How Much More Does Our Father in Heaven Love Us?

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" -Matthew 7:11

After a year and a half of sponsoring my little Sulmi, I know her letter writing schedule so well that I can basically pinpoint down to the day when her letters will arrive.  So, I knew that because today was the third Saturday in September, her yearly photo update was due to come in the mail.  I prayed fervently for days that it would get here.  I even dreamed about it last night.  I woke up early this morning and checked the mailbox twice, despite knowing that it was too early for mail to arrive.  Yes, I went a tad bit loca.

Finally, I saw the mail truck coming down my street.  I put on my glasses (near-sighted all the way!) and watched out the window through a rain storm as the mail man put a large white envelope in my mailbox.  Frantically looking for an umbrella, then deciding I didn't want to waste the time to find one, I bolted out into the rain.  Sure enough, inside my mailbox was an envelope from Guatemala!  When I got inside and opened it, I found my little beauty's picture, shown above. 

Later tonight at church, a man who has been so supportive of my ministry to Sulmi and my other girls was asking me about them.  I shared Sulmi's new picture with him, so proud of my sweet girl.  In return, he told me something that I'm pretty sure I will always remember as long as I live:  Just like I long for every detail about Sulmi, beg God for her letters and pictures to arrive, watch anxiously for the mail truck, and even run through a rain storm to receive any sign of communication from her, God does the same for me.  Like we actually learned about at church tonight, God longs for and delights in every detail about His children.  So much so that the bible says He has every hair on our heads numbered.  He eagerly watches as we enter His sanctuary, because He longs to talk with us.  He took the brunt of the rain, running through the storms of sin and death to save us and make us His.  Though He was perfect and never had to come and die, He gladly took on that storm.  The only thing He gained, was us.  Yet He did it all, because He decided that it was worth it. 

 

Wow.  I sure love Sulmi a lot, but I can't compete with that.  Admittedly, I have no idea how many hairs are on her head.  I could never know her every thought or every molecule she is made up of.  I ran a few yards in the rain to hear from her, but I've never had to face death for her sake.  No matter how much I love my girl, God will always love us more.  I don't see myself as anything great apart from Him, so it's sometimes crazy to try to fathom His love for me.  Don't take that the wrong way, I've known and believed that God loves me for almost four years now.  Yet, when it was shown to me in these terms...that it is like my love for Sulmi, except deeper and more perfect...I got it.  I can somewhat understand the love of a parent on that level.  It makes the fact that God loves me so much more relatable.  It makes me want to shout praises and talk to Him for hours.  I know what it's like to wait eagerly for communication from your child, and I never again want to make Him wait.  My eyes have been opened to appreciate His love in a greater way.  If we can love our own children (or sponsored children) as much as we do, how much more does our Father in Heaven love us?

I thank God for giving me these girls as a reminder of His love.


What A Joy (Honduras 2013, Part 5)

We got changed into our swim suits and headed to the ocean.  Hand in hand we walked, smiling and laughing just at the thought that we were really there together.  As I mentioned in previous entries, Melania had never been to the ocean before that day.  I figured she would be a bit timid, or at least not go very deep into the water.  Imagine my surprise when she jumped right in and immediately started riding the waves, dunking herself under, splashing (salt water in your eyes= not fun),  and continuing to swim out farther and farther into the sea!  She went so far out that the other adults in our group even refused to follow.  Figuring I should go along to make sure she didn't drown, I followed her out so far that I got stung by a jelly fish in the process of trying to keep up! 

 

 

 

 

Her laugh every time a wave came and carried her to shore brought so much joy to my heart.  Her sweet smiles as she splashed water at me confirmed time after time that I was where I needed to be.  "Come," she would say, "the water is colder the farther out you go."  So, we went...and went...and went.  When our translator wasn't near by and we had no way to communicate, we would simply laugh.  It was enough for us to just enjoy each other's presence.

 

We spent the afternoon swimming, looking for sea shells, and writing in the sand.  Melania kept trying to write my name, but the waves would wash it away before she finished.  Each time, there would be a brief look of disappointment on her face; until I started laughing, and then she would too.

 

 

Part of my name

 

 

Melania's sweet mother.  She is a widowed mother of 10 children!

 

My girl :)

 

 

Melania was having so much fun that she didn't even want to get out of the water when it came time for lunch.  We swam for a while longer, until her tutor told her that we should probably go and eat.  Lunch was served to us in a little one-room beach house filled with dining tables, just yards from the ocean.  As we waited in line for food, we noticed that our group was the only ones tracking huge piles of sand through the lunch room.  There were mounds of wet sand stuck to our shoes, and falling off all over the place.  Oops!  We laughed some more. 

 

 

 

 

At lunch, we somehow got on the subject of Melania's quinceanera (15th birthday), which is coming up next year and is a huge deal for girls in Latin America.  I had mentioned that one of the girls I know through Compassion would be coming back to Honduras for her sponsor child's 15th birthday, which is when Melania ever so sweetly reminded me that she would love it if I came back next year.  Needless to say, I have already started researching how to go about making this happen.  More on that when I have more definite plans...

 

After lunch, I told Melania that I had some more gifts for her and her family.  We made our way back to a picnic hut on the beach, where I gave her a tote that I had filled with some little things.  This was the only time of day that Melania was the least bit shy.  I could tell she didn't quite know how to respond.  Still she smiled.

