We are praying for a great turnout! Tell your friends, post this in your office and church, and come for a great night of Southern Gospel music, fellowship, and fun! :)

























(UPDATE: This event was a great success! Thanks to everyone who helped out and thanks to each of you who came! We had a great time worshiping our Lord in song and testimony!)

I was blessed and encouraged this morning by a devotional I am considering purchasing to take with me to Namibia. It was suggested by a missionary who is already serving there. Although the weight of what the author is saying is heavy regarding our response to true worship, it comforted me because at times the choices I must make to worship and follow Him above any other are difficult for this feeble body of flesh. The comfort came from being reminded that when I do make those tough decisions, and lay myself and all I seemingly have at the altar, I am doing it so that I may truly worship the Name Above All Names. I claim and desire to follow God despite the costs, so when these decisions come I should have a peace about laying it all at His feet in surrender--knowing that His heart desires exactly this kind of worship. I love the part at the end where it challenges us to say to Him, “I am Yours. Do with me as You will. I give up my right to govern myself, because You are far more worthy to do it, and You will never do me harm. I exist for Your purposes, and for Yours alone.” Can we really say that and mean it? We must!--if true worship is what we desperately seek. May we be encouraged that when we honor God in this way, we are loving Him the way He deserves. And that makes every sacrifice worth the cost.


Wise Worship
-Chris Tiegreen, One Year Walk With God

I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your
bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this
is your spiritual act of worship. ROMANS 12:1

IN WORD Wisdom begins with basing one’s life on
reality. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”
(Proverbs 9:10). Why? Because fear of the Lord is based on
a true understanding of who we really are and who God
really is. But there is a next step. Wisdom doesn’t begin and
end with fear; it continues into worship. When we really
understand who God is, the natural response is to offer
Him whatever we can get our hands on—and all we have
is ourselves.

All of those in the Bible who encountered the living
God in His glory fell on their face in worship. Like Isaiah,
they would offer themselves (Isaiah 6:8). If we have not yet
gotten to that point of laying ourselves on the altar before
Him—without reservation—we have not yet encountered
the living God. His glory prompts sacrifice. It is the only
wise, intelligent, reasonable response to the magnitude of
His goodness.

IN DEED We often think of worship as words and songs
that come out of our mouths. It is so much more. It is a
lifestyle, a sacrificial way of living that acknowledges every
moment of every day that there is One far more worthy
of our allegiance than ourselves. When His interests consistently
supersede ours, and we act accordingly, we are
worshiping.

Imagine yourself in the throne room of God. See the
altar at His feet. Get on it. Lay yourself out before Him and
say to Him: “I am Yours. Do with me as You will. I give up
my right to govern myself, because You are far more worthy
to do it, and You will never do me harm. I exist for Your
purposes, and for Yours alone.” Do this every morning, then
live out your day mindful of whose you are. In light of who
He is, this is true worship. And true worship is the wisest
thing we can do.

Some days you just don't feel like singing. Though they are especially rare for me, today was one of those days.

I had no intention to sing in the choir during the service tonight. I wasn't feeling it and I certainly didn't want to fake it. Well, tonight our choir--small on a good day--was sparse. Reluctantly, I marched up there in submission, late, and a second alto in tow.

Certainly the same songs were on the schedule regardless of if I'd been in the choir loft or the pew--but it's just especially ironic that the encouragement I needed for today--a day when even a joyful whistle would have had to pry its way out of my lips--came from a song.

Our second song, "Count Your Blessings", was a hymn I'd heard and sung dozens of times before. I'd never really noticed the words before, especially those within the verses. As I was looking at the lyrics on the screen in the back, the words seemingly flew out and smacked me on the face.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Those verses pegged my feelings today pretty well... discouraged, burdened, feeling overwhelmed with my load and what God calls me to do at times, disheartened, in need of comfort... So count my blessings, huh? I could do that. By God's grace I've never really been one to allow myself to stay down in the dumps for too long. I'm always anxious to look at the bright side of things. I resolved that as my own therapy for the load I felt today--and one that's likely to stay on me for a time--I would count my blessings, going so far as to write down several (and even share them with you!). So here goes (in no particular order)...

