WE MADE IT!!!

We mad it to PERU Tuesda morning at like 2:30. I had traveled 19 hours and went 24 hours without sleep (for the first time ever). We made it here safe and sound. Tomorrow is our last day of training, and then my team will go to Lima for a few days to do some extra training. I love this country. This is absolutely the most beautiful place I have ever been. Please continue to pray for us. We have 13 villages to visit within 9 weeks. Pray that God will have His will with transportation and pray for our safety and health (we are going through alot of alltitude changes). Time is just flying by, but I know how happy that makes all of you at home.

On My Way

I am at the airport in Birmingham, AL. right now. Next I will be in Dallas and I am meeting Hannah there. Security and check-in went really well. Although, we still have alot of security to go through once we get to Miami, so please pray that goes well. It is so hard to believe this day is finally here!

Meet the Team

I am working with the IMB this summer in South Peru and serving on the creative ministry team. We will be traveling to different villages doing evangelism through drama and music. There are 6 college students from the US on this team and here they are.

Ashley Whitaker

Ashley is from Texas and has felt God's calling to missions in Latin America, she went to Ecudor in 2008 and loved it.

Hayes Parnell

Hayes is from Birmingham, AL and a junior at the University of Mobile. He leads worship at a church in Mobile, AL and will have his 21st birthday while we are in Peru.

Jon Kieth

Jon has 3 passion in life, and they are God, sports, and people. This past year he attended college at Auburn University - Montgomery.

Hannah Dreyer

Hannah is 20 years old and from Texas and a woman that loves Jesus. We have been communicating ever since she came on board about a month ago, and I can not wait to meet her. Hannah has not ever been on a plane before and she is kind of nervous, so please pray some special prayers just for her.

Brandon Penton

Brandon is 23 yearsold and from Pearl River, Louisiana. He loves sports and music.

and then there is me.

Britney Shubert

I am 20 years old and just finished my second year of college at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, AL. I went to Honduras in 2005 and never thought I would ever go to another country. I love to travel and be outdoors.

As you all look at this, and now that you know our names, PLEASE pray us on a daily basis by name. If we have any specific prayer request once we get in Peru I will post them. God has truly blessed me with a great team. I don't see us having any conflict about anything.

6 MORE DAYS!!!!

It is getting closer by the minute. It's hard to believe that I am just a few days away from being in Peru for the summer! I cann't wait. Please continue to pray for the team. As we are getting closer to leaving and trying to get everything ready, it is so easy to loose our focus and forget what this summer is really about. We have alot to do right now and we will have more to do once we arrive in Peru. Please pray for some safety when it comes to traveling. (We are flying out on Memorial Day, and I have to got through 3 airports in the US before arriving in Peru.) Also pray that we will not get burned out the first few days we are there, and pray that we will make some a quiet/study time one of our top priorities.

If you would like to send any prayer requests, praise reports, or words of encouragement to the team this summer, you can email the to me.

bshubert2007@yahoo.com

10 MORE DAYS!!!

PLANE TICKET: $1086

FIELD COST: $1553

TRAVEL INSURANCE: $146.26

BEING A SUMMER MISSIONARY: PRICELESS

WELL, I have spent the past hour or so packing my back. Man, Can you believe it?! In less than 2 weeks I will be in Peru. FINALLY!!!!!

Tomorrow I am going to pick up a few last minute items. It is hard trying to put everything into one bag, but I know I can do it. I have even taken a few things out (and still need to make out some more) that I know I would not need. I have to get used to the whole no make-up and hair not being fixed thing. I have already gone 2 or 3 days without make-up and didn’t fix my hair today and that is going ok. I am learning if my hair is not fixed and I am not wearing make-up, then it’s not the end of the world. I think I am adapting to that better than I thought I would. It’s not that bad.

I am ready to go and have been ready to go for a while. The fact that I am going to get homesick hit me really hard last week, but now I know that I am going to be ok. I think homesickness will be something Satan will use and I pray that we be alert and know when Satan is attacking. I have met and talked to most of the team I am working with and God has really blessed me with some wonderful teammates. I pray their will be some peace in the team especially when it comes to decision making and working together. Although, I really do not see us having any conflict. I also prey that God will reveal to us any talent or ability that we have and are unaware of that He will use on the mission field and I pray for some creativity when it comes to the ministry He has called us to.

