Mission Monday

Here's my recent post on my friend Amy's blog. Hopefully you will find it informative and motivating!

I am a single, 29 year old woman that is currently working for North American Mission Board and living and serving in the Bay area. The reason I mention that I am single is because I want to show that marital status does not affect God’s calling on your life. He has great purposes for single and married women alike. Purposes that are made for each one of us, individually, and He can use us to do great things for the Kingdom! I have a heart for people. Long ago, God called me into ministry. Because of this calling, I have gotten to live in China for two years and gotten to travel to places like India, Burma, Ethiopia, and Liberia. And now, I get to serve in the San Francisco Bay area.

Why San Francisco Bay area? Because only 68% of residents here claim to be Christian, making them the least likely to do so. 44% of the people have not attended church in the last six months, making San Fran the most unchurched city in America. With large people groups from countries such as Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Burma, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Latin America, and other refugee populations, these statistics grow. In a city like this, sexual orientation is related to church status as well. 49% of the homosexual public meet the unchurched criteria. With numbers like this, it makes it hard to deny that darkness overwhelms this area---which boasts a bigger population than 39 U.S. states!

Though I love traveling overseas and one day hope to serve long term again, God has placed the world at our doorstep…literally. Currently, I live with a couple from Afghanistan. All I have to do to cross cultures is step into the hallway! Fremont is home to more Afghanis than any other place in the world (excluding Afghanistan and Pakistan). My roommate has a heart to go to Afghanistan someday, but she is getting to openly share the Truth with Afghanis that may never have heard had they still been in Afghanistan! Many more unreached (less than 2% Christian) people groups populate this area. In fact, most of the time I feel like I’m in a foreign country because wherever I go I am a minority as a Caucasian.

So what is my job? I am actually training to be a church planting strategist. I am learning the ins and outs of how to successfully plant churches and get the unchurched into the Church. I get to do all sorts of things like make newsletter, network, evangelism, and help out new church starts. In fact, this past Sunday I got to attend a church launch. After two years of hard work, this church was having its first weekly service. With over 100 in attendance, a standing room only crowd, I saw the Holy Spirit move and God speak powerfully to hearts. What was cool about this church in particular is that in the Summer of 2009, I led a group from my church in Fort Worth on a trip here. We prayer walked and did research for a new church plant in an area called SoMa. The church I attended Sunday was that church! It was cool to see something that was prayed for two years ago come to fruition. Also, because this is one of the most expensive places in the country to live, I had to get another part-time job. I work 18 hours a week at a tutoring program for Chinese (mostly) students. So far, God has used it to provide not only financially, but also for opportunities to share.

The Bay area is unlike any other place. It is so unique. Its people, its style, its thinking. It is full of culture and art, and business and ideas (Apple, Google, Craigslist, and other major technical corporations are based here). Most people who come here fall in love right away at it’s natural beauty and captivating spirit. However, even in all this, millions of people are walking in darkness. They are disenchanted, uninterested, and flat out rebellious of the Christian faith. I hope that all of us workers here will learn how to love with unconditional love and be selfless in our service to those around us. How absolutely incredible it would be if this creative, passionate, and genuine culture would be filled with God’s love and light! I think if the Bay area could be transformed for Christ, then many other unreached parts of the world would be reached. Please pray for the people of the San Francisco Bay area. Pray that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth so that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will (2 Tim. 2: 25-26). Pray for church planters, servants, and the Church here. Pray that we would be the aroma of Christ (2 Cor. 2: 14-16) and that we would be His image by clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience--but most of all love (Col. 3:12-14). Pray for opportunities around you. Pray that each of us dearly loved children of God would seek to be obedient everyday in whatever He asks of us in every situation of life.

Finally, did you know that an estimated 73 million American adults are unchurched (100 million if you count children and teens). “To put that into context, if the unchurched population of the United States were a nation of its own, that group would be the twelfth most populated nation on earth!?!?! That’s a lot of work in our own backyards. So here’s my challenge to each of you: Find out from God how He wants to use you to reach the lost---and do it….wherever that may be (Japan, China, Texas, California, Oklahoma, or small town America!)

Thank you all for your time! I hope this gave you a glimpse into place that can reach the world, right here in America!
*All my statistics come from the Barna Group website.

Funny Friday

So today we went to San Luis Obispo and surrounding areas.  We found lots of interesting spots like Pirates' Cove.  In order to get to Pirate's Cove, we were told to ask a local for directions.  We were told that Pirate's Cove is the BEST place to look at the ocean.  WELL, we found a local.  He was wondering why we wanted to go to Pirate's Cove, but gave us directions.  He warned us that it may not be what we were expecting.  Apparently Pirate's Cove is a nude beach.  We decided to take our chances considering it was COLD and RAINING!  So, we found Pirate's Cove and luckily, it was neither nude nor a beach today.  Lucky!  Another fun thing we did was wait in line for the men's bathroom.  Yes, that's right, the men's bathroom.  At the Madonna Inn is a men's bathroom that has actually become a tourist attraction because the urinals are waterfalls.  We had to wait quite a while to get in (those guys were worse than girls!).  But we finally saw the waterfalls.  Wow.  Let's just say, I can't wait to stay in this motel.  It is the kitschiest place I've ever seen complete with pink pink everywhere, guady furniture and little creepy dolls!  Awesome.  After that we went to Bubblegum Alley.  This is a small alley way that is top to bottom ABC gum.  After chewing our gum and sticking it on the wall, we decided to take pictures of our gum.  I was proud of my gum so I stuck my finger confidently on it for the picture...but wait...my finger is on pink gum.  I was chewing white gum....gross!  The end.

