Kristen Evans is currently raising support to become a missionary in Madagascar. She will be joining her fiancé, Reinier Vorster, on the mission field after their January wedding. She has a passion to reach the younger generation of Madagascar for Jesus. You can visit www.mission2mada.com to find out more of Kristen’s heart for this great country.
My last post was May 14th. That’s 3 months and 18 days ago. That’s a total of 110 days. You could also say it’s 2,640 hours or 158,400 minutes. You might also say it’s about 9,504,000 seconds. You know, roughly. You could say that. But why would you? I already feel bad enough for going so long without chatting with you. I’m back now, though! And I have some really good excuses. Would you like to hear what I’ve been doing with my time over the last few months instead of faithfully writing to you? Here’s my list:
- Growing a baby boy–His name is Eli Augustus and we’re going to call him Augie. He will be born on October 20th. He’s so active, my entire abdomen is almost constantly moving. Seriously, growing a baby is exhausting.
- Running after a toddler–My adorable little baby girl is now suddenly very toddler-y. She turned 2 on August 15th, and she is all two all the way. Please pray for me!
- Getting ready for MOPs–I’m the coordinator this year for our group here in San Antonio, and I am super excited about getting back into it this fall! We’re going to fiercely flourish!
- Napping–I’m growing a baby and keeping up with a toddler. I need naps. Daily.
- Studying–I’ve cut back a lot on my studying, but not intentionally. I have just been preoccupied. That bachelor’s degree will happen one day.
- Swimming–It’s a small little pool in the backyard that I fill up with the water hose. Not big enough to jump into, but big enough to lay down in, and it’s awesome. Amelia loves it. I love it. We swim lots.
See? All legit excuses. But now fall is coming. Now I want to get back into a regular routine, and do things on a schedule again. I miss schedules. Don’t get me wrong, lazy summer days are awesome. But there’s a time for them and that time is coming to a conclusion. So I’m back to writing. I’ve missed you guys!
Would you like to hear about Madagascar some? Well, let me tell you, I’m pretty much sitting around waiting right now. If you remember, I planned to go in 2015 but then I got pregnant, so I decided not to go. Then I miscarried, so I decided I could go. It’s been a lot of up and down since then, including a second miscarriage. There have been several times I’ve thought, “This is happening tomorrow!” And several times I’ve realized it’s not happening any time soon. Currently, I am pregnant and I’m in the third trimester. Next summer I will still be nursing. I will be unable to travel to Mada in 2016. Perhaps the year after. It’s all in God’s timing. When I first felt the fire to go, I thought it would happen right away. I might hit a speed bump or two, but I really thought it would all fall into place and I’d be on the next plane across the world. God had other plans. God still has different plans that mine! So I’m learning to wait on Him. In the meantime, I will continue to pray for Mada and the work that is going on. I will continue to update you on what God’s doing in my life and what God is doing in Mada. And I will continue to press on, waiting for the day I will meet my sweet sisters in Christ on the other side of the planet.
I don’t particularly have anything else to say today other than welcome back. I hope that’s enough for a re-introduction! I’ll end with my favorite verse 1 John 3:18. Go read the whole chapter on Bible Gateway. It’s a passage worth memorizing.
Today’s post is from a friend of a friend who is currently serving the Lord in Madagascar. Her name is Kristen Evans and she is currently the children’s director at a church there. I love following her story on Facebook and on her blog. I hope you are encouraged by her story!
Stories from Mada
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
I remember when I first heard this song, I would have it on repeat. These words became so real to me. And it’s still my prayer. I want God to take me deeper than my feet could ever wonder.
I want to live a life where I realize my total dependence on Him.
And maybe that’s why my move to Madagascar for missions was such a big leap of faith for me. It was a time where God called me to be brave. Because I knew that moving to a third world country where I did not know the language would have to be because of Him and through Him. I couldn’t do it on my own.
And so I stepped out upon the waters.
It hasn’t always been easy. There have been moments where I have tried to do things on my own. Times where I have worried about things that were far beyond my control. But it’s in those moments that His presence draws me back to Him. And that’s where I want to be.
Because in those times of trusting, I find peace. I find rest. I find strength. And I realize that it’s not about me. And that’s okay. Because I know that it’s all about Him. And it’s all because of Him.
And so I keep walking upon the waters, as crazy as they might be.
