5 Ways You Are Dealing with Stress Wrong and What to Do Instead

You know the feeling, those moments of panic that happen throughout the day–they wash over you like a fever. You start to feel the pit in your stomach, your lungs become heavier in your chest and, if you are blessed with anxiety like mine, your bladder becomes a nagging companion every 5 minutes. Anxiety is a @!(#@*.

I have struggled with this for years, reading article after article and trying thing after thing to relieve the unwelcome accomplices of stress in my life. We all deal with stress in one way or another, good or bad. Here are some ways that you might be trying to cope with stress (in no particular order) and some alternative suggestions to help you overcome stress instead of letting it overcome you.

1. You are binging on Netflix (escapism)
Now hold on a moment, don’t panic. I am not telling you to cancel your Netflix subscription or sell your firstborn child. As far as I am concerned Netflix is close to greatest thing since the sliced bread. However, I have noticed an unhealthy cycle in which, when I am stressed and the shadow of my To Do List is looming, I use the escape of a TV show to calm my overwhelming nerves. But in the long run, I neglect my responsibilities and that just leaves me with more guilt and stress to deal with.

Instead: tackle a task and reward yourself

I have found that tackling something on my To Do List actually gives me more of a stress relief than ignoring it. Start with something easy–organize your day planner, do the dishes, do an easy assignment, etc. This will give you the confidence to tackle the giants in your life, and then reward you with something that is enjoyable but won’t distract you too much. Save Netflix for Friday night! (Or, watch it only when you are tackling easy tasks like dishes.)

2. You are over sleeping or not getting enough sleep
Sometimes the sheer weight of the day greets me in the morning and all I want to do is stay in bed and sleep until my problems go away. Or other times keep myself busy until the early mornings trying to convince myself that I am being productive.

Instead: adopt a routine

Find a comfortable routine that gets you out of bed even when you don’t want to. Include exercise in your routine (!!!). I can’t stress this enough. If you can make time for facebook, you can make time for a 30 minute walk outside (Vitamin D!). You are probably thinking I look like a hypocrite but I am only telling you this because I am just starting to reap the benefits of being disciplined in this area of my life. I have been on an exercise program for going on 3 weeks, working out 30-60 minutes every day, and it has made the world of a difference in my outlook on life. Find something that you enjoy. You don’t have to go to the gym or watch a cheesy home video–do what you love and get  your butt movin’!

If you are interested in learning about how physical exercise affects your cognitive and psychological state, Spark by John J. Ratey is an interesting read!

3. You aren’t feeding your body
Now you may be eating 3,000 calories of junk, but are you fueling your body? Do you feel stressed, lethargic, have unpredictable waves of energy, mood swings, headaches, or are you having the emotional or physical craving to overeat? My [unprofessional] guess is that your body is not being fueled properly.

Instead: fuel your body!

I challenge you: make sure to get in all of the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats and cut out as much processed and sugary food as you can for a week or two… and see how you feel!

4. You are ruminating, a.k.a “chewing the cud,” a.k.a focusing on the problems that are causing you stress

Wikipedia explains this psychological phenomenon as “compulsively focused attention on the symptoms of one’s distress, and on its possible causes and consequences, as opposed to its solutions.”

I find myself doing this whenever I know that I need to initiate a difficult conversation. I continuously think about the worst outcomes, and while I think that I am emotionally preparing myself for the discussion I am only paralyzing myself with fear.

Instead: meditate on positive thoughts

Find a scripture or a mantra or whatever floats your boat and take control of your thoughts. One of the cheesy quotes that I have been telling myself is “Either you run the day or the day runs you.” (Jim Rohn.) There you go, folks. Yes, it’s cheesy, but for some reason I feel empowered. Find what works for you! And if there is a problem that needs a solution–make a plan and start from there.

5. You are settling into the grind

You are a hardworking, nose to the grind kind of person. You push yourself to achieve and to always do well. But eventually your drive will wear down. Personally, I have been working towards getting into Nursing school for a number of years, and when I settle deeper into the grind of school and work and… life, I forget what made me want to do it in the first place. Wake up call: you don’t have to stay in that mental state!

Instead: get inspired!

