Prayer Guide for Israel Trip

Here is a daily prayer guide you can use as you are praying for our trip. Thank you for your support and encouragement. We are excited about the unimaginable things God is going to do!

Israel Mission Team Prayer Guide: June 18-30, 2010

Date	Itinerary	Prayer Needs
Friday, June 18	·  Depart Shades Mtn for Atlanta at 3:30pm (central time). ·  Leave ATL for Tel Aviv at 10:15pm(est time)	·  A safe journey to Atlanta via church vans ·  A safe and restful flight to Israel ·  Opportunities to share our faith with passengers or attendants on flight
Saturday, June 19	·  Arrive Tel Aviv at 5pm local time. Lodging: (local church)	·  Pray that we’d have a smooth experience with customs and van rentals ·  Pray that all luggage and supplies would arrive on time and in tact ·  Pray for rest and a quick adjustment to the time change
Sunday, June 20	·  Work day at village ·  Social dinner with young professionals group Lodging: (local church)	·  Pray that the language barrier would not be a problem, that we’d communicate clearly through the translators and with our actions ·  Pray for opportunities to share our testimony with the villagers ·  Pray that we would encourage the young professionals with our testimonies and that we’d take the opportunity to share the Gospel with them
Monday, June 21	·  Work day at village ·  Visit to city ·  Football practice with young professionals Lodging: (local church)	·  Pray that our work would assist Nathan and Wendi in developing a strong and trustworthy relationship with the village people for their future work ·  Pray for opportunities to encourage and challenge other believers we meet ·  Pray for intentional, Christ-centered conversations with the football players and for great fellowship
Tuesday, June 22	·  Work day at village and church ·  ESL teams working with preschool, 1st grade, and 10th grade students ·  Construction work in village and at church ·  Young professionals Bible study Lodging: Tent	·  Pray for ESL teams to communicate effectively and look for ways to share about Jesus through teaching English ·  Pray that our construction work would lead to opportunities to share Christ with the people ·  Pray that our labor would be done for God’s glory, not ours ·  Pray that we’d have Christ-centered conversations with the villagers at the tent ·  Pray for deep study of God’s word and genuine worship with the young professionals group
Wednesday, June 23	·  Touring: Masada, Dead Sea, Ein Gedi Lodging: Baptist Village	·  Pray that our faith will increase as we see the places of the Bible ·  Pray that we’d respond in worship and gratitude to God for all that he’s done in the past and all he will do in the future. To him be the glory!
Thursday, June 24	·  Touring: Jerusalem Day 1- Mount of Olives, Wailing Wall/Temple Mount, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Davidson Center, Pool of Bethesda, Garden of Gethsemane, Via Dolorosa, Garden Tomb, Jerusalem Prayer Center Lodging: Baptist Village	·  Pray for safety as we travel by van to Jerusalem ·  May God use the tour to increase our faith in Him and his Word. ·  Ask God to renew our desire to reach the ends of the earth for His name. ·  Pray that we’d be reminded of the immense sacrifice Christ made for us, that it would lead to repentance and surrender of our hearts ·  Pray that we would have a greater understanding of our salvation and a deeper passion for the lost.
Friday, June 25	·  Touring: Megiddo, Caesarea, Haifa, Mt. Carmel Lodging: Baptist Village	·  Pray that we would have safe travel through the country as we go place to place ·  Pray that we would be overcome with a sense of urgency to see souls redeemed by Christ ·  Pray for opportunity to worship and rest in the Lord
Saturday, June 26	·  Touring: Mount of Beatitudes, Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Mt. Tabor ·  Jared, Rob, & Ginny depart to return to USA at 11:30pm (local time) Lodging: Beit Bracha (Bed & Breakfast on Sea of Galilee)	·  Pray that as we see where Jesus ministered to people and performed miracles, we would be in awe of our awesome God and Savior ·  Pray that our response would be a deeper commitment to living out God’s purpose for our life ·  Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel with people we will meet along the way ·  Pray for a safe and restful flight for those coming back to USA
Sunday, June 27	·  Touring: Nazareth, Church of the Annunciation, Cana ·  Evangelism in a city Lodging: Beit Bracha (Bed & Breakfast on Sea of Galilee)	·  Pray for continued safety as we travel to different places ·  Pray for an increase in knowledge and depth of love for our Father ·  Pray that as we distribute materials to the citizens, we’d be bold in sharing the Gospel ·  Pray that doors open for more work there in the future
Monday, June 28	·  Touring ·  Fellowship and dinner with other baptists Lodging: Baptist Village	·  Pray as we tour, that we would be reminded of his humble entry to the world that gave us freedom and eternal life ·  Pray that we could share our spiritual birth with others we meet ·  Pray that our time with the missionaries be encouraging, challenging, and worshipful.
Tuesday, June 29	·  Touring: Jerusalem Day 2- The Israel Museum, Rampart’s Walk, Hezekiah’s Tunnel ·  Depart Tel Aviv at 11:30pm (local time)	·  Pray that as we spend our last day in Israel, we’d take in all God is showing and teaching us ·  Pray that our time with each other and with Nathan and Wendi be uplifting and God-honoring ·  Pray for a smooth experience going through Customs ·  Pray for a safe and restful flight back to USA.
Wednesday, June 30	·  Arrive Atlanta 5:50am (EST) ·  Return to Birmingham via church vans around 10am	·  Pray that as we return, we’d be able to digest all God has taught and shown us, and quickly put it into practice. ·  Pray that our lives would be forever changed by this trip, and that God uses our experience to encourage and challenge other believers to go and make disciples of all nations. ·  Pray for Nathan and Wendi as they continue to live and work in Israel. Pray for their language study, a fruitful ministry, and diligence to continue the good work God has begun through them in Israel.

