This is long, but God is good!

Joshua 1
¹ After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ² “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. ³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. ⁴ Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵ No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
⁷ “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

***

Joshua’s leader, his teacher, and probably his friend has just died. The people are mourning because their leader (who spoke directly to and actually saw God) is dead. But they’re also excited, Joshua’s excited, they know a big step is coming. God has chosen Joshua to ready the people and lead them across the river into THE Promised Land. The Land they’ve been wandering for and searching for. Keep in mind that the people who are entering into the Promised Land, including Joshua, were kids when they left Egypt. God promised the adults that they wouldn’t get in (except for two men) because they were disobedient, so the people who are adults at this time were young (or unborn) when they left Egypt. Everyone’s been dreaming about this since they were kids and some of these people were even born in the wilderness. They have made families whilst wandering and they and their kiddos have no idea what it’s like to have a permanent home with established borders.

So anyway, it’s a big deal. I’m sure there are LOTS of different emotions from lots of people. Some people doubt Joshua; some are excited because they know him better and they think Moses was too distanced and old; some are tired and don’t care who takes them, they just want to get there.

Amidst all of this, God’s talking to Joshua. First, He lets Joshua know that He realizes Moses, His servant, is dead. He lets Joshua know that this means he’s in charge now. Next He tells Joshua he needs to get literally THOUSANDS of people ready to cross a river. This isn’t the first time the Israelites have crossed a body of water, but it has been quite a long time since they did it. It's kind of appropriate that they left Egypt through water and they will enter their land through water. God tells Joshua where they’re going to go and He makes it clear that He’s going to keep all of His promises. He also tells Joshua that they’re moving into OTHER PEOPLE’S land (the Hittites were not pleased with the Israelite invasion).

At this point I think Joshua is getting a little nauseous. God must be aware that Josh is a unsure about all this because of what He says next. He tells Josh that “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses (the man who saw God, spoke directly with Him, and wrote down what He said), so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” God’s telling Joshua (in the words of The Pretenders) “I’ll stand by you, won’t let nobody hurt you, I’ll stand by you.”

He then tells Joshua to “Be strong and courageous.” Which implies that He already knows it will be difficult and Josh is afraid. He even tells him why he should be strong and courageous. It’s because God is doing a major work and He wants Joshua to be a part of it. (Note that He doesn’t say “I need your help.” As if Joshua has something to offer.) Again He instructs Joshua to be strong and very courageous. Which goes back to God knowing exactly how scared Josh is and He even knows that he isn’t exactly sure how he’s going to do it all. So God makes it clear to him that to succeed, he must obey all the laws. I even think the be strong and very courageous has to do with the fact that he has to follow all the laws, because that’s no easy task.

God tells Joshua (and all of us) how to follow the law. He says to talk about the Book all the time and to think about it all day and all night. He also says to “be careful” twice. To be careful means to be really intentional and precise about what you’re doing. So Joshua is (and we are) supposed to be very purposeful and aware in life and leadership. We should always take great care to live our lives pleasing to God because He is watching but we should also remember that many people watch us live and pay attention to our decisions. Once again, God reiterates that doing this hard thing that requires courage will result in success and prosperity. It’s for Joshua’s benefit to fully obey- he will ultimately get good things.

Lastly, God makes it clear that this is a command. It is completely, fully, and 100% God’s will for Joshua to be strong and courageous. Josh is not to be afraid and he is not to be discouraged, because God is with him. His creator, comforter, defender, supporter, protector, and friend is always with him. It is not optional for him to do this in a hesitant, reluctant, sissy way- when you’re leading thousands of people, none of those attributes are good. God knows exactly how afraid he is, He knows how hard it is going to be, but He also knows that in the end, it’s gonna be good. Really good. So good, Joshua can’t even imagine, he just needs to obey.

***

This makes me think, what about me? What is God calling me to do that I’m afraid of? Is He asking me to go somewhere I don’t want to go? Does He want me to do something hard over a long period of time so that other people in my life can see it and know about it and glorify Him? This may apply to a literal location or maybe it’s just a conversation or confrontation that I’m afraid of. Notice that God never once asks us to do things with the promise that others will like us; it’s always so His name will be known and He will be glorified.

Sigh, lots to think about. Praise God.

Recap: November

I had an awesome birthday on Nov. 12th. Big thanks to my friends and family for making it a wonderful day. My super sweet husband helped me host a 90s party and we had tons of fun with friends playing Mall Madness and eating yummy food.

We came to AR for Thanksgiving break. We had an amazing time visiting family and friends from Tuesday through Sunday. I got to see The Muppets with Julie. We treated each other for our birthday presents (which is NOT the same as dutch/doug's treat). The movie was GREAT. I also got some fantastic gifts from my mom and Derrick, some brand new and some lovingly used.

I created an ICS Facebook page, uploaded some pictures, and figured out how to install a "like" link on my blog. Yay! I messed with code and my blog didn't explode! *Rhyming*

Church Annual Meeting

On the 13th, our church, Gateway Baptist had our annual business meeting. A lot was discussed, but I had to give a little blurb about the India Child Sponsorship program. What we've accomplished and what we're doing. Since you couldn't come, I've included the words I prepared beforehand and some pictures for you that people who attended didn't get to see (aren't you lucky? you get to see pictures and you didn't have to sit through a two hour meeting?)...