Today, I want to encourage you to take the leap of faith. Trust in His perfect will. Step out upon the waters. I promise that you won’t be disappointed!
-Kristen
P.S. The song mentioned above is Oceans by Hillsong United. I highly recommend it! Also, you can follow my blog at www.mission2mada.com and hear all about my experiences in Madagascar. 🙂
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! That’s a baby in there! A BABY! That little bubble there, that’s a baby, ya’ll! Baby! Ahhh!
Okay, enough squealing. I’ll pause my extreme excitement long enough to get some thoughts written out to you.
Pregnancy is fun, ya’ll. It’s hard and exhausting and a little bit gross sometimes–whoever named is morning sickness probably didn’t understand the definition of the word “morning”–but oh so much fun. I’m having a blast thinking about names and planning room themes. A thousand questions are running through my mind every time I pause to think about it all! So much to think about and decide!
Psalm 127
1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
4Â Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.
Oh, this passage. Unless the Lord is building, any labor I put forth is in vain. Unless the Lord is watching, any guarding I do is in vain. So, it’s not all on me? It’s not completely my responsibility to take care of absolutely everything? Well, whew! I can take a breath! It’s not my burden!
Notice the psalmist (Solomon, I believe) doesn’t mention not laboring or not guarding in response. The point is to make sure that we’re laboring toward what the Lord is building. The questions I’m working through are good. It’s good to hope and wonder and be excited. But I need to keep in mind that the Lord is the one setting this baby’s steps. I can make plans but, ultimately, the Lord is the Builder!
I found this passage because I was looking for a verse about children being a blessing. I don’t like to just take a verse out of context, though, so I always look at the whole passage before writing about it. Boy, I’m glad I did that this time. Verses 3-5 are great. Children are a heritage, a reward, a blessing. Children are something to be proud of. I’ve heard these verses many times before, which is why I went looking for them. But the first two verses in Psalm 127. Wow. They were exactly what I needed this afternoon.
Madagascar update: I had my second fundraiser on Saturday and I raised $78 with Jamberry! I am so excited to be able to go to Madagascar next summer. I can see now why the Lord put off my trip for a year. Twenty weeks pregnant would be difficult on a mission trip!
Ends of the earth, here I come!
Hello everyone! Today is the first day of the first fundraiser for my trip to Madagascar! I am partnering with Usborne consultant Cindy Yaklin to sell boxes of greeting cards. A large portion of the sales goes straight toward my trip! Here’s how it works. You send me an email letting me know which set you would like to purchase, and I will email you my PayPal information. At the end of the fundraiser, I will send in all of the moo-lah to Usborne. In a week or two, I’ll receive the cards and then hand them out to you! If you are local in San Antonio, I will deliver your cards to you. If you are not local, add a $5 shipping charge. Each box costs $30 and includes 30 cards. You’ll  pay more per card if you buy them at the store, plus, these come in awesome pretty boxes.
The Cards for a C
ause Fundraising Program offers three boxed sets of 30 beautifully embellished cards with matching envelopes.
• All Occasion Box #1 comes in a charming organizer box with dividers, and includes an array of cards to meet most needs from birthdays to new home, and get well to weddings.
• All Occasion Box #2 comes in a charming organizer box with dividers, and includes an array of cards to meet most needs from birthdays to new home, and get well to weddings.
• Cards for Kids Box contains a wide assortment of cards suitable for adults or kids to send to kids. Birthdays are a blast, and remembering to say Thank You is fun. Plus there is a bonus batch of stickers inside every keepsake box (the perfect place to hide treasures).
On top of the Cards for a Cause fundraiser, I’ll be hosting my very first giveaway, with more to come! This month, you can enter for a chance to win a copy of “This is the Tree” by Miriam Moss and Adrienne Kennaway.
“A lyrical, poetic, and informative look at life on the African Plain, and the lives which surround the Baobob tree. This is dialogue that begs to be read aloud – in front of a class or in front of a fire. This is text matched in magic by exquisite and realistic illustrations of wildlife and weather, seasons and survival. A book to listen to, pour over, and to read and reread.”
Click on the link below to enter to win! You can tweet, share, purchase, publish, whatever else the socials do for more chances to win!
Ends of the earth, here I come!
