Kalyn's Story

Rwanda: A Piece from My Journal

2011-05-04T08:10:00.002-04:00

I am currently in Amsterdam waiting to board for Ireland. All is well, although it has been by far the worst airport experience of my life, involving a ripped bag and making a check-in lady cry (well, not me, the system). So much for a smooth transition back to into the Western world!

As for my time in Rwanda:

Being in Rwanda over Easter affected me differently than I expected. I expected it to be powerful the initial stages of the genocide occurred over Easter. In reality, it was powerful because more than ever before I began to truly understand the power and hope of the resurrection. As Jesus was dying on the Cross, evil seemingly prevailed. Yet, even so, it doesn’t. Jesus’ words of forgiveness in the midst of death reveal his power over Satan. And still the disciples were left hopeless. They had witnessed extreme evil being done to their Master. All the evil in the world was laid upon Jesus’ shoulders. He died with that weight and sin in a posture of love. And then he didn’t stay there. In hope and power he came back to live on this earth. He conquered that evil once and for all in the resurrection. He took the sting out of death. Satan has no power because, in the greatest act of love, Jesus died and came back to live in the name of reconciliation.

It is in the shadow of the Cross and resurrection that Rwanda stands today. On Good Friday and Saturday, we visited memorials of the genocide. I was staring the worst evil I had ever seen in the face. Horror. Pain. Savagery. Just plain evil. In those days I felt anger. Anger at sin. Anger at evil. Ander at the selfishness of America and the Western world. Ander at the selfishness and capacity for evil and hatred that I saw within my own heart. I saw a brokenness I have never seen before. I was left with a feeling of hopeless despair.

Then came Easter. I had the privilege of worshipping with hundreds of Rwandans, no longer identified as Hutus or Tutsis. I drove through the countryside to see the development of a once bloodstained land. I heard of a President who put peace and reconciliation of a nation above selfishness, power, and corruption (which is virtually unheard of in Africa). And in the greatest sense of forgiveness and reconciliation I have ever witnessed, I sat across from a perpetrator and a survivor. I sat across from John who was brutally murdered Chantale’s father. I sat across from Frances who had mercilessly murdered his best friend, Bridgette’s father. I saw a forgiveness, confession, and reconciliation process like none before. Frances has now taken the father role in Bridgette’s life. Chantale, who claims she died after the genocide and felt God had died as well, found life only in forgiving John. I saw the power of reconciliation for both parties. In Rwanda, I saw the evil that caused Jesus to be crucified and I saw the power and hope of reconciliation through the resurrection, on both a personal level and a national level. As I stood there holding hands with both Frances and Bridgette crying out to God altogether, I was confronted by my own hatred and anger and unforgiveness. And as I was forced to face the evil and sin within my own life, and I had to deal with it accordingly, by confessing to God and others and asking for forgiveness. And I finally understood hope like I never have before. My Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday full of discussion of reconciliation fill me with feelings of forgiveness, hope and power. Easter, which is the core and foundation of my faith, made more sense than ever before. Welll, maybe it didn’t make sense because the supernatural rarely makes sense, but it became far more real, far more powerful, far more personal. In the cross and resurrection of Christ, there is power. Joy. Freedom. Forgiveness. Reconciliation. Love. Vulnerability. HOPE.

Final Days at UCU

2011-04-16T03:40:00.000-04:00

Sometimes the end of those seasons simply stink. It’s Saturday morning and I am sitting in Agatha’s room while she studies for an exam she has this afternoon (yes, they have exams on Saturdays). I don’t really want to leave her side, Yet in an hour and a half I will be leaving for a wedding my family invited me to, a Ugandan princess marrying a Norwegian man. It should be interesting.

On Wednesday I finished my last exam. History of East Africa. I can honestly say my hand has never been so sore than after 2.5 hours of writing everything I know about the history of a region. I had a presentation on Thursday about my practicum, and we spent the night there. We got to experience the first ever, Off-Tu’s Got Talent. It was such a joy to watch those kids do their thing and shake their booties. Yesterday, we had two elective classes on Simply Living and Calling. Now I am officially done with my junior year. I cannot believe I only have one more year left of college. Now that is sad. Even more than that, however, I cannot believe I will be leaving UCU in just 5 days. In these next five days, I will be spending one more night with my family, making chapatis and brownies, hiking in some forest nearby, packing up my stuff and hopefully bringing home less than I came with, and spending as much time as possible with Agatha and Innocent and the rest of my friends here in Uganda.

I cannot believe the time is coming to an end. I don’t know where the time has gone, but I can tell you I will be a different person coming home than I was when I left. But not totally. This has been an incredible experience. I have learned so much about people, myself, and my God. I have so many things going through me head, trying to make sense of it all, but these next five days, I am going to simply soak it in. I am going to simply live. I am excited for what God still has to teach me in these next five days. Sometimes I wonder if loving people fully is worth it, because there is always a goodbye in the future. But I’ve decided that even with the goodbye looming over our heads, I am going to love as best I can for the time I have left. Because it’s worth it. Jesus is worth it. I don’t want to waste another moment.

Here is my schedule for the next month and a half before I officially get home:

April 16-20: Uganda Christian University

April 21-29: Rwanda

April 30-May 3: Debrief in Entebbe

May 4-12: Rest in Ireland with Kyle and Kels (do a lot of thinking, debriefing, reflecting)

May 13-29: Traveling with my siblings (Kyle, Kelsey, Kory, Ali, Krissa) to Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and back to Ireland

May 29: HOME! I arrive in Chicago at 6:35 pm to Midway.

This has been quite an experience. While I miss home so much, I can’t believe I have to say goodbye.

Pray that time would be sweet these next few days. I am also praying for you. That you would love well, embrace each day, and live faithfully to Jesus.

I love you and miss you!

Highlights of the Last Couple Weeks

2011-04-09T09:48:00.008-04:00

I’m sitting here in the lounge of my hall. It’s cold and pouring outside and about 5 minutes ago it was so hot and sunny. I just got back from spending the morning and afternoon with Lynn, one of the basketball players I’ve connected with. I went over this morning and sat with her as she washed her laundry at her hostel. Then we walked to another place she stays and made me lunch. It was a great time of laughter, dancing (yes, this has become a daily part of my life), and great conversation. While we didn’t get a lot of time to spend together like today, I am very thankful for moments like this that the Lord gives us.

Here is an update of what I have been doing the last few weeks:

Gulu and Child Voice International.

Two weekends ago a group of us went to Gulu in Northern Uganda to visit some ministries there. Until 2006, Northern Uganda was a war torn area. The LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army), a group of rebels, were savaging the North killing people, destroying villages, and ruining lives. The LRA is led by Joseph Kony, who is from Gulu and the war is against the Ugandan government. The LRA is accused of widespread human rights violations, including murder, abduction, mutilation, sexual enslavement of women and children and forcing children to participate in hostilities. Thousands of children have been taken as child soldiers. Kony is a very spiritual man, and there is a lot of demonic power behind what he is doing. He is no longer in Northern Uganda, but has moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic. I encourage you to read more about Joseph Kony and the injustice that is taking place at his hand.

Anyways, Child Voice International is the main ministry we went to and stayed at. Child Voice works with child mothers between the ages of 14-18, who were wives of LRA soldiers.. Many of them had been in the Bush since they were young, when they were kidnapped by the LRA. Now after many years, these girls come out of the Bush, either by escaping or being rescued, they have a child and no place to return to. They have no skills that are basic to life in Uganda, such as gardening, cooking, raising children, and keeping a home. On top of that, they have serious posttraumatic stress disorder, and because of the nature of the LRA, many of them are demon possessed.

Child Voice intervenes by taking a group of about 15 girls, along with their children, in at a time. It is a 20-month program This is the essence of what Child Voice does is to help girls redefine their identity as a daughter of the King. Through counseling, both Christian and psychological, these girls are able to redefine their identities. When they get out of the bush, they are defined by their experience as a wife of one of the LRA commanders. They are defiled. They are with child. Their memory defines them, so they need a way to remember themselves differently. Child Voice helps them find their transformed identity in Christ and engage with other believers in the body. They teach them basic life skills, as well as vocational training in cosmetology, tailoring, baking, and bead making. They teach the girls how to tend to a garden and care for their children. A lot of their therapy comes from time in the word, dancing (which is so much fun to experience), and learning how to live in community together. The transformation that takes place in these girls is amazing.

As we got there late Friday night, I felt incredible excitement as I watched these girls dance with an indescribable joy. I felt incredible excitement as I listened to Nicholas tell us about the ministry and counseling that they are doing for these child mothers. I felt an excitement that words cannot describe because restoration is taking place and these women are getting new identities. I was in my element. I don’t know what these means for my future, but I know that the model Child Voice uses is the kind of model I want to work with some day.

Safari: Murchison Falls National Park.

Last weekend 20 of us went on a Safari. It was such a relaxing weekend, with AWESOME conversation, and wonderful company. A lot of the IMME students went (the group who lives in homes the whole semester), which was so much fun because we don’t get to spend a ton of time with them.

My favorite part of the safari was sitting on top of the land cruisers, while driving through the savannah, with the wind in my face and having great conversations. Apart from that, we had an elephant charge our vehicle, we saw about 16 giraffes up close, and we saw a family of lions go for a hunt. Mufasa had only three legs, but Simba held his on to get food for his father. We spent about 9.5 hours out on our safari, got a lot of sun, and were amazed at the beauty of God’s creation. It was a great experience.

Farewell Party.

Last night we had our Honor’s College Farewell party. It was for the USP students and the Honor’s College students who are graduating. Parties in Uganda are a big deal. Lots of speeches. Lots of food. Lots of pictures. And the best part…lots of dancing. Ugandans can dance. Two of the guys told me I was actually a good dancer. I told them I had no one has ever complemented me on my dancing before, but I was pretty proud. J The Americans thought I was just spastic. Typical.

But more than the dancing, it was a reminder that our time here is running short. We only have a week and a half in Uganda before we leave for Rwanda. Then we only come back to a resort to debrief. I am finished with classes and only have one exam and one paper left. It’s crazy. It is a strange place to be. I love it here. I love the people I’ve met. I love the relationships that have been built. I love the God I serve, who I have learned so much about. Yet I miss home. But I am committed to living in the present and making the most of what I have before me. Right now, Uganda is before me and my God is faithful to continue to teach me as he has done for the last three months.

Don’t forget to live fully where you are at. Life is full of different seasons. If we don’t embrace the season we are in, it might be gone before we know it. And never forget. Our God is FAITHFUL.

Late Night Reflections

2011-03-28T17:44:00.004-04:00

I am laying in bed right now. It is 12:45 am. This might be the latest I have stayed up since I've been here. The reason probably is the fact that I received a package from my parents and it contained dark chocolate and Starbucks Via packets. I haven't experienced this kind of caffeine since I've been here. I just got done Skyping with two of my good friends in a three-way Skype call. One is in Jerusalem and the other is in Upland. Technology is crazy. I should have been working on my history paper that I am continually putting off. Hopefully I will be able to pound it out before it is due on Wednesday.

I am approaching the three month mark here, which means I have one more month left in this place. It is crazy. I have so many conflicting emotions. I miss home a lot. But I am truly enjoying life here. I am sick of school. But I am loving my friendships. I am getting to the point, however, that I feel like I have learned so much that I am not sure I can learn much more. The pace of learning has been so quick that I feel like it is all being stored somewhere, waiting to be processed and sorted out. The problem is that I feel like that storage is getting full. I can't imagine what else God can teach me or that I can take much more.

As the storage continues to fill, I feel like it is getting more and more difficult to express what I am learning. Even talking to Laurie tonight (my friend in Jerusalem), we hardly talked about our experiences and what we are learning because there is just too much to even begin...for both of us. It is an interesting place to be. I put pressure on myself to be able to come back with all my lessons learned packed neatly in a little box ready to present to everyone.

But I am realizing that won't happen, and that's ok. Hopefully this time will be something that will continue to teach me in the years to come.

One degree change that over a long period of time leads to significant impact.

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." -2 Cor. 3:18-

This is what life is all about. Whether it's in another country or whether it's at home. God is faithful to change us into his image.

One degree at a time. And we might not always see that one degree as it is happening. But it is.

"Transformation is not something you see in the moment. It is something you look back and see." -Kory Lantz-

What is that one degree change that is happening in your life? And if you can't see it right now, what is one way God was faithful to you today?

He is faithful. He is working. Sometimes we just need to open our eyes so we can see it.

Rural Homestay Lessons Learned: Dependence

2011-03-24T11:27:00.000-04:00

Dependence. This is something I’m not sure I will ever attain to the depth that my family experiences it. hey live in utter dependence upon the Lord because they have to. They are dependent on the Lord because not all food and medicine is certain. A disease could wipe out the cattle. A drought could ruin the crops. Mosquitoes could bring malaria. They don’t have many of their options for food and income when that happens. They must rely fully on the Lord. While it’s a scary thing, it’s a beautiful thing. They are able to see the Lord’s faithfulness more clearly because they are looking for it. They are able to trust in him and display a great confidence because they have seen him come through again and again. They also are dependent upon one another. They have each other’s backs. They care for the need child and family, even in their own need. Coming from a culture where we are highly developed and where dependence is so valued, I’m beginning to see that we might have it wrong.

I believe dependence is necessary to fully live as a follower of Christ in this world. I think we are tempted to only rely on God in the “big” things, but I have begun to see this play out in my life more in the little things. As I learned from my family in Kyere, I began to pray for the little things. I prayed on the last night that I could see the whole sky of stars without clouds, but I also prayed for the rain that the ground so desperately needed. God answered both of my prayers that night. I prayed that my camera, which had run out of battery on Wednesday, would work for family pictures on Thursday and Friday. It worked until I got into the car to leave. The other day, a group of 3 of us mzungus (white people) were in Kampala waiting on a taxi. It was rush hour and it was nearly impossible to find a taxi going to Mukono. Then three more mzungus walked up. Then three more. So there are 9 mzungus waiting for a taxis in the middle of about 100 Ugandans. Of course, we were making a scene. So Caitlin and I prayed that God would bring taxis for us, and I jokingly added at the end, “An empty one for all of us.” And in God’s timing, an empty taxi pulled up just as 4 more mzungus from our group walked up. Therefore, we had a full taxi of mzungus going directly back to campus. Now, maybe that taxi would have come anyways, and the prayer was just me being goofy. Or maybe that was just God’s faithfulness in the little things. Maybe I wouldn’t have seen God in that way if I hadn’t prayed. The taxi would have come and I would have maybe patted myself on the back for being good at hailing a taxi.