 

 

 

 

Her new bible

 

 

We swam in the ocean for a while more after that.  I gave her different options of things to do, and swimming in the ocean was the only thing that seemed to interest her at all.  Then, we sat down at a table and had some great conversation while making a sun catcher craft.

 

 

 

We talked about her schooling and future plans.  She told me she would like to be a teacher and asked if I planned to go to college.  I learned about the area where she lives and about her church and sponsorship center.  She told me that she (like everyone else in Honduras) likes to play soccer.  She asked me how I chose to sponsor her, and I got to share part of the story of how God had led me to her.

 

All too soon, it was time to get changed and say our goodbyes.  As Melania was coming out of the changing rooms, my translator pointed and said, "Look what she's wearing."  Melania had changed into the dress and shoes that I had just given her that day.  Not only that, but completely by accident, I was wearing an almost identical dress. 

 

So beautiful!

 

Twins!

 

Sisters in Christ.  Always.

 

 

The end of the day had snuck up on us, and it was time to get on our busses.  We walked together as far as we could before having to go our separate ways.  We hugged, and I told Melania that I hated having to leave, but that I loved her and would be back as soon as I could.  I encouraged her to keep praying for that day.  She agreed.  I slowly walked towards my bus, turning around to wave to her every few seconds until we could not see each other any more.

 

When I got onto the bus, it was full of other crying sponsors who had reluctantly just said goodbye to their children.  I made my way to the very back of the bus and plopped down on a seat.  That really just happened, I thought. 

 

As much as I didn't want this day to end, I knew that it had been completely God-ordained.  I could go back home and look back on this whole experience, remembering His goodness.  I would forever live in awe of what He had done that day.  Rest assured, if the LORD tarries and if He allows, I will be back.



Where He Leads (Honduras 2013, Part 4)

As we make our way to one of the picnic huts on the beach, Melania and I walk with our arms around each other, smiling in partial disbelief.  The grass below our feet quickly turns to sand.  She laughs.

We sit at a table and I tell Melania I have a special gift for her.  I actually have a whole bag of gifts, but I'm saving most of them for the end of the day.  I pull out the necklace and explain that God has made us sisters in Christ, and because of that, I want to give her this necklace, which is called "Sisters".  I show her that I have an identical one around my neck.  She thinks this is very neat.  I put the necklace on her.



As we talk, I learn more and more just what a special girl Melania is.  Like I mentioned in my last post, from the very second we met, she wanted nothing more than to tell me what she was learning about God and the details of her family life.  So much like me in the aspect of not seeing a need for casual conversation and getting right to the serious stuff.

She asks for my favorite bible verse.  I debate in my head between Acts 20:24 and Romans 5:8, eventually deciding Romans 5:8 would be easier to translate.  I ask for hers, not at all prepared for the profound answer I was about to receive.  After thinking for a moment, tells me she likes Isaiah 1:17.  Please excuse me while I sob over the fact that her favorite verse says:

"Learn to do good;

Seek justice,

Reprove the ruthless,

Defend the orphan,

Plead for the widow."

The fourth line can also be translated, "vindicate the fatherless".  If you don't know, when I was deciding whether or not to go on this trip, a dear friend quoted this exact verse to me, reminding me of God's command for us to go and comfort the fatherless and the widows (Melania and her mother).  This advice played a big part in my decision to go to Honduras.  Meanwhile, while I am doing this for Melania, she is out there doing it for everyone else!  Undaunted by her circumstances, I see now that God didn't choose me to be her sponsor because she was weak and helpless.  He chose us for each other for continued encouragement and love as we follow Him. 

We decide to get changed into our swim clothes.  I give Melania the swim suit I brought for her.  As we walk to the changing rooms, Melania grabs my hand, still smiling the world's biggest smile.  Despite having met half an hour ago, she tells me she is praying for God to bring me back to visit a second time.

I often ask myself if I should really be traveling for missions when there are so many unsaved, hurting people right in my own little town in Western Pennsylvania.  Hearing my Melania ask me to please come back to her confirmed that answer for me.  It's not about where or how we serve God.  It's about seeing a need and going after it- wherever, however He leads.  Do you see a person standing next to you at the grocery store who likely doesn't know the gospel?  Tell them!  Do you know of a widow who could use some company or financial assistance?  Invite her over for dinner!  Do you know about a child in another country who is orphaned, abused, or lacking basic needs?  Go to them!  God showed me Melania's need.  He gave her to me and said, "Go, this mission is for you."  In the bible, God called the disciples to minister starting right where they were....and then leading to even to the remotest part of the Earth (Acts 1:8). 

I think Christine Caine said it best when she said that we can't ignore those who we meet on our way to who we have chosen to reach.  I can't just go to Honduras for a week to minister to Melania and ignore the needs of all of the people I meet before, after, and on my way there.  I definitely have a ministry back home, and for the time being, that is where I need to be long term.  But right then, on that beach, I knew my "now", was Honduras.

Meeting Melania (Honduras 2013, Part 3)

Remember how I said I was numb?  Well, writing this post about my first moments with Melania got it all out of me- the tears, the joy, everything.  The reality of God's work in this story just hit me like a ton of bricks...and it is so beautiful!

