Samaritan Ministries Highlights Carlos & Lisa

Samaritan Ministries interviewed Carlos & Lisa Sales and published this article on their website. 

Click HERE to read. 

How the Pandemic Might Help You Bear Fruit

 By Alison Langerman

After going on several trips with RtH in the past, I was concerned about the way American Christians would react to supporting the ministry further during COVID-19. This concern led me to really begin thinking about my own privileged position and attitude living in a 1^st world nation. These thoughts, prayers, and reflections are just the beginning of my own personal response to what God is doing in my small corner of the world.

Amidst all the chaos of quarantine and the fears of the spreading virus, I read this quote from author Christine Caine, “Sometimes when you are in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but actually you’ve been planted.” What a different point of view. I don’t know how this global pandemic has affected you, but it has certainly changed your life in some very unexpected ways; how will you choose to view this trial? Don’t let yourself be buried when God might be planning transformed life.

I have asked God repeatedly to stop this quickly and heal the thousands who are suffering, but then the prompting of the Holy Spirit forced me to change my prayer. I began to think, what if God is using this global crisis to draw hundreds of thousands of hearts to him? There seems to be such a lack of good news during this time. But I have heard so many encouraging testimonies about college students attending virtual bible studies, about fathers who work from home finally being able to read scripture to their kids, and about floods of desperate seekers logging into virtual church services. With tears of anxiety in my eyes and a lump in my throat, I decided to change my prayer of “stop this quickly” into a prayer that I might have strength to endure this for as long as it needs to last for lives to be saved. As much as it terrifies me, I am choosing to be planted and not buried.

In his article, “First-Year Vineyard Care,” Wes Hagan explains that after planting young vines the vintner will gradually decrease watering to force the plant to grow deeper roots. Hagan encourages vintners to, “Allow the roots to dry out between water applications. This will promote root growth as the vines sink their root systems deeper into the soil layers in an attempt to find water.” This strange season certainly feels like God has left us wandering without water. However, I will choose to believe that our sovereign Lord actually has a plan and that he will use these deeper roots that we are being forced to grow now in order to bear beautiful, sweet fruit in the days to come.

John 5:15 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

What Happened In 2018!

2018 Year-End Thank You Video

Watch our Year-End Thank You video by clicking...

Malawi Mission Trip - August 2018

A collection of our Malawi Team's posts while we were in country:

Days 1-3

Christy Carter: We were able to travel 22 hours and meet some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met in my life! Our team of 7 helped to put in 8 water wells and bring joy and the story of Jesus to 3 different villages, a total of over 72 families!!! God is good!!

Zac Beougher: Had a fantastic 2nd day here in Malawi, Africa!! The Reaching the Hungry team divided and conquered 3 wells along with games and coloring and bracelets with the women and children in each village. What a joy it is was to share the hope of Jesus with the whole village that I was at after installing the well. The Jesus film went great! Thank you, Norma, for sharing your story with the crowd there.

Day 4

Christy Carter: We were able to visit our partners orphanage. She runs the orphanage with little no help with 21 + children sometimes. She needs more support financially for those beautiful babies ....
Wade Campbell: Today RTH Team moved to Nkhoma in the south to spend time with an amazing lady, Nicole, doing God’s work for orphans. Currently, there are 21 children ranging from 3 weeks to 9 years old. As you can see affection, love, tickling and laughter are the same on this side of the world. The children sang songs like “Jesus in the King of the Jungle” and “Jesus is the King of the Universe”. God’s spirit was high amongst us. After a short break we are heading back now to spend the evening with them.

