Lions and Tigers and VISAS oh my!

Just a quick update to all my faithful prayer warriors out there. I love it here. I love all the things God has used me to do. I love all the things He has done in me. I don't want to leave. Unfortunately that decision isn't really up to me. I have all faith that if God wants me here, He can keep me here with a snap of His fingers.

You see as the end of February my visa is up and I have to come. I can't come back in on a visitor visa again, because immigration is so uptight. Basically God is going to have to provide a visa somehow. There are some options that we're working on, but its a pretty scary time for me. I really do feel like I'm supposed to be in Corringham. So for the time being please pray that God will give me a way to stay. I really feel like this is where I'm supposed to be.

Thanks for your support :)

Treasure Hunting

I thought it was cooky, and weird, and not something I would ever do. And then I did it... and my world was rocked. Pray, then write everything you hear in your head onto a piece of paper: because you have the mind of Christ, and therefore you can believe that these "clues" are from him. "hot pink, black clothes, brown hair, blue eyes, sad..." Those were my clues. I didn't know what they meant. But thats what I thought I heard God saying. So half in faith and half because I thought it couldn't hurt to play along I wrote them down. I was skeptical. I was afraid. To walk onto a street full of the kids we know, full of the kids we talk to everyday, the kids who laugh at you so easily, we were about to show them a piece of paper, describing them, a piece of prophesy. But then something amazing happened. Those clues we wrote down... they were true. Louis was wearing everything on Mike's list, and not only did we get to tell him that God loved him, and that God was thinking about him and wanted to talk to him, not only did we get to do that, but he was so freaked out by "God stalking" him, that he told everyone else. Then suddenly there were fifteen kids around us, all wanting to see the paper. All shocked. And it was incredible. Right there on that paper they saw God moving. Then I met Holly, brown hair, blue eyes, black clothes and a hot pink bag... and she was sad. I got to pray with her, and tell her about Jesus' love. I can't even describe it! How incredible to see God move so intensely. We try day after day to love on these kids but getting them to sit and listen to the gospel is hard, almost impossible, but because Angelique stepped out in faith and made us move, we got to show them Jesus. I'll never forget the looks on their faces. The shock. Andy the policeman, John in the bar with a son named Harry, Holly, Louis, James... God knew they would be there. And He sent us to reach them. The stories from that night are incredible, but we didn't do it: we just had to be available. He did the rest.

Life goes on

Stop. Look. Process... beautiful words, that I don't do much of lately. If your not careful life goes bye like a speeding train; the scenery outside may be beautiful, but you would never know. I've had the most incredible two and a half months of my life. I've seen God move in me and in this community. I've learned about His character, about community and hospitality, about living in fellowship with believers and having your own relationship with Christ at the same time. I've been challenged to step it up, to not say now I'm doing missions and now I'm just living, but to be constantly living as a missionary, that missions is my life. Now... I'm processing it all. I read in "Velvet Elvis" yesterday that "life will go on without you," that its a form of pride not to take a sabbath. Sometimes we think that if we're not constantly serving and doing it won't get done, but the truth is, thats its Christ doing, we're just the vessels, so we can trust that when he told us to rest, it was for a purpose, and He can use anyone to get the things He wants done, done. How good is it to know that life goes on without us. Of course we all have responsibilities, things we must wake up and do e v e r y d a y... and thats good, God created us to do. But not at the expense of our relationship with Him. He wants more than anything for us to be with Him, in love with Him, captivated by Him. If we don't take the time to rest in Him, He usually forces us to. Whether thats making you sick, taking your car away, losing your job, or just canceling your plans, God will do whatever He has to to get hold of you. And I'm so glad He does. How beautiful it is to stand in His presence.

Justice...

We're sitting around the kitchen table at home talking about what justice is and then the next thin you know we're in Leeds sitting around a very different kitchen table, in Carmella's kitchen, who's raised five boys on her own on a government estate (think the projects or what a bunch of people living on welfare together would look like.) And in the middle of this depressing, depressed place, she has built the most beautiful garden. Its like she has grown life back into the place, and when you pass by her home you can't help but feel a sense of hope. These people are living in a circular depression. Generation after generation is caught up in receiving hand outs from the government and not working, and not having the ability to break free. We want to think up a way to bring life into the place. Carmella asked us to help plant a garden, which seems like a nice way to throw some color into the place. I mean we're only here for a week so doing relational things with the community is difficult. The people are very protective so trying to do stuff with the kids gets tricky. Me and Sara got yelled at for starting a game of tag with some of the kids on a bit of grass because the parents didn't know who we were. Which on some levels its good because it means they are looking out for their kids and not so depressed and caught up in drugs that they don't care.

