March 17th, 2012
Question:
How many women from how many cultures does it take to nail a wobbly
bookshelf to the wall??
Well, definitely more than 3 from more than two!
I am once again familiar with the perpetual sweaty hand print on the front
door, constant smushing of 6 legged carpet passersby, waterfall decorated
ceilings and the sport of bucket sprinting, and the really annoying
side affect of living with refugees... unconciously always talking
with my hands! I am anything but cool. But more on this shananagans in a
second...
Welcome back to life shared through written words! Thanks for taking the
time to read along with me, though I don't deserve your grace after a such
profound pause.
Life is FINALLY in forward swing after one heck of a hefty comma which I
would love to tell you about now that I have all my cogs and wheels ticking
in sense making motion.
Where have I been all this time?
Home.
After completing missonary training school and my role as the college
women's summer internship leader for church planting in Clarkston after I
was very abruptly returned home for treatment from a terribly failing body.
Living in low-income apartments with the refugees came with an unforseen
cost in my apartment, Toxic Black Mold Syndrome. My system, after living in
the heat of GA for so long with the spores going crazy in my apartment,
took a nose dive for the worst and I left everything to come home and seek
help.
God in His loving way and through the diligence of my awesome mom led us to
the answer after so many blood tests, scans, and costly dead ends. I can't
even begin to tell you the desperation of this process and the relief when
God introduced us to Nutritional Wellness Initiative in Knoxville, TN.
Let me give you the list so you can understand better where God has
delivered me from...
When I first started treatment I was tested and found to be chock full of:
liver was in trouble and thus began the tests at the ER only to later
understand that it was because I was so sick I couldn't process out the
natural carotenes in the fruits and vegetables I was eating! I ended up
taking on the challenge of a 21 day detox fast of only homemade blended
soups made of strictly vegetables and powdered fruit drinks so my body
could heal instead of digesting all day. It was awful, but I made it and I
would do anything to get back on the mission field sooner! There were days
I could not make it from the couch to the kitchen.
Praise God for my family and all that they walked through with me. I cannot
convey to you in words the emotional and physical lows I experienced during
these past 7 months.... depression, struggle, searching, isolation. I like
to be real with people so they don't have to keep their burdens secret
either, so that is why I want you to know that even people who love Jesus
incredibly hard feel like He is a million miles away and may doubt Him to
the core. This has been my dark night of the soul and God has delivered me
from it.. which is the GOOD part I want to tell you about!!
WHERE AM I? CLARKSTON!!!! WITH THE REFUGEES I LOVE!
I am healthy, active, and walking in faith in a new complex as of one week ago!
The two ladies I mentioned regarding the wobbly bookshelf... they are
Iranian and they are currently my roomates along with one other American
girl who I grow fonder of everyday. It is incredible to be back in
community, with all its rediculous only in Clarkston moments. Let me tell
you about it just really quick because I have to tell you!!! My heart is
bursting, my sparkle is back, and you should know!
After failing to get the darn nail in the hard wood and pushing eachother
out of the way we resorted to a hook in the wall, very genius I know. It
was my idea.. ehem cough cough.
After it was over, covered in sweat I told the Iranian ladies, "This is how we say good job in America!" and high fived them both. Next thing I knew I was being summoned to the kitchen
where they had prepared scrambled omelette in a pan with olives and hot sauce to top it off and naan bread for scooping. We all sat on little chairs and stools huddled around a frying pan scooping the concoction onto our bread and speaking through mostly charades and broken English. It was a
beautiful moment and I was reminded again that God has such a clear call on
my life.
These are the moments that give me my deepest joy.
Don't cry Jenna, don't cry! I have waited so long....
Lastnight after rollerblading and longboarding through several of the
complexes and steep hills (poor decision) at twilight, My roomate and
I walked in the back door of her Nepali friends apartment where she was
sitting on the floor eating rice and curry with her hands. We traded the
little Nepali we knew back and forth and watched a volleyball court full of
children and adults playing various sports through their opened sliding
glass doors. The kids didn't take long to see our vacant roller blades and
long board sitting outside and soon after the laughter began to explode.
When we got back to our apartment for the night God gave me the opportunity
to speak value into the life of a little Nepali boy named "Sag" (shortened
for privacy) who has been physically abused, tossed around, and pretty
much neglected in his family. We sat on the doormat, hail and rain coming
down around us, his voice shouting lies of "I am not good, I am not good,
God don't fix my problem, don't fix any problem, doesn't know A,B,C,D." My
heart breaking... but seeing Jesus there with us speaking the words to him
coming out of my mouth. "When you were born how do you think you got here?"
