Prayer update August 24

The past few days have been excellent; the Holy Spirit has been doing some amazing things.  God’s love is beyond words to me—that He continues to bless us and answer prayers and love us even when we don’t reciprocate or love Him nearly as much as we should is astounding and humbling.  True love isn’t self-seeking, and He shows it.  Thank God for His love.

Lately He has helped me listen and be sensitive in a variety of one-on-one interactions with people.  Just the other night a female friend was obviously stressed and wanting to talk, and I was able to listen in the Spirit and share some words on my porch.  I was really thinking that it would be good to have another woman present, though, and lo and behold another female friend of mine pulled up across the way and came over to listen and support my friend.  It was absolutely perfect timing.  The really amazing thing, though, was the amount of guidance God gave me in the conversation.  I prayed that God give me His words and allow me to hear what He wanted to say, and I just felt how to ask the right questions and listen without speaking.  In the end, I feel that what was meant to be said was.  We were able to pray for my friend, and I believe everyone went away feeling better.

Today I had two pretty deep talks.  One was with a Godly man about Unite and how we might be able to work together.  We also shared some personal things going on in each of our lives, and I was blessed to be able to pray for Him and His family in the Spirit.  I also had a college guy give me a text asking if He could talk with just me.  We met at my place and He shared some difficult things going on in His life.  Again, I prayed God help me listen and speak in the Spirit.  The right words came, and I was able to listen and pray with my friend.  I will continue to pray for him as he is seeking discernment in his course.

I have also been getting a lot of work done for Unite.  I have met with multiple churches/representatives of multiple churches and college ministries.  Some mornings it feels like I never put down the phone except to go to a meeting.  They are all good, though, and I am excited to see what God is doing in Hays and may continue to do.

The picnic in the quad went very well—Unite not only had several sign up as interested in small groups, but we were able to provide many students and workers of the event with cold ice water.  It was excellent to be able to bless so many on a hot day—especially since all it took was a few dollars worth of ice and a lot of work refilling an Igloo and lugging it back and forth.  I am thankful that God used us to help a few students make connections (I walked one to the Crusade and Challenge tables and gave her some info on other ministries) and to bless hot, thirsty people.  It was a very excellent afternoon.

Yet to come are the ‘Get Plugged In’ event Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the missionary training Friday night and Saturday morning.  Please keep that all in your prayers as the Spirit has opened up some powerful opportunities to work and make connections.  Pray that college students come to ‘Get Plugged In’ and make good connections with the body of believers in Hays, and please pray that the Spirit help me listen to and follow His voice.  Thank you again sincerely for your support and prayers!!!

--Brandon

Additional note

For those of you who REALLY want to keep up, you may also read http://travelersbag.blogspot.com/. I won't likely publish on that blog as often; it's mostly just meant to be what the Spirit leads me to put down in ink about my personal journey broadly.  This site that you are reading right now (Missionary Journals) is meant to let people know what in specific is going on in my life right now and how they can pray.

Listening

It’s been crazy ever since I’ve gotten back from Mexico. It’s a time to heavily listen to the Spirit, and a time during which many things seek to distract me from doing that. I have to pray and listen and remember that God has all of these things in His hands or it almost seems overwhelming. There is quite a bit to do with the semester VERY quickly approaching… There are quite a few Churches to meet with yet, and the 26th-28th are filled with big Unite events that need to have their details lined out. The 26th we are hosting ‘Get Plugged In’, an event on campus for students looking to connect to Christ’s body here in Hays. We will have invited all Churches in town and all college ministries very shortly. The 27th and 28th are our cross cultural and interpersonal communications training sessions with Doug Schaible of New Tribes Missionary agency. Hopefully several area ministries will be attending to train with us. Additionally the small groups will start over the next several weeks as more and more students and community members gain interest and join along with the game nights for college students and the game nights geared towards international students. There are also a number of small events in August and September like the FHSU picnic in the quad that we’ll attend. There are a number of other things that will be going on, and I do still meet one on one with a number of college students to talk about life and God and pray. I’m also trying to take care of several personal financial things that require a bunch of work right now but will free me up long term for better service. Add to it the final study design/compilation and a lot of relationships with local individuals and entities to maintain and it looks like a pretty full month… Until I pray and listen to God… when He reminds me who I serve and that all I need to do is ask Him to help me live each day in the Spirit to the best of my abilities… to listen and do what He wills me to do in my day and do my best with it… then it all comes back into focus and I can get back to serving Him. Satan definitely wants me to waste valuable time with worry and other things that aren’t really problems.

If you would like to pray for me, pray that I stay focused on the Spirit IN the Spirit and that I live each day listening to Him. His voice is easily able to keep me on track serving. Also please pray that I see the spiritual war all around me for what it is and that I keep my perspectives in life about what God is doing and His goals as opposed to looking at life from the perspective of one in the world trying to influence the world for God. It is very important that I focus on only the things the Spirit leads me in.

Beyond that, please continue to pray for God’s providence—He’s blessing me with the ability to get by month to month so far, and I have faith that He will continue to if I seek first His kingdom. Thank you SO much for your prayers and financial support!!!

--Brandon