Isaiah 30:15 In quietness and confidence shall be your strength

Hey everyone! It has been so long since I have written, I say to myself just about everyday "I need to write in my blog" then the day is over before I know it. I have just about two more weeks here in Finland before returning to the States, how times flies by. Amazing things have happened, divine appointments, it is amazing how our very steps are ordained by God. Pilvi and I took a road trip to northern Finland by car, we actually made it to the Arctic circle, yes where Santa lives! We had made plans to stay with a school friend of Pilvi's who studies there, Pilvi had mentioned to me she wasn't saved, so we where trusting God for a chance to share the gospel. The Lord opened the door and gave the opportunity. She asked me about my life and what I am doing, the culture here is strongly based on having a profession and if you don't have one getting one. To a finnish unsaved mind, a life like how we live doesn't make sense, so I was able to share with her my heart behind choosing to be a "missionary". She later opened another door for us to share by asking about what is going on in America, the Lord helped me creatively steer it to giving her the full gospel. She didn't not pray to receive but she heard the clear gospel and I believe she will think about it a lot. Pilvi later told me she has been praying for her since high school! The rest of our trip was amazing we saw 4 reigndeer while we where driving! We then went to the Vaasa conference for Easter weekend, this was great to be with the body here in Finland and celebrate the resurrection, with the sun shining all day Easter sunday.

There have been so many amazing testimonies I could share, a verse that ran through my mind over and over for a couple weeks was The Lord thy God in the midst of the is Mighty, He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy, He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing Zeph 3:17. This is it He does it all He is the mighty one, It is not me it is Him. 

I have been thinking about what the Lord has done in my own heart during my time here. I thought right away about the verse's James 1:19 Let every man be swift to hear and slow to speak and Isaiah 30:15 In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. I have spent a lot of my time here quietly listening taking things in learning new things not speaking much. Many times I am in a place where there is only finnish being spoken, I have gotten use to these times, being able to quietly sit in a room of people and be content. At first it was very difficult not knowing what was going on, God used this to teach me quietness before Him. When english was being spoken I found myself so excited just to listen to what was being said. When you are so familiar with understanding everything you hear you take for granted much of what is being said, when you can't understand much of what is being said the little that is spoken that you can understand you soak it up. I don't know if that sentence would make sense to everyone but it sure does to me. So the Lord has really shown me the importance of being swift to hear and really slow to speak, and in quietness and confidence there is strength. It would be a challenge for many to sit in a room with everyone speaking the same language and you are the only one that doesn't understand, it was for me, but I wouldn't change it for anything. God new I needed to experience this. He speaks to us, He loves us, He joys over us with singing, He is mighty! 

Please pray for God's clear leading in what is next, if I come back. The Lord knows! 

I will see many of you soon

oh and yes it is still cold here and today it was snowing most of the day :)

Walking by Faith

So much of life is planned. We plan each moment of our days what are we going to do... work... lunch... work... school... family time... whatever it may be our days  are usually planned out first thing in the morning. At least this has been true for me always. I was on the train headed back to Jyvaskyla from Hameenlinna on Monday morning thinking really what am I doing here in Finland REALLY? I couldn't even think in my own mind what I am doing here, I have no job, I am not a student, I have no real practical reason of being here. Then I thought about Faith, walking by Faith, thinking by Faith, really living by Faith! When we are walking and living in Faith the Lord leads us and takes care of us so precisely. So the Lord opened many doors for me to come to Finland in this season, and I am here by Faith, walking in it thinking in it living a life of Faith. 

I am realizing each day I do not have a "set plan" like I may have had in America, but this is increasing my walk of Faith. I go out for a walk, I go to a prayer meeting, I go to a bible college class, many times as I go I am wondering if I really even "want to" many times I don't, but I go by faith. Every time I go He is leading me He is using me in some way "my" plan would never have thought possible. This is exciting this is The Lord using me and me just going along for the ride. We learn to forget about our feelings what we want to be doing and just going by faith, and how much more amazing life is! I read the bible in Faith, I get on my knees and pray by Faith and I am so quickened and full of joy every time. He has sent us He has commissioned us He is what people need to hear about, this is why we live by Faith, this is why we are sold out! I think of that song Matt "baby" wrote often, Is it true? Well if it is and we believe then we go, and IT IS TRUE!

