My Birthday Wish

My birthday is coming up next month and even though birthdays are fun, I have never been one to go all out celebrating my birthday.  Birthdays are just another day that we should be grateful for the breath that God gives us and use it as an opportunity to glorify His name all the more.  This year, my birthday also just so happens to be on the same day as International Justice Mission's Stand for Freedom day.  April 9 is a day to raise awareness and money to support the 27 million around the world who are trapped in slavery.  So with this birthday, my only wish is that you would partner with me and IJM to end modern day slavery. My goal is $1,000 by April 10, the day after my 24th birthday!  This can be easily done with only 42 people donating $24!

I am standing for the freedom of the children I met in Cambodia who are sold on the street every day for sex.  They are controlled by fear and violence.  But the good news is that the Lord hears the cries of the afflicted and oppressed and He has sent people to help them.  He gives us the opportunity to stand up for their freedom and be a voice to the voiceless.  Will you stand?  You can help make my birthday wish come true here!

A little about IJM:

IJM IS MAKING FREEDOM POSSIBLE

100% of all donations to this campaign will support the work of International Justice Mission, a human rights agency that is bringing rescue and freedom to victims of slavery, sex trafficking and other forms of violence.

IJM investigators, lawyers and aftercare staff are on the frontlines of the fight for justice in Latin America, Africa and Asia. In 2011 alone, IJM partnered with local authorities to rescue more than 1,600 children, women and men from sex trafficking, forced labor slavery and other violent oppression, and helped put more than 100 slave-owners, traffickers and rapists behind bars.

Check out this video to find out more about the Stand For Freedom campaign.

Powerless

Numbers 22:18 (NLT)
"But Balaam responded to Balak’s messengers, “Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord my God."

My sister posted a blog this week about our plans versus God's plans (if you haven't read it, check it out!) and this verse spoke to me in a similar way this morning.  

I am in a season of upcoming change.  My two year commitment with Teach for America ends in May and I will be leaving Mississippi.  At this point, I am waiting to hear about a summer job with Teach for America in Atlanta and waiting to hear about my acceptance to go on the World Race next January.  And it is during this time of waiting that the Lord has given me His peace.  He has given me peace and understanding that no matter what I do, I am powerless against His will.  Who am I to try to control or change or plan against the Creator of the Universe and the One who has known every breath and step I would take before I was even born?  We can never know for sure what exactly lies ahead of us but we can be obedient to His calling and then rest in the truth that we are powerless against Him.  

It has not been easy for me to rest in this and I have been challenged with worry and anxiousness in the past.  Even through this step of applying for the World Race, I have experienced anxiousness.  I had a dream just a week or so ago that I did not get accepted to go on the World Race.  I woke up in a panic, wondering what I was supposed to do.  But then I opened the Word and was reading in the Old Testament when time and time again, the Israelites failed to trust in the Lord's promises and were punished.  

Numbers 11:23 (NIV)
"The Lord answered Moses, 'Is the Lord's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.'" 

He promises to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6) and that His plans are good (Jeremiah 29:11).  And it is in these promises that He gives peace and rest.  And out of peace and rest comes confidence in Him to face whatever opportunities or obstacles lie ahead.  To Him be the glory!

John 16:33 (NLT)

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Blessed are...

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." 

Matthew 5:3-12


A few weeks ago, I borrowed the book, Blood Brothers: The Dramatic Story of a Palestinian Christian Working for Peace in Israel, from a friend.  It was my first real look into this conflict in the Middle East.  As he roamed the same hills that Jesus walked 2,000 years ago, the author, Elias Chacour, learned the meaning of "blessed are the peacemakers" and he continues his work to bring reconciliation and peace in Palestine.

I finished the book just as we started a new sermon series at church based on none other than the Beatitudes that Chacour quoted over and over in his book.  God has been showing me how much I need him.  On my own, I am poor in spirit but most of the time I think I can do it on my own instead of crying out in desperation to Him.  I have learned that being meek means being confident in God and responding in love, mercy, and grace.  He has taught me that being a peacemaker requires love and forgiveness that must be experienced before they can be given to others.

Then, I started hearing the song, "All the People Said Amen", by Matt Maher on K-Love.  You should definitely listen to all of it, but my favorite part is the refrain that says:

Blessed are
The poor in spirit who are torn apart
Blessed are
The persecuted and the pure in heart
Blessed are
The people longing for another start
For this is the Kingdom
The Kingdom of God

We are all broken and in need of the Savior.  He is the only one that can fill us.  And not only fill us but make us overflow and become merciful, pure, meek, and peacemakers.  

God has been speaking through these verses to me lately and I wanted to share and encourage you to seek Jesus + nothing and be blessed eternally.  And we are only half way through the sermon series, I can't wait to see what else He is going to open my eyes to in the coming weeks!  

On a side note, I have an interview this Wednesday with The World Race through Adventures in Missions.  In short, the World Race is an 11 month journey to 11 countries around the world to serve, love, and spread the gospel to the broken and needy.  Please pray that the Lord will continue to direct my steps and that His will would be done.  I will keep y'all posted about what lies ahead as my second year with Teach for America comes to an end.

