Reality sets in...

So I'm getting on a plane to South Africa. The day is finally here! I can't believe that it has come so quickly. The last year has gone by so fast. I am overwhelmed by all of the emotions I am feeling right now, so much so, that I am finding it extremely difficult to communicate where I am with the Lord at this moment. My first response to all of this emotion is to avoid communicating in general. That desire aside, I know it is best for me to attempt to be as open and vulnerable as possible. So here goes….

 

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, especially the past week. I've spent my time at Denver Christmas Conference working with the creative team to serve and love 1300 students from colleges in our Great Plains Region. It has been great fun jumping right into Crusade staff. I am blessed to serve a God who enables each of us to serve in so many capacities. The creative team helped me to serve students on an artistic level.  We  used our creativity to put together countless videos, pantomimes, skits, dances, and interviews, all to serve and love these students well. It is such a blessing to serve these students and watch the Lord work in their hearts. I have the best job in the world. We are here to serve students and love them well! This conference was the perfect way to do just that. 

 

After working with other Crusade Staff members, I realize it is amazing to have co-workers who love the Lord with all of their hearts and want to glorify him with everything he has given them! The conference was a great way to start my time on Crusade Staff. Linked below is the website for the Christmas Conference. There are some promotion videos and information on the conference if you are interested in knowing more about it.

http://godcc.com/media.php

 

I spent a lot of my time with the creative team, but also had the chance to spend time with the South Africa team. It has been nice to spend time with them, but to be honest it has been extremely overwhelming. A year ago I couldn't be more convinced that South Africa is where God wanted me. This week I have struggled to be so confident. I want to be as real as possible with all of you through my year, and sometimes that means I let go of the ideal stuff. I know that Jesus wants me in South Africa, my head is sure of it. My heart is stuck here for now. I am so sad to leave the parts of my life in Denver that mean so much to me. I am going to this nation Christ has enabled me to care for so deeply, but I am leaving this life that he has built in Denver. It is hard to leave the people who God has used to teach me, love me,and redeem dark areas of my life. There is “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and time to dance” Ecclesiastes 3:4. 

My last week in the states has been filled with so many emotions and it has left me confused. I thought to myself, if this is what Christ wants for me, why is it so hard to go. In the midst of so many questions I remembered a conversation I had with my best friend. We were talking about the sacrifice Christ made to be with us, and how he knew when he made the decision that it wouldn’t be easy to go through it. During this conversation, Arielle kept saying “God never told us it would be easy”. I started to think about why it was hard to leave. I started with leaving my family, my best friends, my church and the community at DCC… As the list went on I began to realize that all of these things I am devastated to leave are pure representations of Christ in my life. I started to understand that it is a great blessing to experience sadness in leaving these people. So many people don’t have relationships, communities, churches, and family to shed tears over. My selfishness kept me from thanking God for his decision to send me. I realize now that I am beyond blessed to experience this immense sadness in leaving, because all of you are a gift from God. I am not ashamed to cry for a gift as amazing and incredible as you! 

I guess what I am trying to say is I am so incredibly sad to leave Denver, but am so thankful that the Lord has given me so much to miss about my life here. Today I am sad to leave, but I know that God's plan is what is best for me. I am so excited to see what I learn in the process.

I can't end this incredibly long post without first saying what I am most excited for, and that is to watch the Lord work in students and families lives, just as I have watched him work in all of yours. I can't wait to cry just as much next year when I have to leave all of the amazing people he will put in my life in South Africa. Thank you so much for sending me, and being a part of what Christ is doing.

 

 Lots of love! 

Arias

 

An short update!

Hey Everyone!

 

I wanted to put together a small list of things our team needs prayer for, and also for me personally. Thank you so much for supporting myself and the South Africa team in prayer. It helps more than we could ever hope!

