My Darling Light: March 2014

Yesterday our Kenya team was dropped off in downtown LA for a faith journey with no cell phones, a sack lunch and $5 and we had to find our way back home. We got to pray and encourage people and at the same time we got to raise money for our trip to Africa. We gave away our sack lunches to people in need and we were then blessed with free falafel wraps and strawberry lemonade from a man at an outdoor food market! I talked to a spunky little woman named Kim who felt The Lord telling her to give us bus tokens. We were given so many bus tokens that while on the bus home we were able to give all the extra tokens we had to others! So much more happened and we did a lot of other crazy things we normally wouldn't do and we experienced God in so many ways by stepping out in faith! God provided us food, money for our trip to Kenya and a way back home!

Mike and I leave to Kenya on April 7th! Can't believe it's almost here!

Until next time,

Gracie xo

Our drawing of Africa looks more like a piece of meat...

This week was Style Fashion Week here in Los Angeles. The ministry I work with Beauty Arise and another ministry we work along side with MFC (Models for Christ) had the opportunity to volunteer backstage at fashion week. MFC is an international community for models and professionals in the fashion and entertainment industry to honor God in their professions and talents. It's a way to connect each other with opportunities to grow spiritually and to share God's love with those in need. AND it's also a community that's there to support, pray, love and encourage one another in all aspects of life.

Many of you may not know but models who work in runway shows are more often than not treated very poorly, tend to be overlooked, and they many times are people who struggle with eating disorders. That's where we (Beauty Arise & MFC) have the opportunity to come in and to be a light in a dark place. We got to serve, pray, encourage, love and speak truth over models and designers this week!

LA fashion week hasn't been around very long, I think this last week was the 7th season thus far. Many of the designers shown are up and coming, unlike NYFW where many of the designers are very well known. But this week one of the biggest names in the industry was represented, and that designer was Betsey Johnson!! This woman is so sweet, funny, quirky, talented and has a keen eye for detail. She has been one of my favorites ever since I was a girl! Not only did we get to serve her and pray with her but I got to meet her and had the privilege of taking a "selfie" with her! (Selfie is another word for a photo, for you older generations).

Being apart of fashion week had been a dream of mine ever since I was little. I had always envisioned myself doing hair at this event. Even though I didn't get to do hair this season, it was amazing that I was even backstage at fashion week in a major city! Although I never in a million years thought I would actually be there God fulfilled a desire of my heart. One that I never believed could have become a reality. The fact that Jesus, the creator of the universe loves me so much that even on a scale of all things going on in the world and all the hopes, dreams, desires and prayers of other things that are of way more significance, He still wants to fulfill my hearts desires! And what I think is even cooler is that I didn't just get to go to fashion week on a solo mission for my own selfish wants, I got to go and share God's love and bless others through a gift that was given to me!

Now many of you that have read my previous posts know that I was terribly homesick and was going through some struggles. But every time I asked God to remind me why I'm here in California, He has always shown me again and again all the promises He has for me. Mike and I were called by God to be here in California. We heard His call, laid down our lives and were obedient. Through that obedience I've been blessed in so many ways. Though that obedience I was able to go to fashion week, work for one of my favorite designers, AND I even got to meet her! What the heck?! I feel I wasn't just blessed, I was ABUNDANTLY blessed! Can I get an amen?!

God loves you and wants to fulfill the desires and dreams you have. Obedience is not always easy, in fact most of the time it's really hard and we have no idea how things are going to work out. That is were faith comes in. Believe it or not but God has bigger plans and adventures for you than you could ever come up with! I encourage you to go to God share with Him all the dreams you have, listen to what he has to say, and obey what he calls you to do. It's going to be hard and may not even make sense at the time but as I always say, "Obey the nudge..." because He is faithful, always!

Praying your week is blessed!

Love,
Gracie

"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." -2 John 1:6

"He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." -Luke 11:28

Here are some photos from LA Fashion Week :)

Downtown Los Angeles

We got to pray to Jesus for our time at fashion week in this huge group of believers and non believers!

So much leather, so much fur and even more rock! I LOVE!

My friend Kim and I got to help designer Nancy Vuu set up her display for the week. She designs beautiful modern Victorian gowns for children :)

This is my "selfie" with Betsey Johnson! <3 xo

Got to pray for the model on the right, her name is Kendall and the Betsey Johnson show was her first ever!

Got to work with Keith for the Civil Society show which is a mens line. I later found out he's on cycle 20 of America's Next Top Model and they were filming for episode 9 that night. Be on the look out for this episode, you might see my little face!