It seems weird to have two weeks of summer vacation, instead of two months.  But I guess these are the things you must sacrifice as you grow older. One good thing I know is that it is already June and I will have gone to four countries by the time this season comes to an end.  So I can't say that work has been dull.  Right now however I am ready to do nothing for one week.  By nothing I mean, sleeping in, running, cycling, practicing ukulele, remotivating myself to play piano, and learning the art of knitting while I binge on Netflix documentaries and the latest gluten free something.

The past few weeks have been great.  Relaxing meetings, figuring out how to buy 'healthy' food in one of the most expensive countries in this world while living by faith, and learning more about myself,(the good, bad, and ugly.) I would share but I have to leave at least some aspects a mystery.  Plus, I don't want to bore you on the endless ways I can improve this, or how well I do that.  ;)

I guess now that ministry time has come to slow, I'm not sure what to write about on my blog.  I never wished I could read minds, even if I could knew what my readers want from my writing, I think i'll just take one of many leaps of faith and start writing whatever words my fingers make when I put them on the keyboard; presuming that they actually form grammatically correct and complete sentences.  One thing that I know for sure, is some way I hope to inspire someone out there in the world.  Whether I inspire them to bake a cake, go to church, or stand up for injustice, I hope my writing and my stories can make some sort of differences.

I've really been praying, being a christian I spend a certain amount of time praying daily, I hope your not surprised by that.  But lately I have been really praying. praying unconsciously, there are times where I wake up praying and well that has been pretty amazing.  It comes as an automatic response if I see someone on the street.  It's a part of my walk with God that I have really come to love, to cherish.  I am constantly communicating with my Heavenly Father, and I can see the change it is making in my everyday life.  I am more aware of situations, it has now become some part of my routine that anyone in eye sight distance will have me praying for them whether they want it or not.  It says in Ephesians 6:18 that we should be constantly praying in the Spirit, and I am starting to wonder if this is what Paul means. Where prayer becomes such a influential part of our self that we start praying 24/7, sometimes without even knowing it.  For me it gives me such a closer connection with the Holy Spirit, and it fills me with such a joy when I see something or someone who sparks an instantaneous prayer in my heart.  I'm not sure really how I got to this point, but I know that it stemmed from a teaching we had in my discipleship training school.  I also know that I would remind myself to pray throughout the day, multiple times.  So then again, I can see where it came from after processing my thoughts.  So I challenge you! If you feel at a stand still in your walk with God or just in your prayer life, start praying! All.the.time.  So that eventually you won't think about it anymore, it becomes like breathing, just part of existing.

That is my little spurt of inspiration for the day, now off to the kitchen to enjoy the rest of my delicious, nutrient-lacking, gluten free waffles! :D

Marveling at God's wonderful creation a few days ago.  Still in awe.

I remember writing something slightly similar in one of my first blog posts, but one thing I have found to be on my mind lately, and what has been a big part of my journey.  Self-Image. Good or bad, you have one, and in this day in age it's a lot easier to have the latter.  Everyday I am shocked to the extent in which young girls will go to make themselves feel good.  This topic, for me, breaks my heart because I was and still am in some aspects one of those girls.

I have struggled with self image, and an eating disorder since the 7th grade. At 12 years old, I think that is when I started to notice how I looked, what the numbers said on the scale, and which size jeans my friends were buying, how people thought of me. And off and on life continued like that.  But can you blame me, or any other girl in the world?  We live in a society where we have a size 00, where plus size is just the size for a woman with curves, where 4 out of 4 my best friends have sometime in their life struggled with an eating disorder.  Eating disorders are only on aspect of self image, this isn't the topic I really want to focus on, the thing that has been on my heart lately is Identity.  For years I found my identity based on what other people thought of me, and brought me to do things I would never dream of.  I was constantly seeking social acceptance, I wanted that confirmation that I was beautiful, funny, that I meant something in this world.  It actually just broke me down even more, I was constantly being rejected, pushing my way into the crowd, just to be pushed back down.  It's an endless cycle and it deceives you to the point where you think you are happy, I believed I was. I thought I had an awesome life, only to be left alone, with no one.  Except God and my family. That's what miraculously changed my life.