The word justice hasn't ever felt real to me before. But how can you come to a place with so many needy people and not desire for justice to be carried out? How can you not desire for equality and dignity. I don't know how God is going to use us here, i don't know what He wants to teach us, but I do know that we are going to walk away from here different people. That we will care more for the poor, for those in need. God says he is just, and therefore He must desire that we care for His people who are in need. So my prayer is that the Lord will show me how to care.

All I can do is pray...

I don't know how to write it all. Even if you were sitting right here I don't think I could explain it. Here. Life. All the things God is doing in me and speaking in me and doing through me. I don't know how to explain it all. Its good. Its hard. My heart is broken for these people. Its the classic small town nothing to do and Dads gone so why don't we just drown out the boredom and pain with drugs and alcohol. Sometimes the cup of tea and small talk just don't seem like enough. But its all we can do. We pray whenever we can. All I can do is pray. They need Jesus. End of story. Without Him their lives have no purpose, they have no hope. I wish I could make them see that.

Life

So reading through my blog I've noticed that I haven't been very good at telling ya'll what I'm actually doing here. So I'm gonna tell you a little about the daily life of this week and next.

Sunday: Because we are from all different places and aren't associated with any particular church or denomination, we have this awesome ability to go to any church and talk about the Boiler room and what it represents and try to get people from all different churches involved in it. Most of the Boiler Room community goes to TCF (Thurrock Christian Fellowship), but they would like to see all different people involved. For the past two weeks, and next two weeks, we're at the Baptist church. The Baptist church actually owns the house that we rent, so its pretty cool to get to know them. They've actually asked us to lead the children's church next Sunday, so I've got that whole lesson planned out and we will be leading it. Pray that it goes well, my lesson is on Missions, and we're gonna tell the story of Paul, and then talk to them about why we're here doing missions and what Gods been doing in our lives. I'm excited to see God work in that, and hopefully we will be able to get the Baptist more involved in community outreach.

Monday: On Monday mornings we have prayer at 217, the Boiler House, and then we spend some time cooking, cleaning and preparing for all the projects we do. I am currently working on a lot of awesome projects. We have a week of prayer coming up the 19th- 26th of October, and Transit is heavily involved in the planning of it, we are organizing and leading worship. I made the rotor for it, and we are redecorating the prayer room. Since the Boiler rooms in Guilford and Reading are having prayer rooms the same week that are focused on Human Trafficking, I thought it would be cool if we allowed that to be a focus in ours as well. So I'm doing some research and gonna make a poster on it, and maybe talk about it at one of the first worship sessions. Also on Mondays we have God Story teaching, which is basically going through the Bible in these ten months that we are here, but in such a way that we can better understand how the whole Bible relates and give us the ability to teach it to others. This week Alana taught us the story of Isaac and Jacob, its pretty cool to get other peoples perspectives on the Bible.

At night we had house meal, which is where anyone who is part of the community can come to a dinner and we all just sit together and eat and enjoy getting to know one another and just hang out. The Trannies had to cook the dinner, so me and Sara decided to make tacos. I was a little nervous because I had never made homeade salsa before, and the ingredients they have here are so different from home, but there was none left and people asked for my recipe, so that made me really happy :)

Tuesday: Morning prayers from 8-9 at the boiler house. Then what we do on Tuesdays rotates from week to week. Last week we did besom and worked on this single mother, Sam's house. We are completely redecorating her house, so we spent all of last week cleaning the walls and preparing them to be painted, and then next week we will hopefully get to finish sanding and start painting. I'm really excited to get to know her and bless her. She just seems like she is in desperate need of Jesus' love. This Tuesday we had more teaching. Andy Freeman came down from Reading and talked to us about Community and the Trinity. I had never thought about how much the two relate, but its so true that the Trinity is the ultimate example of what community should look like. It was such an amazing talk. He really is an incredible guy, I just wanted to soak up all his knowledge, I could sit all day and here what God has been doing in Reading.

