Summer Adventures

Over the past few years, I have been in a season of learning. I am learning God’s call on my life and how I can live that out. I am just about to finish my junior year at Johnson University, which means only one more year to go! While at Johnson, I have been able to learn and grow in my calling. And I have been given the opportunity to continue learning, growing and serving this summer.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to participate in the REACH internship program this summer through Christian Missionary Fellowship (CMF) International. I will be on a team of four serving in Southeast Asia for eight weeks with CMF missionaries currently on the field. We will be staying with a national family and participating in development projects and holistic outreach using Community Health Evangelism. We will show the love that Christ has for each of us through the Gospel message. We are working to bring God’s kingdom to earth. We believe that God is working in Southeast Asia and that He will use us to restore His people.

This would not be possible without Christ. I believe that He has put each of you in my life. I would love to have you join me in this journey! First, I ask for your prayers – prayers for the people of Southeast Asia, the missionaries we will be serving with, and the other interns and me. Please pray that we will reflect Christ among the people so that they could see who He truly is. There is spiritual darkness in Southeast Asia. But we believe that there is light in Christ. So I ask that you join me in praying for this region and these people.

 I am also asking you to be a part of my team through financial support.  The total cost of my internship is $6,021.50.  This amount is due by May 18^th. This includes all travel, lodging, meals, immunizations, and other ministry expenses. Please make all checks payable to CMF International. You can also give online at www.cmfi.org/supportyourintern. All donations are tax-deductible.
I am approximately 20% funded but there is still a long way to go. Thank you so much to those who have already partnered with me. I am so grateful to everyone who has believed in me and supported me. I know that God is going to use this summer to shape and form me into a better servant. And I so greatly appreciate those who have come alongside me to give me this opportunity.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to e-mail me at emharvey99@gmail.com. I would love to talk with you and share more about this opportunity! Thank you in advance for choosing to partner with me and seeing how we can transform lives and communities in Southeast Asia together!

January is Coming! And We Are Going!

Hi friends!

Over the past few years, many of you have witnessed as I have fallen in love with the people of St. Louis du Nord, Haiti. God has allowed me to spend two summers in Haiti. He taught me so much through those summers. He’s been so good to me and blessed me with an eternal Haitian family. And many of you have read my blog or heard my stories about all of my friends. And He is once again blessing me. In January, Ciarra Chiusano and I will be going back for a 10-day trip!!! I am so excited.

Part of the ministry that Ciarra and I will be doing is continuing our relationships with the Haitians in the community. We will be visiting other surrounding cities and connecting with our friends. We plan to hold Bible study with the men and women at the prison in Port du Paix. We are even hoping to travel to the island of Tortuga and spend time with the church and some of the local kids. One of our favorite ministries is the orphanage. We will be spending time loving on the girls and boys in the program. God has given both of us a love for those kids and we plan to spend as much time with them as possible.

As January quickly approaches, we need to raise money. We have been doing several fundraisers but we are still in need of about $1,600 combined.  This cost will include airfare and traveling expenses. We both have such a calling to serve and love the people of Haiti and this opportunity to spend even a few short days there is a part of that calling. So we are writing to ask you for your financial support. God has given us the heart to go but we still have expenses that need to be paid and we cannot do this alone. We need the support of our friends and family in order to extend God’s kingdom. 

We have until December 1st to get our money in. It is quickly approaching and this letter is long overdue but we know God will provide. You can pay through Paypal or by check. If you would like to use Paypal, the email to send the money to is: emily.harvey@johnsonu.edu. If you would like to send a check, you can make it out to me and send it to:

7900 Johnson Dr.

Box 1123

Knoxville, TN, 37998

Thank you for your support and prayer during this time. Please pray that God will prepare the way as we go. And also pray for us that we would be prepared as well. Pray for the hearts of those we will come in contact with. We are praying that Christ is glorified in this trip and that He is always the center.

I Am Not Who I Say I Am

If you know me at all, you know that one of my biggest passions is missions. I love to travel the world and tell people about Jesus. I have changed the entire course of my life and tattooed my body and I have told everyone that sharing Jesus is my passion. But if you REALLY knew me - the Emily that is on the inside that only me and God truly know - you would know that I am not living for that passion. I'm not saying that I am not passionate about Jesus or missions. I am. But do I live my every waking, breathing, speaking, thinking moment in pursuit of what I have openly claimed is my purpose? No.

