Abide: 60+ Seconds with Paige

UMMM...How much do you love this freeze frame?!  If only I knew more about technology I'd make myself look better.  So my gift to you today is this ridiculous freeze frame & also a few thoughts about Abiding.


Abide from Paige Allen on Vimeo.

6 Myths You May Believe About Prayer

Earlier this week I wrote about Selah’s audacious prayer to become a flower girl & God’s answer literally 2 days later (she is going to be the cutest flower girl this coming June)!  You can read her story here.

This story has propelled me to think about prayer quite a bit this week and I realized that there are a lot of myths surrounding prayer.  Somewhere along the line we buy into a lie that prayer is found in a formula or has to look a certain way…so I wanted to share with you 6 myths that I’ve believed at one time or another.

The 6 Myths of a Good Prayer Life


1.  You have to pray at 5am.

Now granted, Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”  And I WANT to be like Jesus, but everytime I have attempted to pray super early I usually end up drifting to sleep.

My husband gets up early to pray and when we first got married I thought I must not have a real prayer life because I preferred to pray when I was actually alert…and so I tried to mimic him and it was a colossal failure!  I now thing that ANYTIME is a good time to pray.  Paul says that we should pray without ceasing…and that includes 9am or 2pm (thank the Lord!)


2.  You have to pray for at least 1 hour
There was a movement in the church world a couple of decades ago that encouraged people to pray for an hour, and the motivation was good.  We need discipline in our prayer life, but for many people an hour is a daunting task so we don’t try at all.

And have you ever really prayed your heart out only to look at the clock & realize it has only been 5 minutes?  If you really pray for 5 minutes – awesome!  Maybe tomorrow you could try praying for 10 minutes…I think that the key is that you pray long enough that you get through your lists and begin slow down so that you actually connect to the heart of God.  Sometimes that connection happens quickly and sometimes my mind is in such a place that I need to pray for a long time before I get my agendas out of the way.  Just pray…forget about the clock.


3.  You have to speak eloquently in the type of language suitable for God
Have you ever prayed with a group of people and marveled at those who’s prayers sound so eloquent?  There was a season in my life where I could make my prayers sound really good…but they were empty.

There is no right or wrong way to pray to God – just talk to Him…and then listen to what He says in return.


4.  You have to be in the perfect environment (prayer closet)
I have a friend who has the ULTIMATE prayer closet.  It has a chair, mood lighting, music…I mean it sounds awesome!  And for a while I would think to myself – well, I’ll really pray when I have an environment like that.  I’ve come to realize I won’t likely have that perfect place for many years.

I’ve discovered that I can make a lot of environments perfect for prayer.  I love to pray on my back porch while my girls run around and play.  I have a chair in my living room that is by a big window and I also love to sit there and read my Bible in the early morning.  I usually get interrupted in both locations (I have a pre-schoolers)…but I realized that if I wait until I have the perfect place I’m never going to pray.

5.  Your prayers don’t count when you lose your train of thought or fall asleep

Let’s be honest - how many times do you pray and all of a sudden find yourself thinking about fantasy football or what you are going to cook for dinner that night?  I know I do that ALL of the time & I used to berate myself when that happened thinking it invalidated all of my previous prayers.  That’s not true!  It happens to us all!

And have you ever been meaning to pray and wind up falling asleep?  Me too!  Oh well – I think God’s cool with it, but we need to stop feeling guilty for all the ways we fail when it comes to prayer.

6.  Your prayers aren’t important when compared to the needs of the world

Yes, there are very real needs in this world – poverty, sex trafficking, and war are all happening at this moment.  And we need to pray for the nations!  At the same time, God cares about what is important to your heart.  He is big enough to see it all and care about it all.  It’s easy to feel like our prayers are unimportant when a friend is battling cancer or has a tragedy in their life, and probably those things are on your mind because you can pray for that friend – you can lift them up…but know too that you don’t have to ignore your own obstacles and needs. 

