Missions

October 5, 2008:

"Brittney Webster blessed our hearts as she shared with us that God was directing her life to serve Him in some capacity in foreign missions. Her life is a true testimony for Christ and time will tell us what God has in store for her." ~Charity Baptist Church bulletin

I don't remember what I said to my church family that day. In fact, I don't even remember being on stage. What I do recall is the work that God was doing in my life then. It's the same work that He is furthering today.

I am called to foreign missions...
End of story. Piece of cake...right?

No, not so much.

Often, I forget why I'm here...why we're all here...
I came to college in the fall of 2009 knowing that I wanted to do mission work.
I will graduate in mere months, in the spring of 2013, with a Psychology/Social Services degree...knowing still that I want to do mission work.

I've never desired a 9-5 or to be a counselor, but when I came to CBC, I got cold-feet and switched my degree ASAP.
Now, I'm not saying that one needs a "Missions" degree to be a missionary, but I am saying that my current degree, though I enjoy it, was a fall-back plan.

Many times I've convinced myself into comfortability. I've tried to reason that I could get a good, respectable job, marry a pastor of some sort, and then settle into a happily-ever-after in "Your Dream Hometown."
The sad thing:  the lies I told tell myself actually work. For a little while.
The truth of the matter is that my dreams are way bigger than small town U.S.A...
and...

I'm not afraid to keep dreaming.

Don't get me wrong, it's scary.
I don't know what to tell people when they ask, "So, what are you doing after graduation?" I don't know where I'll be or what I'll be doing a year from this very day.
I fear that I will be forever alone...that the perfect guy is too afraid of the unknown of the future to take charge of the here and now.
I don't look forward to hard goodbyes and leaving the friends and family that I dearly love.
I don't even know where I am supposed to "go," though there are a few places that I already love.

What I do know are these things:

The Lord loves me with a love everlasting and has my best interests in mind (Romans 8:28).
I trust Him...This trust falters at times, but at the end of each day, it remains constant.
By losing everything, I will gain life eternal (Mark 8:35).
My joy is made complete when I get to share Christ with others; there's nothing I enjoy more.

So, maybe
I will never have the cookie-cutter life.

Though that means rough-times, tears, hard conversations, persecution, and letting go of comforts and idols now, I think that I will one-day be okay with that...



 

Faith

It is said that faith can move mountains.

"He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”-Matthew 17:20 ESV

Though I have been a Christian for six years, my faith in the Lord continues to grow on almost a daily basis...

You see, back in January, God put a deep, passionate desire on my heart, a desire to reach my campus for Christ.

*cue Journal entry from eight months ago*

1/4/12:
" I am convinced that God can and will use me to change the campus of CBC. At age 20 3/4 the reality of the Gospel, of the need to share my faith, has finally fit me in the face."

Then, school began again. There were a few of us like-minded people on campus (Lauren and Andrew) and we began praying about how to get discipleship groups started at Central Baptist College.
The rest of the spring was slow-rolling...We began training at UCA and gained the interest of a few students, but it was hard-work with just the three of us and for a while it seemed like the Lord was silent...

5/5/12:
Lauren graduated. That left Andrew and I.

And then the college-world welcomed summer.

5/19/12-6/30/12:
My life was completely changed by spending six weeks in Bologna, Italy doing ministry with college students.
I left Bo knowing more than ever that I wanted meaningful, real community on my college campus back in Arkansas.
Better yet, I knew that the Lord wanted change to occur at CBC, but I wasn't sure how it would happen...

7/29/12:
I received a facebook message from a new staff member reading, "I talked with Sarah the other day and told her my interest in creating discipleship Groups on campus (CBC). She said that you were super interested in that!" etc. etc. etc.

This was the first, small taste of what the Lord had planned.
8/8/12:
I was given the opportunity to share with the entire residence life staff my vision for our campus, my desire to see people living out the Gospel in each other's lives.
These people are leaders on our campus and some of them were intrigued...

8/19/12:
Several new faces met with Sam, Taylor (our awesome friends and support staff from UCA Cru), Andrew and I about DNA groups.

