Into Your Eyes

I look up to see Your stars shining in the sky,
Magnificent, beautiful, and breathtaking.
Then You turn my face to look into Your eyes.
There You show me beauty.
As I see the stars, You look at me
And say I am captivating.

I look in wonder at the stars so high.
Each one shining in its place.
Then You turn my face to look into Your eyes.
There You show me purpose.
You placed me here, like the stars in the sky
To bring glory to Your name.

When I gaze in the mirror to see what the world sees:
Shame, scars, pain, impurity.
Then I hear You say to look into Your eyes.
There You open my eyes
To see Your love so forgiving as it washes over me
To behold the majesty You have bestowed on me.

I look back in time to a man on a tree
Beaten and bruised, pain and suffering.
Now I can look into Your eyes.
Here is where I can finally see.
Love so deep and grace so strong.
He died so He could have all of me.

Rooted

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." - Jeremiah 17:7-8

There's this place not far from where I live where I start to feel like I'm out of the city. That's mostly because there are finally more trees than buildings. It's beautiful and quiet (unless I decide to turn my worship music up really loud). And you're actually breathing fresh air. I love to sit by the river or go for drives there, especially in the fall.

Fall is my favorite season. I love to watch the leaves change colors. I like harvest time - well the desserts that can be made from the fall harvest anyway. I enjoy finding my way through corn mazes. That being said, when fall starts turning into winter, I hate it. The plowed up fields are no longer as enjoyable to drive by. And the trees, they look so...dead.

But they're not. The roots are still there.

No plant can grow without healthy roots. It's the roots that gather water and nutrients from the soil. It's the roots that hold strong when winds come, and it's the roots that can create new life when fire destroys the branches.

Just like the trees, we go through different seasons in life. While God certainly wants us to bear fruit, we are likely to go through seasons when growth might not be so obvious. And in those seasons especially, we need to be focusing on our roots.

Throughout Scripture, God refers to roots over and over again. In the Parable of the Sower, He talks about plants dying because the roots weren't deep enough. He says in Romans that we are supported by the root. In Hosea, He says that a withered root produces no fruit. The strength of the roots is important, and the strength of the roots is determined by where they grow.

I've had many times in my life when I felt like I was being uprooted. When I started high school and left my friends at a small private school for a large public school. When I graduated high school and moved away from my church. When some of my closest friends graduated and left at the end of my sophomore year. And again when I left college to move back home. But each of those times was a change in season, not soil.

Through all those changes, one thing has remained the same. God has been there. When things I cared about fell away, He was still there. And because of that, I have clung to Him more tightly. I've learned more about His love. I've learned more about His faithfulness. I've learned more about His peace.

In a drought, the roots of a tree reach deeper into the soil to find moisture. When we feel dry, we should also reach deeper into God's Word and presence to find Living Water. The further we press into Him, the more love we will receive. The more we rely on His love, the stronger we become. Then, even when those around us don't expect fruit, it will be there. It will be there because our roots are in the right place.

My prayer for you, reader, is the same as Paul's prayer was for the Ephesians.

"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (emphasis mine)

Join the conversation: Where are your roots? When trouble comes, are you afraid, or do you know that God is taking care of you? What can you do to let your roots grow deeper in His Love?

The Artist

The Artist who molded the world I see,

Who paints the sky so beautifully.

The Musician who makes birds sing,

Waves to crash upon the shore and wind to whistle through the trees.

The Architect who built the mountains

And created deep, bubbling fountains.

The Producer who put the world in motion -

Creatures on land and in the ocean.

The Director who gives the sea its bounds,

He guides the birds' traveling rounds.

The Author of all history,

And still He writes my life story.

All these things, but He still made me.

The world is His, but He still wants me.

All He made, He made to share.

That's just one way He shows He cares.

Before I was born, He molded me.

He sees in me His unsurpassable beauty.

He gave me a voice to raise.

He longs to hear my loving praise.

A foundation laid, stronger than stone,

He asks that I let Him build my home.

He gives me the air I breathe

And wants my life to shine for the world to see.

He shows me where I need to go

And tells me what I need to know.

So I will let Him write and write

And in my life display His might.

Because with all these things, He still made me

And with all He has, He still loves me.