Day 5

Norma Puerta: Blessed Sunday. - Our RtH team spent the day worshipping and connecting with the people of Dowa District. Our team leader, Zac, had an opportunity to share and encourage the congregation to preservere. After the service, the Chiefs meeting was held. Multiple Chiefs shared their testimonies of abandoning their faith in charms to place their faith in Jesus Christ; they encouraged and challenged one another to be the Christian leaders their villages need. Amen! We also held an reading glasses clinic and presented Talking Bibles to village chiefs to take back to their villages. This will help the villages continue strong in their faith and walk with Christ. Thank you to all of our supporters. The LORD is blessing Malawi.
Christy Carter: Africa Day 5 - we drove 3.5 hours to attend a chiefs’ meeting of over 50 chiefs and many village members, a church service, and an eyeglass fitting for the people of the villages.
Zac Beougher: This Sunday in Malawi included a church service out in the bush in which we had the opportunity to preach, reading glasses clinic, share with the chiefs at their meeting, and then present them with Talking Bibles (audio recordings of the New Testament). Nicole (our friend who runs the orphanage we visited) was able to join us. Just a solid day 😊

Day 6

Christy Carter: Truly needed days of rest and reflection. The days in the villages were very long days and very emotional and thought-provoking days ... thank God for His beautiful creation of this world. There is so much to see and be thankful for!!
Ty Campbell: Our Malawi team enjoyed a nice rest day after the last four days of work installing a record 8 water wells, spending time with the Chief Ministries, and playing with the children at an orphanage. We enjoyed some beautiful African landscapes and animals. Sharing the word of God with some of the locals that were our escorts is what our team is here to accomplish. Tomorrow, we’ll start with devotionals and another beautiful blessed day in Africa.

Days 7-9

Nathan Giles: Today was our day of rest and reflection here in Malawi. We’ve come to the last couple days of our time here and are starting to process through everything we have experienced. With four people on our team who have never been to Malawi before, it has been amazing to see how their perspectives have changed. At the same time, my fourth trip feels so much different from my first. No matter how many times I leave the U.S., I always seem to return changed in some way. It is this time of reflection that allows us to take a step back and discover how God has used these new experiences and relationships to shape us and our futures.
Zac Beougher: The last days that brought this incredible trip to an end were full of rest, reflection and saying goodbye to our friends. It was also good to spend some time taking through how God has used this trip and process what happened. We gathered together as one team united, the Reaching the Hungry US and Malawi team for a Partners Dinner. Then, unfortunately, we had to say goodbye and the team has safely arrived back in LA. Thank you for everyone’s prayers and supporters for making this possible!! What an immense joy it is to be a part of what the Lord is doing and see how He is working in Malawi.

"How to Really Pray for a Missions Trip" by Alison Sales

"How to Really Pray for a Missions Trip"

by Alison Sales

When friends of mine leave for missions trips they often ask me to pray for their safety and pray that hearts will be softened and receptive to their message. I know that God will protect them, I know that God will not let his word return void and that God will use their missions trip for his glory. So how can I really pray, and get deeper into prayer, for my loved ones heading across the globe to share the Gospel?

1) Don't pray for safety.  Instead, pray for boldness!

I have been on missions trips with team members that have anxiety attacks, debilitating depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and numerous other ailments. And for every single trip, those dear friends who should be asking for more "safe travels" prayers and asking for more comfort are the team members who jump right into the germ-filled crowds and reach out to touch the broken villagers. God can pamper these teams with window seats on the planes and lavish them with hot showers, but no matter how safe and accommodating the trip is it is always the bold moments which have eternal implications.

Every team member would agree they want safety, but they would agree even more strongly that they do not want to miss an opportunity to share eternal safety with someone who needs it.

2) Pray for clear eyes to see and recognize divine appointments rather than for hearts softened to the Gospel. I think sometimes when we pray that hearts will be softened to our message it is because we are secretly scared of rejection. We think that God should just help us out a little more and remove all the risk in sharing the Gospel. If we had a 100% success rate guaranteed wouldn't that be great?!  But if God can do the work of taking a group of Americans out of their daily grind and move them to speak to his beloved children on foreign soil, then don't you think He has done all the preparation work we could possibly need? 

When I went on my first trip to Africa I noticed that my Dad stopped to talk to everyone. He talked to people at the gas station, peddlers by the side of the road, and the motel staff. Literally everyone!  After a day or two of this, I realized that my Dad had "divine appointments" with every single one of those people.  As a team member on the trip, I thought we were on a mission to share the gospel with the villagers, but my Dad was on a mission to share the gospel with every single person we saw until we got out to the village. He was on a completely different trip and had an entirely bigger vision for what God wanted to accomplish. Wouldn't it be awesome if every person who went on a trip with RTH had that vision? So please pray that team members would have fresh eyes to see all of the divine appointments God has planned for them. Pray that they will recognize and already softened heart when they see one.

