We have returned safely from overseas!

To say it was cool, or sweet, or even awesome is an huge understatement. God has done so much in each of us since we left WA 138 days ago (sometimes it seems longer, sometimes I don’t believe we have been gone this long.)

Rome was amazing, we did many things in our two weeks there, from prayer mapping to piazza ministry, and Josh even got to work with refugees at a church.  There are more stories than can be told here on our blog, but we will start posting some so you can get a slight glimpse.

The biggest thing I wanted to share was our time in Acquaviva Della Fonti.  We spent 13 days there, but it felt so much longer!  The church there is so caring, and overwhelmingly generous.  They took in a group of seven of us and made us feel like family from day one.  Lunch and dinner were both spent with a group from the church, and every meal was prepared for us by someone who attends the church.  The most beautiful thing I saw was how much the church reached out their hand to the community.  The church there goes out to do evangelism all over the area, and takes time out of their days to love the people, whether it is handing out tracks and books about Jesus, or making balloon animals for young kids.  Our whole group was forever changed by the experience there!

We have now spent one week back, and we are settling in fairly well.  We are staying in Hunters Point, which is the area most known for gang activity.  The beautiful thing there is how kind people are, and though we are very obviously outsiders they treat us with care and respect.  I am working with a ministry called End Loneliness, which Josh worked with while in lecture phase.  We spend days connecting with different people in North Beach (aka Little Italy) trying to reach out to those who are lonely.  Josh is working with one of the Street Teams, going around the city and praying with people and making new friends.  God has been so good through this last week, and I can’t wait to see what he does with us throughout our time here.

Please be praying that all of us finish well and really invest our last month here in San Francisco.  Pray for openings to talk with people, and opportunities to share and show love.  We love and miss you all!

Two of our friends on DTS were baptized this week!!! It was so amazing to be a part! We had worship on the beach and then some time to encourage each of them, then they hit the waves for baptism! What an amazing thing to have on the beach in San Francisco!

Yes, we are really in week 7 of lectures.

I can’t believe how quickly the time here has gone.  The experiences gained so far are amazing, and the knowledge we are being given from our teachers is overwhelming.  Our weeks thus far have been:

week 1- Orientation/Teachings from our Leaders

week 2- The Character and Nature of God – Karri Manning

week 3- Hearing the Voice of God- Dow Saunders

week 4- Spiritual Warfare- Dawn Masucci

week 5- Bible Study- Art Collins

week 6- Plumbline- Jerry Praetzel

week 7- The Cross- Peter Iliyn

Every one of our teachers have given so much, and have really cared for each of us.  I can’t believe how much God has used them in this time!  I have already filled an entire notebook with notes…which is crazy for me!

The one week that really stands out for me is last week.  A plumb line, probably not a common or understood term, is a vertical guideline using earth’s gravitational pull.  Plumb line week here was about living in Christ’s balance, and walking through what we have told ourselves is truth, even when something isn’t really truth.  The biggest part of the week was walking through first forgiveness, and letting go the wrongs done to us which we have allowed to define ourselves.  The second, and equally as big part, was walking through confessing and asking forgiveness of wrongs we have done to others and ourselves.  Watching as each student was freed from some really painful things was amazing.  Getting up in front of everyone and ripping open my life was so scary, but wow, the healing that has come in is amazing.  God truly does want us to be free of things, he longs for us to be defined by Him and His Love, not our hurts and pain.

If you are still carrying your past, even if you feel you have ‘forgiven’ it, I encourage you to share with someone and walk through choosing forgiveness.  Giving something over to God doesn’t mean that you will be repaid, it means you let Christ’s blood cover the hurt.  It means you let go of the want for retribution and justice, and let go of holding that person to what happened.  I know its not an easy decision, I watched people this week who have been hurt so deeply, they gave it all to God, and their faces haven’t stopped glowing since! Its incredible what Jesus does.  Forgiveness isn’t about a feeling, its choosing.  Saying “God, I choose to forgive… for…” name the hurt though, let the other person agree with you in forgiveness.  And Get Prayer! So huge is allowing someone to stand in the gap and pray for you afterward.

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world,t that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Jesus was sent to save us, to redeem us.  Not to take away freedom, but to bring true freedom.

I am still learning all of this, but it has impacted me in a way I can’t explain. Jesus is so good, and His presence in my life is so awe inspiring.

WOW!

That is about all I know to say right now. God has been working so much in Josh and I since arriving at DTS. He is showing me so many things I didn’t fully understand with my heart. The beauty of God is that He continues to reveal himself in new ways all the time.

Right now, God is teaching me that he is personal. He longs for relationship with us, to truly know us. He longs that we truly know him, that we pursue him with our whole selves. My mind is blown. The God of the universe wants to know me…to really know…not just surface things, but everything. He wants to hold all of my fears, he loves me enough to not count things against me, he just wants me to have communion with him. To walk with him, talk with him, be with him.

To truly understand this is still something I am trying to learn, but the teaching so far is amazing. He has spoken, and shown himself in ways I have never experienced before.

Thanks everyone for supporting us on this journey…it is more than I could have ever imagined…I thought I was coming just to learn missions…but God has brought me here to grow in him. This is the biggest blessing that I could have ever imagined.

I just want to say a huge “Thank You” to everyone at Kessid Church.  It is so humbling, and such a enormous blessing to have our church body supporting what we do through prayer.  I know that Josh and I haven’t met most of you, and if we weren’t leaving so soon I would love the opportunity to talk with each of you about your lives, and what God is calling us to.  Please know that if you would like any questions answered you are more than welcome to email us at joshandkassi@gmail.com

I am so excited to be serving God through missions.  This is something I have been interested in since I was very young.  Growing up I had the blessing of knowing a few missionaries.  The stories they would send back in letters always inspired me to follow Christ, and at many times excited me for the opportunity of helping people throughout the world.

Thank you again for your support!  We will be praying that God blesses each of you :)