I’m doing great… been traveling lots in Romania for a week now, just got back from a trip two hrs away from Suceava (a city in NW Romania). I spent today with Frank Bullock from Child Life and his assistant Mihaela. Today we visited poor families in a beautiful town, they gave away firewood blocks and I gave away teddy bears and chocolate to the kids. They were so cute.

I’m off tomorrow to spend time with family one last time before I head south to the really poor areas with gypsies where I’ll be working with Jerry from Caleb MInistries in Seattle giving away my VitaMeals and getting to know the people and situations down there. I can’t wait to see what I’ll see and pray for God to prepare the way. It’s a lot of travel involved, at least 8 hrs by car or train but I’m excited. The sites are gorgeous here especially in the mountains. Wish you could see….

I’m thinking of you all and love you,

 Ligia

I grew up in a small town, twenty minutes away called Solon, where I lived in the same house with my parents and my older brother for the first 18 years of my life.  I attended a Methodist Church in Solon with my family.  My attendance to that church was solely out of obedience to my parents for the first 10 years of my life.  Right before my eleventh birthday, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor and I spent months recovering after the surgery.  For the first time in my life I felt out of control, that anything I did would not change what was happening to me.  In the process of getting better, I was forced to be patient, to wait for healing to occur, but I could not control if or when it would happen.  My first yearnings for God came from a desire for someone to control my life, to take care of me and protect me in times like this.  I wondered if the god that was preached about on Sunday mornings at my church was the one I could entrust my life to in these hard times which might possibly come again in my life. 
 So in sixth grade, after relearning how to walk, I started trying to regain control of my life.  I felt this control was capable of bringing me joy, a life full of love and acceptance.  I followed the model that had been instilled in me from any early age, that if I were to just work harder and try more I would succeed greatly, I would be praised by man, and I would receive this love I was searching for.  Though I had once thought of giving God control of my life, I was really only willing to allow Him to act as a sort of  overseer, someone I went to when I couldn’t handle things by myself, but really I thought I could handle pretty much anything on my own. I still wasn’t sure if I could completely trust God, after all, if He really loved me, why would He allow me to come so close to death with my recent brain tumor?  why all the hardship afterward? 
My efforts to regain control of my life, led me to feeling even more out of control.  I didn’t have any good friends and I didn’t think anyone loved me or thought I was important.  I became chronically depressed.   In the end of eighth grade one of my friends asked me to join the track team with her.  I started running because I thought it was something I could possibly excel at, something that would bring me praise and help fulfill that deep longing inside of me.  It turned out I was terrible at running, but my dad loved running and since I longed for his praise, acceptance and love most of all, I started striving.  I worked hard, trained constantly, I became a really good runner; I was skinny, beautiful, and praised by many.   My entire town, everyone I knew was praising me for my accomplishments in running, in school, even in the church where I seemed very dedicated and diligent in serving.  Life was great, this praise fed me and I learned once again that striving, hard work, dedication, and perfection were the means through which a person receives joy, love and affirmation.  I didn’t see anything wrong with working so hard to find love and joy; I thought it was supposed to be this way. 
 What people didn’t see in high school, what my parents didn’t even acknowledge because they were so proud of me, was that I had an eating disorder as a means to deal with my deep depression.  In the midst of it all, I still couldn’t find the love and acceptance I longed for from my father.  I was in a deep sea of pain and I felt that my closest friend, my dad only half heartedly tried to understand.  My interactions with him taught me that my feelings weren’t really that important; all that mattered was what I was able to do, able to excel at, anything I could do to win the praise of others.  Deep down, I constantly felt misunderstood.  It hurt, but I didn’t allow myself to feel or understand this pain of being misunderstood because I kept telling myself that I really didn’t want people to understand me, to understand the darkness in my life, because then I would appear out of control, I would be incapable of success and then I wouldn’t receive love and the praise of man.  
 After applying to several out of state colleges because I thought I wanted to get away from my parents, my dad advised me to go to the University of Iowa.  Financially it made the most sense and they have a good pre-med program.  I wanted to be a doctor because I knew it would please my father greatly.  I thought that if I became a doctor maybe then I could receive the love from my father that I spent my entire life searching for.  My dad advised me to stop running competitively in college, to start taking better care of my body.  Though I didn’t run on the cross country team at the U of Iowa, I didn’t really listen to my dad’s advice and continued running until my knee injuries became more severe and I was forced to slow down. 
