Hidden Royalty

Salt's no good on the Shelf

2012-01-26T15:01:00.000-08:00

God has been showing me how incredibly simple it is to be salt and light as we go.

On almost every plane and train that I have been on in the last 4 1/2 months, there has been an open door with the person next to me that led to an opportunity to encourage and many times pray.

On my flight back to the States for Christmas, I was amazed at how people in the airports opened up about the difficult situations they were facing with terminal illness, in either their own lives or a loved one. I was humbled to see how many hurting people are all around us and how easy it is to never see them if we don’t look, or don’t open our mouths to say hello.

In deed, I feel that we are at a moment of great opportunity for these encounters. We have become so isolated and digitized in our communication, that people hunger for real interest and interaction. They long to tell their story and to have someone really listen.

The Incarnation is the miracle of miracles--that the Creator God became flesh and dwelt among men. Yet so often in our own lives we are careless of this gift. We create a castle of personal entertainment or polite small talk to hide behind rather than choosing to be flesh and blood to the people around us. We've forgotten that salt doesn't do any good when it sits on the shelf.

I don't say this in judgment, for I am as guilty as anyone. But, I am desperate for the truth of the Gospel. I simply want to be more like Jesus, and He loves people. He sees people. As He walked this earth, He was among the people. He was so far past a "comfort zone" that He sacrificed His dignity, His popularity, His very life. As He hung naked on a cross, discolored and unrecognizable from abuse, He was so much more than among the people; He was drenched in their sin, their shame, their very stench.

He did all of this not out of self-righteous pity, but because He knew that when He paid the ultimate price, His coming resurrection would mean salvation for the world. Death was swallowed up in His victory, and He bought for us our freedom: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

As we go about our day, let us ask the Holy Spirit to give us eyes to see. Let's train our hearts to compassion by our daily choices. Let's look beyond our need to feel good about ourselves and be motivated instead by love and obedience. And let's not be fooled by the lie that says we are being hypocritical if we don't "feel like it." The sweetest and most fruitful encounters usually come when we certainly don't feel like it.

"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:11-13).

The Apprenticeship...completed

2012-01-12T14:03:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

Well, the Herrnhuter Star apprenticeship has come to an end, and I am very pleased to report that I finally finished my star! As it turned out, it was quite fortunate that I was so slow at my star crafting because, little did I know, my sister had planned to fly me home to surprise my family for Christmas!! Probably my best Christmas present ever. You see, if I had been faster at building my star, I would have had to leave it in Herrnhut because there would have been no way to transport it safely with me on the plane. As it was, I was able to bring all of the paper points, or cones, and the round frame with me in a box in my carry on, and then assemble it together at home to give to my family as a Christmas gift.

It was so nice. I stayed up all night on Christmas Eve while the rest of my family was in bed. I glued the whole thing together that night, and finished at 4:30am. So on Christmas morning when everyone woke up and came downstairs, my star was hanging by the tree all lit up :). It was the best way to enjoy my first handcrafted-by-moi Moravian Star.

Here are the pictures of the last stage and the final product. The pictures with the star lit up are way brighter than in real life. I promise the star is not blindingly bright, only in the pictures. Next project I guess should be improving my photography skills.

Happy thoughts for a New Year

2012-01-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

Sitting in my room my second night back in Herrnhut--having just unpacked and re-organized everything--I sip tea from my beautiful chinese teapot I finally brought with me from home, and think happily on the blessings of books, lovely music, warm thoughts of family, and a beautiful new year before me.

I don't know what's in store, but I hope that it plunders the depths of my heart. Should there be grief, I hope that I may feel it to the depth of His comfort. Should there be joy, I hope that I may know it in its boundless possibilities. Should there be trials, I hope that I may run face-forward to the challenge. Should there be victory, I hope that in His grace I will triumph. Should there be dissappointment, I hope to be vulnerable in His presence. Should there be comfort, I hope to find joy in the sharing. And should there be love, I hope to give a heart that is whole; a heart that has chosen the depths--to give every ounce and to recieve, unapologetically, all that Love Himself shall give.

Twelve is a good number: 12 tribes, 12 apostles, a dozen eggs, a dozen roses. It sounds complete, doesn't it? It's a full number, good and round. More then ten, it just feels like an overflow. Let's give it all this time around. I'm not talking about running away with your emotions, but embracing the depths of real life. Forget the pixilated stampede of endless notifications. Let's be generous in real time. Have an interesting conversation and ask some real questions. If you found that you have neglected someone, turn around and go back. When you realize you are having a truly grateful moment, take it further and do something to make someone else thankful. When you've done wrong, make it right; and when you've done right, make it better.

Be inspired and inspire others. It's what breathing's all about: taking it in and giving it out. And remember that man's first breath was the breath of God. Maybe we should start that way each day.

So for all of us out there in the bumper cars of life, remember, it's more fun to drive around and get hit than to sit in the corner.

Happy 2012!!!

The Apprenticeship continued...and a Christmas carol sing

2011-12-17T10:07:00.000-08:00

Well, the apprenticeship has coninued. After many weeks of meeting together and working our our Herrnhuter stars, this week most of our group finished theirs...hooray! Unfortunately I am way behind. As you will see in the pictures, as the others are putting on the finishing touches, I am still folding and gluing my points together. That's ok though. I have had so much fun just sitting and working together getting in the Christmas spirit. I am amazed at how everyone's stars are turning out, so beautiful! I hope mine will work out in the end as well.

I also threw in some pictures from our carol sing last week. That was my first time to be invited to a party all about singing carols and hymns together. And let me tell you, it was Totally my thing!! I loved it of course. That's what I call Christmas spirit.

Herrnhut Christmas Market!

2011-11-26T09:49:00.001-08:00

Today was the big day I have been waiting for--my first German Christmas Market!!! Not only was this my first Christmas market, but also it was right here in Herrnhut, my home.

In Herrnhut, the Christmas market is very special because the whole thing takes place on one single day. So that day, the population is multiplied and the usually quiet streets become packed with vendors and shoulder-to-shoulder shoppers winding their way amidst the crowd.

Although there was no snow, the Christmas spirit has definitely settled on this town. With the beautiful Herrnhuter stars hung above the streets and candles illuminating the windows, the early dark nights just got a little bit brighter.

A Little Local Culture: the Apprenticeship

2011-11-20T13:53:00.001-08:00

So recently I have been able to immerse myself in a little local culture here in Herrnhut. I am über excited about taking opportunities to appreciate the many wonderful traditions of my new home, especially those related to this holiday season of cheer!

Apprenticeship in crafting hand-made Herrnhuter/Moravian stars:

Our dear friend and native Herrnhuter, Barbara Haupt has graciously offered to teach us the very special and unique skill of building these stars from scratch. It may sound like a nice little craft; but let me tell you, this is no small task.

First of all, the usual stars that are manufactured here in Herrnhut have 25 points. (These are beautiful. My family has one and we hung it up last year in Texas during Christmas and LOVED it.) We, however, are jumping straight in to the deep end by making stars with 50 points!! This is a multi-week project, and we are hoping to finish before Christmas :).

I'll let you know how the progress goes. We began the first week by cutting out, folding, and gluing our round base.

Week 2 in star-crafting:
Last week, the fun continued as we moved on from the round bases to the actual points--well, almost. We actually learned how to use the pattern to cut out and crease the paper for the points and prepare the tabs for glue. Most of us only just got started on the cutting and have quite a ways to go yet.

Precision is key because each paper has to fold into a point and have tabs at the bottom for the glue. This was my challenge, I kept tearing the tabs as I was trying to cut them. I would cut out a perfect point and then ruin it in the end after tearing off the glue tabs by accident. I got the hang of it though.

Now I need to finish cutting out all 50 pieces so that next week hopefully I can start the folding and gluing process. We shall see! I am going to be so proud of my very own hand-crafted-by-moi star.

Filen Dank Reinhold unt Barbara!

an evening poem

2011-11-07T12:37:00.000-08:00

Night falls early and I sip a cup of tea.
A quiet room, a peaceful heart, a few hours free.
Winter comes surely, though slowly on its way;
A gift of time to write and read, a special hour to pray.

When daylight becomes bashful and is early to retire,
A softer brilliance warms your heart as you sit before a fire.
You must indeed be careful lest sleep comes too early on;
Unless it suits you pleasantly to be up before the dawn.

"The night is long and dreary," is what many would complain,
But if you see it differently, cheerfulness you'll retain;
When others become weary of darkness out their door,
You'll find within your hearth and heart treasure, love, and lore.

My first week in Germany--time with my German family

2011-11-01T06:18:00.001-07:00

Beyond expectation and hope, I arrived in Germany to a welcome of such warmth and love that I could physically feel God smiling. I spent the first almost two weeks with dear friends in the Erzgebirge (the Ore Mountains) before joining my team in Herrnhut on September 13th. I stayed with my friend Katharina and enjoyed some quality time with what I truly feel is my German family. This time was a gift of God to restore my soul in a place of peace and beauty.

My friend and her sister both work during the days, so it was a perfect opportunity for me to spend some quality time with the Lord in the midst of His majestic creation (their house is in a beautiful valley surrounded by national forest. Their family has classical music on much of the time, so I was also inspired to spend a lot of time playing the violin. I also had meals with her parents and went on walks with her mom. These were some of my favorite moments because I got to practice a lot of German, and because I grew even closer to this amazing couple who have so lovingly extended their family to me and drawn me in to feel at home in Deutschland.

This was just one aspect of what made this time so great. I also got to see another favorite family of mine, the Mehner's. I had so much fun visiting the fish farm of my friends' father and received my most unique gift as of yet--a delicous smoked trout to take home and enjoy. I had so much fun with Kristina looking at the sheep and walking all around. I also enjoyed visiting the young adults group and reconnecting with people I have met over the last few years.

The best part was that I did not plan any of this, but the Lord planned it for me. It was a gift from my Father for this specific time of transition in my life, and I am so thankful. Below are a few more pictures of my time in the Erzgebirge.

He restores my soul: a reflection on this season of the year

2011-10-27T02:33:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
my how long it has been since I have written anything. I have been in a season of transition and moving, and my personal blog has been way too far down on my to do list. I mean, I love writing and sharing with my friends, so why is it always the first thing to suffer? Well, for now, I wanted to just post a link to an article I wrote last month for Gateways Beyond International--the ministry I work with overseas. It is the type of thing I would like to share on my blog; but rather than doing all the work twice of uploading the pictures to go along with it, I thought I would just give you the link. Enjoy! I hope you are encouraged in this season of your life.
Click here to read my article
Blessings,
Hannah

You can help Somalia

2011-08-08T12:36:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

My heart is breaking for the suffering around the world and in our own neighborhoods. The world is definitely shaking and groaning. With so much grief swirling around us, it is so easy to get caught up in two opposite responses: coming under the spirit of defeat and letting go of hope, or ignoring everything and filling our thoughts with entertainment or just the day to day concerns. But there is a higher way, a greater call. There is a God of Hope and we are His children. That means we have the capacity through Him to walk in the greatest levels of both compassion and victory--to allow the light of God to shine on us and then shine out into the shadows of this earth.

There are countless ways to help and make a difference, and I encourage you to follow through with your own unique opportunites where your heart is pricked.

I specifically want to plea with you to consider Somalia and the entire Horn of Africa during this drought crisis. Those of us in Texas should be able to realize the reality of drought, but imagine our discomfort and inconveniences multiplied by a million. Instead of thinking to go out and check on neighbors or homeless in our area, what if we were confronted by starving children and adults and a quarter of our population displaced from their homes? What if we had to move to a foreign country to a refugee camp bursting at the seams with over 4 times its capacity? What if we had to lead our starving family and fainting children to walk accross country fighting for survival? These are dramatic images that are easily put out of mind, but what if we could make a difference? What if one small donation could save a life? What if a sacrificial gift could pull a family up from their grave and give them hope to cling to life?

