Posted in Reflections by Kayla Phillips on 8/5/2010
So I guess I've gotten into a writing kick these days.It's kind of refreshing.Today I was thumbing through my journal
from a few weeks ago when I found this:
1 Corinthians 2:6-16.
This is an incredible passage full of so much to chew on.But today the part that sticks out to
me is verse 13:"not in words
taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words."
Something there hits a deep place in my spirit and makes me
stop and ponder.No wonder the
things God's doing in my heart don't seem to always makes sense to me;I'm trying to understand a spiritual
thing out of my own natural understanding.So I must prepare myself...when God brings revelation of what
He's doing, it's going to be in spiritual words.
What if spiritual words are undetected unless I listen with
my spiritual ears?It's a
different language.I need to
train myself to speak and listen in this language so that as God speaks, I
understand.And I'll understand
not because I've got it all figured out, but because He speaks spiritual truths
in spiritual words.If I'm
spending my time trying to make all this make sense to me without listening for
spiritual understanding, then I'm just spinning my wheels.
So how do I listen with spiritual ears?What do spiritual things sound like?I don't claim to have answers for these questions yet.But I think it probably starts with me
turning off the part of my brain that wants to figure everything out in my own
strength.Perhaps it's there in
the midst of the un-knowing that God speaks spiritual truths to my heart.
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind conceived what
God has prepared for those who love him..."I've always stopped reading that verse there.But wait, read on, it gets better.It continues on, "...but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit."There it is!God does bring
revelation of what He's doing.He
reveals it to us, to me and you, by His Spirit.No longer can we can we wallow around in our helplessness as
we say, "gosh, I dunno what God's doing."He's in the business of revealing Himself to us!We just need to train our spiritual
ears to hear Him and see Him.
Posted in Reflections by Kayla Phillips on 8/5/2010
People are funny.As I sit here at this little coffeehouse today, I've decided that coffee
shops are great places to watch people.I mean really, have you ever slowed down long enough to look up and just
watch people?I am a
people-watcher...guilty.I always
wonder about people. I wonder what he does for a living...I wonder what exam she's
cramming for with her textbooks scattered out...I wonder if the book he's
reading is any good.
I didn't come here today with the purpose of
people-watching...after all that's a little stalker-esque.I came here to catch up on some emails
as sometimes I just need a change of scenery from the office.After a few busy weeks of training camp and leader debrief
my inbox is taunting me and I must make an attempt to catch up.But for a brief moment this morning I look up from
my computer long enough to notice people.And I wonder...
I wonder why she chose that ringtone...I wonder what's this old man's story
and what he's thinking about as he stares off into space while eating his
banana nut bread...I wonder how long she's worked here and if she enjoys her job.
Interesting - this guy sitting next to me just recognized these 2
girls across the room.Apparently
he remembers them from somewhere in Chicago.Small world.I
wonder if they really remember him or if they're just being polite by smiling
and nodding.
I wonder what her tattoo means...I wonder who in this place are locals and who are foreigners
like me.
When one is people-watching it's recommended that you at
least have a book or something in your hands so you don't seem like such a
creeper.Just thought I'd throw
that in there for any of you people-watcher wannabe's. :)
But really, do you ever pause your day to wonder?I used to think I had to wonder about
important things but I disagree with that thought now.It's refreshing to wonder.As I sit here my mind is full of all
these "I wonders."They are
mindless and meaningless and I don't have answers or conclusions to any of this
randomness in my head.But somehow
it's restful to pause everything and just look around.I'm as guilty as anyone of rushing
around consumed by the busyness of life.But today for a few moments I looked up.
What are you wondering about today?I'd love to know...leave a comment and grab a latte. :)
Posted in life in GA by Kayla Phillips on 8/4/2010
I had the privilege of spending this past weekend with 15 incredible leaders. Two months ago these 15 leaders gathered in Gainesville, GA to prepare to lead 130 students on a mission trip to 1 of 8 countries around the world. When they arrived some were a bit nervous, some were asking themselves what they just got into, all of them were excited, all of them had a crazy expectancy for God to show up. But they had no idea what this summer would entail.
