Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

There are some aspects of society that transcends borders, cultures, continents.  For young women, it is the way they view themselves.  Unfortunately, the media has only used this struggle as a way to make money off of the female gender.  I have sadly had more conversations this week with beautiful young women struggling with their body image more than I had in the whole time I was at university (and I lived on a floor with about 30 ladies!)

In and around October my fellow intern and I decided we were going to run a program for the young ladies to help them see their beauty (both inward and outward) and give them a place where they know they can talk about their struggles, work through them, and come alongside each other in accountability.  This is not, however, the first time I've run this type of program because I actually based it off of a program we did at university called Get Fit Get P.H.A.T.: Fearfully & Wonderfully Made.  And in it's 7 weeks of running we will go through 5 areas of holistic healthy living: Physical, Emotional, Mental, Social, & Spiritual.  Each week we will engage in a different type of physical activity to help the girls figure out what way they enjoy exercising.  Some, like myself, might enjoy circuit training and running and playing sports where others might enjoy walking, yoga, or cycling (I wish I enjoyed cycling!).  Each young lady will also make a goal for herself, however, the stipulations are that it cannot pertain to a weight goal or clothes size because that way it is something that can continue on in the long run (i.e. eating a salad 3 times a week or walking 30 mins each day, etc.).  We want to help the girls realize that there are more aspects to a healthy life than being a certain weight or fit into a certain size.

The biggest truth that we want the girls to walk away with is that God doesn't make mistakes and that they are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image.  So many times we as women look for who we are suppose to be in the magazines, TV ads, and movies.  The fact of the matter is societies view on beauty changes...just take a look at pictures of "beautiful women" in the '60s to now.  Societies view changes, but God's doesn't.  "Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes.  You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."- 1 Peter 3:3-4.


Why am I telling you all this?  Because we need your prayers.  Like I said, we've been planning this program since October and I don't find it a coincidence that we haven't gotten the funding until now, about a week before the program begins and only about a week after having conversations with girls about their negative view of themselves.  This program is under God's timing, His control, pray that we speak His Truth into their lives throughout the entire program.  Who knows, maybe this will continue past the 7 weeks!  Thank you again for your continued prayer.  You are an intricate part of the ministry here in Newcastle and what we're doing would not be possible without your prayers!

Celebration Weekend

This weekend was filled with celebrations, from a birthday to St. Patty's Day to Mother's Day, this side of the Atlantic was buzzing!

In Tollymore Forest during internship summer 2009 

These lovely ladies in this picture with me have been some of the greatest blessings to me while I do ministry.  Ewelina (bottom) is from Poland, was born on St. Patrick's Day, and hopefully will be living with me in the near future, God willing everything works out with our living situations.  Mackenzie (top left) currently works in Kesh, but comes to visit every now and again to her "home away from home away from home" and is originally from the Chicagoland area, like myself.  We met at Murlough House during the summer of 2009 and have stayed close ever since.  

During one of Macintosh's recent visits to Newcastle

Mackenzie (AKA Macintosh) came down and celebrated Ewelina's (AKA E-Dubs) birthday and St. Patrick's Day with us.  She and I were able to go to Downpatrick for the parade, watched Irish dancing, listened to traditional Irish music, as well as visiting St. Patrick's resting place.  It was lovely to enjoy the cultural atmosphere with a few other foreigners!  Hehe  It was also Mother's Day on the Emerald Isle on Sunday.  After church, we spent the afternoon with the 2 cutest babies in Newcastle and their beautiful mothers.  It was the perfect way to celebrate the day, although it was a bit difficult for me, knowing I wasn't able to say Happy Mother's Day to my own mother.

With great celebration also came difficulties within the ministry on the weekend.  Sunday night we had to intervene in a fight that happened outside the Kairos.  As much as there are great progressions occurring with the young people, satan is not excited and is using events like that to discourage our team of willing servants that volunteer.  God is moving here in Newcastle, there's no doubt about that, but where God is moving through willing servants, satan tries to destroy the victory we already have as members of the Kingdom.  These lyrics express our cry perfectly:

Bring Your Kingdom Here

by Rend Collective Experiement

Come set Your rule and reign

In our hearts again

Increase in us we pray

Unveil why we're made

Come set our hearts ablaze with hope

Like wildfire in our very souls

Holy Spirit come invade us now

We are Your Church

We need Your power

In us

We seek Your kingdom first

We hunger and we thirst

Refuse to waste our lives

For You're our joy and prize

To see the captive hearts released

The hurt, the sick, the poor at peace

We lay down our lives for heaven's cause

We are Your church

We pray revive

This earth

Build Your kingdom here

Let the darkness fear

Show Your mighty hand

Heal our streets and land

Set Your church on fire

Win this nation back

Change the atmosphere

Build Your kingdom here

We pray

Unleash Your kingdoms power

Reaching the near and far

No force of hell can stop

Your beauty changing hearts

You made us for much more than this

Awake the kingdom seed in us

Fill us with the strength and love of Christ

We are Your church

We are the hope

On earth

Something exciting I will be blessed to experience is a true Irish wedding!  Two lovely friends will be tying the knot in a couple weeks and it has everyone chatting about what to wear, what the bride will be wearing, and the dancing we're all excited for.  

