So, it seems that a great need has arisen during the course of Kimi's trip. The money that she was going to use to pay for The WR is now being used to pay for the hospital bills she incurred during the 3rd month of The WR (see her blog @ top). I encourage everyone who reads this to support Kimi with more than you can afford.
2 Corinthians 9
Sowing Generously
6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.7Each
man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not
reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And
God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at
all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good
work. 9As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."[a]10Now
he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply
and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your
righteousness. 11You
will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every
occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to
God.
12This service
that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is
also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.13Because
of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God
for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of
Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone
else. 14And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Part of me didn't really know what to expect when coming on this trip. It's almost as if I expected some sort of alternate reality, where one moment I'd be conquering the world and the next I'd wake up in bed, as if nothing ever happened. Coping mechanism galore?
Sometimes I feel like a little kid who's been asking God for a chemistry set and when He gives it to me, I feel like I know exactly what I'm doing! I'm an expert! So, I begin mixing chemicals together I can only assume go together, but instead of a sweet perfume, the whole thing blows up in my face. Why? Because, I'm a kid...with a chemistry set! Does having a chemistry set and wearing the white coat make me an expert?
The more I learn about God and who He is, I realize more and more how little I really know. When I assume I've got it all together or think, "Yay! I'm really doing great, really," things tend to blow up in my face. The dreams fade, the cloud dissipates, and there I'm left standing, a little kid with a chemistry set.
But, the good news is that the story doesn't end there, and as I surrender the set to God, He shows me how to create the very perfume I failed so miserably to create on my own.
What I feel right now, words cannot possibly express. Living in the fullness of God's grace, leaving my sin at the foot of the cross, and walking in the weightless freedom of Christ that brings with it the realization of joy. What brought me to this point? The full recognition of my sin and how much I need God‘s grace.
If what God says is true, if what the Bible says is truth, then I don't have to live in regret or in shame because of my sin. If what Jesus spoke, every word of it, is truth, then I'm FREE from my sin. I don't even have to look at it, because I'm a new creation.
Being a Christian is UNNATURAL! The call of Christ brings us to a place where we pursue the unnaturally good things of this world:
Forgiveness, asking others for forgiveness, so we‘re available to forgive freely.
Humility, being content with second place.
Relationship, knowing that God wants to get to know you.
Grace, recognizing God's forgiveness in our lives (when we don't deserve it) and being able to freely give it to others without judgment.
Love, being able to love ourselves fully so we're available to love others fully.
Purity, a recognition that all of God is more than enough to sustain me and that the simple pleasures of this world are meaningless.
Service, dying to yourself so that you're alive to meet the needs of those around you.
This stuff is NOT NATURAL! People don't just do this on their own. If they did, we'd already be living in heaven and not this jacked up place full of hate, murder, malice, contempt, jealousy, and all the other junk we find in our hearts. But, because of these things and because of Jesus Christ, we have the freedom to look at the sin in our lives, for what it really is! We can look at how we fail and repent, recognizing that God's gift is even greater, even bigger, because His son's sacrifice is sufficient to cover all my sin.
Without sin can there be redemption? Without judgment can there be grace? Without our understanding of sin, Jesus has absolutely nothing to offer.
Posted in Nicaragua by Taylor Griffith on 7/16/2009
Every night we try to make it a point to come together and have a Bible study and also discuss our day and bring any darkness in our hearts to Light. This morning, Coribrought some frustrations before the group and as she was talking I was praying that God give me a vision so that I could encourage her. This is an account of that vision.
I see your hands running through stalks of wheat as you slowly walk through a field. As the picture grows larger I see that you're actually in a very large garden. It is lush with fruit and an abundance of brightly colored trees, shrubs, and all other assortments of flora and fauna. You're totally at peace, wrapped up in the beauty that surrounds you. You're walking in the garden of God's love.
As the picture grows still larger I notice that there are many people outside of this garden. They're spread out over the land, far and wide, and all seem to be struggling. This scene is one of chaos, a stark contrast from the peace within the garden, where you continue to walk. As you remain in the garden and enjoy its beauty, its borders begin to swell. It rapidly overtakes every inch of dead earth it comes into contact with and those who are nearest the outskirts get swallowed up in the mass of greenness. They are immediately at peace. No longer distracted by the chaos of the world around them, they are still and quiet, fulfilled, full of joy! The more you enjoy the garden, the more it grows, the more it brings others into the peace and tranquility of everything the garden has to offer.