I don’t know if this makes sense, but in a society where we can do most things “on our own,” I think we miss God’s sustaining work and his grace in the little things. Therefore, we are not dependent on God to show up. All I know is that I want to live a life marked by dependence. A life mark by desperation, where if God doesn’t show up, I fail.

Rural Homestay Lessons Learned: Humility

2011-03-19T05:18:00.001-04:00

Humility. This is something I so often long for, but pride seems to win out. A competitiveness and superiority rear their ugly head instead. This week I experienced humility like never before. I experienced it when people bowed down to meet me. I experienced it when my sisters knelt to wash my hands. I experienced it when my four-year-old niece taught me how to peel cassava with a knife. I felt so unworthy of their time and attention. Although so often I subconsciously act or think like I’m superior, I’m not. At all. I didn’t deserve the attention and respect they showed me. I experienced this the most when I went to see Joyce, who had invited me to her home to see her children. When I got there with my sister, Joyce wasn’t around. We sat there for an hour and a half with Joyce’s husband’s other wife and about 15 children. Then Joyce came, greeted us, and started cooking. Soon the children were chasing around a chicken, and I was being served soda and biscuits. It was so humbling that it actually made me sick to my stomach. It was difficult for me to take it because there were children all around who were hungry and whose clothes were threadbare. Why should I be eating my new friends biscuits and drinking her soda while the children just sat there and watched me? When was the last time they had soda and biscuits? After three and a half more hours, Joyce invited me into her little home and served us a feast. We had rice, fresh fish, and the chicken the kids had been chasing around. It brought tears to my eyes. These people valued me enough to give me their best, simply because I was their guest. I didn’t deserve it but in humility I took it. It made me wonder, “Am I willing to sacrifice my beset so others can know their value?” How dare I ever let “superiority” hold me back, when truly I am so far behind in understanding the value of people? It was a truly humbling experience to see people give of their best, knowing I far from deserve it.

This is Joyce. She came to see me just before I left!

Rural Homestay Part Two: New Experiences

2011-03-17T14:09:00.002-04:00

Soon after I arrived ‘home’ I sat down with my Papa and he told me all the experiences he wanted me to have and all the things we needed to get “snaps” of my doing. While I soon realized that my rural homestay was about far more than the experiences, I did experience a lot of things for the first time.

· Killing a Chicken

· Watching a Pig being Slaughtered (it’s not quick or quiet)

· Digging, Carrying, and Peeling Cassava

· Carrying a Jerry Can of Water on my Head

· Feeding a Calf with a Bottle

· Living in a Close Proximity to a lot of Chickens and Not being Fearful the Entire Time

· Sleeping in a Grass-roofed Hut with Rats and Lizards (Now the Background of my Blog)

· Experiencing Rural African Hospitality

· Having a Niece to Be My Companion 24 Hours a Day (hint, hint)

· Cooking in a Hut

· Pumping Water from a Borehole

· Giving a Mini-Sermon in a Ugandan Church Service

· Speaking Ateso (Just the Basic Greetings)

· Eating a Mango Straight from the Tree

· Never Knowing the Time

· Using a Latrine with a Rat in it for a Week

· Shelling Groundnuts for Hours

· Reading Compassion by Henri Nouwen (I highly recommend it)

· Laying on a Mat Under that Stars every Night while Papa led our Devotion and Prayers

These are just a few of many experiences. And while the experiences were great, the interaction with the people was the best part.

Rural Homestay Part One: Meet my Family

2011-03-17T02:21:00.000-04:00

This is Papa. He was crazy. He spoke English pretty well and was all about me having the "Bush" experience. He also was constantly telling me to take "snaps" (pictures) of everything. I learned so much from him. He is the headmaster at the local primary school, but he loves agriculture. He had 8 different types of fruit trees (oranges, lemons, guavas, avocado, papaya, jackfruit, banana, and mango-my favorite). While the women in the family and all the village children bow down to Papa in greeting or in serving him, he loved well. He treated the children like they were the most important person on earth. It was cool to see how he valued people.

This is Toto (Mama in Ateso). Toto spoke some English, but not a lot. I still learned a lot from sitting and talking to her. She would tell me just how difficult life was. She was such a strong woman who demanded respect from men and women alike. Toto was so hospitable and anyone who came was taken care of.

This is my sister Dorfee. I followed Dorfee around all week. She is the eldest of the 9 children in my family. I would say she is in her late 20s. She spoke little English but had such a joyful spirit. We laughed a lot. Dorfee was always the first to jump in and start playing with the random children.

This is my 16-year-old sister Naume. She was in school a lot and pretty shy, but I enjoyed helping her cook and carry water.

This is my 14-year-old sister Loy. Loy doesn't know much English but she loved to dance while she was cooking and working. I helped her in the field a lot and enjoyed being with her.

And this is Tina. Tina is my little 4-year-old niece. She never left my side. She was one of those girls that just captured my heart. We would have full conversations, her speaking Ateso and me speaking English. She would repeat the ABCs after me. We had a handshake. She carried my Nalgene everywhere we went. Tina taught me a lot about humility as she taught me how to do so many things, like use a knife, peel cassava, do my laundry. Tina captured my heart.

Rafting the River Nile

2011-03-16T02:19:00.005-04:00

So much has gone on in the last few weeks, I thought I would start with one thing at a time. I had the incredible opportunity to do something I love…GO RAFTING! Yet this experience was different because I was able to float down the same river Moses floated down. Pretty cool, huh? The whole time we were reminding ourselves that we were in Africa and that we were on THE Nile River. The rapids were huge. They weren’t as technical as other rivers I’ve rafted but they were definitely bigger. Most of the USP students went. Then we camped at the rafting headquarters. It was absolutely beautiful. It made for a time of great fellowship and lots of wonderful conversations. Here are some of the pictures of our adventure.

Cody and I are excited

The Taylor Girls

My Boat

This Rapid was Called Big Brother. It was my favorite.

We only did this 3 times. I didn’t die, but I think I came close. :)

Home Away from Home

2011-03-03T14:37:00.003-05:00

I just finished writing more papers than I can count. It's 11 pm and everyone around me is either freaking out about the 4 more papers they have left or crying because they don't want to go on our rural home stay. I, on the other hand, am really excited. I am excited about the challenge, whatever challenge comes with living in the bush for 10 days with no one I know and people who speak little English. I am exited to be away from technology and to be forced to be ok with being. I am excited to not have to worry about classes for the next 10 days. We will be in Soroti District in Eastern Uganda. It is seven hours from campus.

Speaking of campus. Since my mom has been asking me for pictures of campus, I thought I would leave you with pictures of my home away from home. The home I will be away from for the next 10 days.

This is my dorm. Winfred Brown Hall, although I spend most of my time in the dorm up the hill.

These are the basketball courts that I have been playing on a few nights a week. I love being able to shoot and relax.

This is where I eat rice and beans everyday!

This is the library where I try to spend more times outside of than inside of!

This is chapel!

Life is a Gift. Live it. Give it.

2011-02-26T00:00:00.002-05:00

February 26. Today marks a year since my car accident. As I look back over the last year, I am reminded that God is so faithful. As I was spending some time in prayer this week with some friends, I was broken before the Lord. This last year has showed me that each breath is a gift. Yet do I really live that way? As I look back, I remember the lessons I learned and right now that is so powerful. God has a purpose for my life and for Becca and Emily’s as well. God spared us for a reason. I don’t understand how God works in that way. I don’t know why God spared me and not Grandma. Grandma was doing far more to further his Kingdom than I.

But I do know God has a purpose for me, and I will be faithful. And I think part of my purpose is to carry on Grandma’s legacy by pursuing Christ the same way did.

Hospitality

Laughter Often

See Value in Every Human Being and Love Everyone Well (the poor and the rich)

Life is Precious, Make the Most of Every Moment

Give Until it Hurts

Disciple Others

I desire to be a woman-for-others, like Grandma was. I don’t understand why life happens the way it does, but I do know that my God is big. He cares about each breath that I breath. It means something. I want to use that to glorify him with my whole being.

"I am victorious. I am at work in your life. I hear you and I will answer you. Look back and see my protection, my power, and my hand. Understand that I spared you because I have big plans for your life. But don't look back for long. Don't dwell on that. Remember what you have learned, then look forward and see what I am going to do in you and through you. I delight in you."

The Monkey Sighting

2011-02-19T01:59:00.004-05:00

Last week Julia and I went up to a garden where I like to go spend a few hours with the Lord on Wednesdays. It is a beautiful place with a huge canopy of trees above us. There are lots of exotic birds, which I’ve come to tolerate, and plenty of bugs.

So Julia and I were up there in different parts of the garden doing our own thing, when we heard this big crashing sound above us. Monkeys started coming through the huge tree above us to the smaller tree beside us, and then running along the ground to a tree a ways away. We were so excited when we saw the first one, but over the course over about a half hour, 20 more monkeys took the exact same route. It was fascinating. Then they all came back one by one with avocadoes in their mouths. They climbed back up the smaller tree, made the jump to the bigger tree, and sat directly above Julia eating their avocadoes and dropping the pits on her. The first one that hit her was super funny.

Here are some pictures of our excursion:

One just sat and stared at Julia for about 20 minutes.

The Ugandan Presidential Elections

2011-02-17T14:05:00.001-05:00

It’s election time here in Uganda. In fact, many of my Ugandan friends have left to head to their home districts. Surprisingly few are going home to vote, but most are going home simply for safety reasons. Although everything has been unusually peaceful leading to these elections, Uganda has not undergone completely peaceful elections since they became independent in 1962. Granted, elections didn’t begin until 1980. The country has never switched power through elections, either. Every time power has changed hands, it has been through a military coup.

President Yoweri Museveni is in power at the moment and has been for 25 years. He came into power in 1986, and according to the constitution, he was only to remain in power for 2 terms. Yet he changed the Ugandan Constitution in 1996 to remove the term limit. Despite his corruption, many Ugandans, especially the older generation, are okay with Museveni staying in power, because they remember what the country was like under Milton Obote and Idi Amin. The younger generation, however, is ready for a change, for some fresh blood in power.

Nearly every Ugandan I’ve talked to says this election will be peaceful. In fact, many of my friends aren’t even voting. Museveni will once again take over.

“Why vote if it won’t even count?”

I am interested to see how these elections will play out, but I am pretty confident in who will be in power when it’s all said and done. I’ve asked many people if the Ugandan people are anywhere close to where the people in Tunisia and Egypt were a few weeks ago and still are. Most think their still a few years away, but come the election five years from now, who knows.

Is Uganda, then, really a democracy? If there are no free and fair elections, does freedom truly reign?

This is about as far as I go in politics. The simple understanding. But I will say that being here during this time has been very interesting and intriguing.

The Mary Posture

2011-02-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

Do you ever have those moments when you are wrestling through something, but you can’t really put words to it? It is just an internal battle going on in my head, and as much as I want to tell people, it just hasn’t quit clicked for me. I deal with this all the time. My mind is constantly going, processing, and until it clicks, it is difficult for me to accept it and articulate it.

Since I’ve been here, I have been living in a lot of fear. I have been trying to balance just “being” with wanting to be an intentional learner, soaking up all that God wants to teach me. I fear that in just living life, I will miss the lessons God has for. As I became more comfortable here, I feared I wouldn’t rely as much on the Lord. I feared I would miss opportunities to learn, change, be humbled. Sometimes I feel like if things aren't difficult, I’m doing something wrong. Yet here I was, enjoying life here so much and just loving being here. Was something wrong?

Then I got an email from a friend. One part of it said this, “I love that right now you are away from your family and friends here. Its almost like you're in a place where you can't help us. Take this time to be a Mary meaning whichever Mary wasn't Martha…stop fearing, and just worship the Lord. Stop accomplishing tasks and enjoy life.”

I loved this email for multiple reasons.

1. It showed me that I am known. Everyone wants to be known. But this not only showed me that my friend knows me well, but that God knows me perfectly. He knew what I needed to hear. He knew when I needed to hear it and how I would receive it best. He knows how to work through people who are so dear to me to speak truth into my life.

2. I loved this email because it made things click. It resonated deeply and gave me perspective. It gave me a real example to examine my life by. I find so much worth in being a Martha. I find so much worth in serving, helping people, and accomplishing tasks. At times I treat my relationships with people and my lessons to be learned as tasks that I can check off the list. I struggle so much with even the concept of being a Mary. But this is what the Lord is calling me to here. It finally made sense and I was finally able to being to accept it. This is my chance to learn how to be a Mary. This is my chance to simply sit at the Jesus’ feet and listen to his teaching, to learn. I don’t have a bunch of responsibilities, and I’m not preoccupied by trying to accomplish a bunch of tasks.

It’s all about the Mary Posture. Sitting at the Lord’s feet is BEAUTIFUL. As for my time in Ugandan, that is where I will sit. I will enjoy it, I will laugh, and I will trust that the Lord is teaching me all he wants me to learn. I will enjoy it and not feel guilt for that.

Facebook and Family and Friends

2011-02-04T06:16:00.005-05:00

What does it mean when your Ugandan friends become facebook friends with your dad? The world is way too connected. Innocent, the tallest one in the picture above, asked my dad to be her facebook friend. When I asked her about it, she doubled over in laughter. Then I found she had commented on about 10 of my pictures. I love her!

Now if you are not friends with my dad on facebook and you are reading this, Innocent is a step ahead of you.

