One Last Post...

I can't believe how much I've been slacking on blogging since getting married. It's been a crazy summer with a lot of joy, a lot of adjustment and a lot of learning. On Monday, I start my senior year of college and that is also hard to believe. Life is really rushing by and it sometimes feels as though I'm on the sidelines just watching.

I know I never did an update about Staten Island. The trip there had it's ups and downs. First of all, seeing Jen and Ronnie and other staff members that week was just amazing. I miss my friends so much! It's been hard working and NOT living in an area where ReachGlobal Crisis Response is ministering. Being on Staten Island, working alongside these girls and getting to know a team was a great feeling. There are SO many exciting things going on there and if you aren't familiar with our work there you should check out our blog! I learned a lot about patience and finding my joy in CHRIST that week.

This is my last month with ReachGlobal Crisis Response. After 2 years and 3 months of being a part of that team, I don't think it's hit me yet. God has taught me so much about myself and ministry in the past couple years and so many things have happened because of being in ministry. I will never stop loving the city of New Orleans because of it. I will always look at my husband and thank my Savior for His divine plans for my life. I will always have a special place in my heart for Haiti. I will never forget the stories I've heard, both tragic and full of hope. And I can never thank YOU, reader, enough for supporting me, praying for me, asking about me, giving to me, and following this journey I've been on.

Someday, I may hear the call of God and return to this ministry. For now, I'm realizing that this door is closed for the time being. I have different responsibilities. I'm a wife, a student, a church member and first and foremost a Christ follower. 2 years ago, some  of those things never would have been exciting to me. But, now, I look at my responsibilities and understand the opportunities I have. I thank Jesus for the grace I'm given to be what he calls me to be. It's only by that grace that I am able.

I apologize for how scattered this post is, but, it really hard to get my thoughts together. I've not been looking forward to this, because it sounds like goodbye and I love blogging plus ministry! I just want to thank you again for all you've done. It's been an amazing experience and I am beyond blessed.

-Chelsea

What Would Jesus (Really) Do?

Dustin and I recently discussed what Jesus would look like if He were God in flesh today. I'm not talking physical appearance, I'm saying what would He be saying and doing and with whom would He be spending His precious time? We mentioned how Jesus' main crowd during His years of ministry consisted mostly of sinners.
Ok, we're all sinners. But think about the worst people you can imagine, the ones you don't want your kids to know about, the ones you avoid eye contact with when you pass them on the street. Those were the people that Jesus attracted. Not only did he attract them. He sought them out. Zacchaeus, for example, was called out of a tree by Jesus. He was a despicable human being among the Jews of the New Testament. He swindled them out of their money and deceived them. Jesus ministered to people possessed by demons, prostitutes, criminals. When I think about it, it blows my mind. If I'm supposed commanded to be like my Savior, why am I avoiding the people that need Him the most?

"And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.'" - Mark 2:17

Tomorrow, I'm flying to Staten Island and staying there until Sunday. It will be an awesome week! We'll have around 80 volunteers and I won't just be doing communications stuff but also fun things like hosting and job site hopping! Pray for me and the other staff members this week, as we are a little short on helping hands but I firmly believe that God is going to strengthen us! Pictures and updates to come :)

Chelsea

Home Sweet Home

The title of this blog is me thinking positively! I can't say that Bolivar, Missouri feels like home yet, but I'm working towards it, and being with my husband is definitely helping :)

Dustin and I are back in Missouri for the foreseeable future and I'm so excited about the opportunities coming up! Before I start there, though, let me just share that our wedding was the most beautiful day of my life. I've never had so much fun, nor felt so blessed! The honeymoon was in Breckenridge, Colorado and it was almost just as beautiful as May 25th :)

Here we are horseback riding in the mountains!

The ReachGlobal Crisis Response chapter in my life is drawing to a close, at least for the time being, in August. I'm very excited though, to be making a trip to Staten Island the week of July 7th. I'll be seeing Ronnie and hopefully a couple more great friends! That week we'll have eighty volunteers in New York, repairing damaged homes from Sandy. I am so excited to be back on a construction site (ok, I probably won't stay there long...)! It will definitely be fun to see and hear about God's provision and the progress that is being done there. 

