Posted in General Posts by Kim Streich on 11/10/2009
For the last several months I've known that I was following God's plan for my life by going on the World Race. I knew without a shadow of a doubt I was to go. I didn't doubt one bit once I finally made the decision to go on the January Race. It was pure peace. There was turmoil at times, but the peace always remained. So when I headed to training camp a few weeks ago, I had no doubt that nothing would change except me. Well - everything changed - including me. Almost from the time I set foot onto camp I knew it was no longer right. I didn't know why and I didn't understand, but it just wasn't right. I fought it all week. It had to be me right? God didn't take me through the last year to tell me not to go was He? I would be doing His work right? So why would His plan change? So I fought it. I struggled all week. I prayed, the staff prayed, my teammates prayed, my coaches prayed, my squad leaders prayed, my prayer team prayed. Yet, when I left camp I struggled with the question of whether the Race was where He wanted me. The week after camp I talked with my prayer team at length and I spent time with God. After all that, it was clear that I was to stay.
Since I made the decision to listen to God and stay, questions have followed. If this isn't my calling what is? Where was I to be? I gave up everything and now I won't be traveling the world to minister to others. What am I to do now?? One part of me was sad that I wouldn't be going with the incredible group of people that I met during those 10 days, but part of me was very happy that I wouldn't be leaving my nieces. I knew that that would be hard from the beginning and I dreaded it, but I was willing to give them up for a year if that was what God asked me to do. I admit I feel a bit like Abraham when God asked him to sacrifice his son. At the last minute God swooped in and saved Isaac. God asked me to follow and I did. He asked me to go and I said yes. He asked me to give up the hardest thing I could possibly give up and I laid them at the foot of the cross. He then said, stay.
The Lord is calling me to love Him whole heartedly which means loving myself the way He loves me, unconditionally. To love God ultimately means I must love myself. I still have a mission that God has called me to. He has called us to love others. It can be here and it can be around the world, but loving others the way God loves me is my purpose. I will miss my "M" squad family, but I will always be a part of them and I cannot wait to see how they will rock the world next year.
God has something amazing planned for me and a purpose only I can fill and I needed to go through this last year to be in a place where I am closer to Him and open to what He has planned. I am in a place where I can rely only on HIM. And that's the only place I want to be. Safely wrapped in His arms waiting for His amazing plan to unfold.
With the funds that have been raised I will still be doing mission work with the organization. I plan on going to Swaziland, Africa in March and hopefully Scotland in May. I am still doing mission work, just on a shorter scale. Plus my missions work here at home is incredibly important to me.
I thank you for your love, overwhelming support and prayers! I love you all!!
Posted in Training Camp by Kim Streich on 10/15/2009
It's hard to believe that tomorrow I leave for training camp. After months of waiting, wondering, preparing and anticipating it's finally here! I finally get to learn how this all works, I finally get to meet my teammates in person and I finally learn how all my stuff will fit into my pack!
But this trip is more than all that. It will be 10 days of intense preparation spiritually and physically and I'm sure there will be information overload. We need to be prepared as much as we can be when we launch in January. The staff will help us release the "junk in our trunk" so we don't take that extra crap with us. How will I be able to help and reach out to others if I'm dealing with my own stuff? It would be rather difficult I can assure you. Though it won't be a pleasant process it will be so freeing and liberating to know that I will be free in Christ. And truly free! I just need to be open to the process that I will go through next week and LET GOD WORK! There will be guest speakers and lots of worship and team building.
I have also found out a bit more about our teams. We have 2 squads of 60. We have maxed out the amount that can go. In fact we maxed out their housing at training camp so the guys have been banished to sleeping in tents for the week while us girls will have the luxury of being indoors (I'm assuming - probably not a good idea to assume anything with this trip - hahaha).
During the week I will be doing team building with my squad who I will do ministry on occasion with during the month. We will then be further broken down to teams of 5-7. This is the group that I will do ministry with 24/7. We will see our squad during the month, but not every day. We will more than likely be sent to different ministries within the country we are in because most ministries can't handle 60 people at one time. So there will be those I get to know really, really well (like I'll know their sleeping, eating, everything patterns); those I will get to know really well; some that I will know a bit and some not at all. The January team is just too big. On one hand I love that we are big. But it makes me somewhat sad that I won't get to know all of them. But we are connected no matter what.
My prayer this week is to let go and let God. To let God work through me and that I allow Him to. I pray for our teams, that we bond and that I bond with my personal team. I pray for safe travel and I pray for change. Change that I will not be the same person as I was when I left. That this process continues until I leave and beyond.
I could not do this without all of your support and love! Thank you!!!
Just a reminder that the t-shirt sale ends Wednesday! I will be placing the order Thursday morning before I head out for training camp on Friday so that they will hopefully be in when I return.
