hope in newtown

Everyone has heard about the tragedy that happened in Connecticut at Sandy Hook.  Newtown is only 20 minutes away from my home, so this has really hit our community hard.  Since CT is so small, everyone is connected to this even in some way or another.

When I found out what happened, I was driving home from Virgina for my Christmas Break.  It was unreal to see Fairfield County, the place I've lived my whole life, on national news.  I knew the places that were being shown on TV because I had been there myself.  I couldn't believe that something so horrific could happen so close to me. 

I was talking with one of my best friends after attending a vigil in my town the other night.  We are both still in shock that this has happened, but at the same time, we both have this feeling that God is up to something (as He always is).  What are the odds that something so tragic happens in one of most unchurched and liberal areas? What are the chances that this tragedy happened in my home county, only 20 minutes away? I know that God has a purpose for this. Its no secret that New England, and especially Fairfield County, is extremely closed off to the gospel. Could this be what breaks the hard surface of that resistance? Could it be that God had to use something to break our hearts so that this county can finally invite Him in?

Today on Christmas, there were 26 families that had unopened gifts under their tree.  26 families who will never look at Christmas in the same way.  26 adults and children who are being remembered this season, instead of being enjoyed with. 

But it can't end here.  Darkness and sadness can't win here.  We can't just wallow in the darkness of this event and let the grief take over.  But we can't just pass over this and forget what happened.

That's why I really think there couldn't have been a better time for this event to have happened then during Christmas.  Yes, Christmas means presents, and special music, and decorations.  But Christmas means so much more than that now.  Christmas means that there is hope.

Hope means that there is something else to expect rather than our current circumstance.  Its the feeling of trust that there is more to happen. Hope is relying on someone or something else to save us.

I actually went up to Newtown the other night, and I was blown away by everything that people have done to try and bring hope on their own.  There were mountains and mountains of teddy bears.  So many flowers that I could smell their aroma from five feet away.  And thousands of hand written posters, banners, cards, and letters.  There were streets filled with these gifts to bring the families and the town a little bit of hope.  





"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." - Hebrews 6:19

The only hope that there is for this world is Jesus. He came to save the world from the sinfulness of ourselves.  He defeated death, so in Him, there is life. Death doesn't have to be the end here. 

If these families don't embrace that truth, then what hope can they have? That's my prayer for the families affected by this tragedy.  Let them have hope in Jesus this Christmas.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13

rwanda: part two

I returned to school in January 2012 with a fresh heart.  I was still praying for Rwanda on a consistent basis but had no idea why God had put that place on my heart. 

During on of the first few Convocations of the year, they played a video about a new project that Liberty was starting.  The name of the project? Restore Rwanda.

I absolutely lost it.  I realized now why God had me praying for this country.

I learned that Rwanda has experienced an abundance of tragedies in the early 90s that left it completely shattered.  A rebel group called the Rwanda Patriotic Front started a civil war in 1990, which led to a state-orchestrated genocide in April 1994.  In 100 days, Rwandan rebels had killed one million of their own citizens.   

If you do the math, that's 6 men, women, and children being murdered every minute of every hour of every day for 100 days.

50,000 women became widows. And one million children became orphans.

Although the war and genocide are long over, Rwanda is still facing repercussions of the tragedy today.  The country is still in desperate need of healing, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.  

My heart was absolutely broken for Rwanda. My eyes had been opened, and I had a burning desire to do something about this.  I knew in my heart that I wanted to go to Rwanda to help with the healing in that broken nation.  So, I did what I had already been doing for a month - prayed and prayed and prayed for a chance to go to Rwanda. 

Fast forward 7 months to August. I had been consistently praying for the widows and orphans of Rwanda. I had also been praying for an opportunity to go to Rwanda so that I could help heal the hearts of the broken widows and orphans.

To keep this from dragging on, I went to Light Ministries meeting for the missions trips they would be having this year.   When I saw Rwanda on that list, I lost it. God had answered my prayers! I have never been so sure about anything in my life than that God wants me to go to Rwanda.  

To top it off, at the meeting, all they shared for the description for the trip to Rwanda was James 1:27, the verse that inspired this whole experience. 

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

I didn't realize how God had been preparing my heart for the plan He had for me in Rwanda and I am beyond thankful, excited, and humbled.

rwanda: part one

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27

This verse has meant so much to me over the past year.  Last December (one year ago), I studied the book of James and was totally shaken by this verse. Looking after orphans and widows was definitely not something that I had been doing. 