As always, thank you for your prayers and support!

Chelsea Mosher :)

She Wears White...

The past couple of weeks, I've constantly been reminded of the beauty of Christ and His relationship with His Bride, the Church. Whether it's in a sermon, a song or even a conversation with a friend, the subject keeps popping up.

Now here I am, the night before my wedding and I'm thinking about how wonderful it feels to be the bride. I have a faint idea of how it will feel on that great Wedding Day when the Bride finally is with Her Savoir.

I have an awful, filthy life to offer Dustin tomorrow. But he knows that, he accepts me, he forgets the wrongs I've committed, and loves me anyway. Because of that, I can wear white. Just like Christ, when Dustin looks at me, he sees someone pure and unblemished. That is an incredible feeling. I'm so overwhelmed right now by the love of my Savoir and the love of the man I'm marrying. I'm so blessed to see my future husband mirroring Christ.

Our greatest prayer tomorrow is that we glorify God. We want him to receive all the praise and all the honor. It's not about Dustin and I. It's about a Savoir who placed two sinners together and gave the grace to have the ability to bring him glory through a marriage. I want everyone to see that! Please pray that tomorrow will be all about Jesus, not about us! I will wear white because I am washed in the blood of Christ and I have no shame in Him. For that, I'm forever grateful.

It's Been a Long Time Coming...

It's been a long time! So much has happened in the past 3 weeks between going to New Orleans for our meetings, Dustin coming for a week, going to New Jersey to visit our Sandy staff and check out some job sites, bringing Ronnie home with me and enjoying my first bridal shower. I'm still catching up on life because unfortunately, two jobs, wedding planning and school do not stop when the rest of life goes crazy. It's a shocker, I know.
I feel as though everything that has happened should have it's own blog post. And maybe I will break it down a little bit in the coming weeks. So let me first start with TouchGlobal's February meetings in New Orleans. Again, I'm so so so thankful for the overwhelming amount of support I receive to do my job. And it is a wonderful job, indeed. I was able to see and fellowship with my TouchGlobal family and learn more about what is going on at our different sites, especially New Jersey where we stationed ourselves after Sandy.
One exciting turn of events that I'd like to announce is that we are changing our name from TouchGlobal to ReachGlobal Crisis Response. Nothing inside the ministry is changing, nor the things that we do. The name change is happening in order to bring better understanding to who our ministry is and what we do. It brings clarity to the fact that we are a part of the Evangelical Free Church of America. From a communications standpoint, re-branding is always a difficult endeavor, but I believe this is in the best interest of our ministry. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Needless to say, though, being in New Orleans for 5 days was an absolute dream! I was able to attend church at Castle Rock in the city, meet some new friends there, hang out in the French Quarter, and spend time with the lovely people on staff during our 8.5 hour meetings :)

Yumm! Beignets with Ariealle and Jen Jones!

I was able to have lunch with these lovely ladies from Castle Rock, Ariealle and Intern-Katie!

I'm praising God for the ministry that HE led me to! It is HIM who is doing all of the great things through Crisis Response. What a mighty God we serve!

-Chelsea

Back in NOLA

As some of you might know, I'm in New Orleans writing this blog post! Just being here for the past 24 hours has reminded me how  much I absolutely love this city. I have missed driving around these crazy streets, eating amazing creole food and seeing God at work in people that I meet.

Yummm! Gumbo!

Just this morning, I went to church at Castle Rock Community in the city and it was so incredible worshiping with old friends and meeting new ones.

My new friend Raeion. We got to have lunch together!

The reason why I'm here in NOLA this week is because TouchGlobal is having their biannual meetings to go over new sites (like New Jersey) and strategic plans for the rest of the year.  Please pray for us this week as we meet,  pray and plan. Also pray for my safety as I fly back to Pennsylvania on Thursday morning. I am praising God for the ability to be a part of such a Christ-centered ministry! I also want to thank my supporters because you all made it possible to be here this week.  I'm looking forward to updating my blog and telling you how this week goes.  Thank you for your prayers!

