Christmas UK style....

This year's Christmas was probably the most...different Christmas I have ever spent. Check out my facebook page to see pics. Here's how it went...

We had 4 days off for Christmas. And, well, we kind of wanted to get out of London considering all transportation is shut down on Christmas Day. So we went to Edinburgh, Scotland. 

Me.

Ben.

Valerie.

Jordan.

On Christmas Eve eve we journeyed out to Victoria station to await our 9 hour bus ride. Midway there I realized we forgot our passports. Yay. So Valerie and I went ahead to get a good spot in line for the bus (because I was NOT about to sit to a stranger for 9 hours). It was a hilarious sight to see me to attempt to carry 2 massive suitcases up some stairs. I guess there was some Christmas spirit in London because two men stopped to help us carry our stuff.

We managed to all make it to the bus station and after a good fight to keep our first in line spots, we were all set on the 9 hour overnight bus ride. It wasn't a good sleep at all, BUT when I awoke it was to beautiful white snowy Scottish hills all around me!

I was so excited about a white Christmas! 

CHRISTMAS EVE DAY CONSISTED OF: 

Walking a mile to our hostel in the snow, luggage in tow. Checking into our hostel and then exploring the city. This included many Harry Potter sights where J.K. Rowling wrote the books. We enjoyed breakfast at The Elephant room where she wrote the first books. Ben had a full Scottish breakfast.

Haggis. (mix of the nastiest parts of animals and oatmeal)

Black Pudding. (not quite sure but there's blood in it. sick)

The real deal.....

I stuck with a chorizo/egg panini and a beautifully crafted soya latte. 

Then we walked around in a graveyard to try and find the Tom Riddle grave. We finally did :)

By this time we were all exhausted but kept on trucking. We walked down the royal mile, enjoyed watching some bagpipe playing, browsed a German Christmas Market, etc.

Oh, and for those of you who don't know my maiden name is McKinney, which is Scottish. So I found our plaid and bought material to make a blanket. 

We came back to the hostel and I made some Bubble bread and popcorn. Ben and I just stayed inside and watched some Christmas movies. I went to bed a little sad and yes, cried a little bit for not being in the U.S. with the fam...but all in all it was a pretty good day.

CHRISTMAS DAY

I woke up to see a long black sock hanging from my bed and then Ben telling me some elves had come in the middle of the night. (The hostel workers literally came into our room and hung socks filled with goodies on all of our beds. Kind of creepy it sounds, I know, but it was fun to wake up to). 

Ben and I got ready for the day and went to St. Giles, the 2nd oldest building in the city, for a morning Christmas service. It was a conservative Anglican service but we really enjoyed it. The inside of the cathedral was absolutely gorgeous. 

After the service, we walked back to the hostel and it was time for breakfast and presents! I warmed up the bubble bread and made some starbucks coffee (thanks Mom for sending that!) and then we opened presents next to the fire. One of my favorite gifts was an owl hat (pictures on facebook) from Ben!

Ben and I decided to spend the majority of our Christmas day hiking up to the very top of a dormant volcano (Arthur's seat). Keep in mind that it was very snowy and icy. It took quite awhile to get to the top, maybe an hour or so. Getting down seemed to take longer since it was so icy. Honestly, we pretty much skiied down on our boots haha. And we also rolled down the hill (video on facebook). It was fun.

But I was FREEZING! and it took an hour in the freezing cold to walk back to the hostel. 

When we got back and ready for the evening, I found Jordan was talking to some of the guys from the hostel around the fire. There was a LOT of talk happening. They were basically grilling us about our faith, what we believe in, the Bible and its accuracy, Jesus, etc. It was AWESOME!!!! By the end of the conversation, everyone we talked to left telling us that we were different than "Christians" that they had met. I've decided that I am going to be much more careful about calling myself a Christian because for a lot of people in this world, that is a negative thing. They picture a bible thumping screamer on the side of the street, condemning people. Anyway, it was a highlight of our time there. Some major seeds were planted.

It didn't seem like Christmas at all, truly. But thankfully our friend Rebecca (who lives in Edinburgh) invited us over to her house for a few hours that night and when we arrived it totally felt like Christmas! Her house was so cozy and warm with a Christmas tree. We were served tea and shortbread (very British) and opened Christmas crackers (also very British). It was super fun. And we had jambalaya for dinner.

Thats right.

Jambalaya as my Christmas meal.

Beat that. 

It was so good considering we had only eaten breakfast. 

So this Christmas was different. But it was good. A good time....

Hope your Christmas was good as well. :)

"COME, FOLLOW ME"

Jesus was a Rabbi. 

He asked a few fisherman to "Come, Follow Me"

In Jesus time, all Jewish children would attend school at the age of 6. They would be under the teaching of the local Rabbi (teacher), who was the most respected member of the community. By the age of 10 the students would have the first five books of the Bible (The Torah) memorized. 

Genesis.

Exodus.

Leviticus.

Numbers.

Deuteronomy.

Can you imagine having to memorize the family lines? The Laws in Leviticus? Ugh. By the age of 10!

Maybe it was easier because not everyone had a copy of the Torah. Actually, there was probably only one copy per village kept in the synagogue and only read once a week. 

At age 10, students would begin to sort of....divide into two groups. 

Those who had natural abilities to understand scripture. The "smart" kids.

Those who chose to work in the family business. The "not so smart" ones.

The "smart kids" went on to the next level of education, called Bet Talmud and spent the next four years memorizing the ENTIRE Old Testament.

Genesis through Malachi.

All of it. 

Memorized. 

By a 14 year old. 

Do you have the Old Testament memorized?

I don't...

Believe it or not, there was a next step in the education of these Jews in Jesus time. It was to apply to become a talmidim (disciple) of the Rabbi. The goal was not to be the Rabbi's favorite student, but to actually do what the Rabbi did. 

The student had spent 8 years memorizing the Old Testament, Genesis through Malachi. Wrestling with questions about God and what the scriptures meant. And now was the moment where he would have the chance to be a disciple of the Rabbi. To do what the rabbi did. 

Only one catch.

The Rabbi has to believe that the student has what it takes. 

He has to believe in the student. 

If he believes that the student has what it takes, the Rabbi would say, "Come, follow me". 

Are you seeing where I am going with this? Let's continue....

Fast forward some time, and you see a Rabbi who is starting his teaching and training of disciples at the age of 30 (which is when a Rabbi usually begins teaching and training). 

This Rabbi's name is Jesus. 

And He calls out to fisherman, who hadn't made the cut. Didn't believe they were "good enough" (or were told this) to continue their education. Memorize the entire Old Testament. Apply to follow a Rabbi.

Jesus asks these fisherman to "Come, follow me." 

Jesus believed they had what it took.

Jesus believes we have what it takes. 

Jesus BELIEVES IN US. 

Why don't we believe in ourselves? Why do we choose to believe others (parents, teachers, peers, church "authority", etc.) who tell us we don't make the cut. 

Jesus BELIEVES IN US. 

Jesus asks us to COME, FOLLOW ME.

And even more on the plus side, His yoke is easy. 

When Jesus was frustrated with his disciples over the course of His teaching, He wasn't condemning them, telling them they weren't good enough yet. 

Peter didn't sink into the water because He lost faith that Jesus would help him walk on water. Peter lost faith in himself. 

Peter lost faith that he could do what his Rabbi was doing.

JESUS BELIEVES WE CAN BE LIKE HIM. 

BELIEVE YOU CAN BE LIKE HIM.

BE LIKE HIM.

(The idea and main concept of this blog came from a book called "Velvet Elvis", which I highly recommend)

Serbia Here We Come!

Today we found out where we are going on our outreach and the place is...

SERBIA!!!

Serbia is located in Southern Europe and is beautiful (see picture of Uzice above) That's about all I know about it at the time and am researching more. We also know that we will  be in the city of Uzice and helping with a new ministry. We will be making a lot of contacts with the people there, performing dramas, serving in churches, etc. We are basically there to serve and do whatever is needed to help the ministry grow there in Uzice.

We will be in Serbia for 3 weeks of the outreach and then going to somewhere in the UK for the last 3 weeks (possibly Wales)

We are in dire need of funds to be able to go to Serbia. The reality is that if we cannot raise the funds that we need to go on this outreach, then we aren't going. Not only that, we won't have completed our training with YWAM and cannot be on staff or continue on in this organization. We must complete an outreach phase to be considered as completing the training.

