Day 1,459

August 1st, 2010 was my initial hire date with Campus Crusade for Christ International.  My first "real job" out of college.

Tomorrow, I start my 5th year... day 1,460.

As a college student, my plan was always to work hard, maybe climb the corporate ladder, have a family and support full-time missionaries. Little did I know, GOD's plan all along was for me to actually be a full-time missionary - at least for this season of life.

Most of my STINT team

 Looking back on these 4 years, (it's enjoyable to reminisce and start to see reasons for various life events or experiences), there were many seasons. Seasons of adventure, hardship and tears, packing and moving, cultures and languages, forever friendships built, and many pioneering endeavors I would have never could have imagined or thought I'd get to be apart of...

The National Campus Office conference team.                                                                             Jesus Film Media teammate Nifer and I on a conference call.

 Recently, I was in Denver, Colorado to speak at a conference. My overall purpose was to cast vision to the leaders of the intern teams serving overseas (STINT), about ways their teams could partner and be digitally trained and coached using Jesus Film products and strategies on campus overseas. As I prepared for this presentation, I also took time to reflect how this project came to be:

2010 - Pioneering STINT in France to resource Christian minorities.
2011 - Intern with the Cru National Campus Office conference team.
2012 - Join staff with Jesus Film Media and raise financial support.
2013 - Report full time and develop the STINT Partnership project.
2014 - Continue to develop the STINT Partnership project, training a new team in the partnership process, and possibly model partnerships for other ministries from it.

During my time on STINT, I met several influential leaders in the Global Missions world. While working on the conference team, I built rapport with some really fun people who orchestrate a wide variety of Cru conferences - including ones for STINTers. And during both of my internship years, through various circumstances, I learned more about Jesus Film and their desire to "go digital" in ministry and wanted someone with a marketing/networking background on this new team.

Representing Jesus Film Media at the 2013 STINT Briefing

The combination of these timely life experiences could only be put together by the Creator of all things. I don't think I'll ever realized how blessed I am to have been apart each of these ministries, but I am thankful to have been able to take time to see how they all have come together. I am excited and trusting the LORD to continue to grow and develop this STINT Partnership in the coming years to magnify HIS Name to the nations!

Body of Christ

I wrote this a couple years ago (April 5th 2009), while in college at Grand Valley State University. After rereading it, I thought it coule be an encouragement to you today!

1 Corinthians 12

I hate Satan. He works in subtle ways to destroy us, the church. Many people have heard of being a part of “the body of Christ.” It is a great visual and emphasizes the importance of each individual’s talent and gifts which God has given to them to help the body function. “If the whole body were and eye, where would sense of hearing be? If the whole body were and ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” [1 Corinthians 12: 17-20].

Keeping this in mind, we should be thankful for a couple reasons. First, that God has given us each a special gift that He determines as the best fit for us uniquely. [12:11] We need to first identify what spiritual gift God has given to us, and then continually work to refine and sharpen our ability to use that gift as a part of the body of Christ. A spiritual workout if you will. Legs won’t be strengthened and defined if they don’t go for runs and through training. We need to be good stewards, practice and use the gifts God has given to us each individually to help in the movement of the body of Christ. Not only the body of Christ, but for us each individually as well. I have heard that spiritual gift development does not completely take shape till your mid thirties, and if that is true, it is not an excuse for us younger generations to be lazy and not search or try out roles within the body. Serving, teaching, administration, faith, prayer, musical talent, evangelism… etc. It is important to note all the different roles within the church and our dependence on others’ gifts to work together, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring God glory.

Next, it is essential to not over look or compare our gifts with others. Each gift is vital to the function and development of the body. God has created us each individually with different gifts that coincide with one another as if we are a team, unified through the Spirit, to bring Him honor and praise. “…There should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” [12:25] Prayer warriors should be thankful for the musically talented for their ability to lead through the songs of praise for our Lord. The musically talented should be grateful for those who have been given the ability to preach and speak truth and encouragement to the body. In turn, preachers and speakers should be appreciative for prayer warriors covering the church in prayer. It is crucial that each role sees the value and imperativeness of all the different spiritual gifts in order for growth within the church.

I think this is where Satan is at work. Division within the body is the root of his plans. He causes dysfunction and creates barriers of distraction so we loose focus on the eternal perspective which should always be where our eyes concentrate. It is easy to see the flaws and feel annoyed by others, which is exactly what Satan wants us to do. He uses these instances to bring us down, apart from the body and helps us “mellow in sin.” We are then caught up in the imperfections of human nature where pride, judgmentalness, selfishness and hunger for our own praise, to name a few, take hold of our view toward our brothers and sisters. Satan finds victory in dragging us down through these actions.