More often that not, I worship Emily. I worship my own comfort. I worship my own reputation. I worship being cool and looking cool and sounding cool. I worship relationships and opinions. I worship shoes and sports, and other impermanent things. I worship doing ministry. I worship seeming spiritual. I worship being right. I simply worship Emily 24/7, 365 days a year. I am all I ever think about. Now I am not saying this to seem so hard on myself but, if I honestly put my heart on trial, I am guilty of all of these on a daily/hourly/minute-by-minute basis. I think we all are. We all have allowed the things that we worship and things that make us feel good to influence our purpose. I know I do. And I am praying that I am not alone in this.

The more that I have launched myself into a Christian education and a world that revolves around Jesus, the more I have realized how little my world revolves around Him. Sure, a few days a week as I drive to school I think how beautiful the sunrise is and how cool it is that my God created that beautiful thing. And then I say thanks and start singing the song that is on the radio. I mean...that can't be enough. My mind is not consumed with Jesus. My heart is not consumed with Jesus. I am consumed and overwhelmed by myself. I am all that matters to me.

Recently I had to read the book Radical by David Platt for school and, to be honest, I skimmed half of it so I could finish the assignment. But, as we discussed the book in class, I realized that I'm not radical. Not even close, truthfully. If you asked me yesterday, I would have told you that I am absolutely radical about Jesus. I live my life in a radical way to reach people for Christ radically. But today, if you ask me, I guess I would have to say no. Yes, I am much more radical than your average Christian. I have gone on more mission trips and have more spiritual "things" that I do. So yeah, I am not as average compared to other people. But is that my measuring stick? Is that how I am supposed to live? If I am better than the average person around me then I am doing pretty good? Nope. Not really. If I am, at best, 50% radical...is that really all that radical? It's not. Being radical is an all or nothing thing. You either are or you aren't. I am called to live like Jesus. I am called to follow Him. And sometimes that means being radical.

How am I supposed to tell people that Jesus is the most important thing when all I ever do I something other than Jesus? Isn't that why we are here? To touch the lives of prostitutes and bankers and drug dealers and teachers and single moms and football coaches. The love of God has overwhelmed my soul. The love of God has overcome all the stuff I try to use to block it. There's no wall I can build or place I can go that God's love cannot reach me and pull me right back. And I need to be going to the places that seem unreachable. I need to be the arm of God's love reaching out to the people who need Him the most. God asks me to be that. In fact, He doesn't even ask me. He commands me. He sends me into that place. Where darkness seems to have won and hurt and brokenness are everywhere. Have you ever been to those places? I am reminded of my favorite place in Haiti when I think of these dark places. The brothel. I have been there and it is not a joy-filled room when you first get there. There are men who are waiting for prostitutes. There are men who have just abused prostitutes. These prostitutes are my friends and it hurts to walk into a room and know that the man I am looking in the eyes has hurt one of my friends. But he still needs Jesus. And my friends, they need Jesus. As we begin Bible study, the love of Jesus overcomes the hurt and brokenness and singing breaks out and smiles. The women laugh and sing with us. We have dance battles and praise Jesus. In one of the darkest places I have ever been, God was there. This is what living radically looks like. But do I live this way every day?

There was nothing ordinary about Jesus. Ok. Yes, the whole carpenter thing seems pretty average. But He was a RADICAL rabbi. He wasn't like all the other average dudes around Him. He was an insane, blaspheming hipster to them. He ate with prostitutes and tax collectors. He had uneducated and under qualified followers that smelled like fish all the time. There is nothing ordinary about that. But that is what was so radical about Jesus. He did the things that seem like a sacrifice in our eyes. I am not just talking about dying on the cross. I am talking about sacrificing His reputation, His comfort, His safety, His shelter, His religious standing. I mean, no good teacher of the Law would eat dinner with a sinner. He broke every "rule" the Pharisees thought they needed to follow. He was probably the most anti-Pharisee that has ever lived. He was opposite of the norm and out of control. And that is who we are supposed to be following and living for.


So why do I seem so normal? In all honesty, it is because I am pretty normal. But I am openly calling myself out. There is something extremely radical inside of me. There is some radical piece of my heart that is dying to be out of control. But I quiet that piece of my heart every day by ignoring it. I have shoved it to the back and left it for dead because it might cost me too much and I really can't afford it. What if it costs me my job? What if it costs me my acceptance? What if if costs me my safety? What if it costs me money? These are some of the things I hold onto. I let those things block me from being radical in the way I am called to be. I am supposed to be radical. It's a part of the life of a follower. And there's no room for half-hearted radicalism. There's no room for me if I am not giving all of my life and all of my heart to being who God has called me to be. That radical piece of my heart that is banging on the doors to get out is not going to be pushed away anymore.