Connecting Points: Honor's College

2011-02-01T06:01:00.004-05:00

Honor's College is where we live. It is comprised of Ugandan students and USP students. There are two guys halls and two girls halls. Each holds about 16 students. Well this weekend, Honor's College went on a retreat to King Fishers Safari Resort. It was a time of fun, games, laughing, and worship. It was such a treat being able to get away from all schoolwork (the Honor’s College students are so studious)! After our weekend, I truly feel connected to this place. I was able to deepen so many Ugandan friends get to know people on such a deeper level. So many good conversations with Americans and Ugandans! It was a blast! God is faithful.

The sunrise over Lake Victoria. Wow.

Julia and I at the source of the Nile. It has been such a blessing to be able to experience this with one of my best friends. She shared at the church service on Sunday about God’s faithfulness over the past year. Wow.

My new Ugandan friend Agatha. Agatha is our RA, and it has truly been a joy to get to know her. We have a lot in common and laugh A TON!

Western Christianity in the African Context

2011-01-26T05:52:00.000-05:00

In our class, Faith and Action, we have been reading a book called Primal Vision. Bishop John Taylor who was the president of the seminary here for 6 years back in the late 40s to mid-50s writes is to “ find the true meeting place where Christ is conversing with the soul of Africa.”

One of the main themes that we have been discussing as we look at Western Christianity in the context of African traditional religion is the idea of the rational versus the supernatural. In the modernized Western world, we are products of the Enlightenment. As a result, we primarily look at the world through a rational worldview. For everything that happens, we like to have an explanation or know the cause. We often ask “how.” How did that break? How did he get healed? We like to be able to explain everything through our scientific method, because then life is more controllable and predictable. We live in a cause and effect world.

Traditionally, however, Africans don’t see the world in the same way we do. Instead of asking “how”, they tend to ask “why?” Yes, they understand that there is a rational explanation, but they don’t care as much about that. They want to know the reason behind the thing breaking. Was it an ancestor putting a curse on them? Was it God punishing them for sin they had committed and not dealt with? Was it an evil spirit? They aren’t satisfied with natural answer, because they think in terms of the supernatural.

I don’t know about you, but thinking in these terms makes me uncomfortable.

Now, I am not saying that African Christians believe in ancestors or believe in witchdoctors putting curses on them, because most of them don’t. But this is the background with which they approach Christianity. It affects how they view God’s work in the world. They would probably be more likely to attribute things that happen to the work of the Lord or the work of the devil. They would probably be more likely to see God in nature, in everyday life, and in the things that we often explain away by reason.

Is one view right and the other wrong? Is one better than the other? Can both be okay? What can we learn from African views?

If we looked more to the supernatural, we wouldn’t be able to control or explain everything. Our comfortable lives might be a little disrupted. We might have to rely a little more on God. In my poetic and wisdom literature class this fall, we talked so much about how the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I wrestled with this because I didn’t think I truly had a healthy fear of the Lord. Could this be because I want to rationally explain everything? Could it be because it is more difficult for me to come to grips with the ways God is supernaturally at work in my life? If I can explain everything and have control, I don’t need to live in fear of a God who is all-powerful and working mightily in our midst. A God whose wrath and judgment is just as real as his grace and mercy. I have been reading through Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, and if our God is unchanging, then there are a lot of his characteristics that I read about that I have never experienced.

It has caused me to think a lot…in a good way. One of my main reasons for coming to Uganda was to see how God interacts with a different culture. Even early on, I am seeing it. And although at times I want to push back and say, “that’s not right,” I am trying to be open to this God that works in various ways across all cultures.

This is a rambling of what I am trying to process. I don’t know where I stand, but I am challenged. I am trying to live in the tension and be okay with it. To live in the tension and let God settle it in his time.

Pictures!

2011-01-24T02:45:00.006-05:00

From left to right: my sister Pauline, niece Haley, sister Paula, sister Christy

Pauline and I cooking chapati

And I get to play with this little face everyday. I LOVE MY LIFE!

My Mukono Homestay

2011-01-19T07:25:00.005-05:00

We went to our home stay on Saturday and I was with another Taylor student, Christy Janiszewski (who I didn't know well). They took us to our home, simply dropped us off, and said, "Have a good time." It was crazy. My whole family was around all weekend and will be around for the next two weeks because they are all in education of some sort.

My dad is a principal at a secondary school and stays there during the week and comes home on the weekends. My mom teaches English and literature at a local secondary school. My oldest sister Paula (23) is a student at UCU and she has a 13 month old named Haley. Pauline (21) goes to University in Kampala. My brother Paulton (17) is in secondary school at a boarding school, but we call him Chief. That is the family. Can you guess who their favorite apostle is? They live in a little compound with just their family. They have 300 chickens and 8 roosters. In order to turn the light on in the latrine, you have to reach into the chicken coup (not a fan).

Saturday: When we first got there we just sat and talked with mama for a while, then she left and we just sat there in silence with Paula and Chief. We asked them some questions and they answered some but silence is ok. :) Soap operas in Uganda are a BIG DEAL. This one in particular, Hidden Passions, is the talk of all female Ugandan students. It is a Spanish soap dubbed over in terrible English. Very entertaining. Our sisters love it! So we watched that in he afternoon. I talked to my sisters for a long time about dating in Uganda, their prom type thing, introductions, and weddings. There are some very interesting cultural differences, although many of their traditions are becoming Westernized. We played cards with Chief for a long time. He knows all the fun ones, like speed, Egyptian War, and Uno. We did a lot of playing, which I loved and it passed the time well.

Sunday: We went to church with the family. The church service is very liturgical. Dad said it was similar to Presbyterian. The pastor was difficult to understand, but I love worshipping in other cultures. Constant movement and prayer and they are excited to be there! After church we went home and made chapatis (see picture). Super greasy and super good! I helped mama make passion fruit/orange/carrot juice, and I also helped her mince meat. I had a lot of reading to do in the afternoon, but most of the time I simply sat with the family. They feed us like queens.

Monday: Monday morning we got up at 7, Mama made us eggs and tea for breakfast (SO GOOD), and we left at 7:30. We have a 45 minute walk to and from school everyday. At first I was dreading it, but after eating and sitting all the time, I was thankful for it. More importantly, I realized that that time is so good to prepare for the day, to pray, and to focus humbly on what the Lord has for me. It is so easy to be self-focused and worry and miss home, but that time allows me to surrender on what God has for me.

Mondays are long days of class, but I am getting used to school here. A lot of work. When we got home last night, Mama gave us tea (I love this part of the culture) and for the first time she just sat down and talked to us. We talked to her for over an hour. She told us about politics, education, her story, her experience of Idi Amin, women's struggle for power, and how the US culture is corrupting Uganda. :) It was really cool to hear her thoughts. It finally helped me feel at home. We had tilapia for dinner, and it was amazing!

I am learning so much about truly being present with people. I often do so many things at once. I am really trying to be present mentally as well as physically. I want to be a humble learner in all that I do. So much of that is being able to listen with my complete attention, not thinking of other things or what I am going to say/ask next. And part of that is just sitting with people and being ok with silence, because presence is powerful.

Connecting Points: Daughters of God

2011-01-15T00:19:00.001-05:00

During my first few days here, conversation with a lot of the Ugandans was difficult, especially at dinner. I was constantly searching for what I started to call “connecting points.” These are simply areas of common ground that could we could build conversation upon. I soon realized that you can only talk about major, year, and movies for so long. Then the uncomfortable silence would fall. What to say next?

I soon realized 2 things:

1. Silence is okay. It is not something that always needs to be filled with awkward, uncomfortable chatter. For Ugandans, presence is so meaningful. I am not very good at this because it means I am left to contemplate my own thoughts and wonder what the person I am with thinks about me. As difficult as it may be, silence and presence are beautiful things and I often underestimate the value of them. I am quick to fill the empty space with words.

2. I began to dread these times of sitting with someone new at dinner. Then through a few conversations and sermons I heard, I reached an “aha” moment. There is common ground between us. There is a connecting point that should allow me to go into this conversation with confidence, even in the silence. These women and men are my brothers and sisters in Christ. This connecting point penetrates all cultural barriers and misunderstandings. What a beautiful thing. This is something that I have heard so many times, but it finally began to make sense. Although conversation might seem uncomfortable or forced, we have a common ground, and on that common ground there is confidence.

This lesson is not only important as I interact with Ugandans, but I have also found it important with the Americans as well. Because I belong first and foremost to Yahweh as his daughter, I belong in the family and I can relate to those around me as family. There is so much to learn about each other, but that will come with time. But for now, we are siblings. Children of the One True Creator God. We were bought and adopted for the same price. And at the foot of the Cross, there is common ground.

And this is true not only for my brothers and sisters here but for everyone who is a follower of Christ. What a simple, yet profound truth to grasp.

I leave today for my home stay. I will be there with my Christy Janiszewski, another Taylor student. I am excited for the adventure ahead. Pray that the Lord would work to teach me and, that in humility, I would learn.

Uganda and My First Impressions.

2011-01-08T03:02:00.001-05:00

I'm in Uganda. It's crazy here. It's an absolutely beautiful country and the people are so welcoming! I have been here for nearly 36 hours and it has been filled with times of awe, information overload, exhaustion, getting to know people, personal freak out moments, and lots of God's faithfulness.

It wasn't until I was sitting on the plane on my way to Entebbe that I began to fully realize the magnitude of what I was doing. It has truly been a huge step of faith. So often I pray that God would show me what it means for me to truly surrender my family and the friends that are so close to me. In this stage of my life, I know this is it. I am so excited for all the unknown ahead, and honestly, I am scared to death.

I've seen monkeys, lots of little children yelling mzungu (American), red dirt, birds dive bombing my head, and plenty of people I am anxious to get to know better.

Internet is slow, so post probably will be fewer and far between, but I would greatly appreciate your prayers.

Pray that:
God would stretch me in ways that are far beyond my comprehension.
I would continue to see his faithfulness very evidently.
Quality relationships with both Americans and Ugandans.
That I would think enough but not too much.
That my time here would be full and rich and not bound by fear, paralysis, or expectations.

Thank you so much! I miss you already!

Two Weeks Til Go Time

2010-12-23T00:17:00.004-05:00

In two weeks from today, I will be in Mukono, Uganda where I will be spending the next four months. If you are interested and want to know what is going on in my life, this is the best place to check, although I love emails too (kalynlantz@gmail.com).

But for now, I get to focus on my brother and his soon-to-be wife Kelsey. In less than a week, the wedding festivities will begin. I am so thankful for the two of them. If you think about it, pray for them as they enter this commitment. God has done so much through the two of them individually; I can't wait to see what He wants to do through them as a couple.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T11:58:00.003-05:00

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved...Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Ephesians 3:20-4:8

I love this day. It might be my favorite day of every year. I love it because as Christians, our role is to live a life of thankfulness. And in our thankfulness, we can live in joy and peace. In our thankfulness, we take on a perspective that is not of ourselves and not of this world. We can truly be thankful, not just for what God has given us on this earth, but for the sacrifice he made so that we can look to something more. Our citizenship is in heaven because of our Savior, and one day, we will be transform from our lowly bodies to his glorious body.

Thanksgiving this year is a different one. The Dawes family is getting together today without Grandma. We miss her so much. I still think about her everyday. I miss you heart. I miss her laugh. I miss her ornery jokes. I miss her hugs and back slaps. I miss playing games with her. I miss seeing Grandma and loving her and being loved by her. But Grandma has been transformed. Grandma understood what it meant to live on this earth but to find hope in the fact that her citizenship is in heaven. Grandma's lowly body has become like his glorious body.

Therefore, I will rejoice. I am thankful that I had a Grandma that made and is making such an impact on my life that the pain is still oh so deep nearly six months after her death. And I am thankful that I still have 3 more grandparents who are still here to teach me so many things and impact me so much.

I am thankful for my family and friends. I am so blessed. I am so thankful that they love Jesus so much and that on a day like today that is bound to be painful...

...WE CAN REJOICE...

Because we serve a God who is so FAITHFUL. A God who offers his peace that surpasses all understanding. A God who allows us to stand, especially in our weakness.

I am so thankful for this day to remember. A day called Thanksgiving.

Death

2010-10-12T13:02:00.002-04:00

I've come to the conclusion that it's hard to truly understand that we were meant for another world until we experience death. It's hard to truly understand the hope of eternity until you've lost someone close. We weren't created to endure brokenness in relationships, with God or with others. Death is the ultimate expression of that brokenness. Death shows us the depths of our need.

Although we weren't created to be able to death and brokenness, we serve a God who is faithful. He will give us what we need to endure when we trust in his character. We serve a God who has experienced our brokenness and is experiencing it with us. He has experienced it and so much more. He is our strength.

Praying for Jenny and JD as they mourn the loss of Jenny's mother.

God is faithful. May we just have faith.

The Twenty-One

2010-09-13T00:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my 21^st birthday, and every year around my birthday I like to take some time to reflect and thank the Lord for what he is doing and what he has done in my life. This year, I wanted to share it with whoever might still be reading this blog. This past year has probably been the most difficult of my life. Last fall was filled with a time learning and growth that was painful at times and at times it felt joyless, but the Lord was faithful. Being a PA (like an RA), I had the privilege of walking through life with girls and being able to support them through the messiness of life. This winter my best friend lost one of her best friends in a plane crash, and I learned how to walk through grief with someone from a distance. At the end of February, I was in an accident that could have easily taken my life, and two of my friends had some pretty significant injuries. At the end of May, my Grandpa Bob went into the hospital with Aspiration Pneumonia and it was uncertain at times if he would make it. And on June 5, my Grandma Theda went home to be with the Lord when she hit by a teenage girl who had run a stop sign. She was such an incredible grandma, role model, and friend.

I say all this, not to gain pity from anyone, but to say that God is faithful. He is our strength. He will provide. As Psalm 62 says,

“He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.”

He truly has been that for me, and I have grown so much in and through it all.