Wednesday: Study day! We have morning prayers from 9-10, then I pray from 11 to 12 for my own personal prayer slot. Then I met with Anne, my amazing mentor who is just so wise. Basically Wednesdays are days to catch up on all our reading (Which there is ALOT of, I'm currently reading 4 books), and to spend some time with God and just relax in him and seek out what He is doing and just let Him speak to us. Most Wednesday nights we try to have people over, its our hospitality night. This week we had Tony and Lina from Kosova over. They are full time missionaries there, and in a nation of two million people, less the 1% are Christians. They do work with the gypsies that basically have nothing, and they are the pastors of a church. I think it would so incredible to go out some time and work with them for a summer.

Thursday: Bar N Bus day! We have morning prayers from 8-9 at the boiler house, and then we try to clean and take care of house stuff. Yesterday I spent a couple of hours preparing for the evening. Us girl Trannies are planning a girl's night for the Bar N Bus girls on Sunday. So Ange and I made up the flyers and permission slips and I called people to get everything set up. I am just so excited for this event! We're all gonna share our testimonies and give them time to ask us questions, but mainly we're just gonna do nails and girly things and let the Holy Spirit have time to move. I don't know exactly what God wants to do there, but i know its gonna be something awesome! When we handed out the invitations, they were all so excited, and all said they were coming, I don't know if they will, but I hope they do. I've been praying for them so much, I just really love these girls. I got to have my first deep conversation where they really told me about their lives last night, so I'm feeling really encouraged. I know God wants to use us to bless them and show them His love.

Today (Friday): We do morning prayers differently on Fridays, we usually prayer walk through the town and just allow Him to speak to us. We all go off in our own directions and just pray for whatever God is calling us to pray for. Its pretty cool :) Then from 12:30 until like 3 we are at Palmers College, which is like high school, and we just hang out with the kids during their lunch hour, build some relationships, chat, hopefully pray for them. Not sure what God wants us to be doing there yet, but its where we're at right now, and I know Gods gonna use us somehow. Friday nights we do prayer walking through the town again, but its more purposeful. We leave half the team back at the house to pray, and the other half goes out and prays for people in the town and just looks for opportunities to affect the town. Last week I stayed back and prayed with Jo and it was just such a beautiful time with God. But I think I'll go out this week and see what God does :)

Saturday: Not sure what I'll be up to tomorrow, but Saturdays are our free days. Last week me, Sara and Jo drove into Brighton since everyone else was in Amsterdam for the 247 prayer conference and we wanted to do something fun too. I think I might go up to the mall and buy some stuff for the Girl's Night on Sunday. Not sure what else.

So there is my very long blog on what my life here is like. Its pretty great, we are constantly involved in the community, and we have fun doing it.

Hot pink umbrellas

I'm experiencing my first week of awful English weather... it really is as awful as everyone says. Apparently the changes in air pressure can cause headaches, which has become very apparent to me! So its been a bit of a frustrating week, what with this cold I can't seem to shake and the headaches, but at the same time God has been amazing. I went for a walk the other day in an attempt to shake the frustration that seemed to be looming. And I just starting to sing and cry out to God, but my body was just filled with despair, and everywhere I looked was gray and gloomy and sadness. My heart was so heavy. I began to cry, and ask God why He brought me here to this place, Lord how can I be used here, I said, how do you use someone so inadequate, so filled riddled with depression? Then in the midst of all this dreariness I looked up and saw a school girl with a hot pink umbrella and a daisy yellow scarf. And it was like God was saying its ok, I'll provide for you, even if that provision is a little bit of color. And I smiled. My tear streaked face felt the glow of Christ's love. It was such a precious moment of truth. Just to know that He cares for the small needs. I am so blessed. So blessed to have been called to this place, so blessed with an awesome community of believers that surround me daily, and truly care about me, and so blessed to get to serve a community of people who need Jesus. Who knows where God will call me after this, but the awesome thing is that wherever that is, I know He will protect me.