 

• We are currently staffing a student conference in Downtown Denver, and with only 5 days left it can feel like a lot to work the conference and brief for our trip next week. Can you please pray for our connection as a team. Help us to connect with the Lord, with one another, and with the students who we will be serving during the conference.
• We need prayer for last min details such as bank accounts, housing for the boys, details in serving with Beam Africa, and so on.
• We need prayer as a team that Jesus would be our first priority during this busy time. All of this doesn’t matter if we are not connected to him, so please pray that we are close to him and that he is our center.
• We can continue pray for the families at Beam Africa, and the Students as they return to campus after their Christmas break. Please pray for our connections with them, and our hearts in serving them the way Christ desires us to.
• Personally, I need prayer for peace about going. I am emotionally attached to my life here in Denver, and to the people God has blessed me with. It is difficult to say goodbye for the year, but I know that South Africa is where the Lord wants me. I am excited to go, but sad to leave.

 

Thank you for praying for our team. If you get a chance please send me how I can be praying for all of you. I have 19 hours on a plane next week, and a year to send some love up to the Big guy for all of you. Please let me know how I can be talking to the Lord for you and everyone in your lives.

 

Thank you again, and I am looking forward to sharing in all of this with all of you!

 

Love,

 

Arias

Some Prayer Requests

So some exciting and important details for our STINT year are starting to come together. I wanted to take some time to share some prayer requests as our details roll in. With only a little over a month left before we report to our assignment in South Africa things are starting to move quickly. I would love share in these prayers with you! Also, if you have a couple seconds I would love to hear from all of you so I know how I can be praying for you as well. I am constantly thanking God for the role you play in my life. I am excited to hear how I can be lifting you up in my prayers. Thank you so much for your prayers and your care. 

 

Ok here goes…

 

• Can you please pray for our teammates that have not yet received all of their financial support for the next year? Everyone is really close and we are excited to see how the Lord will provide for all of us.
• As a team we need some prayer for details in housing. We are currently looking for a place to call home, but it has been a bit more challenging than we thought it would originally be. We need prayer for a safe place to call home for our next year.
• Two weeks ago we sent out our Visa applications for approval. Can you please pray that all our applications are pushed through the process quickly with no hiccups? If we encounter issues it can take up to three months to be approved.
• Last, can you please pray that as our team comes together again in January that we can be in one heart and mind?

 

It means so much to me that I can share in this amazing experience with all of you. Thank you so much for your prayers, and I hope to hear from you soon. If you have a spare moment, email me how I can be praying for you. Thank you again!

I am sorry that it has taken me some time to update my blog, life has been hard to process lately. I have honestly struggled to put my thoughts down on paper. So much has happened in the past few weeks and it has clouded my mind. I am excited to share that I’ve reached 100% of my financial support! I AM GOING TO SOUTH AFRICA!!! Praise Jesus! This morning I spent a good 2 hours in tears. I have never experienced anything like this before in my life. I have seen so many people come alongside this ministry. All of you have been so generous with everything the Lord has given you. I am incredibly blessed to know you and serve Christ with you. Thank you for inviting me into your lives and sharing your love for our God with me. I am truly a different person because of everything the Lord has given me through knowing you. I look back on the past 6 months today and know that I have gained so much more than I could have ever asked for or dreamed of. I am thankful for the relationships God has given me. I have met so many wonderful people who have shared their passion for Jesus with me. I couldn’t imagine moving to South Africa without sharing in this adventure with them.

 

When I was spending time with the Lord this morning I came across these verses and thought I should share some of my thoughts. 

 “ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you my friends, for everything that I have learned from my father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.” – John 15:15-16

 

Christ tells us that He chose us to know him and bear fruit that will last! I am so thankful that Christ handpicked everyone who has decided to join the South Africa team. All of us were picked to be a part of what He is doing in South Africa. This is eternal. I know I am blessed to be a part of it. I can’t stop thanking our God for how He has provided for our team in so many creative ways. Thank you for your generosity. Christ has made it possible for me to go by bringing you into my life! I will never be able to say thank you enough!  

Update letter and Email information...

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am sending out my first update letter this week. I also wanted to ask everyone to confirm their email address with me. In addition to keeping this blog and sending the monthly update letters, I will hopefully be able to send videos over email.  I want to share in my adventures with all of you and email is a great way to do that. 