Governments have a role to play for sure, but they can be so limited by guidlelines and protocalls. Private donations can do so much to get immediate help to suffering people.

Here is my plea to you. Would you consider one thing that you could sell, one thing to sacrifice, and use the money to sow into LIFE? By all means, if you have money and want to simply donate an amount on your heart, then do that. But many of us in this economy have our own needs and families that we are trying to provide for and may not be sure how we can give anything more. But let me encourage you that you CAN. You CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Maybe you have a bag of clothes or an old computer. Maybe you even have an old car. Whether it is something small or something big, what a privalege it would be to let go of an earthly possession to gain life for someone we will likely never meet. How freeing would it be in a society ruled by consumerism, to make a choice to put our heart and treasure into saving lives?

I propose that everyone finds at least one possession to sell and, in turn, sow that money into providing relief to those who are desparate for help now. Take time today to read from the Beatitudes (Matthew 5-7) and ask the Lord how we can live them out today.

I am in the process of researching reliable and effective ways to give. Please contact me if you are interested in giving through a trusted, reliable organization already making a difference on the ground. Or you can do your own research and give where you are led.

PRAY: this is the vital response that all of us must be doing. There is power in prayer, and we must actively give of our energy to lift those suffering up before the Lord. Don't just say that you will be praying, PRAY. Fast, petition the Lord. And listen to what He is saying. Somalia is under Muslim control, but many refugees are fleeing to neighboring countries that are more open to the Gospel. Ask the Lord to raise up a bold witness and that many might come to know the truest and greatest freedome through Jesus Christ.

Outreach in Europe

2011-05-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
I am currently in Geneva, Switzerland on outreach. I am travelling with Cas Cordova, and we will be in Geneva for two weeks serving the Gateways Beyond Geneva team. We have been travelling for just over a week and it has already been such a rich and blessed time. We began in Herrnhut, Germany where we joined with the larger group from Cyprus. We then moved on to Dresden for two days before travelling by train for 16 hours through beautiful countryside, past villages and towns, lakes, and mountains. We are so happy to be here in Geneva for two weeks and we look forward to all that God will do.
I want to give you the link to Cas's blog so that you can see some pictures and read about what we have done already. Hopefully I will be able to post my own blogs, but since we will have a full schedule, if we are only able to keep one blog, then I will continue to post links to her blog whenever she adds new posts.
Many blessings!

Navigation

2011-03-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

This is an article I wrote for the GBI enewsletter. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, please send me a message.

I love maps. Some of my favorite childhood memories were the long road trips I took with my dad. I loved looking at the maps and telling my dad which way to go (he probably knew, but I like to believe that he trusted me to find the route). On our family trip from Texas to New York I sat in front most of the time while others slept and dubbed myself the “navigator.” I currently refuse to use a GPS device, not so much because of the technology, but more so because I think it saps the fun out of life and robs from us the pleasure (or terror) of stopping to ask directions—I like to take everything as an adventure.

I admit a lot of this is just my own personal quirks, but I really feel that the whole subject of navigation is a huge issue in life and in ministry. When pondering the name of this ministry—Gateways Beyond International—I am struck by the implication of direction. I realize that there is nothing static or stationary in that name, but it is active. It is not a locality or personality, but an invitation, a call to discover. It does not tell me where I am, but it challenges me as to where I am going.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” The depth of the power in this verse is profound. This is a life-changing, a life-yielding word. It is a challenge and an invitation. We are invited and commanded to trust and to let Him light our way; after all, He is the Way. He not only invites us to come to Him, but also to follow Him. He wants to take us on a journey. We are so easily tempted to lean on our own understanding, but this is exactly what leads us astray. How often I catch myself trying to "figure things out" rather than listening to the Lord. But when we get down to it, here is the beautiful invitation; "in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." With every step, every breath, every desire in my heart, I get to think on Him. I get to set my gaze on Him, to praise Him, to ask Him his opinion, and listen for His answer. I get to "roll off onto" Him the things that try to weigh me down; decisions, desires, hopes, fears, accusations, everything! I give it all to Him!

It's like we're hiking through a mountain in thick woods, weighed down with a heavy pack full of cares, following a compass of half-conceived dreams and hopes, led off-course by trails blazed by lost wanderers, and following a map that leads to fool’s gold. When all the while we have the option of following a guide who knows the journey (both the short-cuts and the scenic routes), who will personally carry our bag of dead weight in exchange for His lighter and easier pack, and who is leading us—not to fool’s gold—but to a treasure field more vast and beautiful than our wildest dreams. I want to walk in this guide’s ways and follow His steps.

Gateways Beyond is committed to a life of obedience to the call of our Messiah. We are His disciples and He is beckoning us to follow Him. As we do that, He takes us beyond ourselves and our individual abilities; he multiplies us as we commit to one another.

We are now in full-swing of our 12th GTS here on the island of Cyprus, and it is such a privilege to see how the hand of the Lord has been guiding and positioning us through the years. Yeshua took twelve disciples and released them “to go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” Now walking with our 12th group of student disciples, we are brimming with excitement at how the Lord is releasing this ministry to go out and be multiplied throughout the earth, making disciples, teaching them to observe all the things that He has commanded us and knowing, deep, deep on the inside, that He indeed is with us always—even to the end of the age.

For that is what we yearn for, to see His return. So, now as we walk through the process of multiplication, we are reminded that our focus is not on any one thing, but on the One. We say, “hineni,” here I am, send me. We will go; we will follow; we will obey—no matter the cost, no matter the price. We believe that He will take us beyond ourselves, beyond our limitations, beyond our imaginations.

Getting old? Cool.

2010-10-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

I thought I had arrived at the age in which you no longer enjoy getting older, but for some strange reason I still do. It doesn't bother me that I've now entered my "late" twenties. I look at my life and feel thankful at everything the Lord has allowed me to do, to be a part of, to experience. Growing older simply feels like maturing more into who I was meant to be. And maturing does not mean becoming boring: it takes maturity to truly be child-like because you maintain who you are while being lost in the freedom, trust, and joy of a child. It is the childish who always want to act older or younger than they are. It is the child-like who don't give thought to their age but just be--just play, just think, just act, just be sincere. Here's to 27: may it be a year of learning to walk more and more as both a child and a woman of God.

Dear Readers,

2010-10-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,
I never really thought I had any readers. I am only recently discovering that there are a few of you out there. I just wanted to say thanks--thank you for stopping by! Seeing how a blog is supposedly an "online journal" (I think), mine has been quite random. I don't think that will change; nevertheless, I am remembering my original purpose for this particular blog. I titled it "Hidden Royalty" because I really wanted to write to inspire and encourage people to discover the greatest and truest identity for which they were created and designed. No matter what you are doing and how you are living, no matter if you feel you are lacking or you feel on top of the world, you were meant for more--for even more! Let's think about that today and let's turn to the One who really does know our potential.
Wow, and I am going to go celebrate the fact that I just wrote a blog that actually said something and was also short, hooray for me! I'm in the process too.

Rights and Duty

2010-09-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

In the United Sates of America, we are blessed to live in a nation built upon the rights of people, the rights of human beings created equal in the image of God. These rights were won for us by the blood of our forefathers who laid down their lives for our freedom. For this, I am profoundly grateful. This is good. This is worth protecting. This is worth fighting for.

Now, in the Kingdom of Heaven, we are blessed to be citizens under a King of perfect justice, perfect righteousness, and perfect love. We are indeed created in His image, AND we are being restored to that image daily, from glory to glory. This Kingdom is also built upon rights--rights won back for us by the blood of the Lamb who laid down His life for our freedom from sin and death. It is our right to be called the children of the Most High God. It is our right to be holy and righteouss, the stains of our past completely washed away. Though the enemy desires to deceive us and make us believe we are still bound by the contracts of this world, it is our right to truly walk in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. This is our right as citizens of Heaven.

Now, when we let our guard down, it is easy to be deceived. It is easy to let these lines of alleigence blurr. We must be grateful, faithful, and responsible citizens of our natural country; yet, we must remember that the Kingdom of God is our own true country. And the Kingdom is not a democracy; the Kingdom is the realm of the King, the place of His rule and reign.

Now, from this point I could go into a thousand directions, but this is what is on my heart now concerning living in this Kingdom: how we handle and understand our rights.

In the U.S., we covet our pursuit of happiness. In the Kingdom, we are instructed to pursue "righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, [and] gentleness" (I Timothy 6: 11). Through our terrible history in America of slavery, we fervently uphold our right of personal freedom and determine ourselves to fight against continuing forms of slavery in our day (may the Lord give us grace and boldness to continue to fight and defend the weak). This is also our cause in the Kingdom of God; however, we must remember one vital difference: As we give our lives to defend the helpless, we must lay down our own rights and count ourselves as bondservents for the work of the Lord. We must never relenquish our right to live as children of God, but we must lay down every right afforded to us by the world for we are not of this world. Where our lives are concerned, when the world would cry out "injustice!," we must take up our cross and follow Jesus in every way. Today, I was reading in I Timothy, and this is what really struck me and spoke to me:

"Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things" (I Timothy 6:1-2).

Wow, this is challenging. We know that the Bible commands us to honor those in authority, but here, He is talking about a more painful situation, when one of our own brothers or sisters holds us as slaves or servants. What? I thought the Body of Christ was supposed to forgive each other our debts and serve one-another. This is easy enough to accept as long as it is going both ways, but here Paul is speaking to people who live in real-life servitude. In a day when there were masters and slaves, what happened as not only the slaves became Christians, but also the masters? I think this situation gets at the very heart of the Kingdom. Jesus's disciples were at first looking for Him to come as the triumphal and militant King who would subdue all their enemies and raise their cultural status as rulers in this new Kingdom; however, He surprised them indeed as He went to the cross and gave up His life. He is the King of Kings, but He came to lay down His life, to suffer, and to be the sacrifice for us all, to give us the best rights and freedom--the right to be transformed into His image and the freedom from the slavery of sin. Now, as the Gospel was preached and men and women began to be saved, they had to learn the way of this Kingdom. Though free from the bondages of this world, they must lay down their lives and serve this world. Though called to a higher standard as citizens of Heaven, they must be willing to love and bear long with one-another with patience and holy love.

We MUST love one-another. The Body of Christ is being perfected, but through the process, we must learn to love each other according to the end promise, not according to our present actions. For believing slaves with believing masters, this lesson must have come at great struggle, but imagine the victory won when they could choose to serve their masters, not only through obedience to honor, but through true brotherly love. Though treated as inferior, they must love as dear brothers. I believe that as these men and women began to grasp this commandment and obey, that they must have gained a reward so rich in Heaven and a joy on earth that went beyond human understanding.

For us today, we may not be enslaved by our brothers in Christ, but we may be treated injustly or uncharitably by some. What must our response be? Should we rise up and assert our rights? Should we demand apologies and proper respect? No. We cannot demand and please the Father. In doing so, we are taking a step backwards and, in that moment, actually giving up our greater rights--our rights of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Here is Paul's warning if we do not serve with love and even joy at blessing our brothers and sisters:

"If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords us godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitue of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself." And here is an incredible verse: "Now godliness with contentment is great gain." And it continues, "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." (I Timothy 6: 3-8) Godliness is not to be viewed as our ticket to gain and success; godliness is to be our gain and success.

