We've been traveling since Tuesday, September 20th. It is now Friday, September 23rd. We are currently standing in our customs line trying to calculate how many hours of travel that adds up to. 36...45...38? Don't know, it's just been a long time. Our outreach team is traveling the furthest this quarter. Hawaii to South Africa ain't no hop, skip, and a jump if you know what I'm saying.

Our 12 hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany mixed with a mix of boredom and curiousity led us to a train ride and a walk through the beautiful city. 

I might be experiencing my first round of serious jet lag, but I have never felt so stoked to travel. I definitely think I've caught the vagabond bug and need to plan a trip to Europe again... 

4/5 flights down, one more left! Cape Town awaits us. Onward travelers.
 But first, coffee: 

 

My time here in Kona has been incredibly healing, challenging, stretching, and absolutely beautiful. The Lord could've directed me anywhere in the world but I'm sure glad He led me to Hawaii. Looking back I can honestly say I've never experienced this much spiritual growth in such a small amount of time. The work that Lord has done and is continuing to do in my heart excites me for the future and what's to come. I have never felt so supported by the church community, both my community back home and my new community here. The Lord has surrounded me with beautiful friends that constantly push me closer to Jesus and provoke me unto righteousness. And it doesn't hurt to have more photographer friends *wink* (photo creds: Austin Comer).  As we bid farewell to the island, a group of us decided one more island adventure seemed fitting. Not only am I packing up shirts and shorts for outreach, but quite a large stack of precious memories to bring along the journey. 

 

I'm back. Wanna hear something crazy? I only have 5 more days left on this island! FIVE DAYS! Wanna hear something else crazy? IM FULLY FUNDED! 

Lots of you have kept up with me and this process of raising a whopping $10,000 since November (pretty much) of last year, and many of you have given and contributed so that I could be here. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Many of you have also kept up with my blog posts and have seen a consistent pattern of complaining, wrestling, and waiting, all the while still hoping, praying, and supporting me! I love having the opportunity to invite you all into this thing. My hope is that you would see clearly my highs and my lows and through that, Christ's faithfulness. This has been one of the most stretching and challenging seasons of my life but has already proven to be so good. I see Jesus in all of it. He didn't forget about me because He's a good father, and good fathers provide for their children! Can I get an AMEN?! The Lord is faithful and He never changes and I get to walk out into the world with testimonies of His goodness.

We have so much to do as we prepare to leave for outreach. I can't wait to share all of the beauty of South Africa with you.   Here we go! Onward travelers.
Stay tuned for so much more. As always, love you BIG!

I wanna throw this out there. It's the end of week 8. I am at the end of the fund raising process. I've written about this whole thing before. TRUSTING GOD STINKS! Okay, maybe "stinks" isn't a good word to describe...um Stressful? Draining? Difficult? Exhausting? It sucksss. But at the same time it's freaking beautiful. I can honestly say I love this even though it's so messy. Out of His kindness, He gives me waves of peace and grace whenever I break out in cold sweats. He's still talking to me. He's still teaching me. He's still with me. And the idea that I will look back on this with a testimony of His faithfulness gives me so much hope. 

But I am still in need of $1952! OUR DEADLINE WAS YESTERDAY! September 1st. I have no idea where this money is going to come from, but I've watched it trickle in slowly. I currently have $32.10 in my account, and I need to buy soap and tooth paste so more like $20. 

(Totally just got hit with another stress wave). Okay. My point is to invite you guys into the process with me. I want to share every part of my journey with you. My heart is breaking for this nation. I'm so excited and so ready to set foot on South African soil. I can't wait to see what the Lord does and how He chooses to use me and my team. But before that can happen, I have to camp out right here in this cloud of tension. Waiting is the worst...but also the best. 

Prayerfully consider partnering with me. We want to see the love of Jesus poured out in a nation that has no idea how valuable they are the Him. 

Love offerings could be given through PayPal: asherstable5@gmail.com 

Or

Through my student account here on the campus: 

https://universitynations.diamondmindinc.com/?AccountID=15165&StudentFirst=Anna%20Selenia&StudentLast=Concepcion

I have absolutely no idea how to introduce this so I'm just going to dive right in. 

