I’m not crazy… just trusting

Tags

Christ, Courtney Rose, God, Matthew 6, Philippians 4:19, Prayer, summer, The Navigators

People say I’m crazy.

They say they would never dream of doing what I’m doing. Raising support for a short-term missions trip scares people, so raising an entire year’s budget to be on staff full-time with a ministry is just terrifying!

I wouldn’t say I’m crazy, but I certainly am having to put my faith in God to provide for my needs in a completely new way during this season of my life.

But why is it such a crazy thought to rely on God to provide my finances during these next two years of ministry with The Navigators at UNK? Doesn’t God promise to meet all of our needs? Both yours and mine?

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus speaks to the apostles about the way God provides:

Matthew 6:25-30

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

To think that God would feed the birds of the air, but not provide a means for me to eat. To see that He clothes the lilies of the field in such splendor, but think He would not clothe me.These parts of His creation are much more temporary than even our short lives, yet He cares for them in extraordinary ways!

Why do I fret so much and think that God will not care for me when He so clearly loves us and desires to meet our needs?

Oh how little faith I have!

In Philippians, Paul writes that he has learned to be content in every situation. Whether he was facing plenty or hunger, he relied on God for his strength. He writes to the Philippians thanking them for supporting his ministry in the past and for continuing to send him gifts now. He encourages them with these words:

Philippians 4:19

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

I read these words and am strengthened. I know my God always fulfills his promises. Here He is meeting our needs out of His abundance. And how infinite are His riches?!

I’m trusting God with so much during this time of life. Not only am I in financial need, but I am also in need of prayer. This ministry would not be possible without being covered with prayer. The enemy would like nothing more than for God’s plan to be thwarted and the students at UNK to walk in rebellion to the Lord. Prayer has more power than any plan the enemy has because the all-knowing, all-powerful Lord hears us and His will is going to be done.

So please join me in praying for the ministry at UNK.

– That the students would go deep this summer in their time in the Word. That they would not fall into bad habits as they return home or begin their summer plans. Pray for their spiritual growth to continue even though they are away from the structure and rhythm of school.

– For teachable hearts for the team of staff and students headed to Japan. A team of students will be spending the next 7 weeks in Shizuoka, Japan. They will come alongside an existing Navigator ministry to build relationships with Japanese students and share their lives with them.

– For the incoming freshmen this coming year to be open to hearing the Gospel and eager to grow in their faith.

If you would be interested in joining my prayer team and receiving weekly prayer requests and updates, please respond to this post or email me at nelsen.cr@gmail.com.

A few other updates:

– God has provided for me through many loving friends and family, and I’m excited to announce that I’m now 76% funded for next year! Praise the Lord!

– It has been decided that I will be going to JAX! Even though I did not reach the 100% mark, I have been extended the opportunity to still be a team leader! (More posts to follow with fun stuff about all that!)

– As many of you know, I’m recently engaged!

On April 25th, John popped the question, and I said yes! We will be joining forces in mid-October, which means that we will also be combining ministry budgets! You may or may not know that John is also in full-time ministry with The Navigators. He has just finished his two years of EDGE Corps and is beginning the next level of staff called Staff in Training (SIT). When we get married, I will join him on SIT and our budgets will combine (and increase).

I am very thankful for the 76% of my budget that God has graciously provided for me, and I can’t wait to watch Him provide the final 24% plus the additional portion for John’s and my married budget. We are so excited to be able to be working alongside each other this next year, which includes raising support together!

We are trusting God to continue to provide for our ministry. We do not know who God is going to call to support us, but we are confident in the promise that He will provide. It’s our job to diligently meet with friends and family and share what God has already done on the UNK campus, and trust God with the rest.

So, will you prayerfully consider supporting our ministry?

Even though I will be in Florida for the summer, I will continue to work on raising our support in any way I can (over the phone, Skype, setting up appointments for August). If you have any questions or would like to speak with me to discuss what John and I will be doing in more detail, I would love to make arrangements to speak with you. Please comment below, or send me an email at nelsen.cr@gmail.com. Or if you have already prayerfully considered joining my team and feel as though God is leading you to do so, you can follow this link to my staff site to donate directly to my ministry.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration and partnership in God’s work at UNK.

