﻿<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>MeaganPeters's Xanga</title><link>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters</link><description>Latest Xanga weblog from MeaganPeters</description><language>en-us</language><ttl>60</ttl><image><title>The Weblog Community</title><url>http://s.xanga.com/images/xangalogobutton.gif</url><link>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters</link></image><item><title>Official Letter:</title><link>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/651270163/official-letter.html</link><guid>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/651270163/official-letter.html</guid><pubDate>Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:19:55 GMT</pubDate><description>



&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Dear Friends and Family,&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;4/5/08&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;!--[if gte vml 1]&gt;
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 

 
 
&lt;![endif]--&gt;&lt;!--[if !vml]--&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;How does one start a
letter like this?&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I have been so blessed.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I have already received way beyond my
expectations.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;God has shown me abundant
life in Him, and he has given me a vivid picture of how when the body works as
it was made to, every part benefits &amp;#8211; even the minutest part.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;For those of you may not have heard, in the
past two years God has miraculously made a way for both my medical expenses and
college loans to be paid off &amp;#8211; a feat that I never could have accomplished in
that amount of time with my teacher&amp;#8217;s aide income. &lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;Those are the tangible miracles, there have
been others in the relational realm which are harder to describe.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I can hardly imagine the rest of my life
going on with these shocking demonstrations of God&amp;#8217;s provision in all aspects
of life.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;And yet I am reminded by C.S.
Lewis that reality always is shocking &amp;#8211; what truly is, is never what could have
been guessed; that the earth would turn out to be round, that God, who is so
completely other, would bind himself to humanity by coming to earth as a man,
and die the death of a thief.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;The big
things usually don&amp;#8217;t happen the way we expect.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;I am not the rich, independent, adventuress I thought I would grow up to
be when I was 10 (though maybe I am in a different way than I expected).&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;The promise that life&amp;#8217;s opportunities are
endless once you graduate from college does not look quite the same to me now
as when I was 16.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;However, what I have
discovered is not that it was all a lie &amp;#8211; for example, it is not a lie that if
you &amp;#8220;delight yourself in the Lord he will give you the desires of you
heart.&amp;#8221;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Rather, as I learn to delight in
the Lord, I am discovering that the desires of my heart are not what I thought
they were.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I can no longer assume that the
rest of my life will turn out as I always expected; none of us should.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Everyday with Jesus is an adventure.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Praise be to Him whose ways are not our ways!&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;That said some things &lt;i style=""&gt;will&lt;/i&gt;
be predictable, like the fact that I will be continually dependant on God for
his provision, both spiritually and physically.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;And like the fact that He will supply me with these things through you,
my fellow members of His body.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;So I ask
you to continue this journey with me, as channels of wisdom and encouragement,
knowledge and support, and much needed friendship, though I do not deserve it.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;I do not know why God has chosen me, but He is sending me to
Hooper Bay with a full heart.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;While there I will be living with Grant and
Lenna Funk until a new apartment is finished; when it is finished I will live
there with another youth worker from Hooper
 Bay (Lola &amp;#8211; pray for
her).&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;We will have an open-door policy
for any girls needing a safe place to hang out or stay for the night.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I will also be working with the youth group
kids in the new teen center built by Samaritan&amp;#8217;s Purse last summer.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;So far the youth group has been staffing the
restaurant aspect of this ministry on a volunteer basis, and it has led to much
growth among the teens in the village.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;We know how wonderful it is to see &lt;i style=""&gt;our&lt;/i&gt;
high school students serving in &lt;i style=""&gt;our&lt;/i&gt;
church and community, letting Christ shine through their actions; it is awesome
to see the same thing happening in Hooper
 Bay.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Being part of this ministry will provide many
opportunities for discipleship and that is what really excites me.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Of all the other opportunities that will
present themselves I do not know, except that they &lt;i style=""&gt;will&lt;/i&gt; present themselves, and I ask you to pray for God&amp;#8217;s grace and