Bonhoeffer

One of our homeworks for this week was to read Bonhoeffer's "Life Together," 18 pages in and I was calling out to God. Its talks about community, and about being grateful for what you have rather than criticizing. And I realized how often I complain about the fact that things aren't the way I want them to be, but God is changing my outlook on life. I am so grateful for the community I have here. Sure there are things I would change if I was running everything, but thats just it, I"M NOT, GOD IS! Thank goodness for that! Because He does so much better than I ever could. He has this whole big plan that I can't see and its just so exciting to get to be in the middle of it. I can see God moving around me, how incredible is that? Constant community is the most amazing thing, this morning I met with my mentor Anne, and she just encouraged me to keep asking God for more of Him and more of what He has for me, because He wants to give us more than we can possibly think or imagine. Then I got a chance to be myself in the Boiler House, I blasted Hillsong London, and praised Jesus at the top of my lungs. Love those prayer times when its just you and God and He meets you there. Then, God teaching me about community as He likes to do, I ran into Carla and got to hear all about what shes been doing in the schools and prayed for her on my walk home. Everywhere i went today, i got to see people that I know, people that i'm building relationships with, people who need Jesus, or encouragement or encouraged me. I got home to a houseful of studious people, and got some insight into God Story, ate some lunch (stir fry from last night, when we had a full table and silence, I think that means I did good) then one of the girls that is doing God Story with me, Hannah, picked me up and we went back to her house to do some studying/debating, and figured out we know nothing but its fun to decipher what the Bible says on all the random topics we come across in our reading. Then her brother Simeon's car broke down so we went and jumped it for him, just another example of what a tight-nit community they have over here. Then when i got home it was time to start thinking about dinner and Steve brought over a friend. Mike made us some awesome Bangers and mash (which is sausage and mashed potatoes). I love that we have an open house where anyone really is welcome at any time. Its awesome to me that people just drop in. I've always wanted to have a home like that, so having it here is amazing. Basically, today God has showed me what a blessing living in community is and that I shouldn't take it for granted, but that i should instead be grateful everyday for the beautiful people surrounding me. :)

His daily places

Its been so incredible to me to just see how all my daily places are where God works. A visit to Morrisons isn't just to grab some milk, but its an opportunity to run into the local kids and pray with them, its a chance to learn the Grocers name and build relationships. For the first time in my life I'm learning what it means to be a missionary. Not just go on a missions trip, but to be a missionary wherever you are. I'm falling so in love with my Jesus. I have always known and loved Him, but being far away from home, and so far out of my comfort zone, its just made me realize how dependant I am on Him. I am so excited with how I have already started to build relationships in the community. There is this group of girls, that are abotu 14 years old and I've been seeing them everywhere. I just love them! God has totally put them on my heart. Be praying for them, especially for Charlotte and Amy, they are so intersted in who God is and prayer. I can totally see God getting to them this year. Angelique and I want to start a girls group for them on Sundays, and they are all really interested in coming. Hopefully that will get started up with just some mani/pedis and Jesus. I think it will be a good combo :) Life here is starting to settle in. It feels like home. I think I could make my home anywhere as long as I knew God wanted me there. And I know God wants me here. I've really never been so sure of anything in my life. I have a purpose here, and I love living a purposeful life. God is so amazing, we're reading through the Bible together and I'm amazed everyday and who He is. I'm amazed at how great He is, and that at the same time, He knows me intimately. He is so good!

Stretched and Strained

We had our first two days of teaching and my mind feels like its going to explode. I'd always thought that I had an extensive knowledge of the Bible compared to most, and perhaps I do, but the truth is, the more I know, the more I discover there is to know. The vastness of my God is unfathomable. The first Bar N Bus night was like nothing I've ever experienced before. I mean these kids genuinly wanted me to pray for them. They weren't like American kids who are just so fed up with Christianity, or who are all "christians" whether or not they know what that means. These kids listened intently to what I said and prayed and were excited to meet me. Its been crazy here, feels like I've known everyone for months or years. I prayed so long for friends, for a real community, and now that I have it I'm just so overwhelmed. Its amazing. I could not have asked God for better people to spend this journey with. I'm os far out of my comfort zone, but I love it. I love knowing that God is going to change me so much more than I could possibly imagine because I'm not in my normal place. I can already see people that He wants me to spend time with and encourage, I just can't wait to see the transformation take place. Thats the cool thing about being in a small community. You can really see the changes take place. The things that happen over the next ten months will actually have an effect that I can see. There is so much gunk in me, and I know that God is going to slowly errode all of that. I hope that when I return ten months from now, you won't even recognise me because I have become so wholly immersed in Christ.