In Christ,

~Courtney Rose~

Related Articles

The Need is Great

My Call to Ministry

The Next Step…

¡Viva Argentina! – The Update

 

 

The Need is Great

Tags

Christ, Courtney Rose, faith, God, gospel, harvest, harvest is plentiful, Ministry, needs, Prayer, The Navigators, The Need of the Hour

As I’ve been raising support these past few months, a common question that I’m asked is “What is your need?” Most people who ask that question want to know my financial needs. While it is true that I am in need of financial support during my next two years of full-time ministry with The Navigators at UNK, there is more to it than that. There is a need far greater than my finances, far greater than myself. Jesus explains this need in the Gospel of Matthew:

Matthew 9:35-38

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Jesus saw the problem of the hour: the crowds were broken and afflicted, searching for healing and help. He reacted with compassion, and shared with His disciples the need of the hour to meet this problem: laborers in the Lord’s harvest field. The people needed men and women who would love them with the compassion of Jesus, lay down their own agendas, and bring good news to the harassed and helpless.

That’s the need of the hour: laborers, ordinary field hands. Not better facilities or more equipment, literature, time, or money. Not seminary-educated super-evangelists. Not even more Navigator staff. The need is ordinary men and women who believe that God is God, and that He is more interested in spreading the Gospel than we are. The Navigators‘ founder, Dawson Trotman, put it this way in his message  “The Need of the Hour”:

I believe it is an army of soldiers, dedicated to Jesus Christ, who believes not only that He is God but that He can fulfill every promise He has ever made and that there isn’t anything too hard for Him.

These men and women must believe that My God Reigns!

Nothing can hinder God. To be lacking anything will not stop Him. We must believe that God has a far greater interest in getting things done for the Gospel than we do. Who are we to doubt Him?

As I look at UNK, I see a plentiful harvest. I see countless students in need of the shepherding and compassion of Jesus. And I see far too few laborers bringing them the Gospel.

Please pray with me for laborers to be built up and sent out through the ministry at UNK. It is our desire to come alongside students and help them develop their faith as they learn to study the Bible and disciple others. I pray that God would call these students we invest in to be laborers in the harvest. That they would be bold in sharing their faith, and that after graduation they would continue to labor wherever God sends them – the workplace or the mission field.

God has already begun to answer this prayer in a small way through me. It was through The Navigators at UNK that I was invested in as a student and began the journey of my calling to ministry. I am so blessed to have been invited to continue on at UNK now, and invest similarly into the lives of other women on campus.

‘Til all have heard,

~Courtney Rose~

 

Related Articles

My Call to Ministry

The Next Step…

¡Viva Argentina! – The Update

¡Viva Argentina! – Overwhelmed by the new, reminded of the old

My Call to Ministry

Tags

1 Thessalonians 2:8, Argentina, calling, Christ, commitment, Courtney Rose, disciple, discipleship, EDGE Corps, FL, full-time, funded, goal, God, God's plan, graduation, heart change, Jacksonville, leading, Ministry, my story, plans, Prayer, summer, Summer Training Program, support, support raising, The Navigators, UNK

Many of you may already know my story of God’s calling. Or maybe you have heard only pieces of it. I’d like to be able to share with you a clearer picture of what God has done in my life in recent years to call me to full-time ministry for the next 2 years. However, I understand that may be difficult to do in a blog. Therefore, if you have any questions about my story or would like to hear it in more detail, I would love to share more with you in person! (Just reply below!)

My story begins freshman year. I may have been returning to a town that I grew up in for 9 years of my life, but to me it was a fresh start. I was excited to develop my faith on my own and get involved in a church away from my family. My intentions were good, but my follow through was lacking. As soon as I began getting involved in my sorority and other campus organizations, I quickly lost focus. I began placing my school activities, homework, and sleep above my relationship with God or fellowship with other believers.

Fast forward to fall semester junior year. All of those decisions of misplaced priorities finally caught up to me. I had never been further away from God. I knew that I had been living apart from Him, and that the fruit in my life (or lack thereof) was evidence of it. God convicted me of the sin in my life, and I repented and returned to Him. I recognized the great need I had in my life for His grace and forgiveness, and I responded by recommitting my life to Christ.