In the Field: Todos los Ninos

The view from Castillo del Rey's cafeteria

Worship music played. The North American mission team danced as they sang along with the Spanish words. A group of girls had gathered to watch the gringoes in the street performance. When it was time for the altar call, the program leaders called the girls to the front. They all huddled together to receive prayer.

Off to the side stood one little boy, Jeremy. He was about four-years-old. He was shy, and he had the sniffles.

While the mission team prayed over the girls who had gathered, Jeremy caught Brittany's attention. She went to him and asked in Spanish, "Do you want to come with me?" He agreed, so she held his hand and led him to some men there that day.

"Every program I did, I decided I wanted to find one kid who I would specifically dote on and pay attention to and smile at and talk to," Brittany said. "We've heard stories of people who are in the School of Missions that the Castle has, that the reason that they know Jesus is because some American came when they were five, smiled at them, prayed with them and left. That American never knows they had that impact, but the Salvadoran is a Christian because of that."

Jeremy receiving prayer
Photo courtesy of Brittany Copeland, taken by Josh Jasper

That day, a day when Brittany was only supposed to be checking on the mission team and leaving, Jeremy was the child she chose. "What if he needed Jesus?" she asked. "All of the guys on the team, a couple of guy interns, and a couple of national boys were all laying their hands on him, praying over his life, over his sickness, over him to know Jesus. They were just surrounding him, and he was just covered in prayer."

Matt and Brittany Copeland spent this past summer as missionary interns in El Salvador. For two months, they worked with Castillo del Rey (King's Castle) helping in any way they could. They led North American teams as they did street outreach. Matt helped with construction and agriculture programs. Brittany helped with the medical clinic.

Brittany on her first trip to El Salvador in 2013
Photo by Kim Boley

Both Copelands had been to El Salvador on short-term trips in the past. Brittany went with Chi Alpha when she was in college, and both had been with their church twice. The first time Matt went, he ended up staying a week longer than he had planned to help with the agriculture program. He was asked to stay again the following year, but he had to return to the States so he and Brittany could get married. After they had been married for a couple months, they began discussing the possibility of returning to El Salvador. "We talked to one another and said, 'Hey, I really feel like God's telling us to go to El Salvador for all of next summer'," Matt recalls. "Very much confirmation from one another," he said.

"The first time I ever went to El Salvador with Chi Alpha in 2013 - I had been on a couple mission trips, and I went on some after that, but that was the only one I ever cried when I left," Brittany said. "I always remembered that, that I had felt such an attachment to the people there that I missed it, and I was sad to break that connection and not know if I'd see them again."

Castillo del Rey exists "porque los ninos necesitan conocer Jesus" or "because the children need to know Jesus." It was founded by Don and Terri Triplett. They have created programs with the idea in mind that every child in El Salvador will hear about Jesus at least once every year. There are several methods the ministry uses to meet this goal.

Clown costume Brittany made
for the street performances
Photo courtesy of
Brittany Copeland

One way is through what they call "spectacle evangelism." Mission teams go to the streets where they sing songs and dance. They perform skits. There are at least two clowns. It catches the children's attention because there are fun activities happening and because there are gringoes, a term used to describe North Americans and usually meaning white people. Each child is prayed for, and a local pastor follows up with them later.

They have also started Guardians of the Vision. Students are intensely discipled and preaching by age 10. "They have this idea, which is true, a child age 12 will preach with boldness, and then suddenly they start growing up and get afraid," Brittany said. "They let the children do it as much as possible so that they a. learn that they don't need to be afraid and b. get it out while they can. It's powerful." Guardians of the Vision is now in 27 countries.

"Don's goal big scale is to reach every child in the world with the Gospel one time a year," Matt said. "That way they have continued exposure to make a decision for Jesus."

Matt and Brittany were able to spend a week in one of the other countries. The Castillo del Rey in Nicaragua did not have any interns, so they spent a week leading North American mission teams there. "It was a big stretch," Matt said. "It was like, 'Why are you here? Are you here to send time with your spouse, or are you here because I've told you to be here?'"

Matt and Brittany out to see Mujer Maravilla (Wonder Woman)
with fellow missionaries
Photo courtesy of Brittany Copeland

Because Matt and Brittany had both been to El Salvador before, they were prepared for the cultural differences. They had an advantage in knowing some of the language and having worked with the staff before.  But there were some differences. Because they were there long term, they spent more time off Castillo property, attending church, shopping, and watching movies. And they still didn't know the language perfectly.

