The Title Fits

Hey Friend!

Wow! I made this blog when I was a Sophomore in high school and just happened to stumble across it today. (I had to delete the old posts... they were embarrassing!) It was weird to blatantly see the incredible transformation that has taken place in my life, my heart, and my relationship with Christ.

 All day, God has revealed to me how much He has shaped me and molded me. I am amazed at the amazing love and grace of God that never gave up on the stubborn, broken, rebellious teenager I used to be. Notice that I say "used to be". I am pleased to brag about the fact that my God has delivered and restored me into a woman of God who seeks His righteousness, justice, love, truth, and Kingdom come. God has always been faithful. And I, most times, faithless. This life is truly a Journey of Faith.

So, where is my Journey right now? Lets catch up!

I am currently finishing up my first year at Lee University where I am studying Sociology and Christian Ministry. This past year, God gave me new dreams and passions for poverty alleviation, homeless ministry, community development, missions, and discipleship. In addition, He surrounded me with incredible friends who seek His kingdom and His fullness with all of their hearts. I am incredibly blessed by the brothers and sisters in Christ that I call friends.. They inspire me to be like Christ and to fall deeper in love with Him. So so so thankful for God's movement in my life this past year.

That was very brief.. I would love to tell you about all of my experiences this past year.. Don't worry, I'll have to blog about them this summer!!

But, this blog has a purpose. It has to do with what God has done recently. In the past couple of weeks, I was accepted onto a missions team to go to Botswana, Africa. For the entire month of June, I will be living in the villages of Botswana and evangelizing, making disciples, and loving God's people. God has made it incredibly clear that this is what He wants.. There have been doors that were impossible to be opened... But, LOOK AT GOD!! He will move in your life if you ask Him to! So, I am going to Botswana in June!

Obviously, mission trips take time, prayer, and sometimes hefty finances. I am making this blog post to make it more aware about my trip to Botswana. God has children there that need to be reached and to be made as disciples. I have prayed countless hours about this call and I am confident that God has equipped me and my team to go. I want all of my brothers and sisters to be apart of this journey and to pray for our family in Botswana. There is a desperate cry in this world for our Father and we need to point them to His loving arms!!

My brothers and sisters, please think of me in your prayers and take the time to read over my letter. I am so so so thankful for all of you. The outpouring of love, grace, and joy I receive from all of you is appreciated so much.

Here is my Mission Letter:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                                                                                          April 3, 2015

My family and friends,

            

           Thank you so much for your constant support, love, and prayers in my life. It has definitely not gone to waste. I am currently finishing my first year of college strong and full of crazy God moments and memories. I have surrounded myself with amazing brothers and sisters who are always pointing me to the cross and to the life of our Christ Jesus. In the past couple of months, I have gone through a season of renewal, prayer, and persistence because of a new passion that the Lord has given me for missions. I have never been out of the country and I am so excited to be a part of the Passport Mission team for our journey to Botswana, Africa. I have no doubt in my mind that I am walking in God’s will.

            My trip to Botswana is going to be for the entire month of June. While in Botswana, my team and I desire to bring revival to the church and the gospel to consume the nation. We will do this in daily discipleship, evangelism, and outpouring of Christ’s love on the people. It is one of the newest locations for the Adventures in Missions organization and I am super excited to see an incredible move of God. I desire to bring the gospel and the abundant, unconditional love of Christ to the people of Botswana. I pray that in my own personal discipleship with my team of Passport that I will gain a deeper understanding of the life of Christ and the life as a true disciple. I also pray that God will open doors for me to disciple the future generation of sons and daughters of God in Botswana. I dream of a radical movement of God in my heart as well as the world. I believe that God is going to move, transform, and revive His children.

            My brothers and sisters think of me in your prayers. Pray that God will use me as a vessel of His truth and love. Pray that I will not grow weary but push onward in times of trial. Pray for my team that we grow together as disciples of Christ. Pray for the people of Botswana, Africa to be moved by the power of God. I am in desperate need of your prayers. Another need that I have is dealing with finances. Pray that the Lord’s provision will be abundant. My trip cost is a total of $3993.00 and I would love for you to be a part of God’s plan. I would love for you to prayerfully consider making a donation to this trip. Every dollar counts.