D-divine truth:  studying scripture together

N-nurturing community:  calling out greatness in one another and confessing sin to fellow members

A-apostolic mission:  living out our faith and sharing it with others

Toward the end of our meeting one of the guys said, "This could be why I'm supposed to be at CBC this year."

Get excited.

8/20/12:

Tonight, I stood in a room of thirty students at a discipleship group interest meeting. While they chowed-down on pizza, I got to share with those precious students our vision for a campus that is radically changed by the Gospel of Christ.

(Photo courtesy: Devin DiGuilio)

Our first D-group meetings are Monday for the girls and Tuesday for the guys. Please be in continued prayer for us and the work that God is doing at CBC.

I still can't believe that this is real and actually happening...

But

I have prayed and continue to pray for God to do big things and I have faith that He will...

Let the mountains move.

Conviction

Conviction.

I know, I know. The title of this post is just alluring, isn't it?

Let's face it, no one likes conviction. Why would we?
This 'C'-word often manifests itself as a slight tug at our heartstrings, a that warning that something is amiss in our inner-being.
It's an ever-present reminder that something needs to change...

We hate conviction because it reminds us of our failures, our flaws, our imperfections, our short-comings and our weaknesses...This creeping 'C' is easy to run from and even easier to hide.
Just keep doing your normal routine. Be satisfied. Be content.
Stop dreaming. Stay complacent.

Simply ignore the 'C'...or at very least try...

Trust me, I am an expert at running and hiding, but a recent sense of dare-I-say, conviction, has yet to leave.
Frankly, I'm not sure that it will...not until change is made...

It began at a church camp in the boonies of Missouri. A few things that the speaker said read like this from my recycled journal:

"Suffering is more than an inconvience."
"The world is not attracted to a shallow belief system."
"Our religion says that you go deep and risk everything for the gospel."

and then, the mind-set of some American Christians:

"I love my Christianity, but I'm not going to take huge risks for God."

*cue conviction right about now*

I've been on mission trips. I've given to the poor and fed the hungry. I've made sacrifices for God and the furthering of His Gospel.
but...
I'VE NEVER SUFFERED, especially not as I sit in this clean, well-lit, well-air conditioned home, drinking filtered water and typing away on my newly purchased laptop.
I'VE NEVER RISKED EVERYTHING FOR THE GOSPEL.

When I think of sacrifice, two stories in Scripture come to mind.

First, is the one of the rich, young ruler which can be found in Luke 18:18-30.

"When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack, Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me (18:22)."

Secondly, I am reminded of the disciples' callings. Here's an example:

"After this he (Jesus) went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything, he rose and followed him (Luke 5:27-28). "

I don't know about you, but I more often feel like the rich ruler, who walked away sad after hearing Jesus' words, than the disciple.

Each packed box for college and each little "bing" at the check-out counter result in layer upon layer of conviction.

What if I really did sell all that I have and give it to the poor?
Resulting in:  myself, the clothes on my back, my Jesus and His Word.

Would I be labeled as some wacko, super Christian media-stunt ...or would others actually take a stand and do the same?

Is Jesus really who He says He is? Would I really be satisfied if all I had was Jesus?

The Aftermath

Well, today is the 14th of July and I have been out of Italy for two weeks now.

It feels like a life-time...and I'm not gonna lie, looking at pictures, listening to certain songs, watching Italian cooking shows and the excited feeling that I get whenever I see the letters "I-t-a-l-y" in any store bring me to the verge of tears...Maybe that makes me lame. Girly. Over-emotional. I don't know, but I can say that I definitely wasn't expecting this never-ending flood of emotions.
Luckily, God is good. He is so, so good and He has already given me countless opportunities to share about my trip and to share the Gospel with people here, with people back home.
Another blessing: we were given a ton of information at our debrief which explained how to cope with re-entry to the country. Some of the reminders were as follows:

"Don't forget to ask others what they have experienced this summer. Then, listen well."

"Remember that not everyone will want to hear about your experience. In fact, some people may not ask about your Summer Project at all. Don't let that take you off-guard."