Stop, drop… and try to remember what made you want to do what you are doing right now. What gives you butterflies and makes you excited to get up in the morning? What originally inspired you to live the life your living… or the life you want to live? We all have something that makes us want to giggle or get up and do a happy dance. I look up videos of the stories of people that I look up to and it inspires me to keep working to reach my potential. I imagine myself exactly where I want to be and tell myself that I AM going to be there. This is one of the most powerful things you can do to emotional and spiritually refuel.

You have a purpose and you are WORTH IT. So embrace the fact that even though you may not always have control over the amount of stress that comes your way, you have control over your mind and your life. As always, I love to share ideas, so let me know what you think!

Before You

Leadership is something I rarely feel fit to do. Yet it is something that God has called me to do, again and again. I’ve been told that my mom prayed that I would be a leader, even before I was born. I have known for a long time, that it was something I’ve been called to do. Stepping into the role of a leader is a scary process for me, but it has caused me to grasp tighter to my anchor, Jesus.  In Deuteronomy chapter 31, Moses speaks to Joshua, who is to take his place leading the Israelites. He tells Joshua:

“6: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them…

8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

From one leader to another. These words are a comfort to me as I come to terms with the fact that God is always going to lead me out of my comfort zone. But, at the same time, it is exhilarating to know that my life is ultimately out of my hands, and I don’t have to rely on my own strength or understanding to make a difference in the world. The Lord goes before me.
God has been reminding me lately that the leadership he calls us to isn’t knowing exactly what to do in every situation. It doesn’t always equate to being more advanced in your journey of faith. But it is being willing to take the steps forward, ahead of the rest. To lead in faith, knowing that God already went before you and prepared your path. Like the saying, “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.” A little bit cheesy, but true. I often feel that I need to be more equipped to lead, but I’m reminded that he qualifies and equips us when we obey his call. He calls us to rise out of our own fear (our own inadequacy), and to replace it with joy in the journey he has for us(his perfect capability!). He is FOR us. Like a coach, he knows how to push us in the ways that we cannot push ourselves. He is there to drive us to always be better, and to carry us when we can do no more.

This week I am preparing for a new semester. It is going to be crazy busy but I know that it is my time to step up to the calling God has on my life. I am praying that I will keep my eyes forward, on the one who goes before me. If you would like to pray for me, I have some specific things I’m praying about right now:

—John; A friend of mine, a regular who comes into my work, has been living on a sailboat, without much else. He has a seizure condition and has a very sweet service dog, who is also a regular. This week my friend’s boat was ran into, and it sunk to the bottom of the lake, with virtually everything he owned. He sustained a number of injuries and his dog, his most loyal companion and friend, almost drowned. I am praying that I would have the wisdom to know how I can help my friend. He doesn’t know God, and I know he is in a very hard time in his life. Pray with me that he would receive physical and emotional healing from past hurts, and that God would provide for him! If you would be interested in helping him out, comment or message me at the1movement@live.com
—Healthier Habits; I am praying for healthier habits this upcoming semester, in every area of my life–my spiritual, emotional, physical, social, and academic life. This is going to involve a lot of new habits, but I am so ready to have that balance in my life.

—Leadership; God has really been putting leadership and discipleship on my heart lately. Pray that I would be wise as I strive to be a leader in my community, specifically with my upcoming trip to Zambia, and some other potential opportunities that I am unsure about.

—Provision; I completely trust that God is capable of providing for my every need. I am praying that God would provide financially, and that I would continue to be in worry-free surrender as I try to work and raise funds for my upcoming missions trip to Zambia. If you would like to support me in this way, check out my Support Me page or go directly to my Fundly Account to make a donation.

I appreciate those of you who are thinking of me, praying for me, and sharing in my journey. I love doing life together, and I am so blessed to have such a community of awesome, passionate people in my life. God bless.

–Photo courtesy of Murad Osmann

Yours

We are often are blind to the brokenness of our world and hurting people that sin leaves in its wake. In America, we often live comfortable lives, ignorant to world issues like human trafficking, extreme poverty, genocide, and religious oppression. But I’ve also found that we are often ignorant to the hurting people right in front of us–our next door neighbors, peers, or the person we wrote off as “criminal,” “deadbeat,” or “loser.” To be brutally honest, it is often easier to have compassion on a helpless starving child across the world than it is to have compassion for the alcoholic living off of your tax money, or the homeless man with his hand in your tip jar. But I have to ask myself, does God value the one over the other?

