Okay, for all of you people who occasionally read this blog (all two of you), I was on compassion international's website and saw this.
Wisdom Mawuko Akrom is a 9 year old boy living in Ghana who has been waiting a long time to get a sponsor. I must tell you that we have seen first-hand what a difference Compassion makes in the life of a child--physically, emotionally, and most importantly spiritually.
It is just $32 a month and you can completely change his life. If you are interested, you can click here. If this doesn't work, you can go to Compassion International and search for him. If you have any questions and would love to talk more about Compassion, please email me at annapolsgrove@gmail.com
Let me know if you sponsor him so I can let everyone know that he is taken care of!!!
Anna
Monday, September 8, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
consume me from the inside out
A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out
We sang these words at church Sunday night. God began to reveal to me that spiritual growth is not necessarily measured by what I do. It is more about giving God access to all of my heart. This has been my prayer:
In my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control.
Consume me from the inside out.
Anna
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out
We sang these words at church Sunday night. God began to reveal to me that spiritual growth is not necessarily measured by what I do. It is more about giving God access to all of my heart. This has been my prayer:
In my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control.
Consume me from the inside out.
Anna
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Russ Turns 30 - Day 5 (evening)
To end the week of fun, I had Russ a "kid-style" birthday party. Emily, the writer, wrote me a cute phrase.
Russ is turning 30 and this day is his
So come celebrate with pizza, people, and this big kid.
There'll be Dr. Pepper, Dave Matthews, Darth Vader
Good food, his wife, and even lightsabers.
So that gives you an idea of what the party was like. We even included LOST and the Tennessee Vols. I am married to such a big kid. I have never seen so many toys given to someone when they turned 30! But, that is what I adore about my husband.
He had a great time seeing people and reconnecting with some he hasn't seen in years. Special thanks to the Berry's for hosting the party in their backyard!
How weird is that..I am married to a 30-year old?!!!!!
anna
Russ is turning 30 and this day is his
So come celebrate with pizza, people, and this big kid.
There'll be Dr. Pepper, Dave Matthews, Darth Vader
Good food, his wife, and even lightsabers.
So that gives you an idea of what the party was like. We even included LOST and the Tennessee Vols. I am married to such a big kid. I have never seen so many toys given to someone when they turned 30! But, that is what I adore about my husband.
He had a great time seeing people and reconnecting with some he hasn't seen in years. Special thanks to the Berry's for hosting the party in their backyard!
How weird is that..I am married to a 30-year old?!!!!!
anna
Russ Turns 30 - Day 5 (morning)
On Russ' actual birthday his dad came driving up in a loaded down 1970's pick-up truck. He decided to surprise Russ and build him something for his big day. So, Russ and his dad (well, mostly his dad) built a large wooden shed in our backyard. This is so great because we needed one but didn't want to pay mucho dinero for a nice one. Plus, it was really sweet to see them outside working together. Thanks Mr. Terry!
Anna
Anna
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Headed to China
I have always loved to travel but had never gotten a chance to travel internationally until April. It was during that trip that I got to go to Africa and Europe. Now I get the chance to go to Asia during October. I have never really been interested in going to China but about 2 months ago I began to feel a tugging on my heart. I can't really explain it but I began to read about China and how Christianity is on the rise. And then the opportunity presented itself. So I knew God wanted me to go.
I will be traveling with 7 other women to China October 25- November 3rd. We will be going through an organization called Follow One.
Follow One sees ministry in China strategic for these reasons.
* Most experts fully expect China to lead the world in economic, military and political power in the 21st century.
* This is a kairos moment in history. God has sovereignly decided to pour out His Spirit on China.
* China is uniquely positioned to influence North Korea, one of the darkest places on the planet.
* The Chinese Church sees itself as called and positioned to take the Gospel through the Muslim and Hindu world.
* Making an investment in the Church in China is an investment in the evangelization of the world.
I am so excited about this opportunity. I will update you closer to time about specifics on the trip. Please pray for the relationships that will be formed and the people that we will meet. Pray for the people that risk their lives daily to share Jesus. Also, pray for Russ and I since this will be the longest we have been away from each other since we've been married. The last one seems petty compared to the first two but I want to pray about everything that could keep me from focusing on sharing and learning.
Anna P.
I will be traveling with 7 other women to China October 25- November 3rd. We will be going through an organization called Follow One.
Follow One sees ministry in China strategic for these reasons.
* Most experts fully expect China to lead the world in economic, military and political power in the 21st century.
* This is a kairos moment in history. God has sovereignly decided to pour out His Spirit on China.
* China is uniquely positioned to influence North Korea, one of the darkest places on the planet.
* The Chinese Church sees itself as called and positioned to take the Gospel through the Muslim and Hindu world.
* Making an investment in the Church in China is an investment in the evangelization of the world.
I am so excited about this opportunity. I will update you closer to time about specifics on the trip. Please pray for the relationships that will be formed and the people that we will meet. Pray for the people that risk their lives daily to share Jesus. Also, pray for Russ and I since this will be the longest we have been away from each other since we've been married. The last one seems petty compared to the first two but I want to pray about everything that could keep me from focusing on sharing and learning.
Anna P.
Russ Turns 30 - Day 4
Russ has a special friend who lives in Nashville. They love to get together and talk about deep issues such as sports, music, and famous people. They have a deep love for each other but rarely get to see each other. So, I planned a meeting.
