Wednesday, August 29, 2007

le le ledesma

Incredible. Overwhelmed. Introspective. Confused. Happy. Sad. Lonely. Foreign.

I feel all these right now.

Living in a new place is strange . . . as it should be . . . it's new. I've never been in such a new exciting place as Austin (granted NY was freakin awesome, but I knew I was leaving in 6 weeks, so I didn't let my heart get too attached. . . . there's no holding back when it comes to Austin).

I have met some really great people. My roommates are so caring. God knows exactly how to work things out. My teammates are incredible. There have been a few bumps already, but we worked through them and I'm excited because I know we'll work through more when they come.

Vox is unreal. Their vision and heart hit home with me, and I'm more than ready to jump right in and get grounded with these guys. (www.voxveniae.com)

I got my car back from the mechanic and it's doing alright. Was still giving me some trouble, but Danny Luu (my mechanic) said for me to buy fuel injector cleaner and put it in the next time I fill up, so today I did. It seems to be running better, so I'm in a little better spirits when it comes to the Nissan.

Still feeling a bit lonely. God is working a lot on my heart. There are some things I know He wants me to work through right now, and it's pretty painful, quite scary, and I'm not too sure if I'm ready. He continues to teach me more about who I am, and how He's made me. I find this almost hysterical. Shouldn't you, of all people, know yourself? After all, you have lived with yourself every second since birth, witnessed every event, walked through relationships, witnessed change . . . and yet I am still wondering who I am. It feels so weird to say that. I feel like this is something most people go through in highschool, somehow I missed that memo. Never-the-less, here we are, and here we'll stay; in this confusing anxious ambiguity of self.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

in Dallas

Well, I arrived in Dallas three or so days ago. It's been pretty awesome. I'm at Orality training at the Linguistic Institute in Dallas. We're here with loads of Wycliffe folk. It's been amazing to meet these guys. There are load of people who are home for a while from where they're stationed overseas, so it's been amazing to hear their stories. There is a lot of wisdom to take in from these guys.

My team is great. I love all the girls, and I'm so excited to get to work with them. I still have 30% of my support left to raise (that's crazy!). It's pretty crazy that they actually let me come out here without being at atleast 75%. They were pretty adament about it, but I went from 60% to 70% all within a 24 hour period. So, that was absolutely amazing! Going up 10% is a good week, let alone a good DAY. It was amazing.

I'm excited for this year. So many amazing things are going to happen. This is only the beginning of the story. I know in a year we're going to look back to this training week and smile and how far God has taken us. What a glorious adventure it is to be walking with the Lord!

Friday, June 29, 2007

not what i expected

God is unbelievably amazing, and I have never before been so in love with Him as I am now.

For those of you who read this, please be praying for me as I continue to raise support to be a missionary in Austin this coming year, beginning in August. Pray big and pray hard, that God will bring in this money quickly, and that the supporters will give generously and monthly.

A dear friend of mine from school, a Hindu from birth from India, shared with me his story of salvation tonight. I felt very blessed to get to hear how God has been working in his life. The Lord amazes me, with His persistance of the human race. Sometimes, I look around and I totally understand why He would flood this place. It amazes me how His grace is so overwhelming. He never holds it back, He is so patient with us. Hearing this guys story of how God continually, for years, pursued Him. His mother and sister (living in India still) have become christians. They are all praying for their agnostic father. I pray as well that God will move and work in his life in unexpected and powerful ways.

I am so thankful to be where I am in life right now. Granted, raising support to be a full time missionary is a lot harder than I expected (but God is teaching me SO much! which I am thankful for!). I am so excited to be moving out to Texas, following the Lord's plan for my life. I have no idea where exactly He's taking me. I know for a year I'll be in Austin, but after that . . . I have no idea, but what I do know . . . is that He knows, and that is all I need.

I am so blessed.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

getting back

i am amazed at God. truly truly amazed. i am so selfish! it irritates me how utterly selfish i am, and how blind i am to it! totally blind. i look at all the money i need to raise for Texas, and i am overwhelmed, and so out of my own selfish desire to have it all in, i begin calling people . . .

i work for God from myself . . . and nothing gets done.

PRAISE GOD nothing gets done!! He is the one to do it, and when i'm not turning to Him . . . then He receives no glory.

i broke down and cried . . . hard . . . today. i'm super behind in raising support, and i want nothing more than to serve Him in Austin.

God is teaching me . . . that . . . it's not about the money, the support, the percentage. It's about me and Him. It's about Him loving me and me messing up every day trying to love Him back. I'm such a terrible lover. Praise God that He keeps trying to teach me. Seriously, if i were Him, i would have given up long ago. i'm so glad He's not like me.