To be honest, writing this has made me so scared. One of you is going to read this and then at some point you are going to see me and I am not going to live up to this post. I am fully aware that I am not going to live up to this. I am probably going to let myself down at some point. But there's a radical inside me. And there is a radical inside you. These radicals are dying to take over. They are dying for us to start eating dinner with prostitutes and  giving away everything. Because Jesus is calling us to be radical. He is calling us to release this part of ourselves that is afraid of the cost. The cost is nothing compared to what we have gained in Jesus Christ. There is hope and salvation. Life is ours to freely live and to live radically. So let's do it!

Be radical.

New Year. New Adventure.

This year has been something that I really could never have expected. In December 2013, I moved back to Port St. Lucie to do online classes at Moody Bible Institute. During this year, I got the chance to fall in love with a church family and connect so deeply with so many. I have been supported and encouraged so much this year. I got the opportunity to dive into ministry. For the past four months I have been working as the Worship and Youth Leader at Sent Life Church. It has been so great to be involved in ministry and using the gifts God has given me. I have fallen in love with all the youth kids. It has been so amazing getting to know them and grow closer with them. But also watching them grow has been such a blessing. The people that have surrounded me have truly become my family. I have loved everything about this past year spent with these people.

That is why it is so hard to announce that I will be moving to Tennessee at the end of December. God has opened the doors for me with an amazing opportunity to pursue a Biblical education at Johnson University in Knoxville. I have been praying about this so much and I feel like God has made it so evident to me that this is where the next chapter of my life is going to take place. I will be majoring in Intercultural Studies with a Missions concentration. I also have the opportunity to live with my aunt and uncle so I am very excited about the opportunity to serve and love on them. I am so excited for the new opportunities that I will have and the new life I am going to begin. But leaving the life that I love so much here in Port St. Lucie is going to be very difficult. The people I love are here. The life that I am comfortable living is here. And that is why I know I have to go. God is calling me to something higher and this step is going to prepare me for that calling. I have tattooed my body with words like “Here I am. Send me.” But when it is time to go I have been so resistant. I have battled so much to try to convince myself that this is not what God is calling me to do. I have so many fears and I am honestly terrified of the future because it is so unknown. I have no idea what my life will be like in one month. But we have a great God. His power is unending. His grace is infinite. His love for me knows no end. I have no doubt that His plan is the absolute best for me. He has led me to this place and I have to be obedient. There are so many things I love with all of my heart that are in Florida. My family, my church, my best friend. People that I cannot even imagine leaving. But the Lord is faithful and just. He has called me higher and I am following.

I am not alone in having to trust the Lord in His plans. The Bible is filled with passages about people who had to leave everything that was familiar and comfortable and take huge steps of faith. And thousands of Christ-followers before me have taken these same, faithful steps. My own parents have been amazing examples of truly following Christ wherever He leads. I have witnessed my parents change their entire lives to follow God’s calling and I know that this is my time to do the same. God’s purpose for my life is far greater than my comfort or comprehension. My life has been ransomed by Christ and I must follow. Even if that means going somewhere scary or being the new person for a while I still must go.

2014 did not unfold the way I thought it would. I knew I was moving home in order to eventually go somewhere else. But I did not know that it was going to be so difficult to leave. I am so thankful for every experience of 2014. It has held many struggles and many heartbreaks but it has been the most refreshing year of my life. I needed this time to allow God to build me and grow me. I have been stretched and honestly it hurt at times. But this has all been preparation for the future. I have no idea what God has in store but I am moving where He is leading. I can’t wait to see where this opportunity takes me. I am so scared but so excited. So, friends, I ask you to be in prayer for me as I am moving. It is going to be such a challenging time. But the Lord is faithful.

Here I am. Send Me.

Being Alive.