It was in those times, instead of weekends out, I stayed with my parents or my neighbors, it was then that I started to find who I truly was, who God made me to be.  I wish every girl could experience the love I have felt that comes from the Heavenly Father.  A love so great, you are completely satisfied.  You see ladies, God created you in His image.  And if you didn't know, God does not make mistakes.  He made you fearfully & wonderfully.  You are His princess.  Truly.  And I'm not trying to get all cheesy & sentimental, but how can I not? Girls all over the world are trying to find their identity in their friends, looks, boys, themselves. Spoiler Alert, it will always, lead to disappointment & self doubt.  You see, the difference with finding your identity in Jesus Christ means that you will never be rejected, you will never be not good enough, He will never make jokes about your weight, or tell you to get a nose job, ever. It will never happen.  Because what He says to you is "I love you, my daughter, my beautiful creation, there is no flaw in you, if only you could see how gorgeous you are my princess."  He wants to tell you that over and over again every single day until you know it in your heart.  When we are completely & utterly satisfied in God, when we know who He created us to be & we live in it, then no one not even the meanest of people can touch us, because I was created by God who also created the flowers, the trees, the oceans, and that's a pretty dang solid foundation to stand on.  It's an identity that is constant, one that doesn't shift by what society says, because you will always be reminded that you are so much more than that, you are a daughter of the king.  You are worth more than your outward appearance, the number on the scale, what size jeans you wear, the boy who disrespects you. None of that, let me tell you none of that matters in the real world, and none of that matters to God. You are worth more and you deserve more.

Instead of focusing on myself, instead of putting all my energy in to how I think about myself or am perceived by others, I've changed it around to how does God see me?  Ok, so I know that today, tomorrow, & every day after that God loves me, that He created me for a purpose and a plan, He died on the cross for my sins, He knew me before I was in my mothers womb, He calls me His daughter, His princess, He tells me I am beautiful.  So how can I take all of those encouragements and live it out?  How can I best represent who God created me to be, how can I glorify Him through my life, how can I encourage others, how can I bless others?  And it's hard, it is so hard sometimes, but when I focus on Jesus, and when I think that the God of the universe cares that much about me that He sent His one & only son to die on the cross for me and for my sins, I am confident in who He did create me to be, and I am satisfied fully, because I know that no matter what society says about me, God will say the same things, That I am valuable, I am beautiful, I am loved. Finding your Identity in Christ is the only foundation which cannot be shaken, because His love for you is constant, ever growing, never ending.  And when I overwhelm myself with His presence, all else fades away, nothing else matters but to know that I am created & loved by my Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ.

What is your identity?  

"I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most 

glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought 

about, born in God's thought, and then made by God, is the 

dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking"

I am thrilled to be partnering with Justice Water this year for the Justice DTS.  Starting when I was sixteen my passion for bringing the gift of clean water to third world nations continued to grow after my outreach team worked with Life Straws to distribute over 500 water straws throughout different villages in Kenya. I am so excited for the practical week where we will learn what Justice Water is all about and how to construct there simple yet effective ways to bring people clean water.

Why are we choosing a focus on water...

Some Don’t Have a Choice

1 billion people do not have access to safe water supply sources.

About 1.8 million people die every year due to preventable diarrheal diseases. Most of them are children under the age of five.

Diseases from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war.

It's crazy to think that a month has already flown by, and that I am back on the beautiful Norwegian soil.  I want to first apologize for being so awful at updating this blog on a regular basis.  I have had so many things happening, planes to catch, bags to pack and repack, etc.  BUT I do want to take the time to share with you all the incredible experiences I had during my first time in South America.  

