Though it has not been long since my
last post I have had a busy few days. At the weekend I had the
privilege of going with a team to San Francisco to do outreach and
the whole weekend just cemented my desire and belief that San
Francisco is my training ground. I loved it!
It was strange being out in a place
where I was unfamiliar and by unfamiliar I mean completely! I did not
know anything, the areas we were in, who hangs out where or even how
to practically help. This last thing was especially hard for me.
Having worked in the UK for the last 16 years for a wide variety of
organisations I know about benefits, housing and other such useful
stuff in the UK, sadly it is of no use in the US and I have no idea
how things work here. However, we gave out food and treats to the
people we met who were sat around on the streets, gave out roses to
prostitutes (many of whom were transgender) and we got to spend time
in a few of the projects just hanging out with some kids and their
families. It was amazing.
Thankfully I will get to go to San
Francisco one or two times every month that I am here, starting on
the 7th November. I look forward to telling you more as
time progresses. The last thing that I will say about this trip is
that I had asked Holy Spirit what I should take and he said 'red
gloves', so I bought red gloves. He also gave me two very simple
pictures to draw and take with me. Wow! I do not draw but
nevertheless, I was obedient and did it. The whole weekend I was
excited to see how God would use these things but came home with all
but a picture of a broken heart made whole. Holy Spirit had me give
the picture to a lady who had just lost her mum saying that he was
going to make her heart whole again. She was touched and we got to
pray over her and speak words of life into her situation. The gloves
and the other picture are in my bag so every time I am out I am
looking for the encounter that God has for me where these will be
important. Watch this space for more!
Now for the main reason for this post
so quickly after the other, I am off on mission to Guatamala in March
2015. I am so excited because it was my first choice for mission
trip (we got to choose 5) and here's why:
Come
join us on the streets of Guatemala! The focus of our trip is going
to be taking Jesus outside the 4 walls of the church. You will get to
bring the Kingdom to people who have never before experienced God's
love. Serving in the largest slum in Central America with between
60,000-100,000 people, we will also be ministering to prostitutes,
the homeless, street orphans, drug dealers, and every day people on
the streets and in markets. We will also be going to schools, a
hospital, and a church. We are looking for people who are willing to
step out and take risk, people who can be flexible and who are not
afraid to go into dark and often avoided places. Growth will be
inevitable as you step outside your comfort zone. This trip will make
permanent and lasting changes in many lives as we continue to partner
with what God is doing in Guatemala.
Woohoo! This trip
was made for me! It is the perfect training ground for me alongside
San Francisco, dark places, avoided places, prostitues, homeless,
drug dealers. All of my passions rolled into one and a little more
beside!
Now for the hard
part, I believe God is calling me to ask people to partner with me in
this adventure. Now if he was just asking me to ask people for
prayer, well that would be easy, I know the importance of prayer and
that I need people faithfully lifting me up before the throne as I
walk into dark places. However, he has asked me to ask for financial
help. Aaaaggghhhh! This is way out of my comfort zone but I have to
be obedient.
I know why he has
asked me, it is about independence and my always wanting to rely on
me because that is what I have always done. This is one of the big
lessons he is teaching me this year, that I need other people in more
ways that I think! I have no car which means I have to rely on others
for lifts, he had me share with my revival group about how hard the
week before the anniversary of my husband's death was, he has had me
share in my small group and make myself accountable to being
interdependent and not independent and this is the next step. Again,
aaaaggghhhh!
In obedience
though I am going to write and ask people to donate money to my
mission fund. The total I need is $1800 or £1150 and it is due in
instalments between now and February 2014. God has said that I am
not to pay anything until each of the deadline payment dates and then
only the amount that must be paid and no more. This too is hard as
by my own choice I would pay it all now and then work out my budget
to deal with the money I had spent! I know this is a vital lesson for
me to learn and I am grateful that God keeps leading me on in the
next steps of my growth. I truly am created for greatness and to do
mighty things in his name!
If you have read
this far, well done! I would like to ask you to partner with me and
pray for both my monthly trips to San Francisco and for my Guatamala
trip in March. If this is something you would like to do then please
email me at michellearthur68@gmail.com
and I will add you to a monthly email list where I will send out
specific prayer requests. Also, I would like to ask (well, like to
is probably not completely true but I know I have to!) if you would
prayerfully consider donating something towards my mission trip
costs. If you would like to then please visit:
When you are on the site put my name
under traveler (Michelle Arthur) and follow the directions.
I want to thank you now for your
support, both for prayer and finance and declare that God in his
faithfulness will give you back much more that you give. We can
never outgive him and the resources of heaven are his to bestow on
who he pleases.
I hope you have been blessed as you
have read this. I will let you know how my fundraising goes. Thanks
for reading. I truly love you all.
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