a new season

I just thought I would give a little update on where I'm at so far. Friends have been asking for updates but I find it difficult to reach out to everyone. So, social media it is. :)

As I mentioned in my last post, I quit my job of seven years working as a Behavioral Therapist at a local school district. That was a huge step for me. I had nothing to fall back on except hope. Hope that God would open up the right doors and lead me to something. In the mean time, I started babysitting. That was a huge blessing to me. Two days after I quit my job I had a great family ask me to watch their daughter. Two DAYS. Through them, I was approached by another family to watch their two children. The Lord has been so faithful. I am truly in awe of the small ways he cares and reveals himself to me.

 Fast forward 3 weeks and I went on my first job interview in seven years. It was nerve-racking to say the least. The interview was with my college pastor, who just planted a church in Long Beach, California. The position I was interviewing for was the Kids Ministry Director. Praying, waiting, and wondering if I was qualified enough, was difficult. After a week of constant prayer, I was faced with a question. The same question that I've been asked a lot these past two years. It was God asking me again, will you be obedient to where I am calling you? He hasn't failed me and he never will. His plans for my life have proven to be so much better than my own. Saying yes to him has been one of the greatest adventures of my life. With that said, I got the job! God has had his hand on this since the day I met my pastor all those years ago and I think its so funny to see how everything has played out. I am humbled and in awe of who God is. He is so incredibly faithful. I am so excited for this new season of growing and learning how to be a leader.

Please pray for me when you think about it. This is all so new for me. Pray that I will remain teachable and humble. For wisdom and discernment. Most importantly, pray that I will be able to disciple well.

Back to the grind

Hello friends! I have been back for two weeks now. It amazes me how fast time can go. These last couple weeks have had its ups and downs. I had to say goodbye to some of my best friends. They are now spread throughout the world. Literally. It was like closing one chapter and starting a new one all at the same time. Equally exciting and terrifying, but mostly bittersweet. Goodbyes suck. Theres no way around it. Seeing my family was amazing and helped with the sadness I was feeling. Its funny, community living was not my favorite thing in the world. However, being home and somewhat alone has made me miss it tremendously. I never thought those words would ever come out of my mouth. Thats coming from an introvert. Madness.

Now life is still moving forward and I'm trying to figure out what to do with myself. I quit my job officially at the school district, a week after being home. That was a long time coming. The Lord gently and sweetly nudged that into my heart and after months of praying about it, I pulled the trigger. So I'm virtually jobless at the moment. The weird thing is, I'm not worried or stressed about not finding anything. The only thing I have to hold onto is my faith in Gods provision. The Lord provided me with $10,000 in two months for my lecture phase and outreach. TWO MONTHS! That was something I never thought would happen. I know this sounds crazy to most. I get it. It sounded crazy to me too. It still sounds crazy to me. But He did it. So I trust completely in him and his provision for a job. Not worrying about it is the most freeing feeling I have ever experienced. He's traded my worries and fears with his peace. He has provided babysitting jobs in the meantime to get me by. I am currently in the process of updating my resume and applying for jobs in ministry. After a lot of prayer and conformation, I feel that is where he's leading me. I'm not exactly sure what it looks like yet. My heart is to disciple. I am praying for vision and clarity for what area of ministry to go into.

That pretty much sums up where I'm at right now.


With that said, Ch!na was absolutely incredible. We held English Corners at some University's. We would spend most of our days making friends and inviting them to learn English. That was our ministry. I had one ministry partner and we would lead the English Corner with games, a story and discussion questions. Evangelism is illegal in Ch!na. We had to be careful and use discernment on what to say and when to say it. All of the study topics were geared toward the bible but if we had a spy or something in the group, they wouldn't be able to tell. I will never forget all the joy, laughter and conversations we had as we taught them about the love God has for them. Seeing the way they processed truth -without any walls up or preconceived judgements was a beautiful thing. Explaining what the bible is and how to use it was so humbling. Telling them about Jesus and who he is and watching them grow hungry and curious to learn more. "More Jesus stories," they would say. So we gave them more. I found myself learning as I taught -seeing things from a different perspective almost every single time. Watching the Holy Spirit work through me. There were so many times when they would ask me a question and I didn't have an answer. They are smart. Way smarter than me. Without fail, the Holy Spirit showed up and gave me the words to say. It was a challenge at times, but we grew and learned together.

