Hi fellow supporters, family, and friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and were able to enjoy the holidays! If you haven't been able to read some of my latest blog posts, I will give you a little update. 

I have recently decided to go into full time missions here in Norway and to help lead the Justice dts in September of 2014. I have been praying about it for the past 3 months and really have felt like this is where God is leading me to serve. Justice has always been a part of me, and my passion only grew when I went on short term missions to Kenya back in 2011. To see the poverty, the sick, the needy, and to become aware of the slave industry today, it is shocking and appalling and makes me want to do something.

We tend to think of slavery as something in the past, but there are actually more slaves today than there has ever been in the world. It's crazy to think that every 2 minutes a child is SOLD into slavery. This is the world we live in guys, a world where the slave traders make more money per year than Nike, Starbucks, and Google COMBINED, where 2 out of every 10 woman have been ABUSED. It's a harsh reality, but it's something we need to fight against. We need to equip our missionaries to go out and share the love of Jesus with the prostitutes, pimps, child soldiers, orphans, and anywhere we see injustice. We need to raise up practical teams for drilling water wells, and get educated on how we can bring the gift of water, the gift of life to 3rd world countries. It's an estimated 1.8 MILLION people, mostly children, die each year from diseases that are preventable through clean water. I might not be able to change the world, but I can change lives, I can invest in the ones who have never heard of the love of Jesus, and build relationships with woman who have been trafficked, I can play games and love on the orphans, because that is what Jesus would do, isn't it? We are called to Love & to Serve & to share the good news of Jesus Christ, and if we focused on doing that, we could make an impact, we could change the world. 

I understand not everyone is called out on to the missions field, but God calls everyone to be a part of the great commission, whether that be to support missionaries, or just share God's love in everyday life. We need to equip the people who are called out into missions, so that they can take a stand, and that we can be a part of bringing Justice to the injustice of this world. 

As a full time missionary I have no source of income and the only way possible for me to continue the work God lead me to is to have support from people like you. It is a leap of faith, but I do believe God will provide. Each month I need to bring in $850 a month to provide for food, housing, communications, and savings for future outreaches & travel expenses. Whether it be $20 or $200, by supporting me your are a part of bringing justice to the nations. You are equipping me with the tools I need to go out and share God's love, and to reach the unreached. You are part of the Great Commission. 

Please prayerfully consider supporting me on a monthly basis and receiving my newsletters/blog posts. Without you all none of this would be possible. My prayer is that God will bless you like you all have blessed me.

All for the Glory of His Name,

Eliana Jirucha

It's Christmas Eve day here in Norway, I am sitting by the fire enjoying the quiet company of my brother, and reflecting back on all the wonderful things God has done in my life this past year. I have really been tested in faith but also seen how faithful God is. 

God had opened up the doors for me to come to Norway and be a student here on the discipleship training school, He provided all of my finances, acceptance of my visa, and a group of supporters who have helped me get where I am today. These past 6 months I have really grown in my character, but also and most importantly my relationship with God the Father. I have met incredible people and seen the plan God has for me expand and grow into a reality. I have experienced what it is like to hear from God, and to really be in His presence. I have come to see how the Bible is such a key aspect of everyday living, and what a beautiful and historical book God has given us to come to learn more about Him. I have come to realize just how great, vast, and huge our God we serve is, but also how personal, how relational He wants to be with us. Everything I have learned has really blown my mind about who I thought God was and who I know He is today. 


One thing I know for certain is His love for us can overcome anything, His love is greater than any obstacle life throws at me. God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for our sins. Let's let that sink in for just a moment. God, who gave us freewill, the God that man turned against, He sent his one and only son, for us, so that we may have hope, and forgiveness and eternal life in Christ Jesus. Now that is some pretty radical love. He didn't give His own life, He took it a step further, and said This is my son, He is the Messiah, He is the Savior, He is going to take on all the sins of the world, and He is going to die for each and every person who ever takes a breath on the face of this earth, because I love you so much, I want to give you forgiveness, and grace and mercy, and I want you to be able to choose eternal life through my son Jesus Christ. That is how much He loves us. Doesn't that just blow your mind folks? Because it certainly blows mine. God's love can conquer everything. His love is unfailing, never ending, all sustaining. His love is enough. 