"Try not to hate America (This one is paraphrased just a bit.)"

Believe me, these have been super helpful.

I have loved getting to hear about others' summers just as much as I have loved giving people a taste of Italy. I might've cried for real when I went to see one of my closest friends and Italy was never mentioned if the friendly little reminder above hadn't came to mind. And, best of all, I really haven't experienced feelings of hatred toward America, unlike summers past.

All in all, it has been a good, reflective two weeks and many note-worthy things have occurred:

A week in Texas was spent with 3,000 teenagers. They were given practical steps on how to be missionaries where they are planted and I experienced chaperonehood for the very first time. You could say that a lot was learned on both ends of the spectrum.

A dear friend, Ashley, got engaged. :) She has already found the perfect dress and today we conqured the task of bridesmaid fitting. I am so excited to see how the Lord uses she and Ryan as a unit.

Also, today it was decided that this blog would remain...not only to chronicle Italy or other mission trips, but to portray my life in the most real way that I've found, writing. Many of you have urged me to have "my own blog" for years now, so here are all of those compliments blooming to fruition. I can't promise to be "a weekly read," super punny or even worth your minutes, but please know that none of those are my intentions.

I believe (finally) that writing is a gift given to me graciously from God. I also believe that others receive encouragement from the thoughts and words that He leads me to pen. So, continue writing I must.

Plus, and most selfishly, a good bit spent writing always does my soul well...and helps my jumbled mind become coherent and managable.

Until the next adventure,
Brittney

This is Not the end

This is Not the End is a track from Gungor's latest album, Ghosts Upon The Earth. If you've never heard of Gungor, get thyself to the iTunes store. Quick.

Those words can also be used to describe my feelings of Italy and this life-changing summer.

In a little less than a week, I'll be back in the States for at least another eleven-months.
In years past, that thought, the thought that I won't be out adventuring around the world, has depressed me. However, a friend and fellow summer project-er Catherine, gave me some good insight a night ago.

She said, "Don't think of heading home as leaving the mission field but rather think of it as going on a year-long mission trip to America."

What wisdom. For once, I intend to do just that. Words cannot express how excited I am to see my family and friends, church families and youth kids.

Not only will I be able to share with them of the numerous places I've seen and foods that I've eaten, but more importantly I will have SO MANY opportunities to share the Gospel, the reason that I've been conversing with random strangers all summer, with the people that I love most.

So. So. Excited.

Though I have loved Bologna and would love to come back long-term in the future, I know that Beebe and then Conway in the fall is where I need to be right now. In fact, it's where I want to be right now.
I want to complete my Senior year of college. I want to be an RA and love my floor well. I want to be the best daughter, granddaughter, niece and friend possible. I want to write in order to give His name praise and to show the campus of CBC that God is still relevant.

I want to love God with all that I am...and to share that experience with others.

As my team and I finish ministry in Bo, please pray for the following names. Though they may be merely words on a screen to you these people are our dearest Italian friends.

They are the people that we have spent the past 6-weeks pouring-into and doing life with.
They are the ones that we love and will miss.

Virginia
Simone
Silvia
Luisa
Melissa
Sara
Giada
Imma
Mateo
Igon
Leonardo
Marco
Fedro
Laura
Carolina
Stephen
Diego
Gail
Johnny
Shirley
Claudia
Chiara
Michael
Vlad
Georgia
Jiacomo
Anjelica
Ester
Peter
Kevin
Julie
Soraya
and Guilia

Thank you always. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Love in Him,

Brittney

Bones

On Friday, our group headed to Rome. We had quite the adventure and saw many of the eternal city's beloved sights such as the Collesium, the Roman ruins, the Parthenon, the Roman Forum, the Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Trevi Fountain.
Yet, something random that we saw was the catacombs of San Castillo. This catcacomb, built right outside of the Roman walls, was Rome's first official Christian cemetary. It is four levels deep and we went down to two of them where we got to see the former tombs of over 500,000 people.
However, before you get too grossed out, please know that the bodies are no longer down there. They were moved by their owner, The Vatican City, because years ago their tombs were opened and raided in search of treasure.
As our tour guide explained, those criminals were out of luck.
"Christians bury only with bones," said she.
This statement has resonated with me since.