In the United States, there are citizens and military. It is the job of the military to lay down their lives to protect the rights of the citizens. In the Kingdom of God, every citizen is a part of the army of God. It is not the clergy and ministers alone who must live according to a higher standard and defend the rest of the believers. No, it is the duty of every believer in Jesus to follow His example in battle. It is each of our duty to lay down our life to protect and serve our brothers and sisters. We are truly a class of warrior prince and princesses--the highest identity as co-heirs with Christ, the highest cost of committing to the war, to every battle big and small.

Germany 2010

2010-08-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

Good news! We are keeping a running blog during our time in Herrnhut and Germany. Please follow this link to the blog to follow along: www.gatewaysbeyond.org/germany2010.

Berlin and Baby

2010-08-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

I have gotten a bit behind on the blog. When you are travelling from place to place, writing a blog seems like it will take up all your time in that place. I guess I'm just making excuses though. I must say that the rest of my time with Kendra was just so special. I am so thankful that she got to see places in Germany that are so special to me. I am glad I got to share that with a family member. Our time in Berlin was doubly special because we got to be with my dear dear friend since 10th grade, Bethany Lankenau and her precious new baby, the lovely Lily. Matt was away in Romania preaching up a storm so Kendra and I stayed with Beth and Lily and helped them beat the heat.
There was definitely a heat wave in Berlin and it felt like Texas, only without the air conditioner. It was great having a Starbucks down the road though with air con and free wifi, oh yeah. Kendra and I experiemented and became champs at making the cheapest drinks really yummy. That's the great thing about coffee. It doesn't have to be fancy to be good.
This was my first visit to Berlin with Bethany not working and it was soooooo wonderful to spend all that time with her! I am so extremely proud of my friend. She is a missionary, living in a new place surrounded by a new language. She walks up and down 4 flights of stairs every time she has to take the dog out or go to the store. She is a wonderful mother. Kendra and I loved watching her talk to Lily.
Lily is a doll, such a beautiful baby. She was really taken with Kendra and was always looking at her. It was so cute. She was cooing and smiling all the time, and she looooves her mommy.
The main jist of our time in Berlin was just hanging out. Old friends, cool city, cozy apartment. We did get out and see a bit, but our favorite thing was definitely just talking with each other. Kendra did get the amazing opportunity to go to museums for three days in a row. They have an amazing student discount, just fyi. I went to one museum on the first day and loved it. I really love seeing art and history. I feel like I have had so many "cultured" moments with Kendra, she's so great.

Strasbourg

2010-07-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

After Prague, Kendra and I headed accross the length of Germany and crossed into France for our visit to Strasbourg to see our dear friend Faith Collins. We had to change trains 5 times, but everything went so smoothly! One train was significantly delayed so we got there late, but we had nice seats and easy transitions, praise the Lord. Strasbourg is a beautiful city! And even though we were right on the border with Germany, we definitely felt like we were in France.

Faith is a law student at Regent University, and I am proud to be friends with such a dedicated and passionate student who I know will be used mightily for justice in this world. She is doing two summer programs abroad this summer--she just finished one in Israel and now is in Strasbourg. It was exciting to catch up and hear all that God is doing in Faith's life. It is clear that the favor of the Lord rests upon her. It was also a relaxing time. We were only there for a few days, but they were so wonderful.

One day we got to go to Faith's classes with her--my day in Law School! I really enjoyed that. Most of you know what a nerd I am and how much I LOVE school and learning. We got to sit through a class with the former U.S.A. Attorney General and Missouri state Governeor, John Ashcroft. Then we got to hear from a guest lecturer, a magistrate from Italy who has been the cheif counsel on an important case regarding religous expression in Italy. And then we got to hear from another great professor whose name I can't remember at the moment. It was really fascinating and i felt good whenever I was able to follow along somewhat.

We spent some of the time just walking around a bit and seeing the town. It was really enjoyable. I love seeing cathedrals and so enjoyed walking in and looking at everything. We also greatly enjoyed our pastry's from the famous Paul's bakery.

We really enjoyed hanging around the courtyard of the dorm and getting to know the other students, most from Regent, others from Liberty, Ave Maria, and other Christian universities. It really felt like an open door from the Lord to be able to share some of my heart and the things the Lord has been speaking to me so recently. The timing was amazing. I love meeting other believers who are pursing what God has placed on their hearts. We can be such a mutual blessing to one-another. And it was a great privalege for us to be able to answer some of their questions regarding the Holy Spirit, Israel, and Church unity. And I was blessed to see people working so hard and really giving their lives for something greater.
All in all, our time in France was tres magnifique.

Prague--and the scary blog that mom's shouldn't read

2010-07-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

After saying goodbye to Maria in Bratislava, we settled in for our journey to Prague. That morning I woke up not feeling so great. I felt slightly feverish, my glands were swollen, and my neck was stiff. I am very happy to say that the feverish feeling left soon enough. I don't remember if I was able to sleep on the train or not. When we arrived in Prague I was feeling a little bit better. We put our bags in the lockers at the train station and set forth to walk around the city for a few hours. It was really enjoyable to just be at our leisure and go wherever we wanted without worrying about a bunch of people. We went to Wencesles Square, walked in a few circles through the maze-like yet enchanting streets, crossed Charles Bridge and walked up towards the castle. Prague is such an amazing city because the charm just does not end. After we made it back to our bags and got on the train to Uvaly we were spent.

We had a little confusion on what stop to get off. We ended up going two stops too far. When we got off finally it was dark and we were in a desolate place with no station, just a platform. We had to cross the tracks in order to get to the platform on the other side. No one was around but a few interesting individuals sitting by the tracks smoking. One of them came running over to us and carried my roller bag accross the tracks and we made it just before the next train. It was such a funny situation; Kendra and I were both glad we were with someone who doesn't freak out easily--and that we were not alone. My advice to the young traveller: use wisdom, be smart, but if you are forced in a situation just know that people are not always what they seem and God is looking out for you. This man got us on the right train and tried really hard through a language barrier to make sure we knew where we were going.

When we arrived in Uvaly we started walking the wrong way (totally my fault--I know I have never had a great sense of direction and should not rely on my memory from a year ago). We decided to turn around and go to the hotel by the train station to use the phone. When we passed the station, we saw Kelsie there looking for us. She had been driving to the train station every half hour to see if we were there. Because we missed our stop and were coming from the opposite direction, the times were off so she didn't see us when we first arrived. We were so glad to find her, especially after she told us that the hotel we were going to try to go use the phone was a lot like the Adam's family.

It was SO nice to arrive at the Mullen's house. We sat at the table for a bit and John kept getting up and bringing more food to the table. I kept saying I was satisfied, but the more food he brought the more I ate. Needless to say, we slept really good that night. When we woke up the first thing we heard was one of the boys telling us he made us breakfast! It was so sweet and great. He had made us eggs and they were already on plates on the table. This day was so nice. Unfortunately, I felt even more sick and spent most of the day napping. Kendra and I both really enjoyed being in a family home and just resting and having conversation--I loved talking with the boys, they are great at conversation. We had planned on going into the city with Kelsie to meet up a team who has been travelling and ministering, but we were so exhausted and my head was so cloudy that we decided to stay at the house. That night we watched "Miss Potter" with the kids--I LOVE that movie. The next morning we got up early to catch the train. We were SO blessed by John and Kelsie's hospitality. Kelsie packed us a "sack lunch" which was A-MA-zing. It consisted of breakfast, two sandwiches for lunch, and several snacks, even two bars of white chocolate. This was such a blessing and really carried us through our day of 5 different trains en route to Strasbourg, France. A big thank you to the Mullen family! We love you guys.

Highlights

2010-07-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some highlights I haven't blogged about yet:

Prayer meeting at Father Peter's house: On Friday night (July 2) Kendra and I cooked Shabbat dinner for Mike and Beryl and Fr. Peter. This was really fun. Afterwards, several young people from Slovakia came over for the friday night prayer meeting. This was really special. We got meet such great people--really special young people who have such a heart for the Lord and to pray in His purposes. I was very blessed to be able to share a little bit of my journey with the Lord and with Gateways and then to join in prayer ministry. The Lord gave me some pictures and words for a few of them and I was so encouraged by seeing what great purposes He has for each of these amazing sisters and brothers in the Lord.

Other fun things we did included some gardening and seeing the castle ruins at the top of the mountain overlooking the village. From up there we could see Slovakia and the castle in Bratislava. From up there, Kendra and I were able to pray over the city and the region. This is a place with a long history of great bloodshed and we believe that where the enemy has tried to reign, God will have greater glory.

July 4th celbration! We had the unique experience of celebrating our American Independence day with a few of our British friends :). It was a grand time. Sister Mary Paul is also from Texas, so she, Kendra, and I prepared the feast. We tried to make it as American as possible with hamburgers, potato salad, apple pie, and chocolate chip cookies--yum! We were half American and half British (3:3) yet all was civil and joyful. We prayed for true freedom through Jesus throughout the world. I made everyone watch a you tube video of John Wayne doing a poetic tribute to beautiful America. After dinner we had a time of prayer. They all prayed for Kendra and I and blessed us before we headed out the next morning, and we had the opportunity to pray over each of them. All in all, it was a holiday to remember.

After saying goodbye to everyone in Hainburg, Kendra and I took the bus into Bratislava. There we were met by Maria, a girl our age who has just completed medical school. We met on Friday night at the prayer meeting and decided to spend a little bit of time together before we caught our train to Prague. We had coffee together and had such a nice time. Maria has a beautiful heart before the Lord and so much passion. We were really blessed by this new friendship. After a few hours together, Kendra and I hopped aboard our next train to Prague.

Here are some more pictures from our time in Hainburg:

Blessed time in Hainburg

2010-07-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

The best thing about adventure is the unexpected, charting new territory, discovering the unknown. Something I love about faith is the mysteries through which God works. The theme for my GTS in 2003 was “the Mysteries of the Kingdom” and that has stuck with me ever since as something that I long for and something that makes my heart leap. Beginning this journey with my sister, I knew that there were special treasures from the Father’s heart hidden along the way for us to uncover and enjoy. We prayed that the Lord would order our steps and lead us on the journey that He has prepared. Thus, I knew that our time in Hainburg with Father Peter Hocken would be special, but—as is the way with the Lord—it far exceeded my hopes.

I have been blessed by Father Peter since his week of teaching in my GTS 2003. I particularly remember his teaching on “Surprises of the Holy Spirit” and tracing the moves of God throughout Church history. I am thankful that growing up I was never taught against any certain denominations; but rather, I was led to focus on a living faith and relationship with the Lord which I have always firmly believed was available across all expressions of the Body of Christ. I never understood why people would refer to either “Catholics” or “Christians.” That just doesn’t make sense. Now not all Catholics are truly believers just as not all nominal Christians are truly believers. Salvation doesn’t come through church affiliation but through grace and faith and the blood of Jesus. Catholicism has been the vehicle that has carried the Christian faith through centuries of history and throughout the world. Now, I am certainly not denying a simultaneous history of bloodshed and greed of those whose faith was insincere or grossly misguided; however, this is also a history that the majority of the Protestant world must likewise face and recognize. Unfortunately, through a lack of historical education regarding most of our own denominations, we are left unwittingly examining the splinter in our brother’s eye, never dreaming of the log passed on from our fathers. It is not time to ignore, but it is time to recognize and repent, and time to believe that His blood is able to cleanse and restore that which was lost. We have also refused to discover the beauty and special grace of our brothers and sisters in Messiah Yeshua (for indeed, the Jewish Savior is who brings us together as one body, He himself being the head).