YOU CAN HELP IN MANY WAYS, EVEN IF ALL YOU HAVE TO GIVE IS $5 (or less!)
The total amount we need is approximately $3,700, but don't let that massive number scare you! Also, if you donate via the donate button on our blog then it is a tax-deductible donation done online! So easy!  When you donate through paypal button you must write that the donation is for Ben and Tara. Otherwise it will go towards YWAM London's general fund and not to us as there is no way of knowing it is for us if you don't specify.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP


* Sponsor us for one day while we are on outreach- $90 sponsors both me and Ben for one day. We will give you a day that is your day to sponsor us and ask that you pray for us throughout that day

* Support Tara while she runs a race in a Santa Suit and Ben as he does 2,000 pushups per week.  There is a facebook event page for both of these but you can just click the donate button on our blog and give $2, $5, $10, whatever!

* Purchase a calendar created by Tara with photos taken in and around London. Click on the LuLu button on our blog.


****WE CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THAT WHEN DONATING VIA PAYPAL ON OUR BLOG THAT YOU  MAKE SURE TO WRITE THAT YOUR DONATION (BIG OR SMALL) IS FOR BEN AND TARA. *****


***Donations via the paypal button on our blog are tax-deductible***




Please continue to be in prayer for us and thank you for all your support! We will be learning dramas and working out how outreach will really play out from now on. Pray that the Lord would lead us in absolutely everything as we plan outreach.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

I Won't Be Home for the Holidays....

Its true. We won't be home for the holidays. This past Thursday was the first Thanksgiving I have ever spent away from family. Yes, the morning was tough. But as soon as I walked down the stairs and heard my new family (of 20+ mind you) shout, "Happy Thanksgiving!"...I immediately felt better.

We spent the morning of Thanksgiving in class (instead of watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in my PJ"s and munching on my Mama's infamous "Bubble Bread). In the afternoon we had an outreach which I was SO thankful for. I was able to do the thing my soul most loves: bringing truth and love to the world through evangelism. It was International Elimination of Violence Against Women Day. Our team went out into our city centre and handed out pamphlets on Violence and how to get help. We had a microphone and music playing. There were 6 of us (me included!) that were human statues depicting violence against women. I looked pretty beaten up thanks to Christian Vargas's amazing makeup job. There were some of us taking survey's on what the people know and think about violence.

Some of the people on our team gave testimonies over the mic, one including my friend who was a victim of domestic violence. This was a big deal considering a large percentage of our area is Muslim and the men are known to beat their wives. They weren't so happy with us that day. In the end, it was an amazing time because the people in our community are realizing and recognizing who we are more and more. They know we are Christians. They know we're against violence. They know that we pick up trash in the streets everyday without being paid. They know we say hello to them and care about them. Progress is being made and the enemy is losing his battle over Harlesden, London. That is for sure.

UPDATE ON OUTREACH
* We are waiting to hear where we will be going for outreach. We should know by the end of next week for sure. As soon as we find out we will let you know!
* The possibile places for outreach (so you can be praying) are: United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Serbia, Israel, Romania, Spain
* We need to raise $3,000 for the outreach phase and are also starting to think about getting monthly support. (We raise our own living expenses/salary/etc.)
* We leave for outreach January 4th

WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT US FOR OUTREACH
* Donate a small donation via paypal on this block. Click the donate button
* Sponsor us for one day or week through prayer and finances. $50 will sponsor us for one day
* Purchase a calendar we created with photos we have taken while we have been here. Great Christmas gift! Click on the LULU button on this page to check it out. Its all done online
* Purchase a CD on LULU.com (we will be finishing this soon)
* Send us a tax-deductible donation by making the check out to YWAM London with Ben and Tara in the memo line. Send it to:
Tara and Ben Tioaquen
17709 Bowling Green Rd.
Smithfield, VA 23430

We Have Won!

It is Finished

I have seen the Passion of the Christ twice.  The first time was when it came out in the theatres when I was in high-school. I remember my heart hurting, sobbing, and watching the screen with my mouth wide open in utter horror. And then of course at the end, crying tears of joy and wanted to shout Hallelujah when Jesus stands up in the tomb and you see the holes.  After the movie I decided that one time was enough and I never wanted to see it again.

Today, instead of having our class, we watched The Passion of the Christ. I really didn’t’ want to. This week of classes has been so intense spiritually, and I was secretly hoping for a lighthearted missions documentary or something. Nope. The Passion of the Christ.  So now I am completely drained spiritually and just a complete mess. Jesus has made me a mess because He’s got to put me back together again and make me more beautiful than I was before.

This week we have been studying about how the enemy attacks us, deceives us, and how we must surrender our entire life over to Christ.  Its been really challenging and I’ve learned some things that I never knew. Yesterday the Lord really broke me and spoke to me. My Lord. My Jesus.  Sometimes I forget what He did for me. What He CHOSE to do for me. He chose to surrender His OWN will to the will of God. Even though He was equal with God, humbled Himself and made Himself a servant so that I might have eternal life. Abundant life. And moreover, a life with Him. With my God. My Savior. My Jesus.

Have you seen Saving Private Ryan? Near the end, the soldier Ryan goes to the gravesite where  the Captain who died for him is buried. The soldier looks at the Captain’s tombstone and says, “I hope that, at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me.” In otherwords, “Is the way I have lived my life worth the sacrifice you made for me?  Worth your death in place of mine?” Wow. My question is this: Am I living my life in a way that makes Christ sacrifice, torturous death for me worth it?”  I’m not asking myself this to bring guilt. But to bring about a passion in me to want to live the kind of life that was worth dying for.  

There is life to be had. Abundant life. Freedom. Joy. Grace. Mercy. LOVE. Why don’t we grab hold of these things since they are given to us freely? Why do I continue to live in my own world of fear, distrust, control, independence, etc.  Did you know that when Jesus cried out, “It is Finished” on the cross,  the  greek word is  tetelestai? And one meaning of that word is one  that soldiers would cry out in the streets of Rome after they had won a battle to proclaim their victory! It was as if, on the cross, Jesus was looking up and saying, “Papa…we’ve won!” Beloved! We have won! LETS LIVE LIKE WE HAVE WON!!!

God obviously has a lot that He is doing in my life. And honestly, it a painful and tiring process. I’m so exhausted spiritually and emotionally after classes that I have to take a nap! And if you know me…I don’t take naps.  But, to God be the glory and I can’t wait to see what He continues to do.  

Missed flight + Lost Luggage = A Unique Way for the Lord to Bless Us and Grow Us

“Well, There’s a First Time for Everything…”

We all know that saying “There’s a first time for everything”. And usually it is used when we experience something not so fun for the first time. Well…that’s what happened to us. But we tried to make the most of it. J

We arrived at the airport 4 hours early, baggage paid for, printed tickets, and a copy of everything. (I tell you this because it shows how sometimes no matter how prepared I am, things can still go awry.) After enjoying a huge smoothie and some pizza with Ben’s family, we said our official “so long’s” and made it through security without a problem. (Well, except for the fact that they took my peanut butter but I was prepared for that)

Then the chaos starts.  Our flight, which was supposed to leave at 6:45 P.M. was delayed until 8:20 P.M.  After a bumpy ride in the storms and waiting on the landing strip for 30 minutes, we set foot into Philly airport at 9:45.

I am now convinced that I have what is called “Air Rage”. Air rage is very similar to road rage but its even worse because you don’t have a horn to beep and no control whatsoever. This gives us a total of 10 minutes to run to the bus, catch the bus, and ride it through 6 terminals.

If that weren’t far enough, we had to run from Gate 1 to Gate 25.

I am now convinced that I have what is called “Air Rage”. Air rage is very similar to road rage but its even worse because you don’t have a horn to beep and no control whatsoever.

As you can imagine, we were a sight to see! Running at a full sprint. Guitar and Backapack on hand (and pants that I REALLY wish I had worn a belt with. Philly definitely got a show from me when I was running…)

We didn’t make it. And I had a mini asthma/panic attack at the end. It was quite dramatic.  I felt like I was reinterpreting Home Alone.

By Midnight, we had managed to book a flight for the next morning (6 A.M.!), contact our travel insurance company, book a hotel nearby, and get to the Renaissance Airport Hotel via free shuttle service.  We dropped our carry ons into our room (we didn’t have our luggage because the service lady guaranteed that they were lost somewhere).