My Husband is the best...

So, today is my birthday! Yay, the big 2-3! Anyway, I just really had to share about the gifts Hunter got me.. you know I love to brag on my man.

I'll tell about them in the order he gave them to me:

1) Scrapbook with letters from some of my closest friends here in Birmingham along with pictures. Talk about a tear-jerker! This was such a special gift that I will treasure as we move to Nashville.

2) Gift card to Las Paletas! Since we'll be just a mile from there, I can stop by to get my favorite homemade popsicle anytime!

3) Forgotten God by Francis Chan

4) A Lineage of Grace Series by Francine Rivers

5) This may be a little strange, but I've been joking with Hunter since we got married that I really wanted one of these: 

                                                     

... and this year, he got me one!!! I love it! I told him we're probably the only 20-somethings with a Clapper!! We spent all morning just clapping on and off.. on and off. Haha, this is definitely a joke between us, but I just had to share!

Thanks to my sweet husband for making my birthday so special! 

Packing and Preparing... the calm before the storm!

So the past few days have been composed of getting rid of stuff around the apartment and packing! We're leaving for Israel next Friday, and we're moving up to Nashville soon after we get back, so we're trying to get almost everything packed before we go. Wow, it's amazing how much you can accumulate in a ONE bedroom apartment in 2 years! I guess it's good that we're moving so we can throw/give away stuff we never use! I'll be sure to post pics once we get it all packed up.

As I mentioned, we're also getting ready to go to Israel for a 10-day mission trip with some of our dearest friends from Sunday school. We and 9 other couples will be traveling to work with some missionaries and to do some touring. I am excited... beyond excited... about this opportunity! I have been praying that, as we work with different people groups, see several sites mentioned in the Bible, and have some great quality time with friends, God would work in unimaginable ways. It's easy to get focused on packing and making sure we have all the right stuff that we lose sight of what is important. Please pray that God would focus our hearts and minds on him as we prepare mentally, physically, and spiritually for this trip. Please also pray that our group would be bold in sharing our faith, humble with our words and actions, and God-honoring in everything we do. Be sure to look out for a post closer to time with specific ways you can pray for us each day.

It feels like Hunter and I are experiencing the "calm before the storm" because this week and next are the only weeks we will be just hanging out (... and packing and having lots of time with friends before we go). Then comes the storm of summer.. which we are very excited about: closing on our first home, Israel trip, moving to Nashville, going on our Out-West Trip, setting up our condo, diving into the church plant, starting new jobs! We are grateful to God for this season of life we are in.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

I did it!

Well, I could go on and on for this post, but I essentially just want to PRAISE THE LORD for His goodness, mercy, and faithfulness. As many of you know, I just went through my first year of teaching. Wow, God taught me so much. God teaches us a lot when we are tired, stressed, confused, frustrated, and down-right mad. Being a teacher of nineteen 4th graders has been one of the most rewarding and difficult experiences in my life. I'll try to recap a few lessons-learned through some stories.