Going crazy in England...

Yesterday a group of eight Christians walked into a room full of 88 first year dance students to offer them a welcome bag full of maps, restaurant guides and small gifts. While we were at first hesitant of what their reaction would be, we received a warm welcome. They were grateful to receive such a loving gift after a hard first week of training. They all arrive everyday at 8am and don’t stop their training until after 6:30 or in some cases 9pm, so people who just wanted to bless them and offer a welcome into their community had a profound effect. Already, 22 people have signed up for the free Indian meal with Alpha that is occurring tonight. You could see the look of shock come across their faces when they heard there were cappuccino and soup packets in the bag. We were able to delve quickly into conversations as we passed out the bags and shared why we were there. We hope that our genuine concern about them fitting into the community will intrigue them and they will desire to get to know us better and will come to the pasta dinner. It was such an awesome opportunity to get to minister to them and hopefully those relationships will grow over time and we'll be able to make an impact on them. Also last night, we went to the mall to get a phone for me, and we had all been talking about getting piercings, so I got my cartilage pierced. Flippin awesome right? :)



I got to help Lisa Anderson set things up for her shop this morning, which sells things that Women in India make and then gives the money back to the women. Tonight is our first night with Bar N' Bus, so pray that the kids will be receptive and we'll be able to build relationships with them.

Giving up my emotions for His steadfastness

We went to London for the day today! It was so amazing. I love getting to explore a new city. We saw all the tourist spots and took crazy pictures (I'll post them soon enough but I have to get them off of various cameras). We got to go to Hillsong's tenth anniversary. Which was in a huge arena(the O2 arena, which meant nothing to me)and Delirious played. Tomorrow starts the actual routine of Transit. I'm leading the morning prayers, and then we're spending a day in The Boiler house doing something with Sally, not sure what. Tuesday we're working with Besom, which is the service part of Transit, blessing people in great need. Wed, we're going to one of the colleges to pass out some bags for new students and make connections and invite them to a house meal at the Boiler House. Thursday we are working with Bar N' Bus, which is like a community bus that has a coffee bar in it, and gives out free food and has a prayer room in it. And then it has a bunch of games and X-boxes and stuff. Good craic(as Mike would say). So we'll just ben hanging out with them and loving on them. Hopefully building good relationships within the community, our house is right next to the park we're they all hang out, which is pretty cool. Then friday we go into the schools, to start of prayer rooms. So its a busy week, and I'm so excited! Keep praying for rest, and patience and just taking in all that God has for me.

TRANSITion

Well for the most part I really am loving it here, but its been much harder on my body than I expected it to be. I haven't gotten much sleep at all which has been making me more emotional and therefore I take things more to heart and I just sort of feel really depressed. But God has freed me from depression so I can therefore claim it! We just got out of a three day retreat sort of thing where we had some teaching and played some team building games and then we all told our life stories. So it was really interesting to get to know everyone. I learned a lot of awesome things about people and the reasons for why they are the way they are. I know God is going to majorly stretch me while I'm here, there are so many unresolved things in my and Gos has told me that He wants to work those things out. And He just wants to love on me in this time. He really is so good! I had the most awesome prayer time today just basking in His grace. Keep praying that God will give me rest and perseverance. I don't want to take this time for granted.
love yall! (or as they say here "yous")
Shirelle

They call Spain, spin and Oregano, Or-eh-gan-o

I'm having such a wonderful time here. I need prayer for protection from depression, because when I don't get a lot of sleep thats what my body falls into, but Christ has freed me from and I just need to claim it. We've had such a wonderful time here though, the official Transit activities haven't started yet, we've just been meeting everyone and getting to know each-other. I love every single one of the transiteers. We are all so unique but I can already see how our strengths compliment each other. It feels like I've known them fro months or years not less than a week!

This is my view from the plane. It was a pretty sunset and the last one in/over the US.


Emma and Kate, two of the nicest people I've ever met, they picked me up from the airport and waited FIVE hours for me to get out of customs, and were still so kind and thoughtful. I'm so glad they are here.



Robb and Sally Harman, they basically run the Boiler Room and live right across the street from it, Sally is a great cook :) and their sons are super friendly and fun to be around, if any of you watched the Moulin Rouge video that was there son Ellis singing with me.



