Reaching The Emerald Isle, December 2008

December 6, 2008
Dear friends,
“For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9
God’s plan is certainly greater than ours. Some of you may remember that a year ago, I was looking to serve in Germany as a resident assistant with Black Forest Academy. For reasons unknown to me, I was turned down. But God has since opened a bigger door to me and shown me a bigger plan than I could ever have dreamed of. During the summer, two missionaries contacted me: one in Slovakia and one in Ireland. Though I was interested in both ministries, the opportunities in Ireland were similar to what I had sought to do in Germany. Since choosing to pursue the opportunity to minister in Ireland, I have seen more and more how God has placed the various ministries I will be involved in on my heart even while I was just starting college. I will now have a chance to add experience to the education I received at Liberty University.
On November 12, 2008, I was appointed as a short-term missionary to Ireland with Greater Europe Mission (GEM). Right now, I am planning on being in Ireland for one year. I will be working in a variety of areas including working with GEM’s missionary kids, known as GEM-K’s, the Irish youth, as well as doing some administrative work for GEM’s team of missionaries in Ireland. All of these job areas will begin to get clearer the closer I get to the field. I have no real picture of what I’ll be doing day to day yet, other than to do whatever will further God’s kingdom as it involves the Irish people.
I have set a personal goal to be in Dublin, Ireland by the middle of July. To reach that goal I have to raise full support before I am able to leave. Although it is still awaiting approval, I have been given an approximation of $5,415 for Ministry Launching Funds (getting to Ireland, getting settled wherever I will be living, and whatever needs I have during my first month in Ireland. Then my monthly support is estimated at $2,024. This all adds up to just under $30,000 that I will have to raise. I will need to have a portion of this money already in my account as well as faith promises that people will continue to give to support me each month while I am on the field.
I cannot meet this goal by myself. I need individuals who will be willing to partner in ministry with me in two ways: prayer and finances. Though I will have more prayer requests as I get closer to leaving, for now I ask that you pray that I balance my time between my own spiritual growth and getting ready for the field, my job, and my classes for my Master of Religious Education. To partner with me financially, I have enclosed a Ministry Response Card that shares the different ways that you can support me. When giving, please include my account number (#25800) on a separate piece of paper to comply with the IRS tax laws.
May God richly bless you!
Immanuel,
Charity Lane

Christmas Greetings from GEM

Merry Christmas!
I wanted to pass on Christmas greetings not only from myself, but also from Greater Europe Mission.

Growing, Growing, Growing

Last night, I put in a “new” CD while I was washing dishes and cleaning up my kitchen. It was a mix that I had made in April of 2004 at the end of my Freshman year of college. One of the songs that came on was, “Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer”. That song became my theme song for my mission trip to Minsk, Belarus. As I sang along with the song, I thought about how much I have grown over the last 4 years. That song is still a theme song for my life, but in a different way. My prayer at the time was that my trip would be a blessing to the people I would be working with as well as a growing experience for me. The trip to Belarus was my first experience overseas and my first real mission trip. I was scared but I had already seen God work miracles in just providing the money for the trip.
Today, the song still reminds me of my mission trip, but even more than that, my Christian life. My prayer isn’t as much that my journey would bring a blessing, but that I would become more life Christ as a result of my journey and that I would love Him even more at the end of my life than I do now.

“Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer”

Music by Keith Getty; Words by Margaret Becker
Copyright © 2002 Thankyou Music

Jesus draw me ever nearer
As I labour through the storm.
You have called me to this passage,
and I'll follow, though I'm worn.

May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart's testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.

Jesus guide me through the tempest;
Keep my spirit staid and sure.
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.

Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go -
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.

Welcome to Hosanna's Journey

After months of having a blog and not using it, I am going back into the blogging world with this new blog!
I invite you to join me on this journey of life, Hosanna's Journey.
Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote in The Brother's Karamazov, "It is not as a child that I believe and confess Jesus Christ. My hosanna is born of a furnace of doubt."
Hosanna essentially means "save us", yet it is also used as a term of praise to God. Thus, this blog is a picture of my journey in my relationship with Jesus Christ, my Savior and my King. Will you join me?