Outside my Comfort Zone

GUEST BLOGGER:  Celeste Malin 

2^nd Corinthians 12:10 “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Isiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Getting out of my comfort zone was not easy. Let me begin by saying that I am a follower of Christ Jesus, a born-again believer. I also believe that all are called to be on mission once they believe in Christ Jesus as their savior. With that being said however, I have some limitations. Because of trauma at birth, I have Cerebral Palsy. My CP is not a severe case, but it does cause me to have some difficulties. When I first started thinking about stepping into a place where it was more about trusting God and less about the bondage of the enemy, it was a new and honestly terrifying feeling. I was afraid of failure, but that was again me holding on to my disbelief and the lies of the enemy. It is not my strength, but the strength of the Holy Spirit that allowed me to follow the calling of God in my life. In the beginning, I felt like Moses. Who am I that I can do this thing that you have called me to do? God answered me in the same way he answered Moses saying, “I am with you. I am your God.” I do believe that God gives all of us spiritual gifts, I just needed to trust that God could work through me. When I made it more about glorifying him and less about my fear, wonderful opportunities came my way.

I started out slowly. I was involved with numerous local missions that I still continue work with. These local missions are quite satisfying and truly bring honor and glory to God. If you are wondering if you could be involved in local missions, you can be. The Church at Sandhurst provides countless opportunities to get involved.

After much prayer about seeking God’s will, I was given the opportunity to go on my first cross-cultural mission trip: Belize. During this trip, I was blessed with working alongside some amazing leaders and wonderful youth. I was truly humbled by the experience, and many of the teens stepped up and helped me fit right in. We did numerous outreaches into the community with much centering around children which I thoroughly enjoyed. While I am sure they were blessed by the outreach into their community, we in turn were indescribably blessed by them. We also did some cross-cultural experiences, which were very eye opening and well planned out. This is a large part of short-term mission trips at Sandhurst. We were given many opportunities to utilize our gifts and help out in different ways. Through this trip I learned to not set limits on God for he is limitless and all powerful. God can use anyone he chooses to.

The next summer I was given the chance to be an intern and spend a whole month on mission in Peru. This trip allowed me to grow in ways I would’ve never imagined, such as having the opportunity to give my testimony in a few different places. With the assistance of an interpreter, I was able to share my testimony at an underground church. Many people were moved by my sharing, which was truly humbling for me. Although we did not share a similar language, that did not stop the love of Christ from being shared. Even though we could not understand the music, we could feel the spirit of the Lord moving in that church. The Lord also gave us the opportunity to do mission outreaches to a girl’s home and low-income housing (Shanty Towns). We also were able to present a new wheelchair to a special needs girl living in poverty. Being able to travel to numerous locations throughout Peru expanded the experience in many ways. We got to take part in cross-cultural events and learning experiences to truly be exposed to the Peruvian cultural. I made lifelong friendships that I trust God will continue to strengthen.

In closing, I would like to share John 8:16. “So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.” Let God’s promises break you out of bondage and into a full life in Christ.

Celeste Malin

GUEST BLOGGER this month is Barb Alexander, a member of the Sandhurst Missions Team.

MISSIONS 102... Beyond Missions 101, taking your next step.

Our church is a church of missions.  We all know that if we have been here more than 6 weeks!  We tell others proudly, “ We spend 1/3 of our budget on missions.  We support over a zillion missionaries.  We have a missions pastor, and missions conference every year.”  But what part, we must ask, am I personally playing.  How involved am I?  We know we can’t all go but what am I doing while I am staying?

Glad you asked!  Romans 12:13-“Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. “ Here are some practical ways to be involved.  Consider one or two. 

1.     Get your copy of our missions directory, either from the shelf at home or church office, and pray for the missionaries listed each week in the newsletter. 

2.     As an individual or a family, choose one family to establish communications and build a relationship with.  Send an email once a quarter.  I Peter 4:9 – Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 

3.     Suggest to your small group that you “adopt” and communicate with one missionary or family. Do some research and be ready to suggest someone. 

4.     Make plans now to be present and participate in Movement 19 – to be held on January 26^th and 27^th.  This will be a great time to educate yourself and /or your family about “our” missionaries and their sending boards.

5.     Volunteer to host one of our guests in the  coming year for a meal or an overnight stay.  Hebrews 13:2-“Do not neglect to show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” You will be blessed and enriched in surprising ways.  Our annual missions conference will be in and February and opportunities will be provided for those looking to be involved.  Contact Barbara Alexander @ 843-260-3044, or Kristy Tellis at the church office @ 843-662-2021. 

 

6.     Pray for our missions pastor, Greg Stuckey and his wife Jamie.  They serve tirelessly for all of us and are on a short sabbatical now.

7.     Consider if you might be available to serve a term or the missions committee if asked.  Let someone on the committee know you are interested. You don’t sign up because of the good salary, but the benefits are wonderful!  

In short, don’t find yourself in the place of telling the Lord what you will do.  ASK HIM what He wants of YOU!