Love,
Chelsea

Sex-trafficking in the Crescent City

If your family is anything like mine, you're probably grocery shopping tomorrow for the big Superbowl party this Sunday. Whether you are hosting or going, you are one of the thousands that will tune into the big game. You may not know that a lot more than football is happening on Superbowl weekend every year. While one team wins a championship, hundreds of lives are ruined by the hour.

Superbowl weekend is the biggest weekend in the world of sex-trafficking in the United States. When all of those fans arrive in the city of New Orleans this weekend, so will many people who are trapped in sin and looking to exploit girls and women in exchange for money.

Check out this article by Justin Holcomb from Mars Hill Church and join me this weekend in lifting the women and girls of New Orleans in prayer.

Pray:

• For protection of the girls and women whose lives are in danger this weekend
• For those who are using sexual exploitation for their own gain; pray for their souls and their salvation
• For the end of human trafficking. Our God is greater!

-Chelsea

Leaving

Today was very hard for me, as it is my last day being with my fiance before I move back to Pennsylvania. In fact, it's very possible that I won't see him for more than two months. Two things occurred to me tonight:

1. My God is bigger than my problems.
2. My God is my strength. Not my future husband.

Dustin and I watched the Indescribable lecture by Louie Giglio a couple of nights ago. If you haven't seen it, you can watch it here. Basically, Giglio gives an incredible presentation on the magnitude of God by exploring the mysteries and the vastness of the universe. I realize now more than ever just how incredibly small I am. That my entire life, let alone seasons of my life, is just a tiny spark of light that extinguishes within seconds. And suddenly, every problem that I've ever encountered is diminished in the presence of a big huge and holy God. The four months that stand between me and our wedding day is nothing, absolutely nothing, when I remember that my God holds the universe in the palm of his hand. It is estimated that there are about 200 billion stars. If you were to count every star at the rate of one star per second, it would take 6,341 years. The Bible says that God has created every individual star and calls them by name. That is my God.

Secondly, I was reading Psalm 73 today and came across these verses:

"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever...But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds."
(verses 23-26, 28)

This giant God, this sovereign Being is my refuge. I take shelter in him because he is strong and he is enough. I don't know about you, but I find comfort in that tonight. That, despite my smallness and insignificance, I'm watched over by my heavenly Father who delights in me when I call upon his name in prayer.

Mini Update

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you were able to celebrate the birth of our risen Lord! My Christmas was great and spent with Dustin's family. I'm realizing how awesome marriage is going to be. Dustin and I always talk about how blessed we are to be marrying into families that are supportive, generous and kind! It's wonderful to feel apart of a family, even while you're away from home.

Merry Christmas!

On Christmas day, I milked a cow with Dustin's cousin, Callie! 

Right now, I'm preparing to move back to Pennsylvania for the next, almost 5 months. During that time I'm looking forward to visiting New Orleans in February, visiting our Hurricane Sandy site in Galloway, NJ a few times and of course, planning my wedding.
This weekend I'm sending out a newsletter with an update on our Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. If you would like and update and don't receive my newsletters, just give me your email address and I will get one to you!
My latest project for TouchGlobal is writing an article for EFCA Today, EFCA's online magazine. Check out the magazine here. I'll provide an additional link when that article is published.

Prayer Requests:
- I can always use prayer for more support! Please pray that God will raise up people who can give financially and commit to praying for me.
-Safe flight back home (Friday, Jan. 11th)
-Easy transition back in Pennsylvania.

Money Talk

I just spent the past 2 hours pouring over my budget, listing the Christmas gifts we are getting everyone, silently groaning noting every time I subtract a dollar, calculating every last cent.