We were STARVING! We hadn’t had dinner. And I had just had a smoothie for lunch. Everything was closed. Ben desperately went down to concierge to find a domino’s pizza number, hoping they were open. Well the concierge manager who was working just happened to be Filippino. Ben made an instant bond with him and the manager proceeded to open up the food service for us so we could have a salad and sandwhich.

We ate at 1 A.M. in the morning and had to be back at the airport at 4:30 A.M. You can imagine our mood that early. Especially when we found out what awaited us next….

The service desk had not booked our ticket. So we had to walk (in the rain) to  US airways to get them to re-book our ticket and then back to United  (in the rain) to check in. By  the time we finally got our tickets and made it to security, the line was SO long. I was afraid we wouldn’t make it.  We were very grumpy, tired, nasty (we hadn’t packed an extra pair of clothes).  Not a good marital bonding experience haha. Or maybe so…

We made it to our flight as they were boarding. Phew! We both slept a little bit on the 2 hour flight to Chicago.  When we got to Chicago we had 2 hours to get to our final flight to London. Another problem: it was on another airline! So we walked for 45 minutes from United Airlines to American Airlines.

Then we had to wait to confirm our tickets. But God blessed us because  the lady was really sweet. She is tall and has the same birthday as me so she gave us a row to ourselves! I also managed to contact the house here in Notting Hill and tell them we missed our flight and what time we would be arriving (10:45 P.M. their time)

The flight wasn’t too bad. We watched a few movies, slept a little, ate the salty, horrible for you airplane food (which I always vow to never eat but then I always eat it!) We even had the cutest British children in front of us who were very lively and reaching their hands through the seats to try and steal Ben’s food. It was hilarious.

We arrive in London and make our way to customs. We were at the back of the plane and there was a MASSIVE, and I mean MASSIVE line to go through customs. I have traveled to several countries and have NEVER seen a line that long. We  finally got to the customs lady and she grilled us with some tough questions that I had a feeling she might ask (and Ben wasn’t really prepared for). But we were both so tired that it was hard to answer all of her questions without pausing. But she let us through!

And of course….no luggage. We had to file a report for it and just hope that it would show up eventually. By the time we walked to see Ezra and Jose waiting for us…..it was 12:30 A.M.

We got to the house at 1 A.M. They showed us our room (which we love! Pictures to come on facebook) and gave us some sheets and a towel for the night (since we had no luggage).

The next day we spent a few hours talking to our travel insurance and the airlines trying to locate our luggage. We found out that our insurance covered up to $400 for clothes, toiletries. So….it was a blessing in a way that our luggage was lost because we were able to go to Primark (a REALLY cheap store here that is like Target. I’m talking  $8 for a really nice sweater) and buy clothes. Ben bought some cute stylish clothes and I was able to get some sweaters, a raincoat, a winter coat….and some fleece Footie Pajamas (which were only 9 dollars!!!). Our luggage arrived that evening so now we have all of these new clothes and extra toiletries (that we can use when we run out) AND our luggage we brought.

I know that this blog is already super long. But its so crazy how a LOT happens in just a few days! So I will blog later about other things that have happened since then. For right now….let’s just say that its been a fight getting here because they enemy is real…but it’s also been obvious we are in the right place because the Lord CONTINUALLY blesses us and comes through in an amazing way when the enemy tries to stop us.

May the Lord bless you richly and may you look to Him for everything today.  Peace 

Are we worth 2 Latte's?

 So what's with the title of this blog? Wellllll....

The average Latte at Starbucks (or most coffee shops) is about $5.00. We leave next Thursday and we still need at very minimum $5,000 for the last part of our Discipleship Training with YWAM. So do the math. We need 500 people to donate $10 (thats the equivalent of 2 Latte's!)
Or 250 people to donate $20.

*SIMPLY PRESS THE DONATE BUTTON AND IT WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH THE EASY PROCESS

I've seen this done on Facebook a few times and God has blessed others through it so I say why not try it ourselves? If you are on Facebook, we'd love it if you'd get the word out by copying and pasting this into your status (doesn't have to be word for word. Just make sure you get the blog link in there :)

"Would you be willing to skip 2 Latte's this month? Or are you wondering what to do with that extra $10? Support Ben and Tara's big move and ministry as they take Jesus' love to London, UK. Simply go to www.refiningsoil.blogspot.com and click donate. Feel free to repost this in your own status so other's can read about their journey and donate!"


We are so thankful for what the Lord has brought in thus far through providing us extra jobs and putting it on people's hearts to support us financially. We are excited to see what the rest of this journey brings. If this is your first time here on our blog then please please please read our other posts and get familiar with our journey! Its been a ride already and we haven't even left yet!

God Bless You!

Time of Reflection

Today I was scrubbing the toilet at work (that tends to happen when you're a housecleaner) and I began to reflect on this past year or two and how God has brought us to where we are thus far. The Lord has worked in the details so purposefully and intricately. If you'd like, take some time to reflect with me and be amazed by  how God has brought us up to this moment....

Oct. 4, 2008- Ben and I are married. We settle into our townhouse in Cleveland TN to finish school.

January, 2009- We are both laid off from our jobs with no notice, no severance, nada. Effective immediately. As in the next day we woke up jobless. God uses this to build our trust in HIM for provision.

February-March 2009- We try and hold things together, but were miserable at our jobs and feeling the longing to do missions even more. Feeling stuck

April 2009- The Lord opens up the doors for us to move to Hendersonville, TN. (Thank you Cori Johnston for jobs at Daycamp and Mom, Dad, Uncle Allan, and Aunt Nancy for providing a place for us to live!). The Lord begins to teach us how to throw/give away things we don't need.

August 2009- I (Tara) begin to browse the internet one day and come across YWAM London's website. You know...just dreaming....about how amazing it would be to go back and minister to the people of London.

August 2009- Couldn't get YWAM London off my mind so I sent Marta an email asking if maybe we could come shadow them one day. Got an email surprisingly fast saying that they'd love it if we came to shadow them. Tentatively made plans to fly to London and shadow them in April 2010. Laughing in the back of my mind of it ever actually happening. Being able to afford it...

September 2009- Join a community group with Robin and Jim Mefford. Learned alot about being intentional and open and honest with relationships.

December 2009- Start seriously thinking about raising and saving money to somehow get ourselves over to London to shadow YWAM. I send my passport in to get my maiden name changed to Tioaquen

February 2010- The Lord began to break me, mold me, and heal me from major emotional moodswings and issues. Found out that I wasn't really crazy and it was my medication making me insane. Got off the medication on faith

March 2010- got our tax return back. With the financial help of others (Amy and Eric Redmond being one gracious couple) we stepped out on faith and bought our plane ticket and made arrangements to stay in London.

Early April 2010- literally a week or two before we leave, the Lord used Ed and Nancy Rawlings to absolutely bless our socks off. We had enough money at this time for everything but food. We figured we would just bring granola bars. But Ed and Nancy were led to give us enough money to be able to eat way better than granola bars. :) Will never forget it. Those of you who know me know that food is an issue with me.

April 2010- We go to London unsure of the outcome. Not positive why we were even going. It was suppossed to be just a vision trip. Meet YWAM London staff. Both Ben and I feel the Lord tell us to apply from YWAM London DTS. It all seems too good to be true. But it isn't. Its just Gods awesome plan. We get stuck in London for an additional 5 days because some volcano decides to erupt and cause ash in the air. All airports and flights closed. So surreal. But I didn't care. The Lord was just teaching us to trust.

May 2010- Have a garage sale for missions and made 1,200!!!!

June 2010- get acceptance letter from YWAM. Begin fundraising

June 2010- decide that I want to rip our Visa application into a million pieces because it was the most frustrating experience I've had in my life....but we made it through.

July 2010- A lady rolls down her window and tells me God told her to give me a $100 bill.

We speak at churches in VA and a lady gives us a $1,000 donation and many make pledges to support us.


August 2010- Alissa Saylor tells us she is giving us the profit of her Christmas cards (she's an amazing photographer)

We are able to get out of our apartment lease without paying a dime (it was going to be $4,000)

We have another garage sale and make $300

We begin to sell things we own and have made at least $400 so far

And today, September 2nd, BEN'S VISA WAS ISSUED AND WILL BE HERE TOMORROW!