Christians bury only with bones.

It keeps repeating itself over and over in my head. A slightly morbid but lovely sound.

The more I think of it, the more two intertwined concepts come to mind.

They buried only with bones because their bones were all they had; Christ was all that could be found in those dry bones.

"And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." -Mark 8:34-35

They buried only with bones because their treasures were not of this world. Their lives were hid with Christ on high.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."-Matthew 6:19-21

O how vast the differences between present-day American Christianity and the Roman Christianity of the past...

Oh, the places you will go and the people you will know

Ciao, amici. I hope that all is well back home, be it Beebe, McRae, Conway or some other random, beautiful place.

What a week it has been. Since posting last Friday a lot of traveling has been done and a lot of people have been met. Hence the name of this update.

For starters, you all should know that my team and the rest of the folks here in Bologna are alright despite the earthquake scares. I felt my first one ever on Tuesday morning and it really wasn't bad....definitely not your stereotypical walls-shaking, things-breaking kind of ordeal.

Last Saturday, we visited Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliet. Yesterday, we traveled to Venice and it was absolutely gorgeous. Hands down, my favorite of the places that we've been to so far.
Trust me, I have photos and they will be posted when I get home.

My favorite day of this week has probably been Tuesday. God keeps showering me in little, surprise blessings and I am so, so grateful. He is sweet to me when I deserve it the least.
You see, Tuesday I didn't really feel like being here. I couldn't focus in our group devotional that morning and I did not want to go out and meet Italian students. I was paired with a friend, Paige, and we decided to try to meet students at a coffee shop called ITIT (This place is so much like Starbucks that it's not even funny. The funny thing is that Italy dosen't have Starbucks because they hate chain places.) Before approaching someone to chat with, we prayed a lot and asked God to take away our apathy and to use us despite our unwillingness. Then, Paige tapped the shoulder of the girl behind her...and the rest is a wonderful history.

The girl's name is Carolina and later we met her boyfriend, Diego. They are both from Mexico City (Anyone who knows me, knows that I love Mexico.) and are here studying art and film making. We hung out with them for the rest of they day and got to share our testimonies.
Carolina said that she wants to believe, but dosen't know what to believe in and Diego wants to start reading the Bible. She also said that our testimonies were beautiful and that she had never heard people talk so truthfully and honestly about God. Carolina came to our weekly aperativo (pretty much a free buffet with the purchase of a drink) on Thursday and came to church with us this morning.
Meeting them truly made my day.



Then, on Thursday, I was out sharing with another friend Lauren. We had been rejected three times in a row, but I still wanted to keep trying. As I approached two girls, Lauren said, "Brittney, what are you doing? I don't think they want to talk." I responded with, "Until the whole world hears" and walked up to them. At first they were hesitant to speak with us, but by the end of our conversation we had made two new friends. Then, though they don't believe in God, they came to aperativo that night.

Out of at least 30 people that I invited last week it was those three, Carolina, Luisa and Melissa who came to hang-out with us on Thursday night.

I think that Oswald Chambers says it best in My Utmost for His highest, "What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us-He knows every detail of each of our individual lives."

I am so thankful that He knows me intimately and that even on this trip I have started to know Him more intimately. I'm slowly realizing that intimacy with God is priceless.

Tomorrow begins our second week on campus and I have some specific prayer requests for you guys:
Carolina-the opportunity to study the Bible with her
Diego-the same opportunity for one of the guys
Luisa and Melissa-that they will do well on their exams this week and that we will be able to hang-out with them more in the weeks to come

Personally, pray that I would speak wisdom into the lives of my teammates and that we would be able to grow closer together as a unit.

Also, we have some specific outreaches planned for Italian students:
A hike on June 5th @ 2 p.m.
A picnic on Wednesday, June 13 @12 p.m.
A dessert exchange/party on Friday June 22 @ 9 p.m.

Prayer in any capacity for these things would be greatly appreciated.

Love always,
Brittney