I love seeing how God has worked and is working just in the planning and preparing of this summer. I know giving up this summer, when I could be in the U.S. with all of my technology and friends, but to follow God and do something He has called me to do, is COMPLETELY worth it. I can not wait to experience God like never before and take my relationship with Him to a whole new level.

Support Missionaries?

I cam across this blog by John Piper, and I liked what it said.

Were you unable to send a Christmas present or care package to some missionaries you love this season? It’s okay. You can still bless a missionary this Christmas.

[Update: It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway—even though Christmas is past, these ideas can still encourage our friends overseas. Let's keep serving them all year long!]

Here are 13 post-office-free ideas to get you started, most of which you could do right now from your desk:

Pray specific Scripture for them and their ministry, and then email it to them.

Call or email their parents—Christmas might be just as lonely for the ones at home as the ones away.

Purchase phone minutes for an international calling card through an online service like OneSuite and email them the account number.

Donate frequent flier miles to them.

Purchase an iTunes gift card for them. Have it sent to you and email them the account number.

Commit to pray for them on a specific day of the week for a year.

Write a song or poem or story for them. Email them the text and a recording of you reading or singing it.

Get friends and family together to create a holiday video greeting for them using Google Video or YouTube. Include lots of people you know they miss.

Make a year-end gift through their missions board or agency.

Western Union—the fastest way to send money.

Call their local florist (not everyone is in the jungle these days) and have flowers delivered, or their local Pizza Hut and have pizza delivered—with corn and shrimp as toppings!

Donate to a charity that means a lot to them.

Make a monthly commitment to support them financially.

If you have your own ideas, respond to this post and let us know what they are. Maybe next year we can offer 50 suggestions, or 100.

(Remember to use discernment in written or video communication if your missionaries work in security-sensitive locations.)

And PLEASE hold me accoutable for supporting missionaries. I know how much it touches thier hearts.

PRAYER

IT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD!!


Like I mentioned in my last blog I am reading a book written for and by student missionaries. The first chapter of this book speaks of prayer. God doesn’t call everyone to a foreign field, but ANYONE AND EVERYONE CAN PRAY. God can and will use you to change the world. You can impact this world on your knees.

Missionaries are people who have said “yes” to God’s calling and obediently follow Him to difficult and sometimes dangerous places. God has really burdened me about praying for missionaries, especially this week. (Just 1 other way God has changed my life.) And please let me encourage you not just let your prayer be “god please be with the missionaries of this world” but pray for some specific things, like the following:

PRAY for missionaries to be to be humble and submissive in the Spirit of the Lord.

PRAY for missionaries to be consistent in spiritual disciplines, such as prayer and Bible Study. On the mission field it is so hard sometimes to make the time to sit down and have a personal Bible study.

PRAY for missionaries to live pure and holy lives in thought, action, and words.

PRAY for all of the missionaries who, for security reasons, can not tell anybody what country they are sharing the gospel with. Persecution is strong and not every country can shout the name of JESUS as freely as we can. They go through so much and know why, yet never give up. (it is some of these particular missionaries and situations who bring tears to my eyes.)

PRAY and thank Jesus for all of the missionaries who have said “yes” to God gave up everything and move their children to another country, just to share the Gospel of Christ Jesus. (Think about that for a few moments. That is a big thing! I can not find the words to say how much that means to me.)

PRAY for the people groups who have never known a missionary and pray that God will burden a missionary with that particular people group. (41% of this world is unreached and I pray this summer I get to see an unreached people group.)

PRAY for missionaries to be able to find all of the unreached people groups of this world. There are missionaries assigned just to specifically find the people groups that nobody knows exist. Most of these people groups (I know in South America) can not be reached by a vehicle; someone has to hike a trails and/or mountains for hours at a time so that they may hear the gospel.

As a missionary, we really and truly depend on God’s people to pray for us as we share some wonderful news with a lost and dying world. My absolute biggest fear concerning this trip is people not praying for me. We are so blessed to have a God who listens to our every word and we have a God we can go to anytime and anyplace. It is such a privilege for us to enter the throne room by praying for those specials servants of the Lord!