So as you can see, so much has happened this past year. The Lord has done so much and has known how this would all play out all along. I have been elated, I have been depressed, I have been scared, I have been angry (mainly at the visa. grrrr), I have been unsure, I have been sure, I have been postive, I have been negative. I'm so glad God is always the same.....and I can't wait to see how the rest of this journey unfolds

Fundraising Update

This past weekend, Ben and I drove to Smithfield, VA to fundraise and share about what we’ll be doing in London with Smithfield Assembly of God and Parkview Church of God.  Ben has been involved in both of those churches growing up.

The 12 hour drive from Hendersonville was quite long (12 hours. 4:30 P.M. to 4:30 A.M. made for a very sleepy and groggy next day). We brought Punkin, our cat whom we love dearly with his own special ways, with us. He hates car rides. But we made it safely.

I (Tara) was able to throw together a powerpoint complete with Union Jack flying high in the background. J I think it was quite good considering I haven’t done powerpoint since my Sophomore year in college.

Ben spoke at one church while I spoke at another.  It was a little nerve-wracking for me since it was my first time speaking in a church and my husband wasn’t with me. But Mama and Papa T were with me for moral support and I felt at ease having them there.

I believe it was a successful weekend for sure! In terms of financial support raised, the Lord provided almost $2,000 with  more families  looking to sponsor  us monthly or give a one time gift. And many people took our brochures and told us they’d be praying for us, which is assuring.

So, lets’ break it down! I’m sure many of you are curious as to how much we have raised/how much we need so here it is:

ALREADY RAISED

* $700 was raised at the garage sale- we used this money to send in our visa application, gather passport photos, postage, gas money to and from Cleveland, TN when we spoke, making and printing brochures and prayer postcards etc. (Visa application is $215 per person alone!  And if you have been watching our blog you know how crazy that visa process has been)

* $2,000 raised this past weekend- we are hoping to find a flight around $1,000 for both of us which would be spectacular! Please pray for that

* $500 raised with various odd and end jobs we have been doing

What We Hope to Raise

* Yard Sale this weekend- goal is $1,500- we know that’s high but we believe with God all things are possible!

* $1,000 Photography Fundraiser- if everyone keeps their bookings then that’s how much we will have raised! Praise God! Continue to spread the word if you know anyone who is interested in booking a shoot.

$1,000- We are hoping to sell our 92 Camry for at least this much. According to what we’ve researched, its worth anywhere between $1,000-$1,500. Pray the Lord makes this happen!

There are also a few donations here and there but as you an see, we are still far behind in what we need.  We have to have the flight paid for and at least $6,000 to get through the first part of the DTS. After that we will still need approximately $3,000. And that’s a bare minimum.

We would love to have monthly sponsors. This would be such a blessing. Please pray about becoming one of our sponsor. All we need is 120 families to pledge $10 a month. That’s the rough equivalent of 2 latte’s. Or 2 ice creams at Sweet CeCe’s. Or a movie ticket. You get the picture. ….

PRAYER REQUESTS:

·      We would be able to transition smoothly this week out of our apartment and into my (Tara) parent’s house

·      That the Lord would blow us out of the water this weekend with His provision through the yard sale. No rain. A beautiful, sunny, not too hot, Friday and Saturday.

·      For our car (Tara’s 92 Camry) to be sold for at least for what its worth ($1,000)

·      That our visa application would be on its way into our hands very soon

·      That we would be present in the here and now and not miss out on anything by being too focused on the future. i.e. My baby sister is moving away to college this Thursday and for us to spend quality time with our loved ones while we have it.

·      For Ben and I to look to God first, and not each other. Because when we start to look away from Him…it can get messy quick. And we all know that Satan is out to steal, kill, and destroy ESPECIALLY if there’s 2 or more gathered.

·      For our parents and family that they would have an easy time giving us up into the Lords hands and feel his overwhelming peace that passes all understanding.

Publix, Provision, and a Random Act of Kindness

So last week I got a random phone call about taking part in a 2 hour research group on my opinions of grocery stores, Publix and Kroger to be exact. They asked me several questions and said that I qualified to be part of the study group and that I would be paid $100 cash for my time.

Sounds shady, huh? I thought so too. But seeing as we are still thousands short of our fundraising goal I decided $100 would be worth it. So I signed up and figured I would just do the homework (a couple of pages of my detailed opinion of Kroger and Publix) and show up to the study group at Hampton Inn in Gallatin tonight.

So I showed up tonight at the Hampton Inn lobby halfway expecting to be involved in some scam (seriously someone is going to pay me a hundred bucks for my opinion?). I did my homework, I signed in, and took a look at the other ladies already there. They looked pretty normal and quite pleasant so I felt a little bit better about the situation.

We all found a seat at a table with pen and paper in one of the meeting rooms. There was a video camera set up. I will probably be on some video that shows up in a college marketing class. Too bad I wasn't wearing makeup and am having a horrible hair day. Guess I"ll be one of "those" people on one of "those" videos you have to watch in college class ha.

At the beginning we were asked to go around and state our name, where we are from, and a random fact. Considering the fact that we are moving to London in a little over a month I decided that would be my random fun fact of course. I decided not to say "as a missionary" because I didn't want to sound stuck up. But then I was of course asked why I was going to London so I said "To be a missionary with YWAM-Youth With a Mission". A couple of the ladies have heard of YWAM so they kind of muttered "oh cool. yeah!".

For the next two hours us ten ladies of all different demographics gave our opinions in enormous detail about Kroger and Publix. And can I just say that I learned a lot! Publix gives rainchecks on items listed on sale and aren't in stock! And they match other sales going on. Had no idea...

At the end of the two hours we all got in line to recieve our little envelope. I looked in it and sure enough there was $100! I was so excited and kind of humored that God would provide in this way. I mean its totally random. I've never done anything like this in my life.

READ THIS PART IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE:
As if $100 for my opinion and 2 hours of my time wasn't enough, the Lord decided to show himself through a random act of kindness from a stranger. One of the ladies in the study group drove around to where I was parked in the hotel, rolled down her window, handed me her envelope and said, "God told me to give you this". I seriously was in shock. Here is this total stranger (well except that we know each others detailed opinions of Kroger and Publix and some simple demographic info) who just spent 2 hours of her night to get $100. And she listens to the voice of the Lord and gives it to me. A total stranger. I am just SO amazed.  I walked away tonight with $200. And yes, its small in comparison to the 10,000 plus that we still need to raise....but its still Gods faithfulness that just settled my heart tonight.

He keeps doing things like this. He keeps proving faithful, just like He always has in my life. Tonight was just so neat because who would of thought that God would choose to provide through me giving my opinion on grocery shopping? I mean really? Wouldn't it make more sense for a church to sponsor us? Or our friends and family to sponsor us? Oh wait....God doesn't always like to work that way. It would be boring if He did.

So, bless you, my friend (and I shamefully cannot remember her name at the moment) who selflessly gave us your $100. This is something I will NEVER forget.  What you did was so bold, selfless and so awesome. The Lord is Jehovah Jireh. Provider. And in ways that may seem completely random to us but are planned in His perfect timing and plan. Praise Him. To Him be the Glory.

Moving Forward

We can't believe that we are only 6 weeks away from our big move to London, England. We sure do feel like we are just running around like chickens with our heads cut off.  Here's the tentative game plan for our last few weeks here and how you can be in prayer for us in this part of our journey. 

6 WEEK COUNTDOWN

Week 1: send in Tara's final visa application, finish sending out our support letters, and drive 12 hours to VA to speak at a church (hopefully two!) on the weekend. Please pray for a safe journey and for the Lord to speak through Ben and I as we share whats going on in London and how we will be ministering to the people there with YWAM.  Pray that Tara's visa will be accepted and processed quickly and without any complications. 

Week 2: Organize our apartment into what to sell, what to keep in the U.S., and what to take with us to London. Hold our last garage sale fundraiser at Tara's parents house (please come) and take whatever is left to Goodwill. Also move out of the apartment and into Tara's parents house that weekend. Pray that all of this goes smoothly. That the garage sale will be a success and that we will get everything organized and where it needs to go.

Week 3: Spend precious time with Tara's family and whoever we can squeeze in. :) Start completing the packing process to London. Hopefully sell Tara's car in efforts to help with fundraising. Pray that Tara can stay focused in the present and enjoy the time she has left with her friends, family, and co-workers. 

Week 4: Say "so long" to friends and family in Hendersonville and surrounding area. Head to Cleveland, TN for 3 photoshoots that weekend and then travel 12 hours to VA to spend time with Ben's family for 2 weeks. 