It has often been said that prayer is not about getting God to do what we want, but it is about God changing our perspective so we want what he wants. As you pray for the Reaching the Hungry trips going to remote villages and tiny impoverished towns this year, may it change your worldview and may it bless you with God's vision for your life. 

Please keep in mind our upcoming trips to...

• March 31 – Mexico Orphanage Trip REG HERE
• April 1-13 - Malawi Mission Trip (Jesus Film, Water Wells, Orphanage, Safari)
• April 28 – Mexico Outreach  REG HERE
• May 19 – Mexico Orphanage Trip  REG HERE
• June 23 - July 3 - Guatemala Mission Trip  APPLY HERE
• July 8-20 - Malawi Mission Trip (Jesus Film, Water Wells, Orphanage, Safari)
• August 5-14 – Philippines Mission Trip
• Aug 24 – Sept 6 -Malawi Mission Trip (Jesus Film, Water Wells, Orphanage, Safari)
• Sept – Costa Rica  Mission Trip
• Sept 29 – Mexico Orphanage Trip
• Oct 21-Nov 2 - Malawi Mission Trip (Jesus Film, Water Wells, Orphanage, Safari)
• Dec 8 - Mexico Christmas Outreach 

2017 Sales Family Prayer Card

Click on Prayer Card to enlarge.

Merry Christmas from the Sales Family

"Perfect Love Casts Out Fear" by Alison Sales

The thing I was most nervous about going to Malawi, Africa, this summer was anxiety attacks. I strongly believed that God was going to use this trip to completely heal me. I had been more than six months since my last attack and all throughout support raising I had felt confident peace that my mental illness was over. So you can imagine my frustration then when within the first three days of our time in Africa I had two terrible anxiety attacks. I was in severe pain, I couldn’t think clearly, I cried and cried and cried. Most of all, I couldn’t get a good breath of air. My lungs and throat were closed tight.

Of course I couldn’t understand why God would bring me to Africa to be sick. I wanted to have energy to love the people. I wanted to be smiling not crying and gasping for air. During the second attack I was sitting under the stars out in a remote village as the Jesus film played for hundreds of Malawians. They were riveted by Jesus’ miracles, teaching, and love. However, I couldn’t concentrate on the film, I was mad at God, he was supposed to heal me. I knew he could so what was he waiting for?

Right before the film shows Jesus being crucified my team members paused the movie. Jonathan got up to share the Gospel. My eyes were swollen closed with hot angry tears and I was too focused on trying to breathe to hear. Yet as soon as Jonathan began to share the gospel and speak about God the father’s perfect love all the symptoms of my attack vanished. I could breathe.

The hundreds of Malawians’ had to wait for the translator to catch up with Jonathan’s words. They probably couldn’t even hear him very well, because the translator had the microphone, but I could hear every single word. It was as if God was using Jonathan’s words specifically for me—he could have easily chosen to use someone who could speak Chichewa, he could’ve used a different messenger, but he didn’t. I think everyone there would have said they could feel the power of the Holy Spirit and hundreds of hand raised high signaling their desire to accept Jesus for the first time. But I feel like I am the one who received a free gift.

I am so thankful that I got to hear that message and witness that miracle. As soon as the message was over my anxiety attack came back full force, but I didn’t have any of the anger or frustration anymore. God had clearly show that speaking about his love, sharing the truth, and living in obedience (like Jonathan had) was the way to freedom. My God has all the power to heal my body whenever he chooses too. He hasn’t done that yet, but while I was in Africa he gave me an even better gift. He showed me that he is in control, that God the father’s love is big enough for me and thousands and millions of other people too, and he will use my obedience the way he wants to. He says that perfect love casts out fear and I got to experience that truth firsthand. Even when I am afraid and weaker than ever before I can trust him to use me. 

