As I have been sharing with you over the last few months you may have heard me mention dance. Dance has always been a passion of mine and while in college I greatly missed my time in the studio worshiping God through movement.
In the last year I have bounced around to several studios, taken several classes, but never discovered anything I wanted to connect with on a deeper level…until July.
Soulfully Driven Dance Company just turned 1 year old but they have been around as Soulfully Driven Dance Crew since 2005 “burning up” the Denver hip-hop scene. In February 2009 they were named “Colorado’s Best Hip-Hop Dance Crew” by Shane Sparks who is one of the leading hip-hop choreographers out there.
If they are known for hip-hop, why did I get involved?
In the last year I have started taking up hip-hop classes in addition to the Ballet that I have been doing for 13 years. From the first class, I fell in love with hip-hop and how much it challenged me. I got connected to Soulfully Driven through a local Rec Center and started taking classes in July.
Dancing with Soulfully Driven has made me fall in love with dance again, their classes have been a total gift from God. 
Now, my hip-hop is still rusty, but I am getting the hang of it! I may look like a fool at times during class, but in ballet I get all my confidence back. I have been asked by the ballet instructor to perform with the top ballet dancers in the company, and I am so excited. I am working hard to learn all the choreography which often makes me feel like a contestant on “So You Think You Can Dance.”
I have committed to dancing with the company through the end of the year so that I can perform with them this fall. I will definitely keep you updated on performances!
In close, what does this have to do with Poland? Lord willing, dance will be my ministry in Poland. I am hoping to use my skills in ballet to bring kids into the Club and off the streets and use that as a tool for healing and growth in their lives. I am learning a lot about the concept of “Dance Therapy” in the lives of at-risk kids and I am unbelievably excited to see what God does through this ministry opportunity!
At long last (haha!) my next newsletter is finished and ready for you to read!
You can find the newsletter hibernating here.
I appreciate all of your prayers as I continue to raise support!
PS: Don’t miss the new “Video” section just to the right of this post.
In two years working at the WorldVenture Home Office I have learned many things from the missionaries, but there is one thing that I have heard over and over again. “Raising support is the hardest part of being a missionary.” I am so grateful to have known that truth as I began the support raising journey than to stumble upon it myself.
Expecting challenges in support raising has definitely taken some of the edge off. Not to say that I am sitting around waiting for everything to go wrong. More so I am aware that this journey will not be easy and that I need to make a daily effort to TRUST that God will meet those challenges in ways I was not even expecting. Living in a way that expects God to do big things, what a thought.
These days I wrestle more with being in limbo. Everything I do seems to be in preparation for the move to Poland. I am on my way, but not quite close enough yet. Hm, that’s a lot like life in itself. It would be very easy for me to just sit down and wait for my time to depart, assume that there is nothing I can do right now since God has called me to Poland and I am not there. But God continues to tug on my heart and tell me to not let this time of waiting pass me by. Not only that I need to take advantage of the opportunities He puts before me NOW, but to seek out the lessons that He wants me to learn NOW.
“Raising support may be the hardest part of being a missionary, but the lessons learned cannot be replaced.” That is the other thing I have heard seasoned missionaries say over the last couple years. This all comes with the package and I frequently have to remind myself to live in the NOW and not completely look forward to what the future holds because I may miss some spectacular lesson or gift that God wants me to take part of.
I can almost see it
That dream I’m dreaming but
There’s a voice inside my head sayin,
You’ll never reach it,
Every step I’m taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking but I
Got to keep trying
Got to keep my head held high
Chorus
There’s always going to be another mountain
I’m always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I’m gonna to have to lose,
Ain’t about how fast I get there,
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb
The struggles I’m facing,
The chances I’m taking
Sometimes they knock me down but
No I’m not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I’m going to remember most yeah
Just got to keep going
And I,
I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on, cause
Chorus 2x
Keep on moving
Keep climbing
Keep the faith baby
It’s all about
It’s all about
The climb
Keep the faith
Keep your faith
“The Climb” by Miley Cyrus
I have been meaning to tell you a little more about the area I will be serving in, what better time than now! There is a ministry in Ruda Slaska, Poland (King’s Kids) that works with at-risk children and youth. A few years ago the missionaries were given a building by the local government to house their ministry. Like many neighborhoods in Ruda Slaska the “Club” is located in an area with violence caused by “bored” teens.
As a prime example, here is an e-mail from Greg Skrobarczyk (missionary) regarding an event that happened this weekend.
I just would like to share but about what happened yesterday in our club, and ask for you to PRAY for the guy who wanted to break in to our club and try to steal stuff. He is only 22 years old. I saw him yesterday standing with the police in handcuffs. It was dark and I barely could see him but I started to feel mercy and compassion for him. Please Pray for this guy, he is from the area where our King’s Kids club is located. The police caught him at the Catholic church near by. Nothing happened in our club because the alarm system went off but I pray that God will catch his heart.
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