Joy In a Stolen Bicycle

So this past week has been an interesting one. I've been settling in with my host/flatmate, Diana. She is this amazing woman of God who is Spirit filled and Spirit led. It's awesome to be living with such a wonderfully sweet woman who truly lives out her faith. She can sound a bit cooky at times, but that's partly because she doesn't mind standing out in the crowd.

I started gaining a little independence this week by learning the routes and borrowing a bicycle to take those routes! It was great on Monday, biking to the office in the morning and not making anyone have to give me a lift. It was also great on Tuesday as I got a little lost and was a little late arriving in Tremorfa. I got independence and exercise! 

Then came the interesting part: I locked up the bicycle on the bike rack outside the church where we were working on Tuesday. It was a bright, sunny day, the blinds in the church were all open, and we had someone doing some maintenance on the building from the outside. We were having a great time inside building relationships with some mothers of young children, playing with the kids and having lunch with all of them, when I took a look outside. What I saw were 4 bike racks with no bike to be seen. I went outside to double check and found that all the racks were empty and under the one where the bike had been was what was left of my bike-lock. My bike was stolen!

So for the rest of the day I was left to carry the heavy bag that was designed to attach to the bike. And while I was able to catch a train nearby, I still had to walk a bit more than a mile. So here I am, walking home and really just having a pity party. I started listing all the things that had gone wrong that week and of course things just spiralled from there. 

But somewhere in the middle of my complaining, I felt God nudging me. Suddenly this happy, kind of goofy song popped in my head and I felt like I should sing it. I really didn't want to, but ended up singing anyways. I don't know what the other people on the sidewalk were thinking, but I started singing, and then the song turned to a worship song, and then another! Soon, I was praising God instead of just complaining to Him! It turned my whole day around. I was happy the rest of the day, no matter what happened, and I've still been surprisingly happy whenever the bike is brought up. I've started praying that whoever took the bike would feel so guilty about taking it that he would return it and get saved! You may join me in praying for this if you like.

God has been teaching me to praise Him, no matter the circumstance. And it turns out that it will change your view entirely. It's like when you smile while you're in a bad mood, you will suddenly be in a good mood and thinking about why you're in a good mood. 

So thank you, Lord, for what you are doing in this community and with this unknown person who will soon be saved. I pray you will be blessed this week. 

If you would like email updates, please email me at Natasha@heartlandfw.org.

We are still well below our goal financially, so please pray about contributing towards this trip. If you are unsure if you can afford to contribute: stay tuned for the next episode of Natasha's Journeys

Across the Ocean At Last

Well, I finally made it over! I actually arrived on Tuesday morning, but this is my first evening off since I’ve been here, so I thought now would be a good time to update you all.

I’ve been to a couple of meetings with the young people over here and things have gone about as expected: kids being kids. A lot of these kids are new Christians (which is amazing!) so they are asking a lot of questions trying to figure out what they believe. It’s awesome to see this stage of Christianity, especially with all these young people exploring God for themselves. I grew up around mostly Christians, and while I have done youth ministry before, it was mostly mentoring young people who have already accepted Christ.  This is a whole new experience for me and I look forward to learning more about God on this journey. I always feel like you learn more about a subject when you teach and have to explain that subject to someone else. Please pray that God gives me wisdom and opportunities to share and talk about His love to others.

All this has been great for a first week , but unfortunately it’s not going to last if my finances don’t come through.  For those who would like to donate on a monthly basis here is a chart on how much I’ll need for the basics on a monthly basis. It would be extremely helpful if you would commit to donating for a need that will be coming up:

Rent per month: $430

Bills per month: $362

Food per month: $172

Transportation per month: $52

Plane ticket home: $1,000

*This is based off the expenses of a previous American intern

Unexpected Plot Twist

Even as recent as Monday I was expecting that today I would wake early, get on a plane and be halfway to Europe by this evening. But that is where the plot twist came in: some very important things had not yet arrived in the mail. Things so important that there was no way I'd even make it on a plane without. So here I am sitting at home writing this blog because now I have another week and a half to pack up everything and leave. 

Needless to say I was very disappointed when I heard we would have to set the flight date back so far and I'll admit there were a few tears. I think some of my tears were from the disappointment, but some were from realizing that the stress I had put on myself to get everything finished yesterday was not even necessary (not that stress is ever necessary, but that's a whole different point). 

I kept wondering what I could have done differently or paid extra for or something that would have sped the process to help me leave at the appointed time. I was venting a bit to my mother and she reminded me that though it was an unexpected delay for us, God wasn't surprised by it. She suggested I use this time to pray and journal about the journey ahead (something I'd not been doing much lately due to busyness getting ready to leave).

I suppose it really is a blessing in disguise. While I am still rather bummed that I won't be arriving early tomorrow morning, I can use this time to focus on the One who put me on this mission in the first place. We can get so busy working for God that we can forget to focus on Him. 

Also, I need to learn to trust God with everything. I've been really trusting when it comes to finances, but because of this holdup I'm forced to face the fact that I was worrying about other things that I should have put in God's hands a long time ago.

So if you're in need of something to pray for: pray that I learn to trust God in all matters, not just the ones I choose, and that these papers arrive in the mail before the next flight.

Here's a quick praise God: We have passed the $3,000 mark!
Please pray about giving to support this trip. We still need about $10,000 or more. 

Thank you so much to those who have already supported. I love you all.

