Our God ROCKS!!!

We hit the air in 9 days and are down to single digits! I know that it sounds so cliche but time has flown by entirely too fast...

Jill sent us all a note a few days ago to let us know that we'd met our team goal of $20,000.00 which is fabulous! I knew in my heart that we would have no problem at all reaching our monetary goal but most of us get that little twinge of doubt that tells us it can't be done.

I expressed my doubt and nervousness on FaceBook last week and a dear friend who's known me since I was 4 years old sent me this passage: Psalm 139:9&10 "If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uppermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me" How awesome is that!? This is yet another reminder that we are indeed held in the palm of His hand.

Please keep us in your prayers from now through our return on April 28th. If you would pray for protection for us as we travel and protection of our health we would really appreciate it. We are going to try to update the blog daily while we are over there but we can't make any promises as there is not clear agenda and agendas change like the wind anyway.

He's been with us every step of the way and our God truly does ROCK!!!

In His Grip, Tracy Anne

Seagulls, Stillness and a Sweet Savior

I'm at the beach this weekend....a self-declared "time out" before we head to Bosnia in two weeks (from today!). At the pace my life has been going for the past few months (Bosnia team leadership duties, crazier than normal job workload, maid of honor in an upcoming wedding, leading a women's small group, family commitments, etc.) I knew that I was going to go SKIDDING into April 19th (the day we leave for Bosnia) with no reserves (emotional, mental, physical OR spiritual).

In true fashion, the Lord's timing is impeccable. One of the girls in my small group is getting married today (Sunday, April 5) in Amelia Island. The timing was perfect to take several days to get alone with my Father. Nothing besides the grandeur of mountains reminds me of how huge my Father is than the ocean. He has met me here. He stopped the noise and the clamor of my busy world in Atlanta, and He met me on a beautiful coastline. He gave me the gift of quietness to hear a child's laughter as she runs from the waves nipping at her heels....the gift of watching sea gulls bicker over cracker crumbs...the stillness to just grab the coarse sand with my toes. It's been quiet. Quiet is good.

Quiet has helped me hear Him more clearly...to allow Him to love me by experiencing Him in nature. He led me to Psalm 42 and to a "panting" for more of Him than maybe I've wanted in a while. He's helped me remember his power as the mighty waves crash and the wind attempts to push them the other direction sending a beautiful white spray of water in the air. He's reintroduced me to my favorite author, John Piper, as I read Piper this morning saying what my heart must already know and has seen more clearly this weekend...."God is glorified in His people by the way we experience Him.....nothing shows the direction of the deep winds of the soul like the demand for radical, sin-destroying, Christ exalting joy in God." If it takes a six-hour drive to sit on a beach alone to be reminded of that, then so be it. He's worth every mile and an eternity more.

In another two weeks, we'll travel a few more miles as we head to Bosnia-Herzegovina and the dear people that we love. As I spoke with Pastor Bernard last week over Skype, he expressed his anticipation of how we can encourage each other. His plans for us to come and worship with him and the church, to reach out to the community (especially the women of the community who are much more open to the gospel than the men) and to pour our hearts out together in prayer served to stoke the fire in my heart even more for what God is doing there. He's moving and working and stirring in ways we, and especially they, have never seen before. Bernard is encouraged...all the while, fighting discouragement at every turn. The spiritual and financial oppression is palpable there. But our God is bigger, and this is where we place our hope.

I'm so honored to go with this team of eight amazing individuals. God has so greatly gifted each one, and in ways that will uniquely minister to the people in Capljina just as He's ministered to each of us already as we've met for the past 3-1/2 months. I've loved witnessing God take eight very different individuals with our own doubts and insecurities (although a fierce love for Him and a passion for His fame throughout the world)....and form us into one team that together, will pack up every ounce of love and hope one can expect from a GREAT God and take it to a country that desperately needs this love and hope. This kind of luggage is too heavy for us, but we trust in a God that makes the waves crash....that can count the grains of sand....and cares enough to put laughter in a child's lungs. This is the Savior we take on our trip. This is the Savior we believe will be more famous than Allah or the Pope in Bosnia-Herzegovina soon and very soon!