Accumulation of Malawian Moments - July 2016

5 water wells, 1,000's saw Jesus Film, 100 Talking Bibles...
Lives Changed forever!

Join us on a future trip... http://tinyurl.com/RtH-Trip

Donate towards a Water Well.

Preaching in Wales By Olivia Sales

I'm in Wales! Land of fish, and rocks, and things to see! My time here so far has been so full of lovely people, incredible godly wisdom, and so much laughter and joy, I can't manage to write it all up. So instead of writing up a post this week, I thought I would share with you the same thing I preached in church on Sunday. So I've attached a link to it below.

The church, Bethel Chapel in Pembrook Dock, Wales was built in 1845. About 12 years ago, this small Baptist church went through series of changes and lost their pastor. For nine years the small (sometimes down to only four people) and almost all over 60+ years of age congregation kept the church running themselves because they strongly heard God telling them to do so. As a long awaited answer to prayer, Foursquare Pastors, Mike & Mary Bave have been pastoring here for the last three years and now Bethel Chapel has the remarkable quality of being of being a Foursquare Baptist church. I had the honor of teaching in this beautiful 171 year old sanctuary on Sunday to these incredibly faithful people who truly understand what it means to be the faithful remnant. Much love & tea & biscuits,
Olivia Faith Sales

Click on the AUDIO picture to listen to Olivia's message.

"Malawi Africa" by Alison Sales

I never thought I would be able to go to Africa. I definitely never thought I would have the opportunity to go with both my parents, my little brother, and my best friend. Not to mention my brand new spiritual mentor and her whole family. God hand-picked our team from the very beginning. He even provided me with Mrs. Blair as a fellow introvert and academic to give my brain some good school-talk breaks.

While our team was perfectly picked, from the start I felt my insecurities growing. Surely my parents
were called to ministry but what about me? Of course Briana and the other teens were great with kids,
but I’d never been a good public speaker and I certainly was not cool like them. I listened to all sorts of lies about my identity throughout the trip. Yet over and over again God kept speaking to me—this team is hand-picked Alison and that means you are just as important and vital a member as everyone else.

He spoke through my team members to combat the enemies’ lies. They told me, the anxiety attacks you are having don’t make you weak or incapable, God will honor your sacrifice. Being an introvert doesn’t make you less effective they said, these people need to be seen and listened too. You might not be able to sing beautiful songs for them, or organizes three hundred kids into a spectacularly fun game-time, but you can hold hands with a child and hug the women who have been overlooked. One teammate even told me there was no way she would have been able to keep going without me. If my purpose was to hold the team together and remain positive and encouraging for them then that alone was enough of a reason for God to call me to Africa. He used me to help them be effective.

The passage of scripture that became my theme for the whirlwind 12 days is found in 1 Kings 19. It is a part of Elijah’s story that I have always loved. When he is in the middle of trouble and trial and
difficulties God comes and reveals himself to Elijah. Surprisingly God is not in the earthquake, and he doesn’t even appear in the mighty fire. Instead God comes to Elijah in a still small whisper.

Travelling to Malawi, Africa, was filled with miracles, wonders, changed lives and powerful beauty I
never thought I would be honored to experience. I cried more tears than humanly possible and smiled
till my face was sore. But while the whole trip felt like a wild earthquake and a blazing fire God is
speaking to me much more in small miraculous whispers. He cares about my identity and he cares about your identity in him. He showed me how to be useful for his glory—as an introvert, as someone who doesn’t have skills to command a crowd or share the gospel eloquently, as a nervous anxiety-ridden child he used me. It doesn’t take a crazy trip to tune into God’s voice, what is he whispering to you?

Olivia/UK - A “Daily Dose of Courage” & A Ceramic Cow Mug

Goodbyes: Pastor Niron at Cafechurch 

Goodbyes: Tracy & Rachel at Food Bank

Goodbyes: Myna & Ivonne at Cafechurch 

Though I'm only a little over half done with my time here in the UK, this past week was a week of goodbyes as I left my host site of the past four weeks. A few days ago, I packed up, cleaned out my room and headed off to these last few days of beautiful weather and rest at Pastor Surekha and Pastor Chrishani’s house before the next part of my internship. But perhaps I'm jumping ahead of myself...