Week 5:  Hang out with Ben's fam in Smithfield, VA. Ben needs to see the eye doctor at somepoint and get new glasses. Pray that we will be able to cherish the time we have with Ben's family. Ben's Dad may be having his knee replaced that week so pray for health and for everything to go smoothly. 

Week 6: We leave! ahhhh! Stuff needs to be packed. We are on our way to London. Pray for financial provision. At this point we still have a LOOOONNNG way to go in terms of financial provision. We trust that that Lord will provide as He already has. Its all in His timing. 

So, as you can tell, we are crazy busy. :) Please be in prayer that we will be wise with our time .Pray for our parents as they have to let go of us and trust God to take care of us where He has called us to go.  That's all for now. 

CHEERS

Get Behind Me Satan!

Usually Satan is sly, alluring, and sneaky. But the fast few days he has been obvious, devouring, and hideous in his attacks against Ben and I. They sure weren't kidding when they said there would be trials and tribulations along the way when doing Gods work...



On Sunday the 18th, we drove to Cleveland, TN to speak for a few minutes at Mount Olive East Church of God. On the drive up there, Satan attacked us with doubts, fears, irrational thoughts. But we fought through it and the Lord provided a wonderful meal and warm bed for us through his servants Kent and Susan Berry. (A wonderful couple who means a LOT to us). The next morning I was struggling so bad with selfishness (Tara talking here). I wanted to sleep more. I wanted more time to get ready. Me. Me. Me. It took some serious prayer and effort just to give Ben the first cup of coffee and make up the bed while he finished getting his notes together. Then the printer didn't work and I had to write his notes all down. Ugh. It was just not a good morning. And I'm not a morning person to begin with...



Despite it all, the Lord still worked. I am sure of that. I prayed over Ben that every word that came out of his mouth would be directly from the Lord. Nothing more. Nothing less. I gave that to the Lord and was at rest while Ben was speaking as well as after. We set up our display and stayed after for questions. Some people came by and we talked and gave them our brochures and prayer cards. And...we received our FIRST DONATION! I don't know the man's name, but I know he handed us $3 and said "It's all I have right now". And you know what...those $3 are going in a frame and will be hanging up in our apartment here in the states and in London to remind us of God's faithfullness and how He always provides.



So after this spiritual high of speaking at our first church and having such a great response...Satan was surely not happy. He was on the prowl and I had no idea what was coming...



Let's just say that last week we were hit HARD financially. From 3 unexpected medical bills numbering over $500 to $140 in overdraft fees from our attempt to pay off those medical bills on time. (I have never in my life had a single overdraft fee) We live paycheck to paycheck and have seen our Emergency savings hit nearly $0. There have been other unexpected bills/financial issues this past week. Ugh! So disheartening! But you know what, I think God is allowing this attack from Satan to teach me something. To trust in Him. To lay my Isaac down (control of our budget, an emergency savings in place, etc.).



See, God has promised me something. He has promised me (since spring 2007) that I would return to England/Europe to proclaim his truth. To proclaim freedom for captives. And this effort requires a chunk of money that I have to rely on Him to provide through friends, family, and others burdened to support us financially. I almost feel as if we are back in London with the volcano going off and I am in no control whatsoever (except this time its our financial status). He is gently whispering in my ear "Do you really trust me? I am going to ask you to lay your Isaac down and sacrifice it to me. Do you trust me without an emergency savings in place? Do you trust my plan?" Lord, it's so hard! But yes, I will trust in you. Help my unbelief Lord.



Lastly, in amidst all of this financial crisis...my Daddy gets a phone call last Wednesday night(after a wonderful family meal and game night) that my Grandpa was found in his room having a stroke. He suffered bleeding in his brain. My Dad flew up there the next morning and the news only got worse. My Mom flew up to Michigan a few days later to be with my Dad and the rest of the family. They spent the next 5 days in the hospital by my Granpa's side, praying, hoping, supporting each other. I was told they were just waiting for him to pass away. Then last night, Mom called and told me that Granpa had passed away.

So...needless to say its been an emotional and crazy two weeks. I have been nothing but distracted, stressed out, and spiritually oppressed. Not only have I had trouble focusing on finishing our visa application, but also focusing on the whole REASON for our visa application.....Christ. The one who loved me so much that He died for me and instilled in my heart to share his truth and love. And that's just where Satan wants me. He wants me in his disgusting cocoon of fear, distraction, anxiety, and disbelief. He doesn't want me to focus on Jesus so that everything else will fade away and all that matters in Him. Thankfully I have a great group of brothers and sisters in Christ who are prayer warriors and fought for me and with me this past week.

But I won't lie. Its not easy. I'm still stressed about the visa. About my family's well being. About my sister moving to Venezuala next week for 2 years. About raising all the money we still need to even go in October. Etc. Etc. Etc. So, friends who are reading...please continue to pray for me and Ben as we willingly step into this spiritual battlefield to fight the good fight. That's all for now. Bless you.

Fundraising Take 1

Well...

The garage/fundraiser was a SUCCESS!!! Thank you to ALL for coming out and supporting us. A HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to Nancy and Ed Rawlings for graciously allowing us to invade their garage for weeks as we kept bringing more and more items for sale into their garage. And for, of course, letting us host our garage sale in their garage. It wasn't possible without them! It was so strange as we packed up all of our stuff on Saturday. It seemed as if we didn't sell anything because we had so much left! So we plan on having another sale in August. Details to come. For now....it's time for other fundraising ideas.

So I know you are anxiously awaiting for the final total.

Drum roll please...

$1,109.87!!! How awesome is that!?! I never knew that much money could be made at a garage sale. But wow....guess it can.

Get ready to hear about upcoming ideas for fundraising.

* Tara has been hand painting postcards to sell.
* Photography sessions with Tara- all proceeds go towards our big move!
* Pasta night?
* We will be selling Tara's Album she made in college
* We ordered some awesome prayer cards we will handing out and sending in letters so you can put our pretty face on your fridge and PRAY FOR US
* We found out all donations are Tax Deductible if made out to YWAM-Notting Hill Team!!!! YAY!!!!
* Oh...and we're trying to figure out if we can sell smoothies at the Streets of Indian Lake Farmers Market on Saturdays. Be praying that it works out.

Love you friends...it's late and I need to go to bed. Never seems like there is enough time. God is good. He is Jehovah Jireh. And we are trusting Him to be our Jehovah Jireh in this process.

YWAM London Here We Come!

So...thought I'd write an official blog about our decision to move to London on October 4th (our anniversary!) for 5 months to do a DTS (Discipleship Training School) with YWAM London(Youth With a Mission). Wow...those are a lot of acronyms. Sorry bout' that.

While in London we actually made this decision but when we came home we needed a few weeks to breathe, to adjust, to give people time to grieve the flood of 2010, etc. As we start fundraising we thought it would be appropriate to blog about what our goals are and what we will actually be doing. Actually, its quite easy to just click on the website of YWAM London and see what we're up to.

http://www.ywamlondon.com/

Wow thats easy huh? Click on that link, then click on Training, Discipleship Training School and you will see exactly what we will be doing for the 5 months whilest in London!Oh so exciting to see what God is doing! He has put an obvious passion in my heart for the people of London in 2007. Every day since I have thought about the people of the UK and of Europe. They are easily forgotten and need Jesus just as much as the poor in Africa...but I won't get into that. :) In case you don't click on the link I'll break it down for ya.

Present-October: We will be raising funds by

*yard sales

* speaking at churches

*speaking in Sunday School Classes

* contacting friends and family and asking for support

*selling oil, hand-painted (by moi) postcards which we will be posting pictures of soon as they are done

* photography sessions (PLEASE spread the word! All proceeds of our photo sessions go towards missions. see our website http://www.tarabethphotography.com/ )

* Mowing Lawns

* Babysitting

* Cleaning Houses

* Aka we will be doing WHATEVER in order to raise the support we need to get ourselves over to where the Lord has called us for this season in our life.

October 4th: We will leave for London for 5 months! Goodbye, once again, Tennessee!

October-December: We will be attending morning/early afternoon lectures in the YWAM school located in the Notting Hill area of London. In the afternoonswe will have afternoon work duty which ranges anywhere from cleaning the YWAM house/school to working with the Earls Court Community Project.

January-February: OUTREACH! yay! We will be going somewhere, which is unknown to us at this time, to do outreach ministry and put to use what we learned in the lecture phase of YWAM DTS. In the past, this YWAM group has been to Germany, South America, Spain, and France. We will definately keep you updated as we find out about where we will be going for those 2 months.