This is what has been burning in my heart since my youth—to discover the beauty of the Body of Christ, and to help bring unity so that she can be ready to receive Her Husband as a pure (refined, tested, unadulterated) and spotless (without blemish, shame, hidden darkness) Bride. God is one, yet He is equally three persons. The unity of the Trinity is our ultimate example. Let me be clear, however, that I do not believe in universalism or sacrificing the foundations of your faith for the sake of unity—we must become even more steadfast in the principles of our faith. The Church must be a lighthouse. We must be rooted on the rock, though there are waves in a stormy darkness, our light shines out to guide others safely to firm foundation. I believe that the unique and varied expressions throughout the world are God’s heart. He is Creator. He decided that no two snowflakes should be the same. He decided that seasons should change and landscapes should differ. It is the heart of the Creator to see beauty and creativity released through different cultures. I long for the day when we surround His throne in beautiful array of His glory—from every nation, tribe, and tongue. The Lord gave me a vision of a beautiful tapestry stretched across the globe. I saw that He desires to sew the colorful threads of his Church together to create one beautiful picture. And I believe that this is the vision He has placed inside of me for such a time as this. I desire to help weave this tapestry of love.

So, to bring this blog back to its intended purpose of reporting on my time in Hainburg, I will start by saying that it was a blessing. We so enjoyed the kindness and hospitality of Mike and Beryl Connely who arranged our visit and really blessed us by their servant’s hearts and love for each other. As you saw in my previous blog, we had the great privilege of getting to know Sister Mary Paul (from Texas) and really spend time together. We are so thankful for these new friends. The surprise from the Father’s heart was the extent to which I was able to share my heart with Father Peter, and his response of impartational blessing to me. I have always felt pulled in different directions, knowing that there were so many different things on my heart, but trusting that God is the one, the only one, who can bring them together for His purposes. My time with Fr. Peter was such a time of confirming all these things that are from God’s heart and placed there by Him. I am so amazed when looking back at this whole year. I must say that this has been the most formational year of my life. There are so many markers of clarification and understanding that He has done in me this year, and I can literally feel the difference. I have more solid vision and tangible hope for the future, though I do not see what all of the journey will look like. Then again, that is my favorite thing about adventure.

Vienna

2010-07-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

On Thursday Sister Mary Paul took Kendra and I to Vienna for a personal tour. Vienna is such a beautiful city and we had a fabulous day. Here are some pictures of our day. I think our highlights were the beautiful architechture of course, the amazing national library, and the Belvedere palace. The palace is also a huge art museum and we spent all afternoon appreciating the works of Gustav Klimt (including his famous "The Kiss"), Monet, and countless others. I'm sure Kendra could give a much more in depth and sophisticated list. I can't post any pictures from inside the palace because pictures were not allowed, but you can visit the website at http://www.belvedere.at/jart/prj3/belvedere/main.jart?rel=en. We ended our day with some authentic Austrian food in a non-touristy little cafe. Somehow, the authentic food and cafe reminded us of Missouri--strange, I know. Perhaps the best part of the day was simply spending time with Sister Mary Paul, hearing her story and the beautiful things the Lord has placed in her heart. All in all, it was a day to remember. Thank you Lord; You are so kind to your children.

St. Steven's church

The fanciest Burger King I've ever been to

The opera house

The National Library!

Belvedere Palace

Johan Strauss and me

Meeting up with Kendra

2010-07-03T05:32:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends. So this is the first blog post of my trip with Kendra in Europe. Her is how our trip began:

Kendra was in Brussels with the Benjamins, Watkins, and Vandeputs. I was in Cyprus. We met at the Frankfurt airport. She took an earlier trian from Brussels and had to wait a few hours for my plane to arrive. Neither of us had working cell phones so we were grateful that we were able to find each other with no problems. After our joyful reunion, we scoped out the empty and quiet airport terminal for a place to get comfortable for our 6 hour wait. We found a spot close to a phone charging station and were able to plug in my laptop. This was great because we were able to watch a movie. We were afraid to fall asleep and miss our train and it was all marble so I don't know if we could have slept if we wanted to. Finally, around 6am we went to catch our train. It was so wonderful that all of our trains were practically empty, so we had a whole table and four seats to ourselves. We took a 7 hour train to Vienna and then took the underground to a different train station where we caught the train to Hainburg. The train ride was great. It was beautiful and peaceful scenery, and Kendra was able to sleep most of the time (which was good for her because she wasn't feeling too well). I, on the other hand, was not able to sleep, but I did get some crochetting in :)

Upon arrival in Hainburg, were were welcomed by the beautiful view of the Danube river, although we were not greeted by any persons. It was good that we had the address to the house because it turns out that there was a bit of confusion as the the time of our arrival. So, we had got to start off our trip with a bit of adventure in finding the house. It was quite fun. The town is beautiful and we enjoyed walking through it. It was comical finding the house. I don't think we would have had the courage to walk through the old unmarked wooden gate to find the house had it not been for the man accross the street yelling in German and pointing at it. He was very sure that that was the place we were looking for. Father Peter later told us that the neigbors know that any young person coming to Hainburg with bags is bound to be going to his house (This quiet town is not the typical stop for young backpackers).

We did find the house, and were so happy to be there. Father Peter took us on a tour and showed us all of the rooms and the garden and the back house. He showed us the prayer room and the chapel and the beautiful view from the roof. This is truly an amazing place hidden in the midst of history. He was pointing out arches and such from the 13th or 14th century. We also met Mike and Beryl, a couple from England living there, and Sister Mary Paul from Texas. After dinner, we went on a walk with Sister Mary Paul and Father Peter. They showed us around the town a little bit and then treated us to ice cream. The perfect ending to a long day of travel.

Elevate

2010-06-22T00:46:00.000-07:00

A heavy atmosphere of dull repression furiously chases a generation. Snarls of offense and anger snap at a people hurting and lonely. Apathy is injected like numbing poison until youth is melted into dreary existence. No one knows they are being spun into the web of disbelief and shame.
Light breaks forth, a piercing and burning flame. Redemption, love, and holy fire illuminating hearts again. The weary mentality of survival is confronted by the radiance of life. Hopelessness accosted by the sacrifice of love. Depression cannot tame it; Hate cannot destroy it; Envy cannot quench it; Darkness cannot consume it. Day is breaking forth and the sons of light are being revealed.

You sons of light have been pierced with life and set free into grace. New life has morphed your aching frame to living beauty resonating through the corridors of eternity. You have turned your face to the Beautiful One and you have been given His image once again.

You now set your gaze like flint, no turning can be spared. New garments fall over you as you rise higher through the air. The heavy darkness is cast off—and flees as you rejoice. You are more than holy; you are an army demolishing despair. Raiders of the darkness, your flame rushes forth fearless of the night. You bring the higher way.

Where there is loneliness, you reach out your hand in love. Where there is hopelessness and despair, you don’t hold back the word of life. Where there is pain and sickness, you heal in His Holy name. Where there is dark depression, freedom and love you proclaim. No longer consumed with your own despair, you are rising higher. No longer immobilized by fear and introspection, your head is lifted up. And as you rise and elevate, the King of Glory comes. He comes and draws you higher until you are transformed and then releases you with fire to shake the very earth.

You are the burning ones. Keep gazing into Love. The world around you is waiting for the brilliance of your light. And every work of darkness trembles when you rise up and say that greater is He that is in you than he that imitates. There is no god but Jehovah, and He is the King of Glory. Elevate your gaze. Make a way for Him.

Hannah's European Tour

2010-05-05T05:16:00.000-07:00

A Little Birdie

2010-04-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a life-long dream of mine was fulfilled. For anyone who has grown up watching Mary Poppins or Disney princess movies, you may identify with this desire. At one point in my day I decided to take a moment to pause and take in the beautiful scenery. Nearby I heard a little chirping and looked to see a cute, tiny bird sitting alone in the grass. I whistled a hello and saw him turn his head towards me in response. Keen to get a closer look, I continued to whistle as I crept—slowly, slowly—closer. To my astonishment, I was able to reach my hand right up to the little one and stroke its chest with my finger. Not wanting to frighten him (or her) I did not immediately try to hold it, but rather got it to stand on a stick that I was able to pick up a little. It was so precious and I really felt we were bonding, but I had heard that if you hold a baby bird it will pick up your scent and its mother will not take it back anymore, so I left him and went back to the office. After a while, I returned to the spot and found the creature still there alone. It hopped and flew a few inches at a time, but definitely seemed either somewhat injured or yet unable to fly. Unable to resist any longer, I resumed the wooing until I was able to pick it up and hold the tiny bird in my hand. He quickly became very comfortable with me and for the next few hours we bonded. I walked all around with him sitting on my fingers or my arm. I whistled different tunes and he chirped back every now and then. I could not believe that I was actually holding a wild bird. I thought—wow—I really am a princess.

The delightful company of my new little friend began to melt into concern over what I should do with the poor creature. I was not able to find any worms, though I admit I did not look hard enough. I tried feeding it some sesame seeds, but was unsuccessful. In the end, as dinner was starting, I put him back underneath the tree where I had found him. I heard the mother and baby chirping back and forth, and I prayed that God would bring them back together despite my interference. I knew, however, that it probably wasn’t a way for him to get back to his nest without being able to fly, so after dinner I went back to look for him. I figured if he was still there and all alone I would take him home and try to figure out a way to care for him. I was not able to find him and so thought maybe, by some chance, he had reunited with his mother. This morning I found out sadly that that was not the case. Going back to the tree in daylight, I found my little friend. At least I could tell that a cat had not taken him. I believe hunger and cold were the final enemies. So, before worship this morning I buried my little friend and said goodbye. (Now I love animals but am not super soppy about them. I would actually like to go hunting one day. But I had bonded with the helpless little creature and felt responsible for it.)

In worship this morning, I came before the Lord with my questions. I was faced with my selfishness and wondered if I had acted out of compassion or cruelty. I realized that there were two possibilities. Either the bird would have learned how to fly and been fine had my scent and interference not caused it to be rejected by its mother, or the bird had already been rejected before I found it and I was able to bring it comfort and acceptance in the last hours of its life. I really don’t know which scenario is true, but I believe I can learn from both possibilities. Jesus tells His followers:

Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:27-31).

Whatever intentions were in my heart and whatever comfort I did or did not bring, God knows and He is the one who was there in the night. If my heart could connect to this little bird out in the wild, and if I could build his trust and bring him comfort, then how much more does God want me to reach out to the helpless and lonely in this world. Had I not noticed the beauty of the little bird and been drawn to look closer, this out of the ordinary occurrence would not have happened. There are people everywhere who just need someone to love them and to show them the love of Jesus—that they are not forgotten; they are not alone.

I also take comfort in the knowledge that the death of my little friend was not in vain, but through it God has gripped me with His heart for the dying and lonely. I really feel that had I made the decision earlier to try to care for the bird, it could have perhaps survived. It needed more than love; it needed nourishment and warmth and protection. Look at those who are around you, the friend of your child, the grocer with the blank stare, the frightened and neglected person on the outer rim of your acquaintance. See them. Turn aside and reach out to them. Be moved with compassion to give them love. But do not stop there. They need the nourishment of the Word of God. They need the warmth of a committed friend. They need the protection of a mother and father in the Lord. Let us respond to the challenge Jesus presented to Peter—let us begin to feed His sheep.

Though the realization of a life-long dream ended in sadness, I still see hope and joy in it all. Perhaps I did the wrong thing, but at least I know that this one little bird had meaning. This one little bird touched my heart. And this one little bird has challenged me to open my eyes and reach out to the lonely and broken. And I believe next time I will see them rise up in healing and learn to soar.