Trials and Blessings

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world!

John 16:33

This verse has become one of my absolute favorites and one that I have to remind myself of often.  Like last weekend...several of us decided to take a trip up to Starkville and enjoy some SEC football.  We had a great time cheering on the bulldogs and just being together.  

Hail State! It was Molly, Angie, and Jenna's first college football game!

We stopped on the way home to get gas and some coffee (it's about a 2.5 hour drive) when Josh noticed that my car was smoking and leaking coolant all over the place.  After figuring out what happened and deciding to leave my car in Louisville, MS, these were the thoughts running through my head:
1. Praise the Lord that I was able to call my Dad at 12:30 am and him be able to tell me what I needed to do with my limited knowledge about cars.
2. Praise the Lord we were in a town (more or less) and not the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.
3. Thank you Jesus for friends who are patient, caring, and sacrificial
4. Thank you Jesus that we were in two cars and again, friends that are willing to be slightly uncomfortable (and illegal)

Long story short, we went back on Sunday, got my car and were able to drive it home (thanks to some wise advice from our family mechanic in Georgia) and I got a brand new radiator on Monday.  Yes, it was a setback.  Yes, I got slightly frustrated when it was all going on because it was simply an inconvenience.  Yes, I was stressed because I also had several assignments to finish Sunday but instead had to deal with this car issue.  But then I remember the words of Jesus: "you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world!"  Nothing is bigger than Jesus.  

In children's church these past two weeks, we have been teaching about Joseph.  Joseph was definitely someone who knew about setbacks and tribulations.  However, he continued to have a good attitude and tried to see each trial as an opportunity to allow God to work and be glorified.  I need to ask the Spirit for that attitude and perspective every day.  

So whether it is car troubles, financial issues, tensions in a relationship, hardships at work, sickness, or any other tribulation, take heart! We serve the God of peace and He has overcome the world!

Teaching in Year Two

Now that we have officially been in school for a month now, I'm finally taking some time to update you all on how it has been!  It has been SO different from last year; and definitely in a positive way!  I am the ESL teacher for the entire district which means I serve grades PreK through 12!  Thankfully, I only have 1 PreK student and 2 high schoolers but I have 37 students in between!  Making my schedule was not the easiest to say the least.  I do small group pull-out by grade level, except for a few of the upper elementary/middle grades which I group together.  I have been getting my exercise because I go pick up my students which means walking all over the school sometimes to find them.  I really enjoy the flexibility and although not having much guidance makes it really hard sometimes (as far as planning and knowing what all I need to do), it also allows me to do my own thing and the way I want to.  Lesson planning for so many different age groups and levels is definitely the hardest part.  There is also just a lot that they need to know (Kindergarten mostly since most don't really know any English) so it has been hard prioritizing concepts and words I want to teach them.

My kids are all pretty awesome.  I love my Kindergarten and first grade groups the most.  They are a lot of fun and you can really see them learning things from one day to the next.  There is just so much you can do with them and they love songs and games.  Most of my students in 2nd grade and up are fluent speakers and listeners, they just need extra support in reading and writing.  One of my high schoolers came to the United States during the middle of last year so he is still a beginner.  I spend about 3 hours a week up at the high school working with him.

If you read one of my previous posts, I think I shared how nervous I was about working with the families in this new position.  Even though I still sometimes get a knot in my stomach when I get a phone call from a parent or get called to the office to help translate, once I start talking with them, it goes away.  My Spanish still needs a lot of work and I have been using it a lot and learning through that, but I know that God is giving me every single word I need and helping me understand what they are saying.  Some of my Kindergartners though...not so much...their little kid voices make it really hard to get what they are saying.  So that is when I just nod my head and say, "cool!", or "oh no!".  All the parents are really understanding and know that my Spanish is still in the works, so we are definitely making it work!

So yeah, that is how my year has started and although I am still at Hazlehurst and sometimes I am shocked by the things that happen, or don't happen, I am really and truly enjoying what I do on a daily basis (definitely not what I would have said last year).  On a completely different note, my roommate, Angie, will be getting married in late December, so more changes are coming our way!  I am very thankful that one of the other Kindergarten teachers, Rachel, moved in with us back in May so I will not be all alone when Angie moves out after the wedding.  Please be in prayer for us as these changes are happening and also as we are thinking about what happens after this school year.  It seems crazy to be thinking about it in September but our commitment to Teach for America ends in May and we are trying to figure out what is next.  I am currently praying over staying in Hazlehurst for a third year and several international opportunities.  Pray for wisdom, discernment, and peace in walking in God's will for me and all my TFA friends here in Hazlehurst.

Oh, and go Vikings!! If you haven't seen the flash mob from Viking Venture this year, you need to!
WE ALL ROW!

Back to Mississippi

 "Update blog" has been on my to-do list for almost two weeks now.  Praise the Lord that I kept putting it off until now.  The reason I say "praise the Lord", is because had I written a post last week, you all would have seen a very different side of Alyssa.  Last week, especially the beginning of the week, was the hardest couple of days I have ever experienced in my life.  The devil was eating me alive with negative and depressing thoughts.  I was so overwhelmed with starting school again in a position I had very little knowledge about that I considered quitting multiple times.  I was absolutely terrified of the unknown and felt very alone trying to figure out what I needed to do as the ESL teacher.