This is Alisa Jeffery, She's a Kiwi and shes AWESOME! I wouldn't let her leave the other day because we were having so much fun. She has traveled all over the world doing crazy things for Jesus.



Me and Mike(from Ireland). Our first morning together, before Joanna and Angelique had arrived.


He'd never seen a pickle jar this big before! lol


Just messin' around on the trampoline having a ball.





Ange's trick for not crying when cutting onions is to stick a spoon in your mouth, oddly enough, it actually works.



Jon Biddle and Ben and then Ben and his fiance(aka really awesome lady who I adore) Beth.



Angelique, from Australia.


Joanna(from England, but one of the Transit Students), me and Angelique


We went to Cambridge for the day to celebrate Kate and Hannah's 20th birthdays. This was the bus ride there.





We had a picinic in the park and played rounders, which is like baseball accept Brits are way less competitive than Americans so it was more fun to play. Then we went punting in the river around cambridge, which is kind of like a gondola, except we got to push the boats ourselves which was an adventure, but a blast.



All in all it was a great day, and I'm looking forward to what comes next.

Customs was a nightmare!

Well I made it safely into the UK after a 25 hour journey. My flight went pretty smoothly and I met a nice girl from Monterrey, Mexico on my flight names Karla. She helped me out with the odds ands of flying and getting to customs, since she goes to school in London and makes the trip several times a year. But when I got into customs into was as easy as I had thought to get in. My letter from Phil stating my address confused the guy questioning me, and then he started asking me all kinds of questions about the people I would be staying with that I really didn't know the answer too. Then he detained me so I had to go through the whole fingerprinting, photograph, interrogation process. I was in there for four hours and needless to say I was FREAKING out. I didn't know if the Biddles(who picked me up) knew where I was. Thankfully, Karla who I met earlier found them and told them they were detaining me, so they at least knew to begin praying. I was in there with four other Americans, all being held for stupid reasons, so that confused me, I thought we had good relations with the UK... But after a lot of talking and PRAYER, God got me through. They interviewed Anne, Kate, Emma, and Phil before they would let me out and all of them matched which was a miracle in itself. So now I'm here in the Boiler house and I've had my first cuppa tea and a hot shower and I'm loving all the people I've met. They are all so warm and friendly. I think I'm going to enjoy my stay here quite well :)
Pictures to come.
Love yall,
Shirelle

He is teaching me a lesson in faith.

Well I got an e-mail from Alana Weins, one of the Transit coordinators, saying that my Visa situation isn't looking good and that I might want to consider applying to Transit US as a back up. Basically it was a pretty discouraging e-mail that made me totally question whether or not I heard God's voice correctly. I was just like is this really what he wants me to do? But, the same day I also got a check for a thousand dollars from someone who just felt like God wanted them to support me. So it was like okay God, what are you doing here? And I went for a prayer walk, and I felt him say that I did hear his voice correctly, that this is where he is calling me, but that I've been so intent on what I'M doing for my trip that I forgot to depend on him. So he is going to put me in a situation where I have to depend on him, because He is a jealous God, and He wants all of me. Basically it was like He said, I'm going to give you the visa, and provide everything you need, but you have to have faith, and trust that I'm in control, and Hes going to teach me patience through this. And although it may feel tough right now, He is going to use these lessons that He's teaching me to do something totally awesome in England.

Ok so a lot of you have been asking me what Transit is, and I found this explanation from the group that did it in 07-08. I think it will clear a lot up.

We’re sitting in the beautiful kitchen of a huge, picturesque 17th century manor house tucked away in the countryside near Bristol, listening to the Goo Goo Dolls and trying to think of something to write here, about Transit. And it’s hard. For the last 10 months, we’ve been trying to describe Transit. That was the number one question we tried to avoid: “What is Transit?” and “Are you studying? Working?” Um, no. And….no. Like facebook, it’s complicated.

We all came here to the UK to do Transit, each of us with different reasons, whether it was to learn about Boiler Rooms, or just to learn more about Jesus and be discipled. The UK Transit class of 2008 consists of 10 students, 2 hosts, and 2 kids. We came together from 7 different countries: New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Canada, England, Wales, and the United States. It’s been a cross-cultural experience simply living together.