It is easy to be on a “mission” to another country, and then go back to the comfort–or struggles–of your life back home and live a life of “one days.” One day I will volunteer my time. One day I will be generous with my money. One day I will be a leader in my community. One day I will live adventurously. But it is really my mission if I am not living it every day? I love what Mother Teresa once said,

“‘Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.'”

Often we find ourselves at a hard place, and dismiss the idea of living missionally or sacrificially, until we feel financially or emotionally stable enough to have compassion. This disillusionment happens easily in a culture that tells us we never have enough; we are never “there”–that illusive place of contentment when we have everything we “need.”  I’ve been there, I still am there often times. There have been some low times in my life, times when I would drown in my own negativity. But there have also been times, even when I was living in a car and taking ice cold showers in campsite bathrooms and I felt I had nothing left, that I realized that I would always have enough to give. My life changed when I realized I will never be so low that I can’t give someone a smile, a hug, or a word of encouragement. I will never have so little that I cannot bless another person.

I’ve struggled feelings of guilt for being as blessed as I am, even though life isn’t always easy. But God chose to bless me with an education, a warm home, and more than enough to survive. He doesn’t give to us so that we feel guilty, but so we can turn around and continue to bless others. Ultimately, living sacrificially isn’t about money or material things at all. It is about surrender of our hearts, our attitudes, and our perspective. As Proverbs 4:23 says,

Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it

Living sacrificially, for me, is often about saying “I am willing to look at my current situation not as a hardship, but as an opportunity and a blessing.” Your heart is what God wants. Because when God has your heart, wonderful things will flow out of your life. I will never claim to be perfect, I am so far from it. But I can say that I have been able to see how blessed I am because I am striving to let God radically change my heart, and with it, my actions, and my future. I’ve had a little taste of what awesome things God does when you surrender your life, and I’m compelled to give up my selfish, shallow dreams, and follow in the footsteps of a radical world-changer named Jesus. It’s not always easy, but its infinitely worth it. The call to change the world is yours, and no matter where you are in life, your time is now.

 

–Photo courtesy of iStock

A Walk with Esther

This video gives you an idea of the kind of things I will be doing during my upcoming missions trip–this is the organization I will be working directly with. Bringing Jesus’ love and hope by meeting needs.

Thanks for watching!
Mical

Send Mical to Zambia!

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi

To be a part of my journey, check out my Fundly page! www.fundly.com/send-mical-to-Zambia

 

Back again!

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.” Ps 16:2

Hello friends! I have thought about keeping up this blog after getting back to the states but since have been caught up in the whirlwind of life. For those I haven’t talked to lately, to update you, I spent the summer back home working in a local salon, and before I knew it, was on my way to school in Seattle. Since being here, I have started a new job at a local Starbucks as a barista, and have been blessed by that job in so many ways. My coworkers and customers are wonderful, and I have to love that it supports my coffee habit. I am falling in love with my school, and feel so blessed to be in a community of ambitious, compassionate, God-seeking people. I have been praying for friends like the ones I’m making here for years, and have been able to get involved on campus and around our community.

One of the ways I am plugged in is through Embargo, a campus ministry group that raises awareness and funds to fight Human Trafficking, something I’ve been passionate about fighting since I became aware of it. This semester we have had the opportunity to raise funds for a safe-house for women who have been rescued from human trafficking, raise awareness through skits on campus, and helped out a local safe-house for girls in the local area that have been rescued.  I have really loved being involved and hope to do a lot more in the future with Embargo!

There has been a lot to adjust to being at a new school, a new job, new church, having an entirely new social group but I am loving it! God has been moving in my life and challenging me to grow daily.

One of the reasons I am starting this blog back up is to share my journey as I prepare to co-lead a group of students from my school on a missions trip to Lusaka, Zambia this summer. I am blessed to have this opportunity and I hope you will share in my awe, joy and gratitude as God continues to orchestrate, provide for, and inspire this trip… (and just life!) Amazing things happen when you ask God to invade your life.

