

The Story of it All

Click below to view the story of it all.

The Story