21 days to go !!!

And it can NEVER be here soon enough!!!

Well, here I am. I have my plane ticket is booked and have all I need. I am so ready to go. God is always preparing me and doing wonderful things and I know the best is yet to come. This summer I long to be somewhere my cell phone does not work, my computer and I pod will be at home, and no TV, and Jesus is the only thing I am holding on to.

Last week I had a summer missionary commissioning service and I received a book all about student missions. I think it so amazing to be able to read this book and say I know what they are talking about, the very same things have happened in my life. My favorite line, in the book so far, a student missionary in South Africa said, “You know when you are in the will of God, when a place on the map becomes a place in your heart.” That is exactly what Peru is to me, I have never been there, but I feel like I have.

I have been more emotional concerning this mission trip, than any other missions I have done, just thinking about the country and hearing stories of missionaries in other countries just brings tears to my eyes, but I will be ok. I have to do a little bit of debriefing now. I am learning I don’t need to hold anything in concerning this trip. I need to talk about it if I have to and cry if I feel like crying.

I have said before, when being called and stepping onto the mission field it literally changes the way you see everything. I can never, ever get over how blessed I really am. I feel guilty for taking a shower using hot water. It breaks my heart to see and know there are some missionaries and people in this world who don’t have hot water. I feel like I should not be drinking bottled water, when really there is nothing wrong with tap water. Some people in this world do not even have access to running water, and even then sometimes that water one can not drink. I CAN NOT STAND hearing people complain. If we are in pain we go to doctor and get medicine, and who knows we may not go to work for a day or so. We need to thank God we have quick access to a doctor and the finances to be able to see a doctor. If we were in another country we probably wouldn’t have that and 9 times out of 10 if the doctor would be there the medicine would not. And work to us is just a dreaded ole’ chore, but to another country it is a blessing and only way to live. I just want to be content with what I have. If you have Jesus and only Jesus, you will have all you can ever need and want.

Deleitate asimismo en Jehova, Y el te concedera las peticiones de tu corazon. – Salmos 37:4

OH I AM SO READY TO GO!!!

MAY 25 CAN NEVER BE HERE SOON ENOUGH!!


Well, I have got my plane ticket booked. I thougth that would be really stressful, but it really wasn't near as stressful as I thought. I have just about everything I need for my trip. And to say the least GOD IS BEYOND AMAZING!!!

It is so hard waiting right now. When you absolutely know God has called you somewhere. I believe is where you're heart is 100%. And this week I have had to stop and ask God several times to reveal my purpose to me while I am here. My life right now is not easy, with finals, school, and then getting ready to go to Peru. When you are called to something and your heart is in another place, you just get careless. I just want to be where my heart is. I am so ready to go to Peru that it is unreal. I long for the day that I will be somewhere my phone does not work, there is no t.v., and my computer and ipod will be at home.

Please continue to pray for me. Pray for school, but pray also that I will not forget my purpose here in the US. Pray for safety and also pray for the other 100 students who have committed to missions in Peru for the summer of 2009.

"BE the church!"

Again, it is amazing to see how God has been preparing me for the past year, even when I didn't see or know it. I was blessed with the privilage to be a youth director of a small church for seven months and this is something I got to share with the church a year ago.

Not long ago, I came across this quote "Don't go to church, BE the church." I think we have gotten so caught up in our ways, that we do not even realize what and who the church is supposed to be. The church is not just a building with stained glass windows. I got curious and looked the word church in Webster's Dictionary and one of its definitions is "a body of believers." I like that,another way I like to refer to the church is God's greenhouse. It nourishes us and helps prepare us for who we need to be. Rirst things first, Jesus didn't die for a building Jesus died for me and you. But after I read this quote, I could not help but think "How am I supposed to be the church?"

First, it has to start with prayer. Praying for fire. The fire that John Wesley talks about people coming for miles to watch burn. And praying for passion. Passion to see my colleges classmates turn to God, and passion to see my church thrive for you.