Theres so much more I could say about it. The Lord did so much. He softened hearts, changed peoples way of thinking, he taught me about grace, love and that pursuing him, no matter the cost, will always be worth it. I made so many great friends. Friends I still talk to and will continue to plant seeds in, encourage and love. My heart is so full.

Here is a 4 minute video of everything we got to do. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3tOoIDg21Bw&feature=youtu.be

Here are a few pictures of my favorite things we did:

English Corner friends

The Great Wall of China

We went to the orphanage every week. And every week, my heart was wrecked for these sweet lives.

Renmin University in Beijing. The Harvard of Ch!na. A communist university where you can major in Marxism or be recruited to join the Ch!nese political party. We shared love with journalists, prosecutors, scientists and active members of the communist party. This was a personal highlight of the trip for me.

I want to thank all of the people that prayed, encouraged, loved and supported me throughout these last six months. You have blessed me more than you'll ever know. 

Prayer:
Please pray for focus, vision and clarity as I look for a job and that I may be lead by the spirit on what to apply for.

Thank you!!

Blessings,
Christy

Week twelve :: final update for awhile

Well friends, it's about that time. I'm leaving tomorrow night!! I am still in shock at how quickly time has passed. I'm sure it will hit me when I'm on the plane tomorrow... Or when I land in Ch!na. :) Please keep my team in your prayers over the next few months. We will begin our ministry fairly quickly once we arrive. The biggest request I have right now is health and protection. Please be interceding when you think of it. I won't be posting anything on my blog for security reasons. However, I will be emailing my parents weekly and will ask them to update everyone on their Facebook pages. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey! You have blessed me more than you'll ever know.

Prayer Points:

• That we may be lead by the Holy Spirit during ministry

• Wisdom and discernment 

• Travel Mercies

• Health

• Protection

• Team Unity

•  For The Lord to use us mightily 

•  For the people of Ch!na that they may be open to us

• For The Lord to wreck us all with love for this country

Here is one last picture of my team and their names. 

From left to right: Caleigh, Megan, Ellen, Faith, Tim, Lindy, me, Tim & Molly

Next time you hear from me will be in June! Thank you all for your prayers and support!!

Love,

Christy

Week ten and eleven:

Things are getting pretty busy these days. Forgive me for not updating this sooner. In lecture, we had Ben Nonoa, teaching on the Father Heart of God and Kenny Jackson, teaching on Kingdom Relationships. 

This past week was our last time going to Community Outreach. It was sad to say goodbye to all these faces but I am so thankful for the time we got to spend loving on them and telling them about Jesus. 

This boy stole my heart. His goofiness and sweet spirit reminded me so much of my cousin, Nathan.

My heart is full of gratitude, thankfulness and love as I share that: I am OFFICIALLY going to Ch!na!!!! The funds came in and in 8 days I will be on an airplane heading to Asia! I am completely humbled and in awe of who God is and the ways he provided along the way. Thank you to everyone who has prayed and supported me this far, from the bottom of my heart. You'll never know how much every single one of you mean to me.

 The journey is only half way over and these next three months will be crucial. My team and I leave next Sunday evening and will be in Ch!na until early June. I ask that you continue to pray for us as we get ready to depart. Once I'm in Ch!na, I will not be able to update my blog or communicate with anyone over social media. I will be emailing my parents weekly and will tell them to share any prayer points or updates on their Facebook pages. 

This week will be our last week of lecture and we will begin packing. Joy. (said in immense sarcasm) Im in shock at how fast the time has gone. These last two and a half months have been life changing. I am so in love with God and am amazed at how deep he has taken me these past couple months. His love and faithfulness knows no bounds and he has proven that to me. 

Well friends, thank you for reading and know that I am so thankful for all of you. I will try my best to give a short update before I leave and have some specific prayer points. 

