Tag Archives: encouraging others

Stepping Out

2 Replies

MLK First Step quoteYesterday, I took a step on a road God’s been calling me to for a while: I wrote entry #1 in a memoir tracing our family’s missions journey. It was only four paragraphs long and not my best writing — an insignificant thing, I thought. Until an hour later.

Just one hour after I wrote this entry, I stumbled upon this verse from Zechariah 4:10: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” The Lord is rejoicing right now because I tapped out some words on a blank page. More than that, He’s thrilled that I chose to obey even in the smallest of ways. It occurred to me that nothing good I’ve ever done for God happened in one giant moment of success; it was a series of insignificant moments that often no one ever witnessed. It was days of discipline in the face of I-don’t-wannas. It was a mountain built by stones of ordinary moments.

A friend came to mind as I meditated on this scripture. She called a few months ago to share what God had asked her to do – become a worship leader. She was terrified to start. But that week, while sick, she took a step and auditioned for the worship team.

Was she excited at the prospect of singing with a raspy, scratchy voice? No. Did she want to look silly or untalented in front of a well-practiced singer and musician? No! But she did want to obey God. So she took one step.

Even though my friend isn’t belting out solos for the world to applaud, she has continued to take small steps in obedience to God’s call. Her hesitant strides have kept her dependent on God, but she’s also found the peace that obedience brings.

Many of us — in this exact moment — know God has asked us to do something. I can almost guarantee He’s not asked us to complete the same job. God’s not looking for those who can achieve GREAT things for Him in the moments when everyone is watching. He is desperately seeking followers who spend their days making one choice that leads them obediently in His purpose. He’s looking for those who don’t despise small beginnings, but relish them.

 What’s God asking you to begin today?

Advertisement

eleemosynary

1 Reply

adjective – of, relating to, or dependent on charity; charitable

Re: Amazon.com for Amazonia

Dear Friends,

A mother showed up at the Foundation just this week with her 12-year-old daughter in tow. She was there to give her child to the Hope House. She had not contacted us before, nor had she filled out the required paperwork. When pressed as to why she wanted her daughter to be a part of the House, she merely replied, “I don’t want her anymore.”

Unfortunately, in one concise and unemotional sentence, she described the plight of many of the young women here in the jungle. They simply are not wanted. Even worse is these young women are repeatedly told this information. They grow up believing they are of no value and no one will really ever want them.

Here at the Hope House, we are changing that line of thinking. Our mission is to raise Godly young woman by helping them discover their identity in Christ and also providing them a quality education. Before entering the house, many girls would face a life with no future and continue to be fed the lie that they are unwanted and worthless. But here at the Hope House, they are learning to love themselves and find value in the gifts and personalities that God uniquely designed for them.

Along from spiritual discipleship, we strive to provide each girl with a strong education. From school uniforms to after-school tutors, we see to every educational need. And now we are planning to meet another.

As a former English teacher, I was saddened by the lack of availability of books for the youth of our town. Not one bookstore can be found in our community!  Books open up new worlds, new ideas, and even help discover dreams. This is a blessing that I want for our girls here.

We’ve decided to create a library here at the Hope House. But we need your help!  Our goals is to purchase 4-5 Kindles as well as soft and hardback books in Spanish. The greatest part is that this investment will not only be for the girls at the house now, but will serve the girls for years to come.

We have decided to purchase all books through Amazon since we can easily download books for the Kindles as well as locate books in Spanish and have them shipped here. If you would like to be a part of helping build the Hope House library, here’s what you can do.

  1. Purchase an amazon gift card and send it directly to my Hall Family Mission email.  (Please note: this would not be a tax-deductible gift.) I will in turn send you an update of exactly what was purchased using the card.
  2. Make a one-time donation to the Ecuador Hope House World Missions Account via the AGWM website. (See link here.) If you choose to do this, please email me and let me know the amount you donated, so it can be set aside for the library.
  3. You can purchase books in Spanish directly from our Amazon Wish List. (See link here.)
  4. Finally, if you have recently updated your Kindle to a new model, you could donate the old one.  Simply contact me on how to send it.

If you have any questions, please contact me via email (alicia@hallfamilymission.com). Our goal is to have this library up and running by October 1st.  I cannot wait to share with you the impact that reading will have on the lives of these already amazing young women.

Thank you, dear readers, for believing in this blog and this ministry.

For the girls,
~a

ecuadorhopehouse.beauty