We need to work together, as a body, unified through the Holy Spirit, to fight against Satan and the division he desires to bring against the church. Together, not individually, we are apart of the body of Christ, who has already taken victory over Satan. May that be and encouragement to all! We cannot let Satan pull us or other believers down to sway us from the truth. As a unified team, we need to keep each other accountable and encourage one another to keep our eyes focused on our purpose in life, to bring honor and glory to our Savior through sharing the gospel with others, singing songs of praise, spending time deep in prayer and reaching out to those in need.

Don’t give into the lies Satan tells you. His desire is to get us alone, separated from God and the fellowship of others, to distract us from the wonderful plans God has prepared for us to do with His help. God created us all to work together as a body, each with special talents and gifts given by the Holy Spirit. It is also important that the glory, honor and praise goes to Him who deserves it, who has taken victory over Satan through His unconditional love, shown to us as He suffered on the cross.

I am thankful for the body of believers God has place around me to challenge me, to show me love, to enjoy, to laugh with, to serve, to be served, to cry with, to share life with, to encourage me, to hold me accountable, to be real with and to engage in furthering His Kingdom…

Merci in November

Life in the Booth household is always crazy, hectic and fun when all seven of us are back under the same roof. With me living at home for a few more weeks and my sisters back from college, Thanksgiving break was great – we even managed a family photo WITH the dogs!

This is my first time home for Thanksgiving in two years. My first year, I spent it across the ocean, living in France. (Side note: France does not sell Turkeys. We bought rotisserie chicken instead to feed to our 29 guests). My team and I hosted a feast for our new friends and explained the meaning of the American holiday. It was a great foundational event that allowed us to get to know our neighbors and some of the locals, on more of a relational level.

Thanksgiving in France 2010

Last year, I spent Thanksgiving in Orlando. I specifically chose to stay because I had randomly met (God’s divine plan) my UK friend, Meena a couple weeks prior. She and I had talked about many things, including American culture. I thought Hello, what other country celebrates AMERICAN Thanksgiving (Keyword: American… I know Canada has a Canadian thanksgiving – a bit different)? Invite Meena to celebrate with you! Which as we all now know, was somewhat of a pivotal point in Meena’s life as she met Bryn and other Christians during our Thanksgiving party!

This year, I was nice to be back home, celebrating with extended family, playing games, watching movies, and doing some Black Friday shopping with my siblings… (Though, I did feel a bit guilty going to Target at 10 pm on Thanksgiving night….) Traditions are still lots of fun.

Waiting in line at Target

Living at home in Michigan this fall, I’ve realized I have much to be thankful for: being home for Thanksgiving, my growing family, having cool hair and knowing how to do it, my new car, the ability to vote, a nice camera to take family pictures, freedom, watching football, meeting friends like Meena and seeing a change in her life, my support team, the use of all five senses, traveling for my job,  and great friends, among many other things. God is so good and always faithful. #Iamthankful

Sharing my "God Story"

Thursday night, I was invited to share my “God Story” at GVSU Cru. It’s a time to share about how God has impacted and shown up in my life.

I took a picture from the stage at GVSU.

It worked out perfectly, because I was already on the West side of the state to babysit a few days for a fun family I met in college. Note: Props to all moms who manage multiple schedules, clean the house, feed the family, drive children to and from places, all while having her own life. Respect. It takes a lot of coordination, selflessness and patience.

As I prepared for my talk, I obviously spent time looking back on the past, on the journey God has taken me on thus far. Going to Grand Valley. Studying marketing. Getting involved with Cru. Attending various Cru conferences. Going on STINT and moving to France. Interning in Orlando with YearOne.

I enjoyed looking back on all these “life events”, which I now see how they all connected. Each fit, perfect for the story God has just for me. It was also encouraging for me, as I acknowledged God’s fingerprints all over these life experiences, reminding myself that I can trust Him. He’s proved Himself over and over.

It frustrated me how many times I doubt Him and His goodness or if He will come through. And then I realized something. Something so elementary to a modern day Christian believer; Its in those moments of doubt and worry, that I am living out of the flesh. Our of my own ability. Out of my own knowledge (limited as it is).