Blessing #1: I have a family who loves me. That real, rare, unconditional kind of love.

Blessings #2-5: I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and a warm bed to sleep in. More than that, I have learned not to take any of those things for granted--as I've met people along my journey who have lacked all three.

Blessing #6: I have a number of friends who I can call on for encouragement, a laugh, a hug, PRAYER... I even have a friend I called on when my mom's co-workers forgot her birthday, I was 600 miles away, and this friend gladly delivered her a bouquet of flowers and a card!

Blessing #7-8: I have a church I can worship in freely with no threat of authorities coming in the doors and arresting, beating, or even killing us. Furthermore, my church is an enclosed building with A/C in the summer and heat in the winter--not that those are needed to "have church", but I've worshiped in places where the congregation would have appreciated those luxuries... especially on these cold and rainy days.

Blessing #9: I have had the opportunity to travel to some incredible places! Many times, more or all of the trip was paid for by people who love me... even better! :)

Blessing #10: God has given me talents as well as wonderful and rewarding opportunities to use them (i.e. writing, singing, photography, jewelry making, and more).

Blessing #11: God has used me for the most amazing opportunity a person could ever experience--leading a lost soul to Christ!

Blessing #12: I am blessed daily by the variety of ways God is continually providing me with the support I need for my upcoming work in Africa.

Blessing #13-14: I have a personal relationship with a God (THE God) who loves me, listens to me, cares for my needs great and small, and desires to give me a full and abundant life. And when the bumps come, He will never leave me. He is my comfort.

Blessing #15: I have money in the bank, in savings, in investments, even in a piggy bank or two!

Blessing #16-17: I have a closet full of clothes for every season. I have extra blankets for those cold wintry nights like tonight.

Blessing #18: I have a car that runs and gets me comfortably from point A to point B. The story of how that car was acquired is definitely a special one.

Blessing #19-20: I have good health and LIFE!

And if I'm granted the blessing of tomorrow, I can revel in all of these blessings and more once again! :) Feel free to share your own with me. I'm happy to praise God with you for all that He's given and done in your life. It is my prayer that even when the storms come, we can still see His loving hand guiding and protecting us. And even if any of these physical blessings in my life get stripped away, I know He will always provide exactly what I need. That realization is one of the greatest blessings of all...

It was four years ago this month that I surrendered to God with words similar to Isaiah’s above when my heart cried out, “God, wherever, whenever, whatever… I will go and be.” Since then I have had the privilege to serve Him in Mexico and New Orleans, and on June 26th, I will be heading to Namibia, Africa as a full-time missionary with Africa Inland Mission! I am excited to share with you some information about my assignment in the capital city of Windhoek, inviting you to join with me as I prepare for the work God has for me there.

While a simple internet search of this city of over 250,000 inhabitants will likely reveal images of modern buildings, a vibrant city center, and busy suburbs, Windhoek is dealing with nationwide concerns due to the increasing number of people affected by HIV/AIDS. More than one in five adults in Namibia lives with HIV/AIDS, and the number of orphans is growing daily with a current estimate of 140,000—of those, 85,000 are due to AIDS. Africa Inland Mission has been active in Namibia for several years through medical missions, education, leadership training, community outreach and more. They stand firm to the commitment of reaching out to African tribes and nations (many of whom have never even heard the gospel!) proclaiming throughout that the message of Jesus Christ is one of hope and healing.

Working with “the least of these”

I have been assigned to work with Family of Hope Services (FHS), a non-profit Social Welfare organization that works directly with orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs). 450 children ages 6-15 are currently enrolled in FHS programs. Without proper care, OVCs in Windhoek risk growing up without an education, becoming street children, or even dying due to malnutrition or disease. The work of FHS and similar organizations is crucial to providing these children with proper nutrition, education, and hope to survive in a country with one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world. Children have always held a special place in my heart, and I am already grateful for this opportunity to serve those whom Jesus likened to “the least of these” when He told His disciples, despite the temptation to overlook such small members of society, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me,” (Mark 9:37). It is my prayer that my time with these children will be in service and obedience to Christ’s call upon us all to love God and love others.

