Update Letter - December 2011

Merry Christmas!

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.'" Luke 2:8-11 

Peace to you in this joyous season. I feel especially blessed this year to spend Christmas with my family in Colorado because the day I arrived, my beautiful new niece was born. What a sweet and awesome blessing to be near her in her first 2 weeks of life. I have really enjoyed cuddling with her and marveling at the miracle of her birth and tiny little features. And I can't help but think about the birth of the King of Kings over 2000 years ago... the Great Almighty in the form of a tiny, helpless child - the ultimate demonstration of incarnational love. 

My most favorite part of the Christmas story is the manner in which God the Father decided to send his Son to this world. The Jewish people expected the Savior to come as a powerful king, possessing an authority that no one would dare question, crushing his enemies and treading on the heads of the unrighteous. But the Lord had different plans. He chose a young, poor, unmarried girl to carry and give birth to the Messiah. He staged the epic event in an unimpressive, dirty stable. And he chose to reveal the news of Jesus' birth to a ragtag bunch of 'scum of the earth' shepherds. God chose the most meek and unlikely cast of characters to begin the story of redemption for ALL people, especially the weak, lowly, and forgotten of the world - and what great news it is!

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." Isaiah 61:1-3

I am incredibly grateful for your love and support! May the gracious Lord draw near to you in this season and bring to you great joy and many blessings. Merry Christmas!

Joyful, Joyful!

We just concluded our fall quarter of the SP internship and celebrated with a special rendition of "Joyful, Joyful" from Sister Act 2. It's been a great quarter of settling deeper into ministry and community here in LA and beginning to look towards the future. Moving into this discernment season is exciting, but bittersweet since it will mean leaving the community that I've grown to love so much! 

Bolivia!

In November, a teammate and I completed a site visit to Bolivia. We had the opportunity to visit several ministries and witness the many ways in which God is at work in the city. The trip was very helpful in reaffirming my call to La Paz and I'm currently considering three different options to serve longterm in Bolivia after the internship. Check out my blog to see pictures, videos, and stories from our trip!

Prayer Requests:

- That I would stay present and finish well in L.A.
- That I would continue to be challenged and grow
- That I would hear from the Lord as I start to discern my future in Bolivia