I know, it's blank. This was before all the scribbling :)

I'm pretty sure this isn't normal, but my heart beats faster when I see how money looks on paper. And I mean, it beats like a drum. Not in a happy, excited way. In a "ohmygoodnessthislookshorribleIamsobadatthishowwillIeatthismonth" way. Then I text Dustin.
"Hey, I don't think we can buy presents for extended family this year."
"Hey, it doesn't look like immediate family is going to work either."
"Hey, are you sure you want to do presents for each other this year?"

No, I'm kidding. It's not that bad. But all this to say: I GOT PAID TODAY!! That means most of my support is going towards savings for the next plane ticket I have to buy!! Thank you all so much! It just touches my heart to know that the people I love and pray for are also praying for me and supporting my passion to tell God's stories! Technically, I'm supported for the next couple months but I'm still in need of about 4 supporters (able to give $50 a month) who can carry me through until August. So please pray for that, friends!

Tonight, after having my budget heart palpitations, I just want to step back and praise my Savior for the reason I can celebrate this time of year. He was born and killed for a hopeless wreck like me. Not only that, but he resurrected to save my soul and prove that He alone is my Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord has provided for me over and over again. As I reflect over this past year and how He has given me all that I need, I would like to invite you to do the same. Maybe share with a comment on this post? Thanks :)

Love,
Chelsea

Reflection

I've been opening my laptop, going to my blog and looking at a white, blank text box since Monday morning. In the end, I close the laptop and tell myself I'll write this blog later.

Last weekend, I went to New York and New Jersey in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. I saw a lot of things. My trip to Colorado this summer was just a tiny glimpse of what it's like to be involved in a initial response to a natural disaster when the wildfires terrorized the city of Colorado Springs. I can't compare it to last week's trip at all.

I'm honestly not sure what to say. I could write about the gasoline lines. I could write about moms, dads and children carrying bundles of soaked belongings from their house to the curb. I could write about the woman who teared up, telling us that her teenage daughter was handling the loss of their home very well and that she was proud of her. And then there is the overwhelming response from people who want to help. Tables are set up everywhere offered free food and drinks. People are giving out donated coats from the trunk of their car. Amazing things happen in a community when there is a crisis.

One team from Pennsylvania really touched me last Saturday. I'm pretty sure Cornerstone EFC comes to New Orleans to serve at least once a quarter. You get the picture, they are there a lot and I've had a lot of interaction with them. But they really blew me away last week.

Hoboken EFC is located in New Jersey and the city itself is actually below sea level in most, if not all, parts. So, needless to say, Hoboken had a fair amount of damage after Sandy. Hoboken EFC had knee-deep water in their basement which was not only renovated a couple years ago but also the center for a lot of ministry that happens in the tiny, one square-mile city. The Pastor Paul I met on Friday (Nov. 2) was not the same pastor I saw again, 24 hours later. On Friday, I met a man whose heart was breaking and who was physically and emotionally tired and unsure of what to do next. As the penetrating smell of mold hung heavily in the air we breathed, he was discouraged and quiet. So...we set up a course of action.


Cornerstone's response was immediate and enthusiastic. They embraced the challenge of gutting out a dank, smelly basement and hosting a neighborhood block party. Quite possibly the first block party every in Hoboken! I didn't get to hang around much on Saturday in Hoboken because we were pretty much on the move all day, but for the short time I was able to stop in and visit I was so encouraged! Of course it's always nice to see old friends :) The block part seemed to be a huge success! Never have I seen strangers gather in front of a building just to hang out and eat some hotdogs in the northeast. Wow, what an incredible, practical way to show the love of Christ! These people had been stuck in their dark, powerless houses for days and just seeing another person and having a conversation was a delight for them!

I suppose I should have just started typing a long time ago...I discovered what I wanted to blog about! Again, this disaster just makes support raising more urgent. The ONLY reason I was able to travel last minute to the northeast is because of the generosity of EFCA paying for my plane ticket, food, etc. In order to be able to do this the next time TouchGlobal wants to respond to a crisis, I need to use the support money raised to get there. Please prayerfully consider being a part of the kingdom in this way. If  you are already supporting me and you plan to keep doing it for another year, you are AWESOME. Just shoot me an e-mail to let me know :)

chelsea.buffington@efca.org

Love in Christ,
Chelsea

P.S. - I took a million pictures, but they aren't uploading. Check back for pictures or check out TouchGlobals Facebook.