The day we had all been waiting for had finally arrived- child visit day!  We awoke that morning and drove an hour to Hotel Playa Beach on the Caribbean Sea, where we would spend the day at the beach with our sponsored children.  Upon arrival, we were told they'd call us off of the bus one at a time to meet our kids.  For almost an hour, sponsors were called one by one, while the rest of us anxiously crowded around the back window of the bus to watch for any signs of our children.

Although I had not yet spotted Melania, my tour leader soon re-entered the bus and announced, "Megan, you're on deck!  Get ready!"  My heart began to race.  I suddenly felt so unprepared.  I committed our day to God and made my way to the front of the bus, carrying the multiple bags of beach supplies and gifts for Melania's family.  Anticipation must have been written all over my face, because the last thing I remember before exiting the bus was my tour leader asking me to please not faint.

As soon as I stepped off the bus, I dropped my bags, found my translator, and began to look for Melania in the crowd.   And then, I saw her.  If she hadn't come running full-force into my arms, I'm not sure I would have recognized her.  So petite, she easily could have passed for eleven or twelve rather than fourteen!  Yet, the second I had her there with me, I was sure of this one thing: God knew exactly what He was doing.  He had matched us perfectly.  I smiled and silently gave thanks.  Yes, I thought, this fits.

We stayed just like this for a long time.  After everything God had done to bring us together, she was really standing there in front of me.  Now that I had her, it was unreal to me that I had ever considered the possibility that someone else was meant to be her sponsor.  It was so obvious right then that God had chosen her for me.  I remember telling myself to embrace that moment, because it was real.  Suddenly, this trip no longer felt like walking through a photograph.  No photograph could be this perfect.

When we finally let go, Melania began to pull things out of the small plastic grocery bag she was carrying.  First, a poster she had made with my name on it!  At the bottom was written, "I love you with all of my heart."  She had even laminated it with tape and decorated it by making flowers out of pencil shavings.  Is it any surprise that one of her favorite activities is art?

Next, she handed me a letter, another drawing, and a hand made jewelry box containing two bracelets and a pair of earrings, all handmade by her!  As you may remember from my very first post when I was led to sponsor Melania, one thing that really tugged at my heart strings was the fact that she wasn't in school and was instead being taught to make jewelry at her Compassion center.  Since I also worked with jewelry, helping my mom with her direct sales jewelry company, I had written to Melania about the fact that we had that in common.  Anything related to jewelry is a special bond between the two of us.  When she put those bracelets on my wrist, I thought yet again: This is as close to perfection as it gets.  She is everything I hoped for and so much more.  Going into this trip, I was (rightly) told not to make any expectations, but to step aside and let God lead.  Often times, God's plans are not ours.  However, this time, it was almost exactly what I had wanted.  It couldn't possibly get any better.

Or so I thought...because that was when Melania smiled at me with the world's biggest smile and proudly said the words, "Thanks to you, now I am studying."  She has chosen to go back to school!  My heart leaps out of my chest even now as I type those words.  God is good all the time!  Not only is she going to school, but she is getting good grades (as she reminded me several times throughout the day), often stays after school for extra art classes, and still faithfully attends her Compassion project and the worship choir at her church!  This girl blows me away on absolutely every level.

I was introduced to Melania's mother and tutor who had traveled with her.  I learned neither Melania nor her mother had ever been to a beach or hotel before that day.  They were very excited.  As we made our way to a shelter on the beach, I quickly learned in more detail just how perfectly God had chosen Melania for me.  As fit my personality to a T, she made no time for small talk and immediately wanted to tell me what she was learning about God.  She also shared openly right away about her father's death, which occurred two years ago on her birthday.  Her maturity and trust in God impressed me immensely.  When I sponsored Melania, I did so thinking that I was sponsoring a sad little girl who had grown up surrounded by tragedy and very little hope...a little girl who needed to be told about the love of Jesus.  Instead, I met a happy girl who has been through a lot in her life, but is undaunted by her pain thanks to the love she receives from her Heavenly Father. 

As we walk, Melania wraps her arm around me and tells me that we are now like family.  I agree.  Family in Christ, brought together to share in His love.  Yes, this fits.

Walking Through a Photograph (Honduras 2013, Part 2)

When friends of mine have come home from mission trips in the past, one thing I have heard multiple times is that it is nothing like the pictures- that it is something you cannot fully grasp until you are actually there.  In many ways, while in Honduras, I found this to be true.  All of the letters and pictures in the world cannot compare to actually experiencing your sponsor child's sweet hugs and warm smiles.  It is pure joy; something I highly recommend for everyone who sponsors a child. 

Yet, at the same time, it was exactly like the pictures.  We left our beautifully comfortable hotel in the city that first morning after a good night's sleep and full breakfast buffet, hopped onto our rented air conditioned busses, and drove a mere 30 minutes to what seemed like a whole new world.  Suddenly, the wide pavement turned to narrow, bumpy dirt roads.  The 5-star hotels and popular fast food chains turned to bamboo huts selling filtered water and bananas.  The lines of Pepsi billboards on the sides of the highways turned to barbed wire fences and stray animals roaming freely.  The traffic grew less and less.  Everyone emerged from their homes to marvel at the unusual sight of two large charter busses coming down the street. 