It was at this turning point in my life that my path crossed with The Navigators. God was preparing the way for this because He had placed a girl by the name of Caitlin in one of my English classes during that fall semester. We became good friends through that class, and what-do-ya-know she was a part of Navs! So when I was looking for genuine Christian fellowship after recommitting my life, I knew that I could just follow her to a Nav Night (the large group worship night). After that initial connection, I quickly became involved with a Bible study. I was so encouraged that the other girls in the study were also earnestly seeking God and serious about learning how to study the Bible. I knew that was where God wanted me at that time.

For the sake of condensing my story, the quick version of the next two years is this:

– I planned on studying abroad in Spain during Summer 2012

– God sent me to the Summer Training Program in Florida.

– I planned on studying abroad in Costa Rica during Summer 2013

– God sent me to Argentina.

– I had planned my whole life to become a teacher, and was consistent about becoming a Spanish and English teacher since freshman year of high school

– God opens my heart to consider and pray about a different future.

To help you understand how God began to change my heart about the future, I want to share with you about a special relationship. During the fall semester 2012, I began being discipled by my friend Machelle, a Navigator staff member. She didn’t just share biblical principles over a cup of coffee; she welcomed me into her life and gave me a godly example to follow. As we cooked meals, picked up her kids from activities, and ran errands together, Machelle showed me how to do life and ministry as a follower of Christ. By walking alongside me, Machelle built a strong relationship of trust that allowed her to speak into my life and help me grow in my walk with God.

I began desiring to be able to do for girls what Machelle did for me: share my life so that I can share Christ! I recognized that God could have me do this same sort of thing in the workplace after graduation, but I began to be more open to the idea that he could be calling me to give my life away on campus through full-time ministry.

Other events on my timeline as I began considering what God would have me do after graduation include:

– Being asked to explain to a visitor about the needs of The Navigators at UNK, and beginning to cry as I realized that the need was staff women to invest in students. I was crying because I recognized my desire to be the one to invest in those women. (March 2013)

– Being asked by Machelle to begin praying about full-time ministry. (April 2013)

– Sitting in a coffee house and contemplating skipping my English class because I would much rather be studying the Bible or having a spiritual conversation with a friend. I realized that campus ministry could be very similar to what I had been doing that semester (leading a Bible study, discipling girls, raising support for a missions trip) but without the homework or classes. (April 2013)

– Being asked by my campus directors to pray about joining EDGE Corps at UNK. (May 2013)

– God used the summer in Argentina to challenge me in my faith and trust in Him. I also feel that He used the trip to close the door on overseas missions in the immediate future (something else that I had been praying about). (June-July 2013)

– I received a very clear answer during a listening prayer in Argentina that I should be pursuing campus ministry. (July 2013)

– Student teaching taught me that I could teach. That if God called me to it, that I could do a great job in the field of education. However, He also gave me peace about not pursuing a job in education immediately out of college. I felt encouraged to take these next two years and commit them to God. (Fall 2013)

Basically, I just want to give you a picture of the way I have seen God leading me to this decision of full-time ministry. It was not a rash decision as you can see. Nor was it crystal clear or written in the sky. But it was something that God impressed upon my heart over the course of a couple of years (and probably even since childhood if we are really being honest about the way God works).

The verse that has encouraged me since the very beginning of my time with The Navigators, and all the more now that I’ve committed the next two years of my life to God’s ministry at UNK, is 1 Thessalonians 2:8.

So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

I want that desire to grow in my heart for the women I will have the opportunity to invest in at UNK over the next two years. They are already very dear to me, but I want to be able to share myself with them the way I share with them the gospel of God. I want to give my life away for the glory of God.

Please partner with me in prayer as I pursue this path that God has designed for me. I am crazy excited to be able to stay at UNK and work with the girls I’m already investing in as well as the chance to meet new students and build new relationships while sharing the love of Christ.

Right now my biggest concern is being funded for next year. I am currently meeting with friends and family to invite them to partner with me in ministry through prayer and financial support. If you are interested in meeting with me and hearing more about what I will be doing with The Navigators, I would love the chance to share! (Please reply below or email me at nelsen.cr@gmail.com).