All my love,

Christy

Week nine: An early update

This week looked a bit different because the Fall DTS just returned from outreach. We actually got the opportunity to meet with the Fall Ch!na team and hear their stories. It was SO encouraging and got me even more excited to leave in just 27 DAYS! Ahhh I cannot WAIT to go!! :) We also found out we will get an opportunity to go to another city in Ch!na and teach at a government-run church. In case I haven’t already explained this, here is an explanation of the churches in Ch!na: There are 3 different types of churches.  1) International churches: anyone who is not a citizen of Ch!na can go in as long as they have their passport and the pastors can teach whatever they want (for the most part).  2) Government run churches: anyone can go but the pastors have to have their material approved by government appointed officials so they can only teach certain things from the bible. They regulate it because they don’t want the Ch!nese citizens to be taught anything bad about the government.  3) Underground churches: churches that meet in secret (apartments, ect.) to share the love of Jesus freely to whoever comes. That is why it is such a big deal that we will get the opportunity to teach at a government run church where everything is extremely filtered by the government. There was also a testimony night where all of the teams that returned spoke about their trip and we got to watch a recap video from each team. I will try to see if I can get the Ch!na teams and post it so you get a glimpse of the ministry in Ch!na. Please continue to pray for my team and our ministry that will start in just 27 days!!!

For those who have been wondering, my teammate got all of her support in!! I am still not quite there. I have a small window of time/grace period. I am unsure of my current balance at this time. I'm guessing I need about $2600. Please prayerfully consider supporting me. You can do so online at: 

http://www.ywammaui.com/index.php/feepayments

You can send mail and checks to: 

PO Box 790237 Paia, Hawaii 96779 Attn. Christy Morffi

{Make checks payable to "YWAM Maui" with a note attached that it is for Christy Morffi}

I am deeply humbled by everyone's support, prayers and compassion for my ministry. Thank you to all who have been reading and praying each step of the way. 

Love,

Christy

Week eight: A mid-week update

The fall school has returned from outreach! It has been great seeing everyone again and hearing some of their stories. Tomorrow evening, each team will be sharing testimonies (Bangladesh, Ch!na, Nepal & Indonesia). I am so excited to hear what God did in them and the lives that were radically changed through them. I have heard a little of what team Ch!na did there and that has made me even more excited to go. Here are some pictures of where I'll be going.

I am so excited to see this amazing city and be a part of the ministry there. I'm also looking forward to being completely  immersed in their lifestyle and culture. Most importantly, I'm looking forward to sharing the love of Christ with the lost and broken. Please keep my team in prayer as we are preparing to leave. 

With that said, this amazing group of people is heading to Ch!na in only 5 weeks!! Sounds awesome, right!? Well, in order for me to go with them, I need $2800 by THIS Friday (my last payment!!). It may sound impossible, but I know God will provide. Please consider supporting me at:

PO Box 790237 Paia, Hawaii 96779 Attn. Christy Morffi

or online at: http://www.ywammaui.com/index.php/feepayments

Prayer points:

• Team unity

• A bigger heart for Ch!na and the people we will meet

• I've been sick with strep throat. A quick healing would be fantastic.

• Financial support for my teammate, Faith ( top row, second from the right) and myself.

Thank you all for your love, prayers and support!! It really means the world to me.

xoxo,

Christy

Week seven

Another week is in the books. Time is FLYING! I'll be in the Big C in just over a month. As the days pass, I'm growing more excited and expectant in what The Lord will do there; both through and in me. God has been working in me so much this last month, I feel as if I'm undergoing heart surgery. He's made himself present to me and has shown me so much of who He is as a Father and a Savior. My heart feels as if it could burst at the amount of love and joy He has poured into me this last month. It isn't always easy, there are a lot of tears involved, transparency, and boldness to speak out things I've held inside my entire life. However, He has proved himself faithful, gentle and loving each time. That's just who He is. He saved me. I can't believe it has taken me this long to fully accept his love for me. It's never been by my works or good deeds but by His grace. That's my King! 

My team went to watch the sunset at Haleakala yesterday. It was absolutely breathtaking. Here are some highlights.

Team C

In case you didn't know, I am still raising funds for Ch!na. The total cost for my outreach will be $4150. So far, The Lord has provided $1500!!! That was enough to buy my plane ticket! (Insert hoots and hollers here) :) Please consider joining me in my ministry. I would be beyond blessed by your support!! 

