Picture time!

Jon and Kelly-- good friends and Jon happens to be my boss

Our new space for Cafe 20-- we meet there every Sunday after church!

Me and my fellow one-year interns

Hey Everybody-- if you'd like to see some more new pics go to:

www. dropshots.comporte1er

WOO!!!

Update Letter!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Hello! It feels like it’s been so long, yet the time has flown by! I haven’t seen many of you since mid summer! I hope all is well in your families, and you are enjoying the fall weather. Here in Illinois the leaves are still green for the most part, but will start to change soon. I am trying resisting the cold, and savoring every bit of sunshine I can! This letter is quite long, longer than they will usually be, but there is so much to tell and I wanted to convey the details so that across the distance, you can feel connected to what I am doing here.
I am happy to report that so far my internship experience, although challenging, is going very well. Some of you may know that because of a lack of funding, I made a decision to take part in the one-year program (actually only 9 months) instead of the three year program. This decision is not only about 11,000 dollars cheaper, but it also allows me to have a part-time job to make ends meet. Choosing the one year program also means that I will not be doing the seminary program that I originally planned on (hence the 11 Grand price difference). As soon as I decided on the one-year program, I felt much peace although, I did morn a little over not getting to experience grad school. This is always something I can pursue at a later time however, and so all hope is not lost.
I am enjoying my time in the internship immensely. Everyday brings a new challenge, a new opportunity to learn, growth, and a chance to work for the Lord. I couldn't ask for more! The spiritual and emotional development parts of my internship include the following: a small group of 6 women (two of them leaders) that meets weekly, theology mini-classes twice a month, spiritual formation practices and disciplines, and one-on-one attention from nearly every week from a set of 3 mentors. I am learning so much about myself and how my story affects what I believe about God, and how I lead in the church.
On the ministry side of things, everything has gone really well! We started off the ministry season with a retreat up to Wisconsin to plan our theme and logistics for the year as well as do some team bonding. We were blessed to have a beautiful place to stay and a boat for recreation all for free! It was a great few days and much was accomplished.
Upon starting my position on the Axis team I was given the opportunity to serve as Axis Director, Jon Peacock’s Administrative Assistant and Office Manager. I accepted the offer with a big YES and felt very honored to even be considered. I am very close to Jon and his wife, Kelly and so it is a joy to serve him each day. This position is important to our growing ministry right now as there was no one filling it before I came and in the last two years we have grown from 20 people to over 300 with an Axis group launching in the city this month which will add at least a couple hundred more into the mix.
This is an exciting time for our ministry. We just launched our 10 Missional Community Hubs (MCH) this month with great success. We also got a new space in the church to meet for Café 20 which is beautiful and will allow for growth. Like I mentioned earlier the Axis Chicago group is launching this month with 5 MCH’s. Along with Axis Chicago, there will be an Axis Dupage launching very soon as well! Our leaders all gathered on September 6th for a great day of learning and gaining clarity around our strategy and the heart and mission for this coming year. We were expecting about 40 people to show up and twice that many came to join us! God is blessing us each day with many leaders and much growth.
Along with the leaders and the growth, more importantly, people’s lives are being transformed. We are hearing stories from each MCH of their members growing and becoming more devoted to living a life that is Christ Centered. Young people are serving the local community and have already made a Kingdom impact on some single mothers and their Children through Fellowship Housing. We are all coming together as a community to help build an orphanage in Prague. We launched our efforts this past week by raising money and will be sending at least two teams overseas in the nest year. This past Sunday we celebrated with 10 brothers and sisters in their confirmation of faith and baptism. God is good, and continues to show is love and mercy to His children. It is an honor to work for him, and I am brought so much joy each day when I wake in the morning and as I lay my head down at night.
On a financial note, everything so far is going well. I am moving in with a host family to cut costs due to a low budget. I’m very excited about moving in with them November 1st. Without them offering this to me, I would not be able to do the internship. For the most part, the people who have pledged to support me have been faithfully sending their donations and I have been receiving them with much love. I still am in need of more support, and so if you think of any ways to help with this, or know people who might be interested, please pass my name on to them. Thank you so much to those of you who are giving financially. I know these are hard times, and so I am extra grateful for the sacrifices you are making for be to be able to reach this broken generation.
Thank you SO MUCH to those of you who have been keeping me in your prayers. I can feel them! God is taking care of me, and teaching me so much in this time I am so lucky. If you could continue to keep me in your prayers I would greatly appreciate it. I think the thing that is most needed right now is prayer for my finances along with my spiritual and ministry growth and development. I want to be open to hearing God’s voice and learning whatever I can from scripture as well as my work in ministry.
I will end this letter on that note, a thought of prayer. I am praying for all of you and you come to my mind often. Please let me know how I can best pray for you too. Thank you for walking along side me in this adventure. I look forward to what God has for all of us from now until May. Look for my next letter at the beginning of November. I promise I’ll try to make it shorter! Thanks for hanging in there through all those words! Much love and blessing to you!!