1) What is the most important thing in your life? We were reading the novel Because of Winn-Dixie early on in the year, and we ended up having a great class discussion about "the most important things" in our life. There were the typical answers like "family, friends, school, etc." Some students even mentioned God and Jesus, which gave me an instant opportunity to share my faith and how my relationship with God was the most important thing in my life. Hey, they brought it up, right?!
However, I was quickly enlightened as the conversation shifted and several (over half) of my students began sharing about how they could relate with certain characters of the story. One student commented: "I can relate with Opal [the main character of Winn-Dixie] because she doesn't have a mom." Other students immediately chimed in saying, "Yeah, me too" or "Yeah, but I don't have a dad." I was nearly in tears as I realized that most of my students were coming from unimaginable circumstances, and I had the opportunity to encourage them and love them. I realized that teaching goes way beyond curriculum and text books. I pray that I was able to show these kids love and encouragement throughout the year. How incredible it is that God used 9-10 year olds to teach me of his extravagant love and intricate plan to glorify himself.


2) A spontaneous Clothing Drive and an old t-shirt. I learned from a mentor teacher back in student teaching that it is always important to teach your students that they can serve and help others. I remember praying for an opportunity to show my students that no matter how bad they think they have it, there is always someone worse off, and there is always and opportunity to help. Then the earthquake in Haiti happened. We started having a discussion about how Haiti was already an impoverished nation who desperately needed help BEFORE the earthquake occurred. We couldn't imagine just how horrible it might be after being hit by an earthquake. As we were looking at the world map, some of them locating Haiti for the first time, my students started coming up with all kinds of ideas. "Mrs. Yarbrough, we could send them stuff!" "We could collect old clothes or toys for the kids." "I have some old shoes I need to get rid of." My students were so excited at the thought of helping the Haitian people. Within about an hour, we had planned a Clothing/Shoe Drive for our entire school. My very creative and smart student, Nikki, typed up a letter and we passed it out to all of the classrooms. Over the next 2 weeks, students began bringing in BAGS of stuff! Wow, it was incredible! I was so proud of my kids and their initiative to get the whole school involved. I was most touched by one of my students who came with one old t-shirt. "Mrs. Yarbrough, I looked through all of my things, and this is what I want to send. It's cute isn't it?" Wow, I was instantly reminded of the widow who gave 2 coins.  Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." Mark 12:43-44.  This is one of my favorite memories of the entire year. 

3) Failure. So, I knew that I would have difficult students, but I guess in my mind, "difficult" would mean a kid who is always getting into trouble, being mean to others, distracting the class, or just shouting out. Don't get me wrong, I had some students like that, but that didn't seem to get to me... there's always detention and parent calls for that kind of behavior. No, the most difficult student I had was the one who did. not. do. anything. at. all. Wow, it became the biggest struggle of my entire year. This student was one who would come to class, sit, and maybe, if we're lucky, turn in one assignment, half completed. It was like pulling teeth day, after day, after day. I tried everything I learned in school: incentive plans, rewards, discipline, detention, parent conferences, isolation, grades. Still, no effort. Nothing, nada. I sought after wisdom from other teachers and friends, and still no results. This situation began eating away at me, and I was so discouraged by it. It lasted all year, and I finally had to give up what "control" I had on the situation. 

It seems like right when you let go of something, God slaps you in the face with a lesson to learn. He reminded me that I am so much like my frustrating student who would come to school everyday, sit and do nothing she was asked to do, care nothing for what was going on, or show no interest in anything I tried to teach her. Huh? Yes, he put me right in that very desk. So many times I will go throughout my day or week without a care in the world about what God wants to do through me, what he wants to teach me, or how he wants to use me. I just sit there and do as I please. Oh the irony! God taught me, through the toughest part of my First Year, that although so many times I am unfaithful, disobedient, and apathetic... He LOVES me! He LOVES me! I cannot say it enough. This has definitely been the most powerful and painful lesson to learn. I can't describe the frustration and impatience I had with my student, and to think of the frustration God should feel for the entire world! Yet, he LOVES us. He rescues us from our sin and redeems us. Praise God. I am thankful that I had to endure such a tough lesson. I pray that I would always be humbled through these tough times to look to the cross and constantly remember his immense LOVE.  

Back to the student. No, she didn't have a radical transformation at the end. In fact, it got worse. She will be doing 4th grade again, and yes it is hard as a teacher to see your students fail, but I can tell from experience that some of the greatest times of growth in my life have been through failure. Isn't it incredible that God gives us all a second chance? 