MEET ONE OF OUR HOSTS

Meet Marica (pronounced "Mar-It-Za"), our most gracious host. She and her husband, Andrija (pronounced "On-Dray-Ya"), built a hostel next to their home for those who come to Capljina on mission trips. We stay there for a penance and live like kings and queens for 9 or 10 days. She greets us each day with a wide smile and softly spoken terms of endearment. Her eyes twinkle with great love for us and for our Lord Jesus. His life in her cannot be contained. It emanates freely, fully and effortlessly. She showers us with grace, prays with us, fusses over us, worships with us and then goes about her daily service. I'm quite sure if the Lord came to her and said, you must build a hostel for the missionaries who will come, whether she had the means to do so or not, like Mary, Marica would have no doubt replied, "I am the servant of the Lord . . . Let it be as you have said" (Luke 1:38) Like Brother Lawrence, Marica has discovered there is no need for grand gestures. Whether she is making her homemade cheese or bread, bowing in worship, peeling her carrots or trimming her kiwi vines, she does it all for the love of God. Every moment of every day exists for His glory and it shows. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1Co 10:31
When we first learned about the nature of our trip, of course, I knew already we would again be connecting in prayer. However, the added opportunity was an outreach to the unchurched. Again, I was excited, until I read the activity - jewelry making. I don't wear jewelry, so, obviously, I know little (okay, nothing) about making it! I felt a little tug of pride on my heart. "I can't do this," I thought. It's not my gift. My eyes are so old, not even with my new muli-focal contacs will I be able to see those tiny little holes to string beads. And, I was right! During our retreat, we had a "training" exercise, and I was a mess! Granted it was a wonderful team builder, and we had a lot of laughs (many at my expense - all in good fun, of course). But, those holes are really, really tiny!! Nevertheless, I did make a beautiful necklace and again, I was proud. Eeek! There is that word again! Why must I feel like I have to do everything well? It's not what the Lord expects of me. It wasn't until today as I was reflecting over the thought of reuniting with Marica when the clouds parted and the truth came to me. All God has done is called me. I must leave the rest to him. It is not about making jewelry. It is about showing up. It is about "whatever I do, do it to the glory of God." It is about emanating the love of Christ. It is about the ease at which Marica reflects His beauty and majesty. It is about being that kind of light. And, if my bracelet brings laughter, let it be uproarious and glorious - the kind that transcends language barriers.
I'm thrilled to rush to the arms of Marica on our arrival day. I will relish our time together as I learn from her humble heart and watch it reorganize my own.

>"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests,but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,but made himself nothing,taking the very nature of a servant,being made in human likeness." Philippians 2:3-7

in His service,
Kathy

Just in the Nick of Time

Upon entering the blog this morning I discovered that the team only needs $800.00 more dollars to reach the $20,000.00 required for us to take this trip and I am in awe of our God. I am confident that we will reach our monetary goal and beyond what we need by the April 15th deadline. Many of us were discouraged last week because we were all having a difficult time raising funds due to circumstances beyond our control. I have however been 100% positive that the Lord would bring in ALL of the money we need just in the nick of time. You see, when we went on that retreat, the retreat where the lens cap was "lost" and we completed the "Spiritual Gifts" exercise I discovered that my strongest gift currently is FAITH. What an incredibly cool gift to have!

Last Fall when I read about the "April Bosnia-Herzegovina Connections" trip I knew I was "supposed" to go so I turned in my application and went about the daily business of living life, serving an awesome God! Before Christmas I received word that I had indeed been chosen to be a part of the team and a few days later found out that my dear friend Colleen had also been selected for the team! Yay, not only do I get to go to Eastern Europe and serve the Lord but I get to share the experience with a very dear friend which just makes the whole experience that much more special!

