Love.

I am so in love. I am first and foremost in love with my Lord and Savior, each day he shows me something that makes me love him even more, and what is really cool is that his love for me is never changing and always consistent as well. I am in love with Tahoe already. It is so beautiful how could I not be, but also the people are so awesome too. They have their own uniqueness and personalities. I love my preschoolers. There is just something about a little hug from a four year old that makes me know that I am exactly where God wants me to be. I love teaching. It is awesome to see the light bulb click on or a kid grasp something they never knew. I love my team. We are always laughing and supporting each other.

So, yes I love life right now. How could I not?

The past week and half has been wonderful so far. I have seen the power of serving already and how much it makes an impact for the Lord and others. Whether it is cleaning a toilet or teaching a kid their days of the week, serving the Lord is my passion. I have realized that through out the day no matter what I am doing, I am serving Him and how impactful that can be.


The Lord is shaping and molding me as well. I have been reading Radical and have been so challenged by it. It is amazing how he puts the words of the Lord in a context that make them stick out. I have learned how easy it is to read things in the Bible and just skim them instead of taking them to heart, and changing my life due to them. God calls us to be Radical and the majority of the time that means living life way different then world and often the "American Dream" lifestyle. I have been challenged and encouraged that serving the Lord in Tahoe is a way that my life is being Radical before the Lord. I want to continue to live a Radical Life for Him until He returns or takes me home.

I am so thankful for encouraging friends and family in my life. Thanks so much for all you do. Continue to pray for Tahoe City, my kids, and opportunities to arise to minister.

Some exciting things that happened this past week---
*Taking kids from prek-6th grade to the beach on Lake Tahoe
*Taking kids from prek-6th grade on a hike up a mountain over looking Lake Tahoe and eating a sack lunch and enjoying the view.
*Bonding with my team as we drove around the lake and hung out.
*Spending time with some awesome adult ladies from GA who came and helped out here for a week. They were such an encouragement and support
*Having church service outside has been so awesome!
*Hiking up to a cross with my team and looking at the view!
*Teaching pre-k! I love my kids already!
Love y'all so much!

Tahoe Time: T minus 9 Hours!

Tahoe time is now T minus 9 hours! In just 9 hours I will be boarding a plane to Phoenix and then to Reno. In Reno, I then drive 1 hour to Tahoe City, CA!

It is incredible where the Lord has taken me and the plans He has sat out ahead. It has been so awesome to just let Him have complete control. I can't wait to see what He does in Tahoe. I can't wait to see my pre-k students and start learning who they are and teaching them! I can't wait for all the opportunities that the Lord has lined up for me!!

It has been a wonderful last couple days here at home. I got to be apart of a great church service on Sunday and spend time with friends there who greatly encouraged me. I got to talk to my grandparents and aunt on the phone which was so encouraging. I got to spend time with the girls from Peru, which was much needed. I think we had another debriefing and encouraged each other. I also got to spend time with my three best friends from high school. I am so excited to see where the Lord leads each of them this year and it was a wonderful time of encouragement as well. I also got to spend time with my fantastic family. I enjoyed swimming at the pool with my niece today, holding my new born nephew, and hanging out with my mom, dad, brother and sister in law. I am truly blessed with an amazing support system. Of course as you read that you read the word encouraging a lot and that is what you all are to me! So Encouraging and supportive and I am so thankful! I am so thankful for your words of encouragement, support and most of all prayers!

I have also just started reading the book Radical by David Platt. It has already challenged me so much! But, I wanted to share this quote from the book. It really stuck out to me and made me see the blessing I have in my family/friends and the richness of my calling. How my family/friends and my calling gives my life the meaning that Christ calls us to have:

"Our meaning is found in community and our life is found in giving ourselves for the sake of others in the church, among the lost, and among the poor."

This really stuck out to me because I have seen such a value in the community the Lord has given me and the calling he has given me to serve others.

Well, as I have told many of you I am going to keep this blog updated as much as possible. Hopefully once a week if things don't get too crazy! I am so excited and I can't wait to see all the Lord does.

This is my prayer for my community (family and friends):

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 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 glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:14-21

Tahoe Address and Contact Information

FOUR DAYS TIL TAHOE! Can't believe it!!

Many of you have already asked for my address while I am in Tahoe.