(Click photos to enlarge)

How could it be that just 20 miles away, people were living comfortable lives?  How could it be that just an hour ago, I awoke in a queen-sized bed, unaware of any nearby poverty?  How could it be that just outside the big city, people were living in bamboo houses with dirt floors?  I was numb.  Seriously, I felt nothing.

It all happened so fast that it felt like we had simply driven into one of the pictures I had seen many times before.  Maybe, I thought, I was just vividly experiencing a photograph brought back by a missionary who had really been there.  As I saw the needs of so many people flash before my eyes, especially when everything had been so normal earlier that day, it didn't seem real.  Even now, honestly, I haven't exactly grasped it.  I was simply walking through a photograph, I told myself. 

Over the course of the week, we visited three sponsorship centers.  These centers are where the sponsored children go to receive meals, tutoring, medical care, bible classes, letters from their sponsors, and extra curricular activities.  I got to see first hand what it means to those children to be sponsored.  I saw unsponsored children literally begging members of our group to sponsor them.  I saw tour members who sponsored children at those projects and the deep bonds between them.  Not only that, but I saw that this was indeed reality.  As we visited their homes and churches, I knew they couldn't simply escape like I soon would.  

Beautiful children waiting to greet us as we arrived

Little Keren with her new sponsor, Julie

God-ordained family

An outdoor kitchen run by firewood

It is hard to say much more when in so many ways, it was exactly what it looks like.  I knew how real it was.  Being there didn't surprise me like I thought it would.  I believe it was partly because I already knew.  Needs like these are what brought me to Honduras.  They are what God used to start my sponsorship journey in the first place.  Now I was actually living it, but not really.  In a few hours, I would return to my hotel, wash the dirt and sweat off of me, and have a filling dinner. Many of these people wouldn't.  My Melania attends a sponsorship center far into the mountains, which was not one of the 3 we visited; so they would be bringing her to me for a visit later in the week.  This meant I had the first part of the week free to observe and take it all in.

Christians are often criticized with the claims that we go on mission trips to make ourselves feel holy.  What I can tell you for sure, is that I have never felt more unholy in my entire life (I think I have heard someone else describe it similarly, so I'm sorry if I'm stealing your words, whoever you are.)  Don't get me wrong, God has made us holy through Jesus Christ.  No feeling can change that.  However, seeing poverty up close made me realize how much more I can be giving away.  It is not enough to spend a week in a country like this and go back to normal life the rest of the year.  It is time we live with reckless abandon- living our whole lives for the gospel and love of Christ.  Laying our own privileges aside the way Christ did, and doing more.  Doing something.  That something doesn't have to be traveling to be becoming a full time missionary or even sponsoring a child.  There are needs right where you are right now.  Through my numbness, I see that we must be aware.  Not just aware, but we must act.  We must love.  We must tell of the grace of God.  I've seen how much there is to be done, and it's time we do it!

An Omer of Bananas (Honduras 2013, Part 1)

This is part 1 of my Honduras 2013 blogs.  God has blessed me in so many ways through this trip to Latin America to meet my 14 year old sponsor child, Melania.  Many of you have followed our story  from the start, and you definitely will not want to miss this next chapter!  I honestly could not have asked for a more God-filled week.  I would like to take you on a five part journey through my experience in Honduras; not only with Melania, but also visiting sponsorship centers, attending church, bonding with the team, and so much more. 

So yes, I am back!  As some of you know from past entries, while preparing for this trip, my mind was under attack.  Had God really told me to go to Honduras so soon?  Would the culture shock be unbearable?  Would Melania be shy?  Would she even like me?  When thoughts attacked my mind, God constantly reminded me that they were not of Him.  The bible says that God has not given us a Spirit of fear.  Regardless of what will or will not happen in our lives, the fear about those things is never of God.  I didn't need anything but to follow His lead, and He was leading me to Honduras.  That alone brought me peace. 

While in prayer, God had confirmed to me that He had big plans for the adventure I was about to go on.  That's all He ever asked anyway, that I would go with Him.  So, I prayed.  I prayed for God to go ahead of me.  I prayed for Melania, that this trip would impact her however He willed.  I prayed for health, safety, and lots and lots of ministry opportunities.  And then, I prayed a very faithful prayer- I prayed for bananas.

See, I like bananas.  A lot.  What started as a good health choice has turned into a full out obsession with this delicious fruit.  As bizarre as it sounds (and, well, probably is), I am completely addicted and didn't want to think about not having bananas for almost an entire week on this trip.  It is my breakfast every day, and my health has greatly improved.

So, imagine my surprise when I got the trip itinerary in the mail and discovered that we were going to none other than a banana plantation!  God didn’t just answer my prayer by letting there be a few bananas at the breakfast buffet at our hotel, but by bringing me to a whole plantation of bananas!  Oh, and the country that I soon would find out is considered the banana republic of the world!

Practically in Heaven at the banana plantation

 

 

As silly as it may seem, this was all the confirmation I needed that I was on the right trip.  I was now certain that God was going to work in mighty ways.  I was thrilled.  Little did I know that not only would I get to visit a banana plantation, but also....

 

 





Climb a bamboo ladder up a banana tree....
 

 

 

Trudge through a banana forest....

 

 

(My shoes did not make it out alive.)

 

 

 

 

Try banana soda (oh, and some pretty awesome tacos) ....

