It is hard to believe, but I have now been back in the country for a little over 2 weeks! I apologize for not being unable to post as much as I thought I would be able to while overseas. Its amazing how busy things got once we started traveling and how little access we had to the Internet. I have hit the ground running since I have been back. I had five days at home with my family and friends to unpack and repack and then moved back to North Carolina into my new apartment in Hickory and begin my last semester as an undergraduate student! Needless to say life has been pretty wonderful!
I just wanted to take the time to thank all of you who supported me in my journey this summer. You have no idea how much your prayers mean to me and how much God used them to direct our team and keep us safe! I have so many stories I could share and pictures I could show that it is hard to know where to begin. My plan, which hopefully works out, is to do a couple updates on this blog a week, sort of re-capping and sharing stories from each place we went, since I was unable to do so while on the trip, so that you can have a small glimpse into what the Lord was doing this summer. So look forward to those, as long as the Lord continues to provide the time for me to do so! For now, I just wanted to thank you all and confirm that the Lord was indeed at work in my life and in the lives of so many others this summer. He has changed my heart and drawn me even closer to him and I am excited to see how he uses this summer throughout the next seasons of my life.
More to come soon...but for now know that I am truly blessed because of you. Our God is at work in the hearts and lives of people all over this world, and he deserves all honor and glory!
Nichole
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Wien
Thats the german word for Vienna...where I currently am! I have very little time right now, even less than normal. However, I wanted to check in and just let everyone know that God is doing some amazing things here! Poland was wonderful...had lots of amazing conversations and surprises. So far, Vienna is my favorite city. It is beautiful! And the weather is perfect...jeans and a sweatshirt all day today. Please just continue to pray for our team, specifically for endurance and strength as people are beginning to get to sick and missing home etc... Pray for our street ministry in the citz tomorrow
To him be the glory
To him be the glory
Monday, July 19, 2010
When in Prague...
So much has happened in the past few days, its hard to know where to begin. I am so in awe of how big this world really is and how much the Lord is at work in all corners of it. After leaving London we drove through France and Belgium on our way to Luxembourg, and it was a beautiful drive!! We hit a lot of traffic, so we arrived in Luxembourg really late and therefore didn't get to go into the city. So we quickly set up camp and stayed there for a total of about 7 hours before we were back on the road.
After that we headed to Germany, which was much more beautiful than I had anticipated. Our first night, we did ministry in our campsite. This was our first time doing our dance, drama, and puppet shows in public. A lot of the students were nervous, but it went really well and God blessed our boldness with lots of conversations afterward. I met some interesting German people, who spoke no English, and an athiest man from Holland. Mostly, it was just overwhelming to meet so many people who are lost. We went into the BEAUTIFUL city of Rotenburg the next day and did ministry there in the middle of the city square. We drew quite a crowd and once again, God blessed our time with many conversations. I was encouraged by talking with a man from Illinois, who is in Germany with the airforce, and was really encouraged by the ministry we were doing. He shared with me some of his efforts with the German people and the things God was doing in this Nation. Our God really is a big God! That night, we walked into the cute city of Frickenhausen during our down time and ended the night with some great worship and prayer time. It is encouraging to hear all of the things God is teaching the students and the way he is continuing to break their hearts for Him.
Now we are in Prague, and words cannot describe the magnificence of this city. However, in spite of its beauty there is an obvious darkness that fills the people here. We were performing in the middle of the city earlier today, and during our second show we got shut down by the police. No one got in trouble, they just fined us and told us we needed a permit. So, no more performances here. Instead, we are just walking around and starting up conversations with people. As I talk to people, it amazes me how many people claim to be Christian but have no idea if they will spend eternity in heaven. God has been really faithful in allowing us to plant so many seeds today. One of my girls talked to a woman from Spain, and at the end of the conversation the woman told her that she normally struggles understanding English, but that for some reason she understood everything she said today. How great is our God! She heard the entire Gospel in a language she doesn't normally understand!
