Week "tree"

Hey Everyone!

I can hardly believe I've been here for 3 weeks. I feel like it's been 3 months already! So much is happening around us and I am just trying to hold on for the ride.

So- there are few things I will mention in this blog.... even though I have a million things I want to tell you all about. For the sake of those who lose interest after this paragraph, I will try to keep it brief. ;)

Okay so, never in a million years did I expect to come to England and find God putting me in situations to exhort and rebuke false teachings. There is an interesting "experience based movement" going on here that is evident in many of the new believers we are meeting. It is very challenging talking with someone who became a Christian 7 months ago and is desperate to learn and grow-- only to find that they have semi-bad leadership in their lives and are receiving false teaching.

I can't go into too much depth on this- but I will tell you this. I have realized that in America we are quick to accept the newest, trendiest teachings that make us feel good about God. I am finding that foundation in my life is making it hard for me to speak truth into these people's lives because of the fact that I am speaking from opinion and not from truth (God's word). I am so challenged to KNOW God's Word and only speak from that alone. Currently, I am taking on a bible memorization challenge and I am praying for God to teach me scripture in ways I have never read it before and help me remember so I can speak truth when given the opportunity. If you would like- please pray for the new christians in England and Europe-- there is a severe lack of discipleship here. There is such a need for strong mature christians to step up and help the new believers grow.

So, we have a number of projects going on here. We have started working on a photography project and I am currently working on possibly doing a show later this year highlighting the city of Manchester and how much we need to pray for the welfare of the city (Jeremiah 29:7). Also, I'm about to start shooting promo videos for the ministry here. Media is such a powerful witnessing tool here and I am excited to work on making that a possibility. We are trying to find a decent camera so if anyone has an extra sitting around and you would like to ship it to England, let me know :)

Honest Moment:

Okay, so life here is starting to get more routine. We are learning the bus systems, making friends and getting out and about in Manchester. Things aren't perfect or necessarily ideal- but we're making it work. This past week has been a hard week for me. I haven't had a whole lot of correspondence from home. As much as I would love to sit here and say I'm so strong and content in God's love alone... that is a lie. I feel very alone here and some days I really struggle. I do believe that God is teaching and preparing me for my future but homesickness is hard. Fortunately, I have an amazing partner who is very understanding and my supervisors also understand that culture shock and homesickness are very real things.

Alright, I realized my blog was much longer than I anticipated. Thank you for your prayers and support.

God Bless :)

Jackie