Hurricane Sandy Created a Mission Field

I am amazed at God's sovereignty. Today, I am completely and utterly amazed by that.

Just the front of a long line of people waiting for gasoline

I had emailed Mark earlier this week about doing whatever he wanted me to do in the wake of Hurricane Sandy to get the news out. I never expected him to ask me to come to the east coast this weekend. Within 19 hours of getting a phone call from him, I bought my plane ticket, packed, finished a presentation due the next day, did various other things I was planning to do this weekend, presented my presentation had one last meal with Dustin and hopped on a plane to Philly. Can I just say right now that I love my job? And air travel.

Today was definitely an experience. I've never seen hurricane damage so soon after the actual disaster. It was eerily similar to New Orleans and the pictures I've seen post-Katrina. People lined up for at least a mile at most gas stations, both standing and in cars. While driving through New Jersey last night, we would hit spots that were completely blacked out.

 I walked up a street today and people wandered past me, unsure of what to do with their soaking wet possessions piled up on the sidewalks. I saw the caution tape slapped onto a house that you could see straight through to the back door. I looked at pictures taken of a woman's house that was completely under water. And I watched a pastor light up at the mention of doing a block party and handing out food tomorrow in front of his church. I listened to the story of a woman who worked in a shelter for the past few days, helping people who had a home one day and nothing the next. I sat around a kitchen table and talked to a family who was excited to have us in their house and wanted to learn more about this ministry.

Photo taken in front of a property on Staten Island.
Things salvaged from the flood.

I don't think people realize how bad it is until they come here and see it for themselves. That's why I'm doing this. People need to know and see pictures and hear stories of real people that we've met that are suffering and struggling. People that are rejoicing because of their hope in Christ, not their hope in things. Today, I heard that 3% of Staten Island (which has a lot of damage) claims to evangelical Christians. That's 3% of over half a million people. We believe that a mission field is created in the wake of every crisis. This is a mission field. We have an opportunity.

Blink

"Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure." Psalm 39:4-5

Last night, Dustin and I were coming back from the shooting range (our newest, cheap date idea), listening to worship music, when "Blink" by the band Revive played over the speakers. I immediately started to sing along to it and tapped away at my smartphone. For the first time, the lyrics to that song really sank in:

Teach me to number my days
And count every moment
Before it slips away
Take in all the colors
Before they fade to gray

At the exact same moment that I understood those lyrics, Dustin pointed out the gorgeous sunset and suggested we pull over and watch it. Suddenly, watching a sunset was the perfect use of my time.
Follow that up with a class the next day that went through the theology and practical application of the book of Ecclesiastes and I realized even more so how we are just a vapor. All day I've been thinking about how anything apart from Christ is meaningless, just like the author of Ecclesiastes claimed (Ecc. 1:14). How often do I chase after things that never last? It's like chasing the wind. Never really being satisfied because the object you're chasing is always on the move. Sometimes I think I'm so Americanized that the American dream has fooled me into desiring a certain mold, a lifestyle that makes me 'somebody'. But that's an entirely different topic for another day.
Maybe the problem is not even desiring (and acquiring) material things but being so busy that you overlook blessings. Last night's decision was unusual for me. Normally, I would've protested and told Dustin that I had mounds of homework piling up, that we need to pick out wedding music and (finally) finish our website. That sunset was created for appreciation and enjoyment. Who am I to pass up beauty that God places right before my eyes?
The song "Blink" goes on to ask, "What am I doing with my life?" I don't think that's a bad question to ask on a semi-regular basis, just to be certain that I am focused on things that really matter.
This brings me to the topic of TouchGlobal. I'm still raising support and I'm around the 50% mark of being fully supported for another year. I have one more month of raising support until my goal of starting my work back up on December 1st. If you are interested in coming alongside me and offering financial support please comment on this post, Facebook message me, call me, text me, email me (chelsea.buffington@efca.org), tweet me -- doesn't matter to me how it's done :) My goal is to get a newsletter out this week, just a reminder that I have another month left.
If you read all of that you are one amazing person, so a special thanks to YOU!
Love,
Chelsea Buffington

Back to Blogging (And it feels so good!)