What's REALLY exciting is that YWAM London has started its Taboo Art Ministry. Christian and JoHanna Vargas are over that ministry. Christian is an artist and Johanna is an AMAZING dancer. We actually will be involved in a salsa ministry every Monday which I am SOOO excited about. Ben is too, actually which is exciting. He seemed to enjoy the class when we did it while there in April. Anyway, TABOO is in need of photographer and the Vargas' are really excited about us coming on and working with them. We are just so passionate and thrilled to see what the Lord is going to do through the gifts He has given us in photography. I will also be able to use my songwriting/singing/piano/guitar playing skills as well which is totally awesome.

So there you have it. We are moving to London in October! What about after February you ask? Well...I say we cross that bridge when we get there but the tentative plan is to come home, decide whether or not we feel the Lord leading us in another direction or staying with YWAM. If we feel led to continue to work with YWAM london, we will apply for the Basic Leadership School and then make a 1 year commitment. But...lets' just get the 5 month DTS completed first, ok? :)

We need your help as family and friends to support us financially of course, but also prayerfully as we transition into this next part of our journey together. We love you all and are so appreciative of your support and love!

Peace Out

Tara and Ben (of course...Tara typing because I type like a mad woman. Thanks Daddy for teaching me when I was still young! Kudos to you!)

The Birds

The pigeons haven't annoyed me just yet. Even though they pooped on Ben the first day and I accidentally ate the bird poop....anyway. I'm sure they will annoy me. But, yeah, birds. God takes care of them.

This time last week, we were serving with the Earls Court Community project (serving tea, lunch, etc. to the homeless or just someone who needs to talk). And I was in charge of the art table. I was inspired to draw something. Anything. So I began to draw birds. I drew a really big blue bird, looking down. Then I started to draw a tree with a little nest with 2 other little birds in it. The tree has lots of branches. Both baby birds are looking up at the big bird. The one on the right has its mouth open, as if it is talking, and the one on the left has his mouth closed. He is just listening, really. And along the curve of the tree I wrote, "Consider the birds...even they do not worry..." I've read that in the Bible many times. And maybe those aren't the exact words but you know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how God takes care of those pigeons. Why wouldn't he take care of us? I wasn't really worried when I drew that picture, but I just kind of felt inspired to draw it. I was talking to Ben about it that day and how I thought that maybe the big "mama" bird represented God. And the two baby birds represented me and him. Of course...I was the one with my mouth open. Talking. Asking questions. Trying to figure it all out. And the other bird represented Ben. Listening. Trusting. haha.

And look at us now. We are "stuck" in London. We should have gone back to work yesterday. We have bills to pay. Blah. Blah. Blah. But we are here. "Stuck" (or really not so stuck in Gods eyes). And each day that goes by and I think "we should be home right now. Working. Coming up with a plan on how to raise support. Etc. Etc." But then I look at the pigeons. Some of them different colors. Some of them waiting to fly away until that last moment when the bus is about to hit them (silly stupid birds). Some of them with only one foot. But God takes care of them. And he's taking care of us. Its that simple. Maybe we will be able to fly out Thursday as our flight is booked. But maybe it will be cancelled again. Maybe the volcano will continue to erupt for years as it did 200 years ago. But I just can't sit here and worry. 20 years from now I don't want to look back and see how I sat around worrying and worrying until I finally got on a plane. I want to look back and know that I served Him the best way I knew how for this circumstance. I want to look back and see this adventure. Look at the birds. They dont' worry. And God has called me His own. I belong to Him. He will take care of me. And of us. For the next two days. Two years. Two decades. Forever.

And the Honeymoon is Over...

Whew. We are so exhausted. This is probably something we will remember for the rest of our lives. Last Thursday (while we were still here), a volcano in Iceland erupted, causing ash to fill the skies all the way to over here. Flights were cancelled, but we were feeling optimistic that our flight wouldn't be affected. Not so...

We are suppossed to be on an airplane on the way home this very minute. Instead, I am sitting in a hostel with a sick, exhausted, snoring, handsome husband next to me. (He didn't bring his inhaler here and is definately wishing he did by now). We arrived at our hotel in Heathrow last night around 12:30 A.M. We got up early and headed to the airport, despite the fact we had been told our flight was cancelled. When we got there...it was a ghost town. Only a few security guys passing around sheets of paper with phone numbers to call to re-book our flight. I took one. And we decided to head back into the city to a place with free wi-fi and try to rebook our flight. (This involved lugging all of our luggage around yet again. Up and down lots of stairs, mind you.)

An hour later, we made it into our favorite Lebanese Cafe in Earls Court (thank goodness we made friends with these guys last week!) and we sat down to use their wi-fi to contact the airlines. After 45 minutes of being on hold, we found out our microphone wasn't working and they hung up on us. So frustrating. So we looked up some hostels within walking distance and found a GREAT one. Definately a provision from the Lord. Free wi-fi, free breakfast, and the guy checking us in gave us a room for just us two for the same price as it would be for us to be in a room with 4 bunk beds. If you're ever in London, stay at O'callaghans hostel in Earls Court. :) Thankful for a place to sleep tonight.

So...I'm still on hold as I write this blog. Wondering how long we will be here. Till Friday? For a couple of weeks? Months? A year? The last time this volcano erupted two hundred years ago, it erupted intermittdely for a year. :/I am such a "what if" person. A planner. Someone who likes and lives by black and white rules. Schedules. NOT somebody who likes to look out the window and see a grayish/blue sky and wonder when it will be bright blue enough for me to go home. So this is definately a scary time. Financially, we could make it here for awhile. We've even talked about me going down in the underground and singing. Maybe make a few pounds.

This is such a test of faith for me. Its like God saying, "Tara...do you REALLY trust me? I know you trust me when you have enough to cover all of your bills, with a little extra to go out to eat every now and then or see a movie. But do you trust in me now, my child? Will you trust me if you have to watch your "emergency savings" dwindle down to nothing? Will you be humble enough to accept help from others in this time of need? Would you trust me if you ended up in England for a year? Do you trust me to be your provider? Your Jehovah Jirah?" And right now I'm kind of like..."umm yeah God. But I'm tired. My body is sore. I'm suppossed to be at work tomorrow. What if they fire me? How are we going to pay our bills if we're away for months or even a year." And I here this still, soft voice (over Ben's snoring)..."Trust me. I have always provided. I will ALWAYS provide. Do not worry about anything, but in everything, present your requests to me, and the peace, my peace I give to you, that passes over anything you could wrap your tiny mind around, will protect your heart and your mind." So that's what I do.

We're going to make the most of it. Get by with as little as possible. Serve a lot. See if we can continue to serve the homeless with YWAM as we wait for flights. God has a purpose in everything. Although I'm not quite sure what He's up to right now...wait....I have NO IDEA what He is up to right now with all of this. At least I know He is working ALL things together for the good. For His good. His glory.

Be Visionary

Today was another exciting day. We spent the majority of our day with YWAM London again and were so blessed and encouraged and affirmed again in where God is leading us. We have been sitting in the morning lectures with the students and the past few days they have gone over YWAM's core values. I will probably have them all set up in a blog eventually because I think they are so relevant and true to how we are suppossed to live as Christians. Its basically a heart attitude. Being a Christian is not a theology...its a WAY OF LIFE. One of the values is to be visionary, which is what I titled this blog. Because for the year and a half that Ben and I have been married....we have been nothing but visionary! We are always looking for the next step God wants us to take. And now God is amazing us with these new possibilities and visions of coming here to London to know the Lord and make Him known.

Today we talked more with Christian, who is an artist in the YWAM Taboo Art Ministry. He really encouraged us and welcomed us. The ministry (which is within YWAM) actually could use some photographers. This was such exciting news to Ben and I! Christian can really see (like we do) how the Lord can use a gift such as Photography, Painting, Dance, etc....and use it to bring people to Him. So that was really exciting.

This afternoon we served at Earls Court Community Project which was AMAZING. We helped out with the coffee bar which occurs every tuesday and wednesday at a local church here in London (Earls Court area). Its basically a place for the homeless, for the lonely, or for someone who just wants some tea or coffee and a light lunch and someone to talk to. Its a great example of how we are suppossed to walk with people where they are in life....and not just preach down at them. There's a Bible Study afterwards that everyone is invited to join.