One day, a fellow intern popped a tire. Brittany and their friend Shannon, another North American who had started a year-long internship just after Matt and Brittany arrived were on their way to church. Few tire shops were open since it was Sunday. The ones that were did not look safe. "That's the thing about being a gringo in El Salvador. You don't go dumb places," Matt said. He explained Shannon's rule for stopping. "If the cars look jank, you don't get out of the your car. You turn around and don't drive there. Just because gang culture is a thing."

Matt and Brittany working around the Castillo
del Rey camp with their friend Shannon
Photo courtesy of Brittany Copeland

So the next day, Shannon, Matt, and Brittany asked a national for directions to a good tire store. They were told to go to Llanta Ria (Tire Vendor) in the nearest large town 45 minutes from their camp. The directions included three fingers held up, which they had to figure out if that meant three kilometers or three blocks. Then they were told, "Llantas, llantas, llantas todos" with hand motions indicating tires everywhere. When they finally found the shop, Matt and Brittany had to work together to figure out what was being said - Brittany because she knew the most Spanish, Matt because he knew the most about cars. "We were so proud of ourselves," Brittany said. Matt added, "Three gringoes that took care of ourselves getting a new tire. It was a real bonding moment."

There is a huge gang culture in El Salvador. The country is the most dangerous in the Western Hemisphere. Although the main effect it had on the Copelands was whether they stopped at some places or not, it regularly affects Castillo del Rey ministries. Sometimes street teams will have to stop in the middle of a program because a gang leader has decided they can't have any more time or someone showed up who shouldn't have.

But castle insignia can also give protection to the missionaries. The gangs respect Castillo del Rey because the missionaries stayed through the country's civil war and because of the work the ministry does. "Generally, the people in the gangs don't want to see their kids in the same system," Matt said. "They want better for their kids, but they can't do it on their own."

In El Salvador, the only way to safely leave a gang is to become a Christian. "They will stalk you to make sure you are legitimately a Christian and not faking it," Brittany said.

Cooking breakfast
in Nicaragua
Photo courtesy of
Brittany Copeland

Their experiences in El Salvador and Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the hemisphere, this summer and on previous mission trips taught them more about the universal need for God. Matt explained. "Everyone needs Jesus, just in a different way, " he said. "In the States here, we have such a mindset of consumerism and materialism. El Salvador is no worse; it's just different. Nicaragua isn't worse; it's just different. Haiti isn't worse; it's just different. That was a really big thing I had my eyes opened to. Especially going on your first mission trip, it's tempting to say, 'Oh, they're so poor. I should be more thankful for the things I have.' Which is a good takeaway, but it doesn't stop there. God doesn't need to meet them more because they're poor. That's not true at all. We all have a reason that we need Jesus, and even our culture has a reason that we need Jesus. It just looks different in each culture."

Matt and Brittany are already discussing their next steps into missions. They are considering a missionary associate term in El Salvador, which will include eight months in Costa Rica learning Spanish. They don't know yet when they will leave again, but are learning more about the logistics for a longer term.

Brittany said of this summer, "It was a reality check of I know I'm called to missions. And I've always been really excited about it, but this is what it's really like," she said. "It was a progressive realization of all the things I'd lose but then a progressive realization of what really matters."

"It's going to be really hard," Matt said. "But this summer was a really good rejuvenation for me of I'm more scared to do it my way than I am to follow God's plan."

Prayer requests for the Copelands and Castillo del Rey:

• Finances for Castillo del Rey to continue carrying out their vision - to be able to send and equip more people as well as maintaining the camp
• Guidance as the Copelands figure out the next step
• That the Copelands would remain content and fully invested in their current place while preparing for what's next

If you want to learn more about Matt and Brittany's time in El Salvador and Nicaragua, you can read their blog from the summer here.

Above the Storm

Watching the lightning storm from the plane

It was 4:30 in the morning. I looked over at the friend sitting next to me, sleeping like most people on the plane. Unlike them, I hadn't been able to get comfortable enough for that. I'd been awake for nearing 20 hours and was getting frustrated with my inability to sleep before I had to drive the rest of the home (five-six hours after I was originally supposed to).

Then I looked out the window. We were flying above a lighting storm. Suddenly, I was glad to be awake. The dancing lights in the clouds caused me to praise God.