Home Again

2010-04-08T02:24:00.000-07:00

Possible spot where Peter preached and 3000 were saved

After a month travelling throughout Israel, we are home again in Cyprus. If you find it strange that I am calling Cyprus my home, please know that I will always feel at home in Texas. Somehow, I feel at home in many places. When I am in the Negev Desert I feel at home and the sense that I could live that life, that I could be a desert rose blossoming in the rugged beauty of the sandy hills and wide open sky. When I am in the villages of Ethiopia, Turkey, or China, I feel at home and long to give my life to mother the children and befriend the people. When I am in Jerusalem, I feel perhaps the greatest sense of home knowing that one day the King of all kings, Messiah Yeshua, will physically return to this place and will reign over all the earth. A sense of home for me is the feeling I get when, deep inside, my spirit connects with the truth that I am where I am supposed to be and living for that which He has called me to live. I am so challenged and encouraged by the apostle Paul’s words, “Not that I have already obtained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). Yeshua has gripped my life with His love, and I am His. And I know that my life is for His Kingdom. How amazing to know that God has a vision in His heart for my life, and that by His grace and the leading of the Holy Spirit, I can live that vision out! I want my life to be a living sacrifice, and with that I know persecution and challenges will come; nevertheless, I want to count it all joy, knowing that I can fully trust in the Lord and “few delights can equal the presence of one whom we trust utterly” (George MacDonald).

Right before a hail storm interrupted our hike

For the details of the trip, I would like to refer you to our team blog because they did such a great job on it and I think that you would really enjoy it. Here is the link to our first year trip (the one I was on): http://www.gatewaysbeyond.org/gts2010/?page_id=594. If you are interested, you may also read about the 2nd year team’s trip at http://www.gatewaysbeyond.org/gts2010/?page_id=597. I will, however, say a few things. This was truly a special trip. It was my fourth time in Israel and my third time to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. The students this year are a special group and the team dynamics were so great. There are two significant things to mention that this time meant to me. First, this past month has been a very hands on, practical leadership training experience, not just for me, but also for all of the staff and interns. I feel like I grew so much in leadership in both practical ways and in being a mentor and a spiritual covering for the students. I really love the talks I get to have with the girls—they each have such a hunger for the Lord and questions about their walk and discipleship. I really love them. The second is the revelation of Yeshua’s return. The Lord did something in my heart while in Jerusalem of a greater reality that He is really coming back and that the focus of my life is to live for His return, to give myself to the spread of the Gospel of the Kingdom so that He can come back to a prepared Bride. I also enjoyed making some new friendships of a few remarkable women of God.

Left: using my headlamp to cook after electricity went out (I got a lot of use of my headlamp in this way).
As we returned to Cyprus, we learned that we weren’t going “back” to a place but we were going forward to a place and the new things God wants to do in us. We look back to see how far we’ve come, but now we set our gaze forward as we prepare to run into all that God has. I know there is much in store. There is so much stirring inside of me, so many things I am asking the Lord to speak to me about. Leadership may seem glamorous, but it is not easy; yet, it is more rewarding than I could ever have known. The students are not the only ones being discipled and growing—oh no—most of the staff agree that we feel we are receiving more training and discipleship and character building than when we were students in the school. And I couldn’t be more grateful. So this is my life. I just wrote what I was feeling because that is what I want to share with you. I could give you a play by play of every event, but I would rather share the part of me that those events are shaping.

There are several things you can be praying for in this time. Perhaps you could pray over the whole list and then maybe just one or two points will stick out to you that you can really carry in prayer and intercession as the Lord puts on your heart. Thank you, sincerely from my heart.

• Pray for a successful shift in gear for the final stretch of the school before outreach (for the students, myself, and community)

• Pray for all of the preparations and fund raising for the outreach trips. The first year team (myself included) will be going to Holland, Belgium, and Switzerland. I am so stirred for all that God wants to do in these lands, and have a real sense of expectation. The second year team will be going to France, Italy, Switzerland, and Holland.

• Pray for supernatural protection and covering for our community and all the families.

• Pray for the work here in Cyprus. We have many gatherings and events throughout the year, and God is really moving on the island. In July, Gateways is doing its first summer camp for the youth on the island. We sense an urgency to reach this generation: we want to pull this generation out of hopelessness and depression and into the light and life of Jesus Christ.

I hope each of you is enjoying the coming of spring. If it is a beautiful day, don’t forget to take a moment to enjoy it. Give love to someone who really needs it today, and praise the Lord for something you have never thought to praise Him before. May you be filled with joy and peace.

Your friend and sister,

Hannah Briscoe

very very late blog on Germany in January

2010-03-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

Planes, trains, and a bus. My whirlwind, 6-day, trip throughout Germany flew by--half the time being spent travelling; nevertheless, it was a truly special time. I first arrived in Berlin where I was met by long-time friend Matt Lankenau. With Matt carrying the heaviest of my bags, we began our trek through the city, taking S-baun and U-bahn trains and dragging my bags through the snow-covered sidewalks to Matt and Bethany's apartment. We could not let out a sigh of relief, however, until we made it all the way to the top of the four flights of stairs leading to their apartment. It was so nice to be in their beautiful, old world, apartment agian. I was there in September when they first moved in, so it felt special to be back again now that they were a little more settled. Soon after our arrival, Bethany got home from work and after making a big deal over her baby belly we caught up a little on life. Bethany and Matt have been 2 of my best friends since highschool, and I love the fact that we are all on the mission field now. I spent 2 days in Berlin and had a great time, though it was too short. My best memory was spending the day with Bethany walking through the snowy streets hunting down tiny fabric shops in a Turkish part of town. They took me to the train station and helped me figure everything out after we realized my train had been cancelled. We said our goodbyes, and as I rode away I thought about how the next time I see them they will be parents and have a precious little baby girl.

The travel from Berlin to Dresden was worthy enough of its own blog. I'll just say that when a bunch of trains are being cancelled and you are told you will have to continue to stand in the cold for another hour for your train and a random train from another country pulls up and you hear someone say that it stops in Dresden and so you don't think but just jump on and then drag your bags through the tiniest of aisles and find yourself wishing people were speaking German because it at least would sound more familiar, well, then you can really feel like you are on an adventure travelling alone in Europe. When you start to think about the fact that this train is not originating in Germany and so your ticket may not be any good and you have no money, well that's when the panick wants to set and and you begin to really see the Lord as your protector. This was my experience, but I shall rejoice to say that I was soon enough greeted by a friendly Deutchbahn employee who gladly accepted my ticket with no problems--thank you Lord! The adventure continues upon arrival. Because I did not wait for my scheduled train but hopped aboard a Hungarian train, the people picking me up were not expecting me for another hour, but it all worked out in the end and I was greeted by my dear friend Livia and her father and brother. That night I spent with Livia and had breakfast and lunch with her wonderful parents. Dresden was the shortest part of my trip as I arrived late at night and then we left for the bus station after lunch that day. I was still so happy I went because I loved getting to see Livia and get to know her family a bit more (not being in a big group but by myself this time). At the bus stop, they helped me by carrying my bags all the way onto the bus and then we waved goodbye. The bus drive was beautiful! I couldn't fully relax because I wasn't sure exactly how long it took to get to my stop and I was very wary of missing it. I loved just sitting there and watching out the window at the blanketed white countryside. We drove through villiages and country side and forest. At my stop a very nice girl who spoke a little English helped me get my bags off and I was met by Francesca, Katharina's sister.

We went and saw Katharina at "My Bookstore" and then drove out to their perfectly cozy house in the valley. This is one of my new favorite places on earth. The house was nestled in the midst of the snowy valley between the forests. I was greeted warmly by my German mama and papa, the Grundigs. They had left all of their hand-crafted Christmas decorations up way past the usual date just for me! It was so special. We had a delicious snack before Katharina came home. On Saturday, Katharina and I walked to Michael and Kristina's house in the next village over. We walked through about a foot of snow over the hills and down into the valley of the next village. It was so invigorationg. I love the way my cheeks felt from the fresh, crisp air. At the Mehner's house, I was also warmly greeted by their parents. I really love them too and just felt so welcomed. We had a wonderful time of coffee and cake and I got to taste the traditional Christmas cake with raisins and powdered sugar--yummy! With both Katharina's parents and the Mehner's we could not have much conversation because of the language difference; nevertheless, I really feel that the Lord has connected our hearts. I am so humbled by their kindness and hospitality.

A few other things to mention from my time in Germany: I had a most wonderful and special erev Shabbat dinner with Katharina at Verner and Claudia's house in Seiffen (a total Christmas village). Verner and Claudia are such a special couple and their kids are soooo adorable! I was happy that the children remembered me. Usiel (their youngest) was showing us this picture book of the history of wars fought. I found it interesting that he pointed out all the soldiers and maps of the battles while his sister Elenor pointed out all of the funny fashion and hair do's. After the kids went to bed, we sat up with Verner and Claudia and laughed so hard till midnight as we shared funny stories. Claudia was especially hysterical and so fun.

Below: Verner and Claudia and kids Livia in Dresden

We also went to the youth group in Marienberg. It was so wonderful to be with them again and see what God has been doing in their lives. The other really special thing that God did on this trip was to show me some of the fruit of our time last summer. So often I go on a mission trip and then never get to go back to really see any of the fruit, but coming back to Germany was so encouraging! First of all, the poem the Lord gave me last year about Germany, "Break Forth," (you can read it if you search old blog posts of mine) is still encouraging the people. Several times on this trip I came acrosss copies of the poem in German and people shared that it is still an encouragement to them today. Also, when we arrived at Verner and Claudia's house, I noticed a replica of the wood carving of the seed breaking forth out on display outside his shop window. (see ). Well, as I came closer to look, I saw that beside the carving was a plaque with the poem in German! The Lord gripped my heart in that moment. To see the way that He has used this simple poem written during a time of worship to touch people and even to be proclaimed on a village street for all to see, I cannot express how grateful I am. Verner and Claudia shared testimony with us that he was able to share the message of this poem with people. He did the carving during the Christmas market and shared the story of the poem with curious shoppers. They were touched by the message of hope it inspired. Also, they got to share it with a lady who was just passing by on the street and saw the carving and the poem. For me, that is what very short and fast-paced trip to Germany was about--connecting with friends, deepening my heart for Germany, and being encouraged by the testimony of the fruit that God is continuing to bring. I am still so stirred with God's love for this land and praying to see these people break forth into their destiny and inheritance in Messiah Yeshua.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T14:17:00.000-08:00

Sitting here just hours before the clock strikes 12 and the world sings the words of my favorite Scottish poet Robert Burns, I am thinking of all of my acquaintances, my friends, and my family. What an incredible gratefulness swells in my heart when I consider the blessings God has poured out upon me. 2009 has truly been a year of new beginnings for me. This was the year that I stepped back into the nations, the year I first visited Africa, the year I reunited with dear friends and grew closer to new ones, the year I stepped out in new levels of faith, and a year of discovering new paths of my destiny unfolded from the loving heart of my Father. This year has brought me to 6 countries and 3 states. My sister had a beautiful baby girl; my baby brother started driving, my sister Micah got married and brought J.D. in as a great new brother; my nephews and nieces grew older and even cuter; and all of my family stood together through the joys and trials of life, encouraging one another in faith and love.

One of the unending reasons I love my Savior is that He came in love and sacrifice for ALL. Each human being on this planet has a real and complete need for the Lord, and one of the most special aspects of this year has been experiencing this wide spectrum. In Ethiopia, I got to spoon feed precious handicapped children in a Mother Theresa home, and back home in Texas I got to practically serve the wealthiest in Dallas as a waitress. Both were privileges of identifying with Jesus as I serve and love the ones He has created.