wisdom to guide me so that I will always do what brings Him glory.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;I have committed to serving in Hooper Bay
for one full year, and while I am not sure what all my expenses will be I am
estimating $1,140 per month.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I am
excited to be joining SEND International as a short term missionary for 12
months starting at the beginning of June.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;I have felt God drawing me to western Alaska since I first visited to help with
Bible camp in 2001, so I am sure that this year will play a big role in my
long-term direction.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;If you would like
to help me financially, either with a monthly amount or a one-time donation,
please use the response slip I have enclosed.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;I would also like to remind everyone that I still have a blog-site that
I will be updating if you want to check in every once in a while, you can find
it at: &lt;a href="http://www.xanga.com/meaganpeters" target="_new"&gt;www.xanga.com/meaganpeters&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;If you have any questions please feel free to
contact me.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Thanks for reading!&lt;/p&gt;

















&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&amp;nbsp;Partners in the Great Work,&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Meagan K. Peters&lt;br&gt;Box
 323&lt;br&gt;Glennallen,
 AK 99588&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:meagpete@gmail.com" target="_new"&gt;meagpete@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;907-822-5813&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;b style=""&gt;Please pray for me&amp;#8230;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;#222;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;that God will continue to grow my faith in Him,
that I will grow in dependence on Him and be an instrument for His glory&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;#222;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;for spiritual growth in the youth group and
church body (if you would like a specific person to pray for, let me know)&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;#222;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;in relationships with the people I will be
living with (the Funks and Lola), for harmony and mutual understanding&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;#222;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;for wisdom in mentoring teens, that I will be
able to speak the truth in love, and that I will listen well&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;#222;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;for personal discipline, that I will be a living
representation of Christ to others&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;#222;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;for physical health (especially stability
regarding asthma and allergies)&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Symbol;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;#222;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;that I will learn the Yupik way :)&lt;span style="font-family: Wingdings;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Lucida Sans&amp;quot;;"&gt;______________________________________________________________________________________&lt;/span&gt;



&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;To make a financial contribution and/or commit to prayer for
&lt;b style=""&gt;Meagan Peters&lt;/b&gt;, please fill out the
following information. &lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;











&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;Name:__________________________________________________________________&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;Address:________________________________________________________________&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"&gt;Email:__________________________________________________________________&lt;br&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Wingdings;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;#168;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;Amount per month:______________&lt;br&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Wingdings;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;#168;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;One time amount:_______________&lt;br&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Wingdings;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;#168;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;Prayer partner&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Write checks and mail to:&lt;/p&gt;





&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"&gt;SEND International of Alaska&lt;br&gt;PO Box 369&lt;br&gt;Glennallen, AK 99588&lt;/p&gt;

</description><comments>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/651270163/official-letter.html#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>Quick Update</title><link>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/646100529/quick-update.html</link><guid>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/646100529/quick-update.html</guid><pubDate>Sat, 08 Mar 2008 23:20:13 GMT</pubDate><description>Happy Easter everyone!&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I am finally able to fill you in a little more on what I will be doing in Western AK.&amp;nbsp; Over the past month I have decided to finish out the school year at GES and then go to Hooper Bay for 12 months. I am set to leave June 1st.&amp;nbsp; Time seems to be crawling, but I know that the next three months will fly by.&amp;nbsp; While in Hooper I will be living with the missionary/pastor's family until they finish turning the old church building into an apartment.&amp;nbsp; This apartment will serve as a place with an open door to young girls and teens who need a place to stay for the night (for whatever reason).