I hope you all have a blessed and merry Christmas!

Mical

This Is My God

Hey fam!! This post was written last week, but I couldn’t upload it, so here it is, and in the next couple days I’ll have a new update from this week’s camp. Thanks for checking in! I hope you are doing well and pray that you are all feeling blessed this week. Thanks for all of you who have been praying for me the last few weeks. God has really been stirring my heart lately. For a little while now I have been struggling with just wanting to be here. I think a mixture of culture shock, missing home, and a spiritual battle was causing me to feel frustrated. I just felt like I had lost my passion, and I was feeling kind of selfish and irritated, to be honest. So the past few weeks I have been asking God to renew my passion, to capture my heart again. I wanted to fall in love with his children again, I wanted to fall in love with Bangladesh again.

Friends, the God that I serve is a faithful God. He is faithful to his children, he is faithful to his promises. And I don’t think he will ever refuse our pleas to have love for his children. He won’t ever let our well run dry, if we are seeking him as the source. This God, my God, is a loving God who will never fail us or forsake us. And when I asked this God to renew my heart, he was faithful to his promises.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

 ~2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV

Last week we were getting ready for camp, and among the whole rollercoaster of emotions, I was making up work, studying for and finishing my finals early because they were due the exact dates I was supposed to be speaking at camp. I could have declined to come earlier but this was the first ministry opportunity I’d had in a while, and I was one of the main speakers and camp leaders. They were very under-staffed, so I just prayed that God would help me get through it all. I had still yet to prepare my messages until the night before.

To let you in on a guilty little secret, as I was griping about finals and stressed that I wouldn’t finish all that I needed to for camp, I kind of thought God, it would be convenient if camp got postponed to another time... Oh, he said, it’s inconvenient for you… In his gentle way, asking Are we working towards the kingdom of Mical? Or the kingdom of the Prince of Peace? The kingdom of the God who gave everything for you…Is our end goal good grades or lives saved? Needless to say I lowered my head in shame. But he is not the God of condemnation, my God. No, he is the God who empowers.

Isaiah 40:30-31 says, “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

So I prayed not that my plans would prevail, but that he would empower me to fulfill my responsibilities, and most importantly give me the right words to reach the kids I would speak to. I prayed that he would help me love those kids in a way that would reflect his all-encompassing, Fatherly love for us. And this God of mine, he never fails.

I didn’t get much sleep that night… well actually I didn’t sleep at all that night. But I got everything done. And we packed up the van, and left as the birds chirped their good-morning songs, picking up the three other people who were coming to run the camp. We drove all day and took a fairy to get there, arriving about dinner time. I have to admit, that night I was still having a hard time shaking the grumps, not being able to sleep much in the car. Praying, still, that God would give me the push of energy and love I needed to serve these kids.

We got into the little town and into the campus, and the kids were quickly in our arms, teaching us new games, and giving us love… How humbling. Here I am going to love on these kids and I felt like they were the ones loving on me. Such cool kids. So we hung out with them for the evening, and like every time I pull out my camera with kids here, they ALL wanted to take pictures. There was almost a full-out riot over who got to have their picture taken, but they all got turns. They love it!! (I later found out that it isn’t just children, but that’s another story.) It was so much fun! Some of the kids even knew a little English and were so excited to practice it out on us.

The village people are so precious. I was so blessed by the hospitality of the pastors who hosted us and all the other local people involved. It was such an honor to eat their food and spend time with them and hear a little bit about their hearts for Jesus and the people around them. Man, the pastors in these villages are inspiring. They work so incredibly hard for nothing in return but the glory of God. It challenges me every time I meet another one, serving with absolutely no credit or praise, with their families in these small shacks of houses, serving their people day and night to grow the kingdom. They are humble, hospitable, hardworking, and passionate. If any of you would commit to praying for the pastors here that would be incredible, and you should know that it will make a difference in hundreds if not thousands of lives. Pray that God would continue to provide for them, protect them, sustain them through the hard seasons, keep them healthy, and bring the right people alongside them to support them and help with their work. The burdens of a pastor here are so challenging and so tireless. They need prayer and support so thank you all!!!