Details and t-shirt design below.
Support me by buying a World Race T-shirt! All proceeds will go towards the additional expenses for the trip I've incurred (mainly all the shots I've received)!!
Cost: Minimum donation of $10
Order by: October 14th
Email me with the number you need, sizes and address I can mail them to when I get them in.
(click the Email Me button on the left)
Posted in Just for Fun by Kim Streich on 10/10/2009
My secret is out. I wanna be a rock star!
Of course I think that those I served with in Elevate knew this long before I did and I'm just now realizing it. Let me explain - I had the privilege of subbing tonight in Elevate. It was so easy slipping into my old role of worship and small group leader. It was like the last 6 weeks never occurred and I was never away. That's when you know you got it good.
So I was leading worship tonight thoroughly enjoying myself and loving the kid's singing and at the end of the second song was a great guitar solo. And I bust out my air guitar with gusto. This was so not the first time this has happened and I assure you not the last, but it occurred to me that I love playing the air guitar and if I love playing the air guitar this much that maybe I should think about playing the real thing. So I think once I return from the Race I will look into guitar lessons. And not some pansy guitar, but the electric guitar. One with really big speakers so I can make lots of noise. And even if I'm not good at it, I'll look like a rock star (80's style). I certainly have the hair for it. I can make it big without any effort (really - you'll see during the next year just how big my hair can get) and I can rock out with the best of them. So yeah - I wanna be a rock star!
God gave me dreams and desires and playing the guitar - air or real - is one of them. I have the desire to serve others which I'll be doing full time in about 10 weeks and I hope to help those I come across to see what their dreams are that God has planted in them.
Psalm 37: 4 says "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart".
You have lots of desires like I do and God wants to give them to you! They can be for fun things like playing the guitar to wanting to be a doctor and everything in between. It also shows me that God wants us LOVE life and have fun. So being a head banging, big haired, air guitar playing girl fulfills both of those things and even if I never get to be a rock star outside my bedroom I still love the life God has given me and I will always want to have lots of fun!
Life as I know it is slowly slipping away bit by bit.
As much as this scares me it's good. It's good starting the process of simplifying things and living with less or without. It's good living with others to get used to being with others and relearning the art of patience and compromise. It's good so that I can prepare for camp and the Race. It's good so that I can lose my life.
See my life was never meant to be my life, but God's.
The World Race had been so far away for so long that when I realized that training camp was less than 2 weeks away I sorta freaked out. I will be meeting my squad and WR team (all 120 of us) in 10 days and we will start this journey in less than 3 months. When in the world did that happen? It's always been a looooooooong waaaaaay off. Guess what - it's not. It's right around the corner and about ready to bite me in the butt. And I'm not ready. I'm not ready for the changes that will come so quickly and so profoundly that the changes rock my world. I'm not ready physically and I certainly don't feel ready spiritually. I enjoy my comfortable life and right now don't want to rock the boat.
It was more than evident that things were a bit overwhelming during my move. The move itself went so smoothly (once a truck was secured) that it was almost scary. But on the way to my new home I was overwhelmed with emotion. Reality hit that each step of the plan that gets checked off along the way brings me closer to January. And the move was a big step. A giant leap if you may. I know that I am taking HUGE leaps forward in my faith by doing this but at times I feel like I am moving backwards. And this was one of those times. So much has happened over the last month that I was feeling lost and broken. And I wanted to quit.
But what a difference a week and a little bit of rest makes. I am beginning to see even more good in it all. I am able to spend some good quality time with my family. I get to sleep in almost every day - no alarms! I work out, take long walks with the dog and I'm able to read. I have been able to get nearly everything I need for the trip and do some research looking for what I need (who knew choosing bandanas would be so difficult!). I have been able to see family in Fort Wayne. I have been able to rest in HIM. And this would not be possible if I wasn't obedient to Him.
So even though I feel less than adequate to go on this Race and am somewhat (actually really, really) anxious to go to traning camp, things that are happening are good. It's all for Him and my comfort does not matter at this point. The only thing the matters are the lives that will be met along the way and changed for eternity.
Acts 20:24 "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord has given me -- the task of testifying the gospel of God's grace."
Words are never enough to describe what I feel each time I check my support and this is no exception. I am totally blessed to have so many people give so selflessly and with so much love. I know how tough things are and yet you keep on giving and giving and giving. Thank you is not enough, but thank you anyway!
Total in Account: $9,261
Total in Monthly Commitments: $3,055
Total: $12,316
Left to Reach Goal:
$3,684
I ask that you prayerfully consider giving to help me reach my goal to have all support raised by the end of December. No gift is too small and God can multiply it to so much! You can click the "Support Me!" button on the left if you'd like to make a secure online donation.