 I moved into Reinow Hall in August of 2002 and started meeting friends immediately.  I filled my life with the busyness I was used to trying to numb the pain of no longer allowing running to rule my life.  I joined the inner mural triathlon team to help ease the pain of this loss.  Somehow God got my friends and I to 24-7 the first Thursday night of that school year.  That night in McBride Auditorium, I don’t remember what the message was about, but I remember hearing the complete gospel message, clearer than I had ever heard it before.  I started to realize that this love I had been searching for would never be found in the many places I had been searching. All this time, I had been longing for a love to fill me, surround me, encompass me, and comfort me fully.  God love could do this!  I couldn’t strive to receive that love.  Gods love was the only love that would ever completely fulfill me.  God longed to love me completely, not because of what I had done for Him, I would never measure up to Him, but because of who He is, because of His grace.  God’s love and grace is hard for me to accept sometimes, I know I don’t deserve it, and it confuses me because I don’t even have to strive for it, but I am learning that it is truly not about me. 
That night at 24-7 I decided to give God complete control of my life, not just as an overseer, one I ask for directions, but this time as the director of my life.  God had taught me in my last 18 years of life that I couldn’t do it on my own anymore.  I desperately was in need of God, his love.  I needed a savior.  I prayed a prayer that night and accepted Jesus into my life and received eternal life in heaven with God.  As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says I became a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come. 
Though the transformation from my old sinful self and this new life in the Lord is a process, Jesus has given me a peace, hope and comfort that I cannot imagine my life without.  As Paul says in Romans 8:28, I now know that in all things, God does work for the good of those who love him, All the hurt and pain in my life God is using for good, God is using it all to shape me into the person He intended me to be from the very beginning.   It is hard for me to give God control of my life because I believed for so long that having control is the only way to receive love and have joy. I am starting to realize the depth of God’s love for me and I long for that love to fulfill every one of my desires, those which I have spent the majority of my life searching for.  His love is so much greater than the love which comes from man.  If I am blessed to receive love from any person on this earth, I am now fully confident that this it is a gift from my Heavenly Father, an expression of His divine love for me. 
Throughout college, I became very involved with 24-7 (a college ministry with Parkview Evangelical Free Church in Iowa City, IA).  I was baptized in May of my junior year by the pastor of 24-7 (whom I had come to know well), this time is was my choice and a public expression of that choice.  I led bible studies with college women for two years, led a community service initiative with the ministry, and mentored younger women in college there for three years.  The summer after my freshmen year in college I worked as a ranger at a Boy Scout ranch in New Mexico where I did some bible teaching and the next summer I worked as Outdoor/Program staff in Colorado at a YMCA family resort while I attended a summer training program with the Navigators.  God’s hand has been very present in all aspects of my life.  I had Christian roommates and friends all throughout college and my junior year I changed my major in Health Promotion feeling called to pursue working in ministry somehow.  I planned to either go on staff with the church where I worked with college ministry or go to seminary somewhere. 
So here I am, following very clear direction from the Lord, I moved to Seattle in August immediately after finishing my undergraduate degree to attend Mars Hill Graduate School studying under Dr. Dan Allender.  I believe with all my heart (and based on much encouragement and wisdom spoken into my life) that I have been blessed with some incredible gifts of mercy and life experiences which though one intended for evil, God intended (and has always intended) for good.  God has not wasted my pain of the sexual, physical, and emotional abuse I have encountered in this world and will continue to use it for His glory if I allow Him too.  I feel the strong call to pursue learning how to more effectively utilize these gifts of mercy as well as studying His Word and knowing His Truth more graciously.   Philippians 3:7-11 are my life verses right now.

I honestly am not completely sure what has always drawn me to Christ. Well, him of course, maybe that’s just it. But, my mom and step-dad were never into church; in fact I don’t think that we ever really spoke of religion. But I know that I have always looked to the heavens knowing that someone was watching over me. When I was younger I did go to church a few times with my friends, and I liked it, but with my family not being into it, I never tried very hard.
So, what brought me to Mars Hill you might wonder . . . Well, a large chain of events. The one that hit me the most was my grandfather’s death. My mother and I lived with my grandparents, in Renton, up until I was five. After that I still saw my grandparents every week. When my mom, step-dad, and I moved to Federal Way, my grandparents would come every weekend. My grandmother would stay with my mom and my little brother Cody. And my grandfather would take me swimming at the gym that he belonged. I think it was Bally. He always pushed me to do the things that I loved and he knew that I loved to swim. They have just always been there for me, if I needed to get away for any reason I would go to their house. Their influence on my life has been more than I could have ever imagined.