Second, being the church starts with me being a missionary to the mission field. And that mission field starts at my school and continues with the homeless people I see on the street. And I pray that I can really be a missionary to the mission field by loving the unlovable. This world will know we are Christians by our love.

Third is realizing I have a ministry. My ministry is not just at church, but at my school. Where I don't want to be another face in the sea of faces. I want to be somebody, somebody for God. I really believe He has put me there for a reason, and I want to make sure I follow His command. I want people to be able to look at me and say "Hey I want what she has." And I realize if they don't then I'm in trouble because I am lacking something. God has been SO great to me. He has set my feet to dancing; he has set my heart on fire. He has given me a wonderful church family that I adore. And I wanted a job as a part-time youth director and he has given me that job. And I want all of the people in my mission field to know that God can do the same thing for them. He is so much bigger than any pain or addiction they will ever have. He is so much bigger than their parents' marriage or anything another guy or girl could ever offer.

One another thing I pray for is that I will live my faith unashamed. That I will speak and stand up when I need to. And I pray that when God puts divine appointments in my way, I will see them and not pass them by. Our greatest purpose in this world is to know God and make God known. The least I could ever do is say "Hey, do you know of a man named Jesus? Let me tell you what he has done for me. Better yet, Let me tell you what he did for you?" and being the church while we're in the world.

MY Calcutta

Here is a blog I wrote last July. It is so amazing to see where God is calling me now, but this still applies to me here in the US, and the mission field. I love to read this today, it constantly reminds me who I supposed to be and why I am here. I God speaks to you through this.

Mother Theresa urged her fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to find their own Calcutta. And recently God has telling me to do the same thing. And I have realized God has blessed me with a place to claim as my own Calcutta, Wallace State Community College. God has placed me at a school full of non-Christians for a reason and a place of service. Everyday I see many people who have not accepted Christ, and they don’t even have a relationship with him. I want to make a difference, and be who God has called me to be. I want to let people know about Christ by me being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. I want them to see Jesus in me. I want them to have a relationship with mine and their Heavenly Father. I want to be continuously growing in Jesus Christ; because I want to see the people around me grow. Grow in their faith and children of God. I want to be a light in a dark world. I want to speak to the people that nobody ever talks to. And live each day like it was my last. I know it will not be easy, but Jesus is always by my side. I thank God for an opportunity to serve, love, and make a difference. I am ready to go any distance I have to go, and do anything I have to do. And I pray I will not forget my purpose and calling.

“God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

~Where is YOUR Calcutta?

Where is your place of service?

Are you willing to serve regardless of what others will say?

Are you willing to serve regardless of inconvenience to you?

UPDATE!

Well, this week has been crazy, but amazing.

I have started communicating with the missionaries I will be working with this summer. And it has been hard. The only way we really have to communicate is through e-mail and they have been so considerate and so nice. They have answered every question and made me and my fellow missionaries know they are praying for us daily. And that is a major blessing, they even asked if there was anything they could specifically pray for.

And then there is the travel arrangements. I have talked to the travel agent as well. This has been so stressful. I was worried about my plane ticket getting booked but I felt better after talking with some of my teammates about this. My plane ticket will be booked this upcoming week, hopefully. I have been worried about flying into and out of the country by myself but I guess if that is the only worry I will ever have concerning this trip, then I would forget about Jesus. Unfortunately, I will have other worries I feel, but Jesus holds my world in His hands. I will be OK.

I ask that you please continue to pray for me. Pray for the wonderful missionaries, who give up their entire life and go somewhere completely out of their comfort zone, but pray that God will help and lead them as they lead us college students this summer. Pray for the travel arrangements, that God will have His complete will when it comes to which flight to take and when to arrive and return.

My Testimony.

I just realized I have not put my testimony on here and I am sure most people just know of me and don't really know me. So, here it goes...

I come from a single parent home. My mom pretty much raised me all by herself and never gave up. I never went to really went to church consistently nor did my parents ever care if I went to church. When I was twelve years old my grandmother started going to church and shortly after I started going to church with her. One day during Sunday School, my teacher asked if I was a Christian. I said no and he asked if I wanted to be a christian and I said yes. Later on after the a.m. service I talked to my youth pastor, at the time, and he sat down and lead me to Christ and through the sinners prayer. Before that I saw no purpose for living and was living how ever I wanted to. I decided to get serious with God and lay myself aside.

