A little something....can make a difference

It's been such an incredible, inspiring, and indescribable 12 days in Greece.  We left our hometowns not truly knowing what to expect.  We left with unanswered questions to what we were going to be doing over there, and still a little scared at what we might be in for.  

I can say that I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity.  For the opportunity to get to go to this refugee camp in Greece.  Even though I was a little bummed I couldn't be in both Moria and Gateways2Life at the same time through out the week, I know that God placed me in the exact spot He wanted me to be.  

My heart truly broke for the people in Moria, for the women and for the children who entered Gateways2Life each day and found a safe area outside the walls of the camp.  

When the women and children first walked into Gateways, you could see the look of uncertainty on their faces, not sure what to expect here.  You could see and feel the drained looks on their faces, the tiredness of being in camp for so long and the longing to want to be out and move on to their next place. They endure the fight through patience each day they are in the camp wondering when or if they will get to move on.  What a great opportunity we had here to give them a little bit of comfort and peace when they walked through these doors.

After they sat down, got comfortable, were able to take their showers, and see their children playing and being cared for....by the time they left Gateways they had the biggest smile on their faces and couldn't wait to be back next time.  It was great to be apart of their lives, even if it was for a short time. It was in the times that I sometimes felt as if I was wanting to be able to do more, when a little girl reminded me that all I had to do was simply smile at her and she ran to my arms.  The feeling of just wanting to know that people were there who cared about them, even if was just a simple smile or hug.   


Gateways2Life is an amazing organization that allows the women in Moria to come, relax, and be able to take clean showers in a safe environment.  There is so much that this organization plans to accomplish as they continue with their mission and calling, one step at a time.  I feel so blessed to have been apart of their grand opening week, to be able to help them get this ministry off the ground and going strong.  The people we met that operate this place will forever be in my heart and prayers.  They are doing great things and I can't wait to see how God works in this place in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. 








We experienced joy and many tears, we endured the hardships and seen several God moments we will never forget.  We were able to see God move in so many ways during our stay here and even though we couldn't "fix" everything, we left our mark.  We were able to shine a little light in the darkness and make their world a little brighter.  In the times that I felt like I could have done more, feeling like I only got to touch the surface of many issues that the people in this place face each and everyday, the different acts that each one of us were able to encounter I have come to realize that we were only meant to do and encounter certain people and help with certain things.  Although it may have seemed like a small part to play in our minds, it was just what was needed in the hearts of the people there.  

"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession.  As a result, you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of the darkness into this wonderful light. "'Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people.  Once you received no mercy; now you received God's mercy." 1 Peter 2:9-10

It was hard to leave the people there knowing that most of them still had a long stay to go and many trials to endure during their stay.  I, for one, am one who likes to be able to finish a project that I've started, so it was hard to have to leave knowing that the work wasn't finished yet.  My prayers are with the next team of people who come to help, to continue the work we started and to water the seeds that we planted, to continue to pave the way for the next team that comes and the team after that and so on.  I pray for each team that comes will leave there own unique mark on the people there. That if any of us ever get a chance to come back to this place, we get to see how our one small act had a huge impact for those to come.  

Even the smallest gesture can reap a harvest!

Blessings,

Coffee Chat #2

Overcoming a Hurricane...

I hope everyone had an amazing week!  So, as I was deciding over this weeks topic over this past week, Natalie Grant's new album, Hurricane, has been being played over the Christian radio stations. I love the title song, Hurricane.  Just because, sometimes in life it feels like we have been hit with a hurricane, a great, big gust of wind whisks by just to knock us down. Sometimes it's hard to get back up and start again.  Sometimes we feel as if it's easier just to stay down and not to care anymore about anyone or anything.    It just seems easier, to stay down, right?  Wrong!  Although it may seem like the 'easy' out, it's better to get back up and start again.
Has your life ever felt like a hurricane has just blown in leaving you in pieces?  Most of us have experienced some sort of trials at some point in our life.  So, like the song, "I’ll step out on the edge" and share my heart though this blog. 
Speaking of tough experiences, they really only make us stronger when we experience them.
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
We all experience trials and sometimes we have experiences with people are going through trials around us and hurt the people around them with their words and/or actions. 

 It's like being in the midst of a hurricane.  It's hard not to feel a little betrayed by people you thought you knew and sometimes betrayal can make you just want to crawl into a corner never to come out again.   It can make you feel completely alone.  We have to continue to love and show compassion, just as Christ showed to us.  No matter how hurt we are in this world, with God on our side whom shall we fear! God will get us through the storms in our lives because He walks us through them. 

 So forgive those who have hurt you.  The power of forgiveness is much stronger than anything anyone can ever do or say to us!
  
It’s then that I heard the words to this song, 'step out on the edge, don’t be afraid of it, when you feel the rain, call His name He’ll find you in the Hurricane.'  And, even though we feel hurt and betrayed, we know that God was on our side and we have nothing to fear as along as we put our trust in our Heavenly Father.  He can get us through anything that we are going through, if we just CALL HIS NAME!

I’m not saying that it was easy, I’m saying that it is possible to move on from the hurt and be healed from the pain that someone/something has caused you.  Forgiveness is just a powerful thing.  When we choose to forgive those who have hurt us, we can free ourselves from the past and press on toward the future and the good that God has in store for us. 

I’ve found a shelter, a safe place through Christ, someone that I can tell everything to from my joyful times to my more tough times.  He is my shelter in the raging storm of the Hurricane.

 
Blessings,

Coffee Chat…

 

Dear Readers,
How is everyone out there in cyber-world?  I really would like to be the type of writer that can really connect with her readers and share about life’s happenings with each other.  I don’t want to be ‘just a writer', I want to be able to reach out and connect with my audience of viewers on a personal level, heart to heart. 
We all have our great moments to share as well as our trials, so why not come together and be able to lean on each other and help one another out through our blogging.  We may be hundreds to thousands of miles apart but we can be close through this blog.
I would like to make a weekly coffee chat and be able to share with my readers about what’s been happening in life.  I recently read a blog from Lysa Terkeurst; entitled, “I don’t want to be a writer.”  She talked about  being able to connect with her readers and being more on a heart to heart level with who ever is reading your work.  (The link above will take you to her blog).
I would like to try out and talk about different topics each week.  If you have any suggestions on topics you would like to discuss just make your comments below and I will do my best to reach out to everyone.  Since I’m starting this on a Tuesday, I will make this a Tuesday morning coffee chat.  So grab a cup of your favorite coffee, tea, etc. and head on over and see what’s happening.  Let’s connect! 
Blessings,