This is why I shared Selah’s story.  Prayer at it’s essence is relationship!  God wants to connect with you.

I like the way Martha Kilpatrick says it, “Prayer is not an occasion, Prayer is not a set activity, Prayer is a joyful gaze at the Father from a state of utter, childlike need.”

So let’s set aside these myths and come to God as His children – He is waiting and ready to hear what you have to say.

The Faith of a Child

A couple of nights ago, Selah and I were in the midst of her nightly bedtime routine.  After Josh tells her a story, she and I always have “talk time” which has included discussions ranging from why she is EXACTLY like Elsa from Frozen to deeper questions about death and how babies come into the world (help me Jesus!).  I never know what to expect during talk time – the mind of a 4-year old is a wonderous thing, but I have come to cherish this bedtime ritual, and even though I’m often exhausted by the time “talk time” arrives, I get energized by her enthusiasm and sometimes deep questions.

Earlier this week was no different as I sat down next to her and she started off a discussion on weddings.  I have no idea how weddings came to her mind, but mostly she was lamenting the fact that she has NEVER been a flower girl, and ALL of her cousins have!  

“Mom!  Peyton has been a flower girl…and Molly was one too…and Maci!  Mom, Maci is EVERYONE’s flower girl!”   

I was about to refute this claim, when I thought through her cousins and realized that she was in fact correct with her findings.  Each of her cousins have been in a wedding in the role of flower girl, and we have listened to their delightful stories of pretty dresses, flower petals, and the fun of weddings! 

I tried to explain that Maci was a flower girl because she had several single aunts and uncles while all of Selah’s were married when she came into this world.  My reasoning didn’t seem to make much of an impact, and Selah asked if I had been a flower girl when I was younger.  Although I wanted to stand with her in solidarity I had to tell her that yes, in fact I was a flower girl for my aunt Lisa…and so she was faced with the sad fact that EVERYONE she knew had been a flower girl except her!  This is very real heartbreak for a 4-year old!

So she began asking me about single friends in our lives.  What about…Annie?  What about…Jay?  What were their plans for future flower girls?  She was on a mission that night to find a solution to her dilemma!   

After much talking, I said maybe it was something she should pray about, and as soon as that statement left my mouth I immediately regretted it.  What had I just done?  I felt certain that I had just set my child up for disappointment, because in all reality she wasn’t going to be a flower girl anytime soon.  Why would I have thrown the prayer solution out there?  Ugh!  Parent fail.

She immediately liked my idea and so we began praying, and I listened as she beautifully pleaded with the Lord to  make her a flower girl.  She would do a very good job, Lord…and all of her cousins had been a flower girl – wasn’t it her turn? 

It was such a sweet moment that I wrote a quick status update about it on facebook (because that’s what one does now when their kid is adorable), and I may have prayed my own prayer that God protect her little heart from the inevitable disappointment that I knew would ensue.

Oh Paige, of little faith!

Two days passed and I all but forgot about this prayer when I had a friend come by my office.  Jessica and I have known each other for a few years as she was in our college group when Josh and I led Zoe.  She and I met periodically over the years to talk about faith and her walk with the Lord, and a few months ago she asked Josh and I to officiate her upcoming wedding to Sam.

When she stopped by the office I assumed we would talk about scheduling their pre-marital counseling as I told them that we should start in April, but she had other plans.

Jessica sat down and said that she had been thinking for sometime about asking Selah to be her flower girl.  Cue my astonishment & joy!  She doesn’t know Selah that well – she is closer to Josh and I, but said that Selah had come to mind a few times and had wondered if it would be strange to ask this little girl who she didn’t know well. 

But then, she had a dream 3 nights before in which she had 2 flower girls – Selah & Layla (a beautiful girl from Uganda that my cousin is in the process of adopting).  She told her fiancee Sam about the dream and they decided to ask the girls to be their flower girls.

Jessica talked to my cousin first about Layla, and as she retold the dream my cousin asked her if she had seen my facebook post!  Jessica had not seen it as she hasn’t been on facebook for a couple of weeks…and so that sealed it!

As Jessica told me how this unfolded I almost burst into tears!  How good is God?  How much does He love us and care about us?  Even those small desires in our hearts – He cares!  I’m not saying that everything you ever pray for will get the answer you hope for…but I AM saying we serve a God who loves His kids and I believe He really delights in blessing us.

Selah was downstairs at Kids Day Out, so I took Jessica to talk to her, and you should have seen her face.  She didn’t know what to think about this offer – it was like she wanted to jump up and down and be surprised all at the same time…so she just giggled and said yes.  Later on she did jump and dance & she immediately called her daddy to let him know her exciting news.

As she told her BIG news to everyone she saw, I noticed that two different things came out of her mouth:

“Jesus answered my prayer!”

and

“My dream came true!”

Thank you Lord for making her dream come true.  Thank you for being a God who hears our cries and pleas.  Thank you for loving us and loving even the small things that feel big to our hearts.  And help us…help people like me who are small in our faith…who forget how to pray courageously and with abandon.  Help us to trust that you are a good God who loves and lavishes His kids with good.

What I Learned While Traveling the World with My Babies this Summer (Part 2)

As I mentioned in my previous post, the main lesson that I learned while traveling to Europe with my babies this summer is that God can be glorified in a place where we focus on doing less and being more.  This is hard for me.  I like to be busy.  I like to do things, but I'm learning day by day to embrace His grace and walk in it.

I'm also learning to find joy and His fingerprints in the messes of life.  I don't like messes either, but this simple lesson was on full display as we traveled to Europe this summer with our girls (honestly, is it even POSSIBLE to travel with a 3 year old & 13 month old without a giant mess in your wake?)...and I think I'm starting to get it.  God can be in the midst of the mess.  He isn't nearly as uncomfortable as I am, and He really does love using the foolish and weak parts of our lives to show off.  Here's two ways He demonstrated this to me on our trip:

Fashion Class and "Glitter Nails" in Czech Republic
We were teaching in a creative arts camp while in Czech Republic and I was assigned to help my
amazing friend Dita teach fashion class.  Now, while I DO love a good pair of shoes & sometimes tune into Fashion Police, I am far from a fashionista and I know next to nothing about designing clothes, which is what this class would be doing.

Leading up to the camp, Dita would email me her amazing ideas (creating wedding dresses out of plastic, t-shirt transformation, and a lecture on Grace Kelly style), and often asked what I wanted to contribute.  Contribute?  As in teach something about fashion?  I had nothing.  I scoured Pinterest, but discovered that my best ideas had been done in previous years at the camp.  The only idea that I had to offer that seemed of interest was "glitter nails."  Now, I had never done "glitter nails."  I had read about it on Pinterest and seen some successful ventures on the hands of a few friends.  It looked easy enough, and I felt confident as I purchased numerous shades of polish & glitter from Wal-Mart - I could make this fabulous!

Dita gives the girls her opinion on their latest des

My first day in fashion class was fun albeit a little overwhelming.  I was trying to get into a rhythm of juggling my babies while also connecting with the young people, and I just tried to stay up.  We colored fashion designs and played with pastels to get a feeling for how color works with fabric.  I smiled at the sweet girls in our class and had barely exchanged names when our 3 hours class was finished.

Each day got progressively easier while the projects were progressively harder.  We created dresses, painted t-shirts, and designed wedding gowns out of plastic.  I quickly realized that I needed to at least try to help with fabrics & design.  I remember clearly trying to help my girls with the wedding dress and thinking to myself, "I am making a mess!"  And in that moment, I felt God whisper, "I can be in a mess...just keep working at it."  And so I stapled and fitted plastic on our model.  We laughed together and little by little we transformed yards of white plastic into a beautiful gown that I was quite proud of (if I do say so myself).

The final day of camp we had a fashion show & party where each class was able to show off what they had learned.  As we prepared for our walk down the cat-walk, Dita asked if I could give each of the girls "glitter nails" so we could look fierce.  Absolutely!

And so, in the last few minutes of class with these precious girls, I helped create another mess.  We started to paint and add glitter to our fingers when I realized that we were not looking like the Pinterest pictures that I had seen.  It was a mess.  At first I wanted to panic with the realization that this was not living up to my preconceived ideas of fabulous "glitter nails" when I looked around to see that the girls didn't see the lack of perfection that I was so sensitive to...instead, these girls who had bonded over the previous week were oohing and aahing over one another's hands.  There was laughter in the room, and more than a couple of the girls asked if I could paint their nails for them (I was, after all the "glitter nail" expert).  And in that stuffy classroom across globe, I felt the presence of God.

With sparkles of glitter on these young women that I now loved, I silently prayed that they would find Him.  May they be drawn to the One who makes life radiant.  May they see that He alone can redeem and create beauty from the messes we are so prone to create.

Pastel drawings as we practiced with color

Our plastic wedding dresses as modeled in the fashion show

Selah's FAVORITE moment of the entire trip - modeling her t-shirt in the fashion show

Puddle Jumping in Norway
Our week in Norway was focused on prayer and encouraging our good friends (Sean & Hannah) as they prepare to plant a church in September.  Again, we would "do missions" by just "being with them."  Everyday was spent prayer walking for a couple of hours & then we would simply hang out - talking, dreaming, bouncing ideas off one another.  In the midst of this talking and prayer, we had five children in their house, which could only mean one thing - plenty of messes.

I gave up after a couple of hours trying to pick up after my girls.  It was a loosing battle, and we all decided to just relax and let them have some fun.  In my mind, this was fine when we were at home, but when it was time to do our prayer walks we should be extra spiritual - no messes.

I think God was laughing at my attempts to be spiritual, because on our very first prayer walk we definitely encountered a mess.  We walked to a school where they plan on meeting for their church services, and because it had been raining for days the parking lot was dotted with puddles as big as a playa lake.  Our kids were in strollers, and so the adults took a few minutes to walk around the school praying and seeking God...and being spiritual.  I was focused in prayer when I heard my daughter's laughter across the parking lot.

As I looked up, I realized that she & Sean's oldest son had gotten out of the strollers and were running, jumping, and splashing in the giant puddles!  My first thought was that she would be soaked, and that I wasn't up to the mess that would certainly ensue, when I was reminded of my recent lesson in Czech Republic - God can be in the mess.

And so, I decided to let her play, and I stood back and smiled at the joy of these two small children.  It was better than Disney World!  They laughed and shrieked, and before I knew it, all of the adults were cheering them on.  God spoke to my heart a lot that day - about jumping a little more...about trusting Him even when what is before me looks like a mess...about the joy that is all around if I will look for it...and about this church plant.  Our friends are probably going to make a mess or two.  They will definitely be forced to jump out of their comfortable and clean lives to make an impact in Norway, but they are saying yes to God and ready to make a mess for Him.

We prayed that day while our kids jumped in puddles that this school would be a blessing for their church...that they would find favor there & that God would get glory as they make a mess for His kingdom.  And guess what?  Two weeks later, they met with the principal of that school and were given three rooms to meet in each week...for free.  Let the puddle jumping begin in Norway!

Shouting from My Rooftop Today!

When I was a little girl I dreamed of being an actress and a lawyer.  I sometimes thought I’d like to be a preacher and I even had a stint in which the President sounded like a pretty good gig.  And when I got older and started traveling the world with my dad I secretly asked God if I might be allowed to be a missionary.  I fell hard for beautiful brown skinned people in Guatemala - so much so that I took an extra year of Spanish in high school with the hopes that one day I could really share my heart with those I had met.

That question of being a missionary was something God and I talked about often in my twenties too.  I had fallen in love with a new people group - this time they were strong and silent - Czech atheists who were intrigued by my belief but still rather aloof.  I thought perhaps Josh and I could move and open a business for a season eating pastries and talking about Jesus with these brilliant minds(seriously, that is still a good idea)...and then I traveled to India.  I laughed and cried and my heart melted in the big brown eyes of women and children who had lost seemingly everything and yet still had hope in Him. 

I once again talked to God about being a missionary after meeting these precious souls, but He was redefining what missions should look like for me, and my heart found great joy and purpose in being one who mobilizes...one who does her best to shout from the rooftops that we have a job to do out there.

And yet I often realize that my voice should be louder (it should be heard here on my blog) and so I am on this rooftop of my blog shouting about those who have inspired me to tears recently.  Will you listen to my shouts?

Matthew
I’ve been inundated with emails and text messages and prayer chains for the last 20 days as a young man - just two years older than I - was detained in a North African country for questioning.  His lovely wife and three children were left with unanswered questions - maintaining joy and resolve even in the midst of tears.  My heart and my mouth prayed for him daily for the last 20 days.  I’ve reflected on the last conversation we had - as he shared with me about his calling to this people group - and knowing the great risk he was taking.

I’ve prayed with his precious mama over and over again.  Her passion to pray and her love for his captors has been astounding to watch.  And I’ve talked to friends who know him much better than I and I’ve seen how the reality of what he is doing has sunk into our hearts - leading us to an internal search...asking if we are really being obedient to what He has asked.

And my heart rejoices this morning as he was released last night and is now safe with his family in another country - but still praying for his recuperation and his children’s understanding and his wife - oh my Lord, the conversations she must be having with Him in this moment...

And I realize that if Matthew can sit in a solitary cell for 20 days...then I can shout a bit louder.

Tony & Carrie
I put together a fundraising banquet this past Friday for missionaries to Guatemala, Tony & Carrie Taylor.  If I’m honest I was tempted to raise funds for something that I KNEW would pull the heartstrings of those in attendance.  But as I stopped and listened I knew that God was pointing to this precious couple.

Tony & Carrie are good soil.  I know no better way to describe them.  Faithful, humble, unassuming, obedient - they are the only missionaries in their region.  They have whispered to me that they are lonely and would love for God to send someone to join them...and yet they do not give up but rather give more.

And so I went into the banquet with the goal of raising $20,000 MAYBE $30,000 for their project...and yet people were generous and they GOT this vision of missions...and last I checked we had raised over $43,000!  I think God was wanting to let Tony & Carrie know that He is with them - He sees them (even on their lonely days) and He is so proud.

Internationals from Czech Republic, Poland, Kenya, Nicaragua, Belgium, Slovenia, & Israel
I wish I could list the names of the valiant men and women I rubbed shoulders with this past week - they were inspirational.  Each with their own stories of God’s love for their nations as well as tremendous obstacles that are ever present.  So much fire for their nations...so much love...so much determination.  I was in awe.

My favorite moment with all of these guests was on Tuesday night (a week ago), over 20 of us gathered - more internationals than Americans and we broke bread together.  Some indoors many outside - we talked and laughed and listened to music...and it was...heavenly.  Truly I thought - one day all nations will be together - enjoying the music of heaven and praising our creator.

I glanced across the way and saw my baby, Haven, in the arms of a Czech mama.  I looked to my left and saw men from Poland and Belgium and the US in deep discussion about theology.  I looked to the right and saw children doing somersaults in the grass while voices from Kenya and Israel wafted in the air, discussing in detail tensions in their countries.  And in that moment I knew God was there.  I knew God was pleased.  Just a small gathering of the nations - but a little glimpse of seeing a few of His kids together...and yet, how many more of His kids just don’t know?  Don’t know His love...His justice...His compassion...His truth?