I have a heart for missions, but at the time, I didn't feel any desire or need for it in my life.  I've been on 3 missions trips to New Orleans, and there will always be a special place in my heart for that city.  But last December, I realized that I had let not just missions but all of the needs of others stay on the back burner in my life.

I saw people moved by the need for the gospel in other countries, but for some reason I just wasn't moved in the same way others were.  It wasn't that I didn't feel for others or that I didn't like missions, it was just that I felt like I didn't need to do anything.  Or that it was someone else's "calling" to support it.  The lost, the broken, the hungry, the thirsty, and the poor were all being ignored in my life. I felt no desire to go overseas, and I was perfectly comfortable in my little Christian bubble life. 

James 1:27 quickly woke me up to how apathetic my heart had become in this area.  This is one of those times in Scripture where you would be totally stupid to NOT take it literally.  Do I want pure and faultless religion? YES! Am I taking care of widows and orphans in distress? Oh....uhh...

Its laid out SO plainly in this verse: if I wanted to have a pure and blameless relationship with God, caring for the broken must be essential in my life.  If I'm not caring for others in need, then my religion, my Christianity, my faith is useless. 

Since I was in a place of apathy about this, I started to pray for a compassionate heart. I prayed for God to make me uncomfortable ignoring the needs of others, and to put something in my path that I truly was concerned about.  I began allowing God to break my heart to the things that break His. 

So I prayed. And let me tell you - it did not take long for God to start powerfully stirring something in me. 

One day as I was praying for compassion in my life for missions, I felt God whispering something simple to me: Rwanda. This country was pressed on my heart so heavily, and I knew that it could only be from the Lord. I also knew it had to be from God and not something I had thought up myself because I was clueless about Rwanda. I had no idea where this country was, what had happened there, or what it needed. But I felt for it so strongly in my heart.

So I kept praying for Rwanda.  I prayed blindly for a little while, not knowing what to pray for or what it was like there now.  But I couldn't remain blind for long because I wasn't the only one that God was stirring up for Rwanda. 

since you asked...

My roommate, best friend, and blogging inspiration Lexie Dache nominated me on her blog a couple of weeks ago.  Her nomination is really what pushed me to start blogging again. 

And what better way to start up a new blog than to share some info about me? So here it is, 7 random things about myself:

1. I love to read, but I have a hard time reading fiction.  It has to be something really popular and well-known, or I won't read it.  AKA, I'm a bandwagon fiction reader. But I love reading nonfiction/Christian books and will read almost any you put in front of me. 
2. My favorite color is turquoise.  Favorite might be an understatement - I'm obsessed with all things turquoise. 
3. I love concerts! I've probably been to about 50 different concerts in my life.  My first concert was Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney when I was in 3rd grade. The last concert I've been to was Ben Rector in October 2012.
4. I always need to have chapstick with me.
5. I absolutely love my birthday, and go crazy with celebrating it. But when I just recently turned 20, I was soo sad because I wasn't a teenager anymore. 
6. My life is inspired by Beth Moore, Christine Caine, Jen Hatmaker, and Rachel Scott. I want to be just like them. And I want to be friends with them.
7. I know almost all of the star constellations in the sky. 

Since I need to pass on this blogging nomination, I give it to my friend Allison Braun! Her blog and her life have given me a deeper love for missions, and I admire the wise things she writes about.  I also pass it on to my boyfriend, Tanner, who told me last night he's going to start blogging.  Here's your push :)

blah blah blah

I'm just gonna throw this out there - this is my second try at a blog.  The first time I tried blogging I got caught up in making it look perfect, sound perfect, and all around be perfect.  But, unfortunately, life is far from perfect, so a silly little blog about life can hardly be perfect too, right?

But I'm giving it a second try, so I'm starting from scratch.  I hope the posts will satisfy you, reader (whoever you are), but I'm not making it perfect this time.

Please excuse my sassiness (I'm not always like this!). As a proper introduction....

Hi, my name is Kayla, and I'm attempting to blog. I'm a simple 20 year old, Junior in college, with a huge heart for the Lord.  I am excited about the things that God is doing in my life, so if you'll allow it, I'm going to share what I'm learning from Him while I'm here.