I hope in the excitement of presents, family, and all of the delicious Christmas food, you can take the time to reflect on the greatest gift of all. The light of the world, Jesus Christ. 

Luke 9:14, 

An angel of The Lord appeared to them, and the glory of God shone around them,

 and they were terrified. But the angel said to them 

"Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all of the people. 

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; 

He is Christ the Lord.  

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, 

praising God and saying,  

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Hello fellow supporters!

As you know from my last post, God has put it on my heart to staff the next discipleship training school focused on Justice here in Norway.

Although I am still currently in my own dts, I still have to start taking some steps financially to prepare for coming on staff this coming spring.

To stay on staff I need about a minimum of $1000 a month to provide for housing, laundry, communication, food, and saving money for future outreaches around the world.

As of now I really need people to start supporting me monthly in January, because I need to have the money to buy plane tickets for our outreach to Brazil in May for team building, staff training, and a first-hand look at the injustice of poverty. I also need to renew my Norwegian visa, which is $500 alone.

It would mean the world to me if you would seriously consider contributing to my monthly support financially.

Please contact me directly at eliana.j.jirucha@gmail.com.

May God bless you as you have blessed me!

Klem! (Norwegian Hugs!)

Eliana Joy

Hello all of my fellow supporters! It has been pretty busy the past few weeks, with outreach preparations, and the lecture phase winding down, as well as the School of Pioneering & Leadership had their graduation this past week!

Each day I am getting more and more excited for Thailand! I am so excited to see how God works in our lives as well as the lives of those we are serving!

These past few weeks have been challenging as I have been really feeling the exhaustion from constantly being on the go! I notice myself feeling more frustrated and more lethargic than usual! To add to that I got a concussion from an intense snow ball fight with some friends over the weekend, and the after affects have kept me in bed with nausea, dizziness, and a pounding headache for most of the last few days.

So my point of telling you all this is not to sound all gloomy, because really, I am so happy about life right now, but to share with you the reality of life, the ups and also the downs! I would so greatly appreciate prayer in specific areas such as:

• Quick Recovery and Healing from my Concussion
• That God would give me refreshment and energy 
• And that I would be able to get enough rest over this Christmas break so that I feel fresh and ready to go for New Years and Outreach
• As well as I am always in need of prayer for financial support

My Brother, Christopher, is flying in to spend two weeks with me tomorrow afternoon! I am so excited and can hardly wait to see a familiar face!:) Please pray that we would have a really great time together and that we would find a lot of fun and inexpensive things to do over the break! 

As always, I am so blessed to have you all supporting me and encouraging me! 

Be blessed like you have blessed me!

Klem!

Eliana

Every sense I was little God had already given me a heart for justice, I had the incredible opportunity to go to Kenya, Africa when I was sixteen and work in a village overcome by poverty and without clean water. Throughout school I did a report on modern day slavery, human trafficking, something that I felt very strongly toward. My heart broke for the people, not only in Africa, but all around the world, whether they be without shelter, food, clean water, sanitation, education, or if they were one of the millions of victims sold into human trafficking,  I never was able to shake the feeling that I had to do something.

Sense being here at Grimerud, Norway, I have talked a lot with one of my leaders Ricardo, who is leading a Justice Discipleship training school, next fall 2014. The school will work with non-profits such as Justice Water, and Steps of Justice. God has strongly laid this on my heart, and I have the amazing opportunity to be a part of bringing Justice to the nations next year and be on staff with the school.

It is so crazy because I have only been in dts a little over 2 months, but I feel like this path for my life is from God and that he has really been putting it on my heart over and over again, as well as putting it on the hearts of the current staff. I am continually praying about it, and would love your support and prayers through this time. It is a huge decision, and a big step in my life, and a big step in faith as I would solely be living off donations from my supporters. But I believe that if this is where God is leading me then he will open all of the doors.

I am so excited to share this next step of my journey with you all, but until I get closer to finalizing my decision and my dts is winding down, I would so greatly appreciate prayers for guidance, confirmation, provision, and peace.

All my readers, my friends, my church, You are all so near and dear to my heart, and I hope you are as excited as I am to share in this next step in my life.

In Christ,

Eliana