July Update

 No explanation :) The three of us working hard!

 Wash day in Milan- all the machines were broken except the end two, so we used the rest as seats

 A tram with lights

 Vatican City

 Bronze Hog in Florence-there's a replica at U of A

Trevi Fountain

If She Doesn't Dance With Me I'll Die Anyways

Manuel has the freedom that we as Americans do not have. Interesting statement since we pride ourselves of being from the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Manuel can share the Gospel and does so unashamedly at his work. Not only with co-workers but with the customers at the Peruvian restaurant where he works in Milan, Italy.

He has only been a believer for 8 months, but his world has been changed for an eternity. After a strong encounter with the Lord, he has seen time and time again the Lord move in his life.

So his burning in his heart overflows into his life. He wants others to know about Christ, so he does exactly what we all should be doing. He tells the story of Christ to everyone he encounters. He has even shared the Gospel with a drunken man outside the restaurant one night and told us that this man fell into his arms crying after Manuel told him that God loves him.
The night we ate at Manuel’s restaurant there was live music and dancing. We were the only non Latinos in the restaurant, so naturally we stuck out a little bit.

One man who had been drinking a little too much, after being encouraged by the singer, came over and asked me to dance with him. I politely refused, but he harmlessly kept on.

Manuel interceded and began to tell this man about the love of God and how one day he’d die and he needed to know where he was going.

Cleverly, the man stated, “But if she doesn’t dance with my I’ll die anyways!” Manuel persisted and finally the man sat back down.

This is Manuel’s mission field. He goes into work to face people who disagree with him or think he’s crazy. However he refuses to stop sharing with them. He gets to do what we as Americans would get in trouble for doing in the work place.

As we were leaving a man approached Parker and asked if a man who followed God could be a smoker. Manuel had shared with us that this was a struggle he was still having.

Parker told him that we all have things we are working on and no one is perfect. Pray for Manuel as he faces persecution from his co-workers. Pray that he grows strong and continues seeking the Lord passionately. And pray that he boldly proclaims truth to those around him. Pray for him to no longer struggle with smoking. What a challenge and example to me!

Someone Else's Legs

I always ask God to see miracles. I desire daily to see his hand move through events in my life or around me. My trip to Italy was no different as I begged him to show me who he is and his power in my life.

I am better than I was a year and 8 months ago. So much better. But my body, much to my surprise, is still healing. I still have swelling and pain finds me. The swelling isn’t as bad as before and neither is the pain, but it remains. I knew as I faced Italy that these two things would slow me down. I couldn’t stand the thought of going slow, so I pepped talked myself into pushing forward and begged for God to show my body mercy. And he did in such a huge way.

We walked, and walked, and walked some more. At the end of each day my legs would be swollen and they would hurt. Each morning, however, the pain and swelling would disappear.

There would be times that Brook and Parker would ask me how I was doing, and I, much to my dismay and embarrassment, had to tell them I needed to slow down. They were gracious and patient with me.

Like I have shared before with you, I have very clear moments when I know you are praying. I had a similar experience in Italy. There were moments where my legs were done. I was done, and I didn’t think I could go anymore. Tears would come to my eyes.

Then my world would slow down, and it felt like someone was stepping into my legs. It felt like someone would start to walk for me. It literally felt like I was walking in someone else’s legs.

There is no other explanation than that God was with me, he is with me. He’s letting me see and experience his miracles. His power is truly the most beautiful thing there is. He loves me. He loves you. He never forgets us. I’ll walk forward with the legs he’s given me. There’s too much work to do to slow down.

Prayer Requests

For the Trailblazer team– preparation for Germany-August 9-23

My legs-swelling to be minimal/ for my tendon to not be painful

For our friend who sometimes stays the night with us

For my friends who help me at therapy

My friend who is an immigrant in a new country but continues to go to church and Bible study!

Manuel and the other immigrants we met in Italy

Praises

God’s provision during Italy

Rest before Germany

My continued improvement

Return of the Clifton’s from their stateside assignment (they are on the church planting team here)

The Night I Fell In Love

His story is not unique. But it's his story, nonetheless. And I have been impacted for the better because of it. I humbly introduce you to my Indian friend, Joseph. I have given him this name because his story parallels that of Joseph in the Bible.