Yes, I learned a gazillion other lessons this year, but those were some of the greatest ways God taught me more about himself. 

I'll end with a short video that I showed my kids before they left for the summer. They were an awesome group of kids!

"The LORD your God is with you,
       he is mighty to save.
       He will take great delight in you,
       he will quiet you with his love,
       he will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

If I Could be a Spokesperson...

I haven't always been really mindful about money- saving, spending, etc. I never really had a "budget" or anything like that. Then, I got married. Praise the Lord that I married a man who is so wise about how to be a good steward with the gifts and money God provides for us. After a few rocky months of getting used to this whole "budget" thing, I will be the first to tell you that it is so important and makes your marriage and life so much simpler and easier.  BUT, I did say there were some rocky months right? Staying within budget is HARD! It takes discipline, time, and practice, and by NO means am I an expert! In fact, I'm still learning and will always be learning how to be better about spending/saving.  With that in mind, I want to share with you 2 tools that I LOVE to tell people about.

So, If I Could be a Spokesperson...

I'd represent Mint.com. This is a FREE online budgeting tool that is wonderful! You can upload any/all of your bank accounts onto it and track your spending each month. It's nice to see how much you spend on gas, food, rent/mortgage, clothing, etc. each month. I love it because before the month even starts, we have a set amount we want to spend in each category. Hunter or I will check it weekly throughout the month, and we can track to see how much we have left to spend. It's nice to have a limit or else, knowing my spending nature, I'd spend more than I should! Check out the website. It is easy to navigate and is also very secure.

Another great tool is E-Mealz. I am very new at this but I can already tell that I LOVE it. You pay $15 every three months ($5/month), and you sign up to download a menu/shopping list for a week's worth of dinners from your favorite grocery store. I shop at Aldi a lot, so I chose the option "Aldi For 2". There are family options, low fat options, point system options, and they have most common grocery stores (Publix, Walmart, Kroger, etc.)
I can't stop talking about E-Mealz because: A) It has a list of 5 yummy meals I can make that week... and do I cook 5 times a week? No. I usually cook about 3 and then have leftovers. SO, I can usually spend less than $50 for about two week's worth of dinners!B) It has the grocery items that you need listed already, and how much you should plan on spending (and by where you find them in the store)C) I don't have to rack my brain for good/exciting/different meals. They do it for me! Yes, no more going to the pantry/freezer, seeing a ton of food, and saying, "Hm, what should we have for dinner." It's so easy. I love it... and I can already tell that Hunter does, too!

..time to Catch up!

My apologies to all of my awesome blog buddies who hate that I am such a blog post slacker! I plan to make it up to you somehow.. maybe.

So a lot has been going on in the Yarbrough family lately! I'll try to update from since the last post happened, which I'm ashamed to say was over a month ago!

Hunter went out of town at the beginning of April, so I spent some time around the apartment doing some fun projects. I bought some flowers for our deck and then did something I'd been wanting to try for a while. I made a DIY vase! I follow this blog, Thrifty Decor Chick, and saw a super cute Springy vase that I just knew I could do! Sure enough, it was so easy that I made 3 of them in one weekend (could've done it in about 2 hours, but I had to get more supplies!). All you have to do is get a roll of jute from the local craft store (I found mine at Hobby Lobby), brush on some clear craft glue, and apply the jute around the vase to whichever height you like. See where I got my inspiration here: Jute Vase (just scroll down a little bit and you'll see).

Here is a picture. It looks SO much cuter with fresh flowers, but I didn't take a picture when we had them a few weeks ago! 

Wow, what next? April was a surprisingly busy month for us! Hunter and I went up to Nashville a few times, and one weekend we went for the Music City Half Marathon. A whole group of us usually runs together, but this year it was just Hunter's dad, Mike, and I who ran. We started out and ran about 9 miles together and that's when my legs felt like bricks and I had to encourage him to keep on going. (I hadn't trained nearly as hard as I have in the past due to an unexpected cold/cough that ruled out a few important long runs... so this was actually the worst race time I've ever had). I walked/ran for the rest of the race and loved it! My favorite part is around mile 10 when you run past Belmont Baptist Church and the praise team is out playing worship songs. Man, it is so incredible! I am so grateful God has given me the ability to run and be active! I pray I am always willing and able to run and stay active throughout my life!

Ok, so now for the BIG announcement here on blog land. We've pretty much told everyone in person, so now I can blog about it. 