My goal is to be fully funded by May 1st in order to spend this summer in Jacksonville, FL as team leader and staff member at the Summer Training Program. (The same program that I went through 2 summers ago!) I am currently at 50%, so please pray that the remaining 50% would come through during the next 4 weeks as I continue to ask for support.

Again, thank you so much for taking an interest in what God has been doing in my life. I appreciate your prayers and support.

God bless,

~Courtney Rose~

Related Articles

The Next Step…

¡Viva Argentina! – The Update

¡Viva Argentina! – Finally here!

The Next Step…

Tags

2 Corinthians 9:7, Christ, Courtney Rose, EDGE Corps, Family, full-time ministry, God, JAX, JAX-STP, ministry partner, Prayer, Romans 8:32, summer, The Navigators, Travel, UNK Navs

As I introduced to you all back in November, there are big changes occurring in my life. Since I last blogged, I have officially interviewed and  been accepted for EDGE Corps with The Navigators at the University of Nebraska – Kearney, and I have begun training and raising support. The EDGE Corps is a 1-2 year opportunity to be trained in ministry while reaching out with the love of Christ to college students who are spiritually hungry.

I am currently in the middle of raising ministry support for this first year of EDGE. Those of you who are familiar with The Navigators are already aware that all EDGE Corps staff are supported entirely by gifts from friends, family and local churches. In order to serve on campus, I am trusting God with my first ministry assignment, which is to put together a team of partners who will give financially from $50-$250 per month and a few who can give more. This means that I am reaching out to as many people as I can to meet with them and share what God has been doing in my life and what this next step is all about.

If you read back through my blog posts the past couple years, it will be evident that God has been leading me in the direction of full-time ministry for awhile. Because He has called me to this, I am confident that He will provide this team of supporters for me.

Romans 8:32 – He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

I am trusting God in this. I feel strongly that God will call people to support me and that through their support He will provide. However, I do not know who those special people will be. Therefore, I am diligently meeting with friends and family during this semester to ask them this very important question:

Will you prayerfully consider joining my team?

I do not want people to rush into a decision to support me or to have not been prompted by God to do so. I do not want people to feel obligated to support me or pressured to support me or to do it begrudgingly.

2 Corinthians 9:7 – Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

I want a team of partners to give out of the overflow of their hearts. I also desire a team to come alongside me in prayer. It is so vital to know that those who are supporting me are also interceding for me at the throne of grace. There is a spiritual battle going on all around us, and I have never been more aware of that before now.

I also use the word partner because that is exactly what I want this to be: a partnership. The ministry that I will be doing on campus could not be completed without the support of individuals. However, I also believe the partnership works the other direction as well. I want to be praying for those who support me. It is just as vital for them to receive prayer because they are the ones doing ministry in the workplace or in their homes by being a light for Christ. Their ministry is just as valued by God as my ministry among college students.

A part of me feels like I may have just rambled a bit through all of that information, but I pray that some of it makes sense to you. I pray that you would understand with more clarity where I am coming from and what I am praying for in a ministry support team.

I want to ask you the same question that I’ve asked others:

Would you prayerfully consider joining my team?

I am still in need of prayer and financial support, and I would love for you to prayerfully consider joining me. I have currently raised 44% of my budget for next year, and my goal is to be at 100% by May 1st in order to spend 2 months of this summer as a team leader and staff member at the JAX – Summer Training Program in Jacksonville, FL.

If you have any questions or would like to meet with me to discuss what I will be doing in more detail, I would love to make arrangements to speak with you. (I am willing to travel!) Please comment below, or send me an email at nelsen.cr@gmail.com. Or if you have already prayerfully considered joining my team and feel as though God is leading you to do so, you can follow this link to my staff site to donate directly to my ministry.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, to learn how God has been leading me, and to pray about how God may be leading you to support me.

‘Til all have heard,

Courtney Rose

P.S. I plan on continuing to introduce you to what this ministry is all about through additional blog entries, but if you are interested in receiving a monthly newsletter from me during my time on EDGE Corps, follow this link to sign up!

