Still Clinging To HIM...(but still missing you...)

First of all......I MISS YOU ALL!!!!!

I really hope that you are all doing well. I think about each of you on a daily basis, often more than once. I really should be working on homework at this point in time but I just couldn't help but update you. haha I have only wrote to you once...sorry! I stay pretty busy here...

Last time I wrote to you I told you that I was saying no to many things that I normally did here on campus and was having a hard time with it. Although that was really hard (and still is every now and then...) it was SO good for me. I'm so glad that I listened in that moment. I still have my moments of "busy-ness" but overall I am doing really well. I have time for things this semester that I never had time for before. I get to spend time with friends when they really need me, I have time to participate in fun extracurricular activities on campus, I have the ability to put my all into the things that I am committed to, and most importantly I have time for God! When I really think about it, it is crazy that I lived the past years of my life on this campus with that as almost a last thought...it's really sad actually...those were the times that I needed to be focusing on Him most. I obviously didn't get that. Praise the Lord for the awakening that I received while in Malaysia. I am striving right now to have Him in my mind 100 percent of the time...to be the ONE AND ONLY reason that I am living, walking, and breathing. Something that a few friends and I have started is a morning devotion everyday. Now this may seem hard to believe but I have never done a morning devotion time with God. I am NOT a morning person (as most of you know,haha) so committing to something like that always seemed crazy to me. I always did my time at night but for some reason we decided to start doing a morning one. It started with 2 of my friends from Singapore and I. We met at the football stadium (probably the quietest place on campus) at 7:00am to watch the sunrise, have devotion, and prayer for our campus and the day ahead of us. It was (and still is) the hardest thing for me to get to bed early and get up early but this has become the driving force for my days. I have missed one time and my day was "off"...it just didn't go right. I now know why people have always told me to do a morning quiet time. I LOVE it! :-) The really cool thing is that it started with just us 3 and now there are 3 others who are coming as well. We are hoping to draw more in as the year progresses. It is a really powerful time in each of our daily lives. Praise God for placing that on our hearts!

Another thing that I shared with you is that I knew that God was going to be using me here for something very important. The problem was that I wasn't sure how it was going to work out because it wasn't "like it is in Malaysia" here. Oh ye of little faith...haha That was me. Even though He isn't working through me in the way that He did during my time in Malaysia He is still using me and working through me here. I don't always understand how He is using me but He most definitely is. My heart is so desperately burdened for this campus and the people that are around me and He is using me through that. I am MOST DEFINITELY not perfect and I DEFINITELY don't have it all together but I can still cry out to God for this place and for Him to move here. That is how I think He is using me here...I am praying SO much! It blows me away how my prayer life took off during my time in Malaysia...that has stayed with and is still going. I have such a huge passion to pray for all things and people on this campus. I know that God is working through that. I am also leading one of the worship teams for our Chapel service that happens every Wednesday at 11:00am and He has definitely been using me there. I want for that time to become a "heart beat" for our campus' ministery and I think it is slowly going to become that. Alot of the people aren't especially accepting of the change that I am bringing in but I know that God is going to keep moving in their hearts and in that space each and every Wednesday morning. Pray for that if you have time!

Gosh...haha...I could keep typing and typing...more and more about the ways that I am seeing God move here but I have to go to class now. I really hope to hear from you all! Leave me some comments and share with me how God is moving in your life and how you are doing. Please! I love and miss you all so very much! Hope all is well...

Until Next Time :-)

Christie

PS:

Below are some of my pics from recent events here in Winfield and on my campus.

1.) The sunset from the top of the 77 steps that lead up to our college.

2.) A picture of me with all of outreach ministry members after an outing to a Eastern Orthodox Church.

3.) My Singaporean friend Alicia and I at Bluegrass...a really big musical bash here.

4.) My other Singaporean friend Isaac and I at a Southwestern football game...I was teaching him how to cheer! haha

5.) This is a picture of my Discipleship team at Southwestern. Yes...I'm in the pic but you probably can't see me...haha!

Hello from Grand Lake, Oklahoma USA!

