It's who You are.

You're a good, good Father. It's who You are. And I am loved by You. It's who I am. 

These words have echoed the minds and hearts of the team this week. Our third week in Indianapolis has proven to be our hardest week yet. With home sickness, physical illness, and spiritual warfare coming into play all at once, we have been weighed down by this world. The battle for the throne of our hearts is raging. The Enemy is feeding lies into our hearts- purposeless, insecurity, guilt, and fear to just name a few. These things are not of God. This week we have been pushed to breaking points and more tears than I can count have been shed. We are under attack. The Enemy is throwing heavy stones, each blow is aimed at our weaknesses in attempt to break our spirits and take our focus off of the calling we have received. Battles that have already been won are rekindling in our hearts. Our failures, our mistakes, our friends, our families, our struggles, and our pride have stabbed like knives this week- each cut seeks to weaken the unbreakable bond between our good, good Father and his children. Everything this week has tried to cause division in our faith family; this week has tried to damaged the body of Christ. 

Thank God we have read the Book and we know we are named victorious by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

We know the Enemy has come to kill, steal and destroy; but Jesus came so we may have life and have it to the full. This morning at church, this verse was referenced and it was said, "Jesus brings life to the full. Not just full of happiness, but full of sorrow." I have never thought of the verse that way even though I have heard it countless times. 

The word "full" is defined two ways; 1) containing or holding as much or as many as possible; having no empty space and 2) not lacking or omitting anything; complete. Fullness in Christ is joy in salvation; it is also suffering in this world. Fullness in Christ is love from the Father; it is also love for our enemies. Fullness of Christ is restoration through blood; it is also brokenness by sin. There can be no white without black, no day without night, and no good without bad. 

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." -James 1:2-4

Without trials, we cannot and will not be complete. Without tests, we will be lacking. After perseverance through the storms, perfectly we will stand in the Light.

Even though this week has been a constant fight, our team is closer. I give thanks to God for His grace and mercies given abundantly to His children. Our team is learning to carry each other's burdens and patiently love one another. We are learning how to suffer like Christ and extend grace because much grace has been extended to us. And through the rain, both spiritual and physical, we have learned to sing praises to the author and perfecter of our faith. 

Thank God our victory in Christ trumps the schemes of Hell. 

We still have three weeks here in Indianapolis. Honestly, time is passing too quickly. We want to see this city redeemed for Jesus Christ. We also realize we are on a schedule- thank God for being timeless. He was here before us, He is here with us, and He will be here after us. His kingdom work did not start and will not end with us. Thank you Jesus for that! Our team and this city need your prayers. Pray that we may endure trails like Christ and with a child-like faith. Pray for strength when we're weak and opportunities to share Christ. Pray for safety as we travel. Pray for the Enemy to back off. Pray for Jesus Christ to save souls, even if we have nothing to do with it. But most importantly, pray God's will be done in this city. 

With love,
Kelly

'Round and 'Round in Circle City

Two weeks ago, our Generation Send team departed from Fosters, Alabama and drove ten hours to Indianapolis, Indiana. Looking back on our trip up to Circle City, it seems like two days ago- and two months ago at the very same time. The bus ride up here was just one of many, many adventures! Time is passing way too fast, but the Lord is providing more opportunities than I can count and is showing me over and over how His plans are higher than my plans. Our team is God orchestrated and we have become a tight-knit family. Saying I'm blessed beyond measure is an understatement. 

I could write pages about our suffering and God's graces. Instead, I want to give y'all a glimpse of a day in our life. Also, we have much to celebrate. I cannot wait to share!

There are nine members of our team- BK, Evan, Katelin, Caleb, Collin, Caroline, Rachel, and Joseph. God has provided us with two areas of ministry. Katelin, Caleb, Caroline, Rachel, and Joseph are on the east side; BK, Even, Collin, and I are on the south side. Just a brief overview- the east side is section 8 housing with high crime and drug use. The south side is an apartment complex with seclusion and loneliness. Both areas are filled with brokenness, are without community, and are in desperate need for Jesus. The Lord has called and equipped each member of our team to a specific area to love people to Him. And that's what we are doing. 

A normal day for us begins around 8:00 AM. We take public transportation to our ministry sights. While we are on the bus, our goal is to engage with people in conversation with the intention of turning the conversation to Christ. Is this easy? NO. People, including myself, do not want to talk on a bus or early in the morning. Regardless of how we feel, the Lord is using our weakness to make much of Christ and glorify himself. You know the best thing about God's will? He does not need us. The pressure and weight of the world is not on our shoulders, it's on the cross. Our team shares in the desire to carry the everyone's burdens, so we have to remind ourselves daily that it is not our job to save the world- Jesus already did that! Our job is to passionately follow Christ, fall more and more in love with him, and use our lives to show others the salvation we have received- the FREE gift! Nothing we will ever do can save us; attempting to work for our salvation is cheapening Christ's death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. That is SO comforting in moments when I feel like what I do matters more than what Jesus did. Anyways, after we take the bus 30-45 minutes to the East and an hour to the South, we hit the ground running. The first few days here were spent prayer walking the area and identifying needs within our community. Like I previously mentioned, both areas are broken and in need of Jesus. Our "job" is to meet these people, build relationships with them, hear their hearts, and point them to Jesus. People are not projects and they are not too far gone. They also don't care what you know until they know that you care. I constantly remind myself of these truths. Both East and South teams have met so many wonderful people, but they are all searching for something- we know the answer is Jesus. For most of our day, we are investing and sharing life with the contacts we've made. At night, we MAY see each other for dinner- I wouldn't bet on that though. We all return to the church between 7-8 PM, utterly exhausted from the physical, emotional, and spiritual demands of the day. Most nights, we spend time as a family playing cards or basketball, watching movies, or just sitting up talking. We'll hit the sheets somewhere around midnight and repeat the whole process the next day. Doesn't sound difficult or tiring? I guess I forgot to mention the  7ish miles a day that we walk the streets. Yes, this is hard; but, I wouldn't change this life or experience for anything in the world. These past two weeks have pushed me, grown me, and blessed me in ways that I will remember the rest of my life. 

I also mentioned already that we have much to rejoice about. Both the East and South sides are starting community group bible studies next week! We have met so many people interested in the gospel and we want to give it to them. The community groups we are helping put together will, God willing, continue after we leave. We are hoping to raise up leaders to continue this ministry long after we return home. Our prayer is for these community groups to grow and flourish into a church on mission- a church on fire for Christ. We serve a God of power, he's in the business of blowing our minds and changing our hearts. We are in prayer for a revival in this city, beginning with a revival in our hearts. The community groups God has given us the tools and people to form are only the start! 

None of these things could be possible without prayer and discernment from the Holy Spirit. Thank you all for the support, prayers, and love you have sent to me and my GenSend family. You are a crucial part of the ministry happening in Indianapolis. I will update again soon. Until then, remember the words of Paul in Ephesians 3-

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (v. 20-21)

Pray impossible prayers, expect the unexpected, and watch God move.