Related Articles

¡Viva Argentina! – The Update

¡Viva Argentina! – Overwhelmed by the new, reminded of the old

¡Viva Argentina! – Finally here!

¡Viva Argentina! – The Update

Tags

Argentina, Christ, Courtney Rose, Dependence, Dependency on God, EDGE Corps, God, Grace Elizabeth's, Holy Spirit, Isaiah 55:11, Navigators, NavMissions, Prayer, Rest in God, Romans 8:26, Spanish, summer, summer missions, Travel

You may be wondering: What ever happened to Courtney? Did she even return from Argentina?

Well, I definitely did, and I apologize for not updating you all sooner! To be honest, I tried writing this update shortly after returning, but I couldn’t find quite the right words to express what I experienced. Then, my semester of student teaching began, and I never got around to finishing.

So here I am to give you an update!

As an overview for those who are unfamiliar with what I was doing in Argentina, I went for two months this summer as part of a team of 10 Midwesterners sent by NavMissions. To put it as concisely as possible, we essentially came alongside the existing Navigator ministry, supporting the staff, building relationships with students, and serving the community around us. I could tell you hundreds of stories about the people we met, cultural differences and similarities, and the crazy things that our team said or did, but I’ll limit myself to sharing one story about the people we met and one story about what I learned.

Ismael and Elena with our team

At least one day a week, our team would serve at a children’s home. We played with the kids, served them merienda, and built relationships with them. While serving there, our team was blessed to meet Ismael and Elena, the caretakers. Ismael shared with us how he was actually one of the first children to grow up at the home when it originally opened. Last year, God called him and his wife to leave their own family and jobs in order to return to the children’s home to serve full-time. Even though they’ve been called, they haven’t been met with open arms. There is a lot of spiritual darkness surrounding the home and the leadership. It was emotionally moving to hear Ismael share through his own tears how much he and his wife desire to love the children and share Christ with them, but how they are being met by spiritual opposition. They’d reached a point before we came where they began questioning whether God still wanted them to serve there. Though we could not answer their questions, we were able to encourage them through our words and actions as well as pray over them. Their obedience and faithfulness in following God’s guidance in their lives despite hardship has been eye opening.

On a different front, I was extremely challenged spiritually by my time in Argentina. My biggest struggle was the spiritual warfare I experienced every time our team would go to campus to try and meet students. We would get on the bus to head to campus and my mood would plummet, a cloud would settle on my shoulders, and I felt I had no way of combatting it. This haze of confusion led me to feel like the least useful member of the team. It was through many one-on-ones with my team leader Emily that we began to uncover what was happening to me and why lies kept popping up. It was through the extreme circumstances of being stripped away from everything I knew and being placed in a foreign country that allowed me to confront parts of my life and begin to see how God’s redeeming grace covers all. Despite my faults and inadequacies, God can use me for His purposes to further the gospel. I find confidence in Isaiah 55:11:

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

My friend Paula and me on our last day in Argentina.

No matter how much I screwed up my Spanish, God’s word was going to accomplish the purpose that he designed for it. So though the ups and downs, I was learning to rest in God. So much was out of my control – the culture, the language, the transportation, the conversations – everything. Therefore, I had to trust God with everything that was happening – the good moments, the moments of frustration and confusion, the moments of revelation, the moments of sorrow, of worry, of pain, the moments of excitement and anticipation, and of compassion – they were all moments given to me by God. He used each and every one of those moments to shape my heart and life. Was it easy? Was it pleasant? No. At times it was down right awful and disheartening, but God brought me through those moments to show me His greater picture and glory. In those times of great confusion and brokenness, I had no words to express what I was feeling, but the words of Romans 8:26 would come to mind:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

When I was at a loss, the Holy Spirit was interceding for me. I think that I struggled so much this summer because I had a lot to grow in. I needed those challenges and worries to show me where my dependence is or should be. The only thing I can count on is God and His love for me that he sent his Son to die on the cross for my sins. He is not only good, but He is sovereign and worthy of my trust. He has a plan for me, and it is good. Is that plan what I think is good, easy and best for me? Not all the time, but it is good because it is from God. Even in those moments of torment, I knew that truth about God.