"MY MOTHER!" "Yeah, but how do you think you became this beautiful person
you are?" "I AM NOT BEAUTIFUL!" "You are beautiful and when you were born
God said, that is good! You are beautiful, that's just how I wanted you to
come out, with this personality! He says you are valuable." "What is
valuable?" "It's like gold, like gems, like treasure."
Day by day,
child by child,
God sees them each and wants His good for their life, their relationship and restoration.
Please pray with me for the complex of Willow Branch, it is new to me and
FULL of children. It is HUGE and overwhelming, but God wanted me here. After a month of indecision and painful processing in confusion about coming back, God spoke as I sought Him for 30 minutes a day in the Word to add something good into my life during Lent. It was time. He
told me on a Thursday, I quit my job at home on a Friday, and was here one
week later. God has a plan but He has been telling me that nothing will
come without prayer as its foundation. Also, COME VISIT!
I am searching for a part time job and would love your prayers for this as
well to help out with living costs here. Thank you if you made it this
far... I cherish your involvement in my life. It is through the prayers and
financial gifts of my bigger family that I am able to be here bringing the
kingdom of God amidst so many lies.
Logistical things:
- living on remaining funds raised during missionary training school and
seeking a part time job to be available to do ministry.
- not officially serving with a specific organization, but living
incarnationally and missionally as God unfolds the plan He has for this
complex of unreached peoples and churchplanting among the children and
their families. My roomate and I would love to pioneer a sports ministry
here.
- My Iranian rooomates are moving this week into a different complex and
we feel this is best as the apartment is about to become the hub for
childrens ministry.
- Praying about serving on a team in South Africa this summer, as well
as, doing Teach For America to get a teaching certficate debt free which
would be very helpful overseas (I made it to the final round of
interviews!) I also have a job interview today to be a teacher here in the
Fall at a non-traditional multicultural private school and be able to
continue to do ministry in my complex. Please pray God would help me sort
out the direction to go!
I love you all!! Wanna hear from ya!
Jenna Givens
822 N.Indian Creek Dr. Apt. A8
Clarkston, GA 30021
Question:
How many women from how many cultures does it take to nail a wobbly
bookshelf to the wall??
Well, definitely more than 3 from more than two!
I am once again familiar with the perpetual sweaty hand print on the front
door, constant smushing of 6 legged carpet passersby, waterfall decorated
ceilings and the sport of bucket sprinting, and the really annoying
side affect of living with refugees... unconciously always talking
with my hands! I am anything but cool. But more on this shananagans in a
second...
Welcome back to life shared through written words! Thanks for taking the
time to read along with me, though I don't deserve your grace after a such
profound pause.
Life is FINALLY in forward swing after one heck of a hefty comma which I
would love to tell you about now that I have all my cogs and wheels ticking
in sense making motion.
Where have I been all this time?
Home.
After completing missonary training school and my role as the college
women's summer internship leader for church planting in Clarkston after I
was very abruptly returned home for treatment from a terribly failing body.
Living in low-income apartments with the refugees came with an unforseen
cost in my apartment, Toxic Black Mold Syndrome. My system, after living in
the heat of GA for so long with the spores going crazy in my apartment,
took a nose dive for the worst and I left everything to come home and seek
help.
God in His loving way and through the diligence of my awesome mom led us to
the answer after so many blood tests, scans, and costly dead ends. I can't
even begin to tell you the desperation of this process and the relief when
God introduced us to Nutritional Wellness Initiative in Knoxville, TN.
Let me give you the list so you can understand better where God has
delivered me from...
When I first started treatment I was tested and found to be chock full of:
- The Largest parasites in my pancreas
- Heavy Metal poisening (really affected my memory)
- Arsenic
- Mold
- Gluten sensitivity and food allergies from having such a weak system
- Malnourished from failing digestion
- Unable to metabolize fats and sugars
- (if not for running so much would have become obese)
- Overloaded and sick liver, so much so I had to eliminate any fragrances and pesticides because it couldn't process them out
- A bacterial infection called Klebsiella Pneumoneae
liver was in trouble and thus began the tests at the ER only to later
understand that it was because I was so sick I couldn't process out the
natural carotenes in the fruits and vegetables I was eating! I ended up
taking on the challenge of a 21 day detox fast of only homemade blended
soups made of strictly vegetables and powdered fruit drinks so my body
could heal instead of digesting all day. It was awful, but I made it and I
would do anything to get back on the mission field sooner! There were days
I could not make it from the couch to the kitchen.
