Can a Murderer Go to Heaven?

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Argentina, Christ, God, Grace Elizabeth's, Middle East, Missions, Missions Trip, Prayer, Prayer Requests, summer, The Navigators, Travel, Viva Argentina

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

 

“What! So you are saying that a murderer can go to heaven if he believes in Jesus?”

 

We spent the night at my friends’ house during the week, and had a wonderful evening of food and conversation. The next morning, her cousin, a 12-year-old girl, woke up and said, “I understand the importance of the Bible etc. It is all quite logical. However, I don’t understand how bad people can go to heaven.” Evidently, she had been listening all evening to our conversation while she was also playing around. Our dear friend still does not quite understand grace, and the fact that all of just have fallen short of God’s perfect standard. However, her curiosity continues, and she always asks us questions that lead to good discussions. We gave her a book of the Psalms to help her understand how broken David was when he approached the Lord.

 

We had a girl’s jewelry making and chocolate chip cookie making party combined, and enjoyed spending more time with some of our friends. The next week, following the party, my mom and a teammate were able to share the Gospel with one of the girls, though she has heard it many times. Another one of the girls came to our house, and was involved in our film night discussion time where she heard truths of the Gospel again.

 

The film nights continue with lots of crowds at our house every Wednesday night. Student friends from the nearby campus come around 6 pm for a meal and some stay until midnight for the discussion. This month we watched the classic Ben-Hur. Themes of revenge, forgiveness and healing in Christ all came out in our discussion. We divided the film into two weeks, so some friends waited in suspense, wondering what kind of encounter Ben-Hur would have with Christ. It also provides a good opportunity for the believer students to share their testimonies. It is a wonderful environment that I look forward to each week.

 

The Lord brings people who want to learn more about Himself to other activities as well. We have themes like Brazilian day, or St. Patrick’s Day, to provide for ways to interact with people.

I continue with my communications projects as well, especially in this season in which there is a lot of transition. I remember to pray for the leaders in our different ministry areas and countries, that the Lord would guide their decisions, and multiply His fruit in these barren lands. May the truth of His resurrection be known in these places, and may we also, remember this incredible victory in Christ.

 

This has been a ministry letter from a dear friend living and ministering in the Middle East.  Her letters make me smile and I love to see what God is doing in her life and those lives she touches with Christ’s love and His redemption.

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Argentina, building relationships, Christ, Courtney Rose, God, God's will, gospel, Grace Elizabeth's, heart for the nations, La Plata, Ministry, ministry partner, Missions, Missions Trip, Spanish, summer, The Navigators, Travel, Viva Argentina

As many of you know, this last year and a half has been an incredible time of spiritual growth for me, and I’ve been learning how to follow God’s will for my life. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been accepted to go to Argentina this summer for 8 weeks to help with The Navigators’ ministry!

Argentina Team 2013 – Front: Erin, Lea, Chelsey, Me, Emily; Back: Patrick, Tyler, Jordann, Brady, Tim

God has been working in my heart for many years now to get me to this point of serving Him overseas. After years of God closing doors on my overseas opportunities, I began praying this year that He would reveal a way for me to use my Spanish skills to glorify Him this summer. When I found out about this short-term trip to Argentina, I prayerfully applied. Now that I’ve been accepted, I’m excited to learn how God is going to stretch me this summer as I help further His kingdom!

I will be joining a team of 10 who will be building relationships among college students in La Plata in order to share the gospel. While we’re there, we’ll be engaging in the culture and encouraging some of the new Argentine Christians in the Navigator collegiate ministry there. I hope to be a load-lifter for the Navigator missionaries and serve them as I’m able. God has blessed me with this opportunity, and in order to get there I will need a team of friends to partner with me in ministry through prayer and financial support.

Would you prayerfully consider contributing a special gift to this ministry opportunity God has provided me? In order to reach the program budget of $5,000 to be on the ground in Argentina this summer, gifts of $50, $75, and $100 are needed, as well as $500 or more. Know that gifts of any size will be gratefully accepted however the Lord leads you.