You can send mail and checks to: 

PO Box 790237 Paia, Hawaii 96779 Attn. Christy Morffi

{Make checks payable to "YWAM Maui" with a note attached that it is for Christy Morffi}

or online at: 

http://www.ywammaui.com/index.php/feepayments

All my love,

Christy

Week five and six

These last two weeks have been amazing. First, I want to say thank you to all of my supporters!! I'm incredibly blessed by all of you! My lecture phase is completely paid off!! 

Lecture has been life changing these last couple weeks. Not only am I gaining head knowledge, my heart is being transformed as well. We are blessed with amazing speakers who all speak with such conviction and authority. One of the topics that was so mind blowing to me was from Bible Overview week. In Genesis 5, otherwise known as the "skim over chapter," there are a list of names. Each name translates to a different meaning. In order, here are what those names translate to:

Adam: Man

Seth: Appointed

Enosh: Mortal

Kenan: Sorrow

Mahalalel: The Blessed God

Jared: Shall Come Down

Enoch: Teaching

Methuselah: His Death Shall Bring

Lamech: The Despairing 

Noah: Rest and Comfort

This was one of the prophecies in the Old Testament pointing toward the cross. There are over 60 FULFILLED prophecies about Jesus Christ. Pretty mind blowing right!? :)

Ch!na is inching closer as the weeks go by. We will be leaving on March 30th and will be gone until June. I am so excited to see how I can apply everything I've learned so far. I am more excited to see lives transformed through Christ! 

This past week has been pretty busy. We had lecture, team time, outreach prep,  community outreach, a 20s Jazz themed party and a generous boating company allowed all of us to go whale watching! It's been a fun filled week to say the least. Here are a few highlights. :)

My colorful team (I promise we are only half this weird) 

Community Outreach

I love this sweet boy

Jazz Party

The ladies of team Ch!na

One of my sweet roommates

Whale

 I am still raising funds for Ch!na. The total cost for my outreach will be $4000. Please consider joining me in my ministry. I would be beyond blessed by your support!! 

You can send mail and checks to: 

PO Box 790237 Paia, Hawaii 96779 Attn. Christy Morffi

{Make checks payable to "YWAM Maui" with a note attached that it is for Christy Morffi}

or online at: 

http://www.ywammaui.com/index.php/feepayments

Thank you all so much!!!

Love & Blessings,

Christy

Week four

This week we had Maria Daughtry teaching on The Holy Spirit. What an incredible week it was!!! I learned so much and was impacted greatly. It was a week full of revelation and spiritual growth.

I learned more about what I'll be doing in Ch!na. We will be teaching English to college students and through friendship evangelism, share the gospel! I will also have an opportunity to visit an orphanage! I'm so excited about that. I'll be able to share more as the weeks progress. These last few weeks have been incredible. I can't wait to see what the next few months will have in store!

I am still short about $1300 for lecture phase which is due Friday, February 7th. Outreach will cost about $4300. Please consider joining me in my ministry. I would be beyond blessed by your support!! 

You can send mail and checks to: 

PO Box 790237 Paia, Hawaii 96779 Attn. Christy Morffi

{Make checks payable to "YWAM Maui" with a note attached that it is for Christy Morffi} All donations are tax deductible. 

or online at: 

http://www.ywammaui.com/index.php/feepayments

Thank you all so much!!!

Blessings, 

Christy

Week two and three

Aloha!

Week two of lecture is officially over! These last two weeks have been incredible. Week one of lecture was on Basic Christianity. Tom Osterhus, our base director taught on subjects like: Why we study the Bible, Competing views of Biblical revelation, Determining the historic reliability of literature, such as the Bible, The nature and character of God, The mystery of the Trinity, Why Jesus was born & for what reason and Sin and salvation. He went into great depth on the core fundamentals of Christianity.