Little did I know that day would be the beginning of a wonderful, blessed, and life with Jesus Christ.

Me & my earthly dad talked 15 minutes within 5 years and, today we do not have the best relationship. Oh, but I have an amazing Heavenly Father who has never left or forsaken me. What more could I want?

My parents divorced when I was about 4 years old, but I have seen and know God used it for His glory.

Never have I had a boyfriend, kissed a boy, or held a boys hand, and I don't say that to be a goody two shoes. I want young girls to know, the only man that can give genuine and consistent fulfillment is Jesus Christ.

I have got to be a part time youth director for 7 months and a camp counselor for 2 summers, and I think God I got to do something I have always wanted to do.

I go to school at Wallace State and majoring in Elementary Education. Many people complain about it, but I know it's what God wants me to do.

I went to Honduras when I was 16, and never really thought I would ever be going to another country. This summer I am going to Peru for 10 weeks and can absolutely not wait. I know God is going to do some amazing things.

Today, my mom faithfully goes to church and my dad does not, nor does anyone else in my family, really. God has given me hope that one day they will. They don't quite understand why I would go to Peru, especially for 10 weeks. I remember the joy I had that one day 8 years ago, and I thank God I do , because that is the same joy that I long for this very day. I have to stop and realize just how am I living around my unsaved family and my unsaved classmates? I hope in a way that would represent Jesus and make them want to be saved and know Jesus. God has done some amazing things in my life and I know only he could do it. I thank God for the people who cared enough about me to make sure I know Jesus, because without them I have no idea where I would be.

OH, SO BLESSED AM I!

I have truly been blessed my entire life and it has been here recently that I have realized just how blessed I really am.

I have wanted to go to Peru for 5 years; God blessed me with the opportunity.

I have the opportunity to go to Peru, God opening the door to go to Peru was a real blessing.

God opened the door to Peru and I was blessed with a loving and so very supportive church family and never-ending support.

My church and family supported me having a yard sale to raise money, and what do you know, I was blessed with all the funding I have needed so far.

I know when we often think of blessings we think financially, but stop and think. The absolute GREATEST blessings of all are those that are not so money like. I mean we all are so very blessed to have the gift of life and not a one of us deserve it. And the love of God, our parents, or a spouse is a gift from God. It is a blessing to live in such a country to where we can carry a Bible and even own a Bible. I mean we can go to a local bookstore and buy a Bible and we have the availability to many resources. We can worship Jesus freely and in some countries it is illegal to use any Christian terminology.

I have also been so blessed recently by God providing the funding for this trip to Peru. Several people have given me some money, and I know they do not want any glory for it. With the economy like it is today, and people to just help me like they have, that goes to prove that this economy is so unstable but my God is always so stable. I have never really had to worry about how I was going to pay for this trip, because my God provided and that was a blessing to see God provide like He has. When you take a leap of faith onto the mission field, it literally changes your whole life. You see things with a new set of eyes. I wish you could see some things the way that I have.

I have been blessed way beyond measure and I am sure in more ways than I even begin to realize but God is not finished with me, yet.

He Called Me.

For a while now, I have felt God calling me into missions, with the opportunities through NAMB and IMB, I decide to go with that calling. Since day 1 I have said two things, (1) I thought I would be in a place I never thought I would be and (2) and if my parents would go for it, I would be going international. I had the opportunity to talk with several former summer missionaries and while talking to one of them I told her several times “if my parents would go for it I would be going international.” And she told me if God is calling me to do something I needed to it. Right then I felt God calling like never before. That night I prayed and woke up the next day and felt God calling even more. The first thing I done was called my mom and talked to her, and she was at peace and ok with me going on international missions for the summer. That day I received confirmation from God like I never had before.

Ever since I have felt God calling me into international missions, Peru is the only country God placed on my heart. And I found out March 10, 2009 that I am going to Peru. I leave May 25 and will be returning August 2. I am so excited. I have already seen God do some amazing things but the best is yet to come. I feel like I am going to learn to trust God in a new way this summer, but that’s ok. I am ready for it.