As camp went on, I just had a fantastic time. Even before all the activities had begun, they honored us with warm words and bouquets of lovely flowers. Some beautiful young girls in red and orange saris came and presented them to us, it was so sweet! The night went on and I got through it but I was getting exhausted. We had a meeting and then I found out that we were to go around to some different peoples’ houses around the village and pray for them. The group of us went in the dark, by the light of a couple flashlights on the dirt roads, from house to house praying for some of the leaders in the town. They accepted us into their homes and all wanted to serve us snacks and refreshments. As exhausted as I was, it was wonderful. At times I thought I was going to fall asleep as I sat on their wicker furniture praying for the people and families. But being a part of God moving in a place like this is the stuff I live for! I felt like the spirit was flowing through and around us as we walked down the dark path. After a little while we started back towards the campus, which wasn’t far and retired for the night. Man, I slept like a rock that night, and felt a lot better in the morning!

 

The day went on with all the camp fun, and both Ashley and I spoke throughout the day. This is something that God has forced me to work on since being here. I don’t feel good at speaking in front of people in general, and when it comes to preaching, it’s so easy to feel unqualified and I doubt myself. But that’s the thing… God didn’t ask for qualified people. He asks to be the qualification. He wants to be the one, he wants to receive the glory. He doesn’t want our works to point to how wise we are or how good of a speaker we are, and unfortunately his goal isn’t to build up our pride. He wants to tear down all of our self-defenses and change our lives form the inside out. He wants to use us as a channel for his spirit. So God gave me a lot of peace about it. I let him speak through me and I pray that he used my words to speak to the beautiful kids. Our leader, who is actually the first bonafide children’s pastor in Bd, told me that I am a very powerful speaker and he knows that I have a very bright future, which was a huge compliment coming from him. God is so good, I find that he really does love to build us up… not in our own skills or talents, but in Him. I’ve learned that God does not need anything but our willingness. He will never be defeated by our obstacles or hardships. They might be used to discourage us from trying at all, but if we look to the Lord, we know that we can do anything through him. He is the source of our strength, the source of our love and life, and his love for us can not be quenched or overcome. We need to continue to look to him, not at our circumstances, or our worldly difficulties. All he needs from us is a heart that is open to whatever he will do through us.

We spent so much time just hanging out with the kids, having a blast with them and doing a bunch of different activities. I got to be a clown, do skits, dress up in a huge frog suit in which I could only breathe out the eye-hole and dance around. Later that night it just turned into a big dance party, and if you know me, you know I love to dance. Doesn’t matter if I look like a fool, I love it. So we all just went crazy, mostly the kids, Ashley and I, and all the other adults just laughed and shook their heads, although I did get told that I looked like a professional dancer by the pastor(HAHA).

  

It was so much fun dancing with the kids, despite the fact that they were all fighting each other to get to hold Ashley and my hands while dancing. That gave us a good laugh. The kids were just hilarious and adorable, and they just found us absolutely fascinating. Our leader explained later, that foreigners, especially guest speakers usually just do their job and don’t really play or connect with the kids, but that’s my favorite part. I love playing their games and giving lots of hugs, and laughing and dancing with them. Showing them that they are valuable enough for our time. I know they would be valuable enough for Jesus’ time! At the end, the pastor explained that we had really won the children’s hearts, he was very impressed with how we loved on the children, and he would really love for us to come visit and help in his village any time. Such an honor!!! The fact that we made that big of an impact is only God. My heart was just SO full, knowing that God used me to bless them. So full!

 

I keep giving yet my cup runneth over! That was something I talked about in one of my messages, and gave the illustration for. Without his love, we have little to give, and eventually we run dry. We have no more to give. But when we are filled with his love, we overflow. Our lives keep on giving, yet we never run dry. So simple, so elementary, yet I think we often do not understand this concept. We insist on giving from our own well! We don’t tap into our spring of living water! Welllll it feeels good y’all.