About a week ago I got to be a part of one of my favorite things in this world: a house group. Now perhaps you think that is a strange thing for year 21 year old girl to be wildly excited about. That's fair. However, house groups have been my passion since I started leading them after high school and they are the reason I have decided to pursue full-time ministry. When done right, they are incredible for enacting change in your life, getting to learn more about God, and bringing you into healthy, strong community. I could probably wax eloquently further still on the subject but I think you catch my enthusiasm here.

I was given the opportunity to teach a leader training for house groups at my host site (like father, like daughter, eh?). The house group was product of this training and it was a wonderful thing to be a part of. It was a group of eight Iranian men who spoke mostly Farsi and only a few spoke minimal english, We sat around talked about the EuroCup final and one man played the harmonica beautifully while we waited for everyone to arrive. The group leader asked the men their reasons for coming. Through this simple question I heard several stories of lives led through Iran, Islam, alcoholism, and family trouble and out to finding God. I heard genuine and simple answers of “to learn more about God”, and one man even said that he came simply because he heard “an american lady” was coming and he wanted to know why I would come all this way just to talk with them. So sitting on a little couch, squashed between several Iranian expats and drinking tea out of a ceramic cow mug, I shared with the men the passion God has given me for house groups and the regular meeting of believers to “fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers”. (Acts 2:42-47)

The First of Hopefully Many House Groups!

Some of you may have read my previous post about being discouraged. I think that often we get discouraged when we lose sight of who we are, not simply who we think we are but who God intentionally created us to be. When I am taking part in or leading a house group, the feeling that God is saying “This is what I created you to do” washes over me. There I am in my element and I have such a clear view of this aspect of my identity in Christ. When I was taking part in this house group, I was so encouraged because I felt reaffirmed in my identity in Christ. Do you have something  similar that reminds you of your identity in Christ?

In Ephesians 2, Paul writes about our new lives in Christ and pens these words “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Being created intentionally for specific work in Christ, if that isn’t identity what is? When we lose sight of this truth, we are bound to get discouraged.Yet, God is faithful. When I was discouraged, God reminded me of one of the things that He created me to do. What do you feel God created you for?

Waiting For A Food Bank Delivery & 
Representing LPC Global Life!

All this to say, that God is working here in the big and in the little! And even greater than that he has already worked something in all of us!

And that is my daily dose of courage for you.

Much Love & Curried Chips,

Olivia Faith Sales

"Sight for the Blind" by Alison Sales

11 people, 12 days, 100 talking bibles, 5 water wells, and the power of the Gospel resulted in hundreds of Malawian’s accepting Christ this June. Africa is never going to be the same and neither am I. I have been working on my Masters in English Literature for the last year and I’m not sure you could possibly find someone who loves reading more than me. I devour books, or as my little sis likes saying I eat books for breakfast. In order to read, and study, and just see in general, I have always worn glasses. So I was especially excited about fitting the people of Malawi with reading glasses. I loved learning how to get them the correct prescription and try on different frames. However, nothing prepared me for their looks of joy when they were finally able to read clearly! Of course we had translators, so the man speaking Chichewa would tell me word for word as men and woman laughed and cried and shared their stories of watching the blurred words become clear and distinct and readable. I didn’t need a translator to understand their excitement and joy.

While we were in Malawi we showed the Jesus Film several times on a large projector in the middle or remote villages. Each night I would sit down with hundreds of people who were mesmerized by
watching Jesus heal the sick and then die on the cross for them. Over and over again I was specifically touched by the scene where Jesus gives sight to the blind man. The Malawian’s in the audience would always exclaim loudly and even clap when the scales fell from the man’s eyes.

Fitting people with reading glasses reminded me of how none of Jesus’ miracles have ended. When he walked on the earth he gave sight to the blind and now his Holy Spirit still guides Christians to give physical and spiritual sight to the blind.

