Costa Rica

I just got back from Costa Rica yesterday and it really was an amazing trip.  I feel like after you get back from a missions trip everyone wants to know the specifics of how God moved in your life, what you did, and on a scale of 1 to 10 how much impact did it have on your life and the lives of those you met? But God is so big that sometimes specifics will never be enough to describe who He is.  But here are just a few amazing things:

1) God reminded me how much of a blessing it is to be a student athlete at a Christian college.  Student athletes often get a bad rep, especially at a Christian college.  At a small school disheartening news and speculations spread like wildfire.  So it was amazing to see this group of people who were all great athletes, but were putting God first in their lives.  I was completely awestruck at their stories of heartbreak, pain, and incredible joy.  I felt honored to be among them.

2) God stretched me…a lot.  It was like stretching out taffy, something that is done slowly and takes a little time.  I led worship on guitar twice for our group, which took much encouragement and a ton of prayer (which is funny because I really have a heart for worship and have prayed for God to give me the opportunity to lead people into His presence…easier said than done).  Hopefully people felt God pulling on their heart strings and were moved into a place of rest in Him.  Also like the 3rd day in, He placed an amazing woman on my heart to pray for and encourage the rest of the trip, which was definitely the coolest thing ever.  And it actually didn’t freak me out like usual, but was rather refreshing and exciting.

3) God is limitless.  I so often keep my focus on Africa and the Middle East, where I’m going, and how I plan to get there.  And on this trip God was like “slow down…we’ll get there when we get there.”  So I met some amazing kids.  I heard people’s stories as we gave them Bibles.  I gave deep thought to the fruits of the Spirit.  If God is truly giving me to the nations, I want to go…to them all.  I’m up for His surprises.  I’m excited to fully experience His plans.  I don’t want to fight the leadership positions He gives me anymore.  When I cling to Him and walk humbly, it will all be okay.

So yea…those are three major things.  There are a ton more.  Like fore example, I now love rain because it brings beauty.  Costa Rica is awfully beautiful…and so were the people I ventured with, many of which have endured downpours of hurt.  After everything that has occurred in the last 10 days, I just want to sit at the feet of Jesus and say “God, you are so good.”

Psalm 36:5

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the skies.

A short blurb

God has been completely amazing throughout this whole process of raising funds for my Costa Rica missions trip.  I still have $290 to go and I can’t wait to see God show Himself faithful once again.  If you are interested in giving a tax deductible donation email me at hlowe@students.ccu.edu.  Keep our team in your prayers as we leave in 7 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

A lot of things are changing

And I mean a lot…or it could just be my version of alot, which is like 3 things.  After applying to be a discipleship group leader for freshman girls at my university next year, going through an enormous waiting period, and an interview, I found out that I got it.  I couldn’t be more excited.  I have almost no idea what I’m doing but I know that this is something God has put on my heart and I’m excited to see where His heart is going to lead our little group next year.  Sure, I have some ideas, but I know that God is going to blow me away.

Also, this missions trip to Costa Rica is rapidly approaching and I’m beginning to realize that God is going to move in an incredibly powerful way.  And I think God is going to show me just a glimpse of how He can use me.  The money is so not coming in.  I’ve done some work so I should be about halfway there once those checks come in.  Other than that I’ve had no donations, but for some reason I’m not entirely stressed.  God is God and He’s already got it figured out.  I have the easy job of just praying and trying and He gets to do what He does best and blow my mind with supernatural provision…so that’s cool.

Well, in school I’m probably going to double minor.  Basically I would trade in my cross discipline study for a minor which is 6 extra credits.  120 credits to 126 credits, which wouldn’t be a big deal except I really want to study abroad (and I really feel God wants me to go to India).  That would be 126 credits over 7 semesters, subtract the 12 credits I brought in.  It’s not that bad, it’ll just be a little more work.  I would be a global studies major with a double minor in intercultural ministry and leadership studies.  And I have a heart for all those things so that’s good.

I want to go to the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine and share Christ with the Islamic Tatar people.  How am I getting there and when am I going? Idk.

God has been renewing my heart in His love and a hunger for the supernatural to take place on earth as an overflow of His love through me!

*Random fact: I have a new pen pal in China and he is super cool.

Here are the lyrics to a song that has just been wrecking me:

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

-Oceans by Hillsong United

BOOM done.

My Next Adventure

After getting back from Ethiopia a little less than 2 months ago, I feel God is leading me to do something a little crazy.  My soccer team and some of the other sports at my school are planning a missions trip to Costa Rica…in May.  There is no way I  can pay for this, so it was my plan to just miss it.  1 missions trip in a year is huge, let alone 2.  I knew that some people would see me as an over-zealous college freshman traveling around the world on their money.  Besides, I’ve never really had a desire to go to Latin America.  Why would I put myself through all the physical, emotional, and spiritual strain for a place that was not even on my radar?

That’s when I realized that not going for all the wrong reasons is still wrong.  So I asked God to open my heart and tell me what he desired for me on this trip.  God told me that He wanted me to go.  He would open my heart to these people if I would just go for Him…If I could just release my plans and go where He leads me when He leads me, He will make something glorious happen.  And I’ve felt Him reassure me every time I’ve asked how this thing is going to work.  I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily excited for Costa Rica, but I’m awfully curious about what God wants to show me and how He can use me  and why this trip…why now?

Sometimes I’m asked what I will do if I don’t raise enough money…but I don’t think that is an option because what God said will be, will be.

This is me stepping out in faith.  This is me opening my hands up to what God wants to place in them.  God wants to show Himself faithful to me and I’m taking that chance.  I just want to find myself in awe of His glory.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust in Jesus’ name.

Trusting God

For the last couple of weeks I’ve really been seeking God about going on a missions trip to Costa Rica in May.  Now keep in mind that I got back from a trip to Ethiopia less than a month ago.  I have such a heart for Africa, but never really Latin America.  A few days ago I decided to soak and wait in God’s presence to here His voice.  He completely broke me down.  Mostly what I’ve been worrying about is finances.  He basically told me that He’s going to show me His power and faithfulness….and if I would let Him, He will give me a heart for those places also.  Yet, I still continued to wrestle with this.  So today I finally gave in and I stopped making excuses.  I don’t know how, but if He wants me to go, and I’m willing to trust Him, then it will be so.

Here are just some scriptures that stuck out to me yesterday.

1 Corinthians 4:20–For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

Colossians 1: 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

Right now, all I have the ability to do is trust God.