After leader training then training camp where they met their students we sent these 15 leaders to either Nicaragua, Bolivia, Peru, India, Israel, Uganda, Kenya, or Tanzania with their teams of college-aged students. Their mandate: to go and serve, to be wrecked by God's love, to walk in the light and release God's Kingdom wherever they went.
For the next two months Michelle McDonald and I (the fearless field support team :)) had the honor of talking to these leaders weekly...sometimes several times a week. If only we could accrue air miles or something for the amount of Skype minutes we used, ha. Each week we heard stories of what God was doing & how ministry was going. We heard about the great things; we heard about the tough things. We heard stories of freedom and stories of brokenness. We laughed & celebrated with them, challenged them, prayed for them, encouraged them, and just did our best to support them as they were pouring out all they had into their teams. This is definitely my favorite part of my job!!
They went. They loved. They were changed. They brought change. They experienced brokenness. They embraced community. They grew in their dependency on God. They experienced miracles. They loved sacrificially and were loved by our relentless God. Then they came home. Changed forever!
You can imagine the excitement that filled the house this weekend as we all gathered to celebrate what God has done! These leaders are physically and emotionally spent! They've poured out every ounce that God gave them to invest into their teams. But even through the tired, jet-lagged eyes, something is evident on their faces. I can't explain it with any other word besides RADIANT. They're glowing as they talk about what they experienced, how they were changed, how their students were changed.
They returned home with a new-found or re-ignited freedom and confidence in their identity. They speak with boldness about who God is and how He's shown Himself faithful. They realize that all this is SO much more than a group of kids going on a summer mission trip. It's about lives forever being changed. It's about a movement of young people who are finally waking up to who they really are - who God says they are. A generation that's taking their place in this world, saying YES to being used by God to heal the sick, raise the dead, prophesy life, and bless everyplace they go.
I want to honor this incredible group of leaders. Thank you to Amanda, Angie, Anna, Audrey, Becca, Blair, Braedon, Carly, Jesse, Laura, Nate, Nick, Traday, and Vicki. You guys are rockstars! May God bless you richly. May you be refreshed today. May your heart swell with joy as you realize how God has used you this summer. God is so proud of you and so am I.
A World Race team in Tanzania (team Se7en on the January 2010
squad) needs your help and prayers. They were robbed at gunpoint earlier this week in their house
and are in need of basic items (backpacks, toiletries, clothes, etc.).
Fortunately, everyone is completely safe and doing well, but they lost
nearly everything they had.
Your one-time
donation to our general ministry fund can help meet their immediate
needs so that they can continue to minister to those in need around the
world.
Also, please pray for those affected by this situation -- for their
comfort and peace. Our staff is heading out to the field to visit and
debrief them as we speak. Your help and prayers are greatly
appreciated.
If you're able to give financially, here are some simple
instructions to make a donation that will go directly towards meeting
this specific need:
1. Follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate10july.
2. Select "Support a World Race Project" from the drop down menu.
3. Type "10JULN" into the project blank.
4. Enter amount.
5. Click Continue button.
Thank you ahead of time, and we praise God for protecting our young
missionaries in the field.
It's been awhile since I've shared with you what's happening on the field these days.
This is a powerful blog written by Andrea Schiarizzi, one of our Real Life students in Uganda. These students are having life-changing experiences and coming face to face with the harsh realities of a broken world. But while standing in a whirlwind of despair, these guys are HOPE and LIFE. Read on...
Falling in Love by Andrea Schiarizzi
So much has happened this week I don't
even know where to begin. This is why I came to Africa, and it's what
will bring me back.
My heart has been broken for Kyampisi, Uganda and the incredible
people who live there. I guess the best I can do is summarize, and try
to convey some sense of why it touched us all in a deep and lasting
way.
