I'm Engaged!!!!!

I am soooooooo excited to be engaged to Jonathan Asbun!!!!!! He is a wonderful gift from God and I am so thankful for God's goodness and faithfulness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jonathan is also a missionary with Living Water Teaching and he has committed to serving in Guatemala for the next four years! Isn't that awesome?!!!

Continue reading for my totally girly perspective of how we met and fell in love...

Background & How We Met

I met Jonathan for the first time while leading mission trip to Guatemala in July of 2008. He was assigned to be the translator for one of my team members and myself. That in itself is really cool, because I usually don't ask for a translator, but I was feeling a little rusty on my Spanish and wanted to make sure that I was using the proper words when sharing the Gospel with people so I requested a translator, and that's how we met. I obviously had to spend a good amount of time with him and so I was able to see how he treated people, how much he loved Jesus, and I saw how passionate he was about sharing the love of Jesus with others. Plus, I felt completely comfortable around him. I must admit, I was intrigued, which is a big deal, because I don't think I have ever really been intrigued by a guy before ;-)

I will admit, I did get a little annoyed that I was intrigued by a guy that I would likely never see again. I mean, he was from Bolivia, studying in Guatemala, and would probably be going back to Bolivia in a year or so... Out of all the guys in the world to intrigue me, it had to be someone far away and practically impossible. So, I decided to be thankful that God had sent me a great guy friend to remind me of the type of guy that I was waiting to meet (I seriously wrote about that in my journal that week, how by meeting Jonathan I was encouraged that there was someone still out there for me with the character traits I wanted in a guy, but as much as I thought Jonathan was great, I thought it was impossible, so I tried not to think about him).

During that trip, I spent a lot of time praying and seeking God. I felt as though God was calling me to a new level of surrender. I think that every time we walk through the process of surrender, that we feel as though there is nothing else to lay at the feet of Jesus, but with time we are once again finding the beauty of surrender. And when that happens as hard as it seems to lay down our man-made hopes and dreams, we can look back at the faithfulness of our wonderful Father and know that it doesn't matter how great our plans are, that a life given in full surrender to him, is indeed the best life of all!

It was during the prayer and the Bible reading and the seeking that I sensed great changed coming in my life. I felt as though God was preparing my heart for full-time missions. I started feeling as though God wanted me to move to Guatemala to be a missionary. I didn't mention it to anyone, I wanted to go home and pray some more, I wanted to make sure that I knew it was God and that I wasn't making a decision based on my surroundings.

So, I came back to Charlotte and continued praying, I still felt that it was what I was supposed to do, so I talked about it with some close mentors of mine, and was encouraged to begin the process of applying. By December, my applications had been approved and I was set to go for a month of training in February.

I was so excited, I knew that I was walking on the path that God had for me. Some people would ask me about when I wanted to get married, and I admit the thought was there in my mind, but I knew that God had called me to Guatemala for at least the next four years, so I was prepared to return to the states in my thirties and still single. Seriously, the desire to be married was there, but one of the things you find in surrendering to God's plan, is that your desire to walk in His will is stronger that that, so if it meant that I was going to be single forever, I was going to fulfill his plan!

So, I went to Guatemala in February for my training and guess who I saw? Jonathan! And boy, was I still intrigued! But, I just knew he would be going back to Bolivia and so I determined that I couldn't think about him. So, I stayed focused on my training. One day while in the dining hall on the Mission's Campus, we talked for a little while and he told me that he was actually going through the same application/training process that I was to become a full time missionary to Guatemala and that his four year commitment would start about the same time as mine! What?!!!! What was that beautiful music in my ears? He, Jonathan, the only guy to ever intrigue me, the one that I kept shoving out of my head, was going to be a missionary to Guatemala, at the same place and the same time I was? Well, as excited as I was on the inside, I was very polite on the outside. "Well, that's very nice." is all that I said. Haha! There was no way that I was going to tell him that a choir of angels was singing "The Hallelujah Chorus" around my head. I mean, God was talking to both of us about becoming missionaries and neither of us knew about it.

