Pray. Serve. Love.

At approximately this time next Saturday, I will be meeting and/or reuniting with my teammates for the summer. To say that I am excited is an understatement. I've been waiting for this weekend pretty much all semester. I can't wait to meet the people behind the names and Facebook profiles. I can't wait to start the process of getting to know everyone deeply and learning how to pray for, serve, and love on them.

Speaking of praying, serving, and loving, these are the words God as given me to focus on this summer. I want to pray harder than I ever have. I want to serve completely selflessly. I want to love as Christ loves. This is probably the best way to pray for me personally, that God would really develop all three of those in my life now, in Japan, and beyond. It will take ample amounts of patience, obedience, and abandonment of myself and my desires. It's going to be a long hard road, but I know it will be beautiful. God has so much more for me that just me. Please pray that I would start now. That I would wake up every morning, turn the reigns over to Father, and walk as He calls me too. Satan has already started his resistance. I am afraid my selfishness will get in the way. I am far too fond of myself and what I want to fully pour myself out. I don't want this to be an issue. I want to serve people, not just please them. The moment I stop striving to serve and just start trying to please is when satan starts to win. Please pray against that. I know who God is calling me to be. I know I have everything I need to get there, or more simply, I have the Spirit of the Living God living in me. It's not about what I can do, but what I will let Him do instead. It's not about me. Period. I just want to disappear. I have been holding onto who I want to be for so long. I don't want to be who I am if it's not who God wants me to be. Life is not about being funny and liked, it's about bringing glory to the Creator and Savior of the universe. Pray that I will disappear and let Him transform me, no matter what I have to let go of (some verses God as given me for this summer are John 15:12-13, Philippians 2:3, and Colossians 4:2-5. There are a ton more, but God has given these specifically).

Our deadline is also a week from today. God has been gracious and I only need a few hundred. Words cannot express how thankful I am to God and to all those who have helped me get where I am. I have been so blessed in this whole fundraising process. God has taught me so much, but I'm not going to lie, I will be VERY happy and relieved to be done. Some of my teammates are not as far along as I am. One sweet girl still needs about half. That is not much for God is a week, but that seems almost impossible in our small, limited human minds. Please pray that God would work a miracle in her life in fundraising. Please pray for my other teammates who are not quite there yet either. I fully expect God to come through and I can't wait to hear the amazing stories of His sweet faithfulness next week.

Thank y'all for your prayers and support. Because of y'all, God is doing great things in me life. I would not be where or who I am without y'all. I love you all dearly.