http://ambermullins.myadventures.org Amber Mullins First Year Missionary - Adventures In Missions en-us Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:15:44 GMT 30 http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=oh-americaso-lost http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=oh-americaso-lost   Well after being home for about six weeks now, I've realized several things. One, I love air conditioning and eliptical machines and snow cones and fireworks and TV!!! But I've also realized some harsh realities.  Here is a list of my recent epiphanies I now know about "the land of the free":   1. America is a rich, materialistic, and gluttonous country...of the free. 2."Going green" is the new cool thing to do. 3. America complains about the ever-increasing gas price Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=for-eternity http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=for-eternity   "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=the-khulisa-project http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=the-khulisa-project America! I am back in the USofA! It's wonderful be back and I hope to see each of your faces soon! Before I explain what life holds for me currently, I want to recap the last few weeks of Jeffreys Bay.The Khulisa Project was a huge part of my last weeks in Jeffreys. It's kinda funny that such a huge project went down at the very end of my experience. The Khulisa Project is the feeding point created by Noma with some American help (thanks to everyone who gave money and prayers!). After feeding th Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=the-hungry http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=the-hungry   This blog is dedicated to my sweet friend. Noma. Many of you remember reading or hearing me speak of Noma. She is a dear friend of mine who lives in the township close to where we stay. She is a faithful follower of Christ and I have no doubt that she has and will continue to impact Jeffrey's Bay for eternity.  I met Noma my first week in Jeffrey's. We visited her with a lady named Auntie Matilda who does regular house visitng ministires in her own community.  Auntie Matilda w Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=insert-good-title-here http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=insert-good-title-here Hey friends! I hope life in America is going well. I'm a little sad to be missing the wonderful spring weather. It will be strange to go more than a year without a Winter or a Spring. Things here in Jeffrey's have been crazy like always. After a week in the most amazing city ever, Cape Town, we prepared to leave for a small country called Lesotho. We were working with an orphanage in the mountains and were told we would be "roughing" it for two weeks. Although I was excited about living in t Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=im-a-bad-blogger http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=im-a-bad-blogger Hello Friends! I am sorry I haven't been very faithful at updating my blog this last month. This month has been one of the craziest months I've had while in South Africa. I had the greatest experience ever two weeks ago when my mom and dad came to visit in Jeffrey's Bay! We had such a great time and I can't tell you what it meant to have my parents walking through the townships and meeting the people I see and love so much. It was perfect. I could hardly sit still when we visited my families, es Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=americans http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=americans This week I had the strangest reality check.  I experienced culture shock. I know this should not be too surprising considering that I am living in Africa, but I was shocked by my own culture. American Christians came to Africa "on mission" and for the first time I saw my culture through the eyes of Africans. I watched as they came in with such passion and enthusiasm...and with their American mindset and their American God. I saw myself and the American church in these precious people. I sa Sun, 9 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=tavern-closing http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=tavern-closing I am so filled with joy to write this blog! God has answered our prayers! The Holy Spirit has been moving in the hearts of the tavern owner. This week, I was invited inside of their home once again. The owner then went on to tell me how much she hated the "drunks" and wants to get rid of the tavern!!! This is a huge milestone in all of our praying. Praise the Lord! After talking to her for a while, we dreamed about the future of this lady and her business. She really desires to turn th Sun, 2 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=join-the-awakening-discipleship-missions http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=join-the-awakening-discipleship-missions Awaken to the Adventure Disciples aren't born; they're made. It's a process that takes time, discipline, and God. In reality, it looks more like waking up than attending a class. As part of The Awakening, you can undergo a discipleship program like no other, experiencing four months of intense training in another country to prepare you for the ministry that awaits you for the rest of the year.Join The Awakening Your mornings will be spent in training and your afternoons Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=ramblings-about-home-and-community1 http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=ramblings-about-home-and-community1 Here are some of my recent thoughts:Living here in South Africa is absolutely challenging. But as I have said so many times before, I am thrilled to be here. No matter how much I love being here, I long for home. My thoughts run to home often and I find myself missing the community I have had at home.  Of course I have community here, but I think of many people from home and my heart wants to be there with them.  I think about life after Jbay and I dream of being home with friends and Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=praying-and-fasting-for-the-tavern http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=praying-and-fasting-for-the-tavern Hey friends! Over the last few days, I have felt very strongly that God was doing something in my heart. I am coming to you in the most humbled heart I have to offer, and beg of you to pray earnestly, endlessly, and fervently for the tavern. I am asking all people to pray this week for the tavern. Pray for Joel the owner. Pray for opportunities. Pray for "immeasurably more." As a team, we feel that God is moving us in the direction of building relationships with the owners of that tavern. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=money http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=money In our discipleship we are reading Shane Claiborne's book "Irresistible Revolution." I've been really challenged to live as a good steward of the earth and to dig into the words of Christ regarding money and possessions. Claiborne calls Christians to reject the lifestyle of living in excess, but instead to abide in the words of Christ and follow in His footsteps. Needless to say, we've all been wrestling with what this means for our lives. I do know that I firmly believe that the rich needs the Wed, 6 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=ding-ding-round-two http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=ding-ding-round-two I've made it back to Jeffrey's Bay! I arrived after some crazy happenings in multiple airports. I actually landed in London for an eight hour layover that gave me the opportunity to see the sights! It was such a wonderful day that I will never forget. I had about four hours in the city and ran around all over the place hoping to catch a glimpse of Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Waterloo, and the Tower of London and everything in between. I couldn't stop smiling at my one day adventure. I did arrive Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=ill-fly-away-oh-glory-ill-fly-away http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=ill-fly-away-oh-glory-ill-fly-away I am so excited to say that I will be heading back to South Africa on Wednesday the 23rd! I was originally returning on the 15th of January, but