Last year we sent out first Expedition Stint team. This team travels to a new city and country each month to launch and build spiritual movements. On an Expedition stint, the goal is to find key volunteers who are believers and can build movements on campuses with no current group reaching college students with the gospel. These stint teams are standing in the gap -- where there are 118 major university cities with no known efforts to reach college students with the gospel.
In addition to sending a year-long team, we recently sent out an Expedition team for the month of November who launched a movement in Poland. And at the beginning of February we sent out two teams of Cru staff and interns to western Russia, which I wrote about in my last newsletter. As our teams wrap up their time there, it's fun to hear how God's used them the last couple weeks. Here's another update from the Nizhniy team: "We are wrapping things up in Nizhniy Novgorod and preparing to head to Moscow for debriefing on Saturday. We cannot believe that our time is almost done, but we are ready to leave the ministry in the hands of our key volunteers. God has provided us with an amazing group of students to continue spreading the Good News on the campuses of the city. Our second student meeting last week was another great success. We had even more students than the first one! We shared with them the principle of spiritual multiplication, that is, teaching people to teach people who can teach people: Jesus poured his life into twelve men who poured themselves out for others, who taught others, etc. We also taught them one way to help them multiply their faith: how to lead a Bible study." On Friday the team had their final meeting with students to commission and encourage them to keep moving forward with the ministry that's begun. These teams of students have a vision that God can use them to reach their city with the gospel. Long-term Cru staff in Russia coach student leaders from a distance, and are able to train them regularly in discipleship and evangelism. Please join in praising God for what He has done in Nizhniy Novgorod this month and pray that the students would take up the challenge to continue reaching out to their lost friends and classmates with the love of Christ.
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For the last couple weeks I've been reliving my childhood by re-reading (for the 100th time) the Laura Ingalls Wilder book series. I used to read them every summer break as a kid, and I loved learning about pioneer life. If I could live in any era, it would be the mid-to-late 1800s.
I just finished On the Banks of Plum Creek, probably my favorite book due to its setting near my hometown-- even though I always get a pit in my stomach when the grasshoppers come and destroy the wheat field. Interestingly, I just read Exodus 10, with a similar account of infestation of locusts- one of the ten plagues that the Lord brings on the Egyptians. On the Banks of Plum Creek even references Exodus; Ma reads the chapter to the girls on a Sunday when Pa has gone east to find work. I feel for the Ingalls family, suffering through a major loss of a crop in which they had placed a lot of their hopes and dreams. Reading about their hardships really puts into perspective what the Egyptians must have gone through with not just the 1 locust plague, but 9 other plagues that culminate in the death of all the firstborn sons and livestock. Talk about major loss. Exodus 12.30 says not one household was left without a death. Yikes. I like the way the NLT version records Pharaoh's reaction to this final plague: "Get out." I read something one time that said the plagues in Egypt fall on areas of life supposedly protected by Egypt's gods. What a way for God to show them who the true God is. The I AM that called Moses to lead his people despite Moses' lack of belief. The I AM that leads them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, through the Jordan, and (eventually) into the promised land. "When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!” - Exodus 14.18 NLT There comes a time in every woman's life when she turns the age her mother was when she had her. For me, that was last week. Along with my birthday card, my mom sent a couple old (ie: embarrassing) photos in the mail. One of which was a family photo: my older brothers in matching dress shirts and ties, my dad with his glaring white forehead holding a 6-month-old-me, and my mom grinning from ear to ear. It's on Instagram if you'd like to take it all in :)
I flipped over the photo and saw the date- 1986. She was 29 in the photo. As I studied our faces, my heart sank a little bit. I'm behind, I thought. I'm nowhere near having kids, or buying a house, or getting married. Or even having a serious boyfriend. But, I look around at my life, and the work I get to do everyday, and the beautiful things I get to experience, and it's hard to imagine my life being anything other than what it is. As I looked at that photo, I thought, I love the life I've built. The truth is, though, I've not really "built" anything. As I reflect on some of the best things in my life right now, I see how unexpectedly they have fallen into my lap: My role in Operations. When I joined staff with Cru, I knew I wanted to work in an office, and that was about it. But over the course of my many months raising support, God slowly shaped my heart using people's experiences, wonderful books and his Word to prepare me to work in Global Missions. I never would have said yes to the role I have now if it weren't for God specifically preparing me for it. My great roommate. We originally met because I was homeless for a month and she took me in. At the time, I was pretty frustrated I had to move in with this total stranger. But out of that frustrating housing situation a few years ago, I now have a sweet friend who challenges and encourages me - and knows me well enough to know which one I need. Opportunities to travel. Growing up I was intrigued with maps. I loved to read because I could travel to different places through stories. Part of me would like to continue this trend and never get on another plane again. But God continues to pull me out of my comfort zone, and even though I don't love the actual traveling, I do love experiencing new cultures. And I could go on and on. This life I have "built" is not something I would have ever planned out. I'm not married with 3 kids under 5 like my mom. But I'm confident in saying I am where God wants me. And I'm looking forward to seeing what lies ahead in the last year of my 20s. |
Amy WellnerEncouraging others to intentionally live out their God-given identity. Archives
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