I'll start by introducing the very first child we met at Jesus
House - Alan. His full story, which you can read at kyampisi.org, will
make you head spin and your heart hurt. This beautiful, mischievous,
ticklish 7-year-old has an axe wound in his skull and can't sleep
through the night because he still vividly remembers the night he was
attacked, kidnapped, tortured, and left for dead. Alan is a victim of
attempted child sacrifice, and his story is not as uncommon as you'd
think. He is a living, breathing, dancing, djembe-playing miracle, and
we all fell in love instantly.
Baby Moses is a 3-month, 4-pound orphan whose mother, who was
already wasting away from AIDS, died during childbirth. We'll find out
August 5 if Moses is HIV positive too.
Faizo is a student at the school that Jesus House runs. Rachel and
I are going to sponsor him, so we went and visited him at his
grandmother's house. He lives in a brick hut with a bunch of other
people. It's dark and hot and smells miserable. The mattress that he
shares is honestly, not as nice as the bed we bought my dog for
Christmas. His shoes and clothes are literally falling apart, and when
we hugged him he didn't know what to do with his arms.
It's not okay for children to live like this. It's not okay that
the water in Kyampisi is stagnant, moldy, and dirty and diseased and
it's all they have to cook with, bathe in, and drink. It's not okay that
Alan can identify his attackers but the law's so messed up that they
can't be prosecuted, so his life is still very much in danger.
The injustices I saw in Kyampisi broke me. But in the midst of all
the pain and evil and despair, Jesus House offer something greater:
Love and Hope. In a few short days of partnering with this ministry, we
can tangibly see the difference they are making. We dug wells so that
there can be clean water, cleared land for construction, taught in the
school. We rocked Baby Moses to sleep and hugged and kissed Alan almost
more than he could stand, and we left a depressed-looking wooden school
building bright blue.
We got blistered, bitten, and dirty. We spent ourselves this week
for Jesus House and for Jesus' children. This, I think, is what it means
to be the hands and feet of Christ. To be broken for the things that
break God's heart, and to let him heal you while you put faith into
action.
Posted in life in GA by Kayla Phillips on 6/26/2010
All of these "What's God doing..." blogs got me to thinking and asking some questions in my own heart. What's God doing in me?? This is a question I wrote in my journal a few days ago. The following is a little snippet of what flowed out...
What am I learning these days?
That God is always about healing our hearts
to ask God who He is instead of just asking Him to show me who I am. When I see who He is, I begin to see who I am...afterall, I'm made in His image.
-- that God is a creative God and He's created me to be creative as well
-- to trust not in my own processes, but to trust Him to bring understanding
-- that God wants me to ask for BIG things and not be satisfied with safe prayers
when you put fire to a raw material, something beautiful is created
that God desires to give me MORE around each corner
-- to wear the shoes I've been given and operate in the gifts that He's given to me specifically
-- that identity is discovered through the voice we listen to
that God's more real than what my eyes can see
that God is healing my heart to strengthen my hands
Posted in life in GA by Kayla Phillips on 6/20/2010
Each team created a canvas during training camp to express what God's doing in their team and the calling he's put on their hearts as they head out to the nations.
This is the Bolivia canvas...
This week at training camp God has been teaching me some things about surrender- He wants everything: your ugliness, your beauty, your mistakes, your insecurities, your victories, your goals- EVERYTHING! And He promises us that He is faithful- that He won't look at our brokenness and run but He'll embrace us. And most importantly He'll bless us with amazing things in place of where the burdens were. -Rachel Ross
The second night we were challenged to surrender something that was holding us back from Godīs best. As I was praying God really laid on my heart that I need to surrender my plans. My plans and expectations that I have created for my life. The things I expected to accomplish, the places I expected to live and the jobs I expected to have. All of my plans I laid at the foot of the cross. God has been asking me to surrender my whole life for a long time... It is as if I have had a tight grip on all of the aspects of my life and slowly but surely I have given them one by one to the Lord. But my plans are the things that I hold onto tightest. The one aspect of my life that I did not want God to enter in and change. My plans are good. But they are not Godīs best and I want Godīs best. So I surrendered it all. After the evening session and it sunk in that I had just surrendered the thing that I had held closest for so long I freaked out. So I began to read and came upon this verse: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lordīs purpose that prevails." (Proverbs 19:21) This verse really hit me. No longer am I going to let my silly, frivolous, "good" plans distract my eyes or ears from hearing Godīs voice calling me. I donīt want my plans anymore, I just want Godīs purpose from my life. I am now just trying to not pick back up the things that I have surrendered and listen for the Lord as He calls me! --Hannah Ross
Posted in life in GA by Kayla Phillips on 6/20/2010
Each team created a canvas during training camp to express what God's doing in their team and the calling he's put on their hearts as they head out to the nations.
