Under the sparkling lights of the Eiffel tower...

On my recent trip to Europe, I was blessed with a layover in my former city - Ris Orangis, France (about 40 minutes from Paris). It was super great to see old friends - both American expats and French friends!

Saturday, I spent the day in Paris with my French friend Charlene. We met 4 years ago when I was on STINT in France. At the time, she worked in the local grocery story as a check-out clerk. Our friendship began when I invited her to experience an American Thanksgiving at our apartment.

Me, Kevin, Charlene and Chelsea

Since then, we've continued to stay in touch through Facebook and other international texting apps.

Our day in Paris was super great - beautiful weather, saw lots of my favorite places in the city and enjoyed lots of delicious French food - including escargot with my dinner - which I had never had before!

Through out the day, we talked about life updates, what each of us do for work - which is why I was in Europe - which lead me to share more about Jesus with her, explaining the gospel and why Jesus is so important to me.

Charlene and I at the base of Sacre Coeur

After a late dinner, we made our way to the Eiffel tower to see it lit up at night (which is one of my favorite things in Paris!). On the metro, having recently talked about relationships - she mentioned she wanted to get married in a church. But to do that, the priest said she has to be baptized. She didn't see the difference between baptism and being a Christian - thinking baptism made her a Christian.

In simplest terms, I explained that deciding to have a personal relationship with Jesus is like engagement. God is a gentleman, with a gift to offer out of an extreme love because He so desires a relationship with us - He doesn't force it upon us - it's our decision. The wedding is like baptism - proclaiming to family and friends, your love for God and that He is now apart of your life. And marriage is growing in your relationship with Him - something that deepens over time.

Soon, we arrived to our stop around 11:30 p.m., enjoying the cool weather, people watching and waiting for the top of the hour when the Eiffel tower's lights would start sparkling! Right at 12:00 a.m., as the sparkles started, off in the distance we watched a couple, as the man got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. Charlene and I were all smiles and giggles! I got goosebumps as I had just used that example of how God pursues us and is down on one knee, wanting to have a committed personal relationship with us!
 

 

Please pray for Charlene, that she would see ways God us pursuing her - wanting a personal relationship with her!

Inspiration... where are you? #grace

(Press play and listen while you read!)

  

Sheesh almost 2 months since I last wrote.

My blog currently doesn't exactly have a purpose. Will it ever really? Life is always changing - including my passions and experiences. And I think I write about those things most!

I started my blog 4 years ago when I moved to France. I wrote about new experiences, ministry stories, culture differences...

Over the years, this blog has since morphed into things God has been teaching me, random thoughts on various things, yet still interwoven with my ministry life.

And it probably still will.

One thing I feel God has recently taught me - rather is teaching me - is to : "be a learner, not a figure-it-outer". There is grace to be extended in that. I tend to hold myself to a high standard, expecting a lot of myself. Rarely had I considered myself to be the hardest on myself. Yet, it's true. I was - have been - mentally beating myself up for the "failures" in my life. Not extending the grace God extends to me.

No one should be requiring me to be perfect.
No one should assume I will get it right the first time.
No one should demand a polished Hannah.
No one, including myself.

So there is grace. His grace. And it abounds.

I got to help lead singing today at my church in Orlando. One of the songs we sang is called "How He Loves" (if you haven't started listening to it yet, just press play in the video on this post!).

There is a lyric that reads:

"... and I don't have time to maintain these regrets, when I think about the way .... He loves us!"

Exactly. Why reminisce on the failures, the mistakes, the regrets? He has forgiven us of them, and loves us despite them! As long as we maintain an attitude of being a learner, leaning into God's Holy Spirit that dwells within those who have a personal relationship with Him.

Thank you God for Your grace!

Do you have questions on what having a personal relationship with God looks like? Check out this video called "#FallingPlates"  or email me - I'd love to share with you.

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!

#coffeetestimony

It's my coffee-iversary. The 2nd one to be exact.

All throughout high school, college and even my two years interning with Campus Crusade, I survived without drinking coffee. (Note: I still don't need coffee to survive, I know, it's just realllllly helpful in the mornings for a "night-owl".)

And then, New Staff Training happened.

Oh how I love Winter Park and Rollins College. So many memories! Early mornings, late nights, seminary classes, lots of reading - oh, and trying to have a social life too. To maximize my summer, I thought I would "give" coffee a try. Mocha... iced mocha, to be exact. Mmm.

The rooms we used for our seminary classes did not allow drinks inside. Sort of by force, my friends and I started "coffee day-care".

We'd drop off our mugs and cups right outside our class door, only to check back in during the break and finish (Towards the end of the week, there were some rebels sitting in the back... and I may have been one of them).

