Provision

Sometimes I wonder why God has chosen me to be a part of this ministry He has created. Most days I feel ill-equipped and unprepared---and everyday I feel unworthy. People have told me it is a great thing I am doing, but I am quick to tell them that I am the privileged one. For some reason, God has placed me in a position in which I get to live my dream each and every day--there is no sacrifice in that, only joy. And yet I still have moments when I feel responsible--when I feel like all of the weight of the success of The Hidden Place rests on my shoulders. I am realizing more and more that when that thought crosses my mind, I am basically saying that this is mine. I am claiming ownership on something that I was given.

The Lord is so very faithful. In spite of my doubts, failures, and shortcomings--God still chooses to give more than I could ever ask or imagine. I wonder where the finances are going to come from--and I am answered by people committing to donate monthly, or by a Sunday School class taking up an offering to sponsor two kids for a week at camp, or by a church spontaneously taking a love offering that was more gracious than I could ever have asked for. And it's almost like I hear God say, "Oh ye of little faith." Who do I think I am to doubt that God will provide for a ministry that He has placed me in? After all that I have seen Him do in my life, how can I still doubt His faithfulness to his children?

God is continuing to humble me--and overwhelm me with His love and the love of His people. To each of you who support The Hidden Place, whether financially or through prayer and encouragement, thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus. Thank you for partnering with me to take the love of Christ to the precious children of South Africa. Thank you for being faithful, for giving sacrificially, and for loving like He does.

Everyday I get more and more excited about what God has in store. Some days I am giddy with excitement and some days I am humbled to tears about what God is doing. He truly is faithful.

news :)

Hi everyone :) Thanks again for your interest and support in The Hidden Place. God is continuing to open doors, and we are excited to see all that He is going to do through this ministry.

Just a few bits of news to share--First of all, the website is officially up and running! Please check it out at www.thehiddenplace.org and let us know your thoughts..

Some more exciting news is that I will be sharing about The Hidden Place at Mars Hill Baptist Church in Lawrenceburg, TN on the 10th of March, so please be in prayer concerning that.

And here is a way that you can get involved--we are holding a fundraiser at Pizza Inn in Ardmore on Tuesday the 12th of March from 5-8. All tips and 10% of sales go directly to supporting The Hidden Place. We would love to have you out to share in this night with us and enjoy dinner while helping to support us!

Please continue to pray for us as we are awaiting confirmation on non-profit status. We are praying that everything goes through within the next 6 weeks. Also join us in praying for the children we will minister to. September is right around the corner, and we are excited for what God has in store! 

Anticipation

Some days I wish I could wake up and it be September. My heart races at the thought of loading up fifty something kids in vans and starting this journey--I can't wait to meet them. I can't wait to see their beautiful faces and hear their sweet voices. I can't wait to run around with them, tuck them into bed at night, shares meals with them, and watch them try new things. I can't wait to share stories, tell jokes, and get to know what makes each one of them unique. But most of all, I can't wait to try and share the love of Jesus with them.

And then I realize how unworthy I am--A girl from North Alabama who is full of mess ups and sin and my own issues...who I am to get to have this chance?

My Jesus blows my mind. I have moments when the chaos stops, when I stop trying to figure out how everything will happen, and I just allow myself to get excited. In these moments I realize that He could very easily do this without me. I am utterly insignificant in the entire thing. On my own, I can't change a child's life. I can't impact them for eternity. I can't show them the compassionate and unfailing love of Jesus. I don't know why God chose this path for my life; I really don't--but I can tell you one thing, I am so glad He did.

He knows each face that will load that bus on Monday, each face that will lay down at night in a warm bed. He knows each of their names and their stories--all I can do is pray. Pray that the right people will come alongside us as we venture into the unknown of The Hidden Place.....and pray that what we do will not be in vain. Most importantly--pray that each precious child that embarks on this journey with us will know and experience the sweet love of Jesus.... 

Psalm 67

I am often times so quick to question God. Maybe not flat out--but in doubting something He has clearly guided me to, that is what comes through. It's actually quite crazy that I even have the audacity to doubt or question my Creator. It's like in Job 38, when God decides to speak to Job. In verse 4, God asks Job a question--"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding."

