Tires! and Tired!

Hola faithful readers!

I had a lovely time at home with family and friends! Slept a lot but hey, I won't be getting as much this week so I'm even.

Praises:
1) All the teams have arrived safely and are tucked away in their beds for the night. I'm excited to see friends from last year and make some new ones!
2) Thankful for those that have come to multiply us here on staff: Joe, Bill, Jon, Scott, Nate, Diana, Louis, and Ronnie! God is the ultimate provider!
3) the Lebanon team hooked me up with FREE tires for the mazda! Praise God! God affirming the "ask and you shall receive" verse!

Prayer:
1) the Teams! It's going to be a busy, long, hard week and please please pray that they are open to whatever God is doing in themselves and in the community! Pray they are flexible and truly learn something about God and themselves this week that they can take home with them.
2) the Staff! We're gonna need extra energy this week!
3) the people of NOLA: pray they would come to know Christ and desire a deeper relationship with Him. Pray the volunteers would be bold in pursuing those opportunities to share Christ's love with the people of NOLA!

Thanks so much for the prayers and for your investment in God's work here!
Love you lots!
Katie

But if we walk in the light, as he [God] is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

1 John 1:7

Sweet Home North Carolina!

Hi Hi!

I'm home! It's soo nice to be around family and friends again! I've slept alot and I'm loving getting a chance to relax!

Please pray:
We'll have around 100 volunteers, 3 teams from CA, 1 MD team, and 1 PA team. Please please pray for these volunteers! Pray they would be patient and flexible! Pray they are willing to be used by God! Pray for us on staff as we work out logistics for next week and work long hours. Pray the people of New Orleans come to know Christ. Pray above all that God receives all of the glory and that His name is praised!

Have a very Merry Christmas and remember the reason for the season! Our Savior is born! Glory to God in the highest!

Peace and Love,
Katie :)

Runner's High

Hello!

First off thanks for the prayers last week! To follow up:
1) Newsletter is out and on it's way to your mailboxes! Praise the Lord! Please read last paragraph on Running the marathon to raise money for materials! Please please pray about pledging money to help Ms. Simms get back in her home!
2) Worked out Monday thru Friday and again today. Ran 6 miles on Friday and shooting for 7 this week. So please keep praying for motivation! Excited to glorify God thru my running!
3) Teams last week were a huge blessing! They worked so well together and we're stretched in ways they never saw possible! Praise God!

Prayers this week:
1) 13 in from Redmond WA. Please pray they would be flexible, patient, and willing to be used by God to do His work! Pray God would open their eyes and ears to what He's teaching them this week!
2) Going Home Friday (thanks again to Dan and Jane)! Pray for safe travels and a relaxing week at home celebrating the birth of my Savior and spending quality time with family and friends!
3) We have close to 100 volunteers the week of Dec 27th. Please pray for strength and for energy! Pray for flexible teams and for good weather (right now it's been raining like cats and dogs). Pray God would use these volunteers to show this community His heart for them and they are deeply loved and cared for! Pray for logistics and things would run as smoothly as they can and when they don't I continue to rely on God for His wisdom, guidance, and direction!

Quote from Runner's World:
"When the runner's high does set in, usually around three or four miles, my body flows into a smooth rhythm and my mind is no longer conscious of how far or how long I've run or how much farther to go."
I like this quote because it reminds me that this is God's desire for me, for my body to flow into a smooth rhythm of serving Him and for my mind to be more focused on Him and not on any fears or thoughts of what others may think of me, but for my mind to be conscious of Him! The more we seek to obey God, spend time with Him, truly live our daily lives for Him, prayerfully, it'll become less like a chore and become natural to obey Him in everything He asks. Granted yes, we'll still stumble and make mistakes, but seeking to live a life holy and pleasing to Him should still be our desire! It's not about us, it's about Him!

Hope you have a great week and let me know how I can be praying for you!
In Christ,
Katie

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

I'm not a philosophical person...

Hi Faithful Blog Readers!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog and for your prayers! I need them oh so much and I'm very grateful for them! I can't do anything without Him. I did have a great week with the Athletes in Action staff, got to take them around the city, play card games, and get to know them and hear their hearts for their ministry. Praise God for using us and sports to reach His children! We ran challenge circle (like AWANA circle) in the projects three afternoons and had the Hot Dog Outreach in there as well. Great time to connect with the kids there.

Pray this week:
1) You know what time it is?? Newsletter time! Please pray that I would be able to get my newsletter out by the end of this week. Please pray God would use my newsletter to tug people's hearts to help the people of New Orleans and to give financially to support me here. Let me know if you want one. email katrinarelief@efca.org

2) Marathon training - really struggling with finding the motivation to run or work out. Please pray God would give me that motivation and it wouldn't be for selfish gain but to bring Him glory. I'd like to run for a homeowner, raise money for materials, please pray God would reveal to me who I'm to help and how to do that logistically.

3) We have teams from Hillside Church in CA, Keystone Church in PA, and His Place EFC in Idaho. Please pray God would use them this week to serve Him, to refresh them, and to show His love to the people they come in contact with. Pray God would put them out of their comfort zones and they'd step out in faith knowing He's with them.

Thanks so much for praying! I truly appreciate it and please let me know how I can be praying for you!

Love!
Katie

p.s. So I'm not a philosophical person...but these are some quotes that are challenging me recently and I pray they challenge you as well:

"Such lives are apt to leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary, by human effort and devotion we can reach the standard God wants. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in perfect relation to God so that my life produces a longing after God in other lives, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God is not after perfecting me to be a specimen in His showroom; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He likes."
Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it."
"Well why don't you ask Him?"
"Because I'm afraid He would ask me the same question."
-Anonymous

"Don't fail to do something just because you can't do everything."
-Bob Pierce,
Founder of World Vision

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
-Jesus (John 16:33b).

Back in the Saddle Again...

Hi Everyone!

Well I must say if the Lord calls me to Denver I won't be that upset...it was a great trip. Got to talk about what God is doing in New Orleans and how people can get involved! Got to visit some inner city ministries and see how God is using them to reach the unloved. I pray you'll get involved too by using your time, talents, and treasure to further God's work here and where you live.

God blessed me many times but one story that sticks out is when I got to speak at Eastern Hills. After I spoke at the service, a man came up to me and asked what needs I had...[just before this a lady came up telling me she worked for the airlines and she may be able to get discounted tickets...so I told her that I was looking for tickets to Charlotte for Christmas but her airline doesn't travel there]...so when this guy came up to me, the first thing that popped in my head was tickets to get home for Christmas and sure enough he said he'd take care of them! How awesome is our God! He truly provides! I'm very very thankful to him and God for blessing me this way.

The team this week is some of the staff from the Athletes in Action Ministry and one girl even graduated from UNC a semester after me. I think it's gonna be a good week, can't wait to see how God transforms their lives and uses them to reach His children.

Please pray for me as I get back in the saddle of teams and figuring out logistics for future teams. Pray that I would remember that I'm saved by faith and saved for works. I want to do the good works God has prepared in advance for me to do (Eph 2:10) with a joyful heart.

Praying you all are blessed this week and let me know how I can be praying for you!
In Christ,
Katie

"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night in a closed room with a mosquito." -African proverb