My grandfather started getting sick last November. He was in and out of the hospital and during that time I was helping him and my grandmother. My grandma can’t drive so, I would drive her to see him when I could. It wasn’t until January that we were told that he had cancer of the colon and it was spreading. From then on he was in the hospital, nursing home, or adult family home. I would take my grandmother to see him at least once a week.  I would try to go on my own to have my time with him as well if I could.
He was finally put in an adult family home for good, and it was close to my grandmother so that was good. But about two weeks after he went into a coma. Once that happened I pretty much never left his side. My cousin Lianne had insisted that we bring some of the wall hangings from the house to make him feel at home. One of them was a scroll that was the prayer, “God give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the strength to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” I would stare at this for hours. It screamed the situation that I was in right there, and it really helped me to understand that Christ has plans that we can’t mess with, and they are for the best. Throughout the whole process I had been feeling the urge to go to church and search for Christ in my life, but I think this really helped me in making my decision. Grandpa lasted about five days in his coma and he was finally free of his body.
I then knew it was time and began to look for a church. Breanne and I were looking for an apartment at that time and I was telling her that I had wanted to start going. She told me about this great place called Mars Hill that her sister kept telling Breanne that she should try. So, we did, and as you know we both love it. I thank Jesus everyday for bringing me to Mars Hill and all of you. The Queen Anne Community Group is a blessing to me every week and day. Thank you so much for being the accepting hearts that you are. I couldn’t have asked anything more in a fellowship group.

God Bless to all of you,

Dayna Baker

I’m amazed that the Seattle Times would publish a story like this.  -Jeremy

By Jerry Brewer

Seattle Times staff columnist

She awakens in the middle of the night, excited and motivated. She tries to rise on her own. She gets to the edge of the bed, legs dangling, but then she pauses. The pain is too much. The cancer is too strong.

Gloria cries for her parents.

HER PARENTS CRY FOR GLORIA, TOO. Doug and Kristen Strauss realize their daughter is fading. They estimate she sleeps 70 percent of the day now.

Gloria had an IV sending 120 milligrams of morphine per hour into a medical port located just below her right collarbone. Two days ago, she switched to Dilaudid, a stronger medicine. She is given hourly doses of 35 milligrams. If that is not enough, she can press a button every eight minutes that shoots 20 more milligrams into her body.

Neuroblastoma is overwhelming Gloria. She has fought this childhood cancer for more than four years, but true to its dogged form, the disease keeps coming after her life.

“I can’t say I don’t fear death,” Doug says. “Whenever I fear it, I pray. There are moments that are just gut-wrenching. You don’t want to go anywhere. You don’t want to see anybody.”

Three months ago, Dr. Julie Park, Gloria’s oncologist, told the Strauss family Gloria’s cancer was killing her. Since then, Gloria and her parents have abandoned last-ditch cancer treatments because they have no history of healing in cases as advanced as hers. Instead, they have turned fervently to their Catholic faith.

For nearly two weeks, Gloria has been mostly immobile. She last walked without assistance July 10, when the family went to see a special preview of the new Harry Potter movie. Since then, she has been trapped in the den, in a borrowed hospital bed, in her body.

Even now, the Strausses believe God will heal Gloria. They continue to pray for what they want. Religion is their reality. They snap back to faith, always.

“We’re not walking blind,” Doug says. “We’re not defending ourselves from the worst-case scenario. We’re turning ourselves to the miracle.”

advertising

The longer they must wait, the harder it is to remain resolute.

AFTER HELPING GLORIA, Doug walks into the bedroom and sobs. He looks at his wife and collapses on the bed.

“Where’s my faith?” he asks. “Where’s my trust?”

 Read the full article here.

My precious family of God,

It is my final day here in the beautiful country of Lebanon, and I have been thinking of you and missing you greatly.  I hear that my sister has made an appearance among you and that she loved it–thanks so much for making her feel welcome! She is growing into a young woman, and this sort of Christian community is really good for her.

