Making room for hope.

This line got me, it's why I'm not sleeping---
'I know what he’s thinking: “If I hadn’t been able to do anything — I wouldn’t have been able to bear it.” If I hadn’t been able to do something to help bear other’s burdens — I wouldn’t have been able to bear living."'-Ann Voskamp
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I should be in bed...well, I am in bed, but I should be sleeping because tomorrow is a big day (our first GED students are graduating!) but I am up with a racing mind.

It tosses me around thinking about all that our GED students have overcome to get to this day. You don't even know, people, the stories I can't tell you- but trust me, these kids are inspiring. They are so much more than the visible and invisible scars of their circumstances and past mistakes. These young American adults who, with the help of community, have reached this milestone- this victory- that is just the beginning for moving away from their past and towards hope.

My mind also is tossed around by the grief I feel thinking about what our ESOL students have had to overcome just to breath free. You don't even know people, the stories I can't tell you, but trust me these families are inspiring and they are so much more than the wars and horror they have fled. What I can tell you is this- by definition a refugee has survived torture or trauma, and while some scars are visible others are revealed only after time and trust, born from consistent love, give room for them. It is just the beginning of moving away from the past and making room for hope.

This blog by Ann Voskamp could have been about any one of the dozens of our volunteers who love and live with our international students (I am uncomfortable calling them refugees unless it is necessary- they are so much more than that).

It's not just Brian and me...it's dozens of ordinary people who feel just like us and could not turn away from loving our neighbors. And for those of us who are Christians it is because we love Jesus so much that we see Him in the faces of our students and we could not turn away from Him.

Any one of our volunteers has thought this.

I know what he’s thinking:
“If I hadn’t been able to do anything — I wouldn’t have been able to bear it.”
If I hadn’t been able to do something to help bear other’s burdens — I wouldn’t have been able to bear living.
I look into Fatin and Zaccharias’ faces — and they bear the image of God.

“Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and not help you?” – Matt. 25:44

Am I insulting God?

"If your prayers are not intimidating to you then they are probably insulting to God, right?"

Those words were said to me tonight by friends of ours serving abroad and they really are making me think.

How intimidating are my prayers?
...

We have some big dreams for this coming year and with big dreams come big mountains that only Jesus can move. What's funny is those mountains don't seem as intimidating to me now as they would have a year ago...even 6 months ago!

Why? Because every time we come to the foot of a mountain and look up at it we see Jesus is already there doing that thing he does best. Taking our wee little faith and saying to that mountain, "Move!" (Matthew 17:20)

There are few things that build our faith like answered prayer and this year we have certainly seen him answer our prayers.

But are we praying intimidating prayers? Are the size of my prayers insulting to God?

Perhaps what is behind the statement my friend made is this- if my prayers are not intimidating to me it's because I limit them to the size of my faith in my ability. And if I'm limiting them to my ability then that means I am limiting God too.

What happens when I don't take my ability into account? What happens when I dream as big as a mountain? What happens when I decide to pray as big as that mountain?

What happens is I start to see mountains move...at first it's just a pebble. Then a boulder. Then a hill. Then a mountain. What's next? A mountain range!

If God gives orders to the morning and can loosen Orion's belt then surely he can move what intimidates me the most! (Job 38:12,31)

This past year we have seen God do exceedingly more than we could imagine. (Ephesians 3:20) Our faith is growing because we believe God. We believe Him!

So, we are asking that you will believe Him with us. We are seeking God to reveal to us His plans for Hope Academy in 2017 and to provide for all that He is able to accomplish. We want to ask Him for things that intimidate us so that His love will be made known and His glory will be revealed. Please pray with us as we seek Him.

Thank you!
Brian and Heather