Since returning from Argentina, I’ve continued to grow in my dependence on God. My student teaching has recently concluded, graduation is coming up in December, and I’m looking to God’s future plans for my life. It’s pretty crazy to think that I’ve made it this far, and I’m now searching for what’s next. It’s also crazy because I’m confident right now that God’s immediate plan for me doesn’t include teaching.

Say what?

Yeah, even though my student teaching has been a positive experience and I definitely could see myself teaching in the future, I don’t feel God is calling me to serve in that way at this time. God has used the last 2 ½ years to lead me toward what I believe His plan for me is right now: campus ministry! I’ve recently applied for the EDGE Corps with the Navigators. The EDGE Corps is a 1-2 year opportunity to be trained in ministry while reaching out with the love of Christ to college students who are spiritually hungry. I still have to go through an interview process, but if I am accepted into the program, I will receive training in January before being sent out to raise ministry support. If all goes well, I will be on a college campus (hopefully UNK) by August. I would appreciate your prayers as these plans unfold and I adjust to “life after college.”

Thank you all again for your prayers and support during my time in Argentina. I look forward to what this next year holds and can’t wait to share it with you!

Dependent on God,

~Courtney Rose~

Related Articles

¡Viva Argentina! – Overwhelmed by the new, reminded of the old

¡Viva Argentina! – Finally here!

¡Viva Argentina! – Homestretch

An Attitude of Gratitude

Tags

1 Chronicles 29, Christ, cooking, decorating, Family, Food, God, Grace Elizabeth's, gratitude, holiday, Home, Lord, Prayer, Psalm 100, Psalm 95, Religion and Spirituality, thankfulness, Thanksgiving

The now-extended Nelsen clan joined together yesterday not just for the delicious home-cooked food, but for family fellowship. Dad gathered us together in the morning, between table-setting and food-prepping, for a family devotion centered on the attitude of gratitude. After a brief history lesson behind misconceptions of the holiday itself, he shared scripture to focus our hearts on thanksgiving.

Psalm 100 – Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Interspersed between passages, each of us shared something we were thankful for from this past year. We were reminded of the big things God has been doing in each of our lives and the way He has provided for our families.

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

An Attitude of Gratitude

Having a spirit of thanksgiving should not be restricted to this time of year, but is a way to live our lives daily.

Psalm 95:1-6 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

We pray you had a very happy Thanksgiving with your families and will maintain the spirit of gratefulness throughout the year!

Related Articles:

Menu Monday: Easter Dinner

God’s Lovingkindness Never Fails

Menu Monday: Bridal Shower Brunch

¡Viva Argentina! – Overwhelmed by the new, reminded of the old

Tags

Argentina, Christ, Courtney Rose, God, Grace Elizabeth's, Prayer, struggle, summer, Travel, Vulnerability

A group of us at Girls’ Night!
Norma, Ellie (from the UK), Me, Rocio and Flor

I sat down to write this post almost 2 weeks ago, but besides deciding a general topic to write about, I’ve gotten nowhere. Things in Argentina seem to fly by quickly and slowly at the same time. Although I can hardly believe we have been here for a month already, each day seems to stretch before us because many times our days start with group prayer at 9:30am and don’t end until nearly 1am or later. I’m sure you are all curious as to what our typical day here looks like, but I honestly don’t know that we’ve had a “typical” day yet – our schedule is always changing.

But in general, the activities that we expect to participate in throughout the week include: team Bible study over Galatians and also cross-cultural living (Tuesday mornings); visiting the Hogar (Orphanage) for merienda (tea/snack time) or to teach a Bible lesson (usually on Tuesdays, Fridays or Saturdays); meeting students on campus (Wednesdays and Thursdays); Spanish Bible study (Wednesday nights); helping with conversation during Chris’s English class (Thursday afternoons); team discussion of the book Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges (Friday or Sunday mornings); some sort of service project such as roofing a house (Saturdays); attending church service (Sunday evenings); and an assortment of parties and get-togethers throughout the week such as asados, birthday parties, soccer games, and dinners with friends.

