I'm so tempted to create a "Send Victoria to Mexico" Facebook group, though that isn't the right thing to do. I wish more people would be aware of what is happening outside Alpharetta/Johns Creek, Georgia.

I do wonder how I can get the rest of the money. Praise God that I live in Atlanta, so I don't need additional funds to fly to Georgia.

I wish people would be more receptive to going on missions, and none of this "If we are predestined by God there are no use for missions".

I wish I would be more humble throughout these months. Missions is never a "me" thing but only and forever and always a "God" thing.

7 Bridges to Recovery Recap

Praise God that we had a safe trip to and from downtown. To tell you the truth, I missed it a lot from when I last did it. Here is a recap of the 4 hours downtown.

Here are some pictures Mrs. Scales, the executive director of Flood Student Ministries took.

OFFICIAL BLOG WEBSITE

So I turned in my deposit, and now I'm officially on the Mexico team (I thought I already was....). Anyways, we have a blog website. You should bookmark it for when we leave for Mexico, to get updates throughout the month while we're on the field. You can also subscribe on the left hand box, so new posts can get to your email. :D

I am doing another 7 Bridges tomorrow. We are going to minister on the streets of Downtown Atlanta. If you see this before 11am tomorrow, pray for a safe ride to the area, and for God's will to be done.

God bless.

Victoria

http://11ma0615amb5.myadventures.org/

$250 dollars.

It's time to seek the Lord
Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.
Hosea 10:12

$200 dollars!

Praise God.

In order to prepare for Mexico, I've made up my mind to do more urban ministry stuff. So later today I will be going downtown with a lovely ministry called 7 Bridges To Recovery. We will be talking with their shelter's inhabitants and preparing a yummy dinner for them.

And I, heh heh, actually signed up for all the 7 Bridges opportunity, especially STREET MINISTRY. Estoy muy emocionada, porque dios siempre estaba bueno.

Just some prayer requests (generic?)

Alright. So I definitely don't think the entire team has been gathered. In fact, I only know of one person who is on the team. Pray for the formation of our team. It's a hard decision because it's basically 5 weeks, you know? Some parents are probably insecure about their child going on a mission trip for 5 weeks.

I realized how much crime is in Matamoros. Being a border edge city, pirates swarm the city since it's on the Gulf of Mexico and all. Pray for God's provision over the city right now, because the police system is weak and such, and cartels go in and out of the city regularly. 6 days ago, a grenade struck the city hall. There were injuries, but by God's grace there were no deaths. Recently there was also a jailbreak, so yeah the judicial system is weak.

And I just (a few minutes go) finished reading Radical by David Platt. I realized how much of a risk it is going to Matamoros, but I'm not scared at all, which is astonishing. Well, just prayers that me and Jocelyn's hearts (the other person that is confirmed going) will be in the right place and that we will be going purely to serve. And for financial support, haha.

:) yay. I'll be posting some prayer requests about Mexico, Matamoros, financial stuff, and just trip preparation.

On another note, I have raised enough money for the deposit, praise God. I do need to recruit a prayer team who during our span of 5 weeks will commit to pray each day for our ministry. A lot. Because not all are called to go to Mexico, but all are called to missions in one shape or form.

That's it, I guess.

God bless,

Victoria :]

My Testimony

I guess I'll share parts of my testimony. They're pretty fragmented. Oh well.

My testimony isn't as dramatic as some other people. I didn't have some dramatic epiphany or fall and become blind and then hear God's voice and become radically saved. But this is what God has done in my life.

I was born in Shanghai, China in 1994. A few months after I was born (maybe like 7?), doctors discovered I had hip problems and as a result I was stuck in a full blown cast until I was almost 2. As a result, I didn't start walking until late. A month after I turned 3, I moved to America in 1998 with my mom to join my dad who was already here.

I had a pretty normal childhood. My parents were so loving. When I was almost 1st grade, summer of 2000, I returned to China to stay until the end of the year. China. Communist government. Few churches. Not as high-tech as nowadays. That China. I came back in January, and my grandparents joined me a few months later.

You must know something about my grandparents. They practice a cult called Falun Gong. I wish they didn't. Well, my grandfather's deceased now. So my mother brought me to a warehouse church when I was in 1st grade and I hated it so much. I think the adults who couldn't speak English properly contributed to the matter (I attend a Chinese church). On the weekends, I would go with my grandparents to their Fa Study because I had nothing better to do.

But, I guess all my life I accepted Jesus as Savior. But I didn't like church. When I was in 4th grade I had surgery on my right leg. The knee cap displaced or something like that. I missed school for 3 months and I was bedstricken. When I was well enough, I started going to North Point Church because my church had no ramps for my wheelchair. I loved North Point. Crazy music. Small group counselors. Skits. It was so engaging. I learned more about God than I ever did so far at the Chinese church.

I went back to my church in 5th grade because a new building opened, where the church presently is. It got better but it still was awful. I liked the Sunday Schools but I hated Children's' Worship.

In 6th grade, my grandfather's health got worse. Something about bladder problems. We made the decision for my grandparents to go back to China because health care was cheaper. He eventually died in China in January 2007. Because he believed Falun Gong would save him.

In 7th grade, I was old enough to get out of Children's' Worship and go to English Worship! Initially it was boring because it was the same thing every week, but it got better. Occasionally I saw some people raising their hands and I wondered why. I joined the youth group and the people there were so welcoming and loving. I began to embrace church. I made the decision to get baptized in November and started attending baptism classes. So I got baptized December 16th, 2007.

I went on my first mission trip to Nashville spring of 2008. I saw new light in homeless people. They're not what you think they are. God began to give me a heart for the ones that society disregards. That summer, I went to the Shocco summer retreat. I was amazed at God's sovereignty and how He turns the bad around. The speaker was formerly a street biker. One of the bad guys. He was arrested and sent to prison for something, I forgot. When in prison, he was placed in solitary confinement. God turned him around in that dark hole. When he was out of the confinement, he asked for a Bible and immediately learned how to read, having been illiterate prior.

I'll fast forward some. Satan wants to kill the faithfulest. I experienced some heavy spiritual warfare in 2009. From like uh May to July. But God redeemed me.

Fast-forward to July 2010. Oh. Well prior in April I went on my Nashville mission trip. Got to meet up with some friends from a year ago (low-income and elderly individuals). And homeless outreach. Okay. July was Shocco. The speaker was one of the awesomest ever. Among many other things, he gave a call to missions. I accepted that call.

And here I am. Hopefully going on Mexico 2011 if I raise enough funds.