If 2009 was a year of transition, then I believe 2010 will be a year of . . . more transition, ha! Actually, though I expect more changes and adventures, it does have the feeling of settling in. More traveling and more doors to walk through, but being surer of walking into God’s deeper plans for my life brings a deep peace in my soul. On January 11, I head out again. I get to take a week to visit friends in Germany en route to Cyprus. Yes, I am returning to Cyprus! I will be on staff again with Gateways Beyond International. This year has the feeling of a new day as we have expanded to Geneva, Jerusalem, and Spokane, WA. We also will be in a new base and walking out a greater level of leadership on the island. Personally, I am also very excited about the new level of leadership in which I will be growing as I help lead the children’s ministry

Thank you to each of you who have been a part of this special year. Once again, I would like to ask you for your prayers. Please pray for the students in the GTS 2010 as they walk through a season of consecration and growing in Christ. Please pray for me as the Lord brings me to your mind, and if you feel led to be a personal intercessor please let me know! There is nothing more encouraging than to know that people are praying for me. Also, please let me know if you would like to support me financially this year. My monthly expenses will be $550, and I will also be raising funds for our trip to Israel in March and our outreach in May/June.

I am full of anticipation for the coming year and looking forward to communicating with you. May you be full of life, love, gratefulness, joy, and hope in Messiah with the coming of this New Year.

Hannah Briscoe

To make a tax-deductable donation online go to www.modernday.org/field-workers or www.gatewaysbeyond.org/donate

To see a recap of 2009 in photos click on the following links: 2009 part 1; 2009 part 2

Trust

2009-11-20T22:01:00.000-08:00

So I have been meditating on Proverbs 3:5-6 lately--"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." The depth of the power in this verse is profound. We hear it quoted so often that we don't let it resonate in our hearts. This is a life-changing, a life-yielding word. It is a challenge and an invitation. We are invited and commanded to trust. Can I trust Him with all my heart? It is easy to answer yes, so perhaps I should ask myself if I can refrain from trusting in anything(one) else. My job, family, friends, abilities, all are gifts from God who is my true and only source of strength. It is so easy to lean on our own understanding, but this is exactly what can lead us astray so easily. How often I catch myself trying to "figure things out" rather than listening to the Lord. How often I excuse my actions or lack thereof based on how I feel or what I think I know. But when we get down to it, here is the beautiful invitation, "in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." With every step, every breath, every desire in my heart, I get to think on Him. I get to set my gaze on Him, to praise Him, to ask Him his opinion, and listen for His answer. I get to "roll off onto" Him the things that try to weigh me down; decisions, desires, hopes, fears, accusations, praise, everything! I give it all to Him! It's like we're hiking through a mountain in thick woods weighed down with a heavy pack full of cares, following a compass of half-conceived dreams and hopes, led off-course by trails blazed by lost wanderers, and following a map that leads to fools gold. When all the while we have the option of following a guide who knows the journey (both the short-cuts and the scenic routes), who will personally carry our bag of dead weight in exchange for His lighter and easier pack, and who is leading us--not to fools gold--but to a treasure field more vast and beautiful than our wildest dreams. I want to walk in this guides ways, and follow His steps. Lord, help me to trust in You with all my heart. Help me not to lean on my own understanding. I acknowledge you in my life and say that my desire is to do your will. Lead me and guide me according to your good pleasure. amen.

cooking, creating, laughing

2009-10-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

So I just had my birthday on Sunday and I must say it was one of my favorites. My family and just a few friends got together and we had a make your own pizza party. Even though I was standing in the kitchen for hours making pizza dough, I was enjoyin myself so much. I loved seeing everyone's individuality and creativity come out as they decorated their perfect pizza. I loved how much thought my brother Josh put into tasting and judging each creation, being sure to comment on each one. It is so fun to make a nice meal for people, but it was a blast cooking together. I think kitchen memories are often the fondest memories. I love how we can come together and enjoy each other's company over food. And now I think of the holidays coming and I get very warm and fuzzy. Rather than focusing our efforts on creating the perfect meal to impress people, maybe we can just have fun and spend some time together in the kitchen as well as at the table. Just a thought

Germany 2009

2009-10-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

If you would like to read a brief artical about our trip to Germany, you may click on this link: http://www.gatewaysbeyond.org/resources/articles.php?article=91. It was such an incredible trip, and I am still processing all that the Lord did. You can also read my trip blog for more details: http://www.herrnhut2009.blogspot.com/.

What's a church to do?

2009-10-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

I believe most of you reading this are members of Shady Grove Church, and this blog is for you.
At church on Sunday morning it was announced that Nathan and Courtney and their family will be moving to Brussels, Belgium in the spring. I am sure there were many who were very surprised, but also many of us were excited to hear the news officially announced. Jonathan and Destiny are also moving to Brussels, only much sooner. This got me thinking about the many leaders in Shady Grove that have been sent forth into the nations, and this got me thinking about different leaders and members who I see a calling on for the nations. And the common question is, with so many leaders being sent out, what's a church to do?
I understand the challenges of restructuring. I understand the tension between being excited for people stepping out in faith to follow God's call and feeling somewhat bewildered as to who will take their place or what will happen when they leave. I understand these challenges, but I have to admit that the challenges make me excited. Call me an enthusiast if you will, but my faith is stirred.
You see, I just spent a month and a half in a small village in eastern Germany called Herrnhut. We have been talking about Herrnhut lately at the Grove. When God's Spirit fell in Herrnhut in the 1700s, not only was a 24/7 prayer movement begun that lasted over 100 years, but also this little village of refugees became a missions sending community that birthed the modern day missions movement. At one point, Count Zizendorf was exiled from the country for 10 years. When he returned, there were only a handful of people he knew because so many had been sent out on the mission field!
Now I am sure this constant turnover of people being discipled and then being sent out was difficult and challenging; nevertheless, the people chose to live this life, to sacrifice those who were probably great leaders to reach the uttermost ends of the earth with the Good News. This inspires me. I am so grateful for the different leaders at Shady Grove. And I have watched as some have faithfully stayed to support the church even though they felt that their portion was in the nations. And what I am suggesting is that our gratefulness transfer into generosity in releasing those who feel called to go. It takes courage to go and it takes courage to stay, and I believe that there are people who are called to go and people who are called to stay. But I do think that as a church, we are called to send. Let us rise up in courage and complete dependence on the Lord. And as we send people out, let us rise up and say, "Here I am Lord, use me." One benefit of being a sending church is that people who perhaps never thought of themselves as leaders are brought to the place where they can stand up, where they can serve, where they can lead. I don't think that Shady Grove will ever be the "comfortable" place, but I believe this church is called to be a family, a community, of those who will say, "all for Christ!" "We will sacrifice, we will give, we will send, we will serve, we will pray, we will worship, we will look to You for our sustanance, we will fear not but will hide ourselves in the shelter of the Almighty."
I know that it might sound funny for me to say all of this since I myself have been sent out; nevertheless, Shady Grove is still my home, still my family. But I believe I speak for many missionaries when I say that I still care deeply for everything God is doing back home. And so much of the strength I feel is from the support back home. I may have physically left, but I have not abandoned. And just as I am encouraged by your support, I want to encourage you with what I see that God is doing.

Light and Beauty

2009-08-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have been spending a lot of time on my other blog about my time in Germany with the Gateways team. Being in charge of the team blog, I have been put in a situation where I have to be faithful with writing. And it has been such an amazing experience. Writing about things really helps me to process what God is doing, and it is also a way of declaring those things and encouraging others. Posting pictures and telling stories helps me to remember--life changing moments and moments as trivial as what I had for lunch. All this to say, I would really like to endeaver this same faithfulness with my own personal writing. I created this blog for two reasons. First, I wanted a way to begin to cultivate the habbit of writing. My desire is to be a missionary and a writer, and I realize that to be a writer I must write. The second reason I created this blog is because I had a cry in my heart to see people cast off the limitations they have lived under, and discover their beautiful destiny and life in Yeshua. It is interesting because this is very similar to the theme of my other blog and our time in Germany--"Forgotten Seed: Unveiling the Treasures of our Inheritance." So, through this blog, "Hidden Royalty," and my Germany blog, "Field of Pearls," I want to release my gifting in writing to call others to break forth into theirs. Let us allow the light and beauty God has placed in each of us to be revealed today.

Maranatha!

2009-08-12T03:00:00.001-07:00

It is so easy in our doing to lose sight of our motivation—our calling—our vocation. Throughout the world, God has created men and women with a myriad of differing gifts and talents, and not all are meant to perform the same function; on the contrary, our diversity is what makes us beautiful and serviceable as the Body of Christ: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:12-13). God’s heart is not for division—neither is it for all to be the exact same. If you look up into the sky on a brilliant, cloudy day, it isn’t simply the clouds that take your breath away, but the host of shades, shadows, textures, and colors. What makes a family so special is the common likeness intermingled with the individual personalities and characteristics. Our Creator God made no two snowflakes the same; no two people the same and no culture the same. So often, we give way to the secret villain of arrogance that creeps in so cunningly. In our desire to fashion our lives after Christ, we begin to think that our measure of revelation must be the fullness, and we find no room in our theology for different expressions. Yet this is not the heart of our Messiah. We have a picture of God’s heart because we know whom He will draw to Himself: Revelation 7:9-10 tells us, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” To help hasten the soon coming of our Lord, we must seek unity with our brothers and sisters; for Jesus is coming back to one Church, for one Bride. We must also allow diversity amongst our family in the Lord, for God is worthy of a complete, beautiful, and radiant Bride; and He is worthy to have every feature of His Creation to be turned back to His praise. Let us not rob God of the glory due His name by attempting to mold His Bride into our own image. Let us rather seek to see every nation, tongue, and tribe be transformed into His likeness and bring to the Body of Christ the beauty and gifts that God has placed within them. “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them in the body just as He pleased” (I Cor. 12:17-18). Let us love one another, “For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (I Cor. 3:3). It is so important that we come together as the Bride of Christ, and with all of our differing gifts and callings, lend our voices in unison to agree with the Spirit and cry out, “Come, Lord Jesus!” This is our motivation—our calling—our vocation: to devote our lives to preparing the way for the Lord’s return.

Greatest thing since sliced bread? really?

2009-07-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

I am currently in Germany, and enjoying the country emensly. One side effect of my time here is that I have come to discover that a certain cliche I have heard my entire life is, in fact, erroneous. Whoever came up with the phrase, "the greatest thing since sliced bread," has obviously not spent much time in Saxony, wherein one may stop by the local bakery and purchase various rolls and loaves of fresh-baked bread, then go home to one's own kitchen where he or she indubitably has an electric bread slicer to cut just the right amount of slices the right side for whatever meal was at hand. So, after experiencing the pleasure of personally slicing my fresh and wholesome bread, I pose this query: is it really the greatest thing since sliced bread, or is it perhaps the saddest thing since sliced bread?

New Blog!

2009-07-24T02:07:00.000-07:00

Hello from Germany!

I wanted to let you know that I am now writing a blog about our trip here in Germany. We will be here until the end of August. Check out my blog at this link: http://herrnhut.blogspot.com. The link is also posted on this blog in the links section.