&amp;nbsp; I will share the responsibility of this apartment with one of the "home-grown" youth workers in the church.&amp;nbsp; I am hugely excited to be serving in this new aspect of ministry in Hooper Bay, and I am just as excited to be working with people I know I have much to learn from.&amp;nbsp; I am looking into going through SEND for this year, so details like monthly living expenses are being worked out right now.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Prayer requests:&lt;br&gt;- That I will be mentally and spiritually prepared for this transition&lt;br&gt;- That I will find an affordable health insurance option&lt;br&gt;- That God will bless my family and I with 3 precious last months together&lt;br&gt;- That God will give me wisdom in working out the details and that I will continue to trust Him to meet my needs&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Thank you for your continuing support through friendship and prayer.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;In Christ,&lt;br&gt;Meagan&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</description><comments>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/646100529/quick-update.html#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>just to take Him at his word...</title><link>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/636282328/just-to-take-him-at-his-word.html</link><guid>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/636282328/just-to-take-him-at-his-word.html</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:34:09 GMT</pubDate><description>It's been so long since I've written anything that gives news about myself.&amp;nbsp; I feel lame.&amp;nbsp; But, please believe me when I tell you my mind (as well as my soul) has not been idle.&amp;nbsp; I have a few witnesses for what I am about to tell you - so know that my story is trustworthy.&amp;nbsp; It has been a process.&amp;nbsp; I think everyone knows about my desire to go to western Alaska in the near future, I've gone before and written about it, shared in church, etc.&amp;nbsp; You also know that I graduated from college a year and a half ago, so of course I am often questioned about where I am headed in life.&amp;nbsp; I desperately want to have answers to these kind of questions, not only so I don't sound stupid when I fumble over my answer, but for my own peace of mind.&amp;nbsp; Have I been given these desires for nothing?&amp;nbsp; When I felt God's pleasure while walking with my Eskimo friends, was it all just a dream?&amp;nbsp; Am I a lunatic for going on about faith and God's provision and blessing?&amp;nbsp; At times, in the past few months, I've had visions of my life stretching out before me - wretched, eking out just enough of a living to make each month's payment on my school loans, maybe paying $10 more than the accumulated interest.&amp;nbsp; But if you'll scroll way down on this page, you'll find that my next words are really an echo of something I have said before.&amp;nbsp; I think God is catapulting me into a life of faith - I mean faith that just isn't had these days.&amp;nbsp; Don't take me wrong - I'm not trying to sound superior, I'm just trying to express my inner struggle - what I said about feeling like a crazy when I look at myself through outsider's eyes was no joke.&amp;nbsp; People just don't put up with this kind of uncertainty in our to-good-to-be-true, money-matters world.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Anyway, to get to the point.&amp;nbsp; I've been taking the verse "Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart," very literally.&amp;nbsp; Also, I've not forgotten the examples in Mark that I began to consider more closely last January, not least "Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief!"&amp;nbsp; A wise man once advised me, "don't settle for anything less than God's best" so I have prayed earnestly for God's best - that I would not give up no matter what odds I have to face (the cynicism of others, loneliness, and laziness have been the worst so far) - I think I can say I have wrestle with God for His blessing, though it feels very bold.&amp;nbsp; But that is one of the differences between the old and new covenants, in Christ we can approach the Throne boldly.&amp;nbsp; Hallelujah!&amp;nbsp; Praise be to God for His indescribable gift!&amp;nbsp; More specifically, I have been praying that if its is God's desire - that is to say, if it is the desire He has planted in me - that I go to Hooper Bay this summer or fall and stay for 8 months or a year and then who knows what, He will provide the way for me to go debt free.&amp;nbsp; I have been praying thus for about four months (a little over a month openly), and today I have been told that there is someone in my church body who has given me ten thousand dollars.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I owe $8,300 in school loans, I have a $1,300 medical bill that just popped up from my surgery of '05 - I mean I feel like George Muller!&amp;nbsp; I'm speechless.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I don't want anyone to take this as me saying, "well, I did such-and-such, and these are my results."&amp;nbsp; In fact I am incredibly humbled that God would bless me like this - only He and I know how little I deserve it.&amp;nbsp; All I can say in conclusion is "'tis so sweet to trust in Jesus."&amp;nbsp; Amen.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</description><comments>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/636282328/just-to-take-him-at-his-word.html#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>Guard her, for she is your life.</title><link>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/632996761/guard-her-for-she-is-your-life.html</link><guid>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/632996761/guard-her-for-she-is-your-life.html</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:29:11 GMT</pubDate><description>&lt;div class="entry"&gt;
					&lt;p&gt;Proverbs 3:13-26&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; And the man who gains understanding.&lt;br&gt;
