uganda from payton's eyes

There have been so many awesome things that have happened because of our trip to Uganda.  During the weeks there, our stories would have been about activities that we did, new places we saw, or food we ate.  It would have been about the experience in the here and now.  But now that we have had several days removed from that amazing environment, I asked everyone to tell me what God did to and through them and what impacted them the most, on this side looking back. 
Payton is one of our sophomore girls that got to go.  She has always grabbed my heart.  She is just a neat girl that has a heart for everyone.  She will fit into any group and from watching her on the trip, can be happy to be talking to whoever is close.  She is beautiful on the inside and out and I really can't wait to see what God does with her in the next few years!  Here is her account of the trip:



I think something that hit me the most on the trip was how much our love and Gods love can help and impact other people's lives in such a huge way! I mean just seeing how the kids faces would light up when they saw us is unforgettable! You could tell instantly which adults knew Jesus during home visits because they had a certain joy and sparkle in their eyes. Gods love is what gave them that!

Through all of this God really tugged at my heart in several ways. The most obvious way being - Spend more time with Me! Pray and talk to Me more, get in My Word, do daily devotions, build up your relationship with Me and make it stronger! God really laid all of those things on my heart. So that's what I have been trying to work on, building my relationship with Him and trying to transform the way I think, react, and view things at home. I want to be able to see things more through Gods eyes rather than my own. 

Back to Normal??

Back to normal...what does that even mean?  I have realized that Normal is something I probably will never be.  So to try to get back to it, impossible is the word that pops in my head. 

This week has been hard.  It hits in waves...usually not all at one time, but I have found myself staring off into space.  Or even more not engaging, but being content to sit and watch.  I can't quite seem to find where I fit.  I described it at the share night as a piece of puzzle that has been altered just enough so that the edges no longer click in place perfectly.  It looks right but a change has occurred that makes it off, just a little but enough to know that what used to be a fit no longer is. 

What I am coming to though is that it is ok.  God has been so faithful, and has never left me during the week.  He constantly reminds me of Who HE is and Who HE is making me to be.  During the making me to be process, there will be sifting, chiseling, pounding and whatever else He deems necessary.  My heart is pretty stubborn, and after this last trip, I want it humble...so here we go...

This next week, I hope to have everyone's perspectives on their own experiences. 
On Wednesday we have another team leaving for Haiti.  Please continue to pray for these guys and also for everyone back here that is fighting the battle! 

luv to you all!

in HIM
Tina <>,
Joshua 1:9

First week in uganda

Hey guys!  We have a few minutes with Internet access and u should see JT lauri and I scrambling to get messages out!  The Jamaica team couldn't access the blog so updates from them will have to come later.  As for us in Africa .... Holy cow!  God is moving in ways that can't possibly be explained in the time that I have.  Pictures don't do It justice but let me tell you that the stories we will be able to share and the pictures you will get to see will show a story of a God's Love so great and a pursuit of a people never forgotten and a group of 13 people from Indiana getting to witness it all.  Everyone is doing well...God is moving like some of these kids have never experienced.  With tears in many of their eyes I have witnessed what only can be the Holy Spirit moving and shaping and carving.  None of us will come home the same and we don't want to.  In fact I am begging God not allow it to happen.  Please keep praying as we r reaching a point where everyone is getting tired.  We are very excited to worship together on Sunday and be able to enjoy fellowship.  We love you all and can't wait to see everyone but at the same time not wanting to leave this place....God is soooo good and big!!  We r anticipating big things this next week and just as big when we get home!

in HIM
Tina for the Uganda team
Joshua 1:9

Travel days...

We r exhausted!  And only half way there...london was gonna b such an "awesome" place but quickly lost its awe as exhaustion took over...time change has been crazy and quite the experience.  Luvin how these girls are handling it.  And then they pass out again.

I am seriously in anticipation of God...i know ive said tht before but for real...the next two weeks are going to change us!!

Got a message from the jamaica team tht they did arrive but are having a hard time signing unto the blog...everyone is good thgh!  Thx for prayin them through and keep praying! Lookingfor chAnged lives there too!

Sorry for the short message..and typos too...runnin on fumes!

Luv to everyone!
in HIM
tina <><
Joshua 1:9

Uganda & Jamaica!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok so crazy thing that happened;  God kinda just exploded Rebel Ministries!  Some days I want to scream and pull my hair out, some days I sit and cry in awe and most ... no...ALL days I can not believe that He chose Rebel to work through!

 

SURRENDER.  This is the word that we HAVE to live by.  I am learning over and over the impact our lives can make when that words is coupled with our Love for Christ! 

 

Ok so back to this explosion...

