A New York Minute Is Way Faster Then Any Texas Minute

Let me first just start off saying this trip has been one adventure after another. The amazing thing is that God hand picked all of the us for this specific trip. It's awesome how 8 girls, who've only met once, have bonded so quickly. It's like we're all family. We know that nothing can be done without the others, this whole trip has been a group effort right from the beginning.

I will say it's not quite what I expected, but Christ is stretching me and my comfort zone daily. The days are extremely long and we are constantly on the move. We describe are trip here as a sprint not a marathon, because there is no time for rest or breaks. Our breaks are rare, but when when we have one the time is spent in quiet time with God & prayer. That's been my stronghold. I haven't gone a day without talking to God at least every hour.

Yesterday we spent the day in Harlem, which if you don't know is known for violence & ethnic diversity, and went from business to business passing out The Word of God and the story of Jesus Christ DVD to Muslims in 15 different West African languages. (A little background on the Muslim religion. They believe Muhammad wrote the bible, Koran, and that Allah is God. They really don't believe in Jesus. Some believe that Jesus is Mary's son, but that he had no earthly father, or some go as far to say that God came down to earth and had sex with Mary. Another big thing is Muslims believe that the way to get to heaven is to be the best Muslim you can be. This means to following whatever the Koran says & be faithful to it. It is of course Muhammad's teachings.) I must say that was hard. We were told that asking a Muslim to convert to Christianity is like asking an American to give up his citizenship, move to other country and become a citizen there. Right now even thinking about it brings tears to my eyes because of the spiritual battle that was raging in me. My heart was very heavy & I physically being torn on the inside. Our purpose is not to argue with people or even necessarily prove a point, we just want them to know the truth & in that experience Christ's love through us.

I really must say that this trip has opened my eyes to not only what the West Africans go though, but also the rest of the world. The hostel that we're staying at housing people from all over the world. Just in the three days I've been here I've met people from Germany, North Korea, France, New Zealand, Canada, and Argentina. The place I'm staying is a mission field in and of itself! (Is that not the coolest God thing ever?!) Christ hand has been upon us from the very start. Protecting us and keeping us safe, guiding us to where we need to be, giving us knowledge and the words to say.
Two songs have been on my heart and in my head from the moment we stepped foot in NYC, Chris Tomlin's 'God in This City' and Kari Jobe's 'The More I Seek You'. Pray that these songs come to life while were here or that seeds will be planted. Please keep my entire group in your prayers. Pray for endurance, energy, courage, knowledge, and happy & open hearts.