I'm normally a big fan of storms. But looking back on that morning, I can't imagine I would have enjoyed the storm had I been on the ground. On the ground, the storm would have been very inconvenient. And all I would have been thinking about was that it was prolonging the journey to my bed.

This year, I feel like I've been going through a huge storm. Medical problems in my family. Big expenses I didn't expect. Plans not working out the way I want them to. Friends (that I am truly happy for) moving further away or announcing that they will be. My dog's old age showing more than ever. And for most of the time, I have focused on the inconvenience of all those things.

I've often heard that you should be honest with God and tell Him what you're feeling. Although that is important, I'm learning it's not the best way to deal with a problem. When you're stuck in the middle of a torrential onslaught, you don't get out by telling God it's making you wet.

You get out by getting above it. And you get above it by praising God.

When you praise God, it puts all your focus on Him. You remember how good He is. You remember how powerful He is. You remember how much He loves you and how He has come through for you in the past. You remember how big God is. Your feelings about the storm might even change while you're praising Him.

I've found that the song "Fields of Grace" by Big Daddy Weave is a great help for me. I can't help but find joy in God's love when I hear it. Like Paul and Silas who were loosed from their shackles and prison cell when they sang praises to God, I'm freed from my fears and doubts when I lift my voice to Him.

Praise changes your perspective. It allows you to enter God's presence so you can see the storm from His perspective. Still a very real storm with very real effects on your life, but beneath Him. Smaller than He is, and something He can help you rise above.

Join the conversation: What storms are you facing them, and how are you facing them? What helps you focus on God instead of your problems?

In the Field: Sent to Sendai

Praise Community Church in Sendai, Japan

Bethany had been in Japan for less than a month, and she was ready to find a church she could be involved in while she lived in Japan to teach English. So she met one of her co-workers to make their way to downtown Sendai. She learned which subway station to get off at, and which of the station exits to use. Then they walked into a bar.

They sang worship songs in English and in Japanese. She sat in the back where a church member whispered the English translation of the sermon. At the end of the sermon, Bethany was caught off guard when she was asked to tell the congregation her name, favorite food, and how she had come to the church. She didn't know yet that these types of introductions were frequent in Japan. 

"I remember just feeling a sense of home," Bethany says. "It just felt comfortable."

English Conversation Cafe, an outreach of PCC

That was Bethany Panian's introduction to Praise Community Church (PCC). At the time, she was only planning to be a member. Now, through partnership with Asian Access, she is on staff at the church. If she brings a guests, she warns them about the introduction, even if she forgets until it's almost time for the introduction.

Bethany became a Christian while attending the University of Missouri - Columbia. She was hired through the university to work with a school district. The school was going through budget cuts, and she knew was not going to have a job there the next year, so she started asking God what to do. She prayed with her campus pastor, Missi Trask, and went to a job fair at the university.

While at the job fair, she saw someone recruiting for teaching positions in Japan. "Japan wasn't on my radar for my life at all," she says. So she decided it would be good to practice interviewing with the recruiter. After the fair, they continued to email back and forth. As she prayed about what to do next, a woman from her church told her, "You can't steer a parked car." Bethany applied for the teaching position. By the time she heard back, she had started telling God, "If you don't give me Japan, I don't know what I'm going to do."

Staff prayer night at Bethany's pastor's house

Eventually, Bethany found out she had the job. She moved to Japan in February 2011 and began teaching English, which she did for four years. She taught second grade and high school. During her fourth year, she started working part time as a teacher trainer and began volunteering at PCC.

In her volunteer role, Bethany would organize roles for church volunteers, put bulletins together, make worship music available online, and helped with a monthly Bible study for women. "In those two roles, I was on the edge of burnout again, and I didn't even know it," she says. That's when she found out her school wanted her to be full time the following year, in the position they had created for her. "I had to make a decision between giving up my position at the school and my work at the church," Bethany says. "I was heartbroken because I didn't want to give up either."

She decided to spend a month praying about her options. "I had no peace about returning to teacher training because I felt I had made a commitment to my church and to God," Bethany says.

She had been looking for roommates for the following year. When the friends she was talking to found out she wanted to stay with the church, they offered to cover part of her share of rent as a way to support her. She also read 1 Kings 17 and thought, "If God can make the ravens feed Elijah, He can take care of me," she says.

