Thanksgiving

I know that I've said this a billion times, but you have to hear it a billion times more, THANK YOU!! During this Thanksgiving time, I am sooooo thankful for everyone that has supported me in getting here (emotionally, financially, and through prayer!) This experience has been so amazing and so surreal, and I never want anyone of you to forget what a blessing you have been to me! There is no way I could be here on my own, and I just want ya'll to know how thankful I am for every one of you! :)

I can’t believe the school year ends this week at Palabra de Vida! The regular Bible Institute students have their exams this week, then we have Missions Conference all next week. Then I get on a plane back to Georgia for the holiday!! J The time has gone by sooo quickly, it’s bittersweet! I’m so excited to see everyone back home and celebrate Christmas, but at the same time it’s sad to think that I’m 1/3 of the way into the program!! I honestly don’t think I can even put into words all that God has taught me here already, and I can’t wait to see what He has in store!

Please please please pray that God would provide a way for me to come back in January! I know He has more for me here! Right now the plane tickets look to be just over $2,300, of which I have about $200…. If you would please pray! I am overwhelmed by this, considering my first tickets were only $1,500, but I know He is able! If you feel lead to help out in any way it would be a huge blessing!! You can facebook me, email me at : danielle.gross97@yahoo.com, or get in touch with my mom, Vickie Gross.

“As for me, may I never boast in anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.” Galations 6:14

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The Adventure Continues...

“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:7

The way that gold refining works is that they have to heat it to a liquid state and then all the impurities rise to the surface and they can be skimmed off the top. This is the best way I can think to describe the last month. All the stresses and frustrations that come with living in a foreign country surrounded by a new language really amplify every other problem you may have. These “pressures” really do make the truth come out and all the attitudes of your heart really come to your attention. I’ve heard sermons on sanctification before, but until now it hasn’t ever been that real. Let me tell you, it has not been fun to see my ugly side, but it is a humbling process to see that really I am no good! On my own I am a dirty rotten sinner in need of constant grace!

This last month I also finished reading Francis Chan’s book “Forgotten God”. It was so good, if you haven’t read it you should! Not to take any of Chan’s thunder, but just ask yourself, how different would your life look if one day you woke up and didn’t have the Holy Spirit. Would you even notice His absence? As Christians we are indwelt by the Almighty God of the universe, but how many of our lives actually reflect that power? God is unchanging and timeless, we don’t have a weaker, watered down version of the God f the Bible- He is still as real and powerful and active as we have read about! Francis Chan’s words are so much better than mine, so read his book! That’s just a tiny glimpse of how it impacted me! J

Yesterday, PDV hosted a “Famliy Picnic” on campus. We were expecting over 3,500 people, so the entire week leading up to it sports were canceled and everyone worked every day to prepare. When Saturday came it was so cool! I couldn’t have understood it before, because the culture difference, but it was a beautiful thing! Over 4,200 people from different churches throughout the province came in buses and spend the day just enjoying each other with music, games, and different shows/presentations throughout the day. There are two shows that our school does, Show Infantile for kids, and Renacidos which is the real life story about a couple who were drug addicts and gave their lives to Christ at the camp here, then went to the PDV “rehab” (I forget the name of it, but it’s like a rehab meets Celebrate Recovery) and then came to the institute (I think) where they found out that they had AIDS. It’s a really powerful drama! I heard this morning that over 300 people accepted Christ at the picnic yesterday (but I don’t know the official number yet)!!!! It was a wonderful thing to be a part of, and it was crazy to see the cultural differences—where in America churches put on individual events for everything, it was cool to see I don’t even know how many different churches coming together as the larger body of Christ to reach people and just fellowship together! <3

P.S.-I’m learning to play the ukulele. Random I know, but just thought I would throw that in.