Where God is Moving

In my life right now, I feel that I am in a time of change, of preparation, of transition, growth, and challenge. God is teaching me so much about who I am and how He loves, and how I should love and act in response to His plans and promises for me.

I just got off the phone with one of my dearest friends. She has seen me in some of my best and worst moments. We walked through the life stages of teenage girl to young woman together. I trust her with my deepest secrets and ugliest mistakes. I value her opinion and insight of my heart more than most anyone. At times she knows me better than I do.


Tonight, we were talking about this whole transition that I am going through. In short, I am on a journey to a healthier life; physically, emotionally, mentally, sexually, and spiritually. In the midst of all this change there is confusion. There are times I want to give up because my goals are never reached. I push my self to a level of crazy that no one should ever reach and then I give up because my expectations are too high. One of the most meaningful things she said in our conversation was pertaining to the idea that God has all of these good things he made for me; a huge stock pile of good and all I have to do is dive in and take what I like-- and all I have to do to take, is to give up the things-- things like setting unrealistic expectations and taking measures to reach a goal that isn't healthy. These things amongst others, are ugly and full of slavery even though they at times feel like freedom.


She gave me this illustration from a book called 8 cousins:
There was a little girl who lived with her father. Her father was very strict and stern and made her do a lot of things that are high expectations for a child. She had to sit still a lot, sew and read and do lessons much more than other children. Her father died and she was sent to live with her uncle and aunt. When she arrived there, she found that life was very different. One of the first being that she had 8 boy cousins-- you can probably imagine her shock. Secondly, things there were happy, good and loving and the girl was really sad and didn't know how to fit in here in her new life. Her uncle gave her a gift. He brought her a big box of colorful silks from China that she could sew and create with. The girl was so excited about them and wanted to use them right away. Her uncle told her that he would give her this gift as long as she not wear all black anymore, and she may/must play and act as a child, free from the slavery of trying to act as an adult. The girl had a sea of possibilities right in front of her that would give her joy as long as she turned from the things that she knew--- the things that were destroying her spirit.


My friend said to me, "I have this vision of you going through this box of silks that God has already prepared for you, and you are trying everything on". Also, that I would try everything on in freedom and look back and see the slavery I came from.


What a beautiful way to end a day. I really feel this is what God has for me. He has a store house full of the health and beauty that is already mine, but to see it I must walk away from the darkness of the world and into the freedom of letting God move in me and change me, to heal and restore me.


God is so good.



PS. Dear friend, if I forgot anything or quoted you wrong let me know. There is so much more I took away from our conversation, but this is one thing that stuck in my mind so strongly. Thank you for being my friend and for loving me.

My 23rd Year

Well folks, my 23rd year of life is nearing it's end. In 6 days I will be 24. Craziness I tell you! If you would have asked me a few years ago where I would be at 24, my guess would have been quite different from reality. At 24 my mother was pregnant with me; which makes my longing for children and a family even stronger. I never would have thought that I would be living in a suburb of Chicago!

I am looking forward to a good year. Everything here is going really well and I am learning so much everyday. I am a part of a good community that is really doing excited things for God.

As this year of my life progresses I am praying that it will be one of growth and change. I want this year to be a year I make drastic changes in my life and strive towards passions and goals. I want this year to be a year to remember. Year 24-- here I come!