My daughter is growing some teeth. It’s painful but we’ve done this before. We can handle this. She has 5 lovely teeth already filling in the front of her mouth. The ones in the back couldn’t be too different, right? Wrong. Nothing could have prepared me for this. Right now, there are at least 4 teeth coming in all at the same time. The crying is almost too much for me to bear. Last night, she woke up 4 or 5 times. We tried all the usual methods of soothing her: cold blueberries, a damp cold cloth, massage her gums, extra cuddles. But nothing made a difference. She just wanted to be held. So my hubby rocked her, we gave her some Tylenol, and she eventually fell asleep on his chest.
I wish she didn’t have to go through this. Growing pains suck–for her and for me. I hate seeing her in so much pain and being able to do relatively nothing about it. I know it’s something she has to go through. She can’t eat soft, mushy foods forever just like she couldn’t nurse forever. This is just something she has to endure. It’s a part of the process of growing up, and I hate it. I can hold her, comfort her, give her medicine to feel better but the process is still one she needs to go through, and I can not change that, no matter how badly I want to.
This whole process brought a couple passages of Scripture to mind. I’ve been rolling them over in mind since last night.
Hebrew 5:11-14
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
In the previous verses, Paul (Probably. Not everyone agrees who wrote Hebrews) tells the Hebrews about the high priests being called by God and being submissive to God. He talks about Jesus being obedient to God and being the source of eternal salvation. Then he stops himself. He tells them that even though there’s a lot more to say on the subject, they have refused to mature and therefore wouldn’t understand what he’s saying. They insisted on living on milk rather than solid food. They’re not mature enough to grasp any more of the concept Paul (probably) is getting at. We know from 1 Peter 2:1-3 that milk is good for a while but it’s purpose, according to verse 2, is to grow up in salvation.
1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Mother’s milk is good for a lot of things. It has the perfect balance of nutrients for babies; it protects baby against loads of illnesses; it prevents things like breast cancer in mom. But then babies become children. They get teeth, and their digestive system is fully operational. Eventually, kids need regular food. They have to stop nursing and eat solid food at some point. Paul wants the Hebrews to stop living on milk (a.k.a elementary truths of God’s word) and move onto the solid food!
So, what does this have to do with my sweet little daughter who is in terrible pain? Furthermore, what does this have to do with Madagascar?
Well, first, it gives me comfort that this teething pain is a good thing in the long run. It will give her the ability to eat solid foods! She’s already eating a lot of solid food, but it has to be small or mushy. Soon, she’ll be able to ground up food in her very own mouth! This is a GOOD THING.
Second, it doesn’t really have anything to do with my trip to Madagascar except for the fact that I feel like I’m sometimes still in the milk phase rather than the solid-foods stage of my walk with the Lord. How can I possibly do great things for God when I have to be reminded of elementary truths? God is big, that’s how. He can use me whether I think I’m ready or not!
I have an announcement. Plans for Madagascar have changed. I still need roughly $4,850 in order to go. Thank you to those who donated to my Indiegogo Fund. However, it was not nearly enough. Domoina and I have been praying and talking about this for quite a while. Because the money hasn’t come in yet, we both feel like God is telling us, “not now.” That’s not a “no,” it’s a “not now.” The plan now is to go in the summer of 2016, you know, unless the Lord changes our plan again!
Ends of the earth, here I come!
My daughter accidentally dropped my phone in HEB on Thursday. And when I say “accidentally dropped,” what I mean is, “threw it down the aisle because she was tired of playing with it.” Yeah. Life with a toddler.
This was not the first accidental drop my phone has taken. When we first got these phones two years ago, I dropped my phone from my knee to the concrete while sitting outside, and it cracked the screen. My Otterbox arrived in the mail the next day. Then, about a week later, I was showing off my awesome new Otterbox and dropped my phone, and there went another crack off of the original one. These two cracks were all I had for a long time. Then one fateful day, my little baby became a toddler. She would play with my phone and then carefully lay it on the table when finished. When I say “carefully lay it on the table,” what I mean is, “throw it onto the ground with as much force as a 16 month old can muster.” Yeah. Toddlers.
Well, after my two cracks and a few months of toddlerdom, my phone finally bit the dust in the school supply aisle of my local HEB. The screen turned all sorts of beautiful colors, and the ringtone was a delightful out-of-tune version of what it used to be. Needless to say, the touch screen no longer worked, and by lunch time, the beautiful colors were just black and the phone was ready for the dump. Since it was time for an upgrade anyway (It was time for an upgrade last month but we were debating whether to stay with our current carrier or switch. #firstworldproblems), we decided to go ahead and get a new one instead of doing the insurance thing.