 

 

 

 

 

and multiple kinds of fried bananas....

 

 

 

and banana (plantain?) nachos.....

 

 

and salted banana (plantain?) chips with basically every meal

 

 

 

A fantastic start to the week showed me that God is faithful and hears our prayers.  I asked for bananas, and God certainly supplied.  I knew the rest of this journey would be amazing.

If I Disappear (A Note for the Rapture)

If some day, I disappear along with thousands or millions of other people around the world, please read this note carefully.  It will explain everything.  I don’t know for sure if this is going to happen in our life time.  There is a chance that it won’t be for hundreds or thousands of years.  However, there is also a good chance that it will be soon.  An awesome website called Rapture Ready inspired me to write this letter almost three years ago, and it has been sitting on my computer unused.  Now that I have a place to share it, I thought I should- in hopes that it will lead many to Christ, both before and after the rapture.  I understand this is one of my longer and more serious posts, but I promise it is so worth it!

If tons and tons of people are gone without any explanation, specifically people who professed faith in Christ, please don’t worry about us.  Regardless of what theories people try to come up with, it wasn’t an alien abduction.  It isn't a secret society in hiding.  It wasn’t a mass suicide, kidnapping, or disease.  It wasn’t a science experiment gone wrong.  What happened is called the rapture.  It’s predicted in the bible.  Jesus promised almost 2,000 years ago this would happen.  For those of us who are gone, it is a very good thing.  We are with God right now.  What happened was God taking all of His children, true born again Christians, to Heaven with Him before things get really bad here on Earth.  If you are reading this right now, please know that God hasn't forgotten about you.  He didn’t abandon you.  He still loves you.  He compelled my heart to write this letter for you because reading it will be the most important thing you have ever done.  He led you to read it because it will change everything for you.  It will give you another chance.  This letter will explain what has happened, what is going to happen over the next few years, and how you can be saved.  It isn’t too late for you!

If you are wondering how I knew this was coming, it’s simple.  I read the bible and trusted that what it said was true.  God promised numerous times throughout the bible this would happen.  Although He didn’t tell us the exact date it was going to take place, He gave us signs to look for.  These signs included certain wars, crimes, and historical events.  These events were predicted in the bible thousands of years ago; and recently, they actually started happening!  Once I realized a lot of bible prophecy was coming true right before our eyes, such as Israel becoming a nation again in the 1960s, I talked about it with some friends and decided I had no choice but to write this letter for anyone who is left.  Only God knew the exact time that this would happen, but we had hints.  Many of us thought that it could be soon. 

You are probably confused and upset.  The world is most likely in complete mayhem right now.  You may feel like God has abandoned you.  You may wonder why you weren’t taken too.  You may be thinking “I led a good life.” or “I am a good person.”  You may be nice to everyone.  You may do a lot to help others.  You may even go to church, believe God exists, and call yourself a Christian.  So why would you have been left behind?  The bible gives a very clear answer to this question.  Let me explain:

No human is perfect.  We all sin and fall short of the glory of God.  In other words, we all do things wrong.  Even if we try to be good people, we still mess up.  You’ve probably never physically murdered someone, and you may do a lot to help others.  That really is great, but you still sin.  The bible gives us a large list of sins- these things include lying, not obeying your parents, using God’s name out of context, and holding grudges against others.  We have all sinned before.  The bible says the wages of sin is death.  In other words, the sin in our world and in our bodies is the reason we're not immortal and can't live here on Earth forever- which was the original intent.  It also says when we die, there are only two other places to go- Heaven and hell.

The bible says God is perfect.  It also says Heaven is a perfect place for perfect beings.  No sin can enter Heaven.  It just can’t.  God is perfect and has to be separated from sin.  That would be bad news for us humans, because all of us have sin in us, so we would all have to be forever separated from God/Heaven.  If our sins are separating us from Heaven, we would have to go to hell forever when our lives on Earth are over to pay the punishment for our sins. 

If this is making you scared or angry, don’t worry.  There’s good news too.  God loved us so much that when we strayed away from Him, He had a plan to bring us back.  He sent His perfect Son, Jesus, from Heaven to Earth to take our sins away.  Jesus took all of our sins upon Himself and was willingly tortured and killed by being nailed to a wooden cross to take the punishment for our sins for us.  He paid the penalty so we wouldn’t have to pay it forever in hell.  Then, on the third day after His death, God raised Him from the dead- defeating sin!  He was the only one who could do this, because He is perfect.  Anyone who receives this gift will become a child of God and have a clean record once and for all.

Having your sins washed away and paid for once and for all is a free gift.  Just like with any gift, you have to accept it.  If a friend buys you a gift and you turn them away instead of taking it, you don't get the gift.  Jesus’ gift of being saved from sin is the same way, you just have to accept it.  The reason is, love is a choice.  God can't force us to love Him.  It's also a free gift, so you also can’t work for it, deserve it, or earn it.  The bible says doing good deeds, going to church, and reading the bible can’t even save us from sin (though those are all good things).  You just have to accept what Jesus already did for you.  To do that, you just have to believe it and repent.  Repent is a word that literally means “change of mind”.  In other words, confessing that your old ways were wrong and turning your heart and your mind to God and His ways.  Even if you mess up later, all of your sins, even your future sins, are paid for and gone forever.