After praying for nearly a year about what God would have Hunter and I do for the next few years of our life, we have decided to move up to Nashville and be involved with planting a church in the Hillsboro Village area. We are thrilled about this opportunity, and are eager and excited to see how God will use us in this process. However, this will be so hard as Birmingham has become our home and we will be leaving behind dear friends, great jobs/coworkers, and an incredible church. 

                                               

So we'll be making the move from Birmingham to Nashville this summer, early July, after our Israel trip. We have been so encouraged by our friends and family about this decision, and we cannot praise the Lord enough for how faithful he is. 

Since this big decision has been made, we have been taking small and big steps to prepare for the move. One BIG step is that we are now under contract for our very first HOME! It is actually a condo, but it will be ours! Last week was the long-awaited tax-credit deadline, and we made it by the skin of our teeth! Hunter and I are so excited because our new 2 bedroom/2 bath condo (that's right people, a guest room AND a second bathroom!) is located in a really cool part of Nashville, just minutes away from Belmont, Vandy, 12th Ave South, Hillsboro Village and Green Hills. I'm so thrilled that we'll be able to walk to some local favorites like Las Paletas Gourmet Popsicles and The Frothy Monkey. Birmingham people, you are ALWAYS welcome and we cannot wait to show you around Nashvegas! Once we get in and take some pics of the condo, I'll post some pics of it. 

So those are just a few of the things going on in our life right now. It is such a busy time, but we are excited for what God has for us and what He'll teach us through it all. Until the next time, and I promise it will be much sooner... grace and peace. 

The Yarbrough's Best of Birmingham

Thanks to my dear friend Ashley (follow her blog here), I have been forced encouraged to post on our blog more often. I told her, gosh, I just don't have that much to talk about! So, she has given me a great topic: our favorite restaurants around Birmingham. That sure is easy, because I sure do love food and I love having date night with Hunter... so we're always trying out new places to eat and hang out. So here goes our "Best of Birmingham":

1) Cafe Lazio: located in Patton Creek; yummy and inexpensive Italian food, great outdoor dining spot, have daily specials

2) Taziki's: This is mine and Hunter's FAVORITE place to eat. It is definitely our "go-to" when we're trying to figure out where to eat. This is a casual Greek place with delicious... well, everything. I honestly cannot name one dish that I didn't like there.

3) Moe's Southwest Grill: "Welcome to Moe's!" This became a staple for me as I was going through school. Although I have ventured out to many more Mexican/texmex places, I always have to have my Moe's fix!

4) Bruster's: delicious ice cream... very close to our apartment!

5) Diplomat Deli: really unique and delicious sandwiches

6) Little Savannah: over by the Highlands area, this is a cute, yet expensive, place with very good gourmet southern cuisine. All of their food is made with fresh ingredients, mostly purchased from the local farmers, and you can tell because the food is very rich and tasty!

7) Bottega: (WARNING: THIS IS THE BEST ITALIAN FOOD I'VE EVER HAD IN AMERICA) Ok, so this is a great place! I would recommend saving this for a super fancy occasion because it's on the pricey side. However, it is worth every penny! Very good, fresh, and authentic Italian food!

8) Brio: Ok, since I'm onto the Italian theme, Brio is another very good Italian option located at Brookwood Village Mall. I love their mini desserts that give you just enough sweetness to complete the meal.

9) Baha Burger: This is one of Hunter's favorites. They have some awesome burgers, and we've even tried to make their signature "Baha Burger" (complete with grilled pineapple, pepperjack cheese, and tabasco sauce) at home. We also love their sweet potato fries!

10) Iguana Grill: this is a really funky, cool Mexican place in Hoover that has great food, elaborate decorations, and a lively atmosphere. This is a great place to celebrate birthdays or other fun occasions.

11) OPH (Original Pancake House): Located in Five Points South; I believe I first went here with my roommate freshman year, and I fell in love! They have a large pancake selection...and might I add that they are so delicious?! This is a great place to go on Saturday mornings!

12) Olexa's: Located in Mountain Brook, this is a super cute restaurant for lunch. They have great salads, soups, and paninis, but what I love most is their vanilla buttercream cake with peanut butter frosting on the side. Can I say to die for! Their cakes are the best I have ever tasted!

I could have probably listed several more restaurants, but this will do for now. Man, now I'm ready for a date night! Double date anyone?

Have a great week, and enjoy that weather!