You can email me at amanda.arias@uscm.org from your preferred email. Thanks so much for reading and I am so excited to share everything with you. 

Here is one of my favorite videos from my trip to South Africa in the summer of 2007. These beautiful little girls spend a lot of their time at Beam Africa, and our team has the privilege of spending time with them when we go. 

A Stellar Sound

Enjoy!

Thank you for all of your love and support!

So my last posting was about the time our team spent together in Copper Mountain at Briefing, and this posting is kind of piggy backing off of some things brought up during the week in Copper Mountain.  Here are some thoughts on what I've had a hard time processing through in the past 2 weeks. 

 

I think being at briefing, spending time with the team, and working through details of the trip over our seven days together left me processing through a lot. I left briefing extremely excited for my STINT year in South Africa, but was really overwhelmed with the thought of leaving in only 4 months. After a lot of praying and several good conversations, I realize that I have spent a lot of time holding onto my life here in Colorado. It is difficult for me to imagine a life outside of the one the Lord has built for me here. I love my life here in Denver and it is completely terrifying to think about starting over in South Africa. 

 

When I think about leaving my family, friends, and church my heart feels so heavy, and often I am clouded by my emotion in the situation. Its no surprise that I struggle with how to process all of my emotion, so sorting through my thoughts and emotion in this has been really overwhelming for me. This entire process of preparing to move to South Africa has been about trusting not only that the Lord has a plan for my life, but also that his plan is GOOD! The other day I was reading through Matthew 13, The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl, and realized something that has changed my perspective.

 

Matt 13:44-46

 

“The Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

         Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

 

While reading this I found myself stuck on the phrase “in his joy went…”. I am not pursuing South Africa in joy. I am already missing what I am going to have to leave and forgetting all of the amazing things God is sending me into to. The week I was at briefing I realized that it was a little over a year ago that I felt God pushing me to STINT in South Africa. I was on summer project in South Africa, and experienced the treasure that South Africa is. I guess what I realized was that South Africa is like my pearl, and my desire is to leave in my JOY because what God has for me next year in South Africa is worth more than I could ever dream up for my life hear in Denver.

I think this will be something I will struggle with as our leave date approaches, but I have hope that the Lord will continue to teach me and prepare me for my STINT year.

Thanks for reading through this and processing with me.  

I just got back from spending a week in Copper Mountain at Campus Crusades STINT Briefing conference. It was great time with the Lord, the South Africa STINT team, and other Crusade staff members who are dedicating a year of their lives to serve the Lord in countries around the world. It was amazing to talk with teams who are moving to Spain, Mexico city, New Zealand, Italy, and so many other places, all with the same purpose. This week I was once again reminded that my heart is so small. It was incredible to experience briefly a piece of God's beautiful heart for the nations.

One of the most exciting things about this week was that our team had some great time to get to know each other. The Lord truly blessed our time together. We shared our stories and why we felt called to South Africa. In hearing from each person I was moved at how creative our God is. Everyone's story was different, yet we have all been called to serve as a team next year. Each team member has unique gifts and I am so excited to see how they will be used.

To the right is a picture of the team on our last night in Copper. Running right to left is Rylan, Dan, Ali, Kendra, Stacey, Me, James, and Ryan. 

There were a lot of meetings and a lot of details for the trip were discussed. I was hoping to work through a lot of questions I had about the STINT this week, instead I found peace in being flexible. I am definitely a details person as well as someone who loves to start up new things. I am learning pretty fast that these two desires clash.  I have mentioned that we are the first STINT team to move to South Africa in our region. So this is new and exciting, but it also requires me to be really flexible. Details for the trip are clearing up, but we have all agreed as a team to remain open and adaptable with the months to come.

One last thing about this week. Some exciting news for us, we might have another teammate by the end of this week. This person is considering joining our team, making it a total of 9 people to go. This is really exciting for us, and we hope it works out. Please be praying for peace in the decision making process.