Growing up in the church environment that I did, the phrase "wholehearted devotion" often came up in conversation. And if I'm being honest, I thought that was complete and utter bogus crap. Being whole hearted for the Lord seemed like this totally unachievable thing. Maybe for the apostles in the scriptures (which by the way, Peter says we have obtained a faith equal standing with their's by the righteousness of our God and Savior-2 Peter 1:1 so yeah just a side note.) or that crazy radical that came to share at church one Sunday. I had believed a lie that devotion, to this crazy level was just "too hard" and didn't really matter. If I did just enough, and presented myself as a zealous lover of Christ (to a certain extent), or talked about Him in enough coffee dates throughout the week, or listened to enough teaching/messages/sermons about the scriptures (instead of going into the scriptures myself) that that was enough. I mean, that's what everyone else looked like they were doing so I must be doing something right? I looked like a Christian, talked like a Christian, smelled like a Christian, dressed like a Christian (you know the classic hipster Jesus follower attire I speak of I'm sure), but never had any desire to go further than that. Now I had my share of "Summer Camp Highs" (don't worry mom, there were no drugs involved). You know those 3 weeks during and then shortly after conferences or camps that leave you feeling firery and stirred up for Jesus? I would leave things like that ready to take on the world, the bible, and my relationship with the Lord unlike I ever had in the past. But, like a lot of us, after a few weeks I would slump right back into my usual routine. Not like I made super crappy choices or anything you guys, I just lived comfortably in my lukewarmness. I was content with where I was, and thinking about it now, that's probably the most dangerous place to be. 

Fast forward some time...I end up on this island. Week 7 of my DTS. I have befriended some of the most firery, hungry, focused, driven people I have ever known and something is changing in my heart. This hunger to be "all in" has just increased and continues to increase daily. I wrote earlier about having to let go of several things in efforts to focus completely on the Lord and trusting Him with everything, yeah well this is part of that too. 

Obviously this is a process but it's a process I'm anxious to begin; having my eyes ever fixed on His commandments, turning my eyes from worthless things, worldly things, fleshly desires, pointless distractions. My heart aches for this. I want this so desperately and I chose to share with you because I want to encourage you to do the same. Psalm 119 is full of practicals on how to whole heartedly pursue the Lord and describes the beauty that comes from abiding by the law of the Lord. I want to invite you into this process. Wholehearted devotion can't be shoved in the microwave and be expected to come out strong rooted and grounded and sturdy. Like I said this takes time; choosing to dive into the word and conversation with Jesus daily. And along with that, laying down pointless, worthless, distractions that keep you from that drive and focus. 

So that's me. Where I'm at right now. It's kinda messy and hard to explain but I'm tired of wasting time. He's so worth it. He's so good, and he has so much in store for those that love Him and seek His commandments. Those who meditate on His scriptures day and night, those who keep the law of the Lord on their tongues. Ok ok, you get it. 

(Here's another picture of Hannah)

Friends that pray together stay together. 

Yeah it's a real Praying Mantis that had originally landed in my hair and then became buddies with my roommate and I snapped a pic. 

  

Okay, let's play a game of Catch Up real fast. Week 5 is kind of a blur. I celebrated my eighteenth birthday which I can honestly say, was such a beautiful day. I had a bunch of concerns about it; I was worried I wouldn't be celebrated or just disappointed but I was so so wrong. Though it was hard being away from friends and family, my new "framily" here made me feel so special and so incredibly loved. 

The day included my roommates decorating our common space with streamers and balloons along with ice cream cake in our classroom and Jesus talks over sushi. The weekend then included a spontaneous night trip up to Mauna Kea (a dormant volcano here on big island) followed by late night breakfast at Denny's. 

Moving onto this week, week 6. This week the topic was IDENTITY. Woo! We all know that this can be a real heavy topic and it was for all of us as well. I found it really funny that leading up to this week and during the week as well, several of us were battling direct attacks on our identity or issues related to it. I began to realize the power that comes with understanding who you are in Christ and how much the enemy hates that. When you know who you are and who's you are everything changes. It changes the way you see yourself, the way you see others, and the way you see the world. I learned that our identity is not ours to create or earn but it is God's to give. And we don't have to prove the fact we are worthy of what He has given us.

If I had to describe this week in one word  I would describe it as "Refreshing." Outside of lectures the Lord spent a bunch of time just affirming me and the woman of God I am becoming. On Friday we did a little bit of a symbolic exercise. We wrote down labels, lies, and masks we had believed about ourselves on a piece of paper and then literally nailed them to the cross (pictured below) as a sign of letting go. We then washed our hands clean in that first bowl and then anointed ourselves with oil in the second bowl. 

These things are just preparing us even more for our trip coming up. Our plane tickets are purchased. WE'RE GOING TO SOUTH AFRICA! A land where the people have been stripped of their identity and security in Christ Jesus. Once we understand we are loved, we can then go and share that love with the world. Boy am I excited. We leave exactly one month from today. Keep me and our team in your prayers. I am currently still in need of $2515 for my outreach but trust that Jesus will provide. If you feel moved to give, you can give directly through PayPal at asherstable5@gmail.com.

Mega love for you all. Thank you for partnering with me and following my story. 

-Anna