Answering the Call to Go
“But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8
So, I haven’t typed a blog in nearly a year, but A LOT is
happening and I would like to share with you what God is doing in my life.This past year God has been doing A TON of work in my heart.
About a year ago, I began to ask God to reveal to me my sin that has kept me
from knowing Him deeper and making Him known throughout my life. Over the
course of a few months last spring and summer, God tore me up. Through a course
of events and realizations, God humbled me and showed me the depths of sin in
my heart. He showed me my pride, my envy, and my fear. He allowed me to
understand in a deeper way of my great need for Him.
Throughout the fall, I continued to struggle with sin. But,
despite that He worked through me and I had the privilege of being used by Him
to lead a good friend of mine to Him. I’ve seen God’s power and it has brought
me much joy to be used by Him. My life was forever changed when I decided to
follow Jesus and commit my life to Him about 3 years ago. Having experienced
God’s grace and the joy that has come with my new life in Him, it has given me
great desire to see other’s lives changed for His glory.
South Padre Island, Texas - Spring Break
That being said, God has called me to missions this year. He
is sending me on 2 trips in 2013. The first is coming up in two weeks over
spring break. From March 9th to March 15th, I will be in
South Padre Island, TX with thousands of other college students who are on
spring break there. I am going with a team from the UNT BSM. Primarily, we will
be giving people rides that are drunk or just need them and spend our time on
the vans having intentional conversations and sharing the Gospel with them. We
will also take time one very early morning that week to clean up the beach
littered with cups, beer cans, etc. Our week will be focused on sharing Christ’s
love with college students from all over the state and the nation that are
looking for fulfillment in things of this world instead of Christ. For me, the
money is already raised but I know others on the team still need funds. Please
pray for financial provision for this trip, as it is SOON, in TWO WEEKS! Also
prayerfully consider giving for the students that have not yet raised enough
money. The cost is $300 for the week. It is important to give because by giving
YOU will be taking part in the gospel being shared and Christ’s love being
shown. Not all people are called to go, or can go, but you can still be a part
of the Lord’s work by giving so that others may go and share the gospel with
those who desperately need to hear it. If you would like to give online, YOU
CAN! Just go to http://www.untbsm.com/#/donate
and designate your gift to UNT BSM Missions and type in Beach Reach. Thank you
so much to those who give. It may not seem like much, but believe me it will
make a huge difference in the lives of many.Nashville, Tennessee - Summer
City Church of Woodbine exists for the
purpose of being a catalyst for missionary team networks locally, nationally,
and globally. We desire to equip and empower summer missionary teams to help us
achieve our goals of mobilizing affinity missionary teams in Nashville to reach
out to the unchurched in our city by worldview: Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist,
Animist, Jewish, Orthodox, Evangelical, Secular, Cults, and
Homeless/Trafficked. Our vision is to reach 1.6 million people in our city with
the gospel in the next ten years. Our summer "Connect Team" will
serve as a connection to get the word out about our Project 52 teams working in
the Nashville area. Be media interns through City Church of Woodbine as well as
serve as media volunteers to World Relief Nashville. Use your media gifts to
empower the local church and share the love of Christ by working alongside
other Project 52 teams in Nashville.
I am very excited and curious to see how God moves this
summer through me as well as in my own heart. The phrase: “Missions is people
being transformed by people who are being transformed” means that as we are
being obedient to how God has called us in transforming people’s lives, He is
at work in our own hearts and transforming us through what He has called us to.
I know that God will transform me and the people around me this summer as I
abide in Him and allow Him to work through me.
I will not being leaving the nation, but the nations have come
here and they are searching for a better life here. Most of the people that I
will be building relationships with are refugees and immigrants from Middle
Eastern countries. This is definitely OUT of my comfort zone. It is much easier
for me to talk with American college students, but I am stepping out on faith
here and trusting that God will help me and carry me through this. I’m praying
that He will calm my fears about it and give me words to speak this summer. I’d
also like to ask and invite you to join me in praying before, during and after
this trip:
- Pray for my heart: pray that God would prepare my heart for this summer and rid me of all distractions, sin, and everything that would try to keep me from abiding in Him in this time of preparation.
- Pray for the church in Nashville: pray that they would be able to be effective in sharing the gospel with people/refugees in their city and that they would be encouraged and affirmed in the work they are doing for the Lord.
- Pray for the refugees: pray that they would have open hearts and that many would know the name of Jesus and come to know Him. Also, pray for any physical needs that they have that God would provide for those.
- Pray for financial provision: pray that money would be provided for me to go on this trip as I have the privilege of sharing the gospel this summer.
Although I am the one being sent, there are so many more
people that get to be a part of this. Not everyone is called to go, some are
called to send. YOU can be a part of this. By praying for me and giving
financially, you can be a part of God’s work in Nashville, TN this summer. For
this trip, I have to raise $1500. I am asking that you will prayerfully
consider giving toward this so that God might be glorified through me and
people may know Him this summer. Again, this is not just you giving money for a
trip; this is YOU taking part in God’s mission to bring all peoples to Himself.
If you would like to give, please e-mail
me. I would
post a link to a page where you can give but all of the money has to go
directly to Go Now and I’m not sure how that would work online. Also, this lets
me keep track of the money and how much has been given, as well as letting me
know who is giving so I can thank you personally and keep you updated throughout
the year.
With all of that being said, I am very excited about what
God is and will being doing in and through my life this year through these
trips. I am planning on keeping everyone updated about all of this throughout
this year through this blog and on Facebook. I hope all of you will keep up
with this, pray, and give to missions as God leads you to. I want to say thank
you in advance to everyone who is praying and giving. It means more than me
than you will ever know. God has put everyone in a certain place for a certain
reason at certain times that people might come to know him. I have been reading some scripture today as I
have prayed about going this summer and I would like to leave you with this
passage from Acts:
“From one man he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”
– Acts 17:26-27
In Christ,
Chelsea
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