Salvation is the Mission

          "For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”" -Acts 13:47

          When I was looking at mission trips, I hadn't ever thought that God would have me travel almost half way around the world to serve him. I thought maybe some place closer, that didn't involve flying over an ocean. Yet here I am, writing this letter to tell you about the amazing opportunity I have to serve the Lord in Romania this summer.

          I'm going to be serving with the Global Encounters 2015 Romania team, the trip will be a duration of three weeks, June 19^th – July 11^th. I am looking forward to getting to share about God's love and grace to the Romanians, as well as the spiritual growth that God will be doing in me.

          Here's a glimpse of what I will be doing the three weeks in Romania:

Week One: church-based VBS in the mornings and schools in the afternoons.
Week Two: outdoor VBS in a Gypsy village. Lots of unsaved kids attend!
Week three: working as activities directors for a camp for poor kids. So much time for relationship-building with kids who need love!

          By now you're probably thinking, “Wow. That sound awesome!” You too can help share a part in this amazing opportunity! I need prayer and financial support. In order for me to get there and back in one piece I need about $3,500 (by May 1^st) and lots of prayer! 

          If God is leading you to help financially, Go to this page, fill out the form and select that you would like to assist “Barclay, Deanna”.

          I'm so excited for this journey that God is leading me on. 

          God bless you all!

~Deanna

Votes for $300 Scholarship

I'm a finalist in Global Encounters t-shirt design contest. Here is my design;

I need your votes to get me a $300 scholarship for a mission trip with Global Encounters , I'm planning on going on their Romania trip this June. Please go to the links below and vote for me! Once for each link. And may God have the glory!
http://bit.ly/1zVzxUn - Website
http://bit.ly/1sySiwo - FB
http://bit.ly/1vQA0qs - Twitter

Thanks immensely!


Update: Voting has been extended to Tuesday December 9th at Midnight EST

Lessons Through Trails and Pain

For almost two years now I've been in and out of doctors trying to have my fractured metatarsal finish healing. All the doctors can't fathom why a strong health young person as myself isn't healing. The Doctors have issued all sorts of things casts, vitamins, crutches and even a bone stimulator. Still I don't show any improvement, "It should have healed." they say when they see the x-rays. My doctor has extended my time on crutches, but sounds doubtful that my bone will show improvement, and says the next step would be surgery.
For so long I've been mainly trusting that the doctor's advise would heal my foot. Sure I've asked God to heal me occasionally, but I when my foot had shown improvement (about a year ago) I just assumed it was what the doctors and I were doing. I didn't give God really any of the credit, and I'm ashamed to that I didn't. Now that it's not improving at all, I realize it's never the doctors that heal it's God. They can help the healing process, but ultimately it's God.
I'm not blaming him that I'm not healing, I'm actually grateful I haven't because I wouldn't be learning the things God is wanting to teach me, such as acceptance, patience, trust and praise.
Accepting that I'm where God has planned me to be even though I may not be what I'd planned.
Patience as I wait for healing, whether it's through rest, surgery, or God's miraculous healing.
Trusting in God that he has a plan and that he will heal me.
And finally Praising God in my trails and pain.

~Deanna, just a girl learning lessons through pain.

How I'm a Selfish Coward

How can I be so selfish by being scared of what people will think of me, when I'd be sharing something so great? I have never shared the gospel to anyone. How can I be so very selfish? I'll tell you the truth I'm a selfish coward, and that truth scares me so bad.

"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” ~Revelation 21:8

Reread that again and pay special attention to the beginning and end of the verse. Done? Did you notice that the cowardly are included with the faithless, the detestable, murderers, idolaters and ect... That's why I'm scared, my cowardice could get me to hell. I've heard that selflessness can lead to the bravest acts, such as taking a bullet from someone else. That's what I want to do. No, I'm not saying I want to die so someone else could live, although I would like to think I could do that. What I'm meaning is I want to be selfless - of course I could never fully be selfless, I think we know there's only one who is truly selfless. But I want to try to be selfless, and with that I'd get bravery to speak the truth about God. I love God and I want him to shine through me.

Lord, Please show me where to go, tell me the words to speak, and give me the love to share. Help me to be selfless God. ~Deanna

Designed To Love

I've always wanted to go on a mission trip, I can remember when I was about 8 years old my dad, two sisters and oldest brother went to the Dominican Republic. Since then I wanted to leave the states and travel to different countries, but that was mainly why I wanted to go. Yes, I loved Jesus, but not enough to try to tell someone about him with a translator.
That was me until about a year ago in May. That's when the reality of death and the need for Christ became real. I had wanted to love Jesus just enough to get a pass into Heaven, but not more. On May 5th 2012 God became real to me, my best friend's brother Joshua Eddy had died. I prayed the whole next day for my best friend and her family. I cry so many tears. Josh had a strong love for the Lord. He wanted to share God's love with others, and he's passion changed my life and many others. So this year I went to Gleanings for the Hungry to help bring others to Christ, but I wasn't actually face to face showing God's love to unsaved.
God has place a need in my heart to love the unloved. The past week I've been praying about a country that as gripped my heart. A country with people who need love. When I went to church this last Sunday, I cried during worship. Almost every song was about God's love. I cried for the children who didn't know that love, but what made me cry more was that I had been keeping that love for myself. Like the servant who hid his talent, instead of inventing in it.
"...from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away." -Mathew 25:29
I don't want to do nothing anymore. I want to love. I really like the song "Made to Love" by Toby Mac, we were all designed to love, and be loved.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." -John 15:12

He Gave His Life

Jesus gave his life for you. He didn't have to, and he could have changed his mind and saved himself instead. But he loved you so much that he laid down his life, so you can live!
A while back I was talking with my friend about how we feel like we're just wasting our lives doing things that will account to nothing. My friend said something that made me think of something, she said; "I feel like I'm living on borrowed time, and I need to do whatever it takes to make it mean something." In a way we are on borrowed time, because we sinners should have died instead of Jesus who is prefect.
That made me think of a passage in Matthew 6; “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Matthew 6 19-21

We need to use our time investing in heavenly things, basically God and his people. Because I'm pretty sure when we go to heaven there won't be any cars, computers, or phones. 

~Deanna, just a girl running on borrowed time.