So now, as I look back on this past year and the last 21 years, I am filled with thankfulness. For the God that we serve is powerful and mighty. He is gracious and loving. He is faithful and good.

My Twenty-One Thank You’s

1. God, thank you for being you. Thank you for your grace that acted on my behalf before I had any idea I was in need of it. Thank you for your present love that is so constant.

2. God, thank you for a dad that gives me such an amazing example of you, my heavenly Father. Thank you for his love, consistency, support, comfort, stability, encouragement, example, gentleness, discipline, laughter, and friendship.

3. God, thank you for a mom who has become my best friend. Thank you for giving me someone who knows me so well and loves me in spite of me. Thank you for her advice, encouragement, connection, passion, and joy.

4. God, thank you for two older brothers who are passionately following you and have become such incredible examples, role models, and supports. They are not afraid to be different for the sake of the Kingdom. They exhibit all the traits that I want in a spouse someday. Thank you.

5. God, thank you for my sister that I have gained in the last few years. Not only sisters, but best friends. They know me, love me, and challenge me. But most importantly they pursue you passionately and love others fiercely.

6. God, thank you for my grandparents who have set up such an incredible heritage to follow in their footsteps. Thank you for their never-ending support and love that cause me to be so excited whenever I get to spend time with them.

And thank you for Grandma Theda. Although the pain of her loss still cuts so deeply, thank you for her example of a life well lived. A life fiercely devoted to radical discipleship. Eyes that saw pain, a heart that broke, and hands and feet that moved to help. And thank you for her ornery spirit that made me laugh and cry so often.

7. God, thank you for all the people that I can call family. Thank you for an extended family who provides me with a community of support that will inevitably point me towards you.

8. God, thank you for the abundance of friends you have given me to love me, challenge me, encourage me, laugh at me, cry with me, and to pursue you with. I am incredibly blessed by them each and every day.

9. God, thank you for this community at Taylor you have surrounded me with. A community that desperately desires to touch your heart and to move and be moved by you.

10. God, thank you for the experiences you have blessed me with as I have been able to travel and see the world you have created. Thank you for different cultures that allow us to better understand who you are.

11. God, thank you for the trials that bring me to my knees on my face before you. Father, for those things that increase my faith and dependence upon you, thank you.

12. God, thank you for my church and all who have supported me, spoken truth to me, and helped me deepen my roots and grow in knowledge of you.

13. God, thank you for the passions you have placed on my heart that allow my heart to break for what breaks your and that allow me to know you more.

14. God, thank you for the joy and laughter that make life so much fun to live. Thank you for giving me people to laugh with and enjoy this joy with.

15. God, thank you for vacations that offer a chance to rest, get away, and truly connect with my family. Those times in the last 21 years have been some of the best memories and chances to truly grow and know you more.

16. God, thank you for sports that have allowed me to have so much fun but more importantly given me the opportunity to be challenged and to build some incredible relationships. The bonds that will stand the test of time and distance.

17. God, thank you for an incredible education that has allowed me to learn and grow and ultimately be filled with awe of how intricately you created this world, each part so thoughtfully. Thank you for an education that brings opportunity.

18. God, thank you for so faithfully speaking to me through your written Word, the people around me, and your still, gentle whisper.

19. God, thank you for taking my sin, shame, pride, and failure on your shoulders and bearing them on the cross. Thank you for conquering death and sin with power, a power that you have extended to me through your Spirit.

20. God, thank you for the hope in the life to come that allows me to endure this earth and live in a way that hopefully brings you glory.

21. God, thank you for passionately pursuing me for these past 21 years in spite of my failure, mistrust, desire for control, and selfishness.

God, you are so good. Thank you that it is not about me but all about you Jesus.

The Accident Redefined

2010-03-15T13:26:00.005-04:00

Two and a half weeks ago, I was in a bad car accident. I hesitated sharing this story, but I feel like I have no choice, so that the Lord's name can be praised and glorified through this.

Two of my good friends and myself were going to Huntington to see some friends and when we left Taylor, the weather was fine. The last mile of 69 started getting a little slushy so we slowed down a bit, but when we hit the exit ramp, there was no slowing down. Braking was doing nothing, but there was a semi coming from the left so I tried to turn into the ditch. There was no response so I accelerated to try to make it through the intersection. We ended up getting hit on the driver's side trunk by the semi and seconds after getting broadsided (in the passenger side where Becca was sitting in the front and Emily behind her) by a car coming from the right. The side airbags came out at this point.Then we went forward and hit three signs, which brought us to a stop and caused the front airbags to go out. Becca suffered from a partially collapsed lung and Emily had a severe concussion and a fractured pelvis. I left with minor burns on my hand from the airbag. The Lord spared us mightily and I will forever praise him for that.

Below is a picture of the three of us, a picture of the car (which I include only to show God's provision and protection), and an email I sent to my family a week after the accident. It is the best part and the reason, I decided to write about my accident on here. It is a recap of the week after the accident.

Just wanted to let update you on my week and what the Lord has been doing. I have dealt with so many emotions these past few days that at times all I could do was cry. I have had trouble focusing in classes and conversations because my mind is all over the place. The accident plays through my head over and over, and especially the scariest parts (i.e. seeing the semi, realizing I had no control, the sound of both vehicles hitting us, seeing Emily in the backseat with eyes that seemed glazed over). I am filled with incredible thankfulness for God's hand sparing us, but I also am dealing with the fear that I felt when I thought I wasn't going to make it. As much as I tell myself and others that it wasn't my fault, I dealt with a lot of guilt and even shame. Seeing close friends and family of Emily and Becca always left me feeling like I had failed them. I have been able to spend time with just Emily and Becca, which brings the most healing. Therefore, my last few days have been filled with lots of struggle, lots of tears, and lots of Jesus everywhere. People have be absolutely incredible.

Last night, I went to something we have on Thursday nights called Living Waters. It is done by Taylor students who are really seeking to see the Lord work in supernatural ways. Well, last night I decided to go for a little while but I wasn't going to stay long. I had lots of things to do. God had other plans.

During worship, I was broken. The accident played through my head again, but it looked different. I was seeing the semi coming. Except this time when I tried to turn, realized I had no control, and yelled "Jesus, Help!" I saw a hand push my foot down on the accelerator. I say angels surrounding the car and pushing it from the back. I saw Satan trying to push the car back so the semi would crush us, but God said "No." Satan wants us off this earth but God's not done. The Lord was victorious, and he didn't completely avoid the accident because he wanted the glory. He still does. But he is also bigger tan the accident. He has greater things to do. It was like I heard the Lord saying:

"I am victorious. I am at work in your life. I hear you and I will answer you. Look back and see my protection, my power, and my hand. Understand that I spared you because I have big plans for your life. But don't look back for long. Don't dwell on that. Remember what you have learned, then look forward and see what I am going to do in you and through you. I delight in you."

It was beautiful. I shared this with the group, and as I was preparing to leave 30 minutes later than planned, a friend asked if she could pray for me. The praying lasted for over 45 minutes. There were so many people praying over me. They were praying freedom, healing, encouragement, affirmation. They were praying the heart of the Lord. They hit on things that dealt with more than just the accident but that dealt with constant battle and struggle.

I feel like a new person. I now have a much more accurate view of how the Lord sees me. Through this, God has been glorified and I have gotten to know my Savior on a much deeper level. It's beautiful and I am beyond grateful.

And thanks to all of you, those closest to me, for the prayers, the hugs, the truth, the shoulder, the cards, the encouragement. I am so blessed by each of you.

2010-03-01T21:06:00.002-05:00

Psalm 92:1-4

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

God is so good.

A Call to Prayer and Fasting In Haiti

2010-02-28T16:48:00.002-05:00

Absolutely Incredible. May God receive all the Glory. Now and Forever.

Trafficking in Haiti

2010-01-20T16:22:00.003-05:00

This story is heartbreaking. What is our role in this? As Christians, how do we move to action? How do we bring hope to such a hopeless situation? I don't know how much longer I can stand by idly and watch. So here are a few things that I can think of doing. I ask you to do at least the first two and consider doing the last two. It is time for the body of Christ to be the body of Christ. We are God's people. If we are content to just sit and watch, then who are we?

1) Read this article and allow it to mess with you.
(http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/201001u/haiti-trafficking)

2) Pray for protection physically, spiritually, and emotionally for these children. Pray that the traffickers would be changed and rather than take the children, that they would rescue them.

3) Consider writing a letter to your Congressman or Senators. (Below I attached some links and a rough copy of the letter I am sending.)

4) Urge others to do the same.

Congressional Members Links:
http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/index.html -- US House of Representatives
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm -- US Senate

Dear Senator ________, I am asking with all the power this message can muster over the Internet that you read the following article via the link provided regarding the danger facing orphans and young children in Haiti at this moments. Sex and labor traffickers are hard at work, just as they were in Indonesia to steal these already traumatized and vulnerable children and exploit them in an absolute hellish existence. My name is Kalyn Lantz and I have spent time in Nepal with an organization called Tiny Hands International. Tiny Hands International is working strongly against sex trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and children in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. What is happening in Haiti needs to be brought to light, and something needs to be done to stop this terrible injustice. Please take 3 minutes to read this and bring this issue to the attention of Congress before it is too late for even one small child - one young girl or boy to be ravaged by these horrific criminals. My fear is that with all the chaos in Washington as we speak, these children will suffer even more because we were too busy. Please do not let that happen.

Here is the link -- http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/201001u/haiti-trafficking. I ask you to do all in your power to bring this to the attention of Congress and the State Department as decisions are being made about the future of the children of Haiti.

Thank you,

Kalyn Lantz
Kosciusko County

The Day My God Died

2010-01-17T20:01:00.002-05:00

I am not sure I have posted this before, but if you need some reality to really understand the sex trafficking of little kids that is going on around the world, watch this. It is 53 minutes long, but it is well worth it. Be careful. It could change your life.

This video is a documentary done by PBS. It is about girls trafficked from Nepal to India. Maiti Nepal is the main organization mentioned. They had to close down a lot of their border monitoring points on the Nepal-India border. Tiny Hands has now reopened many of those border points. Tiny Hands has learned a lot from Maiti Nepal and is working closely with them.

Tiny Hands International Update

2009-11-18T00:29:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to make you all aware of some incredible things God is doing.

I just got word that God is using Tiny Hands to rescue 5-10 girls a day who are being trafficked from Nepal to India. That is 1825-3650 girls a year. That is over 25% of the 1,000 girls who are being trafficked annually.

Just another reminder that God is our Baal-Perazim (The God who Breaksthrough-2 Sam. 5:20).

He is at work.

If you want to support Tiny Hands in prayer, I encourage you to go to their ONE GIRL site to learn more about their ONE GIRL prayer initiative.

Nepal Reflection #2: The Bridge

2009-07-10T12:34:00.004-04:00

I am going to repost what I already wrote, as a reminder and also with pictures. All that in the river is trash. It's not dirt. It's trash.

This was my journal entry from June 13 after Emily and I had gone to the Monkey Temple and took a little trek through Kathmandu:

Lord, this time this morning to actually walk through Kathmandu and to the Monkey Temple allowed me time to truly see these people as people. The scene at the river really made me think. We stood there for a long time. The smell was horrific. All the trash and sewage from the city flows straight to the river. While we were standing there, a man stopped on his motorcycle and just chucked a huge back of garbage over the edge. People are digging through the garbage. There was a man literally standing in the water sifting through garbage and sewage as it flowed into the river. There were women and children standing on the edge of the river looking through the trash. There were what looked like dead pigs laying in the middle of the trash with trash all over them. It was a sad and disgusting sight.

It made me think about how God created us for so much more but this is all these people know. Yet, in America, we are satisfied in our comfort, money, marriage, reputations, friendships, and worldly things. We strive for these things but we might as well be the man in the river sifting through the garbage. God has so much more for us, yet we settle for what we know. In reality, our life is lived by this river in Nepal until we truly begin to live the life Jesus modeled for us. Until then, we are no different from the man sifting through and trying to find a treasure in the crap of this life. GOD HAS SO MUCH MORE IN STORE FOR US THAN WE CAN IMAGINE. IT COULD BE BEAUTIFUL UNLESS WE DECIDE TO SETTLE FOR THE CRAP.

Nepal Reflection #1: Princess Home and Ranjit

2009-07-10T12:16:00.006-04:00

I already posted about my time at Princess Home. It was so much fun, but it was also difficult. It reminded me how laughter and joy can break through nearly any barrier. That was also a very cool experience for me because it was a time to truly build relationship with the Nepali women. Since that time, I have seen the need for Nepali women to hear how valued and precious they are to our King. As I think back over my time at Princess Home, it gets me excited about what could be in the future for me.

Also, every time I went to Princess Home, I had the privilege to sit down and talk with Ranjit. Ranjit is the very charismatic pastor that runs Princess Home along with his wife Sara. Ranjit has an incredible testimony and is extremely on fire for the Lord. It is incredible to see how the Holy Spirit is at work in his life and in his ministry. Ranjit challenged me in so many different areas. Discussions with him forced me to truly dive into the role of the Holy Spirit in counseling, the way the Holy Spirit interacts with our culture in comparison to the Nepali culture, the fruits of the Spirit, speaking in tongues, my heart and workds, and just boldness in general. Times with Ranjit sparked many times of processing and more discussions.

Kloe Girl-The Best Dog a Girl Could Ever Ask For

2009-07-06T21:29:00.005-04:00

When I went to bed last night, the only plans I had for today were to go running with Kloe and then finish my debriefing and reflecting down by the lake while she swam. When I got home last night at midnight, Dad told me that Kloe was out and had run away. I went outside and looked for her and called her, but when she does this (not very often), she always comes back by 1 or 2. But last night Kloe never came back. Dad found her this morning in a driveway off of 1300. She was hit by a car. Kloe was an incredible dog. On days like today when the tears seem to be flowing, I would always bury my head in her belly and let her fur soak up my tears. I'm gonna miss running with her most days in the summer. I'm gonna miss having her laying at my feet wherever I am in the house. I'm gonna miss watching her fish for hours even though she never caught a single one. I'm gonna miss always trying to convince people she is just hugging. I'm gonna miss her jumping up on me and wagging her butt every time I walk in the door. I'm gonna miss my buddy, my best friend, my puppy dog.

More on Nepal to come.

Just one Picture!

2009-07-01T11:20:00.002-04:00

I thought I would leave you all with the picture that is currently on my desktop. Meet Prakash, a 3 year-old boy you will be hearing much more about.

#9: I'm HOME!

2009-07-01T10:52:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers over the past month and even before. They were certainly felt in numerous ways and on multiple occasions. Kyle picked Emily and me up at the airport yesterday afternoon, and Grandma and Grandpa Lantz were here with dinner and to say hi. I, unfortunately, have been pretty sick for the past 48 hours. I am feeling quite a bit better this morning, but still a little rocky. I was planning on doing my debriefing on my 20 hour plane ride home, but because I was sick (which I have decided that the airplane is the worst place for vomiting and other issues), I was not able to do much reflecting on my trip. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting reflections to let you know just how God worked in my life, show you pictures, and to let you know the future implications of this trip on my life. I will hopefully be making contact with most of my supporters in the next week or so! Thank for all your prayers!

And, Mom, Dad, Kory, and Ali are in the Dominican Republic finishing up their trip. Pray for them as they prepare to come home!

#8: The Delightful Bangladesh

2009-06-24T02:10:00.000-04:00

We are in Bangladesh! Camp is going to be GREAT!

#7: Why is Everything so Delightful?

2009-06-22T01:40:00.000-04:00

CAMP TINY HANDS: THE DELIGHTFUL CAMP OF WONDERS

We are back in Kathmandu after a crazy few days with 66 of the most amazing kids and 8 of the best counselors known to man. Camp was awesome. Everything went better than planned. I could tell you story after story of the joy on these kids faces during the three days of sweat, dirt, heat, snot, and fun. Seeing those kids run off the bus and onto the steps in excitement for something they had never experienced before filled me with so much joy. I can’t wait to tell you about the stories of Prakash (the 3-year-old boy who was rescued off the streets a week ago), of Junu (the ten-year-old girl who is the exact Nepali version of my cousin Taylor), and of countless other kids and counselors who have changed my life. Those stories will come in the weeks to come—along with pictures—but for now I am just going to give you a list of some of the activities we did with these kids.

--Relay races including dizzy bat, sack races, over-under.

--Camp fire and singing

--The most AMAZING and sweaty dance parties of all time

--The Everything Drama performed by the Nepali counselors was incredible and powerful.

--A huge counselor hunt where the best hiding places in the camp were utilized—the kids loved it!

--Talent Show

--Washing the female counselors feet late one night under the stars. It was one of the first times anyone had ever affirmed them or served them in this way. They were really touched.

--I absolutely loved getting to know our counselors—all college age Nepalis—they were some of the most incredible people.

I am exhausted, but I know that loving and playing with those kids for the past 3 days is exactly where I am supposed to be at this point in my life. For the first time, I think I truly experienced what it means to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love my neighbors as myself. It was incredible. I can’t wait to tell you more. But most of all, thank you for praying. It would not have been anything close to what it was without your prayers and support. You are all incredible and we could truly feel your prayers. Thanks!

#6: After the Delightfully Long Busride to Pokhara...

2009-06-17T04:55:00.003-04:00

WE'RE HERE! It was a six and a half hour hot, bumpy, and scary busride but we made it. One of my arms got extremely dark from hanging out the window the whole time in the sun, while the other is still pasty pale. We are here with 5 of the couselors for counselor training and the rest are coming with the kids on Friday. Tonight we will visit Holy Home and Paradise Home and play with the kids as well as eat dinner with them. Tomorrow will be spent cleaning up the school we are going to be at and also doing trainging sessions. The Nepalis have no idea what a camp looks like let alone what it means to be a counselor. Pray that God would work in their lives in the next two days and that this would be an incredible experience in their lives, as well as prepare them to make a difference in the lives of the kids. Thanks for your prayers. I will keep you updated!

#5: The Not So Delightful Things of Kathmandu…PRICELESS.

2009-06-15T23:31:00.002-04:00

Ok...so I have posted 3 blogs in the last few minutes. Post 3 and 4 are better than this one, but this is on the lighter side. Thanks for reading. I can't get pictures to upload so I am going to work on something else. We'll see.

Enduring bandhs (strikes) that happen every other day, when tires are burned in the street and roadblocks are set up by rebels…5 HRS A DAY.

Today it was all day and everything was shut down because of the threats.

Dealing with the smell of the garbage that makes my stomach churn…24 HOURS A DAY.

If I could put this smell in a bottle I would.

Dodging the following animals, birds (crows), cows, rats, and dogs…ANY HOUR I AM OUTSIDE.
Hearing the deep throated loogies that men come up with…EVERY 49 SECONDS.
Accomplishing the smallest task such as making copies…IMPOSSIBLE.

#4: The Delightful Ways I Have Been Challenged

2009-06-15T23:27:00.002-04:00

This was my journal entry from June 13 after Emily and I had gone to the Monkey Temple and took a little trek through Kathmandu:

Other Ways I've been Challenged

My view of counseling and what that should look like for Christians.
My view of the Holy Spirit.
My desire to read and learn.

#3 The Delightful Princess Home

2009-06-15T22:33:00.001-04:00

Thursday was a really cool day. I was able to spend time alone in the Word and in prayer in the morning. Then Steph (a Tiny Hands volunteer here for the past two months. She is helping us with the camp and is great!) and I left in the early afternoon to go to the Princess Home. We were on our way when two street boys came up to us and asked us for Dohl Baat (the staple food in Nepal). Most would say that it is not a good idea to feed street children because they have ways to get food from homes. If badeshis (foreigners) continue to feed all the street kids, they won’t ever go to the home for real help. All this to say, Steph and I fed these boys, even though we shouldn’t have, but it was a really cool experience. It was hard to see these boys just shovel in the food. It was cool to talk to them and kind of get to know them, as much as we could. It was cool because it was more than them just grabbing our arms. We were able to help them, even if it wasn’t the best thing in the long run. I’m still trying to figure out what it looks like to be Jesus to these boys even if I am here for just a short time.

After that we went to Princess Home. Princess Home is the home for women. Usually it is a home for sex-trafficking victims, but right now it is a home for some women and their older children who were in abusive situations. Steph and I decided to make dinner for them. A couple girls went to buy stuff for fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and banana pancakes. That was a fun experience. Crazy! Dinner took us about 2 and a half ours to make because that process is so difficult. They loved it though. It was fun to interact with the women in the kitchen. They laughed at us a lot, and they loved the banana pancakes with nutella! We ate dinner outside on a blanket and then played with the kids singing and dancing. The women got a lot of joy out of watching us make fools of ourselves…usual. They talked us into staying the night because it was late. So we hung out in their rooms and talked then went to bed around ten. I fell asleep before they turned the lights off because I was so exhausted.

The next morning we got up at 4:30 to do a prayer ride around Kathmandu in a microbus. They sang and prayed and it was an incredible experience. These women, who have been through so much, all have such an incredible faith. The Holy Spirit is alive and at work here.

So that was my experience on Thursday. It was a great day.

#2 The Delightful Kids of Peace Children's Home

2009-06-13T07:41:00.002-04:00

I have been here for 5 days and I have seen things and done things that I never would have imagined. I have been all over Kathmandu, and it has been great to be a part of Nepali culture and to learn how the Church works amidst this culture. I have been challenged and stretched.

On Wednesday, I spent the afternoon at Peace Children’s Home. They have about 20 children and the house parents are Ratna and Joti. While there, I played games with them, sang with them, did homework with them, and just sat and talked to them. It was a great time and truly a blessing. It is crazy to think that all these kids were once orphans living on the streets. Sometimes it is easy to just look at the situation they are in now and forget where they have come from. I have been praying that God would help me see the needs of these kids in a deeper way. It was great spending time with them because they will not be able to come to Pokhara for the Camp.

While I was there "playing the guitar" with the kids, the room started filling with people, young and old, men and women. I was not expecting it, but I realized I was going to be able to experience what they call "House Fellowship." There were so many people in a tiny room all worshipping the Lord in prayer and song. It was a beautiful thing to be able to be a part of Nepali style worship.
　
Ways to pray:

Pray that God would continue to break my heart for what breaks his. I want to see these people with his eyes. I want to see these people as if I were with Jesus.
Pray for the camp logistics. There is a lot to do and not very much organization in this place. Pray for safety for the kids to get to Pokhara, as there are often strikes that prevent travelers from getting there. Pray that the kids would truly feel that they are special and realize how precious they are to the Father God. Pray that food and bedding would fall into place.
There is also a diesel hold. If we don’t have fuel for the bus, the kids will not be able to get to camp, so this is a huge request. Without God working in this area, we will not be able to have camp.
Pray for me as I try to work through a lot of emotions, desires, and at times confusion. There is a lot to take in, process, and deal with. I am thinking a lot about the Holy Spirit and how he interacts with this culture and ours and what that means for my life.

Thanks for your prayers. They are definitely felt and needed. More to come soon! Pictures are coming when I get a faster connection!

#1: Delightfully Crazy and Chaotic and AWESOME

2009-06-09T04:10:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! I just wanted to update you on what is going on here in Nepal. I have been here two days and I feel like it has been two weeks. We have done so much and met so many people.

I want to share a little bit about what I am feeling. I think the best words to describe this is sensory overload.

I see trash, poverty, dogs, cows, fires on the streets, pain, street boys, evil, taxi drivers, bikes and people all nearly colliding, hopelessness, and just crazy chaoticness.

I hear the sounds of the dogs continuously barking (especially at 3 in the morning), whistles and car horns, people yelling, people trying to sell things, and street boys begging for money.

I smell the nastiness of the trash and the mix of all kinds of smells that make your stomach churn.

I taste wonderful food and coffee and tea that the people offer so generously.

And last but not least, I feel the touch of the street boy begging for money. I feel the evil so prevalent all around me. I feel the crazy lifestyle that is so full of hopelessness and pain. I feel the tugging of the Holy Spirit to the areas where Jesus calls us to. I feel the joy and hope and passion of the Nepali Christians who are in love with their Savior and have a deep passion for their people.

I see, hear, taste, smell, and feel, and I am changed. As the days progress I will tell you the stories of some of the people here. The Christians who work for Tiny Hands are the most incredible people I have ever met. I have been here two days, and my world has been rocked. I can't wait to see what God has in store for the next three weeks.

Continue to pray for the camp planning. This is going to be huge. A camp has never been done in Nepal for children. They have seen nothing like it. As Bishnu, the Tiny Hands Nepal President and most amazing man I have ever met, puts it, "This camp will be historical. It has never been done. God is working, sister."

I feel so blessed to be in the presence of these people. I am going to do my best to share with you just how incredible they are.

Pray for me as I try to process this and understand what the Lord is trying to tell me. Pray that I would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as these people are. It's AWESOME!

Thanks for your prayers! I can't wait to tell you more! Pictures will be coming soon!

Kalyn

Last post from home...

2009-06-05T09:05:00.001-04:00

We leave here in 11 hours to head to O’Hare. From there we fly Indian Airways all the way to New Delhi, India. The flight is 17 hours, but our whole travel time is around 42 hours. Emily and I are excited to begin this amazing adventure.

Here are some last minute prayer requests that I can think of as we are preparing to leave:

• Safety in travel and for our luggage and supplies to arrive with us
• Emily and me—Pray for us as we are about to spend the next 25 days together side-by-side and doing everything together. Pray for unity, laughter (don’t think this will be a problem), and openness.
• The parents of the Children’s Homes—They have never had a night away from their kids, but they finally get a few days of rest and training. The problem is that they are all so sad that have to leave their kids for four days. The kids are sad as well.
• The Kids—They are all so excited for camp. Although they have no idea what to expect, they have been looking forward to this for months. Pray that they would feel the love, laughter, touch, joy, and care as if it were Jesus himself interacting with them. I can’t wait to see, love, and play with these kids.
• The Sex Trafficking Victims—May we encourage them, love them, and laugh with them. I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store.
• Tiny Hands Leadership—they are making lots of decisions as the ministry is exploding in size. They are working on creating more structure, while also being able to follow the Spirit’s lead, which has set them a part.
• Emily—Pray for Emily as she works to map out this structure for Tiny Hands and tries to figure out where she fits in all this.
• For me—Pray for me as this passion of mine over the last few years meets reality. My prayer is that my life will be rocked and that I will never be the same. I pray that I will truly learn what it means to love the unlovable, touch the untouchable, and identify with the unidentifiable. May I see with the eyes of Jesus, but also remember that God is God and I am not (Kory calls it Compassion control).

Thank you so much for your partnership with me in this. Your prayers are just as important as me being there. I can’t wait to share with you how your prayers played out!

I love you all!

Kalyn

Schedule for the Trip

2009-06-03T21:39:00.003-04:00

Here is the rough schedule of our trip.

June 5-7—Travel Days
June 8-17—Kathmandu-----This time will be spent planning for the camp, at princess home, with women, street kids; touring, a sundry of projects for THI that need completing, etc.
June 17-22—Camp in Pokhara---Travel to Pokhara via public transportation (very scary)
June 22—Back to Kathmandu
June 23—Travel to Dhaka
June 24-27—Camp in Dhaka
June 28—Travel Back to Kathmandu
June 29—Depart for United States

Tiny Hands International: Why I am so excited about their ministry!

2009-06-02T12:45:00.004-04:00

I am so excited about what God is doing through Tiny Hands International in Nepal, Bangladesh, and India. The more I learn about it, the more excited I become.

THI’s Ministry Missions and Objectives
“Tiny Hands is a Christian non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the church in the developing world to help the poor overcome poverty and become lights of the world. We are committed to finding the greatest injustices in the world, and working towards relieving them however possible. We are particularly called to orphans, street children, and the victims of the sex-trafficking industry. We want to find those who are already doing the work, who are called and faithful, and help them do it in greater ways and with more efficiency. We do it all in obedience to, and for the glory of Jesus Christ.”