So, what does this vision mean?
As we continue to pour into God, He will continue to pour into us. As that outpouring of the Spirit becomes an overflow, God's light will spill out over others and they will see Him for everything He is. It's not our responsibility to change people's hearts, it's our responsibility to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and body. It's not about what I can do, but what He can do through me.
Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.
Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
Posted in Guatemala by Taylor Griffith on 7/14/2009
(Written July 3, 2009)
How do I summarize a month of intense growth in Christ into a single blog post that's short enough to hold your attention, contains enough pictures to keep you interested, and vulnerable enough to encourage and edify those who read it? I have no idea!
I've never experienced pursuing Christ within community. I mean, you can look through the ENTIRE New Testament and find tons of references to it, but I've never truly experienced it, even at church. So, what does it look like? What makes it so revolutionary?
I can think of many examples, and they all share a common bond in truth, humility,and edification. When someone does something that gets on your nerves, that you don't like, that doesn't sit well, even if it's small, you bring it to Light. 1 John talks about God being Light and in Him there is no darkness at all and if we say that we walk in the Light, but continue to walk in darkness we are liars. Bring darkness to the Light. When you bring those feelings and thoughts to the table (the Light), they're exposed and can no longer build resentment or bitterness within your own thoughts (the darkness).
When you prefer others above yourself...
Ok, can I be completely honest? God has done some amazing things this month. He's grown me in ways I never imagined, I've experienced His love in ways I never dreamed, and even experienced some great adventures, courtesy of God's goodness...but I haven't been able to get any of it out! Ugh! Writers block... Hence the lack of bloggage lately. I apologize!
I guess that's a good example of how this month has been for me spiritually...DRY! But, even within this season, there has been so much fruit! I've seen Mira, the girl pictured below freed from a demon, God bring new people into our Squad, provision, faithfulness, and so much more. I think it has a lot to do with my willingness to pursue Him regardless of how I feel and also to act in obedience. To take the Bible SERIOUSLY for freaking once and actually LIVE OUT what it says.
In all things pray...I pray a lot and when I tell people I'll pray for them, I do it right THEN. God is Light and in Him there is no darkness. I've begun to try and admit my sins, to bring anything that doesn‘t sit well in my spirit to the table, and when I don‘t bring them to the table there are others around me who encourage me to bring it to Light. A band of three strands is not easily broken...I pursue relationships and get pursued when I don‘t feel very social. Hey, it happens! Do not let any unwholesome talk come from your lips...that's what she said jokes, just don't have the same zip they used to. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and spirit...I pursue relationship with Him even when I feel like I get nothing out of it, and listen to see what God wants to tell me, rather than vomit all of my problems at His feet. It's been FRUSTRATING, but it's also been amazing to see the results!
Today our squad went to a special-needs children's hospital in Antigua. A place full of handicapped orphans who were discarded after they were born, because apparently they‘re unlovable. When I found out where we were going I wasn't too excited, because for the past couple of days I've turned into quite the anti-socialist. I've just wanted to be on my own, without having to worry about encouraging other people, or edifying, or bother with who's doing what or going where. But on the way to this hospital Jared and I started talking about prayer and how important it is in our everyday lives and shared the fruits of it that we ourselves have experienced. So, when we got to hospital we encouraged one another and lifted each other and ourselves up in prayer. It totally changed my heart! After praying I was so ready to go in and love those kids...something I've never been very comfortable with. When we got inside there were basically rooms full of cribs where kids were laying, because they weren't physically capable of walking around. Some were crying, some screaming, and some laying in silence. It was heart-breaking, but one special boy caught my eye...I ended up spending our entire time there with an 8-year-old handicapped orphan named Roberto. Man he really touched my heart. I held him, talked to him in the little Spanish I know, played with him, fed him, held his hands, and rubbed his head when he got tired...my heart grew a lot today.
Compassion is so not my default, but through prayer and willingness, God changed my heart in an instant and replaced my bad attitude with joy and excitement. I love that kid and I know one day I will see Roberto in heaven and he will be a perfect creation, complete!
Matthew 25:40, Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did
one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me-you
did it to me.'
Posted in Just For Fun! by Taylor Griffith on 7/14/2009
So, what happens when you get 12 World Racers together to pursue God's will in 11 different countries? You get an amazing movement of the Holy Spirit! But, what about at the end of the day when we all come together to hang out? What happens then? CRAZINESS HAPPENS! Bahahaha...