Clearly, if I solely lived out of my own desires and plans, I doubt I would be in ministry. I credit and attribute that to the Spirit’s working in my life. For this season of life, He has me here. Currently raising support, but eventually to be working with the JESUS Film Project, equipping missionaries with digital tools to reach the nations for Christ! With the eternal perspective in mind, that’s pretty rewarding. He obviously knows what He’s doing, and in my time of reflection, I found myself realizing I need to be thankful for that more and more. And also to absorb the peace that comes from knowing He’s got it all figured out.

It's here! It's here!!

Praise God!!! The Jesus Film App has now been released for download in the Apple Store, with the Android app soon to follow in the Google Play store.

Please download it, play with it and let me know what you think! Tell your friends, post it to Facebook, Twitter or email your friends.

Know of some missionaries overseas? Share this with them! Think of how this will help them communicate the gospel in the native tongue of the country they are serving in.

I would also love to be in contact with any missionaries you may know of - email me their contact info so I can encourage, inform and share ideas with them. As someone who has lived overseas in a country where I did not know the language very well, I can see so much potential for this ministry tool!

2011 National Leaders Conference Celebration Video

Marketing with Jesus Film

Hindsight is always 20/20 right?

As I have continued to process and reflect on my STINT year, I have remembered specific situations and life events which have led me to applying to join staff with Campus Crusade for Christ.

In high school, I had heard of Cru and considered trying it out once I was in college.

Once in college, I tried it out and heard about Christmas Conference, Big Break and Summer Project. Check, check, check.

At Christmas Conference, I learned about STINT - working internationally for one year.

Last year on STINT, I served the 40/10 Window, resourcing Christian minorities in North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. In May 2011, I helped administer a conference for Virtual Ministry in North Africa. It was probably one of my favorite conferences all year. Leaders from 30+ countries were represented, sharing their strategies and plans for using the media in ministry.

During one of the main meetings, (through random events), I ended up sharing a 10 minute presentation on Search Engine Optimization Marketing. The summer of 2009, I had a marketing internship where I learned lots of new ideas and concepts, which I was able to share with these national leadership teams.

Among those attending, leaders from Jesus Film, based in Orlando, Florida, were at this conference also. After my presentation, they pursued me to talk about working with Jesus Film in the fall. Their dream was to start up a new marketing department, focused on digital media. As interested as I was, I had already committed to my current internship, Year One, and felt I needed to fulfill my commitment to them.

Fast forward to November 2011. My friend, Nifer - who had recently joined the newly formed Digital Media Distribution team with Jesus Film, gave me a call. After a meeting with her supervisor, Matt (whom I met back in May), they wanted to meet with me to share their new vision for this newly established department. This being my second and final year of interning (you can only intern twice), I was considering my options for the future.

During our lunch meeting, the vision they shared with me sounded so exciting and right up my alley. I would be able to use my Marketing degree, utilize social media (I like social media :) ) and share the gospel with the nations. Basically what it boils down to: Jesus Film is creating a digital platform anyone can easily access. On this platform, they have the capacity to upload the Jesus Film in 1,100+ languages, Magdelena - a women's focused film, Rivka - a women's bible study, Jesus Film for kids and short films. People from every nation will have the ability to hear the gospel with the click of a button!

Around this time, God also was orchestrating other conversations in my life to relieve my fears and doubts about joining staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. Talking about the eternal perspective, receiving financial support for the Mid Year Conference and prayer -- God seemed to make it clear to me this is where He was leading me. When my mom said "This is a great organization and a great opportunity - you should do it", I started thinking more seriously about this offer.

It wasn't until Christmas Conference, at a breakfast appointment, that I said it out loud "I'm joining staff." It started sinking in! What am I doing?! Is this real life? (I felt a little like David Goes To The Dentist).

So, now it is March 15th at 1:52 p.m. and I am sitting in the "Tech Cave" at Big Break, realizing in a few short months, I will officially be on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. It's nuts!

But as my pastor back home often says, "If you can explain it, God didn't do it."

Distance Coaching Conference

This past month, I was assigned to be the conference administrator for a group of about 40. I worked with the conference speaker/host on the pre-conference tasks like creating the registration website, booking the hotel rooms and organizing meals. I liked doing this because I feel it got my "feet wet" to real conference planning.

These leaders came to Cru head quarters for Distance Coaching Training. Via Skype, email and over the phone, these leaders coach students and volunteers to lead movements of evangelism and discipleship on their campuses. Since these campuses don’t have full time staff, they depend on the leadership of students and volunteers. The coaching they receive is very important for impacting the lives of students involved in these new and growing ministries!

Something my supervisor has said before, '...the work we do in conference and event planning, sends missionaries, who build movements and leaders that fulfill the great commission.' Working on this conference has helped me see that.