Saturday, June 7, 2008

Amanda




This is my friend, Amanda.

I started to say that I've known her since she was small, but she is still "fairy" sized (and I am so envious, which is a sin. Oh good, we're starting the day off well, aren't we?)

Anyhow, as I started to say, before I was so rudely distracted by myself, Amanda is currently in Japan serving as a summer missionary. If you find yourself with a few moments on your hands throughout the summer, would you mind praying for her? She has a heart for the lost in Japan and plans to spend her life serving there. This is just a taste of the future for her.

(Also, you could pray for her mom too. It's both hard and a blessing when a child chooses a life of service overseas. And Helen (Amanda's mom) not only has a daughter in Japan, but her youngest is graduating from high school today and heading off to Africa in a few weeks. And we aren't even mentioning that she is talking about a life over there. One hurdle at a time.)

Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!
1 Corinthians 9:19-23

7 comments:

Abba's Girl said...

I have lifted them up in prayer and will continue to do so.

Hope you are feeling well today.

Annette

Angela Baylis said...

I will definitely pray for Amanda and her whole family. Sounds like your friend, Helen is quite a mom. I can't imagine how proud of my kids I would be if I were her! Our world is getting smaller and smaller!
Have a nice Saturday.
Love,
Angie xoxo

annette said...

Thank God for Amanda and Christians like her who take on the hands and feet of Christ in far away lands. I feel for Helen as she walks through these days of every emotion. You have a full day planned, so I hope you are feeling much better and enjoy yourself after such a hard week. Love, Annette

connie said...

Amen...

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Karen. I have been praying for you and hope that you are feeling better too and back to work in the morning. Love ya--HLS

Amanda Sims said...

thanks karen,
this post was very sweet of you.
(I like that you stole the picture from my blog and it shows up 3x bigger here.)
Seriously though, God is very much needed in Japan. You can see it in the eyes of the Japanese. They long for something more. But they are resistent to the gospel for various reasons and somewhat just from history and upbringing. But our God is gentle and patient and full of grace. Our job is to model that amoungst them.
Thank you for your prayers. Pray for the hearts of the Japanese to continue to soften and to grow a burning desire for the Lord.

Amanda

Anonymous said...

I will definitely pray for Amanda, I'm a missioner too at the moment and I know what it means.
Take care all of you
God bless you
br.freddie