The kids were just completely joyous during the whole camp, and we spent every minute we could with them! The first girl to my left in the picture below kept coming to me throughout the days, hugging me and telling me in broken English, “I am so happy, I am so happy!” Some were crying as we left. It broke my heart but I pray that God would continue to work in their hearts and bring them his unending joy and love. And I know that at least for those few days they felt loved, they felt valued like the precious children of God that they are. I hope they find God in new exciting ways and that they continue to grow in him! This week was an answer to prayer! God is so good, and he answers our prayers when our eyes are on him and our hearts are seeking his presence. Praise God for filling me up again, for renewing my heart for the lost. For drawing my eyes from my own self and my own circumstances to those of the lost and hurting. This is my God. He is a God that I always want to become more intimate with, he is a God that I am proud yet humbled to serve, he is a God who is always for us and always with us. What a beautiful God.

  

As always, thank you for everything you do, my friends, family, and support network! You’re amazing, and I feel so loved. We are headed to another camp tomorrow, and I will be excited to report how God moves.

 

Truly, Madly, Deeply

Wow, a lot has happened over the last couple weeks, I really owe you guys an update! I have had a lot to process, and God has been stirring my heart. I can say that I am falling truly, madly, and deeply in love–with Jesus, with his children, with Bangladesh. Since I last posted, we have worked with Uttam’s Place, the tutoring center for girls out of the slums, and various other places and events. A couple groups of girls come throughout the day at the Place, and are provided with a meal, shower, a chance to clean their clothes, help with school, English training and more. I got to do an art class, work on English with the girls, play Uno, talk about our different lives, and more. Our plan for the few weeks that we will be with them is to work on fine arts, English, and computer skills. Basically what they need is for us to provide these girls with practical skills to help them succeed, and loving, Godly relationships . It does my heart good to be with these girls.

It is a beautiful thing to be in the center of God’s will, because when your heart beats for that which God’s heart beats, your attempts to bless others only come back to bless you tenfold.  These girls are intelligent, resilient, and such beautiful works of our creator. If you look at their surroundings, it is hard to see a future. But if you look at these girls, if you look at their hearts, you see hope. You see a purpose. You see a future. You see Jesus.

It was humbling to see all the time and effort of people that is invested in the girls, to meet these people who have nothing yet give everything because their heart beats like Jesus. It was also humbling to begin to build a relationship with the girls… It was a slow process for what time we are given, but some things will always surpass the language/culture barrier. A warm hug and a genuine smile, these things are universal. Jesus love pouring out of us is universal, and I thank our beloved for that.

For a few nights during that time we stayed at a Bengali family’s house. It was an honor to sit with them, to eat with them, to get a little taste of their life. It was a family who has a HUGE heart for Jesus, and hearing about their passion and ministry was very inspiring. I was very challenged by talking with them. During our time they talked to me about a friend of theirs, a young Bengali man who has grown up in their street ministry. They told me about a trip that they had went on recently for which this young man sold his cell phone–probably one of his only possessions–to go with trek to a far away village lugging all sorts of equipment through the pouring rain and flood just to love on these people who didn’t even speak the same language–to be the hands and feet of our savior. I sat there in awe of such a sacrifice. I continued to hear more stories, some of which I can’t post, and it was incredibly humbling. It challenged and convicted me to keep checking my heart that I am not holding anything back.

 It’s so easy for me to make excuses for myself. I am an excellent excuse-maker, and I will admit that I groaned a little bit inside as God started to work on my heart. There some things that are just out of my comfort zone that I need to give to God, but He is SO patient with me, and He continues to bring people into my life that encourage, inspire, and challenge me. And I rest in His word and His truth. He comforts and sustains me. I genuinely thank you for your prayers as I continue to work on these things. This is a journey, and I am a work in progress. There is always more we can surrender, but as I was reminded in Mark Batterson’s The Circle Maker, we aren’t going to remember the things that come easy, we are going to remember the things that come through the blood, sweat, tears, and prayers. The victorious things, the glorious things, they take purification through fire. Those are the things worth living for. Those are the things we are called to. Those are the things God’s heart beats for! Joy Jeshu!

Not everything has gone as we might have planned (TIB!), and it has taken self-control to refrain from being frustrated with hartals and things that “get in the way” of our plans. I struggle at times to maintain an eternal mindset. But we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28) I am reminded of God’s sovereign hand on all things, and I am reminded that nothing could ever separate us. So we continue to pray that whatever the situation might be we would still give our whole hearts to serving in whatever way we can.