14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; And her gain better than fine gold.&lt;br&gt;
15 She is more precious than jewels;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; And &lt;em&gt;nothing you desire compares with her&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;br&gt;
16 Long life is in her right hand;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; In her left hand are riches and honor.&lt;br&gt;
17 Her ways are pleasant ways&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; And all her paths are peace.&lt;br&gt;
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; And happy are all who hold her fast.&lt;br&gt;
19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; By understanding He established the heavens.&lt;br&gt;
20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; And the skies drip with dew.&lt;br&gt;
21 My son, let them not vanish from your sight;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Keep sound wisdom and discretion,&lt;br&gt;
22 So &lt;em&gt;they will be life to your soul&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; And adornment to your neck.&lt;br&gt;
23 Then you will walk in your way securely&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; And your foot will not stumble.&lt;br&gt;
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.&lt;br&gt;
25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;&lt;br&gt;
26 For the LORD will be your confidence&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; And will keep your foot from being caught.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Last night I wept as I read these words, because I realized that
they spoke of what I truly long for. And because I had forgotten what I
truly long for - that wisdom and the Lord’s instruction really are my
life and my greatest desire. I was grieved by my bentness, but I was
also filled with hope - these proverbs contain rich promises. May your
spirit also be revived by the Words.&lt;/p&gt;
				&lt;/div&gt;</description><comments>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/632996761/guard-her-for-she-is-your-life.html#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>Back For This</title><link>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/622661608/back-for-this.html</link><guid>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/622661608/back-for-this.html</guid><pubDate>Sun, 21 Oct 2007 07:44:58 GMT</pubDate><description>&lt;p&gt;I don't want to be like this - I feel like screaming like a screamer: I CAN’T
TAKE THIS!&lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;/span&gt;I'm controlling, judgmental,
hot tempered. I don't respect or love, I do not trust. I am becoming what I
have set out not to be! I want to blame everyone else . . . but I can only
blame myself.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;My heart cries: Who will rescue me from this body of death?&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Then softly and slowly in answer: . . . &lt;i style=""&gt;Come
unto Me all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take
My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and
YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
. .&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;There was a time I could not accept these words. I could not be loved, I was
too wretched. In strange and tangible ways God in His unfailing love gradually
showed me that while I was seeing myself correctly, I had too small a view of
Him. How deep and dark was my sinful heart, it was true! Yet how much
unfathomably more deep His great love! Not only did He save me from the death I
earned, He made me His child, took care of everything that created tension and
distance between us.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;It’s not like He
picked me up off the streets and put me in an institution that would feed and
cloth me – He became my Father!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This changes every moment of my everyday life! It’s because when I screw up
I don’t have to bear the weight of my guilt anymore.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I am still grieved by my sin – it hurts not
only me but those I love, and it grieves my Abba; but it no longer controls me
because my soul’s peace does not rest in my own ability to live well, my soul
rests in Christ. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my
heart and my portion forever.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;(See Romans 7:24; Matthew 11:28-30; Psalm 73:26; Romans 7:25)&lt;/p&gt;</description><comments>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/622661608/back-for-this.html#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>Follow-up on Ross River</title><link>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/622659999/follow-up-on-ross-river.html</link><guid>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/622659999/follow-up-on-ross-river.html</guid><pubDate>Sun, 21 Oct 2007 07:31:12 GMT</pubDate><description>Well, a report on my trip to Ross River seems a little silly after all this time.&amp;nbsp; I have no excuse, just that I'm an airhead sometimes (I didn't even tell my church the week before I left, or the week after I got back, so I think I really confused some people, if that was you, I'm sorry!).&amp;nbsp; Anyway, I feel like I can't write about anything else until I write at least a little about my trip.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I went to help a girl set up a church coffee shop in a Yukon village.&amp;nbsp; I thought my experience as a barista would be put to use, and I expected the village to be somewhat like those I've visited in Western Alaska, the defining characteristics being isolation and spiritual oppression.&amp;nbsp; I guess I associated them with each other because of SMP.&amp;nbsp; When I got there I discovered that my expectations were completely off.  &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;First of all, the espresso machine was not the kind I had worked with before, so it turned out that Whitney was teaching me how to make espresso instead of the other way around.