*********

Stephen Crotts lent me a book. The Irresistable Revolution. (check it out at www.irresistablerevolution.org).

This book is slowly but surely changing my life. In a way that no book (other than the Bible) ever has before. It seriously, is screaming what my heart longs to be like, to live like, to share Christ like. It shows me that it's possible to live the faith like Jesus intended in this society. It shows me that there is hope in our cities. . . . there is hope . . . . PRAISE GOD!

God is challenging me to rethink how i live. rethink how i love people. rethink how i spend my money. rethink how i communicate. rethink life.

i believe that there is a powerful movement of God about to sweep over this nation. He is about to show Himself, and first . . . first He must change His followers. To those to profess to represent the Creator of the Universe, to those who say they are apart of the Way, to those that profess the Good News, He is changing us first. Through us He wishes to change this nation, this world, but He must change us first. I pray we are willing . . . willing to forget our consumer selves, our nit picky selfish ways. I pray we can let go of baggage and self centered living. I pray we let our dreams crash to the floor, that we quickly and earnestly come running when He calls our name, oh . . . how i pray that the people who profess to love Him . . . would do that . . . they would love Him, failing all the while, trying to make Him known to a world consumed with self.

i pray that we as followers would learn to live simply, trusting God each day to direct our lives, to recreate our dreams, to repaint our canvas.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

postmodern

The fact that God has written a plan for me still amazes me. More and more every day, the more and more I try to get closer to Him, the more He reveals to me about what He's doing and is going to do with my life. How blessed I am to know the Creator!!

I just finished Wicca's Charm by Catherine Edwards Sanders (a christian journalist). It was an amazing book discussing Wicca and the growing interest and practice of that spirituality along with paganism and goddess worship. Let's just say it was very enlightening. I used to think that learning about such things was wrong, that it was bad to fill the mind with things that are non-christian. Then I heard a speaker over winter break talk about Daniel and what God called him to. Daniel learned and studied pagan culture. He was even known by the King Nebuchadnezzar for his outstanding knowledge as the best in his class.

a quote from the book that I found incredibly relevant and applicable:

"My friend Lilian, with the Damaris Project, likes to say that Christians would not send pastors or missionaries to China without instructing them in the language, customs, and culture of the Chinese people. Should Christians living in American culture be any different? Shouldn't we learn how to relate to those around us whose language, customs, and culture differ from ours?"

WOW! I think there is such truth in those sentences. We, as believers, are called to authentic faith that reaches out to those that are different than us. We are to meet people where they are, now granted, in America this is very hard. Our culture is extremely diverse, growing ever more toward a postmodern view of the world: all is one, everything is interconnected, all religions are the same, we are our own gods. In a society like this we as followers of Christ are to be equiped to understand where they come from. This means we have to love them enough to listen, to study, to do research to figure out where they are coming from.

Personally, this seems like a huge task to undertake, but just like we equip missionaries to go overseas, with abundant research into the culture, the people's history, their various religions and the best way to introduce the person of Jesus to an individual growing up in such a culture, we need to be doing that in America. I'm so excited because that's exactly what i'm going to get to do this upcoming year in Austin, TX. My team will do thurough research into the current college culture in America and then pray and trust God to tell us how to best introduce Christ to them. Then, we'll document all of what we do online (www.fireseedanthology.wordpress.com) and the research and the results will go to help Campus Crusade for Christ over all be able to better communicate the saving truth of Jesus to the college student.

I feel so blessed to be a part of something like this. God is so amazing. This is something I've always wanted to do!!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

the end of the semester

this past weekend was amazing. we walked through how to raise support (build a ministry partner base). let's just say i have A LOT to do . . . not to mention finish up the semester . . . and try to get decent grades.

right now i'm trying to recreate the notebook we're supposed to be using to communicate the vision of the next year to our potential ministry partners. the bad news is . . . the notebook that they created for all the interns, doesn't really make sense for what my team will be doing. so, that's why i'm having to recreate it. which, isn't a bad thing, i'll feel more comfortable if i've made it, but . . . i have no idea where all this time is going to come from. no worries though. that's one thing i've learned . . . no matter how much gets piled on your plate, or how impossible it seems, don't worry about it! somehow . . . time passes and things get done. everything always turns out okay in the end.