Tom Osterhus teaching on Basic Christianity

 

 

I found it so interesting to see how historically accurate the Bible really is.  In literature there are three tests for determining the reliability:

1. Bibliographic test: determining whether or not the text that we have now is the same as what was originally recorded
2. Internal test: determining what clues are within the writings themselves
3. External test: determining if things outside the text line up historically 

I loved that we started school with this subject. I think it was crucial that we put these foundations down and now have a basic understanding of Christianity to build our faith on.

 This week we had Donna Jordan speak on Hearing Gods voice. I'm not sure if I can put into words everything I learned. It surpassed my expectation's and took me into a deeper intimacy with God. She taught how knowing and hearing the voice of God is the basic right of every believer. Listening to God is a lifestyle and when we make Jesus Lord of our life, repent of any unconfessed sin and have faith, you can hear Gods voice. Some of the ways God speaks are through His word, the inner voice of the Holy Spirit, circumstances and dreams. I have never in my life heard His voice so clearly. I have always had the "head knowledge" but had a hard time connecting it to my heart. I feel like I really grasp how much the Lord loves me and how much He desires a relationship with me...and every believer. Once we learn to listen to God, we get to know Him better. I'm honestly blown away.

  

Donna Jordan (She really is just precious)

 

When I'm not in lecture, I spend a lot of time with my amazing team. I also have the privilege of going on community outreach and working with the Maui Community Support Group. We serve the local youth by playing, Bible teachings and mentoring. I love children and miss my old job working with them, so this is a huge blessing to me. It is such an amazing ministry, because although most people think Maui is paradise, there are a ton of people who don’t know the name of Jesus.

 

Community Outreach

 

Team "Asia" teaching at a local elementary school

Prayer Requests:

Please pray for health and protection as my schedule is very busy. For a continued hunger to seek His will for my life, team unity and for financial support. 

How to support me: 

If you feel lead to sponsor me either monthly or with a one time gift, please choose an option below.

You can send mail and checks to: 

PO Box 790237 Paia, Hawaii 96779 Attn. Christy Morffi

{Make checks payable to "YWAM Maui" with a note attached that it is for Christy Morffi}

or online at: 

http://www.ywammaui.com/index.php/feepayments

Contact Info:

Phone number: 714-658-3621

Email Address: christymorffi@gmail.com

Address: above

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you all so very much!!

Christy

 

Week One

 I've been in Maui a week now and so much has already happened. All of the students and school staff went on a camping trip. It was a way for everyone to get to know each other better and get us out of our comfort zones a bit. We had a very strict packing list, phones and toothbrushes were definitely not allowed. We couldn't shower and there were no restrooms to use. However, the view was amazing and it was actually a lot of fun.

 

We shared our testimonies and played games. Our meals consisted of burnt oatmeal and Top Ramen. By Tuesday, we were all filthy and hungry. The staff told us we were going to help out a local church but when we arrived, there was a giant feast prepared for us and the rest of the YWAM staff were also there. At one point in the evening, the staff washed our feet symbolizing when Jesus washed his disciples feet. It was extremely humbling and beautiful. 

The rest of the week was filled with orientation, logistical things and getting to know each other better. Lecture will start on Monday. I can't wait to get into a routine! 

Oh, and before I forget. I have one last piece of information I would like to share. I am going to CH!NA for outreach!!! I am so thrilled and have such an amazing team. (Because it's a closed country, I have to spell it in code. It's all so very secret agent. :) 

 

Team CH!NA!!!

I will have more details to follow as I receive them. Please continue to pray for an open heart, financial support and team unity. I am beyond happy and cannot wait to see what God has in store!

I am still in need of financial support. I need in total about $7,500. $3500 for lecture phase and the remainder for outreach. A $500 deposit for my plane ticket is due this week. I would be beyond blessed if you supported me! 

How to support me: 

If you feel lead to sponsor me either monthly or with a one time gift, please choose an option below.

You can send mail and checks to: 

PO Box 790237 Paia, Hawaii 96779 Attn. Christy Morffi

{Make checks payable to "YWAM Maui" with a note attached that it is for Christy Morffi} All donations are tax deductible. 

or online at: 

http://www.ywammaui.com/index.php/feepayments

Contact Info:

Phone number: 714-658-3621

Email Address: christymorffi@gmail.com

Address: above

Thank you all so very much!!

With lots of love,

Christy