 

Jamaica and Uganda??....YES!!!!  Both teams are leaving tomorrow for mission trips to these areas.  We have a team of leaders going to Jamaica, for the first time without me.  Which all I can say for most of them is that this is so their time!  God has been preparing them all for this trip and in the future I am confident that God will give them many more chances to step up and lead!  Foreign, Domestic and local!  So proud of all of them!

 

Uganda is a two week trip made up of some amazing adults that I cannottttt wait to serve with and 6 young girls.  6 freshmen and my daughter Jessi. 

 

with both of these trips we are anticipating God...not sure what that looks like or how He will direct us, but isn't that right where we want to be anyhow :). 

 

We want you guys to pray like crazy for us...pray for our hearts to be softened, those we encounter to be softened, and for us all to have our eyes open to where He wants us to go, serve, talk, pray, etc.  I am beyond excited to get to witness to people that may have never heard about Jesus, or to help encourage those that have.  to be able to fill a need with organizations that are on the front line day in and day out and to just love each other like crazy!  We get the opportunity to serve beside brothers and sisters that look different, talk different, live different but love all the same!  how exciting to be able to connect to someone so far away that has the same daddy as me!!!  beyond words and extremely humbling!!!

 

please keep looking at this blog.  if wifi cooperates, we will hopefully be able to update for both the trips!

 

thanks guys...luv you all and thankful for the crazy support we feel through your prayers!!!!!

 

in HIM
tina <><

Joshua 1:9

Something about to Happen

First I want to start off with a video...be ready to be moved....http://youtu.be/BjSio8jur2Y

I am sitting at my desk with this crazy stirring in the pit of my stomach.  It feels like something big is about to happen.  It makes me not be able to sit still.  I can't concentrate.  It feels a whole lot like the Holy Spirit moving. 

I got to be with 41 ppl from Kansas and Missouri last week in Jamaica.  As I now reflect on that trip, I stand in awe of how God literally orchestrated me getting to be there with them.  I can't even tell you all the things that had to fall into place for it to happen, and He just did it.  He prepared the way, and in the end when it didn't look like any of us thought, we went away knowing that it was exactly How He thought.  I sometimes have to learn the hard way, but i am really starting to understand that God's ways, although totally foreign to this human brain of mine, are always better, especially when they don't make sense and in the end make perfect sense...(if that makes sense)! :)

That trip was the just the beginning of an awaking in my soul.  I mean I am feeling like i want to grab people and get them to realize that real life isn't about ignoring God, It's about living it fully with Him.  We so often choose to let everything and anything under the sun make us busy.  We have so many gadgets and this and that that take up our time.  But seriously...if we take a step back, can we not see that all those "things" are robbing us from the unmatchless and unlimited love of Jesus?  that THAT is the real LIFE that we need!

So often I hear people who just aren't happy...or want this or want that...who are constantly, like every day trying to fill that void in their hearts.  the result is usually just a busier life, or an addiction packed life.  A life filled with a love for other things...a life filled with idols.

I want u to read this post, but not stop there.  I want you to take a hard look at yourself and what has became "you".  What fills your days, your hours, your minutes?  If you are not happy with your answers, then you will be very disappointed to find yourself 10 years down the road in the very exact place.  IT IS TIME!  right now!  What do you beleive about Jesus?  what to beleive about His Word?  if you take it serious, then it's TIME...Time to choose...What are you afraid of..a Life with Him is ridiculously better than a life without!

You won't ever experience God big, if you don't allow Him to big in your life!  What are you NOT believing Him for?  What are you worried about?  What is distracting you from Him?  The battle is on and you are either gonna win or lose?  I want you to be standing with me in the end...get ready to fight, cause i am tellin you...there is something about to happen!

Alabama has come and gone!  What a whirlwind.  I am sorry for the lack of updating.  I quickly got annoyed with typeing out messages on my phone.  So next trip there will hopefully be a Mac along for the ride ;). 
I have sat down several times to try to journal my thoughts.  There is just a place I come to sometimes where there are so many jumbling together, I have a hard time sorting them out. 

Where to start...
Why not from the beginning...
Our original plans were for most of the group to travel ahead of my vehicle so that they could get there before dark and be able to unload and get settled without it getting too late.  Travel day is always exhausting and to be able to get a good night's sleep before church is a bonus!  My vehicle was going to stay behind to take some of our kids that needed to leave a little later.  When it become known that only one kid would need to stay, we decided to have the whole group stay so that my vehicle wouldn't need to go at all...saving a few hundred in gas.  Little did i know that the day before we left my trucks transmission started going out.  Had we still planned to take it, we would have been scrambling to get a different vehicle around.  God moment #1 ;)

We lose a hubcap on the way down...no biggie, the biggest headache were the small bladders and the big drinks that the kids had.  Next time i am pretty sure we are either going to bring depends or ban the drinks!  haha...in reality the trip went pretty fast...high pitched singing coming from the girls van, and you can only guess what was coming from the boys...

