It's a Wonderful Life

“At the heart of Satan’s attack upon you is his attempt to rob you of your true identity and destiny.”

-Neal Lozano, Unbound

My last blog post was an attempt to regain parts of me that I feel I have lost.  Satan had done well in distracting me from receiving God’s full blessing.  It’s a truth I had known, but not really understood until I read Unbound by Neal Lozano.  “God wants to bless you much more than you desire to be blessed.  Allow yourself to receive from Him.”  Really?  Is it really that easy?  It was actually very, very difficult for me to write my last blog and ask people for help and ask for specific things/items/donations, etc.  But isn’t that exactly what God wants of us?  To ASK specifically?  Bruce Wilkinson says it this way: “When we ask for God’s blessing, we’re not asking for more of what we can get for ourselves.  We are crying out for the wonderful, unlimited goodness that only God has the power to know about or give us.”

Wow.  I have received in FULL this “wonderful, unlimited goodness” of God through His people.  In the course of 25 days, God has “surrounded me with love and compassion” and “filled my days with good things” (Ps 103:4-5).  Every day that I have been home, I have been blessed by someone.  I feel so overwhelmed and undeserving of such love. 

One day, Marissa, a college bestie, drove a couple hours just to meet me for lunch.  “I have a present for you,” she told me while we were out to lunch at Cracker Barrel.  A present, she had said, when just her presence was enough.  But when she came back inside, she didn’t have “a present,” she carried a laundry basket full of presents in her arms!  She gave them to me one by one, and as I unwrapped these presents, I couldn’t stop the tears that I tried to fight.  What moved me most was reading all the names on the card of who contributed to the gifts.  Truly amazing.  Marissa had contacted a whole crew of people who went to UW-L with me, and together they were able to raise enough money to support part of my housing fund as well as buy major items on my wish list, including thoughtful gifts like NFL ticket, cooking items to buy in Swazi, and a new Macbook Air!

A friend who contributed to these gifts wrote a message telling me it reminded her of the last scene in “It’s a Wonderful Life” where all sorts of people came to help George Bailey.  When I watched the movie (which I used to do every year), I cried.  God wants to bless us, we just need to ask.

I asked, and I received.  I received every major item on my list from my last post, and in addition, my housing need for 2016 is fully funded!  The most amazing surprise is that the overwhelming support came from both acquaintances and friends—from high school, college, and career connections—like donations from a couple students, Rachel Howe and Katie Shepardson, a surprise package from a high school acquaintance, Brianna Lynch, who I had no idea followed my blog, a set of Christian fiction books and financial support from my mom’s co-workers, the biggest donation I’ve ever personally received from my own co-worker (the Kreutzmans) at La Crescent High School, some supporters who don’t even know me, and so many more!

I am so filled.  I am so humbled.  I am SO full of joy!  I recently skyped with my friend Chris who lives in Ecuador and when he first saw me on the video, he immediately commented, “Wow, you look great and so lively.  So full of joy!”  (And he knew NOTHING of what has happened to me these past two weeks.) 

Indeed, I am so full of joy!  And it came from my three day retreat at a convent where I spent my days in prayer and reflection, letting Jesus love me and fill me. Thank you all for restoring in me the spirit of joy.  For reminding me that my identity is not tied to what I do, but who I am. Thank you for preventing Satan from robbing me of my identity as a daughter of the King, a beloved whom God genuinely desires to bless.  God, my good, good Father, you are Enough for me. (Listen to the song here: Good Good Father)

So, 2016, thanks to all of you—my army, my victors, my givers—I am now ready for you!  (I fly back to Swazi January 1^st!)

"That he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in you hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

-Ephesians 3:16-19

Marissa treating me to Culvers after spoiling me Cracker Barrel with food and a laundry basket full of gifts!

 Some joyful moments of December:

Mom and Dad picking me up at the airport in Chicago

HS Bestie Lauren taking me to a Badger basketball game!

Spending time at sporting events of my ol' students

Football and fun with my nephews

Kelly and my second fam: the Conways

Bowling and fun with Laura, Garret, Kiley, and Tony

Vising Mario in the hospital and praying for him

Jess and Kristen, my Newman fam!

In the presence of my beloved Bethie-boo

The Fab Four cheering on our old HS coach!

My grandma, my main reason for coming home.

Christmas with my family! And in this picture, my extended family.  All the Martin cousins together at last!