Now I have to wait FOUR DAYS for my new phone to arrive in the mail. FOUR DAYS! Can you believe that? Four days without Facebook, Instagram, and Gmail in the palm of my hand. Four days of not listening to Adventures in Odyssey through the tape thingamajig in my car. Four days of not being able to text or make a phone call or play Angry Birds! How would I drive anywhere without GPS? How would I let the world know how awesome my sandwich was at lunch? How would I capture adorable moments of my daughter playing in a mere 10,000 photos?
In the midst of all my frustration and impatience, I recalled some unease my missions pastor had about my trip to Madagascar. He was pretty concerned with how I would transition from the one of the richest countries in the world to one of the poorest, especially since I’ve never been outside the US. I confidently informed him that although I’m not accustomed to things like outhouses and public wells and things of the sort, I would certainly find the strength within me to deal with these sorts of things. Of course I’d be able to adjust, even if it was a little bit difficult. It’s not like I’m one of those spoiled American brats who buys new clothes just because, or has multiple cars, or goes out to eat whenever the mood strikes, or is dependent on a phone for daily tasks.
Oh, wait.
Upon realizing that I was most certainly a spoiled American brat, I decided to turn to Scripture for help. The Bible says a lot about wealth. Basically, the love of money is the root of all evil. But not all Scripture says that money is a terrible, terrible thing, which surprised me. In fact, Solomon talks about wealth very fondly in Ecclesiastes. And Paul is just as content with prosperity as he is with being poor.
11Â Wisdom along with an inheritance is good
And an advantage to those who see the sun.
12 For wisdom is protection just as money is protection,
But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.
13Â Consider the work of God,
For who is able to straighten what He has bent?
14Â In the day of prosperity be happy,
But in the day of adversity consider—
God has made the one as well as the other
So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.
And an advantage to those who see the sun.
12 For wisdom is protection just as money is protection,
But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.
13Â Consider the work of God,
For who is able to straighten what He has bent?
14Â In the day of prosperity be happy,
But in the day of adversity consider—
God has made the one as well as the other
So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.
Solomon is the richest, wisest guy ever and he says that money and wisdom are both very good things. He calls them both protection, which interestingly enough, is the Hebrew word tsel which means “shadow, shade.” The same word was used 53 times in the Old Testament. Sometimes, it meant literally the shade of a tree or rooftop like in Jonah. The tree that the Lord provided and then took away shaded Jonah as he sat outside Ninevah after the people turned from their wicked ways. Other times, the word meant something closer to refuge as in Psalm 57. David took refuge in the Lord, in the shadow of His wings. He was on the run from Saul, living in caves, and trusting in the Lord for protection.
In Ecclesiastes 7, Solomon is calling money a refuge. A place to sit and rest without the heat of the sun beating down. With money, I am comfortable. I can have a phone and buy clothes when I feel like it and go out to eat when the mood strikes. Money protects me from starvation and from weather. It protects me from discomfort or even sickness. Money is most certainly a protection.
Wisdom is also called protection but there’s a major difference between the two. Wisdom protects and preserves the lives of its possessors where money only protects. Wisdom offes security beyond basic needs of survival like food and shelter. Wisdom revives and restores. Wisdom refreshes.
Solomon explains that God made prosperity as well as adversity in order to show man that there is nothing that will be after him. Money is good but it’s just money. Wisdom is good but adversity still visits the wise. And no one can change that. God allows for both for His glory. Can anyone undo what God has done? Can anyone alter what God has set in motion? No, not one! So whether I’m in America with a phone and other wonderful modern conveniences or in Madagascar without any of those things, God has made them both and it is possible to be content in both. My contentment should not be from conveniences but rather from the Lord. Check out Paul’s words to the church at Philippi.
Living humbly and living in prosperity is no different when my strength comes from the Lord. So, I will be without a phone for four days. Oh well. I will learn to be content. I suppose traveling to Madagascar will probably be a rougher transition than I originally imagined, but the Lord created the situation in the United States just as He created the situation in Madagascar.
Ends of the earth, here I come!
Hello all! I hope you’ve enjoyed our Thursday stories. I know I have. This is our last one from Madagascar for a while but I hope to have more soon. If you have a story about being you bravely, let me know! I’d love to share your story!