Brook and I accidently left the key in the room one evening in Rome. Oops... so down we went to the reception where Joseph was sitting. After telling him our dilemma, he had to get out a box of keys and rummage through them to find the spare to our room. I could tell he was a little frustrated, but I did my best to be polite and thankful for him helping us out. I opened our room then ran back downstairs to return the key.

"Are you Christians?" Joseph asked. I was a little surprised at this remark, and I told him that we were. He gave me a quick synopsis of his life. He was raised in India as a Roman Catholic, but now he is not religious and does not know what he really should follow. He said he used to read the Bible, but not anymore. I encouraged him to read the Bible again, because it has truth. He then said that if I wanted to I could come back down and talk with him, because he'd be there working all night. I smiled and left. Then the Holy Spirit started a burning in my heart.

Parker, Brook, and I had our end of the day meeting. Before we prayed, I told them about my conversation with Joseph. I shared that my heart was heavy for him and that he asked if we were Christians. Parker then admitted that he had said in Hindi to Joseph that God loves him. Open door. I told them that Joseph invited us to go down and talk. We were all exhausted from that day, but as we prayed the Holy Spirit kept urging me to go down and talk with this man.

I made a deal with God awhile back. It was to be obedient when He tells me to be. Not to delay my obedience, but to boldly go forward. During our prayer time I could not physically remain still because I knew what I had to do. Excuses come so fast. It would be weird and inappropriate for me to go down alone and talk to this Indian man. What in the world do I have in common with him to allow me to share truth with him? What do I even say to initiate the conversation?

Our prayer time ended. I sat for a moment then I almost ran out the door out of urgency. As unsure of myself as I was, He was telling me to go. If I had to go alone, then so be it. This isn't about me. As I stood at the top of the stairs preparing for my descent, I pondered the best way to initiate the conversation. My breathing sped up, and I started to take my first step. Then I looked to my side, and Parker was there. All smiles. "You going with me?" I asked. And he said yes. So down we went. Thank you Lord for sending a friend.

Joseph was pleasantly surprised at our coming down to visit with him. I awkwardly said that the things he said to me earlier interested me, and I wanted to hear more about his life. And hear about his life is exactly what we did.

He shared how in India he had a wife, son, and a good job where he was a supervisor over others, but an opportunity came up. His brother was in Rome and wanted him to come and serve as a partner with him. He felt like it was a great opportunity, left behind India, only to be mistreated by his own flesh and blood. He explained that his brother treated him like a slave. Wanted him to only do the dirty work and not actually be a partner in business. His brother wanted to keep him from learning Italian so that Joseph could not find other work. Just like Joseph in the Bible, money was more important to his brother than Joseph was. So he treated him badly and more or less sold him into slavery. This is not uncommon among immigrants. There is hope of making more money, having a better life, and making something of yourself that you can brag about back home. But then they are faced with reality, and it is anything but those things they thought it would be.

He finally broke away from his brother, and found work in restaurants and in hotels. He said at one restaurant the owner commented that his belly was too big, so he fired him. Later when the owner said he was just joking, Joseph refused to return. He said his dignity was more important to him than money.

Despite initially following money or the opportunity of to Rome, Joseph rejects money as the most important thing there is. Throughout our conversation he kept saying money is power, and you need money. But when he shared his actions with us, he always chose integrity and character over the money. It costs him, but he did it anyways. His own brother abused him, but he refuses to be like his brother: a greedy lover of money.

Joseph went on to tell us about his wife in India. How they had difficulties in their marriage. They had gone to marriage conferences to try and fix things. He says he still stays in contact with her, but speaks more to his mother than his wife. She tells him to return home where she can take care of him, but he's weary of her. In the past she has lied about him. She at one point turned him into the police saying he was abusive, even though that was not the case. He went on to explain that he, while they were engaged, went out of his way to buy her a house even before they were married. He said, "Ask any Indian! They would not do that. But I did that for her." It wasn't enough because she was hungry for more money, and more power. Like Joseph in the Bible, he was deceived by a woman, even though he was trying to honor and respect her.