 Does that clear up why you are still here on Earth?  It is either because:

A) You didn’t believe in the existence of God or weren’t sure about His existence enough to look into it and accept this gift.

B) You believed in God's existence, but thought doing good things or participating in religious events would get you to Heaven.  You didn’t understand that your sin was separating you from God and how to have them erased.  You believed that people could get to Heaven without being saved.

C) You didn’t accept Jesus’ free gift by believing all of this and turning to Him.

Are at least one of those things true about you?  If so, you still had your sinful nature, which prevented you from going to Heaven just yet.  God took everyone He could, because things are about to get pretty bad here on Earth.  It isn’t too late for you though.  You can be saved right now, and then when your life is over, you will go to Heaven too.  Do you want to do this right now?  If you have believed this and repented, you are now God’s child.  You are a Christian (someone who belongs to Christ).  You are free from sin.  You are His forever.  You can ask Him to put His Holy Spirit inside of you to lead you and guide you.  Your spirit has been born again- this time into God's family.

So, you may be wondering where to go from here and what will happen now.

Let’s start with what happens next.  According to the bible, the anti-Christ is going to take over the world; but not in the way that you may think.  He won’t look like a terrifying evil demon.  He'll probably look like any other person.  He will likely be a world leader of some sort and claim to want peace.  He is a liar.  I don’t know what his name will be.  Many people will make speculations saying it is the current US president, rulers in other countries, a leader of a cult or false religion, etc.  I don’t know which of these theories are true or false, but here is how to know who he is: Most Christians believe there will be a peace treaty made with Israel.  The anti-Christ will somehow be involved with this and become the one world leader (leader of all countries).  He will claim to be doing this to bring peace.  Many people will adore him and think he will make things better.  There will also be a one world religion, meaning one religion will be implementing throughout the whole world.  It will be a false religion, not Christianity. 

Now, here is the very important part: DO NOT TAKE HIS MARK!  At some point, it is going to be required that everyone gets a mark or symbol of some kind of their arm, hand, or forehead in order to purchase food and survive.  This may be a micro chip, a tattoo, or something similar.  Just to be safe, whatever mark they try to put on you, DO NOT TAKE IT!  It is the devil’s mark.  Once you take it, you cannot be saved.  Even if they threaten to harm you or arrest you, don't take the mark!  Even if they refuse to let you purchase things you need or get a job, don't take the mark!  No matter what, don’t take it.  Nothing on this Earth is worth it.  There also might be a widespread disease.

Many Christians believe the anti-Christ will try to convince people he is God or the Christ (meaning the One sent by God to save us, which we know is actually Jesus).  He is going to try to prove this, and many people will believe him.  He may even perform miracles and signs by the power of satan to get the world’s attention.  No matter what he does, says, or tries to “prove”, he is a liar.  Don’t believe him.  Jesus is the only true Christ and Savior.

So what should you do until Jesus returns to Earth and takes all of you new Christians back (which most people think will be about 7 years from the time we disappeared; but please don't be discouraged if we're wrong and it's actually longer)?  After you've become a child of God, start by reading the bible and praying daily.  Talk to God just like you would talk to a friend or a (good) parent.  Pray for guidance and wisdom to know what to do.  Pray for strength.  Thank God for saving you and leading you to find this note.  Pray for the people who are not yet saved.  Also, get a hold of a bible quickly.  It’s possible they'll become illegal or stop being sold.  Search churches and houses of those who have disappeared and gone to Heaven.  If you don’t know where to read in the bible, start in the book of John and go from there.  If you look in the front of the bible, it will show you which page each book starts on.

If you can, help others to be saved too.  Tell them what you’ve learned and help them to find bibles.  If you can, even make copies of this letter and share it with them.  I’m not going to lie, things are going to be hard; but you can do it.  God is with you, helping you every step of the way.  He loves you and is on your side.  Don’t be afraid of being killed, because then you will be in Heaven.  Many people in the bible were killed for their faith, so you are not alone.  You may still be left with some questions, but just focus on what you know, pray without ceasing, and read the bible daily.  God will take care of the rest.

Love,
Megan

Additional informaiton:

There is speculation that all children will be taken along with us too since they are too young to choose to be saved- so God will automatically save them when the rapture happens.  There is another theory that only the children of Christian parents will be raptured.  I don’t know if either of these theories are true, but if all (or many) young children are gone, consider these as reasons why.

Also, there are few Christians who believe the rapture is only a spiritual rapture, meaning only our souls are taken and our bodies will be left behind.  I don’t think this is what the bible seems to say.  I think our bodies will be taken with us.  However, if thousands or millions of Christians all over the wold suddenly die at the same exact second and I am one of them, consider that this as a reason why.

On an opposite note, if I ever disappear alone or with just a few people, this is not the rapture!  Please look for me and treat it as a crime or accident!  The real rapture will include all true born-again Christians in the world at one time. 

Last, if you are reading this letter in present time before the rapture has happened rather than after, I want to encourage you to get right with God now and not wait!  You don't know how long you have, and this is eternity we are talking about!

My Shining Star

Being a sponsor to 3 little girls who communicate exclusively through letters means I enjoy getting mail just a little too much sometimes.  No, I mean like at around 8 o'clock every night, I start getting excited to wake up and get the mail the next morning.  It's a bit ridiculous really.