Also, the t-shirt sale is continuing. For a minimum donation of $10 you will receive a t-shirt and all funds raised will go towards the expenses I've incurred for the Race (mainly my shots - ouch). All orders (and payment) should be in by Oct. 14th so I can order them before I leave for training camp. Just email me the size you need.
Right now there are over 100 people signed up to leave on the January 2010 World Race Team (they cap it at 120 and the way it looks we'll hit that very soon). One of my teammates, Charity, made this video to show our race route and what we will be working on while we are in those countries. Now at the beginning and end, instead of Louisville, picture Detroit.
Support me by buying a World Race T-shirt! All proceeds will go towards the additional expenses for the trip I've incurred (mainly all the shots I've received)!!
Cost: Minimum donation of $10
(must be paid BEFORE I can order)
Order by: October 14th
Email me with the number you need, sizes and address I can mail them to when I get them in.
(click the Email Me button on the left)
I can't seem to post the design on here quite yet. We're working on it and as soon as I get it converted to a file I can post I'll put it up! I promise you though it's amazing!!
My friend Chris outdid himself!
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
I've always felt this line was profound and it fits how I'm feeling this weekend perfectly.
Nearly eight years ago I had a new beginning. I began volunteering and serving in the Elevate ministry at my church. I remember talking with Anita, who runs the entire Discovery Island ministry, before starting and she asked me what age group I was looking to serve with. I answered that I wanted to go to wherever the need was greatest. When I got "my assignment" and found out I would be with the 4th and 5th graders I was actually disappointed. I had secretly been hoping for the babies or maybe preschool age. You might be asking yourself why I didn't just say that when asked. Well, I was determined to go where God wanted me to go. The ministry was bursting and kids were being turned away because there wasn't enough help and small groups weren't small.
Well I'll tell you one thing. NeverquestionGod. I quickly realized that this was exactly where I was to be. I found out that I love this age and never knew it! The ministry is committed to growing the kid's relationship with God AND having fun. We did cool things like have lock-ins at the Livonia Rec Center, go to Rolling Hills Water Park, camp overnight at Camp Dearborn and my personal favorite - a weekend at Spring Hill Camp. I love watching the kids worship with all they've got and some love Jesus so much that they can't stand still or contain it. I've been a small group leader these last 8 years. The girls are "my girls" and I'm very protective of them. I've enjoyed teaching them, having heart to hearts with them and my heart has broken for them because of things that have happened to them. They bring me joy each week with their smiles, laughter and hugs. And when they would move up to 6th grade and graduate from me I cried. Then I would get a new group of girls and I would become attached again. And I loved it.
The volunteers that I serve with each week are like my second family. Some of my closest friends are in this group. They have helped me through some tough things and I them. I love serving along side them, worshipping with them, praying with them, hanging with them, laughing with them. They are the best and I just love them.
And this weekend was the last weekend that I will be with them for at least the next 18 months. I thought I was ready to move on but it was hard. My team prayed for me and my safety. I cried before, during and after. I led worship with the kids one last time and I had a lump in my throat the size of Texas. I couldn't sing. So I watched the kids worship and I burned every face to memory. I closed my eyes and listened to their sweet voices praising our Mighty God. And I cried.
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. And this is the end of my beginning with Elevate. But it is the beginning of the next chapter of this journey called life. And there will be new experiences, new faces and more growth. And in December, 2010 there will be another new beginning from another beginning's end.
Nearly eight years ago I had a new beginning. I began volunteering and serving in the Elevate ministry at my church. I remember talking with Anita, who runs the entire Discovery Island ministry, before starting and she asked me what age group I was looking to serve with. I answered that I wanted to go to wherever the need was greatest. When I got "my assignment" and found out I would be with the 4th and 5th graders I was actually disappointed. I had secretly been hoping for the babies or maybe preschool age. You might be asking yourself why I didn't just say that when asked. Well, I was determined to go where God wanted me to go. The ministry was bursting and kids were being turned away because there wasn't enough help and small groups weren't small.
Well I'll tell you one thing. Never question God. I quickly realized that this was exactly where I was to be. I found out that I love this age and never knew it! The ministry is committed to growing the kid's relationship with God AND having fun. We did cool things like have lock-ins at the Livonia Rec Center, go to Rolling Hills Water Park, camp overnight at Camp Dearborn and my personal favorite - a weekend at Spring Hill Camp. I love watching the kids worship with all they've got and some love Jesus so much that they can't stand still or contain it. I've been a small group leader these last 8 years. The girls are "my girls" and I'm very protective of them. I've enjoyed teaching them, having heart to hearts with them and my heart has broken for them because of things that have happened to them. They bring me joy each week with their smiles, laughter and hugs. And when they would move up to 6th grade and graduate from me I cried. Then I would get a new group of girls and I would become attached again. And I loved it.