Well...I was at the art table today. So I basically just sat down and starting drawing (I'm quite proud of my picture and am bringing it back as a Souveneir). One older man in particular, lets call him Bob. Bob sat down with me because he heard my American accent when he first walked in. Then he found out I was a Psychology major and starting talking about Freud, Bolby, etc. etc. It was like a mini refresher course for me...hearing Bob go on. From what I could gather, Bob was very manic. Talking a million miles a minute and just spouting off a TON of information. He is extremely intelligent. He asked me straight out if I am a Christian. I said yes. He said, "Why?". And I of course was taken aback and just hoped God would speak through me in that moment. Well....Bob has a degree. Two degrees actually. One of them is in theology. But Bob in a downright atheist. He kept trying to reason with me and give me logical and educationally based reasons why God doesn't make sense. Why an afterlife doesn't make sense. It was so sad. I felt so oppressed by the enemy, really. Not by Bob. It just felt like the enemy was poking fun at me saying...see, here Tara! See how much this man is mine! You can't do anything about it! You know what Satan....I can't. But God can. I had to keep telling that truth to myself. I had to keep telling myself that Bob's soil just isn't ready. But I'm here to listen to him. To try and refine his soil. To plant seeds when the soil is ready.

The end of my story with Bob isn't miraculous. In fact it ended like this, "Bob..it was great to meet you today and I hope we will be able to talk more in the future during coffee bar. I am going to be praying for you and for God to reveal himself to you in a brilliant way". Bob: "Well....I'm not a Christian." And after 45 minutes of conversation...that was it. And Bob walked away. But I won't be discouraged. I will continue to pray for Bob. And if its Gods will that we move here and do the DTS in September...you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be seeking Bob out at the coffee bar. Bob has been through years.....through decades...of hurt. Of who knows what that has made his heart hard for the Lord. And I'm not here to save him. That's not my job. My job is to walk with him. Encourage him. Speak truth to his life (Gods truth). And pray for him. Whew. Today has been a shaking day. In a good way, I guess.

Anyway...its really late and I need to go to bed! A lot more to do tomorrow with YWAM again!

There is No One Like Our God

Wow. Today has been amazing! And yesterday too! I wanted to blog last night, but we were so exhausted and needed to rest. So...here's a bit of an update.

Last night we met up with YWAM (Youth With a Mission) London. Its only their second week (Its a 6 month Discipleship Training Program) so its a great time for us to shadow them a bit. Well, last night was a bit laid back and we met them for salsa. yes...salsa! They use it as a ministry at Notting Hill Community Church. Every Monday there's a salsa class for whoever wants to come (and its legit...the teacher, Joanna is from Argentina! Her and her husband are YWAM staff). We had a BLAST in the salsa class last night. After the class, during the cool down, JoAnna prayed. It was just so cool to see how God can be in everything ( I mean...He's already there, anyway right?). It was really moving.

This morning, we were able to join YWAM again for their class. We were a bit late because we are still figuring out the tube (it can be quite confusing). So we sat down and talked with the Jose, the hosue leader of YWAM London before the next session began. He told us his story and how God brought him and his family to London...which was of course amazing. Then we were able to go to the YWAM class. Today they began reviewing the YWAM values. I can admit that I was MOST nervous about YWAM. I'm not sure why. I think because it sounded too good to be true. Many of you know I have many different passions...all of them pretty strong. (Singing, Spanish, Psychology, Missions, Photography,Art,). Can you believe that YWAM London has ALL of these things for me?!? God is so cool. I used to pray, "God...why have you given me a passion for all of these different and unrelated things? How will they ever fit together?" Well, if Ben and I decide to go through the DTS this September or in the near future, I will be able to use all of these gifts. Many of the LONDON YWAM staff speak Spanish. They have a focus on serving through art and music. They are missional. They are visionary. Ah! Its just so amazing! I was just praising the Lord all day long today for answering so many questions I've had on my heart....some for awhile.

And I've never heard Ben interact as much as he did today with the things discussed today in the YWAM class. He also feels strongly that YWAM London seems a good fit for us. Ben and I had so much conversation today about the Lord and where He is leading us and how we feel so confirmed and encouraged by today (and the past few days). Its so very exciting!

Tomorrow we'll hang out with YWAM some more and get to participate in the afternoon activities. I just love the people we have met there and the passion they have for the Lord and for His work. They are very visionary and supportive of Gods work. Its truly amazing.

Sooo another amazing thing...we met with the pastor and his wife from Reality London, a new church plant here in London. God had JUST opened the door for us to meet with them only a week before we left to come here! He is so good. Ben and I have been attending Restoration Church, in Nashville, and Ben Webster (a steward at Restoration), told us about Upstream Collective and gave us some contacts. (Usptream Collective is a ministry. Its people who have a heart for Europe and move to Europe and have regular jobs but live missionaly, or they already live in Europe) 2 days later we were skyping with a guy named Larry McCrary, who is highly involved in Upstream Collective and a missionary in Germany. He gave us the contact for Reality London. We were actually able to attend Reality London's church service this past Sunday and L-O-V-E-D it! It was really cool to see God moving in this city.

Anyway, today we met with them for lunch. We shared our heart with them, and their heart with us. We prayed together, and they gave us SO much insight on what it actually looks like (and what it takes) to move to London and what its like to live here as missionaries (or as workers living missionaly). It is seriously such a God thing that we ever met them in the first place and we are so blessed to have had such an amazing day today. So much was answered for us.

To top off this wonderful day...Ben and I ate at my favorite resturaunt in London. Food for Thought. Its vegetarian, quircky, and amazing!!! We were able to just talk and process a lot of things from today. Needless to say, its been a good day. :)

Again, thank you SO much for your prayers and support. We feel them around us. See you in a few days!

Tara

I Ate Bird Poop

The title of this blog is so crazy I knew it would grasp attention. Unfortunately....its also true. I did...in fact...eat bird poop today....

We woke up this morning...both feeling like we'd been hit by a train. But as soon as we got outside and walking around we were better. We had our meeting with YMCA London today at 11:00. I think it went really well. We talked with a friendly guy named Ben about different job openings, the application process, and many other things. He even gave us some great suburb areas to live that aren't "dodgy". He also was the first one to say "cheers!" to us as we left. My favorite phrase.I just love it for some reason. It sounds as if we would both have a pretty good shot at a job with the YMCA, but the process could be really quick so we need to have things in order. We are going to stop by the embassy sometime tomorrow and get an idea what the process will really look like.

So, how did I manage to eat bird poop? Let me tell you...

Ben and I were hungry and stopped by Pret a Manger (that's French for "Just Eat". Its delish. Absolutely no preservatives or yucky stuff. Organic goodness. Made fresh that day). We each got a sandwhich and split half (Roasted duck and barbeque sauce on baguette, and fresh mozzerella, tomato, and pesto on whole wheat). I also got a latte. mmmm. Ok, so we were only a few blocks from St. Paul's Cathedral so we decided to have a rest on the steps of St. Paul's and enjoy our lunch. (it costs more to eat in Pret a Manger so we opted for the cheaper and more scenic route). We were sitting down and enjoying our lunch along with hundreds of other people and pigeons. All of a sudden, I heard Ben say "Oh crap".
Tara: "What?"
Ben: "I think a pigeon just pooped on me"
Tara: "Nu uh! Let me see!"
Ben: "See...its all over my pants! (Ben was wearing his only nice pair of pants since we had a meeting this morning.)
Tara: "ohhh I'm sorry babe! Heres a napkin."
Ben: "do you have any hand-sanitizer?" (he reaches for my purse)
Tara: "no no! Don't touch my purse! You have bird poop on your hands! Let me get it!" (hands sanitizer to Ben)

Ben cleans up the bird poop with a napkin and leaves the napkin on the steps. He cleans his hands with sanitizer. Then he goes down to the bottom of the steps to take my picture. He comes back and sits down. Well, the neat freak that I am decided to clean up the trash we had all over the steps. The plastic wrap and such. The last thing I grabbed was Ben's napkin that he had used to get bird poop off of himself. Unfortunately....I had forgotten this.

Green bird poop looks a lot like pesto, mind you. And I was eating a mozzerella, tomato, and basil sandwhich. I had gotten the bird poop on my finger when I was putting his napkin in the trash bag. For some CRAZY reason (maybe its the jet lag...I'll blame it on that. Not my own stupidity)...I licked my finger. I licked my bird poop infected finger! And of course as soon as I did, I started spitting it out like I have never spit before.