For the past few weeks I have been wondering how everything was going to come together for September. I know, it seems like a long time away, but it is less to do with the amount of time and more to do with it seeming impossible. I was in need of a major boost of faith--I know in my heart this is what I have been called to do. The Hidden Place is a dream that God constructed in my heart....Right when things began to seem overwhelming, I believe that the Holy Spirit led me to this passage in Psalms--

"God be gracious to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us--That Thy way may be known on the earth, Thy salvation among all nation." 67:1-2

Such a peace came over me. Who am I to question God when He is the very one who led me to this vision? I am at such awe at my Creator--that in spite of my abundant mess ups and doubts, that He still chooses to lead me to find peace in His word. He loves in such a way that I sometimes find it hard to fathom....

Website..

Hi everyone! Just to let you know, the website will be live soon--it is still being worked on and finalized, so if you gain access, now that it isn't completely finished yet! I will post info here as soon as it is complete and ready for viewing!! Thanks for your support!

-Courtney 

Time for an update :)

Hey everyone--I just wanted to fill everyone in on the progress that is being made with The Hidden Place and all that is going on. God is providing in some great ways--and your support has been so overwhelming. The amount of people asking me what they can do to help and contribute has blown me away--here are just a few of the things in the works right now:

--We are about a week away from obtaining corporation status, which is the last step before submitting our non-profit paperwork. Please pray as we begin that process--the paperwork is almost ready to go, but they have been known to return it quite a few times with no explanation of what is wrong. Please pray that the process goes smoothly!

--We have been trying to figure out how we are going to provide bedding for all of the kids at camp at a reasonable price. Thankfully, we found great blankets on clearance for $7.00 each earlier this week! Our family went to 6 malls in total to find enough, but we finally got them all. Now we just need to get them to South Africa--thankfully my parents and some other people from our church will be coming in September, so they will just have to pack a few extra tubs for the journey!

--My wonderful aunt has prepared prayer/support cards to send out--I will have them with me when I speak at churches, but if you are interested in getting one, you can e-mail me your address.

--I am excited to be meeting with a few churches in the coming weeks about the possibility of them partnering with The Hidden Place. I am excited to share this vision with people and hear their feedback. God is definitely opening doors, and I am excited for what He has in store!

--We wanted to be able to provide toiletry items for the kids that come to The Hidden Place, and thankfully our Awana program at church has offered to make that happen! They will be collecting travel size toiletry items for us! I am so thankful for a church that supports and assists in countless ways.

--The sewing ladies at our church will be making pillow cases for us to have for future camps! Another great answer to prayer so that we can provide bedding for the kids!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support! Please continue to pray for this ministry--that God would be glorified in every decision--and that we would seek His will in all we do. Please begin praying for the kids that we will minister to at the first camp in September-I can't wait to see what God has in store. 

A long awaited beginning

As I begin to write this blog, I am actual brought to tears. I am watching my dream become a reality--what a mighty God we serve. 8 years ago when I knew God was calling me into full time ministry, I could have never dreamed of what the journey would entail. The dream of the Hidden Place has been in my heart for so many years--many late night conversations with God, my parents, and close friends has led to this beginning.

For those of you who don't know let me explain what the Hidden Place is...

God has given me a passion for working with children, primarily through the avenue of camps. I have seen what joy a camp experience can bring to a child. Camp is an opportunity for children to get away from home to build relationships, enjoy new experiences, and most of all learn what it means to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I have seen the difference a camp experience can make in the life of a child, and I believe it is the desire of God to allow children around the world to have that experience. 

The children that I have worked with over the past few years have stolen my heart. The world they come from is sometimes unimaginable. They are exposed to things that no child ever should be. The desire of my heart is to provide an opportunity for these children to have a week away from home in a place where they can experience the love of God in a real way. My prayer is that the Hidden Place will serve as a location where kids can come to escape from the worries and problems they are faced with every day. A place where they can seek refuge in the arms of Christ. 

In the coming months, we will be trying to get the word out about the Hidden Place. I want people to have the opportunity to partner with us to minister to these children. We are in the process of becoming a registered NPO and will be desiring to raise financial resources in the coming months. More than anything, we ask for your prayers. Pray that God will open specific doors that will lead us to where we desire to go in this ministry--Pray for the children that will attend our first camp in September--Pray for resources to come available that we are in need of--Pray for the leadership that we are led by God to make wise decisions--

In the coming weeks we will have our website up and running, and as soon as that happens I will share the link here. Until then, you can email me with any questions at the following address- thehiddenplacesa@gmail.com 

Thank you for your support....