One of the things that I love about Jesus is that He could be talking with Pilate or the woman at the well, and He proclaimed the kingdom.  His message never changed no matter where He was or whose company He was in.  He came “to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoner.”  Captives and prisoners are not confined to social stratus, religious affiliation or anything else.  It doesn’t matter if I am having dinner in a castle or dinner at a girl scout camp–the purpose is always the same.  The kingdom!

That’s the season I am in right now.  I have the privilege of serving ministry leaders and business leaders and their families.  That means that I end up in all kinds of different environments and places, and I just love it!! This last year included African huts with some beautiful brothers and sisters in Africa and a girl Scout Camp in Hong Kong:

It also included a dinner with Lord Wei who is a member of England’s house of Lords and a brother in Christ and dinner in a beautiful old “castle” building in France with some wonderful men who are sharing Jesus on the equivalent of Wall Street in Paris.

I want you to be able to have a small snapshot of my many different experiences and trips over the year 2011, where I had opportunities to engage in different ways with the “shepherds and kings”  God has given me a passion for.  I have given you each trip/event in 2011 with a brief descriptor and pictures that are worth 100 words!!  Fasten your seatbelt, as it was a BUSY year!!  🙂

Feb 2011–Uganda and Kenya.  I visited with Caleb and Alair, friends and ministers of Jesus with New Hope in Uganda.  Caleb was very, very sick, and they were not sure what was wrong with him so it was a blessing for all of us to be together!  In Kenya, I got to accompany the Kumveka team as they came alongside a ministry to third culture kids called Blue Sky in a process of rebranding their ministry.

March 2011–Honduras.  I went to see Michelle, a ministry leader in Honduras.  Michelle started out alone in Honduras with International Teams, but now she is responsible for a team of both Americans and Hondurans.  God is using this camp pictured below to serve the Honduran church at large as well as to serve the blind and disabled.  It has been a blessing to be on this journey with Michelle, and we usually have a time of spiritual retreat together.

May 2011–Atlanta.  I attended board meeting for an organization called LDI operating in China/UAE.  I have served on this board for 10 years now, and with all of the challenges and opportunities, it has been a great place of stretching and seeing God grow us all in faith!  It’s also been a place of forming significant relationships with board members and leadership at LDI.

May 2011–Nashville.  I participated in a branding session with the Kumveka team with an African ministry, seeing firsthand what God has given Kumveka to do as well as meeting again Larry, who was part of the group in Africa when En Gedi’s name was born, and hearing his vision for what God has given him to do in Africa:

August 2011–New Mexico.  I visited some long time friends from the Gathering, a conference that happens one time a year to help connect a community of givers.  I’ve been going to the Gathering since my start at MWF in 1998, and I met Jeff my very first year.  Jacqlyn came into Jeff’s life shortly thereafter, a great gift to all of us!  🙂

September 2011–Florida.  I attended the Gathering with other dear friends who have a passion for giving to the kingdom.  It’s always a highlight of the year as we get to learn what is happening around the world, be encouraged with great Bible teaching, and continue building relationships with others with similar passions!

September 2011–Denver.  I attended the Youth For Christ International General Assembly where I got to know ministry leaders from all around the world with YFC as well as interact with some of the partners who have given to YFCI.  I met some dear new friends, and it was a rich time all the way around seeing firsthand God’s creativity and heart for the world!

October 2011–Slovenia.  I visited long time dear friends and partners in the Gospel who are leading ministry to youth leaders with Josiah Venture in Slovenia.  I got sick the day I got there and stayed that way for 4 days!!  They graciously allowed me to languish in their basement, and we still had a sweet time together–eventually!  We also had a minor emergency with Luke’s head in the process!  Excitement all around! 🙂

October 2011–England, France, and Czech.  I went on a ministry tour through England, France and Czech Republic with a small group from the Gathering (that’s where the castles come in!).  We saw 4 to 5 ministries a day for almost 9 days straight and got an overview of what God is doing in these parts of Europe!  It was so amazing to hear of the “life” that is in some of these countries in Europe that many consider to be post-Christian.  Aslan, is indeed, on the move, and it was an absolute privilege to meet his warriors with my Gathering friends.

October 2011–Czech Republic and Slovakia.  After leaving the wonderful Gathering crew, I continued on my own to the Czech Republic where I visited with Dave and Connie and Mel and Amy, leaders of Josiah Venture, a ministry to train youth leaders in Eastern Europe.  They are dear friends and long time partners in the Gospel and time with them is always rich and full of personal challenge as well as the joy of sharing ministry together!  I also got to see some other wonderful friends in ministry along the way.

November 2011–China/Hong Kong.  The final overseas stop in 2011 was to China and Hong Kong for the fall board meeting for LDI, the organization that serves in China and the UAE that I mentioned earlier.  There were a lot of significant things on our agenda, and the Lord answered our prayers for wisdom.  We got to see some of our operational aspects in China as well as have necessary board meetings in Hong Kong.

November 2011–Chattanooga.  I went to Tennessee to serve on a board for an organization called Giving of Life.  They were awarding 3 significant financial gifts to ministries, and I was part of the panel to decide among the 20 ministries who was going to receive the 3 gifts.

December 2011–Seattle, WA.  I went out to Seattle to visit some new dear friends that I met at the General Assembly at YFC International as well as to be part of a presentation of one of my Gathering friends as he was sharing about a ministry that he is very vested in in the Philippines!

That is my 2011 in a BIG nutshell!!  God has been faithfully at work and has allowed me to be a part of some incredible things this year, much of which cannot be shared by detail in a blog.  I’m so thankful to be a daughter of the King and to be any part of what He is doing!!  Thank you for praying for me and giving toward what God has given me to do!  I am blessed and I pray that you will be too!!

Welcome to 2012!!