I am out of time...the girls want to go grab some gellato and do some shopping before we have to meet back up with the team. We are in Prague one more day and then we head to Poland. Keep praying for opportunities and boldness to proclaim the name of Christ throughout the world.
To Him be the glory.
After that we headed to Germany, which was much more beautiful than I had anticipated. Our first night, we did ministry in our campsite. This was our first time doing our dance, drama, and puppet shows in public. A lot of the students were nervous, but it went really well and God blessed our boldness with lots of conversations afterward. I met some interesting German people, who spoke no English, and an athiest man from Holland. Mostly, it was just overwhelming to meet so many people who are lost. We went into the BEAUTIFUL city of Rotenburg the next day and did ministry there in the middle of the city square. We drew quite a crowd and once again, God blessed our time with many conversations. I was encouraged by talking with a man from Illinois, who is in Germany with the airforce, and was really encouraged by the ministry we were doing. He shared with me some of his efforts with the German people and the things God was doing in this Nation. Our God really is a big God! That night, we walked into the cute city of Frickenhausen during our down time and ended the night with some great worship and prayer time. It is encouraging to hear all of the things God is teaching the students and the way he is continuing to break their hearts for Him.
Now we are in Prague, and words cannot describe the magnificence of this city. However, in spite of its beauty there is an obvious darkness that fills the people here. We were performing in the middle of the city earlier today, and during our second show we got shut down by the police. No one got in trouble, they just fined us and told us we needed a permit. So, no more performances here. Instead, we are just walking around and starting up conversations with people. As I talk to people, it amazes me how many people claim to be Christian but have no idea if they will spend eternity in heaven. God has been really faithful in allowing us to plant so many seeds today. One of my girls talked to a woman from Spain, and at the end of the conversation the woman told her that she normally struggles understanding English, but that for some reason she understood everything she said today. How great is our God! She heard the entire Gospel in a language she doesn't normally understand!
I am out of time...the girls want to go grab some gellato and do some shopping before we have to meet back up with the team. We are in Prague one more day and then we head to Poland. Keep praying for opportunities and boldness to proclaim the name of Christ throughout the world.
To Him be the glory.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Hello All!
Once again, I only have five minutes...I am sorry for the quick updates, but I take what I can get and will try not to ramble :) I am currently sitting in an internet cafe in the middle of London, with red double decker buses passing on the street every 30 seconds. I have been in London 8 days serving at a church and we leave really early tomorrow morning for Luxembourg! Our time here has been so full and incredible, it is hard to know where to begin and what to tell you. The biggest thing has just be time with the people in this community, especially the people of Trinity at Bowes, the church we are staying at. We have been able to interact with them in so many ways and really encourage each other in our walks with the Lord. Its such a blessing to see brothers and sisters in Christ coming together the way I have seen here. Its hard to put into words. We have also spent a lot of time just going out into the community and talking with people. Two days ago, I came across a woman in her 90s and joined her for a walk in the park. As simple as it was, that was one of my favorite times. To share your life with a complete stranger is an exilerating thing. She told me everything about her life, about her late husband, about growing up in London, about living during the war, and God just blew me away with the simpleness of his command to love one another. My time with this woman really gave me a picture of what that looks like lived out here on earth. A woman I normally would have passed on the sidewalk and not looked back is really a child of God with a unique story and a precious heart. It always amazes me how God uses the simplest things to teach you the most.
There are definitely challenges on this trip as well. Being around the same people 24/7 for 8 weeks would be a challenge anywhere! Its been hard to get used to not wearing make up, having no outside communication, and traveling everywhere, even to the bathroom, in a group of three. However, God is using even these simple challenges to teach me and mold me and show me what areas of my life I am still holding on to and not giving him full control. Also, please be in prayer for my girls and for the ways God has planned to work in their hearts. They are already so precious to me and I just yearn for them to allow God to teach them and guide them and love them fully.