When it comes to character, this man wants to uphold it. As we were talking about his job now, the graveyard shift at the hotel, he told us about how hateful his boss is. He said that the hardest thing for him is lying. That sometimes he must lie about the quality of the hotel rooms in order to keep business, even though he knows the rooms are not as good as they could be. I was shocked as his eyes turned very red. Then came the rain. Tears flowed as though we were trusted friends. He said that it hurt his heart to lie and he did not want to do that, but his work depended on it. Choosing integrity and character always costs us. And I saw the pain in this man's eyes because of the value he put on the right things, instead of the things of this world.

Parker was able to share a little bit with him about how Christ had changed his life. Joseph listened a little bit, but remained cautious. In the end he gave us his email, and EVEN gave me the email of his wife. He said maybe she needed to hear the things that we were telling him. I was stunned as he handed me this free pass to communicate with this woman. I asked him if he still loved her in spite of the wrong she had done to him.

Then I saw it. It started in his eyes as a spark then turned out in a smile. He said he still loved her even though she had wronged him. I asked him if there was anything I could not say to her. He said I could tell her anything because he's an open book, but that I could not tell her that he loved her. He needs to know first that she wants him for who he is.

I have not seen a love like that in a long time. To be treated so poorly by someone, but to still have an unconditional love? Isn't that the kind of love our God has for us?

It got me thinking. When I saw the spark in his eyes, I thought to myself that I hope to find someone who loves me like that one day. Then God started showing me that I already have that love. That He passionately cares for me. I am His bride. I am His beloved. He has not left me once. He continues to seek me out even though I spit in His face. This is the love I desperately desire. God used Joseph to show me that He is enough for me. He loves me like that. With a spark in His eyes and smile on His face. I am His. There is no other love like this. My life was changed by the story of Joseph. All that was required of me was to be obedient in a moment when the Holy Spirit beckoned me to follow on an adventure. And the rest was history. He moves my world and shows me that He is at work, even in the life of an immigrant whose world has fallen apart. An immigrant willing to share his life, and let us share life with him.

Somewhere in the recent events of my life I had forgotten that God's love was for me. I knew it in my head, but my heart had forgotten. We equate our life situations with whether or not His love is for us. I look at Joseph of the Bible as a perfect example of this. It appears that God has checked out. But no. He did not leave Joseph even though it seems He did. He has not left my Indian Joseph either. So this night in Rome, Italy I fell in love. I fell head over heels in love again with my Savior. I remembered who I am to Him. I am the apple of His eye. Cherished as I am. I am His and He is mine. I cannot ask for more.

Pray for Joseph. Pray that he returns to God and he too can experience this unconditional love. Thank you, Joseph, for reminding me of this love that exists. As you show it, I pray you realize you can receive it as well.

His Bride,
Taryn

Reclaiming My Life

The past year and 8 months of my life has been about one thing. Reclaiming my life. My world has been changed. My body most definitely and in the process my heart, soul and mind have been impacted as well. While we were in Milan, one day I started running a little bit just being silly. I've done this on and off since I've been able to walk, but this time it didn't hurt quite as bad. The thought passed through my mind that I'm getting close.

This has been all out war. There have been battles I have fought less valiantly than other. And there have been some battles that I'm not even sure I've won. Tonight I went into war. And tonight I took back part of my life. Tonight I ran.

Now before you get an idea in your head of what my running is, let me humbly explain it to you. Before the accident I had been doing interval running. I had worked up to running for a good amount of time. So I decided to begin where I had started off. Running for 2 minutes, walking for 3 for a total of 15 minutes. Now to you guys who do the math quickly, that's only 6 minutes of running total. But for me it was like winning the war. I went in aware of the costs and I waged against the enemy, my own body.

I have been waiting and pushing for this moment. I can't say that it was glorious. I can say that fear sprang upon me as I kept urging myself into the jog, but I kept hesitating. Fear of what others would think came to mind. Gosh, I'm so slow and awkward at this. Fear of how I would pay for this physically the next few days passed through my head. Fear. Then I told the fear to shut up and I ran. I ran while my injuries that I had thought were so far away now pestered me reminding me that they are still by my side. I ran to prove to myself that this life belongs to me. God has spared me for a reason, gifted this life to me, and while being obedient to him, I'm claiming it. And I'm running with it.