Prayer Points:

1. Wisdom during tough situations

2. Housing situation upon return

3. Holy Spirit intervening in the lives of the young people as well as in our interactions with them

You're the God of this city, You're the King of these people, You're the Lord of this nation, You are...

Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done here...

This past month has been filled with ups and downs both in events within the town and within the hearts and lives of its people.  During this last month was the anniversary of a horrific stabbing resulting in the death of one of the well-known young people of the town.  Within a week after the memorial in remembrance of this young man, one of his family members was stabbed, and the weekend following that another of his family members were stabbed.  Thankfully neither were fatal, but tears, fears, and heartache have consumed the young people we encounter at drop-in.

Romans 8:28 says that God uses all things for the good of those called according to His purpose.  I emphasis all because He has used this fatal stabbing and the recent outlashes to bring about extended ministries, vulnerable and open conversations between young people and leaders, as well as shining God's light into a dark situation through hope and healing.

Extended ministries:  Because of the stabbing last year, a new ministry outreach of drop-in on Sunday nights from 8-10pm has developed.  This is one of multiple occasions when the young people are introduced to the Gospel message.

Vulnerable and open conversations: Young women who seemed to have such a tough exterior have began to breakdown, let leaders in, and speak from their hearts of the pain, fears, and hurt they are experiencing.

Shining God's light through hope and healing: Conversations are beginning with those who have a fear of death and dying, they are continually asking us questions and are contemplating giving their lives to Christ, but desiring to know and understand what that truly means before taking that next step.

Pray for continual guidance and intervening of the Holy Spirit in conversations with the young people and their lives; that the Holy Spirit move like we've never seen it move before, stirring the hearts of these young people.  God's hand can be seen in what's happening in Newcastle.  Where do you see Him?

Why do I...

...run?  When people find out that I run many a time their reaction comes in the form of a simple question, "Why?!"  For me more than most the answer hits all too close to home: I run for those who can't.  I grew up watching my sister not be able to run around with the rest of us.  Mind you, she was very active, but I know not to the capacity of the rest of us or to the capacity that she desired and probably still does to this day.  I would eventually like to train for a marathon to raise money for spinal cord research.  So yes, at times it is painful, difficult, and awful.  But if it gives those who can't run a chance in the future to do so here on earth, I'll continue to run through the blood, sweat, and tears for those who can't.  Why do I run?  For those who can't.

...stand?  Those who know me well know that I'm not one to stay still for long.  Even when I sit I'm rarely still, but many notice that I stand more often than not.  When told I can sit down a lot of times I'll prefer to stand.  Again, this reason hits close to home again.  Both with my sister and my mom.  As my sister has gotten older she has had to revert from crutches to a wheelchair....constantly sitting.  This, combined with watching my mother who was once so strong become restricted to a hospice bed has made me thankful for the gift of being able to stand.  Again, I stand for those who can't, and thank God as I stand.

move?  Lastly, a question the young people at drop-in continually ask me is, "Why would you move to Northern Ireland when you're from America?!"  My answer?  Because I want you to know the real, raw love that's been revealed to me.  Some people will never understand why I would move to Northern Ireland, but just as some have been called to bring Christ into their communities in the States, God has called me to Northern Ireland and my heart has been captivated by this, His beautiful nation that He wants to see redeemed back to Himself.

These three realizations came to me as God and I were on a run around Newcastle.  Why do I run?  Why do I stand?  Why did I move?  To bring Hope.

Why do you do what you do?  If you have no purpose you have no purpose doing what you're doing.  The ministry here in Newcastle is not easy, but it's worth it.  Seeing young women from the community stepping over the thresholds of church buildings that I pray leads to a living, breathing, active, healing, deepening relationship with the living, breathing, active, healing Creator of their souls is my desire, my cry, and, most excitingly, slowly becoming a reality.  My desire is that they yearn with a passion for Christ who traded life for life for them.  We all have the blood of God on our hands, Christ came and traded bloody hand for bloody hand.  Bloody foot for bloody foot.  My prayer is that you have chosen Christ for the alternative is...unspeakable.  If you don't choose Jesus you choose justice.  Christ died so we don't have to.  Live for Him.

Why do you (fill in the blank)?

It's Time...

To jump off that cliff without a parachute, drop those stones, and step over that line.

As I was meeting for coffee with a lovely woman in ministry, I was encouraged to know I'm not crazy, what I'm doing is not a waste of time, and I'm going to be misunderstood by many people in the churches.

To this she said, "Kylie, keep doing what you're doing, don't be afraid to jump off that cliff without a parachute.  God's got you and He loves what you're doing because you're bringing hope, healing, and Him to those in need."

Coincidentally (or not) our conversation was directed onto the topic of the woman caught in adultery.  We began talking about the fact that so many times we are the people holding the stones when what we need to do is drop our stones.  The coincidence (or not) came when we were have our discipleship group with the young volunteers and this story came up yet again.  I shared with the group that coming and serving at drop-in, serving those young people who come up, we need to drop our stones and step over that line.  Jesus wasn't standing with those who held the stones, He stood alongside her.  If they had thrown the stones, they weren't throwing them at the woman, they would have been throwing them at Jesus.

It's time that we as the Church jump off that cliff without a parachute, drop our stones, and step over that line.  Are you ready?