To give, you may click 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 by May 5th. Your gifts are tax-deductible.

Thank you for prayerfully considering this investment in the Lord’s work. I will be keeping you all up to date with the challenges and blessings that I encounter while preparing for this missions trip through this section of the blog. I can’t wait to share with you as you partner with me in this ministry opportunity!

~Courtney Rose~

What has God been teaching you about His heart for the nations?

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Argentina, Christ, God, Jacksonville Florida, Japan, JAX, Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas City Missouri, Missions, Missions Trip, Navigators, Navs, summer, summer missions, summer plans, summer trip, team, United States

God never ceases to amaze me! He has answered my prayers and prepared a place for me on the missions team going to Argentina this summer! My mind still can’t get over the fact that I’M GOING TO ARGENTINA!

As a result, today is the day that a group of us Navs at UNK road trip to Kansas City for our missions trip orientation! There are 4 students who will be travelling with our Campus Directors to Japan this summer, so the 5 of us get to road trip to KC today. At this orientation we will meet our teams for the summer and learn more about what it means to serve Christ overseas. I can’t wait to meet all of my team members and super excited that a few of them were at JAX with me last summer. Please pray for our travels and that our hearts would be further opened to God’s heart for the nations during this orientation. Pray that we would begin to build unity with our teams and seek to glorify God through all we do.

~Courtney Rose~

To hear about how my journey began, check out my original blog post here!

Going with God

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Argentina, Courtney Rose, God, God's plan, God's will, Grace Elizabeth's, Jeremiah 29, Missions Trip, Plan, Prayer, Spanish, summer, Travel

Now that 2012 is over, I am reflecting on how this past year has been so filled with God’s blessings. It was this time last year that I first made the decision to connect with the Navigators, an inter-denominational campus ministry.  I had not been very involved in any ministry since coming to college, and over last Christmas break, I came to the realization that I craved that fellowship.

Since that time, God has taken me on quite the journey and it all began when He changed my plans for the summer. You see, I had been planning on studying abroad in Spain last summer for my major. I had actually been trying to travel to a Spanish-speaking country since my senior year of high school, but my plans had always fallen through. So I had it in my mind that I HAD to study in Spain and had applied for the program in January.  In February I received word that I had not been accepted into that program, and I was devastated. However, I quickly understood that Spain was not God’s plan, and I turned to Him for guidance in what I should do next. I wanted to know how He wanted to use me that summer.

His answer was quick in coming because the Navigators had been promoting their Summer Training Program in Jacksonville, FL (JAX) at their weekly meetings. My friend had just applied for the program, and when I told her that my summer plans had changed, she encouraged me to apply for JAX too.  I gave it some prayerful thought before I applied and continued to pray for God’s will to be done as I waited to hear back.

As many of you know, God answered my prayers and sent me to JAX last summer for an incredible opportunity for spiritual growth.  He challenged me in many ways and gave me a strong foundation and passion for His work for when I returned to campus this fall.  Since then I have been blessed by the opportunity to be discipled by Machelle Clark, to disciple Jaci, one of my sorority sisters, and to co-lead a Bible study with Caitlin, my friend who went to JAX with me. This last semester has taught me a lot about relating with others and sharing Christ’s love through my daily walk.

Throughout this semester, God has once again changed my plans to match His. I had begun planning a trip this summer to study abroad in Costa Rica, but right about the time a deposit was due for the trip, I realized that God was calling me to consider a missions trip instead. I still desired to go to a Spanish-speaking country to experience the language immersion, so  I asked my campus director with the Navigators for help in finding a missions trip.

Last week I officially heard that a Navigators’ short-term missions trip to Argentina is planned for May 31-July 24, 2013.  This team will be working with an existing Navigators ministry building relationships and sharing Christ’s love with the community, and I submitted my completed application on Christmas Eve. Right now I am praying that God would prepare a place for me on that team or that He would reveal how else He wants me to serve Him this summer. One thing I know for sure, God has a plan for me; I just have to wait for Him to reveal it to me and be eager to follow and obey that will.

~Courtney Rose~

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.