It's hard to put this trip in a nutshell because our team traveled so many places and worked with many different ministries.  So I will try, keyword 'try' (no promises) to keep it short and sweet, and if you happen after to be longing for more details then please, please email me, facebook me, imessage me, and I will be so excited to talk to you.  

I left off talking about the house in Rio de Janeiro that we were trying to renovate.  Well we did it! It took us three days to strip, sand, clean, & paint the house.  It was a lot of hard work, but afterwards the house was shining.  On the last day the lady told us how her and her daughter had been praying for so long that they would be able to paint the house, but they were never able to because of their finances.  With tears in her eyes she hugged us and said "I will always remember the faces of you three girls, God bless you".  It was such a privilege to be a part of practically giving back to someone in need, and being able to see the finished product.  I felt so blessed that we could bless her.  Glory to God for making all things possible, and for providing the funding we needed to get the job done.  

After one week in Borel, the slum in Rio, we hopped on a plane to Fortaleza.  It is in the more northern part of Brazil,  where drugs, violence, child exploitation, and prostitution is something many of the people there face daily. It was a really wonderful time but also a real eye opener.We went to a children's school that is run by Ywam where they teach English, Mathematics, Music, Dance,and Jewelry making. We were able to get to know more about it as well as spend some time with the children. We also went to an all girls youth prison where girls from 14-18 years of age are places for crimes like stealing all the way up to murder. It was a crazy experience because it looked like we were going into a school, the girls were all so nice and kind. We were able to share testimonies with them and also hear their stories. Some girls had been in and out more than 6 times. We met one girl who was so on fire for Jesus, she shared how God saved her and how she wants to one day share her story and inspire others to live their lives for Christ. When another girl came to share her story the first girl just started preaching for a good hour sharing the love of Jesus and how all you need is Him, she told us how every opportunity she gets, she shares the gospel. It was really inspiring to see!!  We also went to the Davis Lars Orphanage which was started by an American couple from California. I fell in love with the ministry, and had one girl, Raquel, clinging to me and holding my hand. It was such an inspiring day to meet the kids and the founders. It really lit a fire to see justice brought for the children who are parentless and alone,It's a struggle however with the laws here because the government does not allow for the children to be adopted. We are hoping to partner with them for our outreach to Brazil in January!

We then went to visit a home for children who have been sexually exploited. One more time God broke my heart. I heard stories from 10-13 years olds of abuse you couldn't believe. God opened my eyes to really how much He loves these children and how He yearns for them to be healed & restored. Each Child voiced how God had changed their lives and brought them out of horrible situations. The sad statistic is, is that "in Brazil the percentage of kids abused outside the church is almost the same
as those inside the church." My dream was always to start an orphanage but now it goes beyond that, my heart really breaks for the children who have been betrayed by the ones they trust most. I want to see children slavery end in my life time and homes opened up for the ones in need. I really hope that we will be able to partner with this ministry in the future! Unfortunately we were unable to partner with Iris ministries to evangelize on the streets, as they are located in the City Center and with strikes and the amount of violence going on it was just too dangerous for us to travel. It was a real bummer for me because that was the ministry I was most looking forward too. Overall it was a very impactful week, I love Fortaleza and I can't wait to see what God does in that city!!

We then finished up in Foz de Iguacu, where we had debrief and team time.  We talked about the way God worked the past three weeks, through us & in us.  We also were confronted with the different challenges that come when working in a diverse team.  It was a time we really needed, and thankfully a time we saw breakthrough in ourselves and in the team.  Lastly, we finished up back in Sao Paulo where we caught our plane to fly back to Norway.

It's full day number two and I am feeling so blessed.  For now we will be doing some practical things for the Justice DTS coming September 1st.  However, I will continue posting, but not so much about my experiences, more about my thoughts and the things God is teaching me, so I guess you could say more personal.  

If you want to get to know me more, stay tuned for the up and coming posts:)

I continue to thank God for all of your support and encouragement.  May God richly bless each and every one of you! 

In Christ, 

Eliana Joy

Do Justice, Love, Mercy, Walk Humbly

Micah 6:8