Bethany meeting with her pastor, supervisor, and a VP
of Asian Access

So Bethany started speaking with Asian Access. Because Asian Access normally pairs missionaries with partner churches, she was not sure how things would work out. She knew she was supposed to be at PCC, but PCC was not a partner church. That spring, the vice president of Asian Access was traveling through Sendai, and Bethany met with her between travel connections. "We both had that feeling we'd known each other forever," Bethany says. Without making any promises, the vice president told her how she met the need at PCC. "God calling me was a perfect fit with things going on behind the scenes I didn't even know about."

After spending some time in the states for training and support raising, Bethany returned to Japan in September 2016. "I have to remind myself I'm still a first-year missionary. It makes sense for me to be barabara," she says, using the Japanese word for scattered.

Some of the "aunties" in the temporary housing community
where PCC Kai is held

When the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan in 2011, Bethany had just arrived, but she knew she was supposed to stay in the country. Residents affected by the disasters were placed into temporary housing communities, and PCC formed a relationship with people at one of the nearby locations. They have recently started what is called PCC Kai, or monthly church services with the residents. "We still haven't seen anyone come to Christ," Bethany said. "My pastor feels like he knows some people who are open to it and seeking. In a Japanese context, making a decision to do something different from the group is almost impossible. I've prayed that He'll change the whole group, and they'll all be following Him."

Now that she is officially on staff with PCC, Bethany has some specific goals in mind for what she would like to do. Bethany is used to small groups playing a big role in spiritual growth. She would like to start a small group with some of the young women in her church. She wants a Japanese co-leader to work with her.

Bethany also wants to see prayer become a normal part of every church member's life. She wants people to be comfortable praying for each other. "One of the biggest challenges is how people view leadership," she said. "Leadership tends to be a really elevated honor. People expect the pastor to do everything." That includes prayer. To encourage others to pray, she is setting an example. "I'm making that a normal part of how I interact with people and modeling that."

But that's not the only change PCC will be seeing. After 10 years of meeting in a bar, and only having the space for a few hours on Sundays, PCC finally has their own space. That means more room to grow.

Prayer requests from Bethany:

• Prayers as PCC enters the new season with their new building
• That they would use the space for God's glory
• That they would be able to better equip their members
• That they would be able to do more outreach

Bethany with her pastor and his family as well as the church's
new intern after their last service in the bar - just last Sunday

*All photos courtesy of Bethany Panian, taken by her pastor Takahiro Ami

In the Field: Speaking Their Language

Memorial Union, where Chi Alpha and English Club meet on Mizzou's campus
Photo screenshot from a video provided by Marta Payne

Saying goodbye at the bus station
Photo courtesy of Becca Clay

People milled about the station, exchanging letters and words of encouragement. Goofing off and taking pictures. They had just come from a formal end-of-school-year celebration. Now, it was time to say goodbye. Thankfully, the bus was running late, allowing them extra time to spend together before some of them returned to Japan. Outside, the rain was coming down in torrents.

Finally it was time to leave. They gathered together to pray. Those headed to the airport boarded the bus. The rain continued to pour down. As the bus pulled away, those staying behind stretched their hands forward and prayed once again. Tears were shed. They weren't just sending off their friends; they were sending off family.

"How do you do this every year?" one student asked. "Is this really what it's like all the time?"

"Yep, this is what it's all about," Becca said.

That was the end of Becca Clay's eighth year at Mizzou. Becca is a campus missionary with Chi Alpha (XA) at the University of Missouri - Columbia and Columbia College. She is the director of XAi, the ministry's outreach to international students. She joined Mizzou Chi Alpha in 2009, during her freshman year at the university. During a regular service that year, on February 23, 2010, she knew she would be dedicating her life to missions instead of continuing with her plan of becoming a math teacher. Then in her senior year, she was at missions conference, when God further confirmed that she should stay at Mizzou. "I remember getting really excited at one point and turning around to Tom and Missi, and I was like, 'I can stay right?' And they're like, 'Welcome aboard'. So I got to stay," she said.

When she graduated in 2013, she began an internship with them. In her second year, Tom asked her to begin leading XAi. In 2015, she officially joined the ministry staff.

"In that moment, you could feel the weight of how important it is to love these students every moment that you have, to sacrifice your time to allow yourself to have new, authentic, genuine relationships," Becca said of the night at the bus station. She said it was a reminder of why she does what she does.

Becca's vision for XAi is that every international student on any campus in Columbia, Missouri, would leave having heard about Jesus. That is broken down into three components.