From there, I still tried to forget about him. I knew I was in Guatemala on a mission. Distractions were not allowed! So, when I realized (with lots of thought and prayer) that maybe this wasn't a distraction, I discussed it with a trusted missionary friend and got the thumbs up. He did the same. So, with time we began a closer friendship and it slowly, but surely began to develop into so much more! And now... we are going to get married!!!!

The Proposal

So, Jonathan came to the states for some training and itineration. While here, he was to come to Charlotte to meet and spend the holidays with my family (I went to Bolivia to meet his family over Thanksgiving). Well, on December 23rd we drove up to Asheville, NC to visit the Biltmore Estate, which is one of my favorite places. It is the biggest privately owned home in the United States, built by the Vanderbilts. It's beautiful and so full of history. We were going to a fancy dinner at the Biltmore Inn and then we were going on a Candlelight Christmas Tour of the home. I was so excited! Well, in all honesty, I was hoping he would propose because I thought it would be the perfect place and we were so dressed up, but I didn't know if he would, or if he had a ring, or anything. On top of that he was so calm during dinner, and I had always heard that the guys could never eat before proposing, but he didn't seem to have that problem ;-) haha! Well, it was between the entree and dessert that I saw him reach into his pocket... and then suddenly, the server appeared with coffee... so, I tried to read his face, did the sudden coffee appearance throw him off? Was he going to propose? Was my life about to forever be changed? So... he reached into his pocket again, I was hoping... and then he started telling me how wonderful I am (which I could write about for awhile because there are so many wonderful things about me, just kidding) and then he gave me the absolute most beautiful ring, EVER!!! It was so wonderful!!! I was soooooooo happy, I still am, of course!!!! It was a perfect proposal!!!!

I am so thankful for God's amazing goodness and grace! He is so faithful and His plans for our lives are so much better than anything we could ever hope or dream of!!!!

We don't know what all God has in store, but we do know that He is so good and we are so glad that He brought us together to serve Him and to share His amazing love with the world!!!

My Vision

One of my favorite verses is found in Psalm 119:89, it says, "I see the limits to everything human, but the horizons can't contain Your commands (MSG)." How true is that? Sometimes when I think about the dreams and visions that I have thoughts like, "who am I to do these things", or "how is that even possible", or "seriously, I know all the reasons why I should not be the one God chooses" come to mind. But, God in all of His faithfulness chooses to use us!!!!! His plans for us are so good, they are beyond anything we could ever imagine! The Word says that the horizons can't even contain His commands! WOW! So, as we trust in Him, and yield ourselves to Him, and believe what His Word says about us, He will open the doors and use us!

I have written out my visions along with a brief explanation. I am so looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds!!