This was the first Reaching the Hungry trip in Africa that has done an eyeglasses clinic. In my opinion it could not have been more successful. I met dozens of villages’ leaders, hardworking mothers and even chiefs who told me they needed the glasses because they could no longer read the Bible without them. I love Jesus deeply and I love reading so so so much. Yet I was shocked to discover how blind my eyes have been—fitting men and woman with eyeglasses showed me my own blindness. Their clear expressions of pure joy and unfiltered excitement, their claps when Jesus heals the people in the film, and their loud calls of “Alleluia” have given me new sight.

Olivia/UK - “Happy Days”

Cod & French Fries. More affectionately known as "fish & chips" or "my dinner".

When I first embarked on this internship I had the time, energy, and presence of mind to spit out three posts right away. Now that I'm several weeks in, I seem to find time, energy, and presence of mind in high demand.

I continue to work at the elementary school homework club three times a week and go to prayer hour twice each day. On top of church every Sunday and outreach every Saturday, I've now added in cafechurch and food bank each Wednesday and lunch for the pensioners on Mondays. Additionally, I'm trying to keep up with my online courses.

My 9 year old friend. We worked on her literacy homework by selecting words from a dictionary and then drawing a comic strip using them.

With all of this you'd think I would feel good and busy. Though I feel busy I haven't felt good. Not that the ministry isn’t good nor the people  involved. Though I am being equipped to do the work of God and spending time in prayer and in the Bible, I have been very discouraged and even sometimes quite lonely.

I have only been here for a little over three weeks. Imagine those who have been in this kind of ministry (or any kind of ministry for that matter) for years! For some of you this is no stretch of the imagination. You're no stranger to the loneliness and discouragement that can come with the Christian life. Some of you may be feeling that now.

So often in Christianity we shy away from admitting these kind of things,especially when we are someone who is in some form of leadership or is heavily involved in ministry. Maybe we think it'll make our non-Christian friends think that being a Christian makes you miserable and that it will make our Christian friends think there is sin or something out of place in our lives. Or perhaps we're just embarrassed to admit it. When's the last time you told someone when you felt alone? How often have you asked for encouragement?

My wise mentor of my last internship, (Hello Aunt Nanny!), would often quote to me Hebrews 3:13: “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today" so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin”.

She would call this encouragement “our daily dose of courage”. Always reminding me that without it, I would run into problems. I think we often think that if we are serving God then we wouldn't need encouragement. If this true, why are we told to encourage one and to spur one another on more than 50 times in the Bible?

So what have I done? Well if I’ve learned anything from this internship it is about the power of prayer + work. So I've done both. I'm continually asking God to bring encouragement  and people into my life in unexpected ways. I have also been defying the time difference and calling, Skyping, messaging, and even sending lovely old fashioned postcards out. And you know what? It helps.

This internship is still difficult. It still can be discouraging and really quite lonely but there is a difference in me. I’ve seen prayers answered in the blessings of a simple conversation here and there. I've realized huge need within myself to be in fellowship and the work it requires. I've been humbled in my need for people and my own need to admit this out loud and ask for encouragement.

This, my friends, is why you are all lovely! Knowing that you are praying for me is huge! I greatly appreciate all your support and love and if this post hasn't expressed it clearly enough, let me say “Thank you! You are appreciated immensely!” Hopefully this will also be a good reminder to you if you feel this same way, that you can always ask God and people for encouragement.  They're happy to give it!

If you've stuck with me until the end of this post you may wonder why it's called “happy days”. Today, I bumped into a little lady friend of the pastor I live with. This lady’s age I do not know except that she would often repeat that she was 19 during the War (WWII). I asked her if I could sit with her as she enjoyed the miraculously beautiful day. She agreed and there we sat; her with her cheese crisps (chips) and me with my chocolate biscuits (cookies). 

The only cloud in the sky today.

We sat and talked for a lovely, golden sunshine hour. She told me about rationing, the American air base that used to be where we sat, and her father’s favorite line to any man who wanted to court her (“Flattery is like perfume: meant to be smelled but not swallowed.”). She said she was delighted by my American accent which took her back 70 years to when she would go to the pictures with the airmen that had lived here. Each story she would end by saying “Happy days. Happy times. Weren’t they?” With each pronouncement, I would find myself agreeing and saying that there was always more ahead.  

