Sunday, June 26, 2011

LOOK OUT, WORLD!

Here is a blog post written today by Anna's team leader, Shannon Higgins, in Thailand:

WE CALL THEM THE NEXT GENERATION

12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1Tim 4:12



But I am among ten beautiful young women who are not the next generation, but are part of the generation now because they are choosing to not wait to change the world. These amazing young women are stepping out of the norm and are taking a stand.

They have given up a month of their lives to serve others. They have given up their cell phones, computers, facebook, and tv. They are willing to live without air conditioning in the middle of summer. They are willing to give up their personal rights and expectations to be part of community. They are willing to take off the mask the world says they have to wear to be truly vulnerable with their team. They have given up their freedom to do what they want and go where they want. They are giving it all to Jesus.

They have shared their brokenness with each other. They have admitted their failures and faults. They have loved each other in their imperfections. They have chosen to let Jesus over take their lives. They have taken disappointment on the chin and rolled with it.

These beautiful young women have done all of this to allow Jesus to take a hold of their lives and totally break and transform them. They are seeking so much more than what the world has to offer. They do not want to just survive through life, but live it abundantly.

So many people put limits on what teenagers can do or handle, but God does not put limits on them. We have ten incredible young women who have struggled through to be able to be used by Jesus now. They are not waiting until they are adults, have a college education, and have more life experience. They are doing something now to bring hope to a broken world.

They have not just come to Thailand to work with women in the bars; they have come to be transformed so that they can be an agent of Jesus’ love, hope, and peace everywhere they go.

I realized very quickly at training camp that these young women were my ministry. They have captured my heart. I care more about pouring into them then even going into the bar area and ministering there. They have impressed me in their desire to seek God and serve him. They are finding who they are in Christ and identifying their callings now instead of having to do it in their 20’s like I did. I desire so much to help them discover their identity in Christ and encourage them each day we are here.

Be looking out for these amazing young women to change the world!

To read more about Shannon Higgins adventures in missions, visit her blog:

http://shannonhiggins.theworldrace.org/

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