Ah, it's been a while since I've blogged. It feels good to be typing in this little text box again.

An update on my life: Bolivar living is a little slower than New Orleans, but I'm certainly enjoying my time here and being closer to my fiance. School is going well (all A's so far :) ) and I've been loving the mail I get from my super friends and family! It's an adjustment, but I'm praising God that He is faithful and always sees me through.

I'm currently raising support for the  next year to be on TouchGlobal's staff as a part-time member. My duties will be:

1.       Writing articles for TouchGlobal's blog and the TouchGlobal Bridge (the newsletter).

2.       Helping to recruit interns and invest in my generation as they are called to be in the mission    field.

3.       Traveling to a response site to assess the damage and write stories.

It is a little less involved than as if I were actually living in Louisiana and working in the Covington office. Because of that, I'm raising less support than I did last year. This support includes the money that I will put back and access when there is a natural disaster or crisis that I must travel to (i.e. - Colorado wildfires this past summer).

Please let me know if you want to receive a letter from me with more details. If you are interested in supporting me, please email me at chelsea.buffington@efca.org.

I'm so excited about this opportunity! I'm praying that God will continue to use me and allow me to spread word of the work of his kingdom!

"He said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'"
Matthew 9:36 
 

One More Day

I've taken a break from staring at boxes and wishing they would pack themselves and now I'm sitting at our kitchen table, eating Skittles and telling Ronnie I can't believe we only have one more day left.

One more day.

This year flew by. It's hard to believe that there were times when my days seemed long.

It's not hard to believe how my God provided for me this year. I looked at my donor report this week and realized that there are people that I've never met, sending me support every month. Wow.  If you are reading this, and I've never met you but  you still faithfully pray for  me and help me do the ministry I'm called to do, THANK YOU. You are an amazing blessing from God!!

My time in New Orleans is drawing to a close and it's hard. It's hard not knowing when I'll be back. But I understand that there is a different plan for me right now. It's amazing how I've felt the Holy Spirit move me in certain directions this year. Just like I knew for a fact last fall that I needed to be in New Orleans, I know for a fact I'm supposed to be moving on now. I love New Orleans but this is not where I'm supposed to be living during this season of life. Although, I'm so so so so SO excited about this awesome opportunity to continue serving with TouchGlobal!!! I have a lot to look forward to: college, marriage, ministry...and this is only the beginning!

Enjoy some of the pictures from this year!

Thank you, everyone, for all the support you've given me both through prayer and financially this year! I thank God for you every time I think about you! I'm so excited for the next chapter of my life and I'm excited that I'll be able to continue to share it with you!

-Chelsea Buffington

Love is Marching and I'm Following

My eyes and ears were opened last week. I saw and heard Jesus.


Cardboard houses.


Jesus.


Blue, tattered tarps used as roofs.



Jesus.

A cerulean sea.


Jesus.

Tears wetting little faces that peaked around doors and watched me.


Jesus.

Tiny brown hands lifted high, clinging to me.


Jesus.


I learned that the poverty we see on television, the homeless, the orphaned, the widowed are not government 'problems'. They are a mission field for churches. Not churches, The Church. The Body of Christ.

The church sends people. She sends 'the called'.

"I'm not called to go there. I'm not equipped. I have my job, my kids, my parents, my house, my car to worry about. Someone else will go."



No, that someone is you. God commands it . I saw Jesus, I heard Him. He is every person that has ever needed help, love, healing (Matthew 25:40). We are called to action.