Tiny Hands’ vision is built on two foundational things.
First, they are committed to the call of Jesus, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” They truly delve into what this means and what this looks like in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, and will soon be in Mexico as well. They believe that we want to be loved in a way that helps us as much as possible, giving us the best possible things. This is how they love those they work with. They say “we want to help those who suffer most in the most effective way, because we want help ourselves most when we suffer most, and we want it to be effective.” This is the foundation to their ministry.

Secondly, Tiny Hands is committed to searching for the BIGGEST NEEDS, the BEST STRATEGIES, and the RIGHT PEOPLE.

The biggest needs include street children, orphans, and sex trafficking victims. The right people are the indigenous Christians who have the passion and desire to reach their own people.

STREET CHILDREN are innocent victims of societal pressure and familial problems. Their lives are wrecked on the harsh streets. Tiny Hands tries to meet these boys in the early stages of their time on the streets before they get addicted to glue and eventually harder drugs. They work to convince those on the streets to leave the streets, although many are addicted and do not want to leave. Once the boys leave the streets they go to the Cyrene Rehabilitation Home run by two God-fearing Nepali men.

THE ORPHANS that are rescued by Tiny Hands are also placed in homes. Tiny Hands has seven children’s homes in Nepal, Bangladesh, and India. Each home has a unique family dynamic and is overseen by a couple who they believe God has anointed and chosen for this work. The parent’s are the heart of the homes. The orphans receive the love, affection, care, and attention that God desires for all his children. The prayer is that these children would become men and women after God’s heart who will make a difference in their broken world.

SEX TRAFFICKING-Tiny Hands works in the areas of border monitoring, rehabilitation, and reintegration. Their monitoring ministry is exploding. Girls who are rescued from trafficking enter the Princess Home, where they are given counseling, Bible school, tailoring training, jewelry making, adult literacy, and general business seminars. These women are taught how they can make it in society. The Princess Home is filled with the incredible joy of changed lives.

I encourage you to go to their website to understand this ministry better. I truly believe they are doing things the way God is calling us to and he is blessing them for it!

Introducing Emily Hunt...

2009-05-31T23:53:00.005-04:00

You all have heard me talk about Emily. I'm going to Nepal with Emily. Emily and I are running the camps. Emily went to school at Taylor with Kyle for the past 6 years. Emily is crazy. Emily this...Emily that. Well, let me tell you a little bit about this friend who I am going to be spending the next three and a half weeks with.

Emily is from Greensboro, NC, and she lived on Second West Olson (the best wing at Taylor and my home away from home) during her time at Taylor. She was a part of a group of about 5 or 6 of Kyle's closest friends at Taylor and has continued her education at Taylor with Kyle. They both just graduated with a Master's in Higher Education and Student Development. She is an incredible friend and loves to plan events so she can hang out with all her friends. She loves birthdays more than anyone on this earth, and on her own birthday, she gives gifts to everyone else. She has an amazing heart for the work of Tiny Hands, and ever since going over there the first time, she knew her work with Tiny Hands would continue in some capacity no matter where she was or what she was doing. She has an incredible heart for the orphans and sex trafficking victims, but more importantly for loving the Lord through loving the least of these.

Emily and I had a special bond from day one. It must have been Kyle's sophomore year at Taylor when he brought a bunch of his friends home. Although I don't remember it, Emily says the first night I met her I crawled into bed next to her and cuddled right up into her side. She thought, "Who is this girl?" So, despite her first impression of me, we hit it off. When Emily came back from Nepal after she graduated from undergrad at Taylor, she came over and told us all about her trip and the ministry of Tiny Hands International. I was hooked. I told her I wanted to go back next time she went, so here we are. We have spent the last year together at Taylor, getting to know each other in more depth but also laughing so much together. I am excited to do ministry alongside Emily, as I am always in awe of her heart for the Lord and for others.

Ways to pray for Emily:
-Because Emily just graduated, she is still applying and interviewing for jobs in higher education. Pray for Em as she has interviewed recently with a school that looks like it could be a great fit, as well as allow her to continue her work with Tiny Hands.
-Physical Protection--Emily got Typhoid Fever last time she was in Nepal, so this creates a little anxiety within her.
-Wisdom and Guidance for both of us as we travel and plan for these camps when we have no idea what they are going to look like.
-God's blessings over Emily and continued guidance as she figures out what her next step is in life and with Tiny Hands.
-Pray for her as she will not only serve as friend to me but also mentor. May our friendship continue to gain depth in the Lord.

Sex Trafficking

2009-05-29T19:57:00.010-04:00

10,000 women and children are trafficked across the Nepal/India border every year for sex.
20,000 women and children are trafficked across the Bangladesh/India border every year.
800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year.
Most of them are women and 50% are children.

The numbers are only increasing. It is a sick, sick problem. The more I research and learn about it, the more my heart breaks for these women and children. I do not know why God has specifically given me a passion for sex trafficking victims, but I know it is an issue that needs to be brought to the attention of the Church. I am convinced that we must do something about it.

This is another reason why Tiny Hands International excites me. Their strategy for fighting this is two-fold. They have a home called Princess Home for survivors, where women receive counseling, Bible training, an education, a trade, a business foundation, and most importantly, hope in the redemption of Jesus Christ. They are also on the front lines creating border interception stations along the Nepal/India border. In the past 5 months, they have set up 20 different stations. Every week they are rescuing women and children from having to experience the horrors of brothel life. Because of the way God is working through Tiny Hands, these women and many others are spared from these horrors.

This is why God has given me this passion. It is real life. It is time for the Church to step up and speak out. Be praying for these women and children, and ask God what your role is as a Child of God.

Read the story of Asha. It is typical in this area.

From Bondage to Freedom.

My name is Asha. I was married to a boy when I was only 14 years old. Right after my marriage my husband took me to India. He always mentally and physically abused me saying your parents have not given me any dowry. One day my husband took me to a movie and after the movie he took me to a place where he sold me into a brothel. Later I was told that my husband had sold me for $1200. In the brothels I was forced to sleep with many men in a day. Whenever I refused to do what they told me to do they would shock me with electrical current. Sometimes they would put me in a container and keep me in it the whole night. This is how I spent nine years of my life in this cruel brothel ofMumbai.

We lived in a very tall building in Mumbai. Everyday we would look from the top of the building to see if someone would come to rescue us. We tried to shout from the top of the building but it was of no use. One day we saw a policeman walking down by our building so we planned to throw a bucket of water on him thinking he would surely come up to find out who did it and in that way we would be able to pass a message to him about our situation. After we threw the water the policeman came up to check on who did such a thing. We told the policeman the truth about the brothel and told him how we have been trapped and tortured by the people who run the place. We ask the policeman to help us and by God’s grace he happened to be a Nepali man. When he found out that I was a Nepali girl he felt for me and helped me out of that place. He also helped get another 25 girls out of the same brothel. For part of my restoration I was taken to a jail where they tested my blood and found out I had HIV. After I was let go I came back to Nepal to be with my family. Again, my father tried to marry me to another boy. When I refused, my own father tried to rape me. I was so frustrated that I decided to run away from my home.

After I came to Kathmandu I had no where to go so I lived in the street of Bhaktapur for 9 months. It was at this time that I was told about Jesus and became a Christian. Later, I met a nice lady (Nirmila) who told me about Princess Home. She told me that Princess Home was opened by some people who really believed in Jesus Christ. My heart was full of the joy again. This is what I was praying for: a place where I can be with the Lord every day of my life. Now I am in Princess Home and am very happy. Every day the Lord is helping me to see the purpose for my life. Now I go to Bible school in Princess Home. I go for tailor training and I make many beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings. The Lord has allowed me to do things which I never thought I would be able to do. This Home has done so much for me! Everyone loves me and helps me. I want to thank everybody who is helping to support me. Thank you for all your care and blessings. I will pray that the Lord will bless you and keep you.

What is your role in all this?

A Week and Counting...

2009-05-29T00:04:00.002-04:00

Well...we are a week out. We are working on last minute logistical things, and because we are not going mission organization per se, we are trying to figure everything out ourselves. Things are coming along well, however. This morning we bought round-trip tickets from Nepal to Bangladesh for the second camp. Things are coming along nicely on the logistical side.

Personally, I am doing well. I am experiencing no anxiety as departure approaches, and I am praying this will continue. It is still hard for me to believe that I am actually going. It truly is a dream come true and I am excited for what God has in store for this trip. Hopefully, I will continue to update daily to keep you up to date on prayer requests, as well as to inform you a little more about this issues in Nepal and the work Tiny Hands is doing. I am so excited to partner with these people, because I believe wholeheartedly in the mission they are working to carry out!

Ways to pray:
1. Camp Planning
-Logistics
-Supplies
-Best ways to communicate the love of Jesus
-Helpers (supposedly there are 150 ready to come in Bangladesh...ahh!)
-Lesson Planning
2. Continued Financial Support
3. Travel, Visas, Plane Tickets, etc.
4. My Heart Preparation this week
5. Emily Hunt (more to come)
6. Tiny Hands Staff (2 Americans and lots of Nepali, Bangladeshi, and Indian men and women)
7. Most importantly the women and children we will be loving on, playing with, and learning from

Thank you all for your prayers!

Nepal

2009-04-30T01:32:00.005-04:00

Nepal is:

the home to 8 of the 10 highest peaks in the world, including Mount Everest.
the home to nearly 30 million people.
landlocked between India and China.
over 80% Hindu and the only official Hindu nation in the world. Because of this there are cows everywhere!
a place were touching anything with your foot is considered an offense.
one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world.
a major origin for many sex trafficking victims. Each year, an estimated 10,000 girls are trafficked across the border into Indian brothels, where they are forced to become prostitutes.
the home to five thousand street children sleeping on the streets of Nepal, who are hopelessly addicted to the streets.

This is where I will be spending my month of June. I will be working with the orphans, as well as visiting sex trafficking victims and border monitoring stations. I am excited and scared to death. This blog will be resurrected to serve a place to keep you in the loop with what is going on and ways to pray. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Your prayers will be what will keep me going.

Ways to Pray:
Pray for Tiny Hands and the work they are doing now (Tinyhandsinternational.org).
Pray for Emily and I as we plan and prepare for the camps and logistical things.
Pray for sufficient help so the orphans can be fully loved.
Pray for me as I finish my first crazy year of college, with presentations, papers, and exams, while I am trying enjoy my last few weeks here.
Pray for the orphans, sex trafficking survivors, and the Nepali church.

Thanks for walking this journey alongside me!

Kalyn

Safe and Dangerous

2008-05-26T23:08:00.003-04:00

Last Wednesday was the last night in the youth group for Seniors. It is crazy to think that this is yet another area of my life that is about to change drastically. At times I have taken for granted the fact that I have a youth group, youth pastor, mentors, and a church that are amazing. Anyways, Wednesday night we were given the opportunity to share with the underclassman or encourage them in some way. As I was thinking about what I wanted to share, these two words came to mind...

SAFE and DANGEROUS

This was my "charge" to the underclassman in the youth group.

"Take advantage of this youth group you have here because it won't last forever. Allow this place to be a safe place where you can come and not be afraid to be yourself. Allow it to be a place where you can go through your struggles and joys and know people will be there alongside you through it all. But also allow this place to be a dangerous place. Allow this to be a place in which the presence of God dwells. A place where you meet with a God who is dangerous. A place where you will be challenged to do the impossible, to be "foolish", to step out in faith."

I think the church is missing the combination of these two things in a lot of places. A lot of us just want the safe place. The place where we can just sit back and be complacent, but we don't want to be pushed or challenged. In fact, we get offended if someone points something out in our lives that is out of line. Sometimes the dangerous side can be pushy or forced. But we have to rely on God to find the balance. It can't just be half and half. It has to be 100% SAFE and 100% DANGEROUS.

How does that work, I'm not sure but something to think about.

Curveballs and Jesus.

2008-05-08T09:42:00.005-04:00

When life throws you a curveball, how are you going to respond?

I haven't experienced a ton of curveballs in my life, but the last few weeks have been full of them.

Trials. Pain. Hurt.

Every time I seem to be pulling through, something else hits. Life can be hard. Jesus promised us that much. But He also promised peace and victory in the midst of the difficulties.

“I have told you these things so than in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Hurt has been flying at me from all directions lately. Some has been caused by friends. Other times it is just a hurt for my friends and the choices they are making.

Along with the hurt, I tend to hear a voice in my head that says “you aren't good enough.” Most of the time the voice is quiet. The last few weeks this voice has been really loud and at times overwhelming. This voice comes from people. They don't know it, but I hear it. Most of all, though, this voice comes from satan. In fact, satan is very good at making me hear this voice. Especially the last few weeks.

I don't know why, when pain and hurt hits, it all tends to come at once from all directions. I don't understand it.

But I do understand one thing. Jesus Christ is the only one with an answer to the hurt. You see, these last few weeks of trials have allowed me to experienced something that I haven't really experienced before...

...An intimacy with my Creator that leaves me speechless.

Jesus called us to love with a love that hurts. This kind of love causes lots of hurt and pain. But Jesus is there through every single minute of it. He is enough. He will fight for me. He will overcome for me. He loves me as I am. I am good enough for Him. That's all that matters.

People will hurt you. Even those closest to you will hurt you. It's because they are people. And while people are incredibly important to our well-being and even our walk with Christ, they are still people. We aren't meant to worship people.

We are meant to worship ONE God.

A God who will take care of your every need. A God who will provide peace amidst confusion. A God who will provide joy in the midst of incredible pain. A God who is full of grace and accepts you as you are. A God that is full of truth who will push you to the limits because He loves you. A God who is bigger than me and loves me more than I can fathom. A God who loves to take our weaknesses and make them His strengths.