1.  Bubble Gum Alley
2.  Me pointing confidently at my gum
3.  Not my gum
4.  Pink is in at the Madonna Inn
5.  The men's waterfall urinals

Talk to God Tuesday--Caught in Bondage

Caught in the bondage of sin, people live in darkness, which accounts for why San Francisco is one of American's largest centers for human trafficking.


“Many of San Francisco's Asian massage parlors -- long an established part of the city's sexually permissive culture -- have degenerated into something much more sinister: international sex slave shops.Once limited to infamous locales such as Bombay and Bangkok, sex trafficking is now an $8 billion international business, with San Francisco among its largest commercial centers.  San Francisco's liberal attitude toward sex, the city's history of arresting prostitutes instead of pimps, and its large immigrant population have made it one of the top American cities for international sex traffickers to do business undetected, according to Donna Hughes, a national expert on sex trafficking at the University of Rhode Island.”
http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-10-06/news/17316911_1_trafficking-victims-human-trafficking-new-owners

Once in California, the women are taken most often to places like L.A. or San Francisco. There, they are forced to hide in massage parlors, basements, etc. where their travel documents are taken and they learn they are to pay off their “debts” as sex slaves. Many are forced to live in brothels and have sex with up to 12 men a day. (These stats are from 2006).
According to a presentation given by Ruthie Kim from Because Justice Matters, the gold rush was the foundation for trafficking in San Francisco. In 1850 their were 7 Chinese women and 4,000 Chinese men. The demand was high. By 1870, there were 3,600 Chinese women and 60% of those women were in the sex industry having been trafficked into San Francisco from China.

Today San Francisco is home to over 100 massage parlours with 70 of those known to be part of illegal activity. In these parlors, a “massage” is not the only thing for sale. With each parlor hosting up to eight women, means that that there were more than 700 Asian sex masseuses working in the SF area.

Did you know that 98% of women in prositution do NOT want to be in prostitution. The lifestyle is not to support their drug and alcohol habit. Their drug and alcohol habit is to help deal with their lifestyle.

75% of women in prostitution have been sexually abused as a child.
　
　
“But the scope of sex trafficking in San Francisco is much larger -- women are also forced to work as escorts, outcall girls, erotic dancers and street prostitutes. Women are also placed in "AAMPs" -- Asian apartment massage parlors -- which are little more than apartments rented by traffickers who staff them with one or two sex workers. Business is done by word of mouth, and only customers approved by the owner are allowed in.” (from same website as quote above)

With facts and figures like this, it is hard to look past the huge need for Christians to step up and minister to these women in need. God has big plans for these women. Like Rahab, God can use them to spread His gospel. Can you imagine what a movement of God among the sex trade industry would look like? What a huge defeat of Satan! The sex industry holds so many women and men in bodnage. It is a spiritual battlefield that Satan is controlling. He is robbing those involved of God’s glory in their lives.

Today’s Talk to God moment is this: Pray for the men and women involved in the human trafficking taking place right here at home. Pray that Christians would be the arms of love reaching out to embrace these women.  Pray that God's mercy, healing, and freedom would come to all those involved in this industry.  Pray that a conviction of sin to those Christian men and women that are involved in the sex industry by choice.  Pray for God's love to overflow and wipe away the hate.

For more information:
http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/c-prostitution-facts.html
http://www.becausejusticematters.com/

Guest posting

Hey,
Check out my guest post on my friend Amy's blog!  It is very informative about what is going on here in the Bay area!

Have a great day!

Out and about

On Sunday, my roommate and I were in San Fran, so we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and see some non-touristy sights.  We ended up taking a 49 mile scenic drive around the city.  Let me tell....it was scenic!  It was so beautiful!  We even found Robin Williams' house!  It is an a VERY nice part of town.  I could live there and plant a church....they need Jesus too! ;)  Here are some of the views we got to see:

1.  A view overlooking Fremont area.
2.  The Exploratorium in San Fran
3.Crissy Field--a beach at the bay.
4. at the foot of Golden Gate Bridge
5. sunset on the Pacific Ocean
6. Another sunset (on a different day) over the Pacific Ocean
7.  Golden Gate Bridge at sunset with the fog rolling in.

Funny Friday (Not on Friday)

Some of you who r,ead my Facebook posts, already know my funny story, but it's just too good not to share again.  So on Valentine's Day, I got asked out.  Here is the conversation that ensued:

Him:  Do you want to go out?
Me:  Where?
Him:  Out of here.  Wherever you want to go?  What do you like?
Me:  It depends on what you mean by 'go out'.
Him:  You know, like, go out.
Me: OOOOkay?
Him:  We can go to my house.  You can come home with me.
Me:  And what would we do?
Him:  SMOOCH!
Me: (laughing)  That's a very sweet offer, but I think I'm too old for you.
Him:  Oh, well how old are you?
Me:  29.  How old are you?
Him:  6!