Team picnic turned nap time during our “Sabbath”

One of my favorite days of the week though is Monday – our “Sabbath Day” or day of rest. We are able to spend extended time alone with God and process the week’s experiences. Then we can do whatever we wish that will help us rest such as read a book, take a nap, or go for a run. The idea is to slow down and take a day away from the Spanish and away from the new culture and away from people in order to re-energize for the week to come. I love it!

I think that I love it so much because I am an introvert, but I also enjoy the time to be able to go before God and process the emotional roller coaster that I’ve been on throughout the week. The realization that I had 2 weeks ago when I started thinking about this blog post was that even though I am being bombarded by so many new things (about the culture, about people, about God), I am also being reminded of many of the lessons that God was trying to teach me beginning with last summer and how I still have so much to learn.

For instance, last summer God convicted me of not letting anyone into my life emotionally. Sure, I had many close friends and I loved my family, but I wasn’t sharing my heart with any of them. He was teaching me this in the context of my team at the JAX Summer Training Program and was asking me to open up to them in ways that I was not comfortable with.  Though I realized God was asking me to be vulnerable with them, I fought against it in many ways most of the summer. I opened the door a little ways for them, but still held back the most fragile parts of me. Then during this past school year, I continued to struggle with this idea of trust and vulnerability. I was learning in which situations it was appropriate, and I was blessed when allowing myself to be vulnerable to someone, gave them the courage to open up to me as well.

Fast forward to now: when I am having to rely on God in more ways than I ever have before, when I have a team of 9 others that are sharing this journey with me, in a culture where relationships are valued far above most things, and “going deep” can happen in a matter of minutes of meeting someone.

Yep. I’m in trouble.

Erin, Emily and Jordann

No matter how prepared I thought I might be for this trip, nothing could have prepared me for what God is trying to teach me through circumstances such as this. I’m thankful for my team leader Emily as she patiently listens to me when I’m trying to process why I struggle with this area so much and asks me questions when my mind and mouth are working against each other. God has also blessed me with a wonderful group of girls on the team as well, that I hope to be able to share this with as well because I know they genuinely care about me and want to help.

For now, I would appreciate prayers that I would continue to seek answers about the root of this struggle and that I would not shut down mentally or emotionally when trying to face the rest of our daily activities.

Thank you for your prayers and support throughout this entire journey. There are many other things that I’m learning and hope to be able to share with you when I return.

In Christ,

~Courtney Rose~

Related Articles

¡Viva Argentina! – Finally here!

¡Viva Argentina! – Homestretch

¡Viva Argentina! – Mate

¡Viva Argentina! – Finally here!

Tags

Argentina, Christ, Courtney Rose, God, Prayer, summer, Travel

Hola from Argentina!

Life has been crazy since arriving on Saturday, but it has been incredible meeting new people and learning about the culture! Our first big introduction to the culture happened on Sunday when we hosted our first asado (think family barbeque in the US without the bbq sauce). The Nav staff and some friends all came over to the house we are renting to welcome us to the country and partake in some of the best beef in the world (sorry, Nebraska, but Argentina has you beat!). Unlike many barbeques in the States, the fun was not over when the food ended. Because Argentina is much more relational (the States being more activity driven), after the meal was finished everyone hung around for several hours talking, playing soccer and drinking mate.

Erin and Me at the tea shop.

Since the asado we have also: attended a church service, learned how to ride the bus, taken a remis (think taxi), enjoyed way too much food for our bellies to hold, toured downtown La Plata, drunk lots of mate in good company, learned how to clean out a chicken and make tartas and empanadas, gone on a scavenger hunt in City Bell, had tea in the cutest tea shop for merienda, stayed up way too late, and so much more that I can’t express.

That is about all I have time to update you on for now, but if you would continue praying for:

-Team unity

-Energy

-Teachable hearts and minds

-Broken hearts for the Argentines

-The university campus where we will hopefully be making new friends

-Time alone to process

Related Articles

¡Viva Argentina! – Homestretch

¡Viva Argentina! – Mate

¡Viva Argentina! – Seasons

¡Viva Argentina! – Homestretch

Tags

Argentina, Christ, Courtney Rose, God, God's plan, Grace Elizabeth's, homestretch, La Plata, Philippians, Philippians 4:13, planning, Prayer, Preparation, strength, strength in Christ, summer, support, Travel

It’s hard to think about the fact that in a little under 2 weeks I will be in Argentina. That’s right, time has flown by so quickly that I’m finally entering the homestretch of preparations – which is funny to consider because I by no means feel prepared for this. Sure, I have my passport, prior knowledge of the language and a packing list, but what about preparing my heart for what God has planned for us?