This verse, which is my life verse, has been the promise that I have held onto this week. I didn't always know why it was my life verse. But lately, it's been very evident.

“But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

His grace is enough. He wants to be intimate with us. He wants to be our hero and come to our rescue when we can't do it ourselves.

So while this season of pain has been difficult. I have grown more than ever before. Part of me doesn't want it to end because when you have no other choice but to rely on Christ, the intimacy is something that can't be put into words.

Trials do refine us. So don't hate them. Don't run from them. Don't despise them.

EMRACE THEM. EMBRACE JESUS!

LIVE.

2007-12-02T21:39:00.000-05:00

The message this morning was about waiting on God.

God gave me an urgency instead.

An urgency for my team with whom I have spent the last 3 years of my life with but only have 3 months left with.

An urgency for my school, where I will only be able to make a difference for the next 6 months.

An urgency for my youth group that has poured in to me, but it's time for me to give back.

An urgency for my friends and classmates, some I have known for the last couple years, others I have known for the last 12.

An urgency to MOVE out of my complacency and into the life he has called me to.

God gave me an urgency. I ignored it.

This evening I was looking at some music videos on the computer, and I "randomly" came across one by Michael W. Smith. The song is called This Is Your Time. Here are the lyrics to the chorus:

This is your time.
This is your chance.
Live every moment.
Leave nothing to chance.
Swim in the sea.
Drink of the deep.
Embrace the mystery of all you can be.

Coincidence. Nope.

I have forgotten how to spend time with my Creator. I have forgotten how to pray with passion. I have forgotten how to listen. I have forgotten how to love. Honestly, I have forgotten how to LIVE.

Philippians 2:4-5
But because of His GREAT LOVE for us, God, who is rich in mercy made us ALIVE WITH CHRIST even when we were dead in transgressions-it is really by grace you have been saved.

God has given us LIFE. ONE LIFE.

What if we LIVED? What if we LIVED WITH CHRIST? What if we LIVED every moment?

I don't mean go through the motions like I get caught doing.

I mean LIVED with the joy, love, grace, peace,hope, and freedom that Christ has given us. What if we allowed that to shape every thought, action, decision, and word that we spoke?

Jesus has given us this chance. A chance to change the world. A chance to LIVE.

What if....WE EMBRACED THE MYSTERY OF ALL WE CAN BE?

What would happen?

---Kalyn---

QUOTE

2007-10-08T22:07:00.000-04:00

Sin is an action...but it can also be the lack of action.

Let that sink in....are there areas of sin in your life that are there due to lack of action?

EXPECT....ATTEMPT!

2007-09-25T21:02:00.000-04:00

Expect great things from God...Attempt great things for God!

This is a quote I have heard so so many times in my life. But tonight I was faced with an opportunity to head something up, and the first thing I did was say, "No Way! I am not even close to being qualified!" Then someone quoted this...Expect great things from God...attempt great things for God. It finally clicked. A light bulb went off if you will. I have been praying for God to do some amazing things, but I haven't stepped out completely in some of the areas he is calling me to. God can work in our weaknesses. In fact God is going to work most in our weaknesses, but for some reason we are so scared to step out. We are scared to do the attempting part. We are very good at expecting, but what about risking?

In another conversation I had tonight, I was asked this question..."Why is it that some of the most "dangerous" things in life are some of the most beautiful things in life?" (does that pack a punch or what) Because that is the God we serve...He made things like that because that is His character! God took a huge risk in creating us and giving us free will...He takes a risk everyday when we screw up and He continues to pursue us. God took risks. God created us in His image. Therefore we are made to take risks! And if we are taking risks and trusting God to catch us if we fail, it is not as big of risk as we thought, because God will never cease to catch us!

Some of the most dangerous and risky things in life are some of the most beautiful, rewarding, exhilarating, and peaceful things. God is risky business, but if you take that risk you will never be the same, you will never regret it, and you will never experience so much JOY!

What are the risky things God is calling you to today? Are you expecting great things from God but sitting in your Lazy-Boy waiting for them to happen?

TAKE A RISK...STEP OUT IN FAITH...ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD...YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

LOVE

2007-09-05T23:10:00.000-04:00

"This is what I mean by sheer poetry of the Jesus story. Jesus is God coming to us in love. Sheer unadulterated, unfiltered love. Stripped of everything that could get in the way. Naked and vulnerable, hanging on a cross, asking the question, 'What will you do with me?'"

SEX GOD by Rob Bell

What will you do with Jesus?

"In my WEAKNESS be my STRENGTH!"

2007-08-29T15:43:00.000-04:00

This is the prayer I have often found myself praying in the past couple of weeks. I started my senior year of high school two weeks ago today. I love being a senior. I love the fact that I don't care nearly as much about what people think about me...whether that is because I am a senior or because I found some freedom from that this summer. The first few days of school were great. The whole week before had been covered in prayer 24/7 and those first few days I was filled with joy. My focus was on Christ because I had been so focused on Him through prayer the week before. And school was fresh and new. But the newness wore off. I wasn't praying "continually". And I found myself falling into the all too familiar trap of caring so much about what people think about me. I know this is a struggle for everyone, but this kind of thing suffocates me. This summer I was released from this foothold satan had on my life, but I forgot that it would be a daily struggle. I forgot it would be a daily issue of surrender. I was so lonely, and at times I felt suffocated. But then God reminded me of the verse that is changing my life...

2 Corinthians 12:9:
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

I am learning that I can claim this verse. When I feel weak. When I feel alone. When I feel unloved. When I feel insecure. I can pray....

"IN MY WEAKNESS BE MY STRENGTH"

God is so much bigger than me. His story is so much bigger than mine. I am so so insignificant if He is not controlling me. i am not but i know I AM! What a powerful promise God has given us here! IT IS POWERFUL!

Are you allowing God to work through you in your weaknesses, in the areas that bog you down? Are you giving God the control He deserves, or do you think you can do a better job being in charge?

Allow freedom to take over. Allow Christ to take over. It is worth it.

Back into the blogging scene...I hope

2007-06-26T17:43:00.001-04:00

So...it's been a very long time since I have left a note, but I am going to do my best to get back into it. We'll see!

Question of he Week #25

2006-09-11T22:53:00.000-04:00

Okay so I have had this question brewing for about a week, but I just couldn't put it into words. It takes me a long time to process what God is doing in my life. Maybe it is because I haven't completely grasped what He has been teaching me. I am realizing that so many times I just go through the motions of this Christian life. In worship, I sing the words and I truly mean them but it is from the head not the heart. I believe them in my head and know they are true but a lot of times I don't let it penetrate my heart. Same with reading the bible or hearing a message at church. I can hear a message or read the bible and I realize in my head the changes that need to happen and at times I might get all emotional, but I don't let it completely penetrate my heart and change my life. I believe in my head he is all I need but I haven't truly let it penetrate my heart because when it does it will completely change the way I live my life. I am still on this journey, so I don't have the answers (like so many things in life), but I am working on allowing things to become more than head knowledge. I want them to change my heart. So...
A

re you just going through the motions? Are you allowing Christ to penetrate your heart does everything just stop in the head?

Wow...lots of gibberish...but I hope you can get a little something out of it!
Kalyn

Question of the Week #24

2006-09-11T22:52:00.000-04:00

Wow....it has been a long time since I sent one of these. My summer has been crazy busy, but God has done some amazing things in my life. One of the biggest things God has taught me this summer is the importance of depth in relationships. I have been on quite a few trips this summer, and it is always amazing to see how close you get to people when you are away from your everyday life and you have one common focus...Jesus Christ. It is amazing how open and vulnerable you can be. How you can share your heart and not be afraid that they will judge you for your struggles. It brings so much freedom. We all struggle. Why not go through this life together. God challenged me to bring that home. Imagine...Christians today...with one single focus (jesus Christ) seeking to go deeper. What would the church of today look like? What if we were all vulnerable and took off our masks? God calls us to bring glory to His name by bringing others to Him. What better way than to get into more depth with people?

Are your relationships ones of depth or of shallowness? Are you allowing yourself to be vulnreable and letting people see you for who you are or are you trying to do this thing of life all by yourself?

Just a little bit of what I am struggling through! Hopefully now that school starts I will be able to do this more regularly (at least that is what I am planning on). Remember you don't have to read them if you do not want. Hope you all had a great summer! I would love to hear from you!
Kalyn

MIssion Trip Rundown

2006-07-20T14:32:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone!

I just got back from the Dominican Republic about a month, and I want to thank you all for taking part in making this trip possible for me! I had a great time and one of the best parts is that I was able to experience it with my parents and Kyle! God did some absolutely amazing things in and through our group! I could probably write a book telling all the stories, but I am going to do my best to give you just a brief report of a few things that God taught me.

First of all, we went down to Moca, Dominican Republic to work with Pastor Quina, a pastor of six different churches (she has planted 12 in all!). She was an amazing woman of God. We worked in three of those churches. Our days were completely filled with VBS for the kids, door-to-door ministry, sports ministries, and services at night which left us exhausted at the end of each day.

During our debriefing time, I went through and wrote down pages and pages of snapshots that included everything that happened. However, for your sake, I have narrowed them down to four to share with you:

1. Relationships with the kids—the kids in the Dominican were absolutely amazing. We loved them with all we had, but they gave so much back. They have next to nothing, but they are so joyful. An eleven-year-old girl named Sofia is one that really touched my life. She comes from a home where she is abused, neglected, and is a slave to the rest of her family. Pastor Quina brought her in for the week to help with the food and just to be loved. At the beginning of the week, she wouldn’t leave the house, but we slowly showed her we were there to love her, and she soaked that love in. The first day she came with us to VBS was the first day of fun she had ever had in her life, but she still did not know how to play with kids her age because she had never had the chance. By the end of the week, she was playing with the kids and every time we hugged her or tickled her she just soaked it in with a huge grin on her face. Sofia experienced the love of Christ that week in a way she had never experienced it before, and it transformed her life. Saying good-bye to her was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life because she is going back into an abusive home where she is shown no love. My prayer is that her transformed life will in turn change the lives of her family members. Sofia will forever have a piece of my heart!

2. Relationships with Teammates—it is amazing how in a short ten days, God can bond people for a lifetime. The relationships I built with my teammates were so deep because we all were focused on one thing: glorifying Jesus Christ. God has challenged me to bring that back to the U.S. People are the only thing we can take with us when we go to heaven so why not spend time going deep. I built some unbelievable friendships that I am sure I will have for the rest of my life, and it is not just because of this one experience we had together; it is because Jesus Christ is at the center of each one.

3. Live by faith—preparing for this trip God told me that there would be one point that I would have no choice but to put complete faith and trust in Him. That moment came one night when I was supposed to give my testimony. That morning I felt like God was telling me to share from a passage in Matthew about worrying and how that has changed my life. I had everything I was going to say planned out, but my teammate went ahead of me and she used the exact same verse and said everything I was going to say. I freaked out just a little bit, but I asked God to give me another verse and He did, but He wouldn’t let me think about what I was going to say at all. I got up having faith that God would speak. And of course, He was faithful and totally gave me the words and spoke through me! It was AWESOME, because it was all God and nothing I did!

4. The power of Jesus’ Name—God did some awesome things when we prayed in Jesus name. There was a little deaf and mute boy that was healed, a lady who couldn’t walk was able to run, and a diabetic was healed. God is powerful! It was amazing seeing that power manifested in these situations and so many more! I don’t know what else to say! It was amazing!

Thanks again for allowing me to experience God moving in some incredible ways in the Dominican Republic! Without you this trip would not have been possible! My prayer now is that we would be open and allow God to do these amazing things here in the U.S. If you would like to hear more, I would love to sit down and tell you more! Writing it on paper is a lot harder than sitting down and chatting! Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers!

Question of the Week #21

2006-04-25T23:08:00.000-04:00

In the United States today, I believe we have gotten far away from what God had planned in a lot of ways, but especially in the area of living by faith. Most of us have what we need and so much more. As a result, we are not seeing God move in the miraculous ways he does in other countries. We don't have enough faith in God. We have way too much faith in ourselves. We pray without faith. We believe without much faith. We live without much faith. We pray and if only God will do this.

Mark 9:23--Jesus said, "If? There are no "ifs' among believers. Anything can happen."

I pray God will put us in situations that will make us trust Him and stop relying on ourselves. Let's pray as a body of believers that God will move this nation from a place of complacency and self-dependency to a placo of passion, revival, and FAITH in God. Pray with expectancy. No ifs about it. But first...

Are you going to make a decision in your own life to place complete faith and trust in Christ and let Him raise your level of expectancy?

Kalyn

Question of the Week #20

2006-03-21T21:22:00.000-05:00

2 Corinthians 11:3--But I fear that somehow you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent. (NLT)

I don't know about you but this is what has happened in my life. In the last month and a half, I have made my faith so complex. I have spent more time focusing on the aspects of God I don't/ will never understand instead of focusing God himself. I have become discouraged because I was making it so hard. And eventually, I lost the fight. I gave up and shut down and quit trying in every aspect of my spiritual life. Why do we as Christians make it so hard? I think God just looks down at us sometimes and just laughs and says, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Why are you making it so tough? All I want is you, your pure, simple, sincere devotion. BE REAL!"

I asked God how to get back to a sincere, pure devotion, and simple faith and this is what I came up with:

--Focus on my prayer life-- --Be REAL with God-- --Be real with people----Be creative in my TAWG(TIme Alone With God)-- --Find a quality time for my TAWG--

In what ways do you need to return to your simple faith and the amazing yet simple love of our Father?

Question of the Week #19

2006-02-28T22:57:00.000-05:00

--1 John 1:5--

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

NO DARKNESS AT ALL. Why, as Christians, do we have such a hard time hating sin? The world tells us we should be tolerant of sin and the sinner. Jesus tells us to do the opposite of both. Jesus tells us to hate the sin, love the sinner. Why do we seem to get those two so mixed up? Why is it so much easier to love the sin, yet hate the sinner? This is where courage comes in. Courage to be different. Different from what the world tells us. Different from Christians who have become desensitized to sin(which we all have in some way or another). It takes courage to hate sin. Courage to fight against the temptation to become desensitized. Courage to be passionate and hold others accountable as well as ourself. Courage when the world says you are just being intolerant. Courage to dig deep into the heart of Christ to figure out how to love the sinner yet hate the sin (by the way...we are all sinners). Where has all our passion gone?

