A week of Fasting

I have learned an incredible amount of new things this last week and I am SO excited to be able to share it with all of you! Last weekend on Saturday I really felt like God was leading me to fast from the internet and from WiFi on my computer and phone all together. I really thought God was wanting me to spend a lot of time with Him this specifically and more than normal. Which is something I should have been doing all along and hadn't been doing! So I agreed to the fast and this whole last week I haven't been online. And I am ashamed to admit that it was really difficult for me because I definitely get on the internet a lot so not doing that was a challenge! However, I have learned a LOT and God has shown me amazing things! The first thing that got me excited about what the week was going to hold was when we went into lectures on Monday and I found out that the week's theme was Hearing the Voice of God. It couldn't have been more appropriate! So throughout the week I have been talking to God a lot and listening and for the first time in my life, I am realizing when God is actually talking to me. And I am recognizing His voice!!! My mind has been blown by this! Just one story to express what this week has looked like took place on Friday(yesterday). During our lecture hours on Friday we spent the time processing everything we learned from our speaker throughout the week. So I was writing several different letters processing a few different questions. The gist of what my letters said was that I know I hear God's voice but my whole life I have convinced myself that it isn't Him. It took me a long time to accept that the reason I never gave God the credit for talking to me is because I have never felt worthy enough to be someone who He desires to talk to. The Lord has helped me come out of this lie this week and it is such a freeing feeling. However, in this processing time God also directed me to a verse in Revelation that talked about how when we are willing to open the door of our hearts God will patiently wait and come in when we ask Him to. So I wrote this verse out in my letters. Then when we went back inside after the processing time our leader Kale told us we were going to be doing an activity. So everyone in the room took a folded piece of paper out of a cup and it had a person's name on the paper. We were not allowed to look at the name yet though because first we had to spend time in prayer asking God what it was He wanted us to say to the person whose name was on the paper we were holding. So everyone took time and wrote down what they were inspired to write. Then right when we thought we were going to open the papers and see whose name we had, Kale told us to switch papers with the person to our right and THEN open the paper. Then who ever you had on your paper, that is the person you were to give your letter to. Anyway, long story short, the person who drew my name found me and asked if she could read what she had written to me out loud. So we went and sat in the corner of the room together and she read to me the words she got from God and everything in the letter was direct responses and answers to EVERYTHING I had just been writing during our processing time!!! Word after word God was talking to me through this other person and I was just weeping. God is so amazing guys and He is so faithful! When it comes to knowing God's voice one thing I have learned this week is that it isn't about literally "hearing" God's voice. It is all about getting closer to God and spending more time with Him. The closer you get, the more you will hear Him AND understand Him. I have been blown away this week and God is STILL showing me new things. I really just want to encourage everyone back home to always take time and just spend time with God. It's never disappointing!He WANTS to spend time talking with us now it's our turn to WANT to spend real time with Him too. So! In the midst of learning all of this, I am happy to announce that I think I know where I will going on my outreach but I will not be making it public to anyone until next week sometime. So, right now I just ask for your prayers and for a lot of clarity on the subject because I want to make sure that the place I choose to go on outreach is the place God wants me to do the most good. Thank you all so much for your support. Please continue to support me and pray for me. You are all so encouraging to me and have helped me so much. I am so grateful!

Many blessing, Christianna!