When I went to Macedonia at the end of 2007 and prepared to send my support letters, the words just flowed easily from the Lord, to my brain and into the trusty Macintosh. Even though the support process is a bit intimidating I got the letters done and out plenty early and the dollars rolled in and I had all my funding well before the due date. For some reason the letter writing this time around was a whole different ball of wax! When I sat down in front of the Mac to write my letters on 5 or 6 different occasions the words just would not come. I prayed and prayed about this and had the letters "written in my mind" for months but when I sat down to get them knocked out nothing came and I was beginning to get a little frustrated. At the end of February I decided to put the letters on the back burner and just not worry about them.

The dollars were coming in regardless! People who knew about my trip were giving me support checks and donating online and pledging to give in spite of my writer's block. By the time I was finally able to write and send my letters at the end of March (we leave April 19 so that's cutting it close) I'd already raised two thirds of the $2,500.00 needed without any letters. Within four days of sending my letters I am just a couple hundred shy and am confident that the money will be here days before it needs to be. You see, I'm "supposed" to go on this trip...

We leave in 16 days and the eight of us North Point Ministries folks and our Bosnian National Team Members truly covet your prayers now and during our time there. Thank you in advance for being part of our team, there is tremendous power in prayer!

LIKE LOAVES AND FISHES

During our last meeting, we distributed some prayer cards created for our supporters. These would have been ready sooner, however, I made a mistake in the cutting and pasting of text. Initially, the print shop thought it was an error made from translating my document to theirs and then in the conversion to the print file they require for printing. However, when I arrived home, I double checked and saw it was "my bad!" I had to call them and let them know. The former would have been no cost to us. The latter a different story. I called to explain my error. Much to my surprise, the associate honored her promise to reprint at no charge! I was very grateful and quite humbled, especially since we disagreed on the final cost. I was being charged a different price than I was originally told (or understood) by the first sales clerk. But, after some explanation, I agreed that the final figures were fair. Only moments early I was squabbling over a few dollars, and now I could have justifiably been recharged the entire price. From my vantage point, I did not deserve such mercy and grace, but was afforded it anyway. How quickly we crossover the "thin line" between self righteousness and benefit of the doubt . . . for prayer cards!!!

Fast forward to the night of our meeting. I am preparing to count out twenty-five prayer cards to each of our eight team members. Everyone dives into the box and helps me count. But, the box never empties. Like the baskets of loaves and fishes, barely a dent was made in our bounty of prayers to request for our team and the people of Capljina, Bosnia. There must be a thousand of them! Our box is still full. I don't think this was a mistake, since these were printed not once, but twice. Again, undeserved, unmerited favor, an act of grace given by the printer to our team.

Two days later, I received an email from Pastor Bernard in Bosnia. In it, he updated us on his prayer requests. Hoping we had captured everything on the back of our cards, already printed, I flipped one over and there they all were, just as if he had asked for them before I had ever met with the printer. God is so good. He is teaching me still, and I have not yet left. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

So look for us to be distributing prayer cards when you see us. If not, ask us for one. Or expect one in the mail! When I mentioned the cards to Bernard he was thrilled so many of you would be praying for them, so many more than the total membership of their congregaton itself. As we sat in our meeting, discussing what trinkets we could bring as gifts for them, I realized, this IS the gift - the gift of prayer. It is what they love the most. Their lives are rich in praise and start and end with humility. Their is no greater offering we can give them than the prayers for which they have asked.

Pray for the leaders of the church. Pray for their endurance and encouragement. Pray for God to give them the words and the wisdom to continue to reach the unreached in their community.

Pray for those in the City of Capljina whom the church has reached, that they may continue to be receptive to the message and to the truths the Evangelical Church is teaching and have a strong desire to be in relationship with our Lord Jesus.