• To serve as a missionary in Guatemala. To work with children in the school, church, and villages, teaching them the Word, so they in turn can change their nation! To work with the Bible Institute, so that more people will be trained and able to reach their communities. To serve on outreach trips to various towns, helping with youth and medical teams. I believe that my time serving with Living Water Teaching in Guatemala, is going to be an amazing time of helping and reaching people and also a great time of preparation. There are so many areas that I will be able to help with, but there is also so much for me to learn, and LWT has been in Guatemala for 30 years, so they have so much experience and knowledge that I can glean from. I know that God is going to use this time to get me ready for what else He has in store.
• To go wherever the Lord leads, no matter the country, culture, or conditions; to be willing and available to reach the hurting and helpless with the precious love of Jesus! I was recently asked which country was my favorite, out of all the ones I have been to. My answer was that all of them were. Each place that I have been from Nicaragua to Singapore to Afghanistan have all been so very different, difficult and wonderful all at the same time. I loved all of the experiences because I know that it was exactly where God wanted me to be. That is how I want it to be forever. Wherever the Lord leads, is where I want to be, I will learn languages, customs, and more "roughing it" skills, if God so leads, in an effort to reach the world for Christ!
• To establish a program where teens can spend a year after high school being trained in ministry, missions, and leadership development. I would like to have a program where students can take a year after high school and dedicate it to service. Through this program students will take Bible classes, study Spanish (or whatever language is spoken in the country where their program is), and do practical missions. This program will be one that I believe will have a lasting impact on the lives of those who participate. Also, this program will be one that focuses on preparing the student to have a focus on others as opposed to themselves, and to develop a life of service, no matter what career they decide to pursue.
• To help launch Bible Schools, where locals can be taught and trained, and in turn can begin to teach and train others, thereby having a multiplication effect on reaching each nation! I am a firm believer in the old saying, "give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." There are many places where the Word has not been taught, or where missionaries go occasionally and evangelize, but where there is no discipleship. By starting Bible Schools in towns and villages, the Word is taught to the local people, discipling them in the Word, and preparing them to impact their community, so that in turn they train others. I believe that by opening Bible Schools, it also helps people take ownership and leadership instead of looking to the missionaries and pastors as their sole source of spiritual development. The multiplication effect that this has is infinite!
• To open a missions training facility that focuses on the Word, language and culture, equipping missionaries to go to the ends of the earth. Missions is so incredibly important, and my desire is to help prepare missionaries to take the Word of God throughout the world. There is so much that goes into moving to another country. Many times it involves a new language, different customs, clothing, food, and accomodations. There have been so many people who were excellent in their career, rather businessmen or ministers, that when they moved to another country to do the same thing they were doing in theirs, failed. Many times this was due to culture shock and not understanding the customs and language. I believe that by equipping those who desire to be missionaries with the Word first and foremost, but also with an understanding of the culture in which they will live, along with language training, and internships, that this will help further prepare them for successful ministry. I can so see having a campus where missionaries can go to get focused training for the country where they will go, it will be equipped with a language lab where they can receive classes in any language imagined, where they can learn the administrative policies of their focus area and all the other things that would help them reach the world more effectively.

I would love for you to join with me and share in this vision! The whole purpose of this is to reach people with God's love! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me! Trust me, I'm passionate about this, so any chance to discuss it is always welcome!

I appreciate your prayers and financial support in making this vision possible!

Guatemala Newsletter - October 2009

I am so excited about all that God is doing!!! He is so incredibly faithful!!!!!

Here is my newsletter for October. It tells about my vision, what has been going on, how to support and more! Hope you like it!

Living Spiritually

I went through some old notebooks and things and a notecard fell out that I had written the following quote on:

"To grow spiritually means to live increasingly as Jesus would in our unique place-- to perceive what Jesus would perceive if He looked through our eyes, to think what He would think, to feel what He would feel, and therefore to do what He would do."

So many times people think spiritual growth comes from getting more knowledge, and don't get me wrong, we do need to learn and study (trust me, I am a nerd when it comes to school, learning and studying), but our true spiritual growth is reflected when we are putting into practice what we have learned.

I am Christ's representative, therefore, no matter where I am, what I am doing, who I am with, I should be Jesus to the people around me. When I see people, I should see them with Christ's eyes, which are always full of love and compassion; the thoughts and meditations of my heart should be pleasing to Him. The feelings I experience should be those that He would feel.

That is my desire! Oh, I am fully aware that I have a LONG way to go, but as we seek Him with all our heart, as we get to know Him and what He truly thinks about us, then we can look at this world that is in need of His love, and see, think and feel what He would and in turn our actions will reflect the love that goes beyond anything that we could ever deserve and exceeds even the greatest imagination!

So here's to reaching the world with the amazing, unconditional, extravagant, overwhelming love of our wonderful Savior! May we love them well!

Pray.