An old Spanish lady even cheered me on at one point! I put on my best face when I passed the outdoor cafes full of people. My breathing didn't even affect me since my knees were challenging me every step. Telling me to stop. I didn't care what they said because I had something to prove. I did it. I am conquering my world. I will not stand by. I will not let this beat me. So onward I go. Onward with His leadings. Onward into the world. The stake's just got higher. But haven't they always been this high? It will cost us everything, but I challenge that it is indeed worth it.

My body is my slave. I will use it until the day I die to share the most beautiful story that there is. I want to leave this world with a worn out body that has used every ounce of its energy.
There is the one true God. He loves us. He desires us. What more could we want? Let's run.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.  No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

A Fall from the Pedestal

I knew it was a bad sign when my friend told me he couldn’t come up with anything I needed to work on. He had just asked for my input on something he should work on. I told him I didn’t know him well enough, but he pressed the matter. I shared a very basic issue with him that I said he already realized, and he took what I said and told me he’d think about it. I wasn’t quite ready to receive the favor, but felt like I should at least ask. It’s never fun to seek out correction. So I asked and I believe he said something to the effect of “there are only good things to say.” Of course I knew otherwise, I even voiced this, but left it alone. I knew the truth would be shown and soon enough my imperfections would be seen. I had no doubt about that. He’d only see me in action for a few days at this point. There was more of me to uncover.

Later on we were eating at a restaurant. The people working there were being rude, for whatever reason. You have a bad day, you are tired, and things are going on at home. Whatever. We can be rude. Little did I know that my comment that quickly tumbled out of my mouth would bring on the lighting of an internal fire of deep disappointment and maybe even anger. My comment was to the effect that if they are acting in that way they must not be believers. In my head, I was justifying their reasons for acting rude, but what fell on my friend’s ears was significantly different. That was all it took. I didn’t realize the weight of my words until we left and hints of his aggravations were coming to light. Some comments were made putting me on the automatic defense I know too well. I’ll arm myself quickly. I truly did not mean the statement in that way. My friend just does not understand me. Not my problem, but his. All I meant was that when people don’t have the love of Christ we can’t expect them to act like Christians. And I believe that. But somewhere in my comment, I ceased to realize the judging tone that sprang out of my mouth. That I do not know their hearts. I momentarily forgot that I too have bad days, where I do not show the love of Christ.

That scenario was all it took, and I fell. Hard. Really, really hard. I fell harder off his pedestal than I have ever fallen off any pedestal I have made for myself. His rebuke rang in my ears as he said he would expect that comment from others but not from me. He was very wrong, since I am not beyond any sin. I apologized, accepted the rebuke. Felt nauseous actually. In my pride I hate being wrong. I knew he’d see me fall, but the level of his disappointment shocked me. I guess I had put on a pretty good façade before this point. Ha!

This is not the first time my words have been taken the wrong way, but this time I really stopped and thought about it. My friend told me that these types of comments were the very things that kept him away from the church and the Gospel. This arrogance that we as Christians have all the answers and would never, ever do something wrong. I realized that my words were almost taken personally, and I honestly can’t remember that last time I saw that type of disappointment in someone’s eyes.

This learning experience/slap in my face truly made me evaluate how quickly I speak. All in all it’s really for the best that my friend saw me fall flat on my face. To see me as I am, a sinner in need of Christ’s love every day of my life. I guess it was a refining moment from God. To teach me how to accept a hard rebuke, ask for forgiveness, and move forward with this new lesson. So even though I didn’t sleep that night, thank you to my friend for speaking truthfully to me. I am glad you saw me fall ungracefully to the ground. I am capable of any sin. May Christ make me more like Him and to be careful with my words despite my intentions behind them. May the love of Christ show through me despite my unrighteousness.

From ground level,
Taryn

Ciao from Milano!

