May The Nations Be Glad

So my best friend Katie has been begging me to start a blog. I have always said no I don't have time. So when I went to Bolivia last week and got back the Lord taught me so much and I just didn't have time to sit down and tell each person individually what the Lord did in my heart. Saying that, it occurred to me that "if I start a blog then I can just tell everyone at once". So here we go. I can't promise that I will be faithful in posting all the time but I will try to be consistent.

This past week I got the opportunity to go with our High School Students here at Long Hollow (www.longhollow.com) to Bolivia. I serve on staff at Long Hollow as Girl's Minister for Middle and High school girls here in Nashville, TN. We partnered with Food For The Hungry and went into the mountains of Bolivia to work with the indigenous people.

As we lived among these people in the village. The Lord started to strip me of my earthly desires and remind what it means to be a Christ follower. I was reminded of how many things in life I don't need. While we were there it was winter so it was freezing. At night we slept in many layers of clothes because there was no heat. Half of the week we had no running water and we went 5 days without a shower. If you know me, I never would of thought that I could do that. But I did. In Psalms 73 it talks about how wealth in earthly things is not what brings us joy but it is Christ in us that produces joy in our lives. That has never rang more true in my heart than it did while I was in Bolivia.

Our high school connect groups over the past school year have sponsored Bolivian children through Food for the Hungry. While we were in the mountains we went to the village where I students sponsor children and they got to meet the children they sponsor. I went with one of our students Haley to meet her sponsor child. We had an opportunity to go to her home. Her home consisted of mud slab walls and a straw roof. As her father was speaking to us he said, "2 years ago we were the forgotten people but now because of people like you and Christ we are no longer forgotten." WOW! How powerful is that! In that moment the Lord reminded of the hope he brings to our lives. That no matter our living situation, the circumstances we find ourselves in, or journeys we take there is hope in the Lord!