One morning last week, I went out to my mailbox to find an envelope from World Vision.  I had a moment of excitement until I realized it was not, in fact, a letter from my sponsored child.  Instead, what I found inside was a birthday card to sign and send back to be delivered to my Sulmi for her upcoming birthday in June.  Attached to the card were also these adorable paper glasses that made everything look like stars when your child puts them on.  The card said, "You are my shining star." 

I was ready to use this to write a post about birthday letter ideas when I realized I had never properly introduced Sulmi to all of you.  I mentioned her in posts about how God led me to sponsor Melania and Aura; but since Sulmi's sponsorship happened first, and before I started this blog, I never actually shared the story of how this all came to be.

One day in 2011, I was at my local Christian book store.  I was 17 years old and a new Christian; and I'd spent so much time at this store that the employees knew me by name.  On this particular day, I was talking with Jim, the very nice man who worked there and always teased me about being at the store almost as much as he was.  At the register paying for my things, Jim showed me their World Vision display and asked if I would like to sponsor a child that day.  I looked at the beautiful baby girl whose packet was on display and my heart sank.  She was precious.  You're probably thinking, "Wow, that's great, but that's the shortest story ever."  Unfortunately, that baby girl was not Sulmi, and I did not sponsor her that day.  I explained to Jim that as much as I would like to sponsor a child, I was still in high school and didn't have a job at the time.  This was the truth.  As I left the store though, my heart turned inside of me.  Looking down at the bag of things I had just bought for myself and my friends, I was convicted.  I may have been a full time student who wasn't consistently working, but God was always providing money for me one way or another- babysitting jobs, birthday gifts, etc.  As I sat at a nice restaurant with my mom for dinner that night, I stared at my steak dinner and thought about all the little things I could be sacrificing to sponsor a child.  I felt sick...not with guilt, but with awareness of the extreme needs of those I had ignored for way too long.  I was an evangelist at heart, but God was convicting me that He also cares about loving His people through providing their physical needs.  Not even being able to finish my meal, I went out to the parking lot and cried. 

I couldn't get back to the store that day to sponsor that baby, and I knew she would likely already have a sponsor by the time I could.  So, I spent the next few months researching different child sponsorship organizations and praying for God to lead me to the right child.  Then, in March of 2012, I attended a Casting Crowns concert with my mom and a few close friends.  At the concert, they had a World Vision presentation.  I was not planning on sponsoring a child that night, because I hadn't decided on an organization and was leaning more towards sponsoring through a smaller program.  Not knowing this, my mom raised her hand during the presentation to choose a child's packet for me- knowing that I had been planning to sponsor and thinking that we could share the child and the sponsorship fees.  At intermission, my mom handed the packet to me and this was the face I saw:

There was no turning back.  She was mine.

God brought Sulmi's packet all the way from the World Vision office near Seattle to a concert in Pittsburgh, put her packet in the hands of the woman coming down our isle at the concert, and had my mom pick up her packet out of all the children in the pile.  He knew what He was doing the whole time.  He had the perfect child in mind for me from the very beginning.  I was able to simply be still and let His will come to pass.  Now that Sulmi is a bit older, I wrote her a letter recently to share this story with her.  In the letter, I shared Jeremiah 29:11...

"For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD...."

God knew His plans for Sulmi and I.  He perfectly ordained them from the start.  More than that, He always has a plan in any and every situation.  We can rest in that.

For the record, I did not end up sharing Sulmi with my mom.  The second I laid eyes on her, I knew I was going to keep her all to myself. :) 





Big News!

I am posting today to officially share the news that I will soon be traveling Honduras in June to visit my soon-to-be-14-year-old sponsor child, Melania!

I will be leaving for this week-long journey on June 6 with a team of about 15 other sponsors.  On this trip, we will be visiting several child sponsorship centers run by local churches, spending an entire day ministering to our own sponsored children and their families and taking them out for a fun day at a beach, and sharing the gospel with everyone we meet.  I am beyond excited to see what God does in this next chapter of the amazing story He is writing.  I know He has big things in store.

From Here

I have this picture of Lily- an 11 year old girl who is the daughter of a family friend.  In the picture, Lily is standing at the finish line of a relay race; her arms raised in victory.  There are others in the distance.  Just by looking at this picture, there is something you would probably never know.  In this picture, little Lily was fighting cancer.  She passed away just months after it was taken.

I have kept this picture because it brings me peace.  It gives me perspective.  It reminds me of a song I hear often.  The song is called From Here by Big Daddy Weave.  The song is written from the perspective of somebody who has passed away and gone to Heaven.  The line that sticks out to me, and that I always think of when I see this picture of Lily, is this:

“From here, the race has been won

  Love’s already won

  I see clearly, the end and the start”

From the viewpoint of Heaven, the race has been won.  The struggle has ended.  God’s love and mercy have brought you to the finish line and given you victory over your sin and the pain that you once faced on Earth.  Another line of the song was written as though talking to someone who is still on Earth.  Although I don’t think, nor does the bible say, that people can talk to us or see us from Heaven, I do believe that if they could, they would say something very similar to this:

 “I know that your heart would know peace, if you could just see where I am.”