Do you have courage to stand up or are you just conforming to the world?

Do have enough passion to be different?

Do you HATE sin enough that it makes you sick?

Have you searched to figure out how to hate the sin, yet love the sinner?

Question of the Week #18

2006-02-15T22:49:00.000-05:00

PSALM 37

5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him. (NIV)

5 Open up before GOD, keep nothing back; he'll do whatever needs to be done: 6He'll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon. 7Quiet down before GOD, be prayerful before him. (MESSAGE)

So I have been struggling with devotions the last week and a half. I haven't been getting much out of them. I have been frustrated because I felt like God wasn't listening. I ask GOd to show me something this morning...I opened up to this passage and God's promises really hit deep. I need to start committing my day every moment to Jesus Christ. Not to selfish things or things of this world but to Christ!

What are you committing yourself to...Jesus Christ or things of this world?

Kalyn

Question of the Week #17

2006-02-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

Have you had times in your life when you have a passion and a desire to do big things for Christ and to live like Christ, but you realize there are things you need to get rid of first? I had an experience like this last night. My desire is that God would just take my life and use it and be in total control. But I have trouble giving Him control of things. I have fear in my life that I continue to let satan use as a stronghold. One of the biggest things I struggle with (fear you could say) is this: I fear that I am not good enough, that people won't like me. I think this is true mostly with friends but also in other areas. And all to often, I try to find my worth in that. I want to be encouraged by people so that I know I am good enough for them. But what I realized last night is that I need to rely solely on the love of Christ. I need to find complete worth in Christ alone. If I rely on people to tell me they love me or tell me I am good enough, I will probably be let down which satan uses to make me think poorly of myself. But I am made in God's image and nothing can/will separate me from His love.

Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8

1 My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

What are your fears? What is holding you back from giving God complete control? What are you going to do about it?

It is all about surrender. Satan is doing everything he can to make us forget that. Daily surrender.

A surrendered life is an empowered life. An empowered life expects the miraculous. A life that expects the miraculous is a life committed to a revolutionary way of living.

Who are you going to serve? You have one choice, one life!

Kalyn

Question of the Week #16

2006-01-29T17:30:00.000-05:00

WARNING: IT'S A LONG ONE!

Hey there! What has God been teaching me....well a lot. When you make a point to do quality devotions....God will show up and teach. When you take time to pray from the depths of your heart....God will answer. When you see someone else who is really hurting and going through tough stuff...God takes the time to put things in perspective for you.
I am not sure where this is going but at the beginning of last week I asked God to bring every sin and distraction to the forefront of my mind. Monday night I did some meditation on scripture and I asked God to empty me then make me an imitator of Him (Ephesians 5:1-2). Then Tuesday as I went through the day...God walked with me and showed me specifically all the areas of my life where I am sinning or where I am just plain selfish. Let me tell you...he did a lot of teaching. And there is so much more I could go through but I dont want to bore you.
But my point is through all this I have been doing a lot of questioning. Normally when God teaches me something I just say...Ok, I need to do better. But lately, I have been asking questions that lead to more questions and it just keeps going, but I am doing some deep soul-searching and actually applying it to my life. And it has changed me. I have realized, once I quit just going through the motions, God is teaching me a lot and I am learning to apply it. But doing some tough questioning. SO....

Are you just going through the motions or are you truly digging deep into your heart and the heart of our Master? Are you being changed?

I love you all and I am praying for you! Don't just go through the motions. It is not worth it. God deserves so much more. Let Him truly change you and dig deep!
Kalyn

Question of the Week #15

2006-01-29T17:28:00.000-05:00

Hey there! I hope all is well. It has been so long since I have written a Question of the Week I hope you haven't forgotten me! I have been reading a book called the Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus and it is a great book that has challenged me so much that I am just going to give you a little taste of what God is teaching through a passage in the book. So challenging!!

" 2000 years later the call to follow Christ has been repackaged to be smooth and trouble-free, filled with opportunity and promise but lack of risk, passion, and sacrifice. But is it possible that to follow Jesus is to choose the barbarian way? Jesus calls us to take a path that is far from the easy road. A path with adventure and uncertainity. The barbarian way: to give the heart to the only One who can make you fully alive. To unleash the untamed faith within. To be consumed by the presence of a passionate and compassionate God. To go where He sends you, no matter the cost."

Are you living your life as a civilized Christian or one that is Barbaric and out of this world?
Let God really speak to you about this one. It has made a huge impact on my life. And I encourage you to read this book if you are challenged in someway and want more! I am praying for yoU!
Kalyn

Question of the Week #14

2006-01-29T17:27:00.000-05:00

I hope and pray God has been teaching you so much! God has really laid some things on my heart. One thing being how I treat people. Am I making fun of God's creation too much? I have really spent some time on this question and I think I have come up with the answer.....YES!!! And so God has just been working on me bringing it to my attention so much more when a thought comes to my mind that would make people laugh if i just put one person down. I see this with my basketball team a lot. But how is that showing the love of Christ? It's not. So my question is this...
Are the things you say setting an example for Christ and building people up, or are they tearing people down?
James 1:26- If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
I like to think more relationship than religion but the same thing applies!
Kalyn

Question of the Week #13

2005-12-18T16:29:00.000-05:00

Wow.....long time no.......Question of the week! Sorry about that! Well...God has been doing some pretty amazing things in my life. But...at times it is definitely not easy. At the beginning of Dec. I decided that I needed to start doing more memorizing of verses. And so I decided to start with James 1. And now I know why. Because of verse 2 and 3 and 12 and the rest of them. And now I will tell you why. As some of you know we are in the heart of basketball season. And as some of you know I am dealing with some pretty bad shin splints. Well...last week the coaches decided it was time I take some time off. And...after going to the doctor...I have found that I am out until the first of the year. And this is tough because basketball is such a big part of my life and I feel like this is one of my biggest platforms to share the love of Christ. But what I am learning through this is that I need to trust God through all this and persevere during this trial in my life. He has a plan, and believe it or not, he can still use this to glorify him in some way. Right now, I am not sure how He is going to do this but that I where I am learning to trust the Lord. He is in control and I TRUST that he will somehow use this to glorify himself.
In what areas do you need to trust Jesus Christ with your life? Or a better question...what areas are you keeping for yourself to control that need to be entrusted into God's hands?
Have a great week and enjoy some quality time with your family and friends this week! I am praying for you!
Kalyn

Question of the Week #12

2005-11-27T19:42:00.000-05:00

Hey! Last week was a little busy, so I didn't get a question of the week out..... but that doesn't mean God wasn't speaking to me. Last Tuesday night I was driving home from my brother's basketball game at Grace and I had driven separately so I had some time to think and pray. So I just turned off my music and I was talking to the Lord. I was frustrated, because I had been praying and asking God to help me in certain areas of my life like keeping my focus on Him and being filled with the Spirit. But I just felt like God wasn't answering my prayers. After all, I was asking Him about areas in my life in which I could become more holy. I was just going on and on about how I felt like he wasn't listening. In fact, I actually said, "God why aren't you listening to me?" I kept praying, but all of the sudden I heard a still, small, quiet voice say, "I am speaking. You just aren't listening!" WOW! It hit home once again. I am not making time for my Father. Iam doing all the talking. I am not spending time just listening!

Are you listening, or are you doing all the talking?

This seems to be one lession that I always need to hear. I always seem to neglect listening to my Father! I am praying for you all!
Kalyn

Question of the Week #11

2005-11-14T22:01:00.000-05:00

Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Well...today my devotions talked about how the Christian life is not easy. I mean this verse says the narrow path is difficult so not very many people truly want to endure what could happen on the narrow path. Or they start on the path and realize that kind of life is not as easy as they expected. And today in our team devotions, Coach talked about how doing the right thing isn't always the easiest thing to do. He used the stories of the apostles in Acts who were thrown in prison for preaching the news of Jesus and then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who did what was right even thought they didn't know the outcome of their situation. So it was pretty amazing that my own personal devotions and my team devotions were pretty close. God calls us to live a different life. To make different decisions. To make the right decision when everyone else is making the wrong one. He doesn't promise that this life will be easy, in fact, He tells us it will be hard, but He does promise he will be there every step of the way. So my question is this:

When tough times come are you blaming God and getting angry at Him, or do you realize this will bring you even closer to the righteousness God desires of us if we handle it the right way? Are you relying on Christ to get you through?

I believe during the tough times is when you really grow closer to Jesus. As Kyle says, the times when you are content with where you are spiritually are the times when you Satan has you right where he wants you! Choose today whom you will serve and do it wholeheartedly!

Kalyn

Question of the Week #10

2005-11-09T21:56:00.000-05:00

Hey! Wow! This is later than I would have liked but it will be short! I have struggled a little this week and have kind of gone through a dry spell, mainly because I haven't made my devotions a priority! Wow! Time alone with our Creator changes my week so much! One thing that has stuck out to me is this verse...1 John 2:6..."Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." It is about Jesus..and when I go through dry times I look at other people and say, " I wish I was like them." But it is all about Jesus! It is a high standard and it won't be easy, but hey...who said the Christian life would be easy. I think it was the other way around! So...

Are you walking as Jesus did? Or at least striving to?

I am praying for you all!
Kalyn

Quote

2005-11-02T22:31:00.000-05:00

Quote from Kelli's AIM info...
"A woman should be so close to God that a man has to seek Him to find her!"

Question of the Week #9

2005-11-02T12:16:00.000-05:00

Hey there! I hope everyone is having a great week! This week has been kind of tough because I feel like I am facing all kinds of trials but I can tell that the Lord is right by my side! I feel just like James says it should be in James 1. Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds because the testing of you faith develops perseverance. There are a lot of times when I question God but he is just testing me and developing perseverance.
Another thing that God has been speaking to me about is how I view life. I shared with you last week that basketball is my platform. But I am seeing also that God has given me a platform 7 hours everyday and that is at school. One thing I have noticed is that coming off of the summer, my friends and I were on fire and ready for the school year. We saw the mission field God had for us but now we have gotten into a routine. God calls us to live a spirit-filled life and part of that is getting out of our routine and being aware of the mission God has for us. I was completely broken last night for my class of girls. The ones who don’t have a clue, the ones who see the hypocrites and say no way, those that just go to church because it is a place to be on Wed. nights, and the ones who have been distracted and let sin entangle them. My prayer is that I would be able to be so in tune with God that if he asked me to do something I would be ready and he wouldn’t have to get my attention.

So my question for you is this: Are you viewing life as a mission or as a routine? And what are you going to do about it?

I am praying for you all!
Kalyn

Question of the Week #8

2005-10-23T21:29:00.000-04:00

WARNING!!! This is very long! Don't feel like you have to read it!
Hey there everyone! You may be thinking...wow...I am getting this Question of the Week relatively early, or you may not have noticed, but you are. You are getting this a few days early because I have a busy week coming up. In fact, basketball starts tomorrow! While this is very exciting, I am a little nervous. I am about to let you into the world of Kalyn Lantz as best as I can. You see, last year, I got caught up in basketball and it pretty much consumed me. That was all I thought about. My relationship with Jesus Christ was not much of a relationship. My focus was totally off course. I was focused on basketball and I was very selfish. I knew God had given basketball to me as a tool to share the gospel, but I hadn't learned how to glorify him with the talents he had given me. Since then, I have come to realize this is the platform God has given me to share with people the hope that comes from Christ alone. I have been preparing for this season and I am ready to let God take control and move through me. Although today I feel so and I feel like satan is feeding me lies. But I feel my weakness is God saying, "Let me have control. I have the power. I will make things happen. Be completely surrendered. Let me work. Let me use you." The verse at the bottom has been key for me the past few weeks and it helped so much today! So that is my plan...or rather God's plan. I am going to need lots of prayer for this however. My goal is for someone to be able to say...I came to know Christ through watching Kalyn play basketball or playing with/against her. Sorry if this didn't make any sense. I have lots of trouble trying to put my thoughts down in writing. My challenge to you is this:

What is the platform God has given you to use to make an impact? What distractions are in your life that are keeping you from using this platform EFFECTIVELY? Are you living completely selfless, surrendered, and humble?

Thank you for you prayers! Let God work!
Kalyn

Quote

2005-10-21T19:38:00.000-04:00

"Empty hands held high. Such small sacrifice. If not joined with my life, I sing in vain tonight!" Casting Crowns, Lifesong

Question of the Week #7

2005-10-19T13:29:00.000-04:00

Hey there everyone! How has life been treating you this week? This might be short today, because I don’t have a whole lot of time, but God has been teaching me to be selfless. Am I sharing the love of Christ with reckless abandon, or am I being selfish and not telling people about Christ because of what people might say or think? At summer camp, we were challenged to live with an attitude of “whatever it takes.” That doesn’t sound like a selfish attitude to me. So I will leave you with this verse and question:

Philippians 2:1-11
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:6Who, being in very nature God,did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing,taking the very nature of a servant,being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father.

What areas in your life are you selfish? What are you going to do about them?

Have a great week! I will be praying for you all!

Kalyn

The Reason Behind Kalyn's Thoughts on Life and Stuff

2005-10-17T19:30:00.000-04:00

Okay! Well...so you see...I have been emailing a select group of people once a week with a question of the week! And someone very dear to me suggested that I create a blog and post my question of the week on here. They suggsested I name it Kalyn's Thoughts on Life and Stuff. So I will be putting my question of the week (a.k.a. what God is teaching me) on here once a week. I probably won't update more than that due to lack of time. So just you wait...question #7 will be coming shortly. If you by chance decide you like this and want to know the other questions just let me know! Thanks and I hope you are living to glorify Jesus Christ in everything you do!
Kalyn