Ethiopia

2009-07-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

2009-04-20T00:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Family and Friends,
Happy Holidays! The time of Passover and Resurrection celebration is so dear to me. I love to go through the Passover Seder and remember how God brought His people out of slavery and bondage and into a new land of promise. I love to see how Jesus the Messiah is revealed through the Passover traditions and imagine what it was like at His last Pesach (Passover) when he broke the unleavened bread and told his disciples that it was His body—He was completely without sin just as the Matzah is without leaven or yeast. He also took the cup of wine and blessed it and said that it was His blood poured out for us. Just as the blood of the lamb was spread on the doorposts of the Hebrews’ doors and everyone inside was spared and passed over, He shed His blood for us on the cross and He said that He is the door and the way to the Father. When we receive the blood of Yeshua, we enter through the door and are saved for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. When Jesus was in the garden praying, He asked the Father if there was any other way; nevertheless, He was willing and He gave His life completely for us. I think about Father God hearing His only Son in his distress asking if there was any other way, and in this moment is where I realize the depth of God’s love for me, to be able to look at His Son and not change His mind, but knowing what Jesus would suffer to say yes, this is the only way, I want my children reconciled to me, I will not be separated from them forever. And, of course, the rest of the story is that Yeshua did die and shed His blood for us, but then He rose again in victory and defeated death, and through Him we have eternal life—we are reunited with our Father and have become the Bride of Christ! And not only that, but also He sent His Holy Spirit to fill us, to give us abundant life, and to empower us for holiness and to tell the world of His great love. What a wonderful God He is!
I wanted to share with you a quick update about my trip to Israel. I have blogged about the entire trip in detail, and if you are interested you can read it at www.gatewaysbeyond.org/gts2009. This is just a quick note on how the trip impacted me personally. I want to thank all of you who sowed financially into this trip and who prayed for us while we were gone. We were in Israel for an entire month, and it was just so good to be back in the land. I got to experience many new things this time that I had not done before on my two previous trips. For example, I got to spend over a week in the south of the country in the Negev desert. We stayed in one place that was literally right on the Egyptian border. I have a picture of some men in Egypt that I took from Israel. I really think I would love to just spend some time with Bedouins or Gypsies one day because I really like that lifestyle, though I admit I also really like hot showers and coffee shops. Another highlight of my trip was spending time with Israeli youth. I have been involved in youth ministry since I was a youth (which I still am by the way) and I love just hanging out with them, talking about their lives, encouraging them, and simply showing them love. I’ll just mention one more highlight; that is, we were able to stay in an old Armenian hostel inside the Armenian quarter of the old city Jerusalem. I have been to Jerusalem before, but it was so different living inside the old city walls and walking through the narrow streets on the cobbled stones smoothed from so many years of footsteps. On Shabbat, I walked alone through the streets down to the Wailing Wall and watched as people came and went on their Shabbat to pray at this spot where they feel closest to God. And as I pray for them, I look forward to the days spoken of in Revelation 21 and 22 where Yeshua is ruling and reigning from Jerusalem and there is no need for moon or sun because He is our light.
Well, I’m back in full swing in Cyprus now and getting excited about going out to Ethiopia in May. I will write more, but I just wanted to send out a hello and Happy Holidays. I miss you all and pray for you continually. Be blessed and enjoy time with your families and friends. And give each other hugs for me when you get the chance.
Much love,
Hannah Briscoe
hannahbriscoe@yahoo.com

Update from Cyprus

2009-03-04T13:38:00.000-08:00

Greetings! I hope you enjoy this update on my life and what the Lord is doing. I miss you all and send you my love.

CYPRUS:
I have now been back in Cyprus for a month and a half, and I cannot describe the pleasure I feel to be in the will of God. I know I am where I am supposed to be and doing what makes me come alive. So, I wanted to write and tell you a little bit about what I am doing here.
This year I am a part of the GTS I team. The program is divided into three parts: a first year school, a second year school, and an internship. My main focus is with the first year students. I live in a beautiful, warm house where I am the R.A. over seven first-year girls. I joke with them that I am Marmie and they are my “Little Women,” even though some are my age or older than me. They are a great group of girls and I love having each one of them in my house; however, being an R.A. does produce many challenges that help me grow. I must enforce the house rules, make sure everyone is keeping everything clean, and ensure that any problems that arise are resolved quickly and in a righteous way. As the R.A., it is also my responsibility to lead the morning runs twice a week. I have never much enjoyed running, but just being surrounded by so much beauty makes it worth it. My weeks are very full and I am definitely working very hard; nonetheless, it is a joy to be working alongside others in a community of people who love the Lord and care for each other. My other responsibilities include writing and editing the GTS blog (www.gatewaysbeyond.org/gts2009), helping with child care once a week, preparing lunch for the community on Tuesdays, creating all assignments for the student journals, monitoring class on Wednesdays, and creating the service schedule and supervising the service time. Service time is every day from 4-6pm when the students do all of their chores. Creating the chart for 22 people may sound like a breeze, but it proved to be quite a challenging task. There are 16 first-year students this year—11 girls and 5 guys. The theme for the school is “Shine” and God has already done so much in each life. He has been shining the light of His love on all of our hearts, and you can already see in the faces of the students that their lives are being changed and they are being filled with His goodness. They are shining!

ISRAEL:
On March 8, we leave our beloved island and head to Israel for a month. In the past, the Israel trip has been a two week trip to experience Israel. This year, we will be there longer and we will continue with our program while there (worship, teaching, etc.) as well as traveling around and experiencing the amazing land. Personally, I am most excited about camping in the Negev desert and doing a 16 kilometer hike! We did not get to do this during my school, and I have always wanted to. It has been 5 years since I have been to Israel, and my heart is longing to return. I am so excited!

ETHIOPIA!!!:
I am thrilled to announce that we all (1st year, 2nd year, interns, and staff) will be going to Ethiopia for our end of the school outreach! I have never been to Africa before, and I have especially wanted to go to Ethiopia for the last 6 years. Gateways Beyond has a long history of reaching out in Ethiopia and has a strong relationship with many in that land. While in Ethiopia we will be reaching out to the large Jewish community there, ministering in orphanages and prisons, and encouraging the Church. Ethiopia was one of the first places to receive the Gospel as is seen in the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8; we know their heritage is rich.
I want to express my deep gratitude for all of my family and friends back home who have been such an encouragement to me. Thank you for your prayers and support—they are so vital to what the Lord is doing in and through me.

This is a faith based community and none of the staff receive a salary. We are all here through money that we have earned back home and by the sacrificial giving of so many of you. I still need around $800.00 for the Israel trip, and I am also beginning to raise support for the outreach to Ethiopia (probably around $2000.00) If you would like to give a one-time gift or pledge a monthly commitment, any amount would be a blessing. You can follow along more closely with me through my personal blog (www.hiddenroyalty.blogspot.com) as well as through email. I am also writing a weekly blog for the GTS at www.gatewaysbeyond.org/gts2009. I would love to communicate with you more, so feel free to write. Blessings to you in the name of the Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Hannah Briscoe
hannabriscoe@yahoo.com

P.S. I am sorry, I have not been able to get any pictures to upload to the email. Hopefully soon I will get some pictures up.

Giving information:
www.gatewaysbeyond.org/donate (You can make a note that the funds are for me)
Or you may send a check to the following address:

Gateways Beyond
PO BOX 155101
Ft. Worth, TX 76155
USA

Break Forth

2009-02-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

A land swollen with hidden seed,
A land hungry, with unspoken need.
They yearn to cry out,
But it is caught in their throats.
They desire to shout,
But have said that they don’t.

Oh God, hear a cry
Of a nation in pain,
So much shame held inside
That is keeping them lame.

Muted and silent,
Or so they have believed.
But a cry is growing
That must be relieved.

I see an earthquake
That is coming to shake
Every heart and mind
From this lying snake.

As a tongue is released by
The first obedient sounds,
Let the groaning break forth—
Let the seeds break through the ground.

The fields have been planted,
And the Lord sends the rain.
The heavens are being released,
And is washing the stains.

Daughters and sons,
It is time to untie.
Your chains are released;
You have been waiting to fly.

Righteousness spring forth.
The ground is not dead.
Sing out for joy
For Jesus is your head.

O Germany, arise.
O Germany, you will shine.
O Germany you shall release
What has been growing inside.

treasure hunting

2009-02-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

Wow. Today was an amazing day. We took a team of staff, interns, and 2nd year students into Limassol for an outreach. We split up into small teams and we walked around on the water front looking for opportunities to pray for people and tell them about God's love. We prayed ahead of time that the Lord would give us specific words and pictures of people that we would meet so that when we saw them we would be ready to speak directly to their hearts what the Lord had shown us beforehand. There were so many testimonies from the day. There was one man with a cast on his hand that got prayed for by five different teams. He started out looking really hard, but was lightening up as more and more people came up to him to tell him about God's love. Later, we were all sitting together having lunch by the water and then this man came walking up to us with another man. He had gone and found a translator so he could find out what it was we were about! Both men were Muslims from Iran, but were so encouraged as the team just poured out on them the truth of God's love for them. We told them about God's healing power and prayed for them in Jesus', the Son of God, name. They were very touched and wanted to find out how they could learn more and where they could go in the future. We were able to invite them to an event in the city coming up, and one of our team members got their phone number so he could follow up. God is so amazing! He took a handful of people from a Messianic ministry to go and used them to touch these Iranian men. God is so good! The great thing is that it wasn't this big event that took lots of preparation. We just drove down to the city with the purpose in our heart to shine God's love around us. You can be used by God at any time and in any place! All you have to do is to make yourself available to Him. Most of the time the people we approached did not even speak English, but we were able to smile and tell them God loves them and pray for them. Well, I hope this encourages you. Step out in faith. You will never go wrong telling people God loves them. It will always be true.

Consecrated Ones

2009-02-10T04:09:00.000-08:00

Every morning, here in Cyprus, we begin our day with worship. We believe that every moment should be lived in worship to our God; nevertheless, there is something special and powerful when we come together with the specific purpose of praising our King and seeking His face. The amazing part is that when we seek Him, He comes! Daily we are drawn into His presence and our lives are being changed. There are so many aspects of God and of His love that you can never have enough. His love is wider and deeper and stronger and purer and lovelier than we could ever fully know. The more we gaze at Him in worship, the more of Himself He pours out and we are daily growing more and more hungry for more of Him. Could I use the word “more” anymore? Yes! I want More! I have been in Cyprus now for over 3 weeks, and there is so much I could write about. Already, God has spoken so much to me and kissed me with His presence again and again. Since I cannot possibly tell everything, especially when I am still processing most of it, I will just write a little bit about some special revelation the Lord has been walking me through.
Before worship begins each day, all of the staff and the interns meet in the office for a time of communication and prayer. Most of the time before we even go down to worship we have already had an encounter with the Lord in our staff meeting. Last week, Mrs. Rudolph shared with the staff an exhortation reminding us that we are “consecrated ones.” She said that those of us who are not married do not need to think of our identity as “single” but rather as consecrated ones. As she was sharing, my heart was lit with an excitement deep within. It is not that we are taking any vow of singleness, but it is the fact that we realize what a special time this is that we are able to fully devote ourselves to the One we love—singleness of heart. And this does not apply only to the unmarried, but the married as well can be consecrated to the Lord as ones with singleness of heart towards the Lord. Since I am not married, however, I will write about what this means to me in my state. What a privilege I have to be able to put all of my focus and zeal towards the Lord. I have more time to be filled with His love and healed in His presence so that when the day does come if the Lord should bring to me a partner in this adventure of life, I will be a whole person whose identity is rooted and grounded in God’s love. I am going to give it my all to let my roots go down deep. It is so easy to allow ourselves to be unaware of the days in which we are living. But we must awake! This is not a time to sleep or a time to get comfortable and make our lives nice and cozy. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you are part of the Family of God. Your life cannot be lived in isolation from the rest of the Church and God’s plans in this earth. You may be satisfied to know that you are going to Heaven, but God gave us His Holy Spirit and the great commission so that we might play a greater role in this amazing redemption story. God has not made you to be an extra taking up space on the stage of life—He has created you to play an irreplaceable role with deeper significance than it may at first appear. It does not matter where you were born or what your background is, He is ready to fill your life with more meaning and purpose than you could ever hope for yourself. With this in mind, my excitement continues to grow as I begin to see myself as a consecrated one. We are so close to Yeshua’s (Jesus’) return. I am locking my gaze on Him and not looking around to try to find things to fill my life. My life is not my own. I lay it down gladly for the One who laid His life down for me. I am marching to the rhythm of His love wherever it leads. I am choosing to lay myself down on His table and ask Him to do surgery on my heart. He may cut away anything and everything that is not from Him. All of the hopes, dreams, and plans I have for my life, I present to Him as a gift. Because of His amazing love, I know I can FULLY trust Him with my all. I lay down all expectations and choose to follow Him. I pray that I would be found willing even unto death. I love Jesus. I love Abba, Father God. And I know that He loves me and His plans for me are good. I am part of the Jacob generation who will seek His face.