So this is our life, this is missions no matter what country we are in!

I have GREAT expectation in what the Lord is going to do and has done during my time here, in my own life and the life of others!

Thank you for praying, Love you all!

Meagan

First week in Jyvaskyla

Wow, there is so much I can say about my first week in yvaskyla. It is a beautiful place, I have enjoyed every moment being here! I have to admit my favorite thing is the food, I have not been disapointed with anything I have eaten. It is all so delicouse, exspecially the sweets mmmmm. Not to mention the never ending supply of coffee, the chocolate is simply irresistable, my mind wonders away many times in the thought of the finnish chocolate. Even the sour milk is SO good, yes sour milk, they drink it, and I promised I would try it I am glad I did! Coming in very closely behind food is the finnish sauna, this is unbelievable. Everyone should make a point to sometime in their life come to Finland just to sit in the sauna. The food, chocolate, coffee, and sauna must be a gift to the finns from the Lord, for them having to have 6 months of winter each year :)!

So besides the amazing food and sauna time, since I have arrived i have had one of the greatest exsperiences of the joy of the Lord. I have such a deep joy, a supernatural peace, and assurance that I am right in the will of God. I am living in a small apartment with Pilvi, perfect for the two of us. Pilvi is a full time student at the university here in Yvaskyla, so she is at school most of the day. During my days (which will begin to get busier) I have been able to spend a lot "alone" time in the word and prayer. This has been such a blessing, because in america my life was always go go go for the past 3 years, I was never forced to have the "closet" time nor was I diciplined in making it. So this has been so reviving for me. I take walks around the city, have gotten lost only once thank God! It is so interesting, the streets are completely quiet there are no people talking/shouting, there are no horns honking, I think I heard a siren once since being here. All you hear as you walk are the quiet roar of car engines as they pass by, even when you pass two people walking together they are not talking with each other. This is very different then what we are use to in america, but it is great to be able to walk and pray, you are not distracted by every second of noise. I found a beautiful route that I can run, which is an answer of prayer for me.

I have gone to the university once with Pilvi and will be making a habit of going with her at least once a week. I can either go in her classes with her ( they are all in finnish so I am VERY lost) or I can sit in a lounge while she is in class, and look for opportunities to talk to students. Pray for this, I would love to meet a least a few solid people there are campus, become friends with them and bring them to church ..... SALVATIONS! It is an interesting culture there on campus, but with the insight from Pilvi, I realize I have to be the initiator for every conversation. Fins are very Polite in that they don't want to intrude in your life, so a simple moi (hello) is all they give unless you initiate more. I was also told they don't like small chat at all if they are going to talk it is going to be with purpose or meaning. Now both these points are, once again, very different from americans. We are very content, and actually master's, at small talk, and when we first meet someone we right away have 20 questions for them to answer :) Culture differences, how awesome!

The church life is amazing, Pastor Risto, and Mrs. Kraama are so great. The church is so excited to have me here they are all so kind, there are some young girls (early 20's) that I am excited to get to know more. Each night of the week there is something going on with the church, soulwinning, bible school, or church. Sunday morning Pilvi and I sang, so I have been put right in the flow which is great. Matti, Anette and little Noah are so great too, I am excited to be spending some of my days with Anette, as she stays home with noah. Noah is so cute, he somehow reminds me a lot of my little brother, he is a very energetic little boy! I think the Lord new I would miss Micah, so He put on a team with a little boy to have around just like him, haha :) Pastor Risto has asked me to put together a team of the week presentation to show at church each week, so the body can see what is going on around the world, please pray for this project too.

In one moment we can so easily get caught up in a thought of how we can "hold" our own lives. We can try to control situations, counsel God in prayer in what "we" think He should be doing that day or that moment. The true Happiness of life comes when we moment by moment make a decision to lose our lives, this is where the deep joy and the peace and the Love will come. Being in a different country, everyone speaks a different language, I am the foreigner, I see more then ever it is not my own, I have no control over it. He leads guides, takes care of me, I am never alone, this is so relaxing, I just sit back and enjoy the ride! I enjoy the Joy He gives, it is still blowing me away this joy, and I enjoy the peace, and I rest.

Thank you for praying!

Meagan