I've been sick over the holidays. Thank you for all of your prayers! I am so much better and I am very anxious to return to my team and my internship in Jeffrey's Bay. I feel that I have had quite a humbling experience while I have been home. Before I left Africa, I felt that I had grown tremendously in my faith and my knowledge of the Lord. I had see Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=looking-back http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=looking-back Hello! I definitely cannot believe that my first semester has come and gone so quickly. I have had so many opportunities and amazing experiences while I have been in South Africa. I don't even know where to begin. I suppose I will start with my team. I get the opportunity to share this wonderful experience with nineteen other individuals. I have fifteen teammates, thirteen girls and two boys. I also have five outstanding leaders who continue to pour all they have into my teammates Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=somebodys-watching http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=somebodys-watching In Jeffrey's Bay there is a very fine distinction between the White Africans and the Black and Colored people. When we go through the township to do ministry in the homes, people stare at us. They know why we are there because white people just don't come around thereever. It's a lot like the South in America. You normally don't see average white Americans walking through the ghetto just visiting people in the houses. It happens some but it's not common. The other day, some of the girls and I Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=a-simple-staff http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=a-simple-staff Remember that story about Moses and the burning bush? It's in Exodus and it leads right up to when God commands Moses to lead His people out of slavery. I was reading that passage the other day and this one little piece of story that I've overlooked countless times, jumped all over me. God commands Moses to take off his sandals because Moses is standing on Holy ground right there before that bush. That's pretty cool in and of itself, but something else caught my eye. God lays His plans out befor Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=trick-or-treat http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=trick-or-treat So we may have missed Halloween in America, but we far from missed out! My teammates are pretty creative and hosted a "Fall Into Jesus" party this last weekend. We laughed a good bit at the name considering that it's Spring here and South Africans don't celebrate Halloween. But we went for it and decided to have a costume party and play good ole American games such as bobbing for apples, limbo, and beanbag toss. Haha we all live such different lives now that we get excited at a beanbag Tue, 6 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=dance-of-freedom http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=dance-of-freedom You know how there are these strange, almost euphoric, moments when you feel like your heart is going to burst with joy? Like the moments when you feel, even for just second, that the world is good and life isn't as bad as we think. Or for a minute that all is well. Sometimes those moments happen when I am at a parade, or gazing at our Christmas tree, or that night spent with friends laughing until your back aches, or on that beautiful sunny day driving with the windows down, or when t Fri, 2 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=im-over-it http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=im-over-it I have so many positive and wonderful things I could write about right now. I could write about the cool ministry opportunities that opened up this week. Or I could tell about watching a women be healed and get out of the bed and walk when she could hardly move only minutes before.  Or the family I met in the township that needs the Lord and how much I already love them. Yes I could write about all these things, but my heart wouldn't be in it. I could pretend that I am doing well Sun, 28 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=thanksgiving http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=thanksgiving   So my Canadian friends tell me that their Thanksgiving was last Monday on the American holiday of Columbus Day. Although we have yet to taste of their yummy mash potatoes and turkey, I started thinking about giving thanks.   Sunday, my team went to church at Itemba.  We arrived in Jeffrey's Bay late Saturday night after a long day of traveling (about 14 hours). That ride was so beautiful. I said the same about our drive to Swaziland, but I was truly awestr Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=jambulile http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=jambulile SWAZILAND   Hello from Swaziland! This has been such a great week ministering to the Swazi people, getting to know the 60 Africa FYM participants, and learning about our spiritual giftings.    This week we have had the opportunity to minister in two care points, visit the hospital, and minister to families in the squatter camps. It has been very challenging but also wonderful.  I was really moved while we were at the care points with the orphans. They are the sweetest chil Sat, 6 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=im-here http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=im-here I made it to South Africa! Thank you for all your prayers. Our 15 hour layover in Germany proved to be somewhat challenging but we had a good time! (Praise God for reclining seats!) Alabanza is our home for the next few weeks. It's beautiful. We have been doing more intensive training and orientating. We were starting to get a little stir crazy but we began some ministry work in the area. My team had the wonderful job of manual labor. My hands and back are the fruit of our work. It was so great Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=here-we-come http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=here-we-come    "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Eph. 3:20   I am on day 5 of training camp and I am excited to say this week alone has been one crazy ride!!! I am learning so much about myself, missions, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for all of your prayer and Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=just-a-little-be-closer-now http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=just-a-little-be-closer-now **UPDATE** Thank you to everyone who has not only prayed and encouraged me throughout this process, but also a huge thank you for those who have sacrificed financially!! Here is a well overdue update: I will be serving in Jefferey's Bay South Africa after intensive training in Georgia and also Johannesburg.  I will begin ministry in Jefferey's Bay in the middle of October and serve until May (with a Christmas break in between). Tra Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=the-devil-might-have-gone-down-to-georgia-but-he-stopped-here-along-the-way http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=the-devil-might-have-gone-down-to-georgia-but-he-stopped-here-along-the-way     Isn't it funny that when the Lord begins to work very strongly in your life, the enemy seems to step up his game as well?  The last few weeks have been filled with lots of trying moments and lots of temptation.  I have found myself struggling with the smallest things that never had any type of hold on me before.  I remember my youth minister saying something about a frog in a crockpot.  I think the analogy goes like this: if you put a frog into boil Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=humbled http://ambermullins.myadventures.org/?filename=humbled   Wow my first entry! Where do I even begin? I am feeling so overwhelmed right now. I have just recently agreed to go to Africa and I am so excited but I feel so unprepared.  My suitemate keeps telling me that I may never feel "prepared" for the mission field. She continously tells me of her mission experience and how the Lord was moving in her heart all along even when she felt overwhelmed.  I do feel a little behind considering I am still in the process of sending out suppor Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT