the first few steps...

were scary.
were exciting.
are powerful.
are humbling.
are God-led.
are reflections of His love.
will be remembered as indicators what was to come.

Psalms 139: 1-4
"O Lord, you have searched me and known me!  You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.  You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.  Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether."

Matthew 18:20: "For when two or three gathered in my name, for am I there with them"

It is only day four in City Project, yet God has met with me in such intimate and great ways already.  Words are unable to express the intimacy and powerful ways God has met with me.  He has humbled me beyond what I imagined, He has shown me that He knows my innermost thoughts, He has loved me more than I could ever imagine.  I wasn't able to pray to ask for brokenness except for about twice, but my Spirit yearned to just break me so I could experience more of God's love.  I couldn't pray fervently even when I asked, so I asked others to pray.

And God answered.

On the second night, as God led me to share a sin with the girls in my house (who I only knew for two days...that's how you know that it's the Spirit!), they all laid their hands with me and joined me in battle against my sin.  They declared God's righteousness and power over my life.  And it has worked and is working.  Wow.  God is good.  And it leaves our girls so much more expectant of what is to come.  Not only that, He had heard my desire.  I was able to experience so much more of His love when He broke me in front of these girls.

I am broken.  But I am washed. I am sanctified.  I am justified.  Because Christ died for me.  (1st Corinthians 6:11)

God has just been so good to me during this trip.  Meeting the other participants and being able to live with some of them keeps humbling me.  I came in thinking that I was  top tier 'prayerer', but receiving prayer from girls who I thought I was better in prayer with humbled me greatly.  This only makes me lean on God's grace.

Thank you God!  He is so good and so willing to come because He is so willing to love us.  He wants us to experience His blessings and providence.

We have limited internet access at our house (which is also another blessing because it allows us to focus on God), so I don't know if I'll be able to update very frequently,.  Please continue to keep praying for me and our team!  We're heading to New York tomorrow to evangelize to Muslim community there.  Pray for great movements of God! :)