So often when I struggle with things of this world, I tend to think, “If I could just see a glimpse of Heaven, none of this would matter.  I would remember how temporary all of this struggle is and would be reminded of what really matters.”  When I hear this song and think about being in Heaven, I am reminded of the peace and stability that we have in Christ. 

Recently, God spoke something so beautiful to my heart.  As I was thinking of the picture of Lily at the finish line and wishing that I could have that glimpse of Heaven to put things into perspective, God said, “A glimpse of Heaven?  My little lamb, I have given you much more than a glimpse.  Not only did I send My Son down to Earth to show you much more than a glimpse of who I am, and then die to take the punishment for your sins to save you from hell and allow you to be re-born into My family if you so choose…but then, I put My own Spirit inside of you, to continue to teach you about Heaven and speak to you about Me.  I did this to help you to understand My Word when you read and hear it.  I have given you much more than a mere glimpse of Heaven, My child.  It’s not a glimpse that you see with your eyes, but rather, one that you see through the eyes of faith.  Faith is the assurance of things hoped for.  It is the conviction of things not seen.  Hold on to faith with Me as your strength.  Hold on to the various glimpses of Heaven that My Word brings to you, and know peace, My love.”

So now, as I look at Lily standing at that finish line, I will remember to run this race with the finish line in mind- eternity in Heaven.  When I face trials, I will remember, as God has shown me several times lately, to run the race with Heaven as my viewpoint- and let God lead my paths to the Earthly things that He needs of me.  I will also take time aside each day to gain Heavenly perspective in His Word.

 “Let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” –Hebrews 12:1

The Loaves and The Fish

Our God is so full of unexpected plans and blessings! 

I recently shared the story of God leading me to sponsor a sweet girl in Honduras named Melania.  I tried to resist and convince God that sponsoring the one child I already had was plenty.  I told Him I wasn’t equipped to do more.  I shared with you how He made room in my heart and got me used to the idea of sponsoring both of those beautiful girls.  Like God has been telling me over and over again and even confirming through others: when you show that you are faithful in the little things, He will assign more to you.  Whether that be blessings, ministry, or anything else…be faithful with the little that you have been given, and it will show that you can be trusted with more.  Not always in your way or your timing, but your dedication will not be ignored.

"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." -Luke 16:10

This morning, I logged on to my World Vision child sponsorship account to find a new little face staring back at me!  I literally jumped back from my computer screen when I saw what I thought must be a mistake- knowing that I had only agreed to sponsoring Sulmi and Melania.  My first reaction was that something was wrong and they had assigned a child to the wrong sponsor’s account.  I was about to pick up the phone and call the organization when I noticed the child’s name- Aura Roseli. 

Aura Roseli isn’t just a beautiful name; it is a name I know well.  It is a name mentioned in all of my Sulmi’s letters.  Aura Roseli is my Sulmi’s sister!  Then it hit me- this was the sister who I sent in an inquiry about sponsoring over six months ago when I first found out she existed and never got a reply!  This was the sister who I had to lay in God’s hands and tell Him to do as He wished when I hadn’t received responses from World Vision about sponsoring her.  This was the child who I have been praying for since last summer and longing to actually see- the child who I'd decided probably already had a sponsor- the child who I had come to the conclusion wouldn’t be mine.  But there she was...

This wasn’t a mistake.  She was really mine.  She had really been assigned to my account without my knowledge.  Two weeks ago, I was the sponsor of just one little girl, like the majority of my friends are.  That alone was great and I was perfectly happy with one.  Now, all of a sudden, God had blessed me with the ministry of sponsoring 3 girls- sponsoring 3 girls on a very unpredictable income, having just turned 19!  If God hadn’t just done that work in my heart with Melania two weeks ago, I’m sure that thought would have caused at least minor panic on my part.  After seeing His provision so clearly with Melania though, and after being assigned this child that I had no control over, I couldn’t possibly doubt that He would take care of this, too.  I calmly opened my bank account and re-budgeted my money.  I was amazed to find that I not only had enough to cover all three sponsorships the whole way through the end of the year without cutting anything out of my budget, but also enough extra to send birthday gifts to all 3 girls!  It’s like the loaves and the fish really. In the bible, when there wasn't enough food to go around, Jesus used the five loaves of bread and two fish He was given to work with, and continued to break and multiply it until it fed over 5,000 people with some food left over. Jesus continues to break us, multiply us, and spread us out to more places and people and ministries than we knew we were capable of. Not only that, but like the story in the bible, there is still some left over!  It’s so beautiful! 

I am so amazed at His work that I can’t even entertain the pathetic thoughts that the enemy has tried to put in my head about it- that the money will run out, that people will think I'm crazy (as if everything Jesus ever did wasn’t crazy to those who didn’t understand), that Sulmi won’t feel as special if I sponsor both her and her sister….  As the enemy continues to throw these thoughts my way, I am reminded of Him who led this all to happen.  I am reminded that He is fully capable.  Not only this, but I am reminded that if He has this part of my life so under control, He is equally capable with the rest of it.  I would be a fool to ever worry again after seeing these plans come to pass.

One of my best friends jokingly said to me today, "You always said you wanted to have like...27,000 kids.  I bet you never expected God to do it like this!"  And you know, that is so true.  I remember just a few months ago, God showed me this verse:

"...I am doing something in your days- you would not believe if you were told." -Habakuk 1:5

And He's right.  I couldn't have planned it better myself.