He was to arrive in Memphis around 9 pm. We took a few friends with us--letting it be their idea as to why we were going to Memphis so late. We got to The Rendezvous around 8:30. Perfect. He was just going to walk into the restaurant while we were eating. Not perfect. They were running late. Let's just say the night ended with our friends challenging me to eat my entire meal and me singing and dancing to Shakira. Wasting time is not a talent of mine. Neither is staying cool during awkward situations. So I danced and ate. A lot.
Needless to say, we finally met him at The Peabody and Russ was completely surprised. It was this night that he finally said "Turning 30 isn't so bad." Mission accomplished.
He was to arrive in Memphis around 9 pm. We took a few friends with us--letting it be their idea as to why we were going to Memphis so late. We got to The Rendezvous around 8:30. Perfect. He was just going to walk into the restaurant while we were eating. Not perfect. They were running late. Let's just say the night ended with our friends challenging me to eat my entire meal and me singing and dancing to Shakira. Wasting time is not a talent of mine. Neither is staying cool during awkward situations. So I danced and ate. A lot.
Needless to say, we finally met him at The Peabody and Russ was completely surprised. It was this night that he finally said "Turning 30 isn't so bad." Mission accomplished.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Jesus in Beijing
In light of the Olympics and my upcoming trip to China, I am reading Jesus in Beijing. The product description of the book describes it as "the great unreported story of the Chinese giant and its enormously rapid conversion to Christianity and what this change means to the global balance of power." The author David Aikman is a former Time magazine Beijing bureau chief. So we shall see.
Have any of you ever read this book??
Anna
Have any of you ever read this book??
Anna
Russ Turns 30 - Day 3
Part of Russ' birthday included this 6'3" cut-out. Yes, I paid good money for him. I should get wife of the year for ordering this!!
I ordered it in plenty of time for it to get here by his birthday. But, in my life nothing ever works out like it is supposed to. It was to be delivered to our friends house. I called daily to check on the status of "the vader" only to be let down each day.
Two days before his birthday it had not arrived. According to UPS, it had been delivered 3 days earlier. So, I went on a search around Tupelo to find him. I searched in garages all around the neighborhood. Finally, 5 hours later, he was found.
Anna
I ordered it in plenty of time for it to get here by his birthday. But, in my life nothing ever works out like it is supposed to. It was to be delivered to our friends house. I called daily to check on the status of "the vader" only to be let down each day.
Two days before his birthday it had not arrived. According to UPS, it had been delivered 3 days earlier. So, I went on a search around Tupelo to find him. I searched in garages all around the neighborhood. Finally, 5 hours later, he was found.
Anna
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Another Town
***From journal while in Ghana
The last day of visiting towns is pretty nice. We see the school in Bale is well established. We hope to help build a place where the teachers can come and stay. This way it helps them recruit quality teachers who can live in the same town as the school.
The dancing is great. The crowd falls in on us, and then they bring out the instrument.
They have a wooden xylophone. Handmade. I get all excited about the way the thing looks and the way the thing sounds. I play at it for about 20 minutes. The longer I play, the more the crowd starts to pinch in on me. They are confused by my playing, which sounds odd to them. Rhythm and melodies and sounds are totally different in African culture. There seems to be less fluidity, more repetition, but the energy and spirit are all unique.
I read an article years ago about the evolution of Hip Hop. The article traced the roots from modern day back to Blues, back to Southern Spirituals, all the way to African drumbeats. As I stand in a circle with other people around singing and dancing, there is a spontaneity to it all. In a place with no running water and no television, I am aware of how much american music has been influenced by these people on the other side of the world.
In fact, I begin to become aware of how much I have been influenced in a span of 12 days. In reality, it has taken me four months to begin to wrap my mind around the things that God has taught me.
No matter where you are, there is a need that people have to hear the gospel. The news that God wants to be in relationship with people despite our flaws is amazing. The realization that he sent Jesus to come and pay a price we never could is humbling. The idea that everyone can have access, no matter where you are or what you come from, is what I'll remember most about this place.
Russ
The last day of visiting towns is pretty nice. We see the school in Bale is well established. We hope to help build a place where the teachers can come and stay. This way it helps them recruit quality teachers who can live in the same town as the school.
The dancing is great. The crowd falls in on us, and then they bring out the instrument.
They have a wooden xylophone. Handmade. I get all excited about the way the thing looks and the way the thing sounds. I play at it for about 20 minutes. The longer I play, the more the crowd starts to pinch in on me. They are confused by my playing, which sounds odd to them. Rhythm and melodies and sounds are totally different in African culture. There seems to be less fluidity, more repetition, but the energy and spirit are all unique.
I read an article years ago about the evolution of Hip Hop. The article traced the roots from modern day back to Blues, back to Southern Spirituals, all the way to African drumbeats. As I stand in a circle with other people around singing and dancing, there is a spontaneity to it all. In a place with no running water and no television, I am aware of how much american music has been influenced by these people on the other side of the world.
In fact, I begin to become aware of how much I have been influenced in a span of 12 days. In reality, it has taken me four months to begin to wrap my mind around the things that God has taught me.
No matter where you are, there is a need that people have to hear the gospel. The news that God wants to be in relationship with people despite our flaws is amazing. The realization that he sent Jesus to come and pay a price we never could is humbling. The idea that everyone can have access, no matter where you are or what you come from, is what I'll remember most about this place.
Russ
Friday, August 15, 2008
Happy Birthday Frank!
In the midst of Russ' 30th birthday we forgot to write a post about Frank. Frank (our child through Compassion International)turned 7 on August 11th. We love him so much and hope that he had a great birthday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