So I have been home for one month and one day. And it has been a whirlwind of a month. Yet, it feels like it has been forever since I have been in Haiti. Last summer was so overwhelming when I came home I had such a hard time being content where I was. This time I have adjusted much better but I have not been thinking of Haiti (on purpose). Whenever I think of it I feel so sad. I feel so heartbroken. I miss the sweet faces of the kids that I saw every single day. I miss kissing their foreheads and saying "Mwen renmen ou" (I love you) or "Jezi renmen ou" (Jesus loves you) on a daily basis. I got to love and be loved on by them and now I feel disconnected. And honestly I am not really sure I can ever be over that type of sadness. I long to be with them more than anything. To love, to protect, and to simply live life with them. It is so hard to be away. They are my family and it is so difficult. I really can't explain it adequately. Today I decided to print pictures from the summer and it prompted me to write out some of the emotions that came with that chore. Seeing the faces and smiles of the people I love with all of my heart brought me right back to that "feet on the soil" feeling. And so far I had avoided this in order to feel okay, honestly, in order to not upset myself. But there is no avoiding it.
I miss them with all of my heart. And no matter how amazing my life in America is I can't help but miss them. I want to share my experiences with them. I want them to know that I still love them even though I am not present physically.
But God is so good. He gave me the best friend I have ever had in my life to share in this time with me. She is honestly the reason that I haven't had a full breakdown. She is there for me with all of my emotions, with all of my tears, with all of my heartache. She knows me and understands my heart. And honestly without her I would be lost. God is so good. She desires depth and challenges me when I am wrong. She makes me better. God is so good. He gave me accountability and friendship and a sister that I needed in the time I needed it most. God is so good.
Through all of this I still worry. I still stumble. I still make the wrong decision. I still find myself needing more. I still find myself desiring to wander. I still feel weak and unable to find my way. I have no idea where I am going. I have began a journey and I don't know where the finish line is. I don't know what is down the road. But God is so good. He knows. And my security has to come from that. I have to learn to live passionately. I have to learn to be alive. And live exactly where I am today.
I have begun a devotional called "Whispers of Hope" by Beth Moore. And most of the days are very good but today was great. It talked about how God's love is so stubborn that He still loves us despite what we do. Despite who we choose. He still chooses us even when we don't choose Him. Honestly, I find myself choosing something other than God every single day. I choose to live in the memories of my Haiti home. I choose to live in the chaos of church ministry. I choose to live in the world most days. But God is so good. He is so stubborn that He still loves me. He still pursues me.
That is what I live for. That is worth being alive.

Breaking my Heart Again

In the days since my last post it feels like I have experienced every array of human emotion possible. It has been a very trying few weeks. I had been hitting the “mid-summer slump.” It is the week in the middle of the summer where you are worn down and exhausted and still have a month and a half to go. It was hard to make myself really experience life. It is so easy to sit in my bed in our little room and be alone and not invest in anyone. But I am so lucky to have people around me who challenged me to continue doing ministry. But on July 2, a team from my home church, Sent Life Church, got to Haiti. That team was much needed! It was so great to have my church family come and serve alongside NWHCM. It was refreshing to be around them.

We also had some amazing times of ministry. We did VBS two days in a row for the kids of Anse-a-felour, the voodoo capital of Haiti. The first day we went to the voodoo monument to share about spiritual warfare and the reality of voodoo. So often Americans think voodoo is like Princess and the Frog or a little beat up doll that people poke with needles. That is not the kind of voodoo that the Haitian people face every day. These people face the all out power of Satan each morning when they wake up and each night as they try to fall asleep. These people are paralyzed by fear and by what they can’t see. They are blinded by such deep darkness. It is so hard for me to comprehend. I have never grown up being told that curses are real or that creatures come and kill children at night but that is what is taught to these people from the day they are born. It is so real to them. The power of Satan attacks their minds constantly. As we were up on the monument, two men walked up to light a candle in order to heal their friend who was sick. To see with my own two eyes the extent to which these people are trapped was so eye opening. It truly broke my heart for the Haitian people once more. After that we went out for our first day of VBS. We went out to a new community that one of our Haitian pastors is planting a church in. We got to share how God made each person special with about 100 kids. We also got to meet a cute and wild little girl named Benjina that my dad had met in February. Benjina had some eye problems and the eye surgery team that was at the Mission was able to help her. I had heard so much about her but to actually meet her was so cool! She had so much spunk. Definitely one of the coolest little girls I’ve met! When we first walked up to the soccer field where our VBS was going to be held I saw a little girl all by herself so I picked her up (If you know me you know it isn’t strange that I picked up this little girl I had never met.) Her name was Brianna. Literally the most beautiful little girl ever! So sweet with such a soft spirit! And for some reason we became best friends. The second day we were driving through the town and kids were chasing our truck following us to VBS. When I hopped off the truck my friend Brianna was there to greet me with a sweet smile. She was so adorable and just wanted to cuddle. It was awesome! We had 115 kids at our second day of VBS where we shared how Jesus makes us clean. Not to mention that many of the parents stayed around to hear the Gospel.

Not only was our ministry amazing but sharing that experience with my church family, with kids who I am currently investing in, with people who are investing in me, made the trip so much more meaningful to me. 