"He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing." Deuteronomy 10:18

 "Thus says the LORD, 'Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.'"  Jeremiah 22:3

 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’ But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry." Zechariah 7:9-12

I learned that compassion is not feeling badly. When Jesus had compassion, he went, he suffered with them, he healed them and raised them up.

I learned that I have this deep, God-given desire in my heart to get down on my hands and knees and love a person exactly where they are at. My heart is breaking -- breaking -- for the orphans that tugged on my clothes in Haiti, for the man on the street with one leg and a crutch -- watching cars race past, for the kids in New Orleans whose parents don't come home until midnight. I learned that this desire won't, can't and should not stop when I 'leave' this harvest in New Orleans. I need people to know that there is suffering all over the world. They need to go. We need to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Which brings me to the next step of my journey and my decision to stay on with TouchGlobal. I am commanded by God to use my talents, abilities and resources for His glory. I am still going to college and moving to Missouri in the fall, but I'll write stories for the ministry from a distance. This is one way I can use words to bring to light the desperate needs of people in crisis and poverty.

Because I am doing this, I need to continue to raise support so that I can travel for the ministry and take pictures and write down what I see.

Thank you for your prayers and support throughout this past year. Please pray about partnering with me, to let God's people know that they also need to step up and take action when they see something that breaks His heart.

"And when our hearts begin to break along with His, this world will change."

-"Love is Marching", Barlowgirl 

-Chelsea Buffington

The Travelling Summary

Hey y'all!!
I'm back from Haiti and Colorado and done with Challenge! Wow, what a crazy two weeks, but I loved every minute of it :) Thank you for the prayers that kept me going. I'm still feeling energized for my last 4 weeks in New Orleans!

Smoke rising out of the canyon. All the trees in front are burnt.

Colorado was a great experience. It was a quick, 14-hour trip but I learned a lot about our ministry and why we do what we do. The people I met there were incredible, the way they trusted God even without knowing if their houses were still standing. I hope I have that kind of faith! Please continue to pray for them and read the story I wrote for EFCA after coming back from CO. I was extremely impacted by my time there.

Jess and Liz and I at Challenge. I met them at our
awesome Haiti experience!

Challenge was just as awesome. I think I thrive on youth, or maybe I'm just subconsciously missing my youth group days as well. But being surrounded by over 5300 teens and lifting high the name of Jesus corporately was something I never experienced at their age. Plus, I was able to meet some of our Haiti staff before I even got to Haiti, practically live at the New Orleans convention center, and spend almost every waking moment with Katie Hooks.

Anika and I. This little girl attached herself to me. So cute!

And last, but not least, Haiti was incredible. At Challenge we set up an entire exhibition hall to look like Haiti. While I think we did a great job, it's nothing like experiencing it in person. If you saw our Love Moves Haiti exhibit and were impacted, go to Haiti. You will fall in love just like I did. What a beautiful country with an ongoing list of problems. Please, pray for Haiti.

Next week, my blog will be about the new direction I'm headed. Sorry for missing a week, but please keep checking back!

Love,
Chelsea :)

Wild Fires and Craziness that Ensues

The last blog post that I wrote, I had thought that the next place I was headed to was Haiti. That's been changed.
I heard the incredible story of Pastor Rob fleeing from the wild fire that broke out in Colorado and immediately my heart went out to him, his family and the people in Colorado Springs. I was able to write a communications piece for EFCA (check out www.efca.org and the TouchGlobal blog) on the Waldo Canyon Fire. I knew that Mark Lewis was headed there this weekend on a trip to assess damage and minister to those affected along with coming up with an action plan for response. I'm going to go with him and Ella to help and learn and listen. Yes, TouchGlobal is responding to this disaster.
Please, please pray for me, Mark and Ella as we visit Colorado. I leave tomorrow night (Friday) and return the following day. Right after, Challenge begins. It will be a busy week. I've had a lot of responsibilities with designing our booth and working with the Love Moves Haiti exhibit (to learn more, visit www.challengeconference.org), so I'm so thankful for the people who will be adopting my New Orleans duties while I'm in Colorado.
Thank you for your prayers and support!