Today I had the wonderful priviledge of teaching about missions at chapel for The Branch Christian Academy. I was very excited, as I love missions and I love kids, so teaching kids about missions was PERFECT! :-) Today's focus was on prayer, specifically praying for missionaries and other countries.

While everyone is not called to pick up and move to another country, I do believe that we are all called to be involved with missions and one way is to pray for others. Praying for missionaries is very important and needed. Ephesians 6:18-19 says, "Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike." It is important to pray for believers that are all over the world and to pray that God will give us all the right words to say, so that people can understand Jesus' amazing love!

Matthew 9:37-38 says, "He said to his disciples, 'The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.'" There are people all over the world, in every country, every city, town and village that need to know about Jesus, this verse is a reminder to pray for those who are going to share God's love and to also pray that more will go.

I shared an acronym of the word BLESS with the students as a way to remember things to pray about for missionaries, I find it to be quite helpful and would absolutely love it, if you would pray for these things for me.

B-body (health and safety)
L-labor (work and activities)
E-emotions (thoughts and feelings)
S-social (family and friends)
S-spiritual (time and growth in their personal walk with God).

The Bible says in James 5:16 that, "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." So I would feel very "blessed" if you would pray for me as I prepare to move to Guatemala and as I am there. I look forward to seeing the wonderful results!

Thank you!

Putting My Life On Hold?

I have heard a variety of responses from people about my moving to Guatemala to be a missionary, but there is one that I have been pondering a lot lately. Several people have commented on how great it is that I am willing to put my life on hold to go serve people in another country. I completely understand what they mean when they say it, as there are many other things that I could be doing, but there are plenty of other things that everyone could be doing, right?

The thing is that when you are following God's plan for your life and you are pursuing Him, then it doesn't matter where you go, what you are doing, or what you are "giving up," you will not be putting your life on hold. I know this to be a fact! In the beautiful surrender of laying down my desires, my plans, my selfishness, I find that instead of putting my life on hold, or giving up everything, that I am in fact walking into an abundance of life, of sheer joy and complete peace. It is so wonderful!

It is hard to explain exactly what I mean, but I would suppose that it is similar to the feeling of joy that comes with parenthood. Well, I am not a parent, so this is totally based on my observations and on what I hope to feel when I am a mother, so we'll see... I know that parents sacrifice a lot for their children, I know mine did, and I am sure that there are plenty of other things that a parent could do with their time, money, and possessions, but something about seeing their children grow and learn and fulfill their dreams, becomes their life, they find great joy in them, and they know that no matter the sacrifices that they had to make, that they wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I sure hope that makes sense, but that is how it is for me. I know that I may not have the typical life, that there are conveniences that I am going to be giving up, that there will likely be times where I wonder what I was thinking, but in the midst of it, I will know deep down inside, that this was meant to be.

I truly believe that the plans that God has for us are good. That He exceeds our hopes and dreams, and that He has an amazing way of giving us the best surprises! So, here I am so excited to be walking into this new season of life, savoring each moment, and knowing that in Him comes the fullness of joy!

Arms Open Wide

I absolutely love the "Tear Down the Walls" CD by Hillsong United! Today as I was driving, the song "Arms Open Wide" came on and I had to keep playing it over and over. It is a beautiful song and so reflects my heart. I love it! So, here are the words:

Take my life I lay it down
At the cross where I am found
All I have I give to You oh God

Take my hands and make them clean
Keep my heart in purity
That I may walk in all You have for me

Oh here I stand
Arms open wide
Oh I am Yours
And You are mine

Take my moments and my days
Let each breath that I take
Be ever only for You oh God

My whole life is Yours
I give it all
Surrendered to Your Name
And forever I will pray
Have Your way
Have Your way

Oh here I stand
Arms open wide
Oh I am Yours
And You are mine


I want to walk in all that God has for me! I surrender completely to Him! May I walk with clean hands and a pure heart! And may every moment, every breath, every day be lived for His glory!