Happy New Year!

As I look to the New Year, I sit in the attitude of thankfulness. I have so much to be thankful for, to hope for and to be joyful in. 2016 has been one of my most adventurous years, not staying in one place for long as God taught me and showed me more of Him in each place. God has healed me of trauma and fear as I took His hand and say 'yes' to Him, becoming a missionary once again and moving to America.

This year as a Christmas gift for each missionary, my friend and I made keys into a necklace with the word 'yes' put on them. This was to remind each one of us about the ‘Yes’ we gave to Jesus, when we gave our lives to Him. It was all inspired by a testimony our co-leader David Lancaster shared with us, of a conversation he had with God on his first missions trip…‘God showed me a blank piece of paper and said to me these simple words – ‘Will you give me your yes?’ I wondered what He meant so I asked Him, ‘Yes to what?’. Through our conversation He asked me if I would give Him Amy? (His wife) I said 'yes'. Would I give Him Jonathan? (His eldest child) I said 'yes'. Would I give Him Olivia? (His middle child) I said 'yes'. Would I give Him Sarah? (His youngest) I said 'yes'. Then He showed me that blank paper again. Will you give me your yes? I gave Him my yes. It doesn’t matter what to, God is looking for our yes.’

As I look to 2017 I want to go deeper into my relationship with God! There is always more and I want to learn about the more of Him. I want to always say ‘Yes’ to Him as I step out into the deep. Even if I don't know the specifics of what I am saying 'Yes' to. I have signed the blank paper with my yes - and I have given it to Him. 

Part of that 'yes' has been saying yes to more missions. I will be going on a short 5 day missions trip in February to Pennsylvania to visit a church there that came to visit here, at We Will Go with their youth group. I am excited to connect more with them, and to have the opportunity to pray with them and encourage them. When I prayed about going, God smiled and said, ‘Why wouldn’t you go?’ So I am stepping out in faith, knowing that this will be a lovely little adventure with God. I will be there over my birthday as well, so this will be an added bonus of celebrating while ministering, adventuring and loving on the beautiful people of the Pennsylvania church, alongside Amy and David Lancaster.

I have prayed big things for 2017! I love dreaming with God knowing that He gave me these dreams. Please pray with me as we all enter this new season together, and please know I am praying for you too!

Happy New year!

His love for this place from ruth Alexander on Vimeo.

It's Christmas!!!!

It’s Christmas!!! One of my favorite times of the year! The food, lights, people coming together and the carols. This is my first ever Christmas in America, let alone with We Will Go and so far, it has been a blast! We prepared many gift bags for every child that come to our afterschool program, plus every neighbor that we know in our community, plus those who come from further away to our church or our food and clothing ministry. Decorated EVERYWHERE and had a fun staff Christmas party!

On Christmas day, we are going to open our outdoor pavilion and cook a big dinner for everyone who would like to come. I was here when we did this for Thanksgiving and it was amazing! The rich and poor came together to eat, we played games and thanked the Lord for everything He has done and is doing. For saving us and for loving us! Christmas day will look very similar, except it will be much colder!

The weather here has turned very cold very quickly! Last weekend we had a lovely Saturday of 25degrees and the Sunday turned freezing! So I am wearing my layers and running from one building to the other. Every time I shiver and feel cold, I think about my friends who are on the streets this winter. My good friends who make me laugh daily, and have such amazing testimonies of God protecting them. Friends who hold on to God’s joy through the hard times. I pray for them to feel God’s warmth and for provision in every moment. Not just for their physical needs, but for their spiritual needs too. That the Holy Spirit lifts their heads to look up and the face of hope.

I have just finished praying for a man who has lost his job due to being sick with kidney stones. This means he can’t pay his rent and he is about to be kicked out of his apartment. All a few days before Christmas. What do I do with this? I can’t help him personally; although I can send him to the right people who can. But in it all, his Christmas that he planned isn’t going to happen. Of course, I prayed that God will provide, but my main prayer was for God to protect his heart. To not lose hope and to keep his eyes fixed on Jesus. If hope gets deferred it can be way more painful. Please pray for him.

I have handed in my application form for my visa this last week. Please pray this goes through quick and I have favour in it all! With this please pray for my finances to go along with me stepping out in faith, to apply to be here long term

Please know that I am praying for all of you during this holiday season! My UK friends and family, I do miss you all and think of you often. Please know you can come and visit me any time!

