Crazy Newfoundland Moments

   Hey everyone! Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted, but things have been a little crazy here. Over the past week, we've had two different mission teams come to St. John's to work with New Life and it's been a blast so far! Please keep these two teams (from Texas and Florida) in your prayers as they serve the Lord along side us for the next week. :) It's really hard looking at how fast the time has gone by here, especially since I only have 2 1/2 weeks left until I go back home, but God is really showing me how the work we are doing here in Newfoundland could be done at home as well if I would only be bold and have faith in Him to love on non-believers in Texas. 
   It's been a really interesting and challenging journey so far, especially with this trip being the furthest and longest I've ever been away from home, but God has really blessed me with a love for my team and the people of Newfoundland, so I've been able to focus more on my time here than being homesick, which is honestly how I thought this trip was going to go. God has really taught me and stretched me about the "little" sins in my life that I overlook everyday and that God hates seeing. Please continue to pray for me, and that I will be convicted of the sin in my life, repent, and grow closer to Him. 
   So, some of you are aware of this, but I've been sick for the past 4 days and Monday night I went to the ER to check on my stomach problems. The doctor found an infection and I'm on antibiotics, but my stomach is still not settling, so please pray for me, and for my team who have all been so supportive and helpful during all of this stress that has been messing up our schedules and giving them much less sleep than they need. 
   As always, please keep Michael, Chelsea, Jourdan, Brad, and Charlie (the summer missionaries) as well as the pastors, Adam & Steve, in your prayers. 


God Bless!


Cassie 

New Creation

   So, it feels like it has been awhile since I have posted, and I would love to update everyone on the work God is doing in not just my life, but those around me. One thing God has been teaching me lately is that I am in a state of ongoing change, which was very hard for my little heart to take because I am someone who despises change. However, I was reminded by God tonight of 2nd Corinthians 5:17 which says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come!" This verse, by definition is describing the biggest change a life can go through, and that is coming out of the death that is sin, into the light of Christ- by becoming a new creation. This goes along with the fact that I am constantly changing. God does a new work in me every single day, whether I want to or not, and sometimes in my most rebellious moments, God's glory is shown all the much more. Just because I am a new creation does not mean I am perfect, or finished, therefore God is always molding me and changing me into something new everyday. 
   Tonight was amazing, because we had a bible study and two people we had met in the dorms came with us. I'm a little ashamed to say I had not actually shared the gospel with anyone at this point on the trip, so I was getting very discouraged with myself, thinking it had to be me that was the problem, because God had brought me here because He wanted me here, so I had to be doing something wrong for me not to have witnessed to anyone literally yet. However, one of the guys that came tonight was a 16 year old boy we had met in passing since our first week of arriving in Newfoundland, and while Chelsea (who is an incredible blessing to me this summer) was sharing the gospel with him, I was able to jump in too and share Christ's love with this young man. I feel so incredibly alive right now, because this is the first time I have ever shared the gospel with someone I barely knew, and the Holy Spirit just guided Chelsea and me every step of the way. If you're reading this now, please be in prayer for this young man's salvation and open heart to the Lord. 
   I have had such an amazing time on this mission trip so far, and it's nearly half way over which makes me ache, but I know God has plans for different seasons and times in our lives, and this is a wonderful (albeit short :P) time in my life. Praise God for my new life in Christ! 

Life in Newfoundland

   My first week here in St. John's seemed to crawl by, which I didn't mind because I was adjusting to the team here and the temperature! lol But, now that my second week is nearly finished I'm starting to wish the time would slow down a bit. Sometimes I don't even want to stop long enough to blog about this amazing experience, but I want everyone to know what is going on this beautiful place! 
   First off, the church I am working with up here, New Life Fellowship, hosted a World Cup party in downtown St. John's the other day as a way of meeting some local people and really sharing Christ's love through a shared love of international sporting events lol This was definitely a first for me, considering my soccer "expertise" begins and ends with watching Bend it Like Beckham. But, oh my goodness- the people I was able to meet and talk with were amazing! I'm usually surrounded by Texans who have lived in Texas their whole lives, or a nearby state, but you come up to Canada, especially St. John's, and people are from all around! I met a man who had lived in so many different places I can only dream about, and all the time that I'm marveling at how culturally aware he is, in the back of my mind, or rather my heart, I felt God really just stressing that throughout all the culture that man had experienced in his lifetime (he was an older gentleman) that he had yet to experience a personal relationship with his Savior. I would like to tell you that I immediately found the courage to speak lovingly and intelligently about who Christ is and why this man should know Him, but I paused. I paused just long enough to doubt myself and my ability to be a witness to this man, and the pastor I am working with stepped in. What I realized afterwards is I was putting all of the burden of witnessing to this man on myself, I was not stepping aside and letting go of my pride long enough to let the Holy Spirit use me and teach me. God is teaching me more everyday than I ever expected. I assumed going on this mission trip that I would be able to teach others, that God would use me to teach the lost, but what I did not fully consider was the lessons God would be teaching me. 
   I have met so many wonderful, friendly lost people that it breaks my heart. Please pray for me to let the Holy Spirit move in my life so I can share in the experience of teaching these people about our Savior. 

