God Makes It Grow!

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:7-9

Hi Everyone!

The week has been going great thus far! We have 84 volunteers here this week! The cool thing about Wednesdays is we have our block parties today and it's the mid-way mark in the week. Please lift these volunteers up in prayer as they seek God for strength and energy to keep serving Him!

The teams are:
1) John Brown University, Arkansas
2) Southwest Baptist University, Missouri
3) College of the Ozarks, Missouri
4) East EFC, Kansas
5) Faith EFC, Kansas

Cool Story from Last Week:
God is raising up people interested in the internship program! There are a few from Dordt College interested in coming back either to serve here or Haiti. Hooray! Keep praying that it is God's will for them to move their interest towards commitment.

Pray for the teams this week that God would prepare their hearts to come serve with us!

Taking it Home:
Also a girl from Dordt college told me that because of our emphasis on prayer walking, that she was making the decision to make every walk from her dorm to her classes a prayer walk!! How cool to see God spark her desire to spend that time in prayer!

NOLA Church Plant Update:
We are now using teams to prayer walk with Eric Holtrop. He is a church planter that has the vision to plant a church somewhere on Magazine Street. Teams will aid him in praying for this street and seeing where God opens a door for Eric to build relationships with people in this community! So please keep praying for the gospel to spread like wildfire here!

Japan Update:
My Boss Mark Lewis is in Japan now assessing the damage there and how we can come alongside the church there to make disciples and plant churches in the wake of this crisis. You can find out more at http://efcacrisisresponse.blogspot.com

Thank you for praying and Praise God for all the great things He has done!

In Christ,
Katie :)

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:7-9

Nothing Like Prayer Walking in New Orleans...

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to keep you updated on what's been going on with teams this week! For starters, it's been a BLAST getting to hang out with these teams! It's so awesome to hear how God is working in their lives and to see them serve wholeheartedly for the Lord this week!

We really encourage the teams to take time out of their work day to prayer walk around their jobsite. On Monday I was able to take 3 girls from Dordt college around and we were able to stop and pray for Ms. Ruby and Ms. Hazel. I've always loved this characteristic of New Orleans...that even though they don't know me at all..they still let me pray with them! How cool is that!

I wonder if people would be like this everywhere if I would only take the time and ask them what their prayer needs were and if I could pray with them. I have no idea but I definitely LOVE the fact that I can in New Orleans. Maybe you guys in other places can try it out and let me know!

Tomorrow is our block party and please pray for us as we proclaim Jesus Christ to these neighborhoods and pray for boldness as the volunteers continue to step out of their comfort zone!

Love you guys!
Katie :)

"LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 1 Kings 18:36-37

LOVE this week!

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to update you on the teams we have this week serving the Lord in New Orleans!

There is:
1) Greenville College, IL
2) Dordt College, IA
3) Clear Lake EFC, IA
4) Northwest Community, TX
5) Community Church, SD
6) Tri-State Fellowship, MD
7) Stanwich Congregational, CT

This all adds up to 77 workers for God's Harvest here in NOLA this week! Please be praying for these teams and for God to use them in mighty ways to proclaim Jesus Christ to the people of New Orleans!

I'm so blessed to be here and excited to see returning teams and meet new ones! Praise God for bringing His children from all over the country to UNITE and SERVE under His name!

Love,
Katie :)

“LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 1 Kings 18:36-37

Do You Love Him?

Do I love Him enough to live for Him today?

Do I love Him enough to feed His sheep?

Do I love Him enough to consider my life worth nothing, if only I can finish the race and complete the task the Lord has given me, the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace?

In my devotions by Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, he spoke of the verse in Luke 12:8 where Jesus says, “Whoever confesses me before men [that is confesses HIS LOVE by everything he does, not merely by his words], him the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God.”

What stuck out to me in this devotion is that my love for God should be my motivation for how I live my life each day. Do I love God enough to let that love affect my thoughts, my actions, my words, my life?? Is my love for God just something I talk about or do I actually put that love into action? I want everything I do and say to stem from that LOVE I have for my Father in Heaven who LOVES ME! 1 John says I love because He FIRST loved me.

So the question that has been challenging me each day is “Do I love God enough to live for Him TODAY?” Tomorrow has its own problems and yesterday already happened. So then…do I love God enough to live for Him TODAY?” Where I’ve seen God challenge me with this question is with my newest roommate. I didn’t really know her before she came in January and I had not taken the time to spend one-on-one time with her. So the day God put this question before me, I heard him say, do you love Me enough to make time for Bryn?

I wanted my answer to be yes so I asked Bryn if she wanted to have lunch this week. She said yes and at lunch she opened up to me about what was going on in her life and sure enough, in that moment I knew why God wanted us to have lunch. He wanted me to be there for her, to encourage her to live for Him every day out of her love for Him, and to encourage her to blossom where He has planted her.

I’m so thankful for God for my new friend Bryn, for God given me that question, and so thankful that this time I was obedient to His voice…it always works out better that way.

So my question to you is: Do you love God enough to live for Him today??

Change...

The only constant in life is change...someone told me that one time and I'm pretty sure they are correct.

So here's to change...enjoy the new blog layout and colors!

More update on my week back in NOLA to follow!

Katie :)