Haha...he'll be quite the ladies man one of these days! :)

Talk to God Tuesdays

This week, I ask that you pray for my focus and guidance in my new work here.  Pray that I will tak every opportunity that God gives me to share His Truth with those around me.  Pray that I will be dilligent in study, open to growth and discipline, and creative in finding new ways to spread His kingdom!  Thanks so much!

Apologies

Sorry, I haven't been keeping up with my weekly themes.  I don't have interent at my house, so sometimes it is a little difficult to get on and blog.  I guess I just need to remember to write down my thoughts and then copy and paste them into the blog later.  So, you haven't missed out on my much lately, but this week, I will be guest blogging on my friend Amy's blog.  Yea for Around the World Wednesdays!

Talk to God Tuesdays

Today is Talk to God Tuesday.  Every Tuesday, I hope to publish some specific prayer requests.  Today, I'm going to ask for prayer for the couple that my friend and I live with.  They are Muslim.  They are very kind and warm-hearted, but also still walking in darkness.  Pray that my roommate and I will be able to be a reflection of Light in their lives and will be able to share with them the Truth about God.  Pray that God will provide for them in their time of need and they will know that it is our God who is Jehovah-Jireh!

Thanks for your prayers...I know that we serve a living God that hears are prayers and answers according to His good will for us!

Mission Monday

Wow!  It's already Monday!  Where has the time really gone?  Anyway, my hope is that every Monday, I will be able to share something about missions.  Today, I want to introduce you to a link:  http://www.joshuaproject.net/.  This website has tons of information about unreached people groups around the world.  It gives specific details about each group and what their culture and languages are.  It also shows the depths of their lostness.  It also gives an unreached people group of the day.  I want to invite you to take a look at this sight and maybe choose one or two people groups to begin praying for.  Anyway, have a happy missions Monday!  Find out what you God wants you to do this week...and do it! :)

Funny Friday

So I found a link that had me rolling and laughing out loud (to myself in an empty house):  http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com/ (excuse the language).  But this website is SO funny, especially if you have an iPhone that autocorrects texts and emails.  I don't know why the iPhone has such dirty vocabulary, but I must say, beware of autocorrect or you may be scheduling a vasectomy instead of asking for a vacancy!

A little about this blog

I hope to use this blog as a prayer update/newsletter/running dialogue of what is happening in my world.  I hope that you will be able to stay updated with what is going on and be able to pray for the work going on here.  Some things of interest that will be starting on this blog:  Talk to God Tuesdays--every Tuesday, I will post prayer requests for the week so you can stay informed on the prayer needs; Funny Fridays--every Friday I will try to post something hilarious that I did, saw, heard, or found during the week; and finally Mission Mondays---every Monday I will try to post stories, articles, links, etc. of all things dealing with missions, people groups, ministry, missionaries, etc.  Anyway, I hope you will join me on my journey!

Getting started...

So, I think I'm pretty much settled now.  I even found a part-time job working at an after school tutoring program for Chinese students.  It's really just a glorified babysitting job, but for $15/hr, I can't complain.  The cost of living is so high here.  I'm not sure how people do it!  And don't get me started on how much tax is here...it's like they enjoy stealing my hard earned money!  Anyway, I'm still getting a feel for my ministry position here.  Trying to learn the ins and outs of a strategist in order to figure out how to best reach the masses here in the area.  Did you know that the San Fran Bay area has a bigger population than 39 U.S. states?!?!?  That is huge!  However, the number of churches here probably ranks in the bottom of the polls.  Most people aren't interested in church.  In fact, a lot of people here have a bad view of Christians because of the hate that some "Christians" have towards gays and liberals.  However, I hope to be a part of change taking place here--a change that shows true Christian love, Christ's love for all.  I hope to be an accurate representative of the true teachings of Christ and His love for us.  I hope that you will join with me in praying for the people of this area.  Pray for spiritual understanding, pray for healing, pray for enlightenment of their hearts towards the Truth of God. 

Under the Shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge

Okay, so I don't technically live under the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge (GGB from here on out).  In fact not much actually lives under the shadows of that bridge, except for some marine life and a few brave souls who don't mind the random spurts of HEAVY fog.  I'm just using the image as a metaphor to talk about my life and ministry for the next couple of years here in the SF Bay area.   Now you're intrigued right?  Well, whenever someone thinks of San Fran, they usually think of that beautiful, red bridge that stretches across the bay, so for my blog, the GGB is representative SF Bay, its culture, and its people.  The shadow represents the darkness and spiritual fog that is over the people here.  It's like having a shadow of darkness on the people here and my job is to help them find the light of our Lord and get out from under that shadow.  Plus, I thought "Stories of life, love, and faith under the shadows of the Golden Gate Bridge" just sounded too catchy not to use! So anyway, welcome to my world via blogging.  I hope that this will serve as a glimpse into what God is doing right here in our own backyard!