We once again went to church on Sunday and then on Monday we headed out to NWHCM’s far west campus, Mole St. Nicholas (also known as The Mole). It literally was so gorgeous! It sits right on the ocean. Water was crystal clear. Can’t get much better than that! I was so excited to go there to see my baby from last year, Caleb. As soon as we got there I went to see him. He has grown so much! He is walking and talking and running and playing. All the things you expect out of 4 year old boys, that is what Caleb is doing. It was so great to see him thriving out there. So our reunion was obviously emotional for me. But then meeting all the other young orphans and to see how much they desired to be held and loved on….literally broke my heart. That was definitely my favorite place to be while I was at the Mole. Our first few days there were kinda slow. We all were still recovering from the bumpy trip out there. 

One day we got to go to Preskul, a small fishing village at the very tip of the peninsula surrounding the Mole. It literally looks like something you see on National Geographic. They live in thatch huts and basically live off of fish. It takes many 3 hours to walk to clean water and 3 hours to walk back to their house. There were many malnourished children and many adults looked malnourished as well. It was so interesting to walk around and talk to the people. My group stopped and talked to a man who was bathing his little baby. He told us that he is a Christian and that he desperately wanted a church in Preskul. He told us that there are many Christians in the city but there is no pastor to lead them and love on them. That is so opposite of everything we as Americans think about church. So often we see a pastor without people but here we see people so hungry to be discipled and poured into yet no pastor that is able to lead them and know them. I ask you to be in prayer for the city in Preskul. A community of believers in a city like that, to bring life and hope to those people is priceless. Honestly, Preskul was overwhelming to me. I loved it so much but to understand that people actually live with 10 people in small huts shatters any concept I have of comfort and need.

We did the same two VBS days that we did in Anse-a-felour, in the Mole. We had 100 kids each day learn about “God made me” and “Jesus makes me clean.” It was so cool to hear the kids scream that Jesus makes them clean. It brought me to tears knowing that the Gospel was presented to them so clearly for two whole days. It was such an awesome week of ministry. We did hut to huts one day and we got to meet a sweet family. The mom's name was Eveline and her baby's name was Gabriel. We found out they were Christians so we then asked them if they had any prayer requests. Eveline's answer was simple, "Deliverance." Knowing the abuse that happens in the Haitian culture, it broke my heart to hear that her one prayer was for deliverance. 

The last day we did swimming lessons with the orphanage kids. I got to help Pierreson learn how to swim. I found out how utterly sweet that 9-year old boy is! He just wanted to be loved on and love on me. By the end of my time in the Mole he felt like a younger brother to me. He is so sweet! The night before we left the Mole, I went to say goodbye to the orphanage kids. It was so emotional for me. Saying goodbye to Caleb was so hard! But I made it through without any tears. Then I saw Pierreson standing in the doorway looking so sad. I walked up to him and just held him. And I told him “Jesus loves you. And I love you. And I am going to come visit you again.” When I told him I loved him he looked surprised. And he began to cry. And so did I. He hugged me even tighter and we both just cried for a while. I had to say goodnight and let him go to sleep. It was so hard to recover. Seeing him cry because I told him I loved him just broke me. Leaving the next day was so hard. I just wanted to love on all the kids even more. I wanted to get the chance to tell each of them that I love them. I want them to know that Jesus loves them.

Since being back in St. Louis du Nord I have been taking it easy trying to recover from the trip. The next teams have already arrived and are doing great. We have a team that comes and gives weddings to couples in the community. We got to witness this team give 5 couples weddings that they could not have otherwise. In Haiti, if a couple is not married it is severely looked down upon. Many Christians cannot participate in discipleship because they are not married. It is truly life changing to give someone a wedding. It was so beautiful to see the couples begin their life together. Today, I went down to the Nutrition Program to hang out with some of the kids. I have been trying to get this one boy named Jean to love me. He has been afraid of me every time I go see him. But today he let me hold him and play with him. His laugh was so beautiful! I’m so glad I did not give up on loving him.

I am excited for the weeks to come. I have 27 days left. I am going to live them to the fullest. Please be in prayer for the people of Preskul and that God would raise up a Godly man to lead the people of that city. Please pray for Eveline and her sons Guyado and Gabriel. Pray for deliverance. Also pray that God continues to strengthen my body and give me the energy and focus for the rest of my time here.

My sweet baby, Jean

Caleb and I as we reunited.

Caleb looking cute at VBS.

Sweet baby Gabriel

Pierreson

Me and Brianna

Some of the cuties from the Mole.