Katie Davis

God was showing me His heart and His Word in new ways right there in the life I was living through the children I was serving. Armed with this new sense of who He is and who I was as His servant, I continued trying to give myself away in every circumstance. I wanted to do God’s work, let Him display Himself through my life, and change my world as much as possible every single day. Most days, that didn’t include anything other people would find impressive. It simply meant being faithful to the people and the responsibilities God had given me.

From her book, Kisses From Katie

Sam's Back

For those of you who aren't aware, I am back in the country! I will be posting about my trip to Uganda soon, over a variety of posts. I took a fairly detailed diary while I was gone to post here, and of course, lots of photos!

You'll have to wait for a few more days though, for me to get organised and enough sleep!

Sermon Review: How Shall They Hear

I really enjoyed this sermon. It is by Scott Brown, who is most noted for his work in age-integrated churches. This sermon is about how we ALL need to be preaching the gospel – and not just with our example, but by using our words, by preaching, and by using the Word of God in our speech.

This sermon is on Romans 10:12-21, and was downloaded from Sermon Audio.

Katie Davis

Everywhere I looked in the Bible, from the beginning of the Old Testament to the end of Revelation, people who believe in God are supposed to share with the poor. Helping the poor is not something God asks His people to do; it is something that, throughout all generations, He instructs us to do.

From her book, Kisses From Katie

Half Night Prayer

The next half-night of prayer is on:

Day/Date: Saturday, 26 November 2011
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: Brentwood Secondary College Hall

It is a great priviledge to be able to pray together as a church for God's guidance, provision, and protection as we move forward in a variety of areas!

Katie Davis

Originally, my quitting was to be temporary, lasting just one year before I went to college and returned to normal, American teenager life. But after that year, which I spent in Uganda, returning to “normal” wasn’t possible. I had seen what life was about and I could not pretend I didn’t know. So I quit my life again, and for good this time. I quit college; I quit designer clothes and my little yellow convertible; I quit my boyfriend. I no longer have all the things the world says are important. I do not have a retirement fund; I do not even have electricity some days. But I have everything I know is important. I have a joy and a peace that are unimaginable and can come only from a place better than this earth. I cannot fathom being happier. Jesus wrecked my life, shattered it to pieces, and put it back together more beautifully.

From her book, Kisses From Katie (Review coming - but seriously, this is the best book I've read this year!)

Book Review: Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ

This is a great triple biography by John Piper, examining the lives of William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John Paton.

This is a great book to be an introduction to John Piper’s writings, and also to the three missionaries that are discussed in the book. The book goes through the trials and persecutions these three missionaries, separated by the centuries, went through to bring the gospel to England, Burma, and the New Hebrides (Vanuatu). It then goes on to go through the fact that they used all of these trials to glorify Christ in their lives.

Here is a sample of this great book:

“In other words, a fruitful life and an eternal life come from dying like a seed and hating your life in this world. What over¬whelms me, as I ponder this and trace the lives of William Tyndale, John Paton, and Adoniram Judson, is how strategic it was that they died so many times and in so many ways before their lives on earth ended. This is no rhetorical flourish. The Bible speaks this way, and these followers of Christ knew it.”

I was already aware of the work of William Tyndale, but not so much of John Paton and Adoniram Judson. I immediately went out and bought John Paton’s autobiography, which I’ve started and am enjoying very much.

You can read this book for free on PDF, at the Desiring God website.

Dealing With Family

At some point, many people who want to go overseas on mission trips, (even in the short term), are going to face some opposition from family members. This is likely to happen sooner with those who have non-Christian families, but it can happen with any family.

I’ve already dealt with this in a small manner, as my mother is very concerned for my safety in Uganda. She has told me that I’m going to die (in five different ways).

So, what can you do about this?

1. Listen to their concerns
These people are your family – they are expressing their concerns because they care about you. My mother is really concerned about my health overseas, and while she is taking this concern to an unrealistic level, the fact is she is concerned. Listen and find out exactly what their concerns are.

2. Take precautions
Allay their fears by taking precautions. For me, this means I have contacted extra people in Uganda (friends of friends of my Mum who work with Oxfam), had more than $700 in vaccinations (with more to come) and will be taking plenty of ventolin, anti-histimines, and anti-gastro medications (3 of the 5 ways I’m going to die are asthma, allergies, and gastro).

3. Don’t turn back
Different people will have different concerns, and even the same people will have different concerns for different length of trips. Again, with regard to my family, they are worried that I will get sick for this trip – but they are also concerned that I’m wanting to go back and then won’t have a job that will provide me with all of the necessities of life. This concern cannot be allayed, especially not this trip. In many countries where you are likely to go and do mission work you are not likely to have the same standard of living as you would have in Australia or other Western countries. But I cannot allow their concerns, whether real or not, to keep me from doing what I believe God wants me to do. Some of the most successful missionaries had less-than enthusiastic parents, girl-friends/boy-friends, etc. They pressed on, in spite of the difficulty that they faced, to bring a knowledge God to those who otherwise would be without a witness.

Beth Clark

People who really want to make a difference in the world usually do it, in one way or another. And I’ve noticed something about people who make a difference in the world: They hold the unshakeable conviction that individuals are extremely important, that EVERY LIFE MATTERS. They get excited over one smile. They are willing to feed one stomach, educated one mind, and treat one wound. They aren’t determined to revolutionize the world all at once; they’re satisfied with small changes. Over time, though, the small changes add up. Sometimes they even transform cities and nations, and yes, the world.

From her foreword in Kisses From Katie.

Prayer Points

Please pray for me (Sam Rawson - aka the child crazy blonde) while I am in Uganda

Specific prayer points:

- Complete health while over there (health issues are a big concern for my family in supporting me in this)
- For me to grow closer to God during this time
- For me to have an impact with the children I am working with
- General safety

Thanks all!

Just a Point of Mental Grossness

For those of you who are getting vaccinations of travelling overseas... they make you take cholera as a drink, which definitely hits all the mentally wrong buttons in my brain at least! That said, it not only protects against cholera, but also offers some protection in travellers gastro cases.

If I'd known that, I would have had it before I entered childcare!