We made it there and met up with our 2 stragglers, Adam (from virginia) and Lindsey...aka LC (coming home from georgia)

A complete team finally, we begin our week.
Sunday starts off on a great note because we all gained an hour.  Gotta love that...church was great.  Worship in one word was amazing.  Our own Payton Lantz after worshiping the night before got up on stage and led everyone in a song of worship.  I tell her often, but it is true...she has such a gift of leading us to the throne!  I was in tears to watch all the youth in front of me belting out worship, raising their hands in surrender and closing their eyes in awe.  Jesus has that effect on you :)!

We had three people receive a really encouraging word from some of the members of the church.  It was a message that they will tell you came straight from God.  To see young men and older ones rocked to tears, and confirmation ringing in their eyes, you quickly stand in awe of what God is building. 

After having that service with people rocked,  on day 1, I had to ask God, What are we in for this week?"  I can't tell you how my heart starts hammering even just sitting here remembering!

We were studying 1 Timothy this week and every night there was a different speaker.  After we were done talking, the kids broke up into small groups to talk about the chapter or really anything else they wanted to talk about.  I know I know...it's hard to imagine them doing that ... you are probably thinking that they went to mess around...you couldn't be more wrong...the guys split up and went in their own groups and talked and talked and talked...i heard of some conversations lasting 3 + hours!  you wouldn't believe it!  The girls didn't have any trouble splitting up cause they chose from the beginning to stay together as one big group.  and that is what you saw wherever you went.  one unit.  So cool how a group of girls that didn't really hang out before become inseperable. 

Work day one started off in 4 different groups.  the girls went to scrape and paint and clean, boys to roof and other jobs that us girls wouldn't have a clue how to do.  (that's what they said at least).  it's hard to write about every day because so so so many things happened!  the unity was amazing...the kids work ethics were amazing...the people we all got to work for were amazing!  and at the end of the week, we all accomplished what we set out to do!  one home owner was crying as soon as we got there cause she didn't want us to leave!  Mama Miller...

New Years night was brought in with the kids circling up and worshipping...gotta luv them!  it was their idea too!  o and some went to the basement...they were pumped when they got home!

Work day 2 was slower cause it was Raining and raining and raining...but it was also new years day so to say we were a little slower would have been quite accurate.  We went out to eat after the work day and enjoyed the southern barbecue! 

on wednesday we got to enjoy more work, and also got to go to church with the elderly and enjoy a lunch made by them.  much to hannah's pleasure she found herself volunteering to mop up the overflowing toilet that made it's way out to the dining area in pretty much a tidal wave.  soaking everything!!!!!!!  her and tianna were great though...

in between all these days, little things were happening...kids are asking for prayer...we were learning so much about spiritual warfare and how to fight it...together!  hearing God's promptings and listening...i mean seriously, i can't even put it into words...God just was rocking...and changing hearts and confirming what some already knew to do and bringing light to new callings of ministry back home. 

There were definate confirmations for the ones who came that they were hand picked because He had something to show them...and show them He did!  For those that stayed back, I just can't tell you how thankful we were and are that you were battling for us on your knees!  O my word we needed it and felt it with the victory and favor that just kept sweeping over us!  every day there was some battle and every day there was some victory!  God is good and the body of Christ is so awesome!!

We are in our recovery week (it is still a culture shock coming home...have you heard LC talk ?)  jkjk...no but in all honesty we still covet your prayers!  we are coming home changed.  There is no way that anyone can witness what we did and come home the same.  NO WAY!  so where does that leave us?  right where God wants us.  surrendered...willing and ready to go and do and love when and where He says to!  Be patient with us as we might be grouchy, tired, or quiet.  It truelly was so much to take in and absorb in a week.  We all know that where we are right now is where God has us at least for right now...and where we are, there are others who need to hear about Him.  With our gifts and talents, we want to make a difference in the lives of our families, friends, neighbors, schools, work places, etc...  We want to be the vessel that God uses...Pick me Jesus!

Thank you all for your love and support!  Please be praying for our team that is in Africa right now, the Team forming to go to jamaica in june and haiti in july.  2014 trips are being formed too!  So many oppurtunities to step out and serve.  But even more to build disciples so that when they get back home, they will multiply!

We love you!

in HIM
Luke and Tina
and the alabama 2013 crew ;)
Joshua 1:9