On our ten month discipleship training programme/experience, we became a part of our Boiler Room communities and volunteered in schools, in youth clubs, and with creative mission projects. We prayer-walked and prayer-carded. We got involved in several 24-7 Prayer weeks, including ones in Auchterader, Egham, Belfast, Aberystwyth, Guildford, and Southampton. We purposefully found ways to be “intentionally missional” in our greater communities. We practised hospitality; our doors are always open. We travelled around on mission weeks, even as far as the Czech Republic. We had weekly teaching times, and more intense, monthly training. We read the Bible together as a narrative. We had many early mornings of prayer and late nights of watching films or chatting about the tough things of life. That’s what we DID on Transit.

In all this, Transit has been about learning. Yes, it was 10 months of learning. That we are the clay and He is the Potter, and that it sometimes hurts to be moulded into the image He wants us to be. That “as iron sharpens iron”, so we sharpen and influence each other-- and it’s not always pleasant. (Think of iron against iron - not a nice sound.) And I think the most important thing we learned was (here it is, Transiters!) that life is supposed to be about loving God, loving others, and sharing the gospel with the nations. I think that’s what Transit centred on. In all our activities, that’s what we were challenged to do. Love God as we go about our lives. Love others out of that place of loving God. And do our part - whatever that might look like - in taking the gospel to the world.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may be able to test and approve what God’s will is-- His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

It’s like that. It’s been an inward journey for all of us. God renewed our minds in different ways, and He transformed our very beings. We are leaving very much changed from who we were a year ago, and all for the better. This chapter of our lives is finished, but there is more in the story for us.

O how I need you Lord

Psalm 57

For the director of music. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam . When he had fled from Saul into the cave. ^a]">[a]

¹ Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.

² I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me.

³ He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me;
Selah
God sends his love and his faithfulness.

⁴ I am in the midst of lions;
I lie among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶ They spread a net for my feet—
I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.
Selah

⁷ My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.

⁸ Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.

⁹ I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.

¹⁰ For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

I feel so sick, but I have faith that God is going to deliver me through this trial. I believe he is calling me to pray for healing. I have been nauseous for about a month now and I have had really painful stomach pains, but he is the deliver from all things, the savior in all situations.

Job

<----Well I got my senior pictures done. And I finally got myself a job. I applied at every place around looking for a CNA job, but I finally settled with Sonic. Which at first is kinda sucky, but honestly I make such good money there, and I think God was trying to teach me a lesson in humility. So yes going back there is humbling, but its the fastest way to earn the money I need for England. And I'm so excited about England! wahhooo! Only a couple of months now! I still havent been told what day I need to be there by, and I still need to get my visa. But I have faith that this is where God is calling me, and therefore everything I need will be provided for me. I want to be a total light at this job, and so I went to the prayer room before I started yesterday. and It was so cool because there were a few woman from church in there praying, and they prayed over me, and I just felt so spiritually prepared before I went in. Then today it was like God was encouraging people to bless me, because I made really good tips. He is just so awesome!

Preparation

Hey guys,
I can't believe its only five months until I'm off to England! For those of you who have no idea what I'm going to be doing there, go to this site:
http://www.24-7prayer.com/general/trainingintro
In two months I will be graduated from high school, and be getting ready to experience a whole new adventure. God has changed me so much in the past couple of months. He is teaching me patience and obedience (my Dad will probably read this and laugh, and Daddy I may not be perfect, but I'm learning! lol) And we're finally getting my thyroid under control...turns out I wasn't crazy! There are so many things I have to do before I leave and although it feels overwhelming right now, I know God is in control and that he is going to provide everything I need, because he is the one calling me down this crazy path. As Dad would say, the safest place to be is where God calls you. I need to raise $10,000! Which kind of seems like an impossible task since I've been to sick to work, but I'm testing for my CNA next week and hopefully I will pass and start working at the hospital by the middle of April. I also need to figure out all this VISA stuff which is difficult because they totally changed their system this year, and so Transit is still figuring stuff out on their end, but once again I know God is going to work it all out, because I do believe that this is where he wants me to be. So if yall could keep me in your prayers that would be awesome. Job, money and VISA are the main things I'm concerned about right now. O and I'm very worried about the quality of the food I'm gonna eat there, so pray that God makes my taste buds a little more humble. ;)