Well, its time to go. We are off to a coffeshop and then to morrisons to pick up some groceries. Funny story, I had 15 pounds to spend this week and I spent it all on 5 cups of coffee and two books...typical :) Anyways, be in prayer for us as we leave here and pick up the pace and begin traveling and camping a lot more. We will be in Luxembourg tomorrow and Germany friday through Sunday.
To him be the glory.
Once again, I only have five minutes...I am sorry for the quick updates, but I take what I can get and will try not to ramble :) I am currently sitting in an internet cafe in the middle of London, with red double decker buses passing on the street every 30 seconds. I have been in London 8 days serving at a church and we leave really early tomorrow morning for Luxembourg! Our time here has been so full and incredible, it is hard to know where to begin and what to tell you. The biggest thing has just be time with the people in this community, especially the people of Trinity at Bowes, the church we are staying at. We have been able to interact with them in so many ways and really encourage each other in our walks with the Lord. Its such a blessing to see brothers and sisters in Christ coming together the way I have seen here. Its hard to put into words. We have also spent a lot of time just going out into the community and talking with people. Two days ago, I came across a woman in her 90s and joined her for a walk in the park. As simple as it was, that was one of my favorite times. To share your life with a complete stranger is an exilerating thing. She told me everything about her life, about her late husband, about growing up in London, about living during the war, and God just blew me away with the simpleness of his command to love one another. My time with this woman really gave me a picture of what that looks like lived out here on earth. A woman I normally would have passed on the sidewalk and not looked back is really a child of God with a unique story and a precious heart. It always amazes me how God uses the simplest things to teach you the most.
There are definitely challenges on this trip as well. Being around the same people 24/7 for 8 weeks would be a challenge anywhere! Its been hard to get used to not wearing make up, having no outside communication, and traveling everywhere, even to the bathroom, in a group of three. However, God is using even these simple challenges to teach me and mold me and show me what areas of my life I am still holding on to and not giving him full control. Also, please be in prayer for my girls and for the ways God has planned to work in their hearts. They are already so precious to me and I just yearn for them to allow God to teach them and guide them and love them fully.
Well, its time to go. We are off to a coffeshop and then to morrisons to pick up some groceries. Funny story, I had 15 pounds to spend this week and I spent it all on 5 cups of coffee and two books...typical :) Anyways, be in prayer for us as we leave here and pick up the pace and begin traveling and camping a lot more. We will be in Luxembourg tomorrow and Germany friday through Sunday.
To him be the glory.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Hello from London!
This is the first time I have been able to access a computer in about three weeks...and I only have five minutes so this update will be brief, but hopefully informative! I am currently waiting to take my first shower since sunday...I know its a little scary. But i have a pot of water and a sponge waiting for me so I am pretty excited :) We arrived in London early Tuesday morning, which was about midnight for ya'll, and hit the ground running. We are staying at a church called Trinity at the Bowes on the north side of London for the next week, doing ministry here and raising up workers to continue here in this church once we are gone. This is the only church in the community, so help is definitely needed. We have already worked with the church to start a bible study, and we hosted a boys brigade for the male youth last night. We are joining them for tea time in about an hour, to worship with them and pray with them. The exciting thing is that most people who come to this tea time are not actually believers, so I am excited to see what God has in store. I am especially getting so much joy from watching our students step up in boldness and share their faith and really love on the people of this community.
We had a chance to go out into the community and pray over it yesterday, which was so much fun. The ten d-group leaders got the afternoon off to do some planning. We explored a little bit and landed in a quaint little cafe called icons 222. The people were so excited to have us there, and we really felt loved and welcomed. I had the best mocha I have had in a long time! And we got to pray over them and the place which was really exciting. We have a dance workshop we are hosting later this evening, so pray that God will just bring in a lot of people from the community so that he can stir up a fire for him. Also, just be praying for our ministry in general here this week. We are not exactly sure what we are gonna be doing but be praying for us. Also pray for our health; a few people are sick already so just pray that we will get used to the time change and start feeling better. I have to run! I will try to update soon. Thanks for the prayers and support
To him be the glory.