What I Need

“What do you need?” I’ve been asked hundreds of times throughout this past year and a half.  I’ve always responded with needs of the ministry and my girls.  But then a few people persist, “No, I mean you.  What do you need?”  I didn’t know. 

Now I do.

I need to rediscover the joys of simply being me.  The me who dances like a maniac, sings in strange voices in the shower, pretends to be a thug, relishes in competition, and loves laughing, giving advice, playing games, being goofy, being artsy, and playing football.  :)  I've lived here for too long like a volunteer or short term missionary. Missions mentor Elysa Mac recently told me, “You won’t last much longer living like that.  You need to make your life here.”  Indeed, I’m at that point.  I need to make this my life. 

So my needs (which still aren’t really needs) revolve around how to make my own life here.  I’ve turned them into a wish list, so now I have some ideas when someone genuinely asks, “Kate, what do you need?”    

1.       Health/food/nutrition: Don’t get me wrong, I love rice and beans.  But after 18 months of eating them every day, I think I can move on to better nutrition for myself.  I quite enjoy cooking, when I have time, and it’s something I haven’t done here because I eat what the girls eat/cook (except when it’s intestines or fish, of course).  Eating healthy is much more expensive, but in the end I know it will be worth it.  When I went to the local shopping mall the other day, I got quite excited looking at the different kitchen items I could buy to start making healthy meals in a timely manner.  These are items I can buy here (rather than having them donated because of the different electricity and outlets here) if you wanted to send a check/cash to me then I can purchase them here:

·         Crock pot $28.50

·         Hand blender $12.50

·         Hand mixer $13

·         Grill $15

Other fun foods/items that could be sent/donated that I’d quite enjoy at any time are:

·         Granola bars or Cliff bars

·         Trail mix

·         Dried fruit mix

·         Vitamins

·         Gum

·         Mints

·         RECIPES (your favorites)

·         Box mixes (for cake, brownies, muffins, pancakes, etc.)

·         The really healthy stuff like dark chocolate chips, M&Ms, and PB cups J

2.       Writing:  I’m working on a book, so you can pray for me to finish it, find an editor, publisher, etc. The computer I have is quite old so it has to plugged in in order to work, which is frustrating when there’s not always access to electricity; it’s also nearly out of memory and space (though my brothers keep reformatting it for me).  I also journal every day.  I made a promise to God a couple years ago during lent that I would write to him every day.  So every night before bed, I write to him and tell him all the things I’m thankful for that day.  To buy journals here are very expensive and to buy pens aren’t really worth it because they’re not that good.  So these are items for the wish list:

·         journals

·         fancy or colorful pens

·         small laptop

·         photo editing or video editing system for computer

3.       The “girly” me:  In this blasted heat and life of sweat, I sometimes just need to feel pampered and it can something as simple as these:

·         lotion

·         perfume

·         scented candles

·         makeup

4.       Reading:  I could use some great Christian fiction reads for when I’m sitting at the clinic or at the bank or another meeting place that takes 2-6 hours of wait time.  I have plenty of non-fiction to read, and I’ve eaten up pretty much all of Francine Rivers’ books, so I’d love some other options!

5.       Football: Eish, I miss this so terribly much.  I miss being able to come home after church and turn the TV on to watch football.  In fact, I just miss TV in general (and I hardly ever watched it at home!).  I haven’t figured out how to solve this yet, but a few options would be buy internet wifi, and then buying some sort of online NFL subscription or game streaming, etc.  Anyone have any ideas for me on how to get me some football and basketball?

6.       To feel normal: Receiving letters or packages from home are incredible.  My grandmas is the one who sends me consistent letters (even if I don’t write back to all of them) and it always makes me feel normal.  She tells me about her life, simple things, or about all the family.   Sometimes I get tired of trying to describe life here to people so it’s such a gift when others update me on every day random things about life.

·         letters

·         pictures

·         things that mean something to you or represent you

7.       Lastly, to make this life my own means renting a house of my own.  My friend Morgan and I plan to rent a house for the next year starting in January.  I created a GOFUNDME page to raise money since this is an expense I didn’t raise support for nor can I afford on my own. 

It will cost $5,200 for the whole year including rent, electricity, water, and furnishings. You can go to gofundme.com/mamakate to donate there or mail a check to: 208 Scenic Circle, Marshall, WI 53559.

Most of all, I need prayer.  The greatest gift I can ever receive is utterance of your words to our Father on my behalf.  

Blessings, love, and so much joy to you all!

$28.50

$12.50

$13

$15