So many don’t know...but there is hope.  For men like Matthew and couples like Tony and Carrie and countless international pastors across the globe are on their own rooftops shouting...and loving...and being the hands of Jesus.

When the Student Becomes the Teacher: Remembering Izzy Gomez

Source: tumblr.com via Denise on Pinterest

One of the many hats that I seem to wear is that of a Bible teacher.  I teach in a small Bible school once a night here in Lubbock, and over the last 8 years of teaching one of my greatest delights is connecting with students and watching as God develops and grows them into amazing leaders.  I am a teacher - I try to challenge - to help others see God and His Word in truth and perhaps with new eyes.

I love teaching students...and yet, so often I find that in my journey with certain students I look up to realize that in fact, they are the teacher and I the student.  This is the case with a student I had a few years ago who became a dear friend.

I’ll never forget the first conversation I had with Izzy Gomez about taking classes through our Bible school.  I had known Izzy at a distance - he was the maintenance man at the church, and I had been working there for a couple of years.  Izzy was always joyful - a true servant by every definition and a man who obviously had a genuine relationship with the Lord.

He walked into my office with the humility and peace that always seemed to follow him and he timidly asked if there might be a chance for him to start taking classes.  I immediately said “Of course!” and then Izzy held up his hand beckoning me to pause as he continued.

Izzy explained that he had not graduated from high school and wasn’t sure if he could handle the academic portion of the program, but then he started to share his heart.  The hunger deep inside to learn more about his maker.  To delve deeper into Scripture that had become his constant companion, and I was mesmerized.  We talked for quite a while that day and came up with a plan for Izzy to succeed in our Bible School.

He would work hard and at times turn in assignments via a tape recorder, and I must say I never once regretted that decision.  Even without the education that we so often laud, Izzy was my star student.  He turned in assignments early and although the grammar was not perfect, the depth to his papers and the depth to his relationship with God was astounding.

And yesterday, as I wiped the tears from my eyes at the news that Izzy had gone to be with Jesus - the Lord he loved so dearly after a ferocious battle with cancer - I couldn’t help but think of the many ways he truly had become my teacher.  Here are just a handful of truths that Izzy taught me...

Izzy taught me that there is strength in humility.  Moses describes himself as the most humble man that ever lived, and I realized yesterday that if I had to give that title to any man that I have personally known, I would say Izzy was the most humble man I’ve had the privilege to know.  And yet...Izzy was strong.  Izzy was a leader.  Izzy was a hero.  He taught me through his life that humility is strength that emanates from a dependence on the Lord.

Izzy taught me that doing your work unto the Lord really is enough.  Whether Izzy was sweeping, fixing a project that I had messed up, or cleaning toilets, he was joyful.  He saw purpose behind the tasks he was given to do, and he did them with excellence.

Izzy taught me that ministry can happen in a simple hello or acknowledgement.  Around the church, Izzy was never too busy to stop and say hello or even take an hour to talk with someone who had just walked in off the street.  I cannot count how many times I would walk down the hallway to see Izzy in a heartfelt conversation or in prayer with someone.  At times it was a staff member that Izzy was encouraging and other times it was a lonely soul who had entered our church doors looking for answers...I was always so thankful that they had found Izzy...because he always pointed people simply yet clearly to Jesus.

Izzy taught me that justice should be fought for.  I only saw Izzy get angry once, but it was a situation in which justice had been overlooked and someone had been slighted.  I learned that being humble and a servant does not mean you have to lie down - that there are moments in which justice needs a voice.

And Izzy taught me that to be a pastor one does not need a title.  Izzy was a pastor...a shepherd to so many people.  He listened, he comforted, he gave wisdom and guidance, and he loved.  He was a pastor even though that title never preceded his name. 