I wholeheartedly believe that. For this little 90 something year old woman, who most of the residents in our area know by name, I believe there are still happy days ahead. And for the 21-year-old student who has a passion for WWII history, chocolate biscuits, and cross-cultural ministry? With the encouragement and love of a great God and wonderful family and friends, I believe that there are definitely some “happy days” in store for her too.

Much love & Chocolate Biscuits,

Olivia Faith Sales

Olivia/UK - Come Rain Or Shine, Or Geometry

Small Section of My Neighborhood in Colindale, London 

Consider these pictures. Can you see the difference? Immediately, you might notice the weather or time of day but there is another difference, harder to spot: the perspective from which they have been taken.

The beautiful blue sky pictures are from today. I took them from my front door as I walked back from the after-school program I help at three times a week. I love getting to work with the sometimes sweet/ sometimes cheeky kids on things like pronouns, spelling, and figuring  out the perimeter of a football pitch (soccer field). Today we worked on angles. I explained the word “horizontal” to one sweet young girl wearing a hijab by talking about the beach in California and the sun meeting the water at the horizon. Her older brother informed me that when I got back to CA and I should go out on a boat, I could watch the horizon to prevent myself from getting seasick. I thanked him for his advice.

The majority of children I spend time with there are Muslim. In fact, a large percentage of the population among which I live is Muslim. I go to a sewing group with Muslim women who sew pillowcases and burkhas. Most of our neighbors are Muslim and a couple men who signed up to do a house group on Sunday are converted from Islam.

So what is the point of these things: perspective, angles, and Islam? In the States and around the world, the topic of Islam and those that practice it is widely discussed. It is the 2nd most common religion in the world with around 23% of the world's  population claiming it as their own. Have you ever spoken to someone who is Muslim? Do you have friends currently fasting for Ramadan? To be completely honest, I have not until this trip. This makes me wonder how many people in the United States would say the same even (perhaps especially) those in the Church.

These reflections leads mostly to more questions but here's what I do know. I know that the angle with which I see my neighbors has changed. I know that I should love more deeply and pray more fervently for my Muslim neighbors whom I have seen to be funny, intelligent, sassy, fashionable, good at geometry, great at encouraging, a protective brother, a loving mother, and a patient father. I should pray for my Muslim neighbors, not so they can become a Christian like me, but that they become more like Christ. I want my neighbors to have the same hope as I do. I want them to be able to spend their time until eternity serving God and loving his people with all the different gifts, stories, and strength that they bring to the family of God. All this I have not seen clearly until now, not until I have been given this change in perspective.

Hopefully, this post will be encouraging to you and give you a little slice of what God has been working out in my heart and day to day experiences here in London.

Much Love & Tiramisu,

Olivia Faith Sales 

Olivia/UK - Day 1: Walk, Talk, Pray

Pastor Chrishani & I on The Downs

Last night it didn't get dark until about 10 o’clock. This may sound strange but experiencing it is stranger. I was exhausted from traveling so I went right to sleep but my travel buddy and other intern, Josh, got so confused by the time difference he woke up at 9PM Monday and thought it was 9AM Tuesday! It was funny this morning but it shows you just how discombobulating a 10 hour flight and an 8 hour time difference can be.

We went for a walk to shake off our jet lag with the Hulugalle’s older son, Shan, and then we headed back to talk through a general schedule of our time here and our objectives of our internships. Pastor Chrishani took us into town for errands and then to pick up Shamindra (their younger son from school).

We then headed to The Downs which the commonly used name for a view of several countries and enjoyed a cuppa for Pastor Chrishani, coffee for Josh, and cocoa with marshmallows AND whipped cream for Shamindra and I. The Downs are the highest point in Dunstable and they boast a view of eight counties on a very clear day, including Hertfordshire(for the Jane Austen fans) and Oxfordshire (for the C.S. Lewis fans).

After dinner we gathered to pray through Day 14 of the 30 Days of Fasting & Prayer that the Hulugalle’s church, Living Waters, is going through. We sang worship, prayed and read scripture.