Posted in Guatemala by Taylor Griffith on 6/5/2009
If it had been up to me I probably wouldn't have raised enough support to be on this trip right now. Before I even started raising support I had a few names on my mind. The ole, "Oh he's rich so he'll probably hook me up with tons of cash," and the "I go to a huge church, so I'm sure I'll get tons of support from there..." It's funny how God turns our expectations upside down and forces us to submit to His will. I think I'm still struggling with part of that lesson, but hey, it's OK to not be OK right?
The places I've gotten the most support have been the places I least expected. The people I didn't ask to pray have been the ones PURSUING ME for ways to pray. The people I don't even know personally, the people I didn't have hope in, the ones that don‘t go to my church, these have been the people who have given. The ones I know can't afford it have been the ones who have given the most. It's been a very interesting lesson.
I think God is saying focus less on what we need and more on His provision. Focus less on what we can't and more on what He can. Focus less on what we don't and more on what He does. Focus less on who I'm not and more on who He is.
God likes to shake things up. He likes to use people we would never expect. He uses those who have less to give more. He uses those who can't speak to lead a nation out of bondage. He uses those who are barren to number the earth like stars. He uses the weak to conquer giants. He uses silence to defeat nations. He uses death to give life... Ultimately He only uses those who will be used. Will you?
This is why it's so important to be in alignment with His will. To constantly seek Him and know His heart. Because if we're all walking around seeing only with our eyes, we won't hear His voice and will certainly be lead astray. We'll never receive the promise. We'll never experience more of Him. We'll forever be left to play in the shallow end of the pool. Who wants that? Not me! I want to jump off the diving board into the depths of who He is. This trip is becoming less and less about what I can do and more and more about how He is changing me.
I want to thank all of you who have supported me financially and also those of you that continue to pray for me. I think I only need a few hundred more to reach my annual goal and I have no doubt that God will continue to provide in exciting ways. But honestly, I'm more worried about your prayers. Please be praying that my team and I remain and rest in His love. Perfect love casts out all fear. It was love that Saved each of us and it is a reflection of that love that will continue to bring others to Him.
Posted in Guatemala by Taylor Griffith on 6/2/2009
So, we made it! Safe and sound. And after two days in Boston, a four hour flight to Houston, an hour layover, a three hour flight to Guatemala City, another hour at the airport, and a four hour van ride into the mountains, I was getting ready to settle down.
It's only been two days and God has already begun growing and moving within our squad. We're learning that brokenness and growth in Christ is a constant process and as soon as we start getting comfortable, God will shake things up again.
Earlier today my team came across a woman sitting by the lake crying. Her husband had been beating her and told her he didn't want her anymore. She had nowhere to go, no money, and no hope. She wanted to die. For almost an hour Tara sat huddled next to her and prayed with her, even after it started raining. After walking back up from the lake to the café by our hotel, we exchanged one of Tara's $20's for 160Q and we put her on a bus for Guatemala City where her mom lives.
So, that's about it for now. I'll try to keep everyone updated when I have time! Pray for rest in the Lord, I'm super tired already, and that we continue to seek His will. Thank you all so much for your continued support!
Today our squad went to a special-needs children's hospital in Antigua. A place full of handicapped orphans who were discarded after they were born, because apparently they‘re unlovable. When I found out where we were going I wasn't too excited, because for the past couple of days I've turned into quite the anti-socialist. I've just wanted to be on my own, without having to worry about encouraging other people, or edifying, or bother with who's doing what or going where. But on the way to this hospital Jared and I started talking about prayer and how important it is in our everyday lives and shared the fruits of it that we ourselves have experienced. So, when we got to hospital we encouraged one another and lifted each other and ourselves up in prayer. It totally changed my heart! After praying I was so ready to go in and love those kids...something I've never been very comfortable with. When we got inside there were basically rooms full of cribs where kids were laying, because they weren't physically capable of walking around. Some were crying, some screaming, and some laying in silence. It was heart-breaking, but one special boy caught my eye...I ended up spending our entire time there with an 8-year-old handicapped orphan named Roberto. Man he really touched my heart. I held him, talked to him in the little Spanish I know, played with him, fed him, held his hands, and rubbed his head when he got tired...my heart grew a lot today.
So, we made it! Safe and sound. And after two days in Boston, a four hour flight to Houston, an hour layover, a three hour flight to Guatemala City, another hour at the airport, and a four hour van ride into the mountains, I was getting ready to settle down.