Chelsea

Running Blind

Meet Simon Wheatcroft:

Simon was chosen to be a torchbearer in the 2012 Summer Olympic games. He'll be carrying the Flame through a small English village on June 26th, cheered on by friends and family. There is one thing that makes him pretty special: he's blind.

I thought about Wheatcroft as I was running today. I looked at my feet and watched them avoid every dip, step over sticks and roots and turn with the sidewalk. I couldn't imagine closing my eyes and running the rest of my route in the dark, even though I run it every day.

Sometimes, I feel like I'm running blind when it comes to my life, though. I really don't know what this next year will look like, exactly. Who does? I have plans...marriage, for example. A lot of things are unknown, though. I know what I want to do, I'm just not sure if it's what God wants me to do. But, I do have confidence. I know that Christ has gotten me this far, and I could not have done it myself. I depend on Him for strength and guidance. Proverbs 16:9 keeps coming into my head: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

One thing I feel like I'm running blindly into is Haiti. I've decided to go there with Ronnie and Katie in less than 3 weeks. It wasn't necessarily in my budget and it took almost my entire support for the month to buy the ticket, but I firmly believe that I'm called to go there this summer. I'll be there from July 8th - 12th. Please join me in prayer that, if it's His will, God will provide the funds to make up for the ticket I purchased.

There are various other decisions that I need to make that I feel in the dark about. Again, please pray for me, for wisdom and that I'll act on that wisdom, seeking the will of my Lord. I'm thinking that maybe we have to run blind in order to bring Christ glory. Because if we could do it all by ourselves, we wouldn't need Him.

Simon Wheatcroft is quoted, saying, "Belief in yourself gets you a long way. Don’t achieve what someone believes you are capable of, achieve what you believe you are capable of.” (ABC article about Simon Wheatcroft)

In my life, I want to say that belief in CHRIST gets you a long way. And that I don't achieve anything without His power and the passion for Him that burns inside me.

-Chelsea

Tearing Down Idols

"'Now then,' said Joshua, 'throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.'
And the people said to Joshua, 'We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.'" 

-Joshua 24:23-24

My theme this week is tearing down idols. This passage in Joshua really convicted me. Joshua asks the Israelites 3 times whom they will serve. Each time they answer with an emphatic "We will serve the Lord!"
Joshua even calls them out, challenges them saying that the Lord is holy and He is a jealous God and the Israelites are not able to fully serve Him if they will turn to foreign gods so easily. Again, their answer is the same.

How often do I tell God I'll serve Him and only Him? And how often do I say that and keep those little 'g' gods in the back of my head? Music, movies, friendships, worry, fear, pride....the list can go on forever. I don't care what it is, if it's taking the throne of God, it's an idol.

In the book of Judges, taking place directly after Joshua's death, we see the Israelites fall again and again and again. The vicious cycle continues for years and years. The Israelites replace the God of Jacob with idols, they are enslaved by another nation, they cry out to Jehovah, the Lord raises up a judge to  lead them, they are freed, and then they fall back into sin.

What happened to that commitment to serve the Lord and obey him? What happened to the fervor that gripped their hearts and the remembrance that kept them in awe of the God that rescued them from Egypt? What happened to my fervor? Where is my awe in remembering how Christ brought me up out of the miry clay and redeemed my soul?

I've had a couple goals in the past week to help me throw away my foreign gods and return to my First Love. One of these goals included cleaning out my media. I did it and it was surprisingly easy. As I looked at each song, it wasn't necessarily a question of whether or not it was 'bad' by any standards. The question was "What is distracting me from my walk with God?" What feelings or emotions does it evoke? What do I think about? When I considered what I was doing, I realized that of course my God is more important than any entertainment I own! How could I even compare the two? It made it so easy to listen with disgust to the songs that I ended up permanently deleting off of my computer.

So, now I want to ask you...What are your foreign gods and what will you do with them?

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..." - Joshua 24:15a