2008-11-25T20:15:00.000-08:00

November 25, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

Six years ago I set out for Cyprus for the very first time. I was 19 years old and in my first year after high school. I had no idea what to expect, but I knew I was excited. It did not take long for me to realize that it is possible to feel so at home and have such love for two places. I love my home and family and church and feel so alive and fulfilled here; nevertheless, I felt the same feelings almost immediately in Cyprus with the Gateways Beyond ministry. It is not so surprising really because what draws me to both places is the Spirit of the Living God and the love in the people and community. The Gateways Training School in 2003 was a pivotal step in my journey as God established so many things in my heart concerning my destiny, His love, and the passions He has placed inside of me. I went back to Cyprus in 2004 in order to do the second year internship. This was truly a special time in my life. I grew closer to my friends, more deeply connected to the ministry, and more certain of my calling to the nations.

After the internship, I went through a bit of a struggle over what to do next. I felt strongly that I was supposed to have a season of serving alongside the staff of Gateways Beyond and joining in the vision of the ministry; however, I also knew that college was something very important to me and for equipping me further for God’s Kingdom. So, I decided not to go back immediately but to come home and focus my energy on finishing school. This was also a pivotal decision in my life. I was able to be back home with my family, be involved with Shady Grove Church, and immerse myself in studies. My time at Dallas Baptist University was more than I had hoped for. I was very involved on campus with the University Honors Program and Sigma Tau Delta (the English Honor Society). I was challenged in so many ways and know I will always cherish the friendships I made with my fellow students and my professors. I even made my mark at DBU by being the first graduate of the new University Honors Program and you can find my senior thesis, “Transforming Tales: C.S. Lewis, Imaginative Literature, and Character Formation,” in the school library, although I think it is probably very dusty right now.

As graduation approached, I thought the time was coming for me to go back to Cyprus, but my timing was a little off. The Lord opened the door for me to help lead Life Walk, the discipleship school at Shady Grove. Most of you receiving this letter already have read about Life Walk and our amazing trip to China this summer. So, I will just say that, once again, the Lord showed me that His plan is even greater than what I can dream up for myself. Life Walk was such a training ground for me, and I feel so enriched by the year I was blessed to spend with each student and the director. Just writing this brings back so many memories and makes me miss each of them.

Life Walk ended for the year in May and I have been working ever since. The Lord is so faithful and in this time of global economic hardship I am blessed not only just to have a job, but also to have a job that I greatly enjoy. I am working at the Four Seasons Resort Dallas in Los Colinas and get to meet so many other staff from around the world. Many would not want to let go of such a job in these times, but I know I can trust in God; and now, once again, my path is shifting. After much prayer and submitting myself to the counsel and covering of my parents and other godly leaders in my life, I feel that the time has come for me to return to Cyprus and work with the Gateways Beyond ministry. I will be going in January and will be on staff. I will be returning after 4 ½ years and I know things will be different. Both I and the community in Cyprus have grown and changed in so many ways. I feel like I am both returning home and going to a new place entirely. I am so excited and humbled to have this opportunity!

So here I am, just a month and a half left to go, and so much to do. I do not yet know what my exact responsibilities will be this year in Cyprus, but I can offer a glimpse of what I will be involved in. GBI has both a first year discipleship school and a second year school. It also has an internship program for students returning a third year. In whatever capacity I serve, be it hands on with one of these programs or administratively, I will daily be active in helping disciple the students and interns. I will also likely be living with some of the girls and leading a small group. For 2009, I will be in Cyprus from January to June. Sometime around March we will spend a month in Israel, and at the end of the school we will go to another country for a month-long outreach. These trips are always so powerful and transforming in our lives and in the lives we touch.

Your friendship means so much to me and I am so grateful for the many people who have touched my life. As I go forth to the nations, I believe that the way so many of you have blessed me, God will bless many others. I would love to keep in touch as I travel. I started a blog online where I will post regular updates and other things I want to write about. It is at http://www.hiddenroyalty.blogspot.com. You can also keep up with me through email. If you would pray for me and this ministry whenever we come to mind, I know there will be many times that your prayers will change the very circumstances we are facing. You can also help me by spreading word to anyone you know that may need an online English tutor or need some proofreading or editing done. These are things that I can do via the internet and earn a little money here and there, as I will be volunteering and not receiving a salary for six months. Also, if the Lord would lead you to sow financially, I would be so blessed by your gift. Anything you give will go to help cover my monthly base fees and our trip to Israel and the outreach. You can give easily online by going to the website www.gatewaysbeyond.org and following the link “Donate,” or you can send a check made payable to Gateways Beyond to Gateways Beyond PO Box 155101 Ft. Worth, TX 76155 with a separate note attached saying it is for me. Both options are tax-deductable. If you would like to make a monthly commitment for these six months please let me know to help me keep track of everything. My monthly fees will be 350 Euros and it would be so wonderful if this was covered through monthly commitments.

Once again, thank you for being who you are and for investing into my life. And thank you for reading this letter. Please write to me what is going on in your life and how I can pray for you. May you be blessed in all you do, and may you endeavor to honor the Lord in word and in deed.

Your friend and sister in Messiah,

Hannah Briscoe

hannahbriscoe@yahoo.com

(682)559-9351 (until I leave)

2414 Axminster Drive

Grand Prairie, TX 75050

Chicken Noodle Soup

2008-11-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

Chicken Noodle Soup is so delicious, yet how often I forget that fact. If chicken noodle soup had feelings I think it would feel very used and forgotten. I mean, we always turn to it when we are not feeling good or maybe if we are having a grilled cheese sandwich, but the rest of the time we (or at least many of us I am sure) completely forget about it, or we decide that it is not appetizing enough for an ordinary day. Well, I for one am thankful for this soup and confess that I take it for granted. It is always there for me when I don't feel so good and it always makes me feel warm and cozy. So, if you haven't decided what to have for lunch, you might consider opening up a can of Cambell's (or Kroger brand, it's yummy too) chicken noodle soup. I think you will be glad that you did. Whatever you eat, I hope you feel warm and cozy and good inside.

sleeping in

2008-11-19T09:41:00.000-08:00

Sleeping in on my day off--good idea or bad idea? I can't decide. When I am in bed I think it is a lovely and grand idea. But when I get up and think how short my day will be, I think it was a bad idea. I didn't sleep in that late, only kinda late, so I think I can call it a comfortable compromise.

Gavyn Michael Thalken

2008-11-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

Today, November 9th, is my nephew Gavyn's birthday. He is now 3 years old and totally thinks he is Batman. OK, so this kid is cute and smart and funny and lovable in so many ways. I do not say that just because I am his proud aunt. He truly is amazing. I remember the moment my sister told me she was pregnant with him. He was the first grandchild born into our family, and we were bursting with excitement. I remember the hospital when he was born: hearing him cry, watching through the glass as the nurse cleaned him, holding him for the first time. As he grew he was so stinking cute because he always looked like a little man. My sister trained him to not take hats off his head so he was so little and always had these adorable golfer hats on and would actually wear them. If you know my sister Selah, you know that Gavyn has inherited quite a dramatic streak. He makes the funniest faces and is truly theatrical. He can be soooo sweet and can also be a little toot. He is the best big brother and cousin ever. Gavyn loves his brother Joshy and his cousin Emily. I know as they all grow up that they will be able to look to Gavyn as a leader. Gavyn already loves Jesus and loves to worship and I know God has placed so much inside of him. I am so excited to watch him grow up and experience this abundant life God has for him. He has an amazing calling on his life and will bless many many people. Gavyn has made me such a proud aunty! I love you Gavyn, happy birthday!

emotional night

2008-11-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

So, I had an emotional night last night. It began with the elections. As I watched the celebrations and listened to the speeches a part of me was very proud to share in this momentus time of the election of the first African American president. Although I did not at all want Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States of America, I could feel the significance of this moment for African Americans throughout this nation, and for all Americans for that matter. I hate racism and am broken-hearted when I hear it surfacing today. I am grieved by our nations history regarding slavery and racism, and I have always looked forward to the day when we would have our first African American president and when we will have our first woman president. So, part of my emotions were happy. Then, my mind would think about the Supreme Court decisions ahead, and I just wanted to sob as I thought about the millions of babies who have been aborted in this country and how it is possible now that what few limitations there are on abortion will be stripped and abortion rights will be expanded. OK, so this is not really a political post even if it sounds like it; I am just trying to show what set the stage for my emotional breakdown last night.
I think I get so invested in these elections that every cycle I get this desire to someday go into politics. I want to be a voice in this nation and in the world that will make a difference. So, last night I get home after being a little emotional from the election, then someone was upset with me about something totally unrelated and I got more emotional, then as I stood on my balcony at my apartment and thought about my life I got even more emotional. I tried to explain this swirl of emotion to my sisters and all I could say was that "I am just emotional because I want to do everything. I want to be a missionary; I want to be a writer; I want to be a senator or state representative; I want to be a judge; I want to be a wife and mother; I want to go back to school; I want to travel the world; I want to do everything."
In the end, I think it was cathartic for me. I think when we allow our emotions to surface then we can truly hand them over to God and receive His peace in exchange. And I did. I have such peace right now. As far as the country goes, I believe we have days ahead in which we will be challenged more than ever to stand up, pray, and make our voices heard. I think when their is a republican in office, even if many don't like his decisions, conservatives feel somewhat of a safety in that and don't invest themselves as much in what is going on. Maybe now we will pay more attention, and that is a good thing. I have also have peace about my life. I don't believe in being led by my emotions, but I don't believe in suppressing them either. God is my Father and He loves me so much. He wants me to crawl up in His lap and tell Him everything on my heart. He holds me close to His chest and tells me He knows and I can trust in Him. He has placed these desires in my heart and He knows why and how they will be fulfilled. We don't have to hold anything back from God. We can have an emotional breakdown as long as we are satisfied to rest in Pappa's lap.

Hidden Royalty

2008-11-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

We are all hidden royalty. Created in the very image of God, we were given power to walk in authority in this earth. We were the rulers and protectors of this land. We exchanged that dominion for slavery when we fell in sin. For thousands of years we struggled on, not understanding why we felt trapped and helpless while knowing on the inside that we were meant for more. Then King Jesus came to this earth and chose to be the sacrifice for us all--He paid the price to free us from our chains. For thousands of years the sons and daughters of the High King were chained as slaves to torments, lusts, and degredation, but the Prince of Peace--Jesus Christ, Messiah Yeshua--invaded the kingdom of darkness and set us free and has restored to us our rightful place as sons and daughters of the King, created to walk in dominion over the powers of this earth. Satan realizes he has lost the war, but he is still desperately trying to win battles and keep this royal priesthood from flooding this world with light. He not only wants to keep the world from finding out who we are, but also to keep us from realizing the fullness of who we are in Christ. We are truly meant to be servants, showing God's love to the world, and royalty, walking in power and authority and advancing the Kingdom of our Father. My name is Hannah and I am royalty, but I am no longer satisfied to be hidden.