Living Hope... 1 Peter 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a LIVING HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

-1 Peter 1:3-5

Living Hope Church is in Marysville, OH. I attend Kirby Woods Baptist Church in Memphis, TN. My old college minister, his wife, and now 2 kids, moved to Marysville, OH in February of 2008. They felt the Lord call them to Marysville after 1 year of praying about it, and the missions conference of November 2006. In August of 2007 they announced they would not be in Memphis after Feburary. I was sad, however, at the time I was praying about moving to Chicago, IL, to help with a church plant called Cornerstone Baptsit Church. I had spent the summer of 2007 with 4 wonderful friends serving in Chicago, and the Lord had gotten ahold of my heart about people in the United States needing to hear the truth of the Gospel. America is very complacent and I didn't want to be complacent anymore. Within the next three month I felt the Lord calling me to Ohio. It's not June 2009, and I'm still praying about it. The Lord, still had blessed me with his mercy to be born again into a true Living Hope in Him. And I know that He is a powerful God. I do not doubt that He can call me wherever He wants. But I am thankful to Him that although I do not feel right now is the time to move to Ohio. That I have been blessed to be apart of several major events within Living Hope until the Lord calls me there or somewhere else. In June of 2008 I visited Marysville, OH and stayed with Jeremy and Jennifer for a week. I got to be apart of the church at the Hampton Inn and serve in the Nursery and Childrens Church. (It was there first children's church) Praise the Lord for His loving kindness. In August 2008 I also got to go to Living Hopes big youth event reaching out to skate borders in a local park. Watching the Lord work and pull things together was amazing. This past semester I have served here in Memphis, and felt very called to serve on the BCM leadership team from Fall 09-Spring 10. I will be graduating in May and am praying about moving to Marysville. In the mean time this June I was able to be apart of Kirby Woods mission team to have the first VBS (Vacation Bible School) at Living Hope. I am so thankful that the Lord has let me be a part of every big event at Living Hope. I am thankful I am at Kirby Woods, a very missions minded church while the Lord is preparing me and telling me to wait. But I must realize while I wait on Him, I cannot just "WASTE MY LIFE". Jeremy Westbrook has said two statements since I've known him that have truly impacted me. "Don't waste your life" and "There are only two things eternal- The Word of God, and the souls of men." And both of those things are very bibilical. But I have to say the past year I felt like I've been wasting my life. I am so sick of comfortable southern christianity in America. Everyone is gorged with the Word of God when others are starving for it. Isn't it funny how the Lord shows physical visuals for something spiritual. If you are rich, you have a heart and extra money. Then you hear about a child in reach of where you can go, that is starving to death because they do not have the means, would you not take them the money, and feed them? Then why do we, people who are surrounded by such a cloud of witness in the South, not take out the Word and the Truth of Christ to this nation. We aren't faithful in the small things. I know that some people are called to stay in the South, because it needs Jesus too. However, the Lord is tugging at my heart calling me else where. In the mean time, I must quit hanging out every Friday, listening to people be dramatic over selfish ambitions, and waste money I need to save, when I could be praying over Memphis, sharing the Gospel on the streets, and loving those that Jesus loves, and no one else tells them about. We must be uncomfortable with sin. We can not cover it up. We must deal with it.

These are some of the prayer requests that were answered in Marysville, OH during the VBS:

1. We prayer walked over Mill Valley, and then we were suppose to split up into two teams. One team was to visit the parks, and the other was to pray over 3 apartments that are all in one subdivision. When Team #1 (That's the group I was in) arrived to pray over Bridgewater apartments the manager came out and told us that there was no soliciting but that he would he would post flyers in his office. Then we walked over and prayer for Watkins Glen apartments. As we went to pray for the other apartments called Watkins Glen Condominiums we saw a sign that said no soliciting. We did not want to be rude so we prayed that the people within the Condo's would be able to still hear about VBS. And Team #2 Went to several parks with no luck. As we prayed for them, and the condo's they were able to give out free water, and VBS cards in the local swimming pool. This was an answered prayer because they haven't been allowed to go inside the pool to hand anything out before, and I'd like to think someone from those Condo's was in there swimming.

2. The second day was a prayer answered for me. When Jennifer and Jeremy first moved to OH, they gave people in Memphis, TN streets to pray over in the Marysville. I chose Westbrook street because it was easy to remember. I prayed on Monday night that as we prayer walked I would get to pray over Westbrook street so I could see the homes and the people. The Lord blessed me on Tuesday, my group got put on Westbrook street, and I got to talk to about 10 people on the street. Praise God.

3. I think when you work for the Lord, He blesses you. On Wednesday we went to several parks to pass out pop-ice and bottle of water. We pulled into a park called Eljer Park and there were tons of teenagers, as I approached a group I talked to an older lady who said the Methodist Church there had just got done cleaning up the park, and serving the community, and that they would love some pop-ice. We were able to give them relief. Praise God for rewarding that group through our group. That shows true unity in the body of Christ.

4. By Wednesday Kim, one of the leaders at Living Hope, had told me they were praying for 100 kids at VBS. There were 68 people the first night, and 78 people on Tuesday and Wednesday. By Wednesday night there were 100 registration cards, and by Thursday night all 100 people were there, and 6 youth showed up that had professed Christ.

5. Wednesday we ate lunch at the hotel and we were going to order Pizza from Dominos. This gentleman approached Mrs. Pricillia (the leader of the Puppet team) and told her that he had seen us serving the community and prayer walking all week and would love to buy our dinner that night at a really nice local pizza place. We got our dinner paid for and at the restaurant got to witness to a gentleman.

6. I had prayed several times on the trip to get to spend time with Jennifer and Caden since Jennifer just had a baby. On Thursday the Lord answered that prayer. Hannah and I both went to spend time with Jennifer, Caden, and Abbey, and had a wonderful lunch with them.

7. I have missed Chicago very much and was praying for the people there, because I had heard someone was leaving the church. The Lord isn't into coincidence, He's into details. And we saw a family from Chicago staying in the hotel in Lousiville, KY. Praise God.

Now I'm back in Memphis, I desire to be in Marysville, but I know the Lord will use me praying for Marysville, and Serving and praying in Memphis. But I'm convicted about Memphis. I've prayed for much of Marysville when we went and the Lord is convicting me about Memphis. This next semester I'd like to prayer walk over much of Memphis. I'd like to prayer walk in the college room. I'd like to prayer walk over MUS, I'd like to prayer walk over St. George's Indpendent School, I'd like to prayer walk over east Memphis, and downtown Memphis. I'd like to prayer walk over many of the apartments in Memphis, especially the neighboorhood the church is in. I'd like to pray for the staff of Kibry Woods. It isn't that I wasn't praying before, but I wasn't praying enough. Praise God for opening my spiritual eyes.