. . . the end . . . that seems so far from now.

please pray for the following things. these things are greatly needed =)

1. my computer: if my computer doesn't get up and running i have no idea how i'm going to keep track of all my supporters (there will be so many, and so many appointments to keep up with, i really need a database) so pray that my computer gets back to life some time soon, or that i can borrow one for the summer/this support raising season

2. supporters would be raised up through the people i know and through the people they know (referrals). pray that their hearts are generously prepared to give (of their time, prayers, and resources)

3. a car. texas is a long way off, and i know my car will not make it. i need a car that will be able to make it out there and back to SC possibly several times a year.

4. God to receive the glory from this entire ministry raising season. pray that all the meetings go well, and i am able to share the gospel when He leads.

Thursday, April 5, 2007

heart ache

one week till the 'kick off' weekend for crusade. one week until my life changes forever. at this weekend, they will cast vision, they will inform me on how to raise a support team for the next year. one week until it becomes even more real to me.

every now and again my heart just ACHES because of the fact that i'm leaving all these people i know and love so dearly. they mean SO much to me, and to just have them vanish from my every day life is going to be hard.

"Lord, you give and take way" a phrase all too often sung during worship. this past week at new spring we sung that song and it hit me harder than it's hit me yet . . . the Lord is giving me this AMAZING future, written for me, for His glory . . . the most amazing life i could ever ever live, but in order to have that . . . all that i've known until this point has to be taken away. i feel like Abraham leaving for the promised land. i know that's crazy. my story isn't nearly that dramatic (i don't know, it feels that dramatic!).

i want to spend SO much time with all of them. with each person that has meant so much to me, and even the people i don't know all that well. the entire community of love and tenderness up until this point has been priceless. i can look back on these 3 years and i know that they are pivotal in God's design for me.

my heart brakes to know that i won't have this anymore.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

WHAT!?

well, i'm totally 100% accepted and going to Texas. now it's the long amazing journey of seeing God provide the means and support to get me there and provide for me while i'm there. i have no doubt that it'll happen and my life will forever be changed. i'm super excited!!!

on another note. i'm getting really irritated with some people. not really anyone in particular . . . but it's just a certain "type" of people. you know . . . it's the ones who proclaim to love Jesus . . . to 'seek Him with all their hearts' and then you're looking through their pics on facebook and WOOPS . . . there's a pic of them flippin the camera off, a pic of them making out with their boyfriend/girlfriend, a pic of them dressed all seductive, they're drinking a beer, wearing a bathing suit that let's everything show. . . and you're like . . . HUH!???!? or rather "what the freakin heck?!" i just don't get it. if you love Him, then live like you love Him! if you don't want to live like you love Him, then don't say you do . . . easy as that!

i'm not saying living for Him is easy . . . but for cyring out loud, STOP LYEING TO YOURSELF AND THE WORLD!!! just be real to who you are, if you're a person who's completely consumed with self and wants to have sex and party . . . then be THAT . . . don't say you love Jesus! ugh.

what has happened to integrity!? people care more about being socially accepted and loved than sacrificing for their savior. i understand that i need to look at them with grace as the Father does . . . but at the same time i'm tired of seeing people being passive about Christ, who claim to love and know Him! "ye shall know them by their fruit" . . . and frankly, most of the fruit i'm seeing . . . is ROTTEN!

i respect an athiest more than a lukewarm, washed out, hypocritical christian . . . atleast they live what they believe.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

SUMMER!?

well, i'm trying to figure out what i should do for the summer. i know i should work . . . but the question is . . . where should i live? i can live in anderson with the girls i live with now, and pay 200 or more in rent, work at Jax and maybe BAM again . . . or i could go home and work with my family at the carpet cleaning business. . . i want to spend as much time with my family before i go as possible. but . . . i'm not sure they can afford me. but it would be great to be able to have a flexible schedule so i could raise support and such. that's very important to me. but . . . at the same time . . . i would have to drive to new spring every weekend . . . which brings me to Jax. i only just started working there . . . so if i leave for the summer and not come back in the fall . . . i will have only worked there for like 3 months maybe. i just feel bad that they would have hired someone for such a short period of time. another solution is to move home, not pay rent, work for my parents, and then come and stay with the girls i live with now on the weekends and work at jax and go to new spring. now, that sounds perfect. . . . ha, but is it my perfect, or God's perfect? we'll see. . .