Lebanon has been truly incredible.  Hiking to old ruins of Greek orthodox churches, drinking out of an ice cold mountain stream (unfiltered…Oh the adventure!), swimming in the Mediterranean, running off with my young-adult cousins for a day away from my grandparents, eating almond and pistachio ice cream…but best of all, getting to know my grandparents in a sweet and intimate way that is so incredibly precious.

These people have taken me all over the country.  My grandmother walked with me more than she had walked in six months, even though it hurt her, because she wanted to take me shopping around downtown Beirut.  The show me love endlessly, whether it is bringing me tea with milk in the morning, or running out to buy me a pair of jeans for hiking because I didn’t bring any–they have been incredible witnesses of hospitality and love—all characteristics that Lebanese are famous for. This is the heritage that I am especially proud of, and which I would love someday to also exhibit in beautiful ways like they do.

My love to all of you, and I eagerly await the day when I will see you all again.

I leave tomorrow for London, and I will be in Seattle the evening of the 24th.  Most probably I will see you all at Brett’s Cabin, and I will hopefully be bringing some photos with me.

Your sister,

Elise

From day one God blessed me with such an amazing Christian family, and I was baptized at the ripe age of 8 after accepting Christ into my life. The water on this fine afternoon was totally frigid, which actually worked to my advantage as I remember the day quite clearly. The early years of junior high were fairly decent, short of my dad’s small (but rather large) drinking problem. He was the type of alcoholic to get absolutely wasted and then yell at his family for a couple hours. So not cool! To keep myself distanced from this environment I started running track, playing football, and wrestling. Playing sports helped me to develop friendships quickly at church and school, which combined with practices and games, encouraged me to forget about the yelling and fighting.

Now we move onto the early years of high school. After realizing my dad was going to lose his family, he gave up drinking and completely embraced a relationship with the Lord. Can I get an Amen! In addition to playing sports, I became profoundly interested in a super amazing group called Younglife. My sister (oh yea-ps-I have a rad sister!) went to Malibu and became a leader shortly after, so it was only natural to follow step. After graduating from high school, I became a volunteer leader and started the next-current phase of my life.
I attended college at the most amazing university in the country, also known simply as U-DUB! Apparently, God thought it would be better for me to pursue Younglife and not collegiate athletics as I was too small for football and not fast enough for track. During this time I took two groups to Wild Horse Canyon and three groups to Malibu. Watching kids accept Christ on “say-so” night was the most amazing memory I have from college. There’s nothing better than seeing the Lord plant new seeds. My living arrangements for college were vast, however my favorite home was a little place called the 17th Avenue House. Being the only sober people on the field-turf, we normally won all our sports games and tourneys, which played well with the ladies. J/K We were also required to have a weekly small group and mentor to coach us through college and our personal relationship with the Lord. What a valuable experience! We all had a lot of fun and made friendships to take with us after college.
Now I work for an insurance brokerage in Bellevue and have submitted my application to Mars Hill children’s ministries, so I’m excited to see what lies ahead in this little journey called life.
God Bless,

Tyler

My dear and beloved friends,

I am writing you on the day before I embark on a weeklong adventure to Mexico! I thought I’d have nothing to report about my vacationing time, and that I should just make all my stories about the intense Mexico time, or the exotic travels to Lebanon (those come later), but God had work to do here in the Sunshine State, as well.

As many of you know, I’ve been really praying and asking for prayer regarding the relationship between my father and I. It hasn’t been particularly good ever since…oh, probably around when I was twelve or thirteen. I’m the eldest and my dad just had never had a daughter of my age and as I started to become more of my own person (and as I proved I could be just as stubborn as him), things just clashed a lot.
So God has finally started answering the prayer from an angle I completely didn’t expect! Instead of things magically becoming more harmonious, I started to realize that even though there were still disapoinments and things that were hurting me in my interactions with him, I was bouncing back with happiness, love, and affection. This is unheard of. I will gladly hold a grudge against my dad for quite a while, and now, suddenly, the bitter feelings are just melting away.
God is changing me first–which, when I come to think of it, is an excellent place to start. I’m learning to demand less of what I want him to give me as a daughter and to just wait and see what he’ll offer as a father, leader, and friend. It’s a totally different mindset, and it’s beautiful.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and wisdom and comfort. You are all so precious to me and it makes me ache to think the distance between now and when I will see you all again!

Love,
Elise