How can you help?

* I need individuals, families, and churches who feel led to support me on a monthly basis. I am currently at 5% of my support target of $1874 a month. Perhaps you can give $20 or $50 a month. One-time gifts will also help accomplish this great goal. I hope you will pray about partnering with me financially. For information on how to support me directly, click here.

* I would love to speak at your church or small group meeting about my upcoming work in Africa. There will also be upcoming fundraising events you can attend or perhaps you can take some of my jewelry around to sell or even host a jewelry party at your house.

* Prayer, prayer, and more prayer! To guide you as you join me through the most powerful method of support, here are some specific requests:

--Pray for the Namibian people I will encounter. Pray that God is opening their hearts even now to receive His message of salvation.
--Pray for AIM’s current work in Namibia, that each team will be guided by God’s wisdom and will be blessed with boldness and strength for the work set before them.
--Finally, pray for me as I prepare physically and spiritually, raise support, and spend time with family and friends prior to my departure.

I am looking forward to this new journey, and I am anxious to share stories and pictures with you during my time in Namibia. Thank you for your support and encouragement and I pray that God will bless you richly in the days ahead.

This is a quick update to let you all know that I have been officially welcomed to the Namibia team. As you know, I anticipated that this would be my assignment but I was not 100% certain until I heard back from the Africa Inland Mission team already stationed in Namibia.

I will be working with Family of Hope Services (FHS) in Windhoek--the capital of Namibia. Their primary focus of ministry is working with orphans and vulnerable children. I'm very excited about this as a great part of my call to Africa was through looking into the eyes of the African children I saw in videos and on TV. Right now, the team in Namibia is working up the particulars of my job description and I should have that information in the coming weeks.

I will be sending out prayer cards and prayer letter updates via snail mail. If you would like to receive these, please send me your mailing address (hannahsterling@live.com). I will continue to correspond by email as I'm able, but this will give us another great way to stay connected and keep you informed of specific prayer and other needs.

I'm so looking forward to this journey and I'm anxious to share it with you as God leads me along.

As you all know, I've been appointed as a missionary with Africa Inland Mission. I am still "patiently" awaiting the details of my assignment. :) But I wanted to share with you what I do know at this point...

We are waiting on confirmation from the Unit Leader in Namibia, Africa. As it appears, Namibia will be my destination for ministry! (Most of us have to slow down our speech a bit to say Namibia correctly. :) Just sound out all 4 syllables: Na-mih-bee-a.) Namibia is located northwest of South Africa. I've attached a map for easy reference. My ministry in Namibia will include working with orphans and vulnerable children in some capacity. In addition, I could be involved heavily with youth ministry and certainly I'll be building relationships with people of various ages, cultures and religious backgrounds. As soon as I receive more information about the city and ministry I'll be working in, I will send out that information. In addition to my email updates, I will be mailing newsletters. If you would like to receive these newsletters, please send me your mailing address. I will also be making prayer cards and I will get those into as many hands as possible because more than anything, I will need the support of family and friends through prayer!

My departure date is set for June 26th 2009! As I've mentioned previously Africa Inland Mission is a faith-based organization, meaning that all missionaries sent by AIM must raise 100% of their support. By May 26th I must have the required support given and/or pledged in order to depart at the end of June. Many of you have asked how to become financial partners with my ministry in Africa. If you are interested, send me your email address and I will email you that information. I also have creative ways to raise funds for my ministry through my jewelry (www.thepaperbagboutique.com) and other fund raisers I will do from now until I leave in June. So if you live around my area, let me know if you want to be involved (i.e. hosting a jewelry party, participating in a yard sale, car wash, etc.) and I will get you that information.