Merry Christmas!

Start with me Lord...

Sitting at my desk, a normal day begins with team prayer. We ask the lord to bless the day and for our eyes to be opened to all He is doing. It's 8am soon enough and our doors open to our sweet neighbours who are in need of food and clothes. We hand out food to each person once a month, and clothes and hygiene items are given once a week. This day is particularly busy and I know that I am not going to have many quiet moments to start answering emails. 

I go out of the office and into the lobby to pick up the slip of paper dedicated to the next person. I see their name and what they are able to receive on this day. Let's call this person Cassandra. I see that Cassandra needs food and clothes today, so I say hello as I call her name to come to the clothes shop with me. She seems shy, but happy to be with me. We make polite conversation and look around the 

food first. She needs every item from each food category. She is allowed three cans of vegetables, so she picks two cans of sweetcorn and some mixed veggies. She likes sweet corn and has a plan for how she will use it. We find some clothes that not only fit her, but that she likes. The blue, flowery, long-sleeved top is her favourite. She also gets two pairs of jogging bottoms, which she is excited about, as they are not only comfy, but also warm for the cold weather coming. Once we make sure she has everything she needs, we sit down to pray together. 

As we start to pray, I say to her what I say to every person who comes for our 'Hands and Feet' ministry. 'It's not just the stuff that God provides; you are a part of our family and we want to know how you are and how we can pray for you.' Cassandra starts to talk about how she needs a stable place to live. I hear this often, and it's not that I don't want to pray without ceasing about this for every neighbour, but I also care so much about her heart and how I can pray for that. So I start digging deeper. She then says quietly, 'Please pray as the doctor says I don't have HIV anymore.'

I take a moment to make sure I understood. I sit back and repeat her words, said in a southern accent through my head. I must have got that wrong, I think.  

'What do you mean, Casandra?' 

'The doctor took some blood and I went for the results and she said I don't have HIV no more, cause I got raped and I had HIV, but now I don't have it no more; that is why I am putting on weight.'

At this moment, Miss Amy walks up to her to embrace her and ask her how she is doing. Again Cassandra talks about her everyday life. I interrupt, I ask her to repeat to Miss Amy what she just told me. 

She does so. 

Amy and I smile at each other as Amy goes on to ask, 'How can that be Cassandra?! That's impossible!' 

'Well, it's because I asked God every day and then He came and I don't have HIV no more.' She says it so simply like it is an every day event. 

I pray that it becomes one. 

Come 9:30am, I start emailing our sweet future visitors until a volunteer comes in to help out for the morning. I plug her in and talk a little about the ministry. I tell her about what just happened and doubt enters into my head. I repent to my Lord Jesus in my head, before I get her settled with organising clothes. 

The week moves on and becomes busy, I once again notice that I have to fight off being overwhelmed. I lose that simplicity that Cassandra has, as a child who knows who her God is. I pull away and lose track of who I am in Him through the everyday things. 

Thursday night, we go and pray over a fellow missionaries' house in a nearby street. And she has this hanging in her house. 

It was like a slap around the face from God. How I love those slaps and I pray He does it each day. Seriously. When I am serious about finding Him in it all, wanting Him more than anything, He will be there for me. Always. And I won't be disappointed. 

I believe that Cassandra prayed daily and was serious about finding God in her healing. I also notice that I am not always serious about seeking Him in the stressful moments of fighting off being overwhelmed. Being overwhelmed by the need is something that I actually can't do without my God, so I don't know why I sometimes try! 

Jesus, may I seek you daily with a pure intention. May I be like Cassandra who '...is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come' Proverbs 31v25, in each moment of each day. Because I know there is a place in your presence I have never been before, I am want to go as I go deeper with you Lord! 

Thank you Jesus for allowing me to minister to this neighbourhood. But also, thank you, God, for always teaching me. For showing me how to go low and slow, putting my heart in a mouldable place for you to do your thing! 

Lord, I surrender all to You once again. Teach me daily Your ways. Make me get serious about You! 

                                                           


                                                             Staff retreat November 2016

Such a privilege to love on our sweet

children

Thanksgiving

2016