A Sweet Essence of Newness

Florida

As you know, if you read the last blog, you saw that I was doing ministry with Adventures in Missions (AIM) in Florida for a week. The staff members there told us the tragedy that took place a year ago with hurricane Ian. Some places were covered in 15 feet of water and others five to eight feet. They told us that everything was under water for a week straight so as you can probably guess, there were a lot of people that lost everything. The Lord stirred their hearts for the community of Harlem Heights and God even appointed people to move to Harlem Heights to dedicate their lives to this ministry. This looked like many things: hosting community dinners, taking opportunities to share the Gospel, and even rebuilding houses for the people that lost their homes. This is where our AIM base in Georgia stepped in! We had all the girls from X squad (my squad) and W squad (the other Gap Year route) drive down to Florida. While the boys from both squads went up to Kentucky to do different ministry. For our ministry in Florida, we had our different teams of girls doing different things in different houses. Some teams helped put in countertops for a family, other teams cut and mudded drywall, cut and installed trim, caulking, vanity construction, door installation, fixing light fixtures, and painting. My team put in dry wall all week. As you can tell, different houses were at different stages. It was super fun and sweet to know that we were apart of a larger project that impacted a lot of people. Here are some pictures from ministry!

  Last picture is of me and Kip (Project Coordinator)

We even got the chance to meet the home owner, Farrah:

Here are some pictures of the community dinner that we were privileged to host:

 

 

20 And a Night of Worship

Well what can I say about turning 20 except that I bumped up a number and came to the realization that I am now two decades old? It was such a good birthday and I felt so celebrated by my teammates. We ended the day worshipping at the beach and inviting strangers to worship with us. There were so many opportunities to evangelize. The Lord highlighted a security guard named Kelly to me. We had an extremely long and hard conversation but the Lord was so evidently moving! Please keep praying for her salvation and that the Lord will tend to the soil of her heart! (Picture of Kelly and I talking on the right)

 

 

Chopped Off

I honestly could go on and on about why I had to do this. I have seven years of stories I could tell, seven years of moments where I could explain when my hair slowly became part of my identity. I knew the Lord was calling me to it. I kept putting it off and making excuses but I knew I was putting too much value in my hair. When I imagined myself with short hair I always got this uncomfortable feeling, asking myself “who would I be with short hair?” When I chopped the first bit off, I immediately clenched. I hated it. Why? I was finally letting go of what was familiar, letting go of comfortability, of baggage… seven years of it. We always cling to what is familiar and it’s not always good for us. But after cutting it, MY GOODNESS. Wow. Even though it wasn’t my favorite in the moment, I felt so much lighter mentally and physically. That part of me was gone. I was a new person. A person with short hair. Whatttt that’s crazy!!! As the days go by, I start to question why I didn’t do this earlier. I NEEDED that change. I needed that thing that was hindering me from Christ to be cut OFF. Now I’m living in the overflow!! SO GOOD.

GOD DOESN’T SHARE THE THRONE OF YOUR HEART! And that’s good news! He knows what’s best for us, even if we are crying while obeying. How sweet it is to trust in Jesus with something so insignificant as hair!

 

The Small Desires of Our Heart

As soon as I cut my hair. I wanted so badly for it to have style, not just a blunt cut. As silly as it was, I prayed to the Lord to make an opportunity for me to go to a salon to get layers or something stylish. If I’m going to cut my hair, might as well go all in, right? Days after we cut it, we went back to the base in Georgia. The next day, there was a lady named Heather, a professional hair stylist. She was the sweetest. She told me the story of how the Lord has placed her here to serve World Racers and just listen to their story as she cuts away… FOR FREE. She has a passion to do it and has such a servants heart! I have never let anyone else cut my hair except my hair stylist Mrs. Christina. If you’re reading this, I still love you. But because the Lord had made a way for this to happen, I put full trust in the Holy Spirit in her to cut my hair. It turned out so much better than I expected!! HALLELUJAH! The Lord sees even the smallest desires of our hearts and LOVES to fulfill them, even if we think they are silly and He doesn’t care about them.

So not only did the Lord make a way for me to get some style in my hair… but it was FREE and I didn’t have to go anywhere!! HIS WAYS ARE BETTER AND HIS THOUGHTS ARE HIGHER! He’s so so good!

 

A Call to Action

1 Chronicles 29:14 says “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You what only comes from Your hand.” This confirms where all the resources come from. I believe He has appointed certain people to come alongside me, pray with me, and donate towards this mission for the Gospel. My calling, my ministry, the person I am asking, their assets, everything is all His. I am simply a mediator seeking to connect His people and His resources with His plan.

Last blog, I explained that I needed $220 for the deadline on October 15th and WE DID IT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY AND PARTNERING WITH ME TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL TO THE UNREACHED. I am currently $1,370 away from reaching my next deadline on November 15th! After that I will have 3 more deadlines on the 15th of each month ending in February. For each deadline I will have to raise $1,640.

I am asking you to take action and pray to see where the Lord leads! Partnership is so beautiful in the kingdom of God. Would you consider praying about making a one time or monthly donation to me as I partner with Jesus to reach the people who are lost? In honor of my 20th birthday, would you consider donating $20? Our obedience increases the capacity at which the Spirit of God moves!

If He leads you to give, you can do so by the link in my Instagram and Facebook bio, through Venmo @Lexi-Blatt, or you can click this link

 

 

https://adventuresinmissions.servicereef.com/events/adventures-in-missions-3/2023-world-race-gap-year-route-3/participants/lexiblatt

I am extremely grateful for all of your prayers and donations. I would not have been able to the reach the people I did if it wasn’t for you. THANK YOU THANK YOU.

“When you give to a ministry, you not only bless the people that are being touched by that ministry, but you start a supernatural flow of your finances, and you partake of the anointing and the blessing that’s on that minister’s life” -Andrew Womack

What’s Next?

GOING TO CAMBODIA TODAY! We are leaving the base at 2 P.M for the airport. The flight to Turkey is 10 hours and 50 minutes. We will have a layover in Turkey for three hours and then fly into Thailand and have a 13 hour layover. Finally we will then fly into Cambodia… our destination. PRAYERS ARE MUCH NEEDED!! Thank you so much! This is so exciting! What a sweet season of newness!! New hair, new age, new country, new people!!

Until the next blog,

I love you.

Lexi B