Relentless prayer and a precious little girl helped get me out of that pit of depression.

I was at Dirt Cheap when I noticed a little Hispanic girl with her mom.  I had met several of the families I would be working with back in May but did not remember specific faces or names.  As soon as this little girl saw me, her face lit up and she turned to her mom and said in Spanish, "Mom! She is going to be my teacher!"  The Lord used the simple words of this little to bring peace, hope, and confidence that I am exactly where God wants me.  I am clinging to the promise that, as Mark Batterson puts it, the Lord does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called.

"...may He equip you with all you need for doing His will..."
Hebrews 13:21 (NLT)

I am currently doing the 40 Day Prayer Challenge that accompanies the book, The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson and every day the Lord reveals more to me about His love, mercy, and perfect plan.  He is teaching me so much about prayer and that He always answers prayer, just not always the way or on the timeline we want him to.  It is so hard to accept the fact that sometimes God's answer is "no" or "not yet".  But trusting the Almighty means knowing that His plan is far greater than anything I can even imagine!

The Holy Spirit filled me with such peace, diligence, and guidance at the end of last week and throughout this first week of school.  There are still a lot of things I am unsure about about teaching ESL and there is a lot that still kind of scares me but I am not going to allow those feelings to determine my attitude or my joy in Christ.

Once school gets into more of a routine and things settle down some, I will definitely update you all on what life is like for me as an ESL teacher.  Please pray for continued guidance, confidence and joy in Christ, and glory only to the Father!

Another part of my heart

If you read my previous posts about Cambodia, you might be under the impression that we worked tirelessly every single day! :) No worries...we had lots of time to just enjoy one another's company and experience Cambodia!  With the nature of the work we were doing, the ministry makes sure to leave a lot of time for debriefing, resting, and random fun when making the schedule for their teams.

Just a normal tuk-tuk ride! 

Erik playing around on one of the staff member's motos.  It had been raining, so they just brought it inside the center!

Morgan, Erik, Katie, and I enjoying our 50 cent coffee from the corner stand! Made with sweetened condensed milk, coffee, and ice! I usually had at least two a day!

Morgan and Kelsey acting as boy caterpillars one day during Kids Club.

Our fearless leader, Drew, being goofy with his niece.  She is one of two Cambodian girls that Ally, the founder of Hard Places, has adopted.

Kelsey having some fun at Dream Land!

We shared a lot of laughs with the staff over lunch and dinner and also got to know some of the interns pretty well.  We had a lot of dance parties that involved us teaching the Khmer staff various dances like the Wobble (their personal favorite), the Electric Slide, the Cha-Cha Slide, the Cupid Shuffle and the Macarena; and they also taught us a traditional Khmer dance.

Full-time HPC staff, Derek, with 17-year-old intern, Ben.  Their pretend father-son relationship was very amusing!

Ben, Josh, and Drew.  Josh and his wife, Gretchen, are interning for three months with HPC.

Dance therapy as some of the Khmer staff called it...they loved doing the Wobble!

One night we ate at Chuck Norris Dim Sum.  They served different kinds of dumplings...and lots of Chuck Norris jokes.

Dinner at Jars of Clay on our last night in Cambodia.  Love these people so much!

Definitely one of my favorite dinners!

One of the first nights, we took a walk down by the River Front, played on the exercise equipment, and tried some of the local delicacies!

This little boy was killing it on the elliptical!

I tried grasshopper, cricket, and frog.  Frog was by far my favorite so I ate five or six of them.

Other reactions to the bugs!

As I mentioned in my first post, we played an American vs. Cambodian game of soccer.  They had been practicing so they won, but we had a blast!

One of the most recent ministries that HPC has started is a touring business.  They helped four guys who were working in male brothels in Phnom Penh get out of the sex industry by teaching them English and training them as tour guides.  So now, a year later, they are starting to give tours on their own to various tourists who come to Phnom Penh for various reasons.  We got to go on a tour, hear more about the country, get to know the tour guides, and see some of the places around Phnom Penh we had not visited yet.

Kelsey, Katie, Morgan, and I on our tour.  It is the year of the snake so they have a huge snake out in front of Wat Phnom (the main Buddhist temple).

Unfortunately, this monkey already belonged to a lady at the Wat. :(

My roommate, Katie, and I playing on the "sacred grass" in front of the royal palace.

My week in Cambodia was full of challenges, brokenness, and spiritual warfare.  But it was also full of hope, laughter, singing, dancing, worship, and smiles.  I feel so blessed to have been part of such an incredible group of people serving alongside such incredible followers of Christ.  The trip really taught me to seek out opportunities to share that same kind of joy and hope in the States and I know God has me right where He wants me.  But I also look forward to the day I can return to Cambodia, where I have left another part of my heart.

All the kids, staff, and team members at Dream Land!

One of my favorite pictures from the trip...It just makes me laugh!