1. They meet the needs of international students without separating from the rest of the ministry.
2. They equip international students to return to their home countries with the confidence to lead others to Jesus.
3. They teach American students that "they have XAi in them" and creating a sense of responsibility in reaching international students.

Prayer at English Club
Photo courtesy of Becca Clay

When Becca first started helping with XAi, very few American students in Chi Alpha knew any international students. According to the International Center at Mizzou, 80% of international students never enter an American home. "We've changed that statistic on our campuses over the past year or so," Becca said.

In working to reach every one of the 2,700 international students, XAi has several methods. "We meet them, and we just invite them into our lives, and we do English Club," Becca said. "To me, English Club is a welcome mat into the rest of the ministry."

In English Club, students learn common English phrases, particularly ones that won't make sense with a direct translation. Then they play a game to demonstrate an understanding of the phrase. One week, they taught the phrase "party animal." Becca said students started "flailing and dancing" during their skits that night, and they were able to bond over it further at the Halloween party later that week. Another time they learned phrases that had to do with love and relationships. One of the students demonstrated understanding of their new phrase by saying, "Everybody has eyes for Becca." "They liked to flatter me, because they thought that would get them more points," Becca said.

Becca starting a game at English Club

Video courtesy of Marta Payne

This year, there will be some changes. Taking a clue from team members who worked with a similar ministry in Indonesia, conversations at English Club will be less about games and more about the important topics of life - religion, family, culture. "My hope is that we're going to go deeper, faster, that real connections are going to be made," Becca said.

Becca with students at the XAi Thanksgiving and
Christmas dinner
Photo courtesy of Becca Clay

Students also get connected with conversation partners. They lead an Intro to Christianity class, which this year will utilize the Alpha Courses, a series that introduces people to the basics of Christianity. A banquet is hosted every year before Thanksgiving to introduce foreign students to American holiday traditions and the Christmas story. This year, Becca hopes to have one XAi team member in every small group Bible study, called delegates. Their purpose will be to connect international students to other members of the ministry.

Becca explained some of the differences in ministering to students from other countries. Many need practical help with getting around and making phone calls. Sometimes, a trip to Wal-Mart is the best chance to talk about Jesus. There are other differences though.

"A lot of these students have never heard of Jesus," Becca said. "Some of these students is as simple as sin. What is sin? Who's God? You mean there's something out there that's not me?" Even once they understand who Jesus is it can be difficult for them to make a decision.

"We have a lot of students who are so close to accepting Jesus, to making that commitment," Becca said. "And typically when students, especially students from Asian culture, they're fully committed. It's not half in, half out. It's all in. And they know that, so every decision is weighty. I have students that are weighing the cost. Choosing Jesus could mean disappointing your parents for the first time."

Mizzou's group at the national All Nations conference
Photo courtesy of Becca Clay

But Becca and her team are doing their job well. "We're starting to get recognized because we are doing things with excellence and they're seeing," Becca said. She has been able to form a relationship with the national XAi director and his wife where she can learn from them. The national director has asked for her help planning the yearly national conference as well as teaching other students and leaders how to reach international students. "I think my involvement will grow nationally," Becca said. "I really do think it's an honor, because I think it again speaks to the fruit."

Some of that fruit can be seen in the Japanese students she saw off at the bus station last year. They are returning to Japan ready to start a new Bible study on their campus. Mizzou Chi Alpha is doing what they can to help and possibly connect them with a pastor who will go work with them.

For now, Becca's plan is to stay at Mizzou Chi Alpha. But she is always checking with God if that plan should change. "I've counted, and I have friends in over 30 countries at this point. And my heart is all over the place. Every year I make deeper and deeper connections with students where it's harder and harder to say goodbye or see ya later. I have to constantly ask, 'Okay, am I supposed to go? When do I follow a student home?'," Becca said. "As far as I know, I'm here because God hasn't told me otherwise yet."

Prayer requests from Becca:

• That she would be fully supported so that she can help support other missionaries, particularly her students both foreign and domestic who end up working abroad
• For her team members to be prepared for the increased opportunities to minister this year's changes will bring
• For the students who are still counting the cost, that they would have the peace and confidence to choose Jesus

If you are interested in Becca's work, you can visit mizzouxa.com or contact me. If you are interested in being part of her support team, you can join here. You may also contact me for more information.