Over time, I've come to appreciate the flavor and warmth of coffee - yes, even beyond a mocha. I've now explored coffees from many of the places I've traveled to - including the Netherlands, Panama and Brazil.

I love my Bodum french press.

It's perfect with a stroopwafel from the Netherlands.

Panamanian Kotowa coffee had the #4 coffee in the world in 2006.

Brazil coffee is generally strong and bold in flavor.

In these last two years, with a cup-a-joe in my hand, I've had many quality conversations, heartfelt quiet times and moments of learning to enjoy the morning hours. (I think I also feel a little more like an adult for liking coffee - haha!) 

Cheers to your next cup!

A little more on Psalm 23 (part B if you will)

Several months ago, I wrote a blog post about Psalm 23.  This passage is just too good and speaks to my soul... so I decided to write a little more...

- No good thing does HE withhold.
- God determines what we need, and what is good for us.
- HE is my Shepherd and HE:

1. MAKES me lie down in green pastures. (not just any pastures, GREEN ones!)
2. LEADS me besides still waters (did you know that sheep only drink from still water?)
3. RESTORES my soul - strengthens, comforts, causes me to slow down and benefit from the green pastures and still waters
4. LEADS me on paths of righteousness - the way that is truly the best - for HIS name's sake! (It's all for HIS glory, not to fulfill my desires or wants)
                 (Then it turns even more personal)
5. Especially in the hard times, YOU are WITH me
6. YOU PREPARE lavishly and abundantly so my cup overflows in blessings (one reason we need to slow down and rest in those green pastures and drink from the still waters, is to appreciate how HE is filling our cup!)
7. YOU PURSUE me by YOUR goodness and mercy that follow me - (the phrase"follow me" in Hebrew ["radaph"] means - to attend closely to,  follow after,  pursue,  run after) (How cool is that? GOD is actually "running" after me, pursuing me with HIS goodness, and all to often am too busy to take time and appreciate it)
   
   
   

   

   Nerja, Spain. I'm a sunset kinda gal. I think God has made sunsets as a part of my "green pastures and still waters".
   I love watching God's creativity and beauty displayed differently every time!

Cool story from at STINTer coming home from the Middle East

"Hey Hannah!

​

I wanted to tell about a cool story that happened while I was traveling home from my STINT year in the Middle East. On my long flight from Germany to Detroit, I sat down next to a girl from Poland. She was a Physics PHD student traveling to the US for a week to do two experiments at the Michigan ​State ​University Cyclotron. This was exciting for me ... you know MSU!

As we chatted, we started to talk about her boyfriend and relationships and I shared my testimony with her about how finding Jesus' love gave me the strength to get out of an unhealthy relationship. For her being a scientist, she explained that most people in Poland are catholic but that she isn't sure there's a God. I explained that for me, also as a scientist, i really needed proof of Gods work and existence and that he has given me that through a series of things that match up with his Word in the Bible.

I also got to share about how Jesus interacted with women in the Bible and how this was different than how many religious leaders would have. As we were exchanging names and contact information, I asked about her name, Magda. I asked how she got her name and she explained that it is short for Magdalena. I told her that it was beautiful that she was named after someone with a beautiful story of redemption. I asked her if she'd ever seen the movie named after her. She said no and was intrigued so I pulled out my iPhone and showed her the Magdalena film on my app. We couldn't watch it right then, but she brought up the film later in our conversation again and said she really wants to watch it when she gets home.

I'm hoping to swing by East Lansing this afternoon or Thursday to have lunch with her. Praise the Lord for his work in her life and pray with me that the film will stick with her every time she remembers her name.

Erica :)"

Driko - our Brazilian contact

While in Brazil, we worked with a Brazilian guy named Driko. He is 26 years old, a Biology teacher, and currently learning English as an extra curricular activity. 

Driko has an amazing network and did a lot to help make the trainings in the various cities happen. I recently received this message on Facebook from him. (He did write in Portuguese, so I used Google translate in to English - I love technology!)

This is the group we trained in Curitiba, Brazil. Driko is pictured bottom left, wearing a hat.

"Hannah - I wish I had said many things [during our time in Brazil]. I wish I have spoken more with you and your friends the Jesus Film, but my limitations with the language does not let me do it. 

I want you to know that I loved being with you and that in fact now the mission starts here, there is still much to be done! The communities in which we [trained] are very excited to work!  

What I can promise is just my willingness to work and my dedication to learning English, only to be able to share with you and others to experience life and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ from these contexts and our realities!"

So thankful for young leaders like Driko who are passionate about making Christ known to the nations!