Hello all!
Well, June came and went without a newsletter without me even realizing it! Oops! Right now I am on a research trip in Italy with Brook and Parker. Things are going well and it is evident God is with us each and every step. My legs are doing amazingly considering that we walk all day long. I have not had to sit out a day or rest any more than B and P. I know you must be praying for me from that alone because the week before I left I was having swelling and pain. Please continue to pray!

We are learning about the immigrants in Milan and Rome, and they are definitely here and there are churches. Pray that the Lord uses these churches to spread his word and that His word will fall on open ears. We will be here until the 11th of this month. Pray for us to love one another (since we are together ALL the time). We have been doing great so far... please pray for the right contacts and for opportunities to share the Gospel. Now, 2 years later from when I had my interview I am getting to do exactly the job description I responded to. Praise Him for all of the bumps in the road getting here and that I am blessed to be at work. I know y'all must feel really sorry for me working hard in Italy!

As always please let me know your prayers requests. You bless me so much and I can hear and feel your prayers across the ocean.

In Him,
Taryn

Ready for Takeoff?

This post has been in the making for months at this point. I've had alot of my mind lately. Mostly the travel that's ahead of me. I'll be going to Guatemala in a week and at the end of this month I'll be in Italy doing research. With all of this travel right around the corner I've been thinking about my baggage. What do I pack? What do I NOT need to pack? What's in our baggage is important and when we get to our destination we anticipate our baggage at the baggage claim. This type of baggage can be helpful, but what about the type of baggage that isn't so good? The extra unnecessary stuff.

You know when you're in the plane waiting to take off and all of the sudden there's an announcement that the baggage area is too full, there's too much weight. It's one of the most annoying announcements. Didn't people read the info about how much baggage they are allowed? Why did the check-in desk let people check more weight than necessary? This is the bad baggage I'm talking about.

Baggage. We all have it. We all have justifiable reasons for having baggage. We've been hurt in relationships by family, friends, significant others. We've had a difficult upbringing. We just weren't loved enough. Doubts creep in as well adding to the weight: Are we ever good enough? What's my worth? All of these things can help us pile up a big mound of baggage.

We hate it and we love it. We hate it because our baggage is the very thing that weighs us down, yet our actions show we love it because we continue to drag it all around with us. We'll even drag it half way across the globe. The phrase "he/she has baggage" has been kind of a funny one for me to explain in Spanish. It would be, "el o ella tiene equipaje o maletas." I go on to describe what that means exactly. Our baggage is often emotional, spiritual, mental or all of the above. And it truly weighs us down like physical baggage does.

You may be asking why I'm talking about baggage or why I've been explaining this to my friends here in Spain. I guess I'm asking myself the same thing. One thing I'm seeing is that we all have our own baggage. Some people have more than others. Some people's baggage is heavier or has had more severe effects on one's life. Nonetheless it affects us all. It affects how we relate to our world. It affects how we relate to our God. And I think that's what's most important to me. Have I let my junk or baggage be a stumbling block in my relationship with the Lord? And what does that mean for other things in my life?

One thing I've seen over and over again in the lives of friends my age or even older is this carrying of our baggage. We've yet to unpack the bag and deal with the mess that's inside. In some strange way we carry it with us as our excuse to act a certain way. We use it to show our suffering, but not quite in the best way that glorifies God. Alot of the problem with the baggage is we rummage through it, stir up the mess again, repack it, and drag it along for yet another trip.

At what point do we unpack it, hand it over to the Lord, and WALK AWAY?! This is something I'm wondering myself. I wouldn't count my life as being very traumatic, but I still carry some bad situations with me. And no, I'm not even talking about the most obvious recent thing that people may think about with this accident. Even though I physically carry that quite a bit. I guess I've been wondering about some of the other junk. Junk that I thought I worked through. Maybe I have walked away from the baggage and Satan has recently thrown it in my path for me to stumble over. Who knows? But I do need to know how to deal with it. It holds me down and back from the Lord's work.

I've seen this as I talked to friends. Girls and guys. I've heard people express this in relationships and other circumstances in their lives. It looks like this: I'm broken. I'm no longer good enough. Maybe I'm too far gone. Maybe because of this I shouldn't get married. What if I'm not cut out for this? What if I turn out like my parents? I've messed up too many times. Maybe love like that doesn't exist.