Saturday, March 3, 2007

gallery show?

melinda carter called me last night. she's one of the staff, and basically the genious mind behind the Austin Stint. it was so good to hear from her and to hear what God is doing in her life. She made me want to be in Austin really bad. i told her that if i could leave tomorrow i would. and truly, i would =). i submitted my applicated completely yesterday. i'll know within a couple of weeks!! and then i have to start planing and figuring things out for sure about leaving.
A friend of mine just got married a couple weeks ago, and i never knew about it. granted, we did lose touch kind of . . . but still, how can i lose touch enough to not even know she was getting married! how crazy is that!? i'm so happy for her, but i totally missed everything!
my mom called the other night just to tell me that she loved me. i was shocked. not that i don't think she loves me, but it was really really sweet of her to just call and tell me so. i think she's really sad that i'm leaving, i'm sad too . . . but i'd be even more sad to stay cuz i'd know i wasn't obeying the Father.
i completely changed what i'm doing my painting on. it's semi due on wednesday, and i'm not even 1/4 done with it. but it's okay, we're all pretty sure Mr. K will give us an extension. OH, and i talked to Jo Carol about me having an art show before i head out. she said that would be fine. so i'm really excited! she said it could probably stay up a MONTH! i'm really excited cuz now my family will be able to see what i've done and all my friends will too. it's kind of scary too though because i've never had a show before . . . so i have no idea how to set things up, i guess i'll have to get everything framed . . . i don't know. i really want to do some charcoal/pastel work. i think i'll have time to do that over spring break, cuz goodness knows i don't have time to do anything outside of class right now.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

no sense legalism

The longer i stay here the more i hate it. that's a horrible thing to say, but really . . . this place has turned into a stench that won't run clean from me.

i just went by residence life to get my $250 housing deposit back. the deposit my po' family scraped together back when i was a freshman so i could move in on campus. i go by the office and they say that i can't get it back because i didn't sign some sheet by December 1st. i didn't know about any sheet, trust me if i had, i would have signed the stupid thing. they said that there's nothing they can do . . . now tell me this . . . 250 bucks is nothing to this stupid university, and yet it's more than nothing to me. why is the world run by such selfish legalism!? it irritates me to no end, and there's nothing i can do about it . . . except to show grace when some one comes to me.

UGH! i just wish people would look outside themselves sometimes and to see the needs in other people!

it's so hard to stay dedicated to my school work since i know i'm not going to be here next year. things are piling up, especially since i have 4 studio classes. i was up till 4 am last night and had to be at work this morning at 9. i can't function like this, and i have to keep wondering . . . is it even worth it? i suppose it is. well, for one thing, i PAID to struggle like this, so in a sense i did this to myself, and by golly i'm going to work my hardest and get through it and be stronger for it. it's just hard to keep that mind set when i know that it isn't working for a 'goal' anymore. i suppose there is still a goal, it's only changed.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

movin and shakin

well, some huge and exciting news! I'm moving to Texas in August. I'm super excited. I know this is what the Lord wants for me, and where He is directing me to go. I'll live in Austin for a year and get to share Christ in radical ways to a post-modern crowd. i am SOOO excited. this is something i've always wanted to do. to check it out more (and i suggest you do cuz it rocks ) go to www.fireseedanthology.blogspot.com it's AMAZING.

i got a new job at Jax New Orleans Bistro in downtown Anderson. It's a super nice restaurant. It's one of those places that serves wine and the mashed potatoes are squirted out of a star shaped bag so that it's all pretty on the plate and all. it's FINE dining. I'm the hostess. last night was my first night. i really enjoyed it. i was about to die though by the end of the night because i decided to wear the wrong shoes . . . my toes are still numb today. i could barely walk. now i have to guy more shoes =(. i'm so glad i got the job though, cuz it's going to be a pretty substantial increase of income. i'm so excited because now i can start saving and paying off my student loans. God is soo good!

i haven't told my parents yet about Austin. i told them i need to have a "meeting" to tell them something. the bad news though . . . is that i'll be working every weekend at Jax. friday nite. saturday nite. and sunday. it'll work out though. maybe i can swing by there a sunday nite or something after work, and after church.

i'm amazed at how much God keeps changing my life.

Saturday, February 3, 2007

Helen Keller and Jesus


I looked up Helen Keller on google and read a biography of her offline. She never ceases to amaze me. This is her brail Bible. What an amazing picture of the Word of God. She did more with her extremely handicapped life than most of us who are completely healthy will do. She is a true inspiration. I wonder why we never seem to reach our potential. Teachers at school push us year after year. We join group after group and become leaders in such-and-such, yet we never seem to measure up. I believe that some people fail to meat their potential because they don't care to, they don't see the value in becoming greater than they were yesterday. Others, I feel, don't reach it simply because they don't think they can. The truth, however, is that only through the grace of our Heavenly Father will we ever "measure up" or reach our "potential." We are blinded by our own ideas of what our lives should be. If we could only step back and see that God has a story so much bigger and better than anything we could ever write, and He's begging us to star in it.

I pray we realize that our lives are beautiful and adventursome. I pray we get intouch with the author and learn to submit to His incredible script.