Botswana, Africa doesn't know what is coming in June 2015. I am so excited to see God’s kingdom come and His freedom reign. Thank you so much for your support. May God bless you and keep you!

                                                                                              Yours truly,

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                       Haley Dorsey

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After prayerfully considering, here is the online site for donation:

https://www.adventures.org/give/donate.asp?giveto=partFund&desc=For%20Haley%20Dorsey

My program is: Passport

P.S. We are trying to get the funds in as fast as possible, so online payment is recommended before check payment. Thank you for your support!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So much love for each of you! Remember me friends.

-Hales

Where have I been? Qualified or Disqualified?

      To all my readers, I am so sorry for letting you down. I did not keep my promise of posting every month. I truly believed that I would have the time, focus, and energy to have a consistent blog but my last post of a year ago proves me wrong. So, for my lack of posting, I decided to make this post all about us catching up. When I made this blog, I was sixteen, a sophomore in high school, and a person who thought she knew life. I am now eighteen, a freshmen in college, and I am even more confused about life than I was when I was sixteen. Well, where have I been? Kick back, relax, and (hopefully) enjoy.
      This past year, I graduated high school on my birthday. Yes, my mom gained an adult and graduate all in the same day. You can only imagine how emotional she was. (Lucky for you, you didn't have to deal with it!) When high school came to an end, I was excited to attend Lee University in the fall but I was also frustrated with a growing conflict in my mind. I do not have an explanation, but I was angry at myself for not having a "normal" high school experience. Because of the growth of my disappointment, I decided to have a last "hoorah" before college. This "hoorah" consisted of an entire summer full of partying, drinking, and a complete 180 degree-turn away from God. I didn't think that it would get so out of hand and so consistent. One week turned into eight and I soon forgot who I was and what was my purpose. Isn't it crazy how when we give Satan an inch, he takes a mile?
I wish I would have spent this summer more involved in the Kingdom development and less in it's destruction. Sadly, there are no re-dos.
       Two weeks before my first day at Lee, I returned home to my Father. But, I later found myself, in my bed at Lee, with a heart full of shame and regret. I didn't know how to forget the things I did or rather be forgiven. I believe that asking for forgiveness and actually accepting it are two different processes. As I fell to my knees, in the presence of our Lord, immense peace comforted me and I heard, "Haley, stop trying to forget and be forgiven." After spending time with our Father, I found myself flabbergasted at one simple thought.

I am not qualified to do or be anything for the Lord. But, because of the Lord, I am made qualified.

I always think of Moses with this story of mine. A man who spent forty years of being someone important, made a mistake and spent the next forty years of being a nobody. He lived in self-doubt, shame, and regret. Then, all of a sudden, the Lord appeared to him with a burning bush.

I would like to look at a certain part of this conversation he had with God. In Exodus, Chapter 4, it says,

Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?"
Then the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?"
"A staff," he replied.
The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground."
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.
Then the Lord said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.
"This," said the Lord, "is so that they believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Issac and the God of Jacob--has appeared to you."

Moses did not believe that he was qualified to perform the job that the Lord gave him. This is seen in his constant "What if" questions. But the Lord responded with, "I am with you."

In conclusion, if the Lord is calling you somewhere, remember that you are qualified to go. The Lord is what makes you qualified. Your past mistakes don't determine your qualification. The Lord used a murderer to lead two hundred thousand of His people out from the dictatorship of Pharaoh. The Lord has called me, a girl from a broken home who fell into drugs, partying, and deceit to claim the freedom of Christ over my family and friends, to give Christ's love to the broken, to fight for the poor and the marginalized, and to harvest purity, justice, and righteousness in the world.    

Trust me, my friends, He is with you. Are you with Him?

Much love,

Haley Dorsey