Thinking alot about this big city since my time here...

Shalom everyone,

"Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road" John Henry Jowett 

  I know I posted recently but I have been thinking over the three months I have been here and how my time here is coming to an end. Though my time here is ending the ministry and the seeds planted in peoples lives does not end but continues and grows. I have lived in a rural college town in PA, living in sunny San Diego , and now living in NYC I have learned so much and changed and matured in more ways I can count, and for that I am blessed and thankful.  I only have a week and five days in Brooklyn before I head back to San Diego and I review all that is and has happened and I am over whelmed.   I left San Diego to give three months of my life to God to teach me and mature me and use me in whatever way He wants to in Jewish ministry, and I can say with assurance God has done all that to me.
   When I first moved here, I was excited, nervous, and unsure of myself in my ability to share Yeshua with those I have a passion, admiration  and a deep love for. I also came here with a supposed agenda but I quickly learned that I was immature in obeying God's directions and immature in my ability to overcome myself.  My agenda which I though was in sink with Gods was actually off course in that it was not necessarily the Russian community specifically He had me here for but specific individuals and the orthodox and Jewish community Russian and not in general. I saw this flaw of mine in how when I saw a door of opportunity to share in the Russian community God would shut it and lock me out . This frustrated me , but it frustrated me because  my timing was right now , soon as possible involvement. I quickly found out that actually I had to learn the lesson of patience and calm in a city that is chaotic, fast pace, and success driven. My frustration was the beginning of me learning that Gods timing is the way to go and His agenda is actually much better.   If that timing meant not having a job so I had to depend on financial support from individuals or very little ministry opportunity the first month n a half then so be it. This last month or so God has shown me that His plan for me being here was to learn that I needed to be bolder in sharing my faith with my friend Chaya and sharing and connecting with Israeli's my age through college outreach and the occasional Russian outreach.  But more than all this  I have had to learn to be dependent on God , not myself. I would not have learned these lessons had it not been for my supports praying for me to have strength, guidance, endurance, and wisdom.   Maturing in understanding God's timing and guidance has stretched me and blessed me. Iv matured in not depending on myself ( as I have stated in the past) for provisions but in God's provision.
   I want to say thank you so much for those who financially supported me for had it not been for your financial support I would have gone hungry at times and been unable to get to places where I was required to be for ministry outreach. There were times I was not sure when I would have another meal but then I got in the mail financial support and I saw the blessing and saw that people do see what God is doing through me and for that I am so thankful.  There is so much I could and want to say but don't really know how to yet, but stay tuned I will know how to finish this .
 I have come out of my nervous, shy shell and become bold and more understanding of God's guidance. I ask that everyone would be praying for me that I would not give up because it is getting hard for me to stay motivated and dedicated to what God has me doing here, also please be praying for me because about a month ago I slept wrong on my shoulder and I have been in allot of pain in my left shoulder. Of late I have been taking medicine  more often to dull the pain which has been distracting me from staying focused.  Thank you Denise, Stephen, Anna, family, and everyone else for supporting me and guiding me.
    The next time I plan on updating this blog will be next Monday so check in then. Blessing during these wonderful Holidays everyone.
Rebekah

p.s.   sorry this is not checked for grammar and what not , but this is just a quick reflection