This may seem like a pretty straightforward description of a rather simple day but what I struggle to really describe to you are the conversations that gave this day life, meaning, intention, and simple enjoyment. It was a day of being prepared for what is to come.

Something that Pastor Surekha said stood out most to me. We were talking about wanting to take on too much, about feeling like we must do everything, and about thinking that people could not get on without us. He brought up the story of Lazarus in John 11 and though it clearly shows how much Jesus loved him and his family, he waited two days until he was dead and the family was grieving before going to them. He waited until he was sent by his Father. I often struggle with wanting to fill the needs that I see that I don't listen for my Father's voice directing me. I wear myself down, live in pride, and take opportunities to serve from others when I ignore what God has specifically called me to in effort of trying to be everything for everyone.

This ties into one of my main objectives for this trip. God has given me many different dreams for the future and I struggle with wanting to do everything all at once which limits my effectiveness and energy. Yet, I recognize that God can call me to different ministries in different seasons so that I can desire to do what He has created me to do and focus on that a long as He asks me to. However, if I'm not listening for His voice, I will not know what ministry season I am coming into. That is a reason why I am here, to listen for the voice of God and see in what direction he leads me after graduation next Spring.

Please continue to pray with me about hearing where God is leading me to next and continue to ask Him if you are “minding your business” of doing what He created you to do also. Let us continue to do that which God created us for! 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Much Love & Swedish Fish,

Olivia Faith

Olivia/UK - Crossing The Pond (and Other Barriers)

It is the night before I depart for the UK and I'm sitting in my living room with my family watching a movie, a fire crackling in the hearth, and we're eating cheeseballs with chopsticks. I am struck by all the little things we do that seen perfectly normal and endearing to each other yet to another family would be considered quite strange or out of place. You probably have things like this in your own family. These things bring us together as a family. Yet, these familial and cultural differences are so often what separates us.  We let our upbringing, preferences, education, theology  and even ethnicity divide us from the rest of the world and often our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We see this throughout our world today with our changing political climate, racial relations, and, on an even larger scale, in the refugee crisis and persecution of people groups worldwide. On the small scale we can even see this in our churches. The Church, as the Body of Christ, can often see cultural, theological, and preferential differences as boundaries that divide rather than strengths that balance. Our answer is different denominations or worship services. We are strangely disjointed for a group if people who profess a belief  in something as unifying the Gospel.

In the New Testament, Paul writes to the churches again and again about unity. He penned these famous words to the believers in Galatians: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (3:28 ESV) There are countless variations on these words throughout the New Testament all with the aim of reminding believers that the boundaries of the world are not to be present amongst brothers and sisters in Christ.

These thoughts have been heavy on my heart and on my mind this past semester at university and even heavier and more frequent in these few weeks leading up to this trip.

Much like the rest of my family, when I see a need I desire to fill it. If we're not equipped to do so, we find a way to get equipped like my oldest sister who is curently in school studying midewifery in the Philippines after seeing the need for trained midwives on the mission field.

In the same way, I am going to the UK this summer to get equipped. I am interning with several churches in London and Wales learning to do ministry in a cross-cultural setting. Not only will I be living in a new culture, I'll be serving communities on the edge of the second most diverse city in the world. 

My goal for this internship is to learn about the people of God and their ways to love, serve, and worship Him from around the world. I am going to learn about the little differences and the big, to learn about what a balanced cross-cultural community looks like rather than a divided once. My desire is to get the community in Christ to see themselves as God sees them as neither male nor female, neither conservative nor charismatic, neither republican nor democrat, neither underdog nor all-star, neither minority nor majority, but as "all one in Christ Jesus."

Thank you all for your faithful and much needed support and prayers  as I go out to serve and be equipped to continue working in the Kingdom of God. I will do my best to put out posts to keep you all updated on my progress as an intern, and about what miracles God works through the daily lives of myself and those around me. 

Much Love & Cheeseballs,
Olivia Faith Sales

Olivia at LAX ready to board her plane to Heathrow Airport in England. 

Chase Sales Gets Calling

2016 Sales Family Prayer Card

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Click HERE for Reflection on 2015 Ministry Year.