Childish Generosity

Hello there once again!!

(Side note: read this one all the way to the end, you won't wanna miss it -- and don't skip to the end, that's not cool either...)

I can probably describe the last three days in three phrases, and the majority of you could guess what's going on. Here, let's try:   kids who act like they're on a sugar high, adults who try to keep them under control, and everyone screaming (in a positive manner) about Jesus. If you guessed Vacation Bible School, congrats!! You're right! I've had the privilege of spending some quality time with the children of our church and teaching them about faith in Christ, and it's been amazing! But really, I think sometimes I learn more from the kids there than they learn from me.

These girls set up a lemonade stand
to help raise money for me!
It was a huge success!! 

I've been blessed with the opportunity to be the "missionary" for this year's VBS. However, I'm not sharing about it myself. I've been watching (dressed as a goofy news reporter, ha!) from the "sideline" as one of our characters, "Officer Usee Everywhere" (also known as my youth pastor), tells about the "missing" Emily Coral Holliday who is 'wanted' by Jesus, I've been able to observe from a different perspective. I've had the chance to see how the journey God has called me on has affected everyone around me - both adults and children. Don't get me wrong here, I don't favor either adults or children over the other, but being around so many kids this week has made me appreciate something special about them: their generosity.

Soldier Christian Church VBS

Over the 4 days of VBS, these kids have amazed me. They've come in with Ziploc bags chock full of change, money safety pinned to their shirts, and we even found a euro penny in the offering plate. These kids are scrounging up everything they have! It's just like the woman in Mark 12. "But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents." And what did Jesus have to say about it? "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others...she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on" Mark 12: 42-44 (NIV). The kids here in Soldier, Kansas, even though they probably don't realize it, are living out true generosity; they're a perfect example of what Paul tells the Corinthians, " Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don't have " 2 Corinthians 8:12 (NLT).

While being blown away by this picture over the last few days, I've also had to ask myself, what if I gave with that much abandon? What if the adults were as willing to give as their children? Or even, what if, instead of buying the newest "Christian" CD, t-shirt, or book, we decided to give that money to help people that God has beautifully and wonderfully made?

However, I'm not saying that adults aren't generous. In fact, that's why I wanted you to read all the way to the end (yep, almost there!!). I wanted to let you know that I've seen childish generosity, and I have proof of it. As I've decided to stay in Uganda more specifically until the end of April 2013, I've seen something awesome happen right before my eyes: I'm fully funded for my stay there! God is rich, and He's used His people to help me realize that. So, thank you all so much for your support, prayers, and donations; I am eternally grateful. Well my friends, I leave in 3 weeks; I'll continue updates as things progress. Stay childish!

Beyond Measure

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by God's goodness that you simply can't contain it? So aware of the blessings He's pouring out on you that you can't help but fall to your knees and praise Him? I'm there, and all I can really say is that I'm blessed beyond measure.

This week, I've seen our Glorious Father moving. He's moving in individuals and groups, children and adults. I've known all along that He would provide the things I need for this adventure, particularly financial support, but as I've watched my funding rise by thousands of dollars over the last few months, once again, God has completely blown my mind! He's led several people to unexpectedly make donations towards Surrender Uganda this week, as well as opening up more opportunities for me to simply share my story. I'm blessed because God is faithful. He led me to this, and His Word lets me know that He will finish the job He started, "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" Philippians 1:6 (TNIV).

In the whole of this journey so far, my King has led me through some difficult experiences, and I'm blessed by them. "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith...may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" 1 Peter 1:6-7 (TNIV). I praise Him because He is intentionally refining me into the image of Christ. He desires both you and me to be near Him, but because of His perfection, we cannot stand before Him as we are, in our sin. He chose not to give up on us, so He sent the Rescuer. In the same way, He is my Rescuer through trials. He's the hand that leads me through even the roughest times. "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" Psalm 73:26 (TNIV). I am blessed because my trials are in God's hands, not mine.

My Family!

I am also blessed by my amazing family - both biological and my family in Christ. Without their support and encouragement, I would never have been able to carry out this journey. They've helped me let people know about Surrender Uganda, raise funds, and prepare for the trip. Along every step of the way, they've been there with me. "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind" Philippians 2:1-2. I'm blessed by the unity God has created in my families.

Some of my sisters in Christ!

