January 2012

My last Term at Impact 195 began on January 10th. I enjoyed spending 6 weeks at home and having opportunities to visit with friends. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by nor can I believe how much the Lord has changed me and worked in and through me in the last 9 months! The Lord has truly been taking me on an incredible journey of knowing him more and making him known to those who are lost and broken in the world. He has shown me love like I have never experienced before, he has provided for my every need, he has been transforming my heart to become more like his own, and he has given me a peace and boldness that I never knew was possible for me to have. I still have more learning to do and experiences to have but each and every day I am growing and walking and being transformed by Christ Jesus.

For those of you have been walking along side me on this journey, thank you. Thank you for your prayers and your support, and for all of your encouraging words. I am truly blessed to have each one of you in my life. My prayer for you has been for all of you to experience him in a new way as well. I pray that through my testimony of how God has been showing up so mightily in my life you would come to know him and trust him more. As it says in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." May 2012 be the year that you clear space in your life and take hold of the plans God has for you.

My goal this term is to take 100 people/groups/families/couples with me on the mission trip in April to Turkey. You may not be able to be there with me physically but you will be with me in my heart as I go and share God’s love with orphan children, feed and clothe lost and hungry people, work on a building projects, and pray with people – I will take you with me. Your love for others you may never meet on earth, and God’s love will together reach farther and overflow with leftovers because of your participation. Therefore, I have sent this email to 100 contacts – most represent more than one person, so the multiplying already begins because instead of taking 100 people with me, it could be 2 or 3 times that many! I get excited thinking about it!

Thank you for supporting me in this and for all of your prayers! I can't wait to share stories from the trip with you! <3

Blessings,

Marisa