Tara: (spitting....making horrible faces)
Ben: "Tara..what are you doing?"
Tara: "I just licked my finger! It had bird poop on it! I thought it was pesto from my sandwhich!"
Ben: I TOLD you that napkin had poop on it earlier!"
Tara: "I know...but I forgot!"

spitting...spitting...more spitting....Ben takes a picture....spitting...spitting...

UGH. It was disgusting. And for the next few hours all I did was wait to see if I was going to get sick. Thankfully I didn't. And we went on a beautiful walk instead and took lots of awesome pictures.

We walked across the Millennium Bridge and took pictures as if it were falling apart (like when the death eaters come to London in Harry Potter 6). haha. And we spent a few hours in Tate Modern museum (looking at Picasso, Monet, etc.). We then decided to get lost in a part of London that I had never been to and it was quite fun. We discovered a HUGE organic/fresh market and I bought some pear juice. Definately going back to take pictures, because our camera batteries had died by then. You all know how I am with taking pictures of food!

That's all for now. Keep praying for us as God leads our hearts. Pray that we would be open to His will....whether thats here in London or somewhere we don't even know yet. Pray that we would be able to make an impact even for the small time that we are here. Miss you all!

Well HELLLOOOO London!

Well we made it. It was a bit of a long and crazy journey. At times it was definately humorous. Before we left, I (Tara) was getting all of our itinerary printed off and such and realized that my name on my boarding pass was under my maiden-name. Uh-oh. BIG uh-oh. Praise the LORD that I called the airlines BEFORE we left and found out all I needed to do was bring my marriage certificate (which is a pain to haul around since its sentimental and kind of...important).

And GUESS WHAT?!?! I FOUND A FOUR-LEAF CLOVER walking to my apartment from the office. I hadn't found one since grade-school. I thought it was definately a sign from God. Ok maybe not..but I know God smiled down at me because it made me happy. I put it in my passport. And yes...its' still there. The security guy had to get his supervisor to come sign off for me since my name wasn't right on my ticket. Ohhh great I'm going to have to go through this everytime, I thought. Well the his supervisor must have been bored because she thought it was hilarious to tell me that I wouldn't be able to fly. Then she started laughing. SO not funny...now it is I guess. :)

Our flight was delayed 2 hours and when we finally flew to Chicago the whole time I thought I would be sick. It was in one of those tiny planes so it basically felt like we were about to crash the whole time. The lighting didn't help my anxiety. And neither did the pilot announcing (before we flew) that we were a couple of hundred pounds short on fuel and were waiting to get it filled. At least they found out!

Thankfully, American Airlines booked us on the next flight to London and we left (after more delays) around 11 PM. Let me just tell you...Ben and I were ALL about those individual tv screens! You can choose your movies/tv shows/etc.! So cool. (but the food wasn't so cool lol)

We arrived at Heathrow, London 12:00 PM their time (6 A.M. our time) Soooo I got 3 hours sleep (thank you Ambien) and Ben got one hour. Needless to say...we're a little sleepy. But so excited! We made it through customs JUST fine and our luggage arrived. We're staying in a TINY hotel. Literally. The room is 6 metres. But we're so excited.

We just ate at an authentic, cheap, and AMAZING lebanese place down the street from the hotel. It was SO good. Everyone here is speaking lebanese. Falafal definately is helping my cranky side affects from lack of sleep. Anyway....we're about to leave and find where we need to be for our appointment tomorrow for YMCA. Please pray for God's direction and for him to still keep us safe. We are LOVING it so far! Thanks for your support. Your prayers. God is awesome. We live in such a big world with so many lost people. Its really mind boggling. He loves us so much....and I just want everyone to know it. Gotta run for now!

Tara

Vision Trip

Ben and I are SOOO excited about our "vision trip" to London we are taking next week. We have been planning this vision trip for about a year now and it's unreal that its only a week away.

We are leaving on Wednesday, April 7th at 5:55 P.M. and will arrive in London at 10:00 A.M. their time the next morning. Ben has never flown overnight before so this will be an exciting adventure of firsts for him. We will be there for 10 days, meeting with various contacts we have made over the past few months in hopes to feel a strong sense of Gods direction as to where He is leading us. We have a strong urge to move to London within the next few months or year, and so far God has opened lots of windows for us. We will keep pressing on until He closes doors and makes it obvious to us that London isn't where He wants us. We are completely HIS and ready to serve wherever He has us, whether thats here in Tennessee or in London or somewhere completely unknown to us. We are just along for the ride.

We will have many blogs along the way, but I want this blog to describe what our hopes are for this upcoming vision trip. First of all, let me say thank you to all of those who have supported us prayerfully and financially for this vision trip. It means the world to us. Its amazing that God has provided EXACTLY what we need for this trip. Just last week we thought we would be going without any money for food and would just take a jar of peanut butter and some protein bars. That was ok with us. But then God provided the exact amount for food and we will be able to eat more than peanut butter! Yay! It is so humbling to see how not in control we are of our finances.

So...here's a little bit about WHY we're going to London.

Tara (me) spent a semester in Cambridge, UK in 2007. There has not been one day that has passed that I don't think about that semester, the people I met, the burdened God put on my heart for the people of the UK. I have wanted to go back everyday since. I met so many people there that were so CLUELESS about having a relationship with Christ. It broke my heart.

And here's the thing about London, people. Let me get this straight once and for all. They aren't like other 3rd world countries where you come in and provide a physical need. They aren't starving or dying from drinking bad water. Quite honestly, I don't have anything to give them that would meet a deep need. Why does this matter? Well, when you can enter a country and meet such a deep need such as food or medical care, then unbelievers are more likely to be open to listen to what you have to say about this Jesus you speak of. People in London, in the UK, in Europe, don't have the dire needs others have. They are very modern and for the most part, educated about many different religions. They are a tough group. But they are wonderful people. I love everything about them. They are just lost, like many in our own modernized U.S. of A.

Many of you wonder about Ben. Does he have a passion for the people of the UK like me? Well, not necessarily. But Ben has a passion for people. He has a passion for serving and ministering. He felt the call to full time ministry long ago. He has the view like I, and many people do. Wherever we are...we are ministers. We are ministers to the lonely and heartbroken cashier at Walmart, we are ministers to our co-workers who open up their hearts to us and tell us their story, we are ministers wherever we go. No job, race, country, financial status, etc. can change that. We are ALL called, by Christ, to "Go and preach the gospel to ALL nations..."

Anyway...enough about why London...lets talk about this vision trip! We will be shadowing YWAM London, attending morning lectures and participating in their afternoona activities and ministries. We are interested in doing a YWAM DTS (Discipleship Training School). The YWAM DTS is a 6 month school where we would spend 2 months in London attending lectures and serving and ministering in the community and then 3 months applying what we've learned in another country. We will also be meeting with some contacts we have made through Campus Crusade for Christ. If God leads us towards CCC, we will spend 1-2 years in London as an intern, developing relationships with students from Kings College. (there are over 500,000 students in London alone. 100,000 of them being international. Can you even begin to imagine the domino affect if these students go to their home country and share Christ?). We will also be meeting with YMCA London to discuss questions we have about moving to London and working full time with the YMCA. If we went that route, we would work our typical 9-5 type job and develop discipleship groups and serve in various ministries around London (this is mostly like what we're doing here in TN. We have regular jobs, but we serve through our jobs and outside our jobs).

There are some other contacts we hope to meet as well so we are going to be busy! For my birthday, we are using part of our tax return to take the 2 hour train ride to Cambridge, UK so I can show Ben all the things I did while studying in Cambridge. We're stoked.

So PLEASE be in prayer for us. For those of you who are Prayer Warriors and need a list, here it is:

1. Pray for our health. Tara has to get a crown put in 2 days before departure. Pray for no complications. Ben has been dealing with a lot of sinus/allergy issues for the past year or so. Pray this does not bother him on the trip. He also has been having severe pain in his esophagus when eating. Pray this is healed before we leave.
2. Pray for a safe flight and safe journey.
3. Pray that we would be open to what the Lord is showing us throughout this trip
4. Pray that the Lord would speak to each of us individually, as well as a couple, and that we would be able to see the next steps to take when we get back.
5. Pray that we will not get lost and not miss any of our appointments that we have set up.


We love you guys and thanks for supporting us. We're excited about this next step in our adventure!