Urgency

   Hey everyone! (Texans and others lol) I'm not sure how much of the blog you have read so far, but in summary, Newfoundland is an amazing place. The land is beautiful, and you can see God's creative passion in every part of this city. Unfortunately, the people here are very, very lost. Our group is living on a dorm floor of a local university and we have met so many wonderful and friendly people who do not know that they are walking around dead. For lack of a more serious and better term, we are surrounded by spiritual "zombies", people who believe themselves to be alive in that they are moving and talking, but have no hope in a future because Christ is not alive in them. After listening to some of my new friends from Newfoundland (who are not saved) talk about their lives and their lifestyles, it makes me wonder why I didn't have a better sense of urgency when I had opportunities to witness to the people God placed in my life. I walked around so consumed by whether or not I was growing in my faith and staying focused on my walk with my Savior that I was blinded to the ones who don't even have the chance to grow because they don't have the cure to their disease of sin. 
   Please walk around today with a sense of urgency in Christ's Great Commission... talk to the person standing beside you line at Wendy's. Ask them how they are doing...and really listen. Show them Christ. 




Cassie 

I'm here!

   So, for those of you following my Cassie in Canada facebook group or this blog, you might have been wondering if I'm safe and sound in Newfoundland or not. Well, I am! I arrived late Friday night, met the other two summer missionaries serving with the Texas team (Charlie, Chelsea, Jourdan and me) who are from North Carolina, so we have some other students thrown into the mix this summer besides the Texans. :) The six of us have bonded so quickly and we already have met so many people! We are staying in a dorm room on campus which is rented out during the summer, like a hostel. So, you can imagine the opportunities we have had in meeting people from around Canada and other parts of the world! 
   Right now, we are really spending time getting to know people in St. John's, Newfoundland and working with whatever our supervising pastors, Steve or Adam, tells us to do! We were able to spend time in church Sunday morning in Ferryland where a couple has started a church out of their home and have committed to providing a Christian church where there are few or none. Please be in prayer for this family as they continue to open their hearts and homes to the people of Ferryland. Also, on Sunday night, we had the St. John's New Life Fellowship service which was just as great because we were able to meet a few students who were regular attenders from China! This was the first time I've been able to meet international students which was just an amazing experience!! 
   Anyway, it is very late here right now, so I'm going to cut this blog a little shorter than I'd hoped. I promise to keep you updated on God's amazing journey He is taking us on in Newfoundland. Please be in prayer for our group and those around us, especially the summer missionaries serving with me- Chelsea, Charlie, Jourdan, Mike and Brad. 


God Bless!
Cassie

view of St. John's from Signal Hill

Chelsea, Mike & Charlie speaking with a man from St. John's

view from Signal Hill 

8 days

   So, I only have 8 days left until I leave for Canada, and I'm incredibly nervous but this morning I had an awesome surprise. One of my best friends sent me a message and reminded me of God's perfect plan and how He knew exactly what He was doing. 


   So, while I'm getting stressed, excited and anxious, this friend reminded me that God never gives us more than we can handle. I love how God places people in our lives for just the right time, and I am so incredibly blessed to have people in my life who are praying for me and reminding me of my life's purpose- to glorify God in all that I do.

This Summer

Hey everyone! 

   This blog will serve as my missions blog for most of this summer! I'll make sure to post updates and pictures as often as I can so I can keep you up-to-date on everything that God is doing in the lives of His people while I'm serving in Newfoundland. 

   So, right now I am just praying and waiting for my journey to begin! I'll be leaving in about two weeks with a team of three other student missionaries, so if you would please keep all of us in your prayers, it would be greatly appreciated!