There is no way of knowing what’s in store for us in Argentina – that’s what is so exciting and nerve wracking! I’m excited because I know that God can do the impossible and nothing can limit Him, but I’m nervous because I keep doubting myself and my own usefulness to the team. Really if I think about it though, the first reason should make the second irrelevant. If our God can do all things, then He can use me to accomplish His works. I’m reminded of Philippians 4:13 which says

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

I just need to keep going back to Christ for strength. I do not have to worry about this trip because I do not have to rely on myself, but God. And He will never fail me.

So as these final two weeks pass, I pray that God would continue to prepare my heart for the journey. I can’t imagine what He plans to teach me, but I know that my faith and trust in Him will be tested daily. I pray that my heart would be open to learning more of His truth and that I would rely solely on Christ for my strength.

Thank you everyone who has been a partner in this adventure thus far. I am very excited to announce that I am only $100 away from being fully funded! Praise the Lord! He has done amazing things through your generosity and prayer support that has allowed nearly $5,000 to be raised for this ministry opportunity.

I will have internet access while in Argentina, so I plan on updating you at least a few times while I’m there. I look forward to sharing with you what God is teaching me and how He uses our team in La Plata.

~Courtney Rose~

*I’d love some ideas of how I can best update you on my time in Argentina. Please comment below on what you are most interested in hearing about or what questions you would like answered!*

Related Articles

¡Viva Argentina! – Mate

¡Viva Argentina! – Seasons

¡Viva Argentina! – Prayer

¡Viva Argentina! – Mate

Tags

Argentina, Christ, Courtney Rose, funding, fundraising, God, Grace Elizabeth's, mate, Prayer, school's out, summer, Tradition, Travel, yerba mate

Up to this point, school had kind of taken ahold of my life. Now that my finals are finished and Argentina is waiting for me at the end of the month, I’m ready to really spend some time studying the culture, practicing the language on a conversational basis and memorizing scripture in Spanish so that I am as prepared as I can be before departing.

One part of Argentine culture that I’ve been exploring is the traditional drink mate. This is a tea made by adding hot water to yerba mate and sharing it with friends and family. It is traditionally served in a gourd, and a straw called a bombilla is shared. It is a sign of respect to be offered mate. If you follow this link, you can watch a super short film that reflects the mate ritual and its place in the culture.

Curious how it is prepared? Seeing how I have not been to Argentina yet and cannot offer you my personal experience, this following video demonstrates how mate is prepared:

While looking into the culture surrounding mate, I really enjoyed reading this article written by an American on what she has learned while living in Argentina. I especially appreciated what she shared about being able to learn more about the culture and people through sharing mate.

After learning more about this tradition, I can’t wait to enjoy drinking mate with my new Argentine friends!

***

Funding Update

The deadline to reach 80% ($4,000) of my funding is this Sunday, May 12th. I am currently sitting around the $3000 mark. Please pray with me that $1,000 more would come in this next week. If you have already partnered with me, I am extremely grateful and blessed by your gift.

If you have not yet partnered with me financially in this ministry opportunity, I pray that you would consider making that decision. In order for me to still be allowed to be a part of this trip, I have to be 80% funded by the 12th, or I will no longer be part of the team. Please prayerfully consider this decision.

Contribute by clicking here to go to The Navigators’ website. Click on the “Donate” tab at the top of the page. Type in either my name or ID number (23820071) to directly support this opportunity. Please send your gifts as soon as possible for them to be in my account by May 12th. Your gifts are tax-deductible.

Thank you for your continued prayer, support and interest in this ministry opportunity. I pray that I will soon be able to share with you the way God has provided these last gifts to allow me to serve in Argentina this summer!

~Courtney Rose~

Related Articles

¡Viva Argentina! – Seasons

¡Viva Argentina! – Prayer

¡Viva Argentina! – Language Preparation