Stories from Madagascar
Tatiana:
I joined the MOPS group 2 months ago. I am encouraged with the iniquity of each feather of the “be you bravely” theme-kit, (arrived and opened at the first time with all the members) looking at the different color, yellow, black, blue. I stop comparing and competiting with others. It is very difficult not to looking around me, and seeing other’s life, but God has His plan for me.
Pregnant of 7 months, with 2 children abandoned, single mom, I am not alone. I am encouraged, every members care of me, taking my baby 15 months who don’t walk yet, I am pregnant of 8 months, I have to decide to fly away my husband because he used to bit me because I cannot work and earn money anymore. Now, in Jesus I find hope, still depressed, I hope in Him.
Do you ever feel like you are telling your kids to do something that you don’t do?
“Eat all your vegetables!” but you didn’t even put vegetables on your plate.
“Check your attitude!” you say in your best Oscar the Grouch voice.
“Get outside and exercise!” but you haven’t gone running since high school.
I have noticed myself doing this lately, and I find that I correct my daughter on things that bug me the most about myself. I literally just ate leftover pancakes for lunch, but my daughter had rice, mustard greens, and navy beans. I made her drink all of her water, too. I had Dr. Pepper. Also, I am not always the nicest person some mornings. I get grouchy. Not every morning, but sometimes. When my daughter wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, though, I correct her on that. I want her to wake up with a smile but I don’t have to? I think I see a problem here…
Let’s looks at Matthew 5 again. This passage keeps coming up in my life, so maybe I ought to take some note of it.
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
I have absolutely no reason to be grouchy in the morning. I have a warm bed that I wake up in every morning. My husband is snoring contentedly next to me. My daughter is in the next room. She may be crying or playing depending on her mood that day, but she’s there and she’s safe. I have an indoor bathroom. Even one generation ago, a significant number of Americans couldn’t say that. My kitchen is stocked with good, nutritious food. I don’t have to worry about whether or not I will have breakfast that morning. Instead I worry about whether to make pancakes, oatmeal, grits, toast, or just cut up some fresh fruit. I don’t mean to brag but I’ve got it pretty dang good, ya’ll!
One of the concerns that some people have had about my trip to Madagascar is the different culture. Currently, Madagascar is one of the 10 poorest countries in the world. The United States of America is on the other end of the scale, though. I understand that it’s different, but I can’t seem to wrap my mind around just how unalike these two countries are. The feeling is similar to when I learned how to multiply double digits. I understood the concept and I understood single digit multiplication, so I knew double digit multiplication was possible. I knew it was a thing, but I couldn’t get my mind to understand just what was involved in that until I actually put pencil to paper and did it myself. I think the same is going to be true about traveling to Madagascar: I understand the concept of a different culture, and I know that it is possible for people to live well and happily without all the modern conveniences, like sinks that are inside, but I don’t think I will understand what that truly means until I step off the plane and see Madagascar for myself. Until I live there for two weeks and interact with people. Eat, sleep, and drink they way they do. Live life with them. And I am thrilled to get to do that. If I am going to be a light for all men to see and glorify God, I need to check my attitude. Instead of waking up grouchy, I am going to start counting five good things every morning before I roll out of bed. I have it pretty good here, and in order to get ready to go to a place that is so significantly different from what I am used to, I need to start recognizing what I have.
The other side of that coin is knowing that I don’t really have what I have. All that I own is not mine. It has been entrusted to me by the Lord in order that I might use it to shine for Him. That knowledge helps me not worry about funds for my trip. He has $5,000. The money is no problem. Remember Philippians 4:19? “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” God could have easily dropped whatever Paul and Timothy needed right into their laps. He’s God. He can do that. But instead, God prompted the church at Philippi to send resources to them, and then God blessed the church. That’s still true today, ya’ll. God could drop a plane ticket, cash for food, and some extra to bless the ministry already happening in Madagascar into my lap, but He hasn’t done that. He did that for the Israelites in the desert. He dropped manna into their laps daily. He could do it for me, but He hasn’t. I think that’s because God want to use you. So, if you would like to contribute to that, if you would like to allow God to use your resources to send me to Madagascar on His behalf, you can click here and donate. I don’t have any money raised yet, but I sure could use some. And please, share the link even if you’re not going to donate. Maybe you have a friend who will.
Ends of the earth, here I come!
Mom's Going to Madagascar 