Hi, I’m Alycia & as most of you know, Karen and I have taken over leadership and implementation of the India Child Sponsorship program. We were a part of the team who went to India back in September and the primary reason we went was to learn the ins-and-outs of Bal Vikas Kendra or BVK. BVK is the school and children’s home Gateway partners with and we are currently seeking sponsors for the children who live there.

I know many of you prayed for us while we were in India and we sincerely thank you. Not only were we protected, but our eyes were also opened to the needs of the children in India. Just this morning, I was reminded of why I am a part of this program. The church prayed for a little boy named Ashraf who is 10 years old. I have about 30 pictures of Ashraf as he attempted to jump into every photo I took. On the playground, in the chapel, in the classroom, he’s in the background, foreground, and off to the side of many pictures. Ashraf was desperate for love and attention and I am so glad we all prayed for him today.

The reason I’m up here today is to share with you all what we’ve accomplished thus far and what we’d like to do next year. We have started the ICS program and gained sponsors for 50 children- at $40/month per child, our sponsors have sent about $12,250! This is fantastic as we are just getting started, but there’s still 185 children remaining.

We are excited about this next year and we have lots of ideas for getting the word out about ICS, however we need your help. One huge blessing we’ve had towards gaining sponsors is a “match” program that allows individuals and families to sponsor for only $20/month instead of $40/month. This has been an incredible opportunity, but as slots for that are taken- it leaves the majority of children needing commitments for the full $40/month.

We have many ideas for getting the word out about this program, but we need your help. Our major goal for the upcoming year is to get every child sponsored. We want to try to do that by reaching out into the community. We know not everyone is in a position to commit to $40/month, however we also know that everyone knows someone who doesn’t go to this church. Whether it’s your friends, family, or coworkers- there’s someone you know who hasn’t heard of ICS.

We have drafted a letter for you to adapt to help us spread the word. We have hard copies of the letter here and we can also send it to you electronically so you can modify it so it sounds like you. It’s a way to let people know that this is something you care about without feeling confrontational or awkward. A shout-out to ICS will make a great addition to your annual Christmas letter, or if you don’t do a Christmas letter, an ICS letter is a great way to start a tradition.

We also have a sign-up sheet for anyone who wants to sponsor a child, or be involved in helping us lead this program. Karen and I have volunteered to take care of the nitty-gritty details, but we cannot carry 185 children by ourselves. We need people who are willing to advise us and be a voice for the voiceless children of India. If you have been to India before, you are a perfect advocate. We need people committed to helping, praying, and letting others know about what God is doing in India.

So some actionable steps you can do right now-

1.        Sponsor a child

2.       If you’ve signed up to sponsor a child but you’re having problems with payments or automatic withdrawals, please let us know ASAP. We want to help you, but we can’t if we don’t know there’s a problem.

3.       Get a letter or sign up for an electronic copy of a letter you can send out to people you know.

4.      Let us know of any organization you might be a part of that we can come speak at.

5.       This is for everyone- pray, pray, pray. Please pray for the children, their families, their teachers & caregivers. Pray for Karen and I and for a group of people to come alongside us and help us.

Thank you so much for your time and for the opportunity you’ve given us to change lives.

India: Children

The reason we went to India was primarily for me to learn more about Bal Vikas Kendra (a school and children's home) and New Life Center (the parent ministry over it). We did visit many schools, but even outside of intentional children's ministries, there are still children EVERYWHERE in India. Just SO many children. Children ages 0-6 make up about 13% of the total population and ages 0-25 make up 50% of India's population. By the way, once you're 33 years old in India, you're essentially over-the-hill. Average life expectancy is 65 years old.
Anyway, here are some children we saw:

at an orphanage in Mussoorie

These boys were distracted by our visit to their school in Rishikesh.

Sandeep is 9 years old and lives very close to the forest. His home is always under threat of wild elephants (100% seriously. He lives in a house made of mud which can easily be broken down by an elephant. He walks daily to the school and is always excited to learn and play. His father is a laborer and his family lives in poverty. Please pray for him and for his family. (I learned this from his school Principal after snapping this picture of his soul-searching eyes and cherubic smile.)
 

Boys taking a dip in the Ganges.

Girls who traipsed over to a gawking passle of Americans just so they could say "hello" and flash us their brilliant grins.

We saw many children, such as the ones in the last two photos, who were completely unattended. I know in America we're super hardcore about always watching kids, being with kids, and never even feeling comfortable with teenagers out unsupervised. However in India, we saw 6-year-olds caring for toddlers as they toddled down busy streets.

I didn't even take pictures of the impoverished children who would tug at our clothing and put their hands to their mouths begging for money. Shin shared food with a pack of about four 5-to-7-year-old boys and a girl. Ugh. In America, you just never see children begging alone in the middle of the street. I feel like I can't even imagine the atrocities some of these children face. I also can't imagine leaving the 4-year-olds to keep each other company after school as their 9-year-old cousin plays with his friends and "babysits" until mom comes home late at night after cleaning houses.

Not everyone in India is impoverished and not every child is uncared for, but it is astoundinglygreater than what we face here. Oh, I have SO MANY more pictures of tiny faces that broke my heart with their unabashed smiles and giggles as they practiced saying "Good Mo'ning Ma'am" at any time of day. I know India (as any country, organization, or person) is incredibly complex, and it cannot and will not be fixed by just funneling money into poor people. However I firmly believe that something must be done. From Job to James, we are commanded to care for widows and orphans; fear and overwhelming need is not a reason to remain inactive.