&amp;nbsp; I didn't get many details about what they were setting up in advance, so I had assumed that it would look kind of like a small production yet professional service coffee shop. I figured we'd have to charge something in order to keep it going.&amp;nbsp; After I got over the initial jolt to my incorrect mental preparation though, I was able to see that what we were doing was a pretty cool thing.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;In Ross River the Baptist church is an old, small building with no plumbing (they have an outhouse like old school KLCC), heated by a wood stove in the front left corner.&amp;nbsp; We basically opened the doors for 3-4 hours every morning and offered free coffee and specialty drinks, as well as some baked goods like muffins to anyone who stopped by.&amp;nbsp; It was just a way to show hospitality to the community.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; We weren't really sure how it would go, but that first week was really great - I had so much fun.&amp;nbsp; We served a few of the teachers on their way to work, as well as a few kids (we had hot chocolate for them), and high schoolers.&amp;nbsp; After school started we got to hang out with some of the mothers who had just dropped off their children at school.&amp;nbsp; Whitney and I worked out a system, and it was really good to have four hands - or at least two brains, so that one could be focused on making the espresso and the other could be visiting with our new (and some old) friends.&amp;nbsp; Another really great part of being there was just getting to know Whitney and the Colewells.&amp;nbsp; What a fun family to stay with!&amp;nbsp; I felt welcome at once and getting to know their four little girls even a little was special.&amp;nbsp; It was cool to see how God was working in Whitney and how He had brought her back to Ross River after she had participated in the SMP program for the summer.&amp;nbsp; I saw in her someone generous and open, ready to share Christ.&amp;nbsp; She was easy to get to know and I hope that our conversations blessed her as much as they did me.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;As for my expectations about what the village would be like, being on the road system makes a huge difference in the culture and atmosphere.&amp;nbsp; The picture of Ross River (though I had only a week to form it) I went away with was not defined by isolation.&amp;nbsp; I would compared it to the villages here in Alaska, right next door.&amp;nbsp; I found it very easy for me to let myself be comfortable (read: feel like I didn't really need to depend on God).&amp;nbsp; What it made me realize though, was not that Ross River is a spiritually healthy place, but that my home town is &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;not&lt;/span&gt; a spiritually healthy place.&amp;nbsp; Because it "feels like home" is not a reason not to approach the place as a mission field.&amp;nbsp; Do I need tangible crisis to keep me focused on Christ?&amp;nbsp; So I came home reminded that this valley is full of people who need Christ just as desperately as anyone, even if they have disguised there need the same way I tend to.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;So there you have it. I went to Ross River where God had me learn how to make coffee, not teach someone else, and by ministering to the people there I was taught how to better love my own people.&amp;nbsp; God works in mysterious, wonderful ways.&lt;br&gt; </description><comments>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/622659999/follow-up-on-ross-river.html#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>Ross River</title><link>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/614540253/ross-river.html</link><guid>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/614540253/ross-river.html</guid><pubDate>Fri, 07 Sep 2007 03:50:41 GMT</pubDate><description>&lt;p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"&gt;On Sunday, Sept. 9th I am leaving for Ross River, Yukon Territory. &amp;nbsp;There&amp;nbsp;is a girl who did the Summer Missionary Program (Whitney) that SEND Alaska does every year (this is the program I was part of two years ago, if you remember, when I went to several Western Alaska villages) and she is working&amp;nbsp;there for three months and staying with the missionaries, Tim and Gwendy Colwell. &amp;nbsp;Whitney is planing to start a coffee ministry out of the&amp;nbsp;church in&amp;nbsp;Ross River. &amp;nbsp;She just graduated from college and was a business major, so she knows how to take care of that aspect, but she's never really done coffee - that's where I come in. &amp;nbsp;I am going to visit her for one week (Sept. 9-15 or 16) to teach her how to make coffee, espresso, etc. &amp;nbsp;I am hoping I can encourage her and the Colwells and I am also excited to see what Ross River, a rural Yukon village, is like. &amp;nbsp;Other than that I don't really know what to expect. &amp;nbsp;I know I've been pretty zoned in on Western AK, but I am trying to remember that God needs workers everywhere and I am willing to go wherever He gives me opportunity. &amp;nbsp;Please pray that God&amp;nbsp;will again break my heart for what breaks His heart, and that I will unreservedly love the people I come in contact with. &amp;nbsp;I'll also be driving up there alone - so that will be an adventure to take on the knees! &amp;nbsp;After that I will&amp;nbsp;be back and consistently in church again, and I will need to serve God here - and be broken for the people here. &amp;nbsp;Going to Hooper Bay for a longer term is on hold for now. &amp;nbsp;I'm finding that God has much for me to learn and do right here, so I thank Him for working according to His will, not mine.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description><comments>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/614540253/ross-river.html#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>decision</title><link>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/608966495/decision.html</link><guid>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/608966495/decision.html</guid><pubDate>Thu, 09 Aug 2007 03:34:12 GMT</pubDate><description>