I know some of you are probably thinking...“Wait…I thought she was from Kansas?” haha You’re right…I am from Kansas, but right now I am on vacation (holiday) with my family at Grand Lake in Oklahoma. We have a holiday on Monday called Labor Day where we celebrate all of the people that have and are continuing to work hard in this country on a daily basis. Most people use this extra long weekend to go on vacation (holiday) somewhere. Every year my whole family travels to this lake and we get to have a few days of relaxation right after school is back in session. Right now I am actually sitting on my families boat out on the lake while my uncle and grandpop are fishing. In fact, my uncle has already caught 2 fish but I’m definitely not looking too forward to eating them,haha,fish here are SO much different than in Malaysia. Yerrrrr! hahaha

On a brighter note, it’s beautiful here. This evening is one of those in between moments where the seasons seem to be moving into one another. It was hot this afternoon but it is definitely cooling down now. Autumn has to be slowly approaching.

Thinking about the seasons made me think about Malaysia. I thought about how it is probably still blazing hot and humid there. I wonder what kind of emotions my body would go through if I didn’t experience these seasons that I am so accustomed to, especially autumn, my favorite…Hmm, interesting thought!

Anyway, I had told a few of you that I had a blog spot that I wrote on once a week during my time in Malaysia. I used the blog to let all of my friends and family at home know what was going on with me and all the ways that God was using me. It was extremely hard to put everything into words and I most definitely did not do justice to my experience but once I got back I heard from all of them that they were so happy to hear what was going on with me. It gave them a chance to take in a bit of what I was going through and somewhat feel like they were still near me. After hearing the positive feedback from them I thought that it would be nice for you and me to stay in touch. I am really, really, REALLY missing you and Malaysia so very much. I can’t put into words all of the emotions that I have experienced since getting back but it has definitely been a challenge. God has put a lot of work ahead of me since returning and I have my hands full. BUT! I know that I can do it because He gave me so many tools this summer in all that I learned.

The past 3 years of my college experience were so full and busy. I never really knew how to say “no” so I ended up being REALLY involved and over committed. I was involved in 6 main things: Theatre, Chapel, Choir, Orchestra, Selah (my praise band), and The Discipleship Team. Even with all of those things on my plate I worked about 20 hours a week, took about 18 hours of classes a semester, and also helped out whenever others needed me to do things. I was SO stressed all the time. I never felt peace and I always felt overwhelmed. But, I couldn’t figure out how to say no. When the end of my time in Malaysia was nearing I all of a sudden started feeling the words “say no” placed on my heart. This summer was one of the few times in my life where I was able to just say yes to God and not worry about anything else. I started feeling that the words “say no” were in reference to my schedule this year at school. I started praying that God would show me what He wanted me to say yes to and what He wanted me to say no to so that I could be as at peace with Him now as I was while I was there in Malaysia. Slowly it was brought to my attention that I was supposed to say yes to Chapel, Selah, and Discipleship but no to all the others. I couldn’t and still can’t believe that God was asking me to give up the other things but I forced myself to do it. That was HARD. I’ve been involved in all of these things since the beginning of my schooling and now I am not. Very hard… But after saying no to those things I led the first chapel of the year, met with my Discipleship team, and started thinking about the route that I am supposed to go with Selah this year (which I am in charge of this year) and found out exactly why God wants those other things out of my life right now. He needs me to completely put my all into these 3 things because they need revival so badly. I’ve found since being back that I have so much sharing and living that I need to do with the people involved in each of these groups that I have to make time for that. I know that I have a big role to play in the revival happening here and so I need to have extra time in my life to really pray for the people involved in each of these groups with me. I have a big job this year but I know that God has given me and will continue to give me all that I need to do His work here. So, this is just the beginning…I am praying right now that He would share His vision with me. I am also praying that He would focus my heart on “here and now”. I am still having issues every now and then with wishing that I was still in Malaysia but I know that I have to focus on where He has brought me right now and all He needs me to do without letting things like my emotions hinder His work. So, as you can see, I already have big work to do now that I’m back and not to mention…this is my last year of school. Whew! God give me strength! If you have any extra time to pray for me…I would greatly appreciate it...

Now, all of that being said…I know that we all have busy schedules and lives but I am hoping to be able to keep you up to date on what I am doing here and all that is happening in my life, post-Malaysia. On this blog there is a place where you can leave me messages and notes and I would love to hear from you as well! Please stay in touch and know that I love you all dearly and pray to God daily that we will meet again if it is in His plans for us. Miss you!!!
Until Next Time…
Christie :-)