Pray for the growth & prosperity of the church. Pray for their financial resources as they become more of a presence in their city, so that they may experience ongoing success in many of the outreach programs, study groups and other ministries which have opened the minds and hearts of the people.

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."John 17:20-23

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
Kathy

I BROUGHT ALL MY BAGGAGE

Last night, we had our final, "official" meeting before we leave for our trip. We've completed all of our studies, learned about the culture, shared our stories, secured our flights and discussed contingencies. This last gathering was deemed a "packing party." We were told to bring one extra piece of luggage as there are always additional items we cart halfway across the world and leave behind. There are supplies for our partner church, as well as, the materials we will use in our outreach program and so forth. This evening's activity will give us an idea of how much baggage we will be bringing and how to divide it among the team.

Well, not really an "instruction" person, I misunderstood. I was the last to arrive to the meeting, in part, because I was wrestling with not one, but three bags (one nested in another) all of which had to fit in my VW Beetle and still allow me some visibility out of my rear window! No easy task. Upon arrival, same problem. I pulled, pushed, shoved and shimmied, in order to bring all of my baggage to the meeting. It didn't take long before I realized, it was all for naught . . . until today.

This morning, as I awoke and began my morning prayers, the metaphor began to unfold. For two months, this amazing group of eight individuals has come together as one in Christ. We have grown together spiritually. We have brought all of our baggage into a small room every couple of weeks and lay it at the foot of the cross. Last night was particularly heavy as the spiritual warfare seems to ramp up in our lives just before we set out to do God's work. The darkness was intense. We are tired. Some of us are struggling with illness or just a heaviness. The world's work is weighing us down as we prepare to do eternal work. With great transparency and authenticity, we emptied our hearts and minds to each other and lifted each other up in prayer, surrendering all of our burdens. Instead of filling all of them, we drew from the baggage and clothed ourselves with humility with one another. Unadorned we knelt before His throne and surrendered our worries, anxious thoughts, worldly demands, and oppressions. By His grace, we began to feel lighter.

As it turns out, we will not be needing any of my baggage. I left the meeting with all of it. . . empty. That is what happens, when we bring our junk to the foot of the cross - to the throne of the Most High. He takes it and prepares our way.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor 4:16-18

The Lens Was On The Camera!

Sometimes in life we find ourselves scurrying all over God's green earth looking for something that we've lost, only to find that it was right underneath our nose the whole time. Not only did this happen to a certain lens cap during our amazing retreat at Lake Hartwell, but it perfectly connects, in one way or another, to our team's personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Last weekend, members from our mission trip to Bosnia left the hustle and bustle of Atlanta to join together for two days of friendship, great food, reflection and prayer. Thanks to Betty, Tracy's friend, our team was able to enjoy the coziness and relaxation of a beautiful lake house, which set the stage for a great experience. 

Unfortunately, one of our team members, BJ, was unable to make the trip to Lake Hartwell. She was greatly missed! However, please join us in thanking BJ for providing some of the most delicious food that has ever been tasted this side of the Mississippi. BJ went above and beyond to send her love and unselfishly use her talents. BJ, you were with us in spirit.

Throughout our time on retreat it was clear that Jesus Christ was walking with us, step by step. He enabled our group to share stories with each other, connect in concentrated prayer, study the words of the Bible, personally reflect, join in Communion, and build friendships that will go beyond our time in late April.

Finally, through one of the activities organized by Kathy, we were able to determine our team's gifts. They are mercy, discernment and hospitality. Mercy is described as cheerful acts of compassion, empathy towards the hurting, and keeping the body of Christ healthy and unified. Recognizing the true intention of those in the body and testing the actions of others for the protection and well-being of the body is known as discernment. Hospitality, as you know, makes visitors, guests and strangers feel at ease, while integrating new members into the body. Wow, what great attributes to have!

God Bless,

Your Bosnia Connections 2009 Team