Your sister in Christ,

Natasha Utz

Pre Travel Jitters

So you know before a wedding the bride and/or groom might get jitters and start to rethink this whole idea?
Well, I've had a bit of that. I know I'm not making a lifetime commitment in my moving to Wales, just a year long commitment. I've committed to things like dance and other things of that sort for a year. I guess what really hit me today was the full time part of it. I can't just call off on a day when I feel I can't handle things.

This is giving my WHOLE LIFE for a year to God. I've stepped out in faith before for different mission trips, but never putting all of myself into His Hands before. I don't know where the finances are to fund this, I don't know who I'll meet or what I'll encounter, but I know I will be challenged. I will have my faith tested, my morals questioned, and will have to rely on God for my everything. That's hard, when you're not sure how God will provide next months rent.

But I know He will. I know things will be difficult, and that I will probably be pushed way beyond my comfort zone and beyond what I think I'm capable of doing. But I also know that God will be my strength and my provider. I know that by myself I can do nothing, but with Him, I am capable of all things. God will help me rise to the occasion and push the boundaries that I put on myself and Him.

It's really rather hard to find comfort in Someone I can't see or feel, but He's been helping prepare me for that while I'm still at home. I don't know how, but in some hard circumstances I've been faced with already, I've found comfort in singing worship songs and making music to praise Him. It reminds me of Paul the Apostle when he was imprisoned (one time of many) and he and whoever was with him started singing worship songs and then other prisoners joined in and soon an earthquake caused the prison walls to collapse.

Somehow, even when I don't feel like singing, when I start worshiping God and giving Him praise for His goodness, the walls and whatever was oppressing me shatters and God's glory comes out. I pray that His glory will continue to come forth as I continue to follow where He leads.

I know I said it was pre-travel jitters, and I do get a bit nervous about what lies ahead for me, but I know God will take care of me. Even if I question myself, I can never question the goodness and Love of my God. I'm going forward!

Please pray for me in this preparation time, for peace and finances to come through. Also, please pray about giving toward this trip. God works through His people, does He not?

Thank you so much for the support you've shown me already. I know the Family of God's, really is my family.

My Official Support Letter

Hello Everyone!

As some of you know (and have helped with) I went to Ireland last summer on a two week mission trip. It was amazing, but I feel I would be more effective going on a longer mission. I’ve been praying with my family and pastors and we believe that I should go to Wales as an intern. This time I would be gone a year! Which means a lot more in commitment and costs.

I want to thank you again for the support you’ve shown me in the past and I would like to ask for it again on this upcoming adventure.

For the next year I will be working as an intern with a ministry called “ignite”. I will be a part of several of their outreaches. “Re:gen Tremorfa” and “Speak” to name a couple. 

“Re:gen Tremorfa” is a ministry where they run a youth drop-in center in the southern part of Cardiff, Wales. This is one of the most poverty stricken areas in Wales. As a team our primary goal is to develop an authentic, incarnational ministry, to truly love our neighbors as ourselves. From this starting point action and service will pour out which might include youth clubs, detached ministry, sports teams, kids clubs etc.

“Speak” is a conference that “ignite” does to ignite a passion for Christ in young people.  They also have different courses that I will take part in.
They are also looking to find new ways to share Christ and to connect with young people and I’m really looking forward to taking the gifts God’s given me and giving them back to God for His uses.

The overall cost of the internship will be somewhere around $12,000. I know that nothing I do will bring these funds about, but I also know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I’m now asking that you pray about giving to this ministry by supporting me financially, through air-miles, or through prayer.

The date I am hoping to leave will be September 2^nd. All contributions will be appreciated. These funds will help me continue in the ministry throughout the year, so please pray about giving monthly. If you would like to get a receipt for your donation, please make checks out to Heartland Church with a note attached with my name on it. Please don’t put my name in the memo.
The address for Heartland Church is 1025 Vance Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46805

I’m really excited about this new opportunity to do ministry. I’m so thankful for all my friends and family who support me in all my endeavors for Christ.

Praise be to God, Who makes all things possible!

Your sister in Christ,

Natasha L. Utz

Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine, according to the resurrection power at work in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, world without end!”

Faith, Trust, and... Ephesians 3:20

As a child, one of my favorite stories was the story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. In this story, the only way the children could fly was to have "Faith, trust and pixie-dust." 

I was recently thinking of this phrase and realized that being obedient to God involves the first two things needed to fly: Faith and Trust. Now I know that God doesn't go around sprinkling fairy dust onto His followers (most the the time ;), but He does give us another sort of power. God gave us the Holy Spirit to live in us and to guide us. This is the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. (Romans 8:11) And with this Spirit "God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine, according to the resurrection power at work in us" Ephesians 3:20. If God can go above and beyond what I can ask or imagine, then why can't I fly?

Though I know God could make me fly if He wanted to, right now He has another mission for me. I'm going to Wales. For a whole year. I'm a bit nervous about it, but I know that God's got me. That's where the trust comes in. 

Now the faith will be a bit more challenging. "Faith without action is dead" James 2:14-26. That means that sometimes you have to take action and leap without seeing beforehand where you'll land. I have no idea where I'm going to land during this adventure, and I don't know where the money will come from to support me. But I'm buying a plane ticket and boarding the plane, having faith and trusting that God will provide for His own work to be done. 

I know that God can do all things, and that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). So I'm going to take the leap of faith. I'm going to jump and not see where I'm landing. But I will have faith and trust in God, and I know that if He doesn't let me land, He'll sprinkle me with His pixie-dust. So it's in obedience to God that I use these ingredients.....

And fly!