Another great thing I got to do is help out at  a teen camp. These kids were a group of young teens from a street-kid outreach. Again, humbling, because I didn’t feel like there was a lot I could do. None of these kids spoke English and I suck at any attempt to speak or understand Bangla, and it was a last minute thing that we could go along with them because other plans fell through. So I worked with a group of kids along with another Bengali leader (the person who actually knew what was going on) and we did devotionals, worship, skits, games, etc etc. One thing I got to do was serve with my photography, so that’s good. There was one time where they were playing this game and I had to go up and do a little impromptu dance. They got a kick out of that, and of course I am always up for dancing. Ashley and I also had the honor of dressing up in a big fox(me) and frog(her) costume and doing a little skit for the kids. The skit was supposed to be about friendship and at the end I went in for a hug but we pretty much ended up head-butting and looking like we were about to wrestle (hahaha) but the kids got the point… I think. These kids were amazing, and I just wanted to take them all home with me! Like I said, I am falling in love!! Again, the team who put this together was incredibly humbling. They were the same team that put on the Children’s Ministry Leadership Conference we went to before, and it amazes me how much they do. They are truly people after God’s heart and I can’t count the ways God has used them, and will continue to use them.

It’s an odd kind of sacrifice, to be okay with not being used to your ‘fullest advantage.’ Something that Ashley said that has challenged me, (and I might have already mentioned it), is that the true test of the gifts God has given you is if you are willing to NOT use them. That has been something I am struggling with. I don’t feel like I am serving in ways that I excel, if you know what I mean. God has been calling me to do things I am not necessarily good at, and to me that feels like a lot more sacrifice. Confession: I can be very prideful! It’s easy to give up your strengths, when you are talented and you can point to God, but you have to give up your pride to do things that you aren’t good at, or you are self-conscious about and still point to God. ‘Cause, man lets face it, we wouldn’t do Him justice anyway. Even the most talented man on the planet, in any facet, would not hold a candle to the glory of God. So we are called to give him everything we have. And that includes all our deepest darkest fears and shameful insecurities. (yikes!)  God wants my willingness and that is what I am trying to give him.

We had the privilege of attending a Palm Sunday service at another local church that I hadn’t been to before. It was a beautiful experience. The building was packed, sweat trickled down my face, and we praised God. (What can I say? I am a northwest girl, and I really appreciated the fans that night!!) We got to take palm leaves, some in weaved into the shape of crosses, and walk around the church neighborhood singing and waving our palm leaves. It was kind of surreal, in a holy way… I could almost feel the anticipation of Jesus coming round the corner through the dirt and pebble streets. When we got back from around the block and went up to the top of the building, the service commenced and after a little while got interrupted. There was a man who insisted that he needed to stop the speaker and deliver his own message. He was yelling and trying to disrupt the service, and eventually they had to physically remove him from the building, because it was clear that he was not of good intentions. The pastor reported that there had been things and people trying to hinder the service all day… but God prevailed, and the service went on. It was exhilarating… I think we can say that if forces were working that hard to keep it from happening, God was doing great things!!

For the Easter weekend we went out to the Home of Hope! We didn’t get to stay long but the time there was awesome. We got there the day before Easter and I got to play with the kids, eat with them, spend time with them… And I also got to eat at a local pastor’s  house that night, and it was such an honor to be with him and his family. To see what they do, how much they sacrifice just to serve those around them was amazing. We stayed that night at the home, I  got sick and didn’t sleep all night and everybody got up for a sunrise service Easter morning. I was so excited for this service and I prayed that God would just let me get through the service without getting sick, and He did! I felt fine as I did a short object lesson, another brother  gave a message, and we did a little skit, etc. Our speaker, a really awesome guy with a family I have come to know and love since being here spoke, and talked about how God uses the unlikely, and that was awesome! It spoke to me and I think it really spoke to the kids and the others there. Thank you God for using the unlikely, the unqualified and the unimpressive. We love you so much and we are blessed to experience your presence in our lives. Your mercy and grace have given us a life abundant in you. We are no longer oppressed by our imperfections but are free to seek you, to joyfully share your forgiveness and praise your holy name. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. For your love. For your sacrifice. For the life you give breathe into us daily.

