DestinyDesign

This past week has possibly been my favorite of the Discipleship Training School. Our topic was "Destiny by Design" taught by Gwen, a lady of much joy, energy and passion. Passion for us to find what God's plan for our lives is and what our own dreams are and how they mix with His. I am excited to share with you next week all that God has revealed to me about my part in His plan to show love to the world. It has been a most epic week and I feel so blessed to be part of this and to invite others to join me! God may call people to do what seems impossible, but instead of saying "that's impossible", please remember you are talking about a God of the impossible~ instead, respond, "why not?" and ask God how you are to join in!

Also this past week we did intercessors ring our Mainland history class. We asked God to show us differ strongholds over them and we prayed over those, such as rebellion, shame, lust of power and other problems that have plagued this beautiful land and people for centuries. It was a powerful was of ministering and preparing before we are even in the land. Please join us in these prayers for this country!

On Friday, we did our second Discipleship Training School outreach in the next city over, Yuen Long, using the same drama and island dance we had before and presenting the gospel through testimonies. I had the opportunity to speak with a little five year old Pakistani boy and his mother who runs a clothing shop nearby. She was very open, despite being a Muslim, and I I agreed to come and try to find her shop within the next few weeks and dance with her little boy (he asked if I would.) Hopefully her heart will soon open to want to know the truth of her Saviour who loves her.

This next week will make a huge impact on all of us, as it is called, "The Father a heart of God". Please, again, be in prayer for us to be open to accepting the Father's love, and healing in our own hearts towards our own parents and past experiences related to that. So often in our lives, if we have hard experiences growing up, it can indeed affect our view and relationship with God. So this week is important in the way God will reach down to reveal and heal before we go out outreach and share with people about who He is.

Prayer requests:
Finances
Health (I have been struggling with the sniffles for about a week, ready for them to leave!)
Open heart towards God
Wisdom & Knowledge
Direction and Guiding

Much love till next week!

~*~Leave a Legacy that will Make a Difference in the World Around You.~*~

SouthernSpice

Hey there!

Well, this post will be a little different than the normal ones I have, and do not worry, an update on this past week is posted too!

I am going to talk a little about me and the culture I have.

I was born in Kentucky but mainly raised throughout Florida and Georgia. All of these states are in the Southern part of the USA. Now, there is a little something you should know about the South. We are the SOUTH. What I mean is that we have our own subculture within the culture of America. We are patriotic, outspoken and God-fearing. We love fried foods and American football is a religion, with hunting a close second. What is interesting about our culture is also our speech. Not just the noticeable drawl that many expect when I say I am from Georgia, but also the sweet terms we use. For most people who are around me, you have probably been called any or all of these things:

~Baby
~Sweetheart
~Doll
~Babe
~Bae

I think you get the idea. These are terms of endearment that we in the south use just as commonly as your first name when we are speaking with you. I have gotten so used to saying them, I barely notice when I say them until the person I am talking with points it out. I have used these terms with everyone from my fallen angels at the juvenile detention center to my best friends. Eventually I get around to giving you a personal nickname and you will get called that in addition to the sweet names that most southerners use. It is part of who I am, and possibly as southern as I get, maybe even 'more' southern than most southerners in this area!

There are also phrases, such as:

~Well bless their heart. (this can be really meant or sarcastic)
~Poor baby/poor thing
~My word!
~Child! (this can and will be said to anyone, of any age. It is just our thing.)
~Boi! (pronounced as 'boy' with a slight 'oi' sound at the end of it. Can be used as a terror endearment, like I do, or as frustration with a man/boy/guy)
~Y'all (this is a southern conjunction of the words 'you' 'all'. And yes, we all say this in the south.)

Here at the base we have culture nights once a week since we have so many people from different countries. This next week, the USA has our culture night here. We get to make dinner and share some prayer requests for our country. On the menu for that night, the Americans in our Discipleship Training School and School of Worship have decided to make fried chicken, corn on the cob, potato wedges and sweet iced tea with apple cobbler for dessert. Mhm. That is right. Sounds awfully southern, doesn't it? A comment was made by one of the students of the SOW, "When I think of American food, the only thing I can really think is truly American is southern food." What a compliment for my area of the Nation. It is amazing. (My participation in this dinner idea was the sweet tea. Gotta have sweet tea.) They came up with all the other items. Awesomeness. Epic win. (pics next week!)

So I am learning the value of my own culture that I come from. Normally it is very hard for me to identify with where I am from, because I have moved around so much. Thankfully I have also had the benefit of of my experiences here in Hong Kong, where I my own ideas and culture have been influenced by the diversity of the people that come, go and stay here. I have come to see the beauty of so many different cultures, which now includes my own culture and seeing the beauty of it as well. (no offense to my American friends reading this post, but considering that most of American culture is a melting pot, finding something we can truly call our own is hard! Example: all American breakfast: Canadian bacon, French toast and an English muffin. Yeah. 'all-American'. See the problem I have had?!)

Anyways, this is part of who I am (especially the words and phrases, haha) and I love learning about other cultures, and my own. So. Let me go work on that other blog post that y'all have waited on!

~*~Leave a Legacy that will Make a Difference in the World Around You.~*~