This is the first time I have been able to access a computer in about three weeks...and I only have five minutes so this update will be brief, but hopefully informative! I am currently waiting to take my first shower since sunday...I know its a little scary. But i have a pot of water and a sponge waiting for me so I am pretty excited :) We arrived in London early Tuesday morning, which was about midnight for ya'll, and hit the ground running. We are staying at a church called Trinity at the Bowes on the north side of London for the next week, doing ministry here and raising up workers to continue here in this church once we are gone. This is the only church in the community, so help is definitely needed. We have already worked with the church to start a bible study, and we hosted a boys brigade for the male youth last night. We are joining them for tea time in about an hour, to worship with them and pray with them. The exciting thing is that most people who come to this tea time are not actually believers, so I am excited to see what God has in store. I am especially getting so much joy from watching our students step up in boldness and share their faith and really love on the people of this community.
We had a chance to go out into the community and pray over it yesterday, which was so much fun. The ten d-group leaders got the afternoon off to do some planning. We explored a little bit and landed in a quaint little cafe called icons 222. The people were so excited to have us there, and we really felt loved and welcomed. I had the best mocha I have had in a long time! And we got to pray over them and the place which was really exciting. We have a dance workshop we are hosting later this evening, so pray that God will just bring in a lot of people from the community so that he can stir up a fire for him. Also, just be praying for our ministry in general here this week. We are not exactly sure what we are gonna be doing but be praying for us. Also pray for our health; a few people are sick already so just pray that we will get used to the time change and start feeling better. I have to run! I will try to update soon. Thanks for the prayers and support
To him be the glory.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Tomorrow is a new day...
In approximately 8 hours I will be meeting over a hundred new people and hopping on a bus for training camp. For those who do not know, training camp is actually a hay field that is just conveniently turned into a camp for two weeks. Yikes! I have no idea what to expect. My stomach is currently doing flip flops and I am not sure if I am going to be able to get any sleep tonight. However, while driving up here in the gruesome storm, God reminded me of a simple promise... my mercies are new every morning. The simplicity of that promise is obvious, yet I could dwell on it for hours. What peace and rest and faith comes from really knowing and believing that his mercies are new every morning. This means that the worries and fears that Satan keeps continually trying to plant in my head do not have to be there in the morning. It means that tomorrow is a new day, a day to trust in his mercies and take steps of faith. I am ready for tomorrow, not because of anything I have done to prepare, but simply because I have Him to walk beside me every step of the way.
As I said earlier, tomorrow starts training camp and I am not sure when I will next have access to the Internet. However, I can write and receive letters during my time at training camp. I have stationary and stamps so if you send a letter or leave a comment with your address, I will be able to write you back and tell you how everything is going. Here is the address:
Nichole Laher
14253 E Epworth Springs Rd
Lewistown, IL 61542
I also thought it might be fun to share some pictures of the trip so you can visualize where I am. I am not really sure how to do this so hopefully it works:)
This is a picture of training camp. I will be sleeping in one of those little blue tents, eating meals under one of those small white tents, and worshiping and learning under the big tent :)
This is the bus we will be traveling on from country to country once we land in Europe!
The guy in the red shirt is our head team leader. His name is Curtis...he's done this a few times:)
This is a map of everywhere I will be with the tentative dates of when I will be there! Hope this helps you visualize just how much of this continent is being reached by students this summer!
Please continue praying for my team. Pray for the staff disciplers as we learn and prepare this week. Pray that God would show us how to get out of the way and let him move. Pray for the hearts of the students as they pack and prepare to come hear next week. Pray for willingness, courage, and strength ahead.
To Him be the glory!
Monday, June 14, 2010
The Beginning...
