Good Monday Evening!!!
This is my first official post of CGA. My goals of this post are to provide a brief update since the last update email, share a bit of what God has been walking me into, share a beautiful fundraising story, and prepare the stage for continuing to share encouragement, challenges, and truth as my life in CGA begins this Spring!
A brief update since the last one:
I have a job! A great one actually… I am working as a barista at a local coffee shop, Midland Station. Born out of a church, they exist for the good of the community, supporting and promoting local businesses and providing space for churches, conferences, and college students to meet. Their coffee supplier is Phoenix Roasters, a company established to fund the planting of churches, one of which is here in Gainesville. This church is small and genuine and I have been blessed to visit a few times. I will soon be getting more involved. Midland Station Coffee Co has a great atmosphere with lots of regulars and lots of new faces. God’s hand has been very obvious in this opportunity to work here and the timing of it as well, which has worked for both my benefit and the benefit of Midland. Praise God!
My fellow CGA apprentices (that’s what we are called hehe) and I got to spend our first week of CGA away together, growing and learning and getting to know each other. I barely know these guys, but I’m really starting to love them already. Their names are Stephen, Johnny, Tyler, Carlyn, Sarah Kate (who was on my WR squad), Katy, Kierstin (my new roomie), Abby, Morgan, and Jordan. All the girls are living in a house together, and all the guys are living in another house together. You can pray for all of them in regards to finding a job and church, healthily taking root here, and continued preparation of all our hearts for what God has and obedience to what He is already calling us to.
Here we are:
A word God has been speaking to many of us this week is dependence. This week I have had to painfully repent of thinking I know what is best, believing I can do life on my own, and desiring comfort and security more than intimacy with God, His presence, and the establishment of His kingdom. I’ve been reminded what it is to die to myself to have life, and what it is to lose my life for Christ’s sake that I might find it far more abundantly. Lately I have been relying on my own ability, strength, mental/emotional capacity, financial provision, and energy – and wow – it has sucked! This week God has asked me, “Why are you trying to do it on your own again? Don’t you know that I am in this with you, that I am for you, and that I know what is best? You know you can’t do it on your own. You know it is harder and lonelier and lacks the fullness of life I have made you for and desire for you.” This week, I am stepping back into dependence and partnership with God. Life is so much better that way. I am praying about practical ways I can choose dependence on Him in the upcoming weeks.
I’ve really struggled with busyness this last month and it has zapped a lot of life out of me. The new “normal” grind of school and work will start this week, and I am intentionally choosing to not max out my weeks, but to instead leave room for the margin. I’ve found more life in the cracks than in my planned activities and duties, and I am committing to keeping that space in my life. I also want to be able to have a “yes” on the table and be available when the Lord or friends or a stranger calls. Most divine appointments and memorable adventures aren’t planned a week ahead of time, nor do they squeeze into a full day of work, class, assignments, and chores.
I am going into this week with a heart full of gratitude, the decision to rely on God and what I know of His character more than myself or the principles of this world, believing in His promises, and with much humility as I recognize my need for Him and His love for me.
Fundraising announcement:
God delights in meeting our needs just as a parent delights in meeting the needs of his or her child.
This week I was shocked to find in my fundraising account a one thousand dollar anonymous donation! I flipped out for like 10 minutes with my roommate, Kierstin. I was so wowed and grateful and surprised and mostly grateful! I’ve been so overwhelmed by the donations I have been receiving over the last couple months, and really wasn’t expecting any more in response to the email I sent. I was aware of the deadline coming up for the first fundraising goal and was expecting to barely scrape by, not soar through it. Receiving this anonymous donation, I was almost as mad at this donor for not telling me who they were, so I could thank them, as I was grateful for their generosity and encouragement by telling me they believe in what God is doing here in a way that has led them to financially invest. My friend, Julia, reminded me a reason why God sometimes asks us to give anonymously: so the only person we have to thank is Him, the source of all our provision. It came from His hands and heart first. So first, thank you, Father. And second, since I can’t write you a personal thank-you, to whoever you are: thank you for your investment in the Kingdom of God in and through me. More so, thank you for reminding me it all comes from the Father and it’s to Him that all the praise and glory belong. The same thanks goes to all my donors. I’m so grateful you have said “yes” to this invitation from the Lord and me.
Also, we are currently 54% funded and it’s only the first week of this thing! Whooo whooooo!!!!!
If you want to partner with me in investing in the Kingdom of God in this way, you can do so through the following:
Option 1: You can donate online by clicking the “Donate!” button on my blog: elliehamstra.adventurescga.org.
Option 2: You can mail a check with a special form I can send you to P.O. Box 742570, Atlanta, GA 30374-2570.
Option 3: You can mail cash or a check to me, and I can deposit it in my fundraising account.
Facebook group invite:
I just invited a bunch of people to a FB group I originally made for the Race. I didn’t use it as much as I would have liked, but hopefully now with wifi all the time and a more consistent schedule, I can use that platform to share weekly (that’s the goal) what God is doing, what I am learning, how God is using the many donations I have received, and inviting anyone who wants to to speak into and pray into what’s going on here with me in Gainesville!
Let me know if you aren’t in this FB group and would like to be. Also, if I did add you and you don’t want to be in it, feel free to remove yourself. It’s simply an open invitation!
Finally, here is the video update I made a couple months ago explaining what I am doing and inviting people into it if you missed it, you can check it out here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_EQvJVWuAp9kPK-zvP2gpeqy4yQ93_ww/view?usp=sharing
My new address:
4427 Claude Peck Rd. Gainesville, GA 30506
Please call, text, or email me anything you want to share or ask! I would love to partner in prayer with you all as you are with me, so even if you just want to shoot me some prayer requests, I’d love to join you in that.
Love, Ellie
