I have invited you to join my team and I on our journey to Kenya this summer, one of the ways that you can do this is to give financially. There are many ways that this can be done, you can give in person, through email bank transfer to (ashley.emery43@gmail.com), and through the adventures in missions website. If you choose to give to the website the steps are as follows,
www.adventures.org - Under the "Choose Program" drop down button select: Ambassador - Type my name into "Full Participants Name" section: Ashley Emery - Type in the amount you've chosen to give. - Click "Continue" to proceed with the donation.
Thank you for joining us on this journey, please continue to check this blog for updates on the trip. If you have more questions please email me or comment on the blog and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
1-2 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, "They took the Master from the tomb. We don't know where they've put him."
3-10Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.
11-13But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been laid. They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?"
13-14"They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him." After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't recognize him.
15Jesus spoke to her, "Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?"
She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, "Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him."
16Jesus said, "Mary."
Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" meaning "Teacher!"
17Jesus said, "Don't cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.'"
18Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: "I saw the Master!" And she told them everything he said to her.
To Believe
19-20Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you." Then he showed them his hands and side.
20-21The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated his greeting: "Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you."
22-23Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. "Receive the Holy Spirit," he said. "If you forgive someone's sins, they're gone for good. If you don't forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?"
24-25But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, "We saw the Master."
But he said, "Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won't believe it."
26Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you."
27Then he focused his attention on Thomas. "Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don't be unbelieving. Believe."
28Thomas said, "My Master! My God!"
29Jesus said, "So, you believe because you've seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing."
30-31Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.
Jesus died on a cross but he also rose from the dead. Resurrection Sunday is a day to party, rejoice and celebrate.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-- a place near your alter, O Lord Almight, my King and my God Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgramage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the Autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength. till each appears before God in Zion.
Hear my prayer, O Lord God Almight; listen to me, O God of Jacob. Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.
Alright here is another post so that you can continue getting to know these amazing students
Kristen- This trip was hard on her, she is very close to her family and so to be so far away from them was very difficult for her, but on this trip she learn to lean on the Father and he would bring her through. It was incredible to see her fall more deeply in love with the Lord during this time
Emily- Oh Emily she was a heart, this is a girl that is pure heart. God broke Emily's heart on this trip, this sounds like a bad thing but it was a beautiful sight to see. God broke Emily's heart for what broke his and because of this she overcame so much fear and saw her earnest prayers answered when a woman who was paralyzed walked.
Allison- Oh my this girl! She came in so distrustful and almost quiet. Yet thats not who she is, she is a loyal friend with a heart of gold. God spoke to Allison about how she is a leader, it was great!
I found myself thinking of my Kenya team a lot recently, they were amazing everything I could have asked for in my first team. I often felt guilty because I was so blessed by these individuals they made my job so easy. So today I was to introduce you to them. We will go oldest to youngest...
Jesse- Started the trip as one person and ended the trip someone else. God radically transformed him on this trip. This is a man full of wisdom, who has a tender heart but would not stand down from a fight to protect a child from harm.
Matt- Is from Kentucky, so he speaks kind of funny sometimes. This is a man full of authority and passion for his Saviour. Matt started out the trip kind of shy and afraid of speaking in front of people. He ended the trip by preaching multiple times to people of varying ages, God transformed him from a quiet boy to an authoritative man. It was a blessing to watch.
Well this is rather long, so I will carry this on tomorrow
Alright well these past couple of months have been overwhelming, between school, work, family stuff and ever longing to serve those around the world, they have been hard and sometimes it would have been far to easy to ask why God. But God is good and He never leaves me, here are some of the things though that He has used to give me a boost
Some New Cory Asbury http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o3mMsmbIbQ
I am not sure you knew this but I have been reading through the Bible since July 2010, it has been 16 months and I am only in Job. Sometimes in the past year and a bit I have been so frustrated by the fact that I felt as if I had made no progress on reading through the Bible, it was so frustrating to look forward and see how much I had to read, or look bad and see how little I had read. But now I am have reached Job, this was a book that I was dreading, whenever I read it before it was because I felt like I should just so I could say I had read it like a good Christian.
But when was the last time any of you have sat down and read job, not just reading it to finish it but to just soak in God's word. Job is powerful, I mean it starts out with God bragging about Job 'Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”' (Job 1:8NIV) God is bragging about Job like a proud father brags about his children. So God tells Satan that he believes in Job and Satan can test him, he can take everything about the man, but not harm Job himself. Still Job doesn't turn away from God he remains faithful, so then Satan challenges God again “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” (Job 2:4), so God relents again trusting Job to remain faithful, his only condition is that Satan cannot kill Job. Again Satan goes and strikes Job with illness that causes him to be covered in soars all over his body. Still Job does not curse God instead he says "...Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10)
Job is special, lets be honest most people (and by most I mean most likely everyone) does not have everything taken away from us including our health, family, homes, everything and act like Job. Job grieves yes, but he hasn't sinned yet, blaming God for this, Job has not stopped worshiping.
I love that verse "...Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" God does not promise us that our lives are going to be filled with happiness, God does not promise that our lives are going to be easy. Actually its the opposite we can look throughout the Bible, both old and new testaments and find that the peoples lives who followed God where in fact not easy at all. We will find that they are constantly being attacked whether verbally or physically because they are different and people don't like different.
If we are going to be different, if we are going to follow God we should accept the good AND the bad, the hard, the messy, the scary, everything. This life is about so much more then happiness.