Praise God for my family and all that they walked through with me. I cannot
convey to you in words the emotional and physical lows I experienced during
these past 7 months.... depression, struggle, searching, isolation. I like
to be real with people so they don't have to keep their burdens secret
either, so that is why I want you to know that even people who love Jesus
incredibly hard feel like He is a million miles away and may doubt Him to
the core. This has been my dark night of the soul and God has delivered me
from it.. which is the GOOD part I want to tell you about!!
WHERE AM I? CLARKSTON!!!! WITH THE REFUGEES I LOVE!
I am healthy, active, and walking in faith in a new complex as of one week ago!
The two ladies I mentioned regarding the wobbly bookshelf... they are
Iranian and they are currently my roomates along with one other American
girl who I grow fonder of everyday. It is incredible to be back in
community, with all its rediculous only in Clarkston moments. Let me tell
you about it just really quick because I have to tell you!!! My heart is
bursting, my sparkle is back, and you should know!
After failing to get the darn nail in the hard wood and pushing eachother
out of the way we resorted to a hook in the wall, very genius I know. It
was my idea.. ehem cough cough.
After it was over, covered in sweat I told the Iranian ladies, "This is how we say good job in America!" and high fived them both. Next thing I knew I was being summoned to the kitchen
where they had prepared scrambled omelette in a pan with olives and hot sauce to top it off and naan bread for scooping. We all sat on little chairs and stools huddled around a frying pan scooping the concoction onto our bread and speaking through mostly charades and broken English. It was a
beautiful moment and I was reminded again that God has such a clear call on
my life.
These are the moments that give me my deepest joy.
Don't cry Jenna, don't cry! I have waited so long....
Lastnight after rollerblading and longboarding through several of the
complexes and steep hills (poor decision) at twilight, My roomate and
I walked in the back door of her Nepali friends apartment where she was
sitting on the floor eating rice and curry with her hands. We traded the
little Nepali we knew back and forth and watched a volleyball court full of
children and adults playing various sports through their opened sliding
glass doors. The kids didn't take long to see our vacant roller blades and
long board sitting outside and soon after the laughter began to explode.
When we got back to our apartment for the night God gave me the opportunity
to speak value into the life of a little Nepali boy named "Sag" (shortened
for privacy) who has been physically abused, tossed around, and pretty
much neglected in his family. We sat on the doormat, hail and rain coming
down around us, his voice shouting lies of "I am not good, I am not good,
God don't fix my problem, don't fix any problem, doesn't know A,B,C,D." My
heart breaking... but seeing Jesus there with us speaking the words to him
coming out of my mouth. "When you were born how do you think you got here?"
"MY MOTHER!" "Yeah, but how do you think you became this beautiful person
you are?" "I AM NOT BEAUTIFUL!" "You are beautiful and when you were born
God said, that is good! You are beautiful, that's just how I wanted you to
come out, with this personality! He says you are valuable." "What is
valuable?" "It's like gold, like gems, like treasure."
Day by day,
child by child,
God sees them each and wants His good for their life, their relationship and restoration.
Please pray with me for the complex of Willow Branch, it is new to me and
FULL of children. It is HUGE and overwhelming, but God wanted me here. After a month of indecision and painful processing in confusion about coming back, God spoke as I sought Him for 30 minutes a day in the Word to add something good into my life during Lent. It was time. He
told me on a Thursday, I quit my job at home on a Friday, and was here one
week later. God has a plan but He has been telling me that nothing will
come without prayer as its foundation. Also, COME VISIT!
I am searching for a part time job and would love your prayers for this as
well to help out with living costs here. Thank you if you made it this
far... I cherish your involvement in my life. It is through the prayers and
financial gifts of my bigger family that I am able to be here bringing the
kingdom of God amidst so many lies.
Logistical things:
- living on remaining funds raised during missionary training school and
seeking a part time job to be available to do ministry.
- not officially serving with a specific organization, but living
incarnationally and missionally as God unfolds the plan He has for this
complex of unreached peoples and churchplanting among the children and
their families. My roomate and I would love to pioneer a sports ministry
here.
- My Iranian rooomates are moving this week into a different complex and
we feel this is best as the apartment is about to become the hub for
childrens ministry.
- Praying about serving on a team in South Africa this summer, as well
as, doing Teach For America to get a teaching certficate debt free which
would be very helpful overseas (I made it to the final round of
interviews!) I also have a job interview today to be a teacher here in the
Fall at a non-traditional multicultural private school and be able to
continue to do ministry in my complex. Please pray God would help me sort
out the direction to go!
I love you all!! Wanna hear from ya!
Jenna Givens
822 N.Indian Creek Dr. Apt. A8
Clarkston, GA 30021
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