This is the Africa Expedition canvas...
I'm on this trip because I crave adventure. Because I think my life is too easy and the fullness of God has been unrevealed in my easy life. I'm on a trek through Africa to find who I am and who God is. I'm about to turn 21 and I'm just now discovering what I care about! And what I care about is the Lord. And his work. And finding out things about his character that I refuse to take down into my soul. Things that God believes about me that I have refused to receive so far. These short, incredible days, surrounded by a huge group and an intimate team that truly know the Lord's heart has healed me more than anything before this. -Malisa Thompson
I have an amazing team who loves God and is willing and able to do what He has called them to do and He used them to help me through this. They have the biggest hearts and the greatest smiles and they fill the day with laughter and smiles and I am thankful for that. God is going to work in such a way in all of us that we WILL heal the sick and we are so excited about that. -Ashleigh Wilson
We have learned so many things about what God has for us in Africa. The things we are going to encounter, how we handle those situations, how we listen to the voice of God while we are out there... I am jumping with excitement for the people God has surrounded me with to go on this journey. I have no doubt he is going to use us, challenge us, break our hearts, but then heal our hearts. He is going to do BIG things. -Allee Rodenbaugh
Stay tuned (one more time) to hear what God's doing in the Bolivia team...
Posted in life in GA by Kayla Phillips on 6/20/2010
Each team created a canvas during training camp to express what God's doing in their team and the calling he's put on their hearts as they head out to the nations.
This is the Andhra Pradesh, India canvas...
I'm more certain than ever that this is exactly where God want's me right now. It's been especially encouraging to see how much the people here believe in us, and how strongly they believe God will work through us. I've seen things this week in other people and in my own heart that surprised me. But my faith has been strengthened this week, and I am very ready to go to India and start sharing Christ with the people there. I know that God has gone ahead of us and has been preparing things for us to do, and people for us to minister to, so I can't wait to see what He will be doing. -Kaitlin Cathey
The past few days have been full of amazing experiences and incredible changes, but what I thought of the most was how easily we let satan sneak in and trick us. We are free from fear because of Jesus! Satan is mischievous and he wants to distract us! Each one of the 150 people going around the world with AIM are extraordinarily important to God's plan. We are small pieces, but without each one, it is incomplete. We have power and strength in Jesus and we have no reason to have any scent of doubt! Praise God! He is good! -Mina Coniglio
Stay tuned to hear what God's doing in the Africa Expedition team...
be in spiritual words.
th her textbooks scattered out...I wonder if the book he's
reading is any good.
I had the privilege of spending this past weekend with 15 incredible leaders. Two months ago these 15 leaders gathered in Gainesville, GA to prepare to lead 130 students on a mission trip to 1 of 8 countries around the world. When they arrived some were a bit nervous, some were asking themselves what they just got into, all of them were excited, all of them had a crazy expectancy for God to show up. But they had no idea what this summer would entail. 
their dependency on God. They experienced miracles. They loved sacrificially and were loved by our relentless God. Then they came home. Changed forever! 
re-ignited freedom and confidence in their identity. They speak with boldness about who God is and how He's shown Himself faithful. They realize that all this is SO much more than a group of kids going on a summer mission trip. It's about lives forever being changed. It's about a movement of young people who are finally waking up to who they really are - who God says they are. A generation that's taking their place in this world, saying YES to being used by God to heal the sick, raise the dead, prophesy life, and bless everyplace they go.
, etc.).
Fortunately, everyone is completely safe and doing well, but they lost
nearly everything they had.