All of those things lead to the thought that I can't be used by God. Paralyzed. Weighed down and immovable because of our junk that we can't seem to let go of. Really, a clever plan by Satan. We become engrossed and obsessed with our baggage, and we forget to lift our heads up to look around us. To rise up to lead and serve as God would have us to.
One thing I'm learning over and over again is that this world is full of heartache. We will be hurt and we will hurt others. We will see pain and we will experience it. We are guaranteed suffering if we choose to follow Christ. So all that said, if I'm going to face these tough things in life, I need to learn to do so while not holding onto my grief. While not clinging tightly to my "right" to feel hurt and broken all the while pointing my finger at the person or situation that has inflicted the pain. Somehow I have to let God in to heal. I must invite the Holy Spirit to cleanse me of this pain and hurt.

And He does indeed heal us. Is it a process? Yes. Does Satan like to throw our stuff back in our face every once in awhile? You bet. So we have to throw it back at him, and tell him to get out of our way. We have to run back to God, because holding onto this stuff isn't helping us. And it's not furthering His kingdom if we are standing in the midst of it not moving forward.

I'm not saying to just pretend that you've worked through these things. Do what you need to seek out fellowship, accountability, counseling, reconciliation, whatever, so that we can get to work. So we can get to doing HIS work. It's hard. I'm working on dropping off my baggage too. Sometimes I want to hold onto it out of spite. This isn't what God wants for me though. My baggage only brings me down and pulls me away from the healing touch of God.

One day, my brother and I were talking about baggage. He asked me about a friend I have, and I just shared with him that this friend has alot of baggage. Darren laughed and said, "We all have baggage! Help a weary traveler out!" Darren is right. Let's walk alongside our brothers and sisters praying for them, praying with them, so that they too can leave their baggage behind. Let us press forward leaving everything behind so that our goal is in front of us. Let us boldly carry the beautiful message of the Gospel to those around us. This life is too short to be held down.

Are you ready for takeoff?
Taryn

May Update

On the doorway in a university classroom: Relgion=Venom
the bottom is a cross with a null sign

At a Real Madrid Game- so amazing!

Brook, Parker, and me- 3 Trailblazers

Three Trailblazers

So I have some exciting news to share with you all! We have a new team member who was a Journeyman in Peru and Haiti. Parker has now been added to our team and will be located in Paris to do research there. In addition to France, he’ll be doing the research trips with Brook and me to Italy and Germany.

Parker was here this last week doing some training with us, and it was cool for our team to share with him what our job looks like. One thing on our trip to Valencia that Brook and I saw as a challenge was us not being able to approach men to do interviews. With Parker with us we are able to get the broader perspective of the people we meet and talk with. We already saw the benefit of having a guy with us when we were doing interviews here in Madrid. He is also excellent as Spanish. Puts me to shame a little bit, but definitely challenges me to work harder at language.

It’s exciting to see these things finally come together and it looks like from here on out my term is going to fly by. The schedule is for us to go to Italy June 26-July 8. We will be researching the immigrant situation in Milan and Rome. Then we are hoping to be in Germany August 8-20 doing the same thing.

I would ask that you fervently be praying for these trips. Pray for me, Brook, and Parker to get along with one another in love and respect. Traveling and being together all the time can be challenging, but I think we’ll make a great team. Also please be praying for my legs. They are improving like always, but I still have my worries or doubts. Pray that the Lord sustains me daily through these trips. That when my legs get tired, they will be rejuvenated. When I rest at night, my legs will feel brand new in the morning. Most importantly that these legs will carry me to the places where I can share Christ’s love.

Pain's Ticket

Pain. It is one of the most frustrating things to face. It is one of those things you wish you could just snap your fingers and get rid of. But it remains at my side. Taunting me most days. Bringing me to tears at other times. Challenging me in my walk. And making me question how seriously I take myself when I say I’ll follow Him no matter what.

