Swelling Up With Adoration

This week our guest speaker has been a remarkable man who goes by the name Robert Amess. Robert is an amazingly humble man, and he is truly gifted in communicating God’s profound Word to others. We have been studying the book of Hebrews with him and I must say that as I study this book, my awareness of the Lord’s compassion grows deeper. Tonight before we began lectures we sang Oh Come Let Us Adore Him and beneath the layers of familiarity of this old hymn God shared with me something sweet and unknown- that the desire of His heart is for my adoration. The more I study the Scripture and learn about the heart of this Jesus, the more my heart swells up in adoration for Him. 

This week I had my first outreach with the homeless. My outreach team goes out every other Monday from 5-9pm to serve alongside a ministry dedicated to loving the homeless community in Lancaster, which is about a half hour away from Carnforth. Once we arrive in Lancaster we first prepare the food and spend time worshipping and praying over our time of outreach. Then we pack all of the food up and bring it to the city fountain where our friends wait for us. The people are all so kind. I was very humbled and blessed by them. Stephen was one of the first guys I talked to and he is so sweet. He asked me what my job was back in the States before I moved and I told him that I babysat for a family. Stephen then proceeded to ask if I had children…haha. When I told him no and that I was only eighteen years old, he came over and hugged me saying “oh! She’s just a little baby!” I wish you could know the kindness of Stephen, he has such a big heart.

I also talked with a lady named Laura who shared with me a lot about her life and especially her teenage son, who is living with her mother currently. I don’t know all of the circumstances but I do know that Laura’s heart is broken. She loves and misses her son very much. I was so blessed by her honesty and she gave me the biggest hug before she left. Sometimes I get overwhelmed thinking about how to reach out to people like the homeless, but I learned that it’s really very simple. Reaching out is to share life with them, it’s offering nourishment, a listening ear and open arms.

So often I approach missions and outreach with the mindset that I will bless others, but actually they end up blessing me so much more. Please pray for my friends in Lancaster- that their hearts would be softened and that they would know the compassion and love Christ has for them.

Another note on outreach, the second term of winter school we have our 10-day outreach. There is an opportunity for ten students to go to Africa and I went to a meeting on Friday to get more information. The application process is quite fast. We get the applications tomorrow and are to turn them in by this Friday. Please pray for me as I pursue this opportunity- that God would give me peace and affirmation if it is His will for me to go to Africa.

To be completely honest, the last two weeks have been very wearying. I have been feeling so burdened and at times, very alone here. Yes, I am living in England next to a castle, surrounded my beautiful plush green pastures and wonderfully kind people, not to mention access to delicious European pastries, but the truth is, life still happens here. Bad days still occur in my life, and good days just the same. The frustrations of terrible Internet connection and the difficulty to get in touch with those back home [and in South Korea] has been a large contributor to the loneliness I feel at times. I long for the refreshment and joy of hearing those familiar voices and seeing their sweet faces, and its so frustrating to be limited in resources to get in touch with them. I suppose I’m a homebody away from home, and it’s starting to get uncomfortable. But if there is one thing I can attest to time and time again, it’s the compassion of Christ. He knows what I am feeling completely and he meets me in my need. I love the fact that Jesus came and dwelled among us as a man and that he felt human emotion. He is not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. I was so touched by this over the course of the past week- to know that I am known and understood by the Lord, and completely. I am loved and provided for in my weakness. I can’t help but adore Jesus. When I am far from home, His presence is with me. I pray that He would make my heart sensitive to know and to feel it.

Psalm 139: 5-12 says “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”

The trees are starting to lose their leaves and weather here in England has begun to get much colder. I can’t even imagine colder weather, but I know it’s coming. Thank goodness for our heater, Ernest, hot tea, sweaters and blankets. They make the cold seem cozy and so very lovely. I hope you are doing well, friends. I do certainly miss you all and look forward to seeing you at Christmas time.