&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Well, it looks like I won’t be going back to Hooper Bay
anytime soon.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I am planning on going
back to my job at the school in Glennallen for the year.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Still, I will remain ready and I will look
for what God wants to teach me here and now, and for what He wants me to do
(hopefully I will do better with that than I did last year).&lt;span style=""&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Psalm 27 has been echoing in my heart these days, it was
passed to me in an encouraging note from a friend a few days ago.&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;A title I like for it is “A Psalm of Fearless
Trust in God”&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h4&gt;Psalm 27&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;h4&gt;A Psalm of David.&lt;br&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;1&lt;/span&gt; The LORD is
my light and my salvation;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Whom shall I fear?&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;The LORD is the defense
of my life;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Whom shall I dread? &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;When evildoers came upon me to
devour my flesh,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;My adversaries and my
enemies, they stumbled and fell. &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;3&lt;/span&gt;Though a host encamp against
me,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;My heart will not fear;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Though war arise against
me,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;In spite of this I shall
be confident. &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;4&lt;/span&gt;One thing I have asked from the
LORD, that I shall seek:&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;That I may dwell in the
house of the LORD all the days of my life,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;To behold the beauty of
the LORD&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;And to meditate in His
temple. &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;5&lt;/span&gt;For in the day of trouble He
will conceal me in His tabernacle;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;In the secret place of
His tent He will hide me;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;He will lift me up on a
rock. &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;6&lt;/span&gt;And now my head will be lifted
up above my enemies around me,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;And I will offer in His
tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;I will sing, yes, I will
sing praises to the LORD. &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;7&lt;/span&gt;Hear, O LORD, when I cry with
my voice,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;And be gracious to me and
answer me. &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;8&lt;/span&gt;When You said, "Seek My
face," my heart said to You,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;"Your face, O LORD,
I shall seek." &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;9&lt;/span&gt;Do not hide Your face from me,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Do not turn Your servant
away in anger;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;You have been my help;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Do not abandon me nor
forsake me,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;O God of my salvation! &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;10&lt;/span&gt;For my father and my mother
have forsaken me,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;But the LORD will take me
up. &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;11&lt;/span&gt;Teach me Your way, O LORD,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;And lead me in a level
path&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Because of my foes. &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;12&lt;/span&gt;Do not deliver me over to the
desire of my adversaries,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;For false witnesses have
risen against me,&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;And such as breathe out
violence. &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;&lt;b style=""&gt;13&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b style=""&gt;I would have despaired unless I had
believed that I would see the goodness of&lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;/span&gt;the LORD&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;In the land of the
living. &lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="sup"&gt;14&lt;/span&gt;Wait for the LORD;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Be strong and let your
heart take courage;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Yes, wait for the LORD. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><comments>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/608966495/decision.html#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>catching up</title><link>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/608960796/catching-up.html</link><guid>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/608960796/catching-up.html</guid><pubDate>Thu, 09 Aug 2007 02:49:46 GMT</pubDate><description>I was just about to post the latest when I realized I hadn't even written about the possibility of going back to Hooper Bay.&amp;nbsp; When I first got home I was very hopeful that I would be able to go back for the winter, rather than working at Glennallen Elementary School again.&amp;nbsp; In this post I will quote some of what I shared with my church two weeks ago, just to catch everyone up:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;...If you followed my online up-dates
you will already know that I learned a lot about discipleship on this trip; and
the more I think about it, the more I realize that I was being discipled at
least as much as I was discipling, if not more.&amp;nbsp;
One of the best things about the three weeks I spent in &lt;/span&gt;Hooper Bay&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;
was that I got to live with the Funks.&amp;nbsp; I
think that part of my ministry was to them, helping around the house, laying
cement in their hangar, running to the store, hauling water, helping prepare
meals or doing dishes, which, let me tell you, is a full-time job when you have
no plumbing.&amp;nbsp; But the benefit to me was
that I was around them all the time.&amp;nbsp; I
saw almost everything they had to do and I saw how they did it, and since Lenna
wouldn’t let me walk down the street by myself, they saw most of what I did and
how I did it, so I had the opportunity to ask a lot of questions, and they were
able to understand and advise me because we were around each other all the time
and they understood my situation, they saw my struggles and failures.&amp;nbsp; They were my mentors, and I patterned my own
actions and initiative as a mentor to the teens I worked with after how they
interacted with me, and how I saw them interact with others.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;

&lt;br&gt;

&lt;span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;br&gt;It’s good to have an example to follow; and as I
benefited from their example, I saw more and more the need of the teens and kids for
a good example to follow.&amp;nbsp; I sought to be
that – and this was one area that I asked you all to pray for me in; normally
I’m not very outspoken or assertive (outside my family anyway), it is hard for
me to be the one taking the initiative in relationships, and it is hard for me
to go against the grain in a group – I like to fit in and I like to please
people.&amp;nbsp; So I asked for you to pray that
God would make me bold and passionate for His truth – and there were several
occasions in which I needed that boldness, and God was faithful to answer your prayers
– so I thank you.&lt;br&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;br&gt;...These teenagers are up against so
much, they’ve been through so much, and still there is so much potential and I
sincerely believe so much hope for them in Christ!&amp;nbsp; A couple days after I got home I read a
sermon in Christianity Today by Philip Yancy.&amp;nbsp;
He was talking about the aftermath of the Virginia Tech massacre, and he
quoted Dallas Willard, who said: “For those who love God, nothing is
irredeemable.”&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Those words really comforted me as I
reflected on my time in &lt;/span&gt;Hooper
 Bay&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt; because I went there
to help and by the time I left I felt like all I had really done was begin to
realize what terrible situations I was leaving these teens in.&amp;nbsp; But isn’t it a wonderful truth?&amp;nbsp; Nothing that happens to us in this life - no
pain, no sorrow, no mortal wound to our souls is irredeemable when we are
God’s.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Now I want to move from my own
experience and give a quick summary of all that I saw going on in &lt;/span&gt;Hooper Bay
&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;through the church.&amp;nbsp; Grant Funk is the
pastor of the church and Lenna teaches the Sunday school for kids, so they have
all the responsibilities of a pastor along with those of youth pastor.&amp;nbsp; There is also a group called Leaders for
Life, that is a more focused and intentional discipleship type group, which
Grant and Lenna are heading up, in this program each teen has to meet certain
requirements and be accountable to a mentor (this is one of the things I got to
be involved in while I was there).&amp;nbsp; Grant
is also starting up an airplane project this summer in which he and a group of
teens will build a kit plane and then he will teach those who have worked on it
how to fly.&amp;nbsp; On top of all this,
Samaritan’s Purse is building a new ministry building this summer, and Grant is
heavily involved in that.&amp;nbsp; So you can see
that there is an enormous amount of activity for one couple, please pray for
their strength both spiritually and physically.&amp;nbsp;
Also, the goal for the new building is that it will be open everyday for
people, especially young people to come hang out.&amp;nbsp; The best way I can describe it is that it
will be kind of like a Whit’s End, without all the crazy inventions – but coffee,
ice-cream, maybe a meal once or twice a week, as well as being a headquarters
for the Leader’s for Life group.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br style="font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;br style="font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;That leads me to the options I am
currently seeking out for my own future.&amp;nbsp;
With the increasing opportunities for ministry in &lt;/span&gt;Hooper Bay&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;,
there is an increasing need for more ministers/laborers.&amp;nbsp; I would love to go back and be one of those
laborers at this exciting time of transition and new beginnings.&amp;nbsp; I would like to go back as early as October,
when they hope to open the new building.&amp;nbsp;
But in order for that to happen I have to find a way to continue to make
payments on my school loan, take on my medical expenses without insurance, and
find housing in &lt;/span&gt;Hooper
 Bay&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;.&amp;nbsp; There are a lot of ifs, but I would be so
grateful if you would pray with me in this.&amp;nbsp;
I’m unsure at this point because I can also see a lot of good in staying
home for another year.&amp;nbsp; But I don’t want
to just take the safe route.&amp;nbsp; I don’t
want to forego the exciting life of faith God has for me. &amp;nbsp;So pray that he will give me "faith to be
strong!"

&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;</description><comments>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/608960796/catching-up.html#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>Tuesday, July 03, 2007</title><link>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/601561859/item.html</link><guid>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/601561859/item.html</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 2007 09:37:20 GMT</pubDate><description>7/3/07&lt;br&gt;It seems like whenever I start to get somewhere in a particular
setting; get deeper into relationship, make a break-through in a
culture, get over the uncomfortable stage and start to feel like I
belong - thats when I get ripped out and stuck somewhere else.&amp;nbsp;
Today I had to leave Hooper Bay - two days earlier than I planned,
which isn't much, but it threw off all the goodbyes.&amp;nbsp; Leaving
early wasn't really the problem though, it was leaving at all.&amp;nbsp; O,
I can't say I wanted to stay there forever...I missed home, family, good
coffee.&amp;nbsp; But part of me wanted to stay there forever, like when I
left PBU for the last time, like when I left my SMP team at the end of the summer in 2005, or any of the other number of good things that have
had to come to an end over the course of my life.&amp;nbsp; I guess it's
because I'm an eternal being - He has set eternity in my heart, I
shouldn't have to say goodbye.&amp;nbsp; But, that reminds me; if I'm an
eternal being, I'm not saying goodbye for eternity, just so long,
God-speed, or as the eskimoes say, "see you."&amp;nbsp; So, I'll stop being
a puddleglum and tell you about some of what God is doing in Hooper Bay, how He used me, and where He is leading me now.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;7/14/07&lt;br&gt;It has been a little over a week since I've been back home, and at first I didn't have much time to think about the trip and reflect on all that had happened, but in the past few days, I have had time or made time, or whatever you want to say.&amp;nbsp; Most of what I want to share is too personal.&amp;nbsp; But I can tell you about what I learned.&amp;nbsp;
I learned that it's true that Christianity is more caught than
taught.&amp;nbsp; For most of the past three weeks I have felt very dumb -
speechless that is.&amp;nbsp; Everywhere I went I never knew what to say or
how to relate.&amp;nbsp; But my hands found
work to do, and I was available to listen.&amp;nbsp; I prayed that God would show me what He had for me to do
each day.&amp;nbsp; Through the first week it was very hard to see why I had felt so strongly just a few days earlier that God really wanted me there.&amp;nbsp; Now I can see that a large part of my ministry was just in my presence.&amp;nbsp; The teens I connected/reconnected with weren't people I had gotten really close to on my first visit to Hooper Bay, but they did remember that I had been there before, they knew I cared enough to come back, and they knew I was there for &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;them&lt;/span&gt;.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I learned that discipleship is in the small stuff, my attitude, work ethic, availability, etc.&amp;nbsp; I wouldn't have gotten into the deep stuff with these teens if I hadn't spent the time making pizza or cookies with them, walking around town, &lt;br&gt;teaching how to make bracelets or learning how to make eskimo icecream and generally doing nothing with them.&amp;nbsp; I had to be trustworthy in the little things before they would trust me with their thoughts of suicide, stories of how they had been abused or kicked out of the house, or of how they always ended up babysit ting their neices and nephews so thier brothers and sisters could get drunk without such an inconvenience.&amp;nbsp; Through the everyday, mundane things in life I became a safe person to talk to.&amp;nbsp; And though I felt far from qualified to advise these young people, I could help them discipher truth from the lies they've been fed all their lives - lies about who they are, what they are worth, and what the answer to their pain is.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Finally, on this trip to Hooper Bay I started to catch the vision I think God has for this village, and even thier whole Native people group; when I remember the faces of the teens I spent time with in Hooper Bay, I am learning to look at their potential, not just pity them because of how devastated they are.&amp;nbsp; I recently read a sermon that Philip Yancy addressed to the campus a couple weeks after the shootings at Virginian Tech.&amp;nbsp; He quoted Dallas Willard, whom I think puts it well: "For those who love God, nothing irredeemable can happen."&amp;nbsp; It is true, and God recieves glory when He redeems hopeless people.&amp;nbsp; The people of Hooper Bay have lost much on many levels, and the kids I got to know have suffered and been hurt more than I can accurately express to you.&amp;nbsp; But God's word teaches us that there is nothing evil that He cannot turn for good, and it teaches us to expect Him to deal with us according to the way He has dealt with His people in the past.&amp;nbsp; For this reason I have great hope for Hooper Bay and many of the other villages in Western Alaska.&amp;nbsp; One day (maybe its happening already, somewhere) Yupik missionaries may travel accross the U.S. to share with a spritually depraved suburban-middleclass what's up with Jesus Christ.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;That's enough for now.&amp;nbsp; Amen.&lt;br&gt;</description><comments>http://www.xanga.com/MeaganPeters/601561859/item.html#firstcomment</comments></item></channel></rss>