I continue to follow Him despite these events that continue to affect me. It has been hard. It hasn’t been without some really big tantrums, but I’m still here, still saying that my God is amazing and that He is faithful and loving.

The other day I was really frustrated that nothing is seemingly helping with this injured hamstring/tendon. It pops during the night and I wake up to sharp pain. It’s just very uncomfortable. I was doing my exercises at therapy and I realized something. Without my pain, I lose access to the girls at my therapy. Without my pain, I no longer need my therapist. And I no longer get to share 3 solid hours of time with her each week.

My pain is my ticket to pray for my friends there, and it is my ticket to talk with them and love them with the love of Christ. If I’m not there, who is intentionally talking with them? If I’m not there who is intentionally praying for them? I say this with a heaviness in my heart, but may my pain remain, so that until I leave in October I can continue to be there. And I can continue to pray for the Truth I know to be revealed to my friends.

You're Not Americans!

Brook and I have our local hangout. We are regulars there and there’s something that feels right when you walk in and can greet everyone in the restaurant like you are old friends. Hey, sometimes we even get a free coffee or Nutella crepe!

This restaurant has an interesting dynamic. There’s a Peruvian, Argentine, Bulgarians, and a Moroccan that work there. As time has gone by we have been able to share bits and pieces of our lives with them, and we have been able to inquire about their lives.

About two weeks ago, Brook and I were there for an evening coffee when the Peruvian man started asking me some questions. Do you go out? You don’t like to party, do you? Do you drink? What do you like to do?

I answered his questions and share with him how partying isn’t what satisfies me or fills me up. That’s why I don’t need those things. Only God fills up our hearts and lives.

He then told me that he and the Moroccan man had been talking about how strange Brook and I are. He said, “You’re not Americans! Americans come here to drink and party. You’re not Americans!”

I laughed because unfortunately this is true, but I found it entertaining that they couldn’t quite figure us out. Praise the Father that they do see a difference in us. I pray that we are acting as salt and light making them thirsty to know our God, the one that intimately loves them.

Let's Talk About Love

So you all have heard about our friend who sometimes stays the night with us. These are amazing times where we continue to share God’s love with her. We continue to show her why we believe what we believe, then let her read it in the Bible.

Well she came over the other night. She stayed in the entrance and we told her to come on in. She then called for us to come to the door. When we got there, to our BIG surprise, there was her boyfriend. The man who is older than her father and who controls her each and every step. Brook and I about fell over, but quickly recovered with our Southern hospitality. We invited him in to sit, asked him if he wanted water.

And put on our best smiles. He said he didn’t want to stay, and thank you. He also kept saying “felicidades” which means congratulations. We just smiled and finally he left.

Then the entire truth came out within minutes of him leaving. She had lied to him telling him it was Brook’s birthday, and that was why she wanted to come and hang out with us.

We laughed. We were in shock. But she said after he had met us, she was certain he wouldn’t be worried about her. She said that once he saw we were family-like people he wouldn’t be worried about her staying with us sometimes.

We have recently discovered that there are prostitutes in the area, so she explained that after he had seen we are just young girls who aren’t about partying it would be fine.

So after our shock, we were able to chit chat for awhile. And like always, we can’t have her with us without talking to her about God. We read some Bible passages about love. Our friend even took the liberty of reading it aloud to us. As I watched her face, I could see she was really trying to process what the scripture was saying.

This is what we do, and this all we can do. We offer her our home of peace and while she’s here, we fill her up with the word of God. She may be our lying friend, but we strongly believe that with prayer, the Spirit will change her and show her how badly she needs the blood of Christ. Please continue to pray for her and for opportunities to share the Word with her.

PRAYER REQUESTS
For the Trailblazer team– preparation for the trips/ Parker’s getting used to France
My legs-swelling to be minimal/ for my tendon to not be painful
For our friend who sometimes stays the night with us
For my friends who help me at therapy

PRAISES
My parents are visiting now and we’ll do some vacation time in Barcelona!

One of my friends I have mentioned before that left her home country has been connected with a believer in the new country where she lives. She has attended a Bible study in her mother tongue there. Pray for her to know Truth!

Let me know how to pray for you! Thanks for lifting these things up!

Taryn