Obviously, I could go on and on about the blessings God's given me. The point I want to make is this: The blessings God has poured out on me have always been there. He has always been faithful. He has always been in charge of my trials, and I have always been surrounded by an amazing family of believers. But I haven't always been aware of these blessings. I wasn't looking for them; I was content to sit and complain about my life. Through this spiritual journey, God has made me start looking at the world I live in and realizing that I am blessed beyond measure. Many people couldn't even dream of what I am surrounded by in everyday life. So, I'd like to challenge you. Look around at what God's given you - I think you might just realize that you're blessed beyond measure too.

The Journey Thus Far..

Hello! First of all, thank you for your continual support in this journey! Whether you’re praying for me, supporting me financially, or just staying updated with everything, I sincerely appreciate your interest in what God is doing with Surrender Uganda. I hope this and all the following newsletters will allow you to go through this journey with me and experience the life changing adventure God has in store for us!

Over the course of the months, I’ve been to several different churches raising funds. At each of the churches I came away blessed in a new way, but the thing that’s really stuck out to me is realizing what it means to be a part of the Family of the Living God. I’ve long considered the people at my home church in Soldier family, and they’ve always acted the part, but through this journey, God has brought to light my spiritual family from all over the world! The churches here in northeast Kansas have stepped up as my siblings in Christ and supported me in many different capacities. I’ve also come into contact with members of God’s family from Missouri, Nebraska, Florida, California, and even Uganda. It’s a small world when God’s in charge!

On the funding side of things, I think God has definitely tested my trust, but He has also shown me His faithfulness. In the first couple months, the funding was coming in a lot slower than I would have liked, but as I get closer to leaving, it seems like every time I turn around, someone is there to support me. As of now, through the faithfulness of our amazing God, I almost have funds (including airline tickets) to stay until around January or February. Our God is so marvelous! He continues to blow my mind as He leads me through this journey. As for the length of my stay, however, He’s still making me trust Him. I happened upon Proverbs 3:5 the other day, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…” It’s a pretty familiar verse, you know the kind you put on t-shirts and coffee mugs (good thing too, since I saw it on a coffee mug!), but this particular morning, I took a step back and thought about what that verse really means in my life. It seems like I’ve been over the “trust in the LORD with all your heart” part again and again, but the second part of the verse I like to skip over. The translation I saw on the coffee mug that morning said, “…do not depend on your own understanding.” I don’t know about you, but I often want to hold God’s will up against the “reality” of our world today and see how practical it seems. But here God says not to depend on my own understanding; it doesn’t have to make sense to me because “reality” is found in God, not humans. So really, going to Uganda after high school isn’t practical, and planning a trip without knowing exactly when you’re coming back isn’t practical, but God doesn’t tell us to worry about being practical, He simply calls us to trust Him. The way I see it, God’s got it.

Things You Can Pray For:
-funding
-clarity in the amount of time I’ll be going for
-patience (I want to go now!!)
​-preparations for leaving
​-the people of Uganda
Things You Can Praise For:
​-funding
​-success of recent pancake feed
​-new relationships with other future missionaries at Empower a Child
​-support of Family in Christ
​-God’s everlasting faithfulness and love!!

Welcome Aboard!!

Hello!! I'm so excited you've decided to stay updated with me on this journey! For those of you who would like a quick glimpse of the journey I'm talking about, here you go:

Last year, God laid on my heart the idea of "surrendering" my plans for the future, and by giving up my plans, I realized His plan for me after High School. He was calling me to spend a year in Africa working with children there. He has opened so many doors for me; one of which was finding an organization called Empower a Child that works in both Uganda and Kenya, Africa. So, this next year after high school, I'll be going to Uganda, Africa to follow God's calling for me. However, I also want you to know that He didn't call me there because of me. I'm not especially gifted or "the right person for the job", but He called me so that His glory will shine through. So, that's my real mission: to follow God for His glory.

How can you get involved? If you'd like to support me or know more, check out my website http://www.surrenderuganda.com/. You can also get ahold of me by emailing me at emily.c.holliday@gmail.com. I'd love to answer any questions you have or hear what you have to say. My prayer is that God would give you an open heart and ears for His calling for you to surrender as well. I pray that you would have a heart like David: chasing after God and willing to follow Him.

God Bless!!
-Emily