So… we are off to Thailand in a couple days and I would appreciate your prayer as we travel to this new place. I am so excited to be going and experiencing a new environment, new people and a whole new ministry. We will be working with another program like Engage, with students that live in Thailand and do ministry there. I don’t know at all what to expect so I am praying that God would give me the tools, the wisdom, and the willingness to do whatever He has for me. We will pretty much doing two weeks straight of ministry with no hartals to speak of! I am stoked and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Always, thank you for blessing me continually with your prayers. I am incredibly humbled by your love and support. I pray that each of you are falling truly, madly, and deeply in love with our savior as he is with you, and I hope that my experiences and challenges might bless you or speak to you in some way as you experience it all with me! Thanks so much for reading. Until later, M.

P.s. check in soon, pictures to come!

Camp

I want to thank you all for your prayer about this weekend! Camp was a total success and I truly believe your prayers were a part of that! God is so good, despite all of the obstacles we faced that could have stopped camp from happening, he orchestrated everything. We were delayed one night because of the hartal, but we made it!  There were tons of fun  games, crafts, dances, activities, messages, skits, devotional times, and worship times. And meals! Good old curry… Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

I was a team leader for 18 people including my counselors, and I really felt a connection with the kids on my team. We worked together to make a team chant, to make a team poster, to organize and perform a skit, and do our games, activities and devotionals together. It was great to see them enthused, working as a team, and seeking God together. I had such cool kids on my team, I was so sad to have to say goodbye after so short of a time, but they still have a special place in my heart and in my prayers and hopefully I will get to see some of them again!

Of course my favorite times were the worship and prayer times. The kids  have a blast doing upbeat action songs, it’s hard to keep the silly grin off your face while dancing and singing with them! It is SO cool to see these kids seeking and encountering the presence of God!! A huge highlight for me was alter-call where we got to pray for the kids. The worship was so anointed and the presence of God was so tangible.  I was just struck with awe at the love I have for these kids I didn’t really know, as I held their little bodies  praying for them; experiencing even such a small part of the love God has for them was overwhelming and brought me to tears.  Their hearts are so beautiful and I see such an incredible future for each and every one of them, and it is a continual reminder that the Lord says,

I tell you the truth: unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 18:3,4)

I wish I could have taken pictures during that time to show you how awesome these kids were just embracing God’s presence, but I was busy at this point. 🙂  Some more highlights were watching the kids play games, especially the water fight at the end. I love seeing them run around with silly big grins on their faces, and splashing in the well.  It was also fun to hear the kids scream their chants throughout camp, with such energy and enthusiasm. There was definitely some creativity and I love how they really pointed towards Jesus in their chants. 🙂 Go kids!!

There was lots more but I will leave you with that for now. God is good, forever and always. Here’s a few of the pictures I got at camp. Please do not use them without my permission.

      

Unrest

Hi friends! Your prayers would be appreciated as the violence and political unrest here in Bd has escalated over the last few weeks. I am just praying that all of our brothers and sisters throughout the country would remain safe. I know that there is a spiritual war going on as well and I ask that all of you would pray with me for the hearts and souls of this country, that the blinds would be lifted and they would see the truth. I am also praying that we will be able to make it next week to the international kids camp that we are supposed to be a part of. We are laying low for now but we would have to drive a good 6 hours  from the house to get to the kids camp next week and we are hoping things will mellow down enough to make the trip. Thanks so much for your prayers!

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

Meanwhile, I am having some R&R time at home, getting all the other unavoidable things done so I can go have fun with those kids next week. This upcoming month or two I have a number of things planned, (although everything is subject to change, TIB). I am going to be doing this kids camp, another kids camp most likely, a couple village trips, and working with Uttams Place and then I will be going to Thailand for two weeks to work with a program and do ministry with them! I am already praising God for all the amazing things He is going to do. I will update you as things go on, please know that you prayers and support have been such a vital part of touching many peoples’ lives, including mine. I am so grateful for all of you and the way you have given of yourselves for me and the people here. Keep checking in and go ahead and subscribe if you’d like to get notifications of when I post.

~Mical