As you may know, I am about to embark on incredible journey. The word incredible can be so versatile; one word can contain so much meaning. On this occasion, there are numerous words that can all be crammed into that one word. Words like exciting, scary, intimidating, adventurous, new, challenging, strengthening, humbling, unbelievable, crazy, and life-changing. There are so many of you who are supporting me as I embark on this journey, and I cannot even begin to tell you how much I appreciate you. Your prayers are requested and needed throughout these next two months. At first, I thought I was not going to have any form of communication available. But I was informed this week that we will be going into whatever city we are in everyday, and that the majority of those cities have Internet cafes we can use. However, I was warned that time would be very limited in said Internet cafes. So, I thought having one place where I can update all of those that love and support me at once would be a good idea. I should warn you, I am not the best writer and this is my first blog. But hopefully, my updates will be interesting enough to keep interested :) After all, its not my updates, but rather updates about what God is doing in and through me, and through those on my team, and throughout Europe. It is all about Him.
Training camp begins on Saturday. My parents and I are driving up to Chicago Friday night and staying in a hotel near the church the team is meeting at in the morning. My parents will drop me off around eight Saturday morning and we will head to training camp from there. I cannot even begin to tell you how nervous I am, which may surprise some of you but I must be honest. I am nervous. It seems strange even to me; I love meeting new people so what do I have to be nervous about? But as much as I love it, being the new girl equally terrifies me...its a strange paradox. However, in the midst of these feelings I know that The Lord is sovereign and He alone is in control. He has called me to this team for a reason, and I need not worry about the little things like the awkwardness of initial introductions. I know that the community we share in belonging to the body of Christ is strong enough to crush any anxieties and provide an environment for growth and encouragement in the Lord. Still, be praying for me and all of those I will meet.
This first week is training camp for the staff and staff disciplers. Then the following Saturday the students join us, and I get to start discipling and training my girls! I tell you this now because I am not sure if I will have any Internet access at training camp. Therefore, I may not be able to update this blog until I am actually in Europe, which is July 5th. If that is the case, I am sorry! But hang in there, I will be back!
There is a link on the side of my blog to a general blog that will be updated by a central staff member weekly throughout our trip. If you wish to read up on that as well, feel free! I believe they provide updates throughout training camp; so if I am not able to, check there. Oh, and please feel free to leave comments on these posts; I would LOVE to hear from you as well.
Thank you again for your love and support of this calling God has placed on my life for this summer. Please be specifically praying for me this week. Pray that I would be wise in my packing...you know that is going to be especially hard for me :) Pray for the other staff disciplers on my team who are preparing this week as well. Pray for strength and humility and faith, as I have no idea what I am getting myself into.
To Him be the Glory
Training camp begins on Saturday. My parents and I are driving up to Chicago Friday night and staying in a hotel near the church the team is meeting at in the morning. My parents will drop me off around eight Saturday morning and we will head to training camp from there. I cannot even begin to tell you how nervous I am, which may surprise some of you but I must be honest. I am nervous. It seems strange even to me; I love meeting new people so what do I have to be nervous about? But as much as I love it, being the new girl equally terrifies me...its a strange paradox. However, in the midst of these feelings I know that The Lord is sovereign and He alone is in control. He has called me to this team for a reason, and I need not worry about the little things like the awkwardness of initial introductions. I know that the community we share in belonging to the body of Christ is strong enough to crush any anxieties and provide an environment for growth and encouragement in the Lord. Still, be praying for me and all of those I will meet.
This first week is training camp for the staff and staff disciplers. Then the following Saturday the students join us, and I get to start discipling and training my girls! I tell you this now because I am not sure if I will have any Internet access at training camp. Therefore, I may not be able to update this blog until I am actually in Europe, which is July 5th. If that is the case, I am sorry! But hang in there, I will be back!
There is a link on the side of my blog to a general blog that will be updated by a central staff member weekly throughout our trip. If you wish to read up on that as well, feel free! I believe they provide updates throughout training camp; so if I am not able to, check there. Oh, and please feel free to leave comments on these posts; I would LOVE to hear from you as well.
Thank you again for your love and support of this calling God has placed on my life for this summer. Please be specifically praying for me this week. Pray that I would be wise in my packing...you know that is going to be especially hard for me :) Pray for the other staff disciplers on my team who are preparing this week as well. Pray for strength and humility and faith, as I have no idea what I am getting myself into.
To Him be the Glory
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