And he loved his pastors - he prayed for us.  I’ll never forget one day when he came into my office and asked to take a picture of me.  I was busy (as is too often the case) so I obliged but didn’t pry as to why he wanted a quick snapshot of me.  And then about a month later I was down in Izzy’s office asking for help with something that I had once again botched when I noticed that picture.  There I was smiling a goofy smile behind my desk - next to pictures of my dad and another pastor at our church...pinned up neatly on a bulletin board.  And above our faces was a simple note card that said “Pray.”

I stared at the picture...and I remember at this moment as tears spring to my eyes...Izzy was praying for ME!  And I’m so thankful for those prayers.  I’m going to miss those prayers.  I’m going to miss the lessons he taught me - not with eloquent words or long lectures - but with a life of humble obedience to the One he knew so well.

I’m going to miss Izzy, but my heart also rejoices because I know now that he is with the ultimate teacher - One who will impart to him all that he longed to understand. 

Did Izzy teach you something?  Would you take a minute and share in the comments a lesson that you learned from Izzy?  I’d love to compile a list for his wife Janie and kids, Fabian & Ivy.

Adventures in Czech & Germany

After an amazing weekend in Prague my mom and I traveled to Hradec Kralove where we met up with Terri Reed & Amy for a prayer journey. Our mission was simple - to pray on sight - for the people & land of Czech Republic. This is something that I've done in small doses on mission trips before, but to devote 2 days to this was new for me. I quickly found that I loved it - we had some great prayer times and felt that we were led specifically by the Lord!

Here are a few pictures of our time in HK:

Our lovely Prayer Team: Myself, Amy, Terri & Mom

We walked up a tower in the center of the city to pray...here is my Czech friend, Dita as she gazed over her city.

Dita, Terri & Mom

We also got to spend some time with Sean, a missionary from Church on the Rock...he bought us dinner from a cart on the side of the road - I thought it was delicious...my mom wasn't too sure where the meat came from!

Dita

My time would not have been the same hand I not gotten to spend time with my wonderful friend, Dita Targosz! We met 6 years ago, and after my 8 trips to Czech & her two trips to Lubbock we have truly become friends! I told someone not long ago that in some ways I share more of my true heart with Dita than I do with many of my American friends. We have cried together a time or two and laughter is almost always in the air...mostly, I feel like she gets me. She too is a young woman working full-time in the church and we have been able to share frustrations, ideas, and talked extensively about how to juggle the many things dear to us.

Plus, as you can see here, we have matching coats - what are the odds of that? I think it is a sign that we were meant to be fast friends!

Oh, and Dita likes to eat with me! This was some yummy food in Germany!!!!

Herrnhut

After two nights in Hradec, our team along with Dita traveled through Czech and Poland to Germany where we had the opportunity to pray at Herrnhut. When Callie (the organizer of our trip) first told me that we could go to Herrnhut I was ecstatic! As a missions pastor I have long been in awe of the stories that originated from this small community of passionate people. In short, Herrnhut was the home of Count Zinzendorf and he opened his home to a group of Christian Moravians who were being persecuted for their faith. These young people were passionate about two things - prayer & missions. They actually had a 24 hour prayer movement that lasted for 100 years at Herrnhut, and over the course of these years they sent out over 500 missionaries throughout the world!

When the young people decided to go they were given two things: a Bible & a coffin...the Moravians are the ones who led John Wesley to a greater understanding of the Lord and there are countless stories that would amaze you from these people...

All this to say - I was excited and expectant, and Herrnhut did not disappoint. Although I was envisioning old buildings or a museum - what was left was a simply a beautiful cemetery. As I walked through the gravestones it was actually more than I hoped for because its simplicity all the more solidified in my heart what I've always learned from the Moravians. They are not famous for eloquent words or elaborate buildings, but simply because they lived what they believed. They gave their lives with abandon & as I gazed across the cemetery the Lord spoke volumes to my heart. I'm still processing some of the things He whispered to me on the hill overlooking where the Moravians lay, so for now I'll end by sharing these pictures of my time in Herrnhut.