My mailing (for letters) address will be

Semester Missionary
Kayla Pohl
P.O. Box 7433
Tahoe City, CA 96145

If you want to ship something (packages and such) via UPS or Fed Ex the address is
Kayla Pohl
First Baptist Church
390 Fairway Drive Tahoe City, CA 96145
530-58-31534

So there you go, I would love snail mail, but I will have my laptop and wireless internet in Tahoe so it is not a necessity to mail me real mail unless you really want to and I know I would love some real mail! Thanks so much for all the support, encouragement and prayers! Love y'all so much! I will be sure to post a more detailed post about leaving for Tahoe soon!

How Beautiful

How beautiful of a summer was the one I just spent in The Andean Mountains of Huancane, Peru. The people are what I already miss the most. Yet, I know God is with them and going to continue to move and work in mighty ways.

I have been home for 4 days and it has already flown by. In just 9 days I will be hopping on a plane again. Destination Lake Tahoe. Pretty Crazy. But before I jump ahead let me wrap up my final week in Peru.

For our final week in Peru, we had 2 days of debriefing (Mon and Tue) in Huancane with the Moho and Conima teams. We enjoyed hearing all that the Lord did through them this summer and in them. We also enjoyed worshiping with them again. We also had a little end of the summer X-games that the Grady's came up with. It was three events and let's just say the Conima team redeemed themselves. It was a lot of fun just to spend time with everyone again.

Tuesday night was an emotional night. We all decided to get together and pray and wash the feet of John, Sonia and Pastor Ruben. There were many tears in the room due to the powerful impact they have had on this summer and knowing that we would be leaving so soon. Pastor Ruben and his family were extremely emotional especially his little daughter Edith. I had a precious moment just holding her in my arms as tears streamed down my face and hers as I prayed over her for peace and comfort and guidance in the future. It is so true that the Lord absolutely places people in your lives when you need them the most and my roomies, the Grady's and Pastor Ruben's family were those for me this summer. So, realizing that it was goodbye soon was not easy.

Wednesday through Saturday we got to go to a tourist town called Puno. It was extremely fun! We stayed in a super nice hotel and enjoyed comfortable beds and hot showers. We also got to eat out at some awesome restaurants. On Thursday of that day we visited the floating islands that are made by native Peruvians out of reeds and they live on them. It was beautiful and incredible to see and experience. We had a great time! Thursday, we saw Pre-Inca Ruins called the Sillustani. It was so neat to see a place that has been standing for so long and hear about their lives so long ago. We really enjoyed both of these tours and took some neat pictures that are now on facebook so check them out. Puno was really fun and it was a good last couple of days of bonding with everyone before we left Peru.

We left Puno on Saturday afternoon and arrived in Juilica to get our flight around 3. We met an interesting man in the airport that day who believed in "Earth, Wind, and Fire." He as very interesting guy and helped pass the time while we waited for our 5:30 flight to Lima. We then flew out at 5:30 pm for Lima and got into Lima at around 7ish. We then had a lay over until our midnight flight out of Lima to Atlanta. In the Lima airport we enjoyed Papa John's pizza and getting our nails done as we waited for our flight. Then, we parted ways with the Texans as their flight left a little after ours. It was sad to say bye to them, but we are hoping to have reunions in the future! Our flight to Atlanta wasn't too bad. I watched one movie and then slept for 3 hours, tried to eat the plane breakfast and then it was pretty much time to land in the ATL. It was so exciting to see my mom and dad and everyone else's families too. We spent the morning at IHOP catching up with our families and enjoying our first moments back in the states.

Now, I am treasuring my 2 weeks here at home with my friends and family as well as getting ready for Tahoe. I can't believe I leave in just 9 days!!


___________________________________________

I also wanted to post on here something that I had to write for the SENDMENOW GA Baptist Collegiate Ministries program. It is a short snapshot of what the summer meant to me and how God used me and molded me this summer. It is pretty long so Iunderstand if you don't read it, but I thought some of you would like to hear some of the spiritual stuff God showed me this summer. Love y'all and so much and I am so thankful for your prayers, support, and encouragement you have given me this summer and in my life in general!

If you had the opportunity (and you do) to start with a blank page and fill it with your explanation and expression of the missions experience, what would you write? What are the words that can paint the picture and speak from your heart?


Going into summer missions this summer, I had no idea what the Lord had in store for me. Since the fall of last year, I felt the Lord calling me to give up my whole summer and go on a summer mission trip for the entire summer. This was a huge sacrifice for me for several reasons. First, I would be giving up a summer to have a job and make some much needed money. Second, I would be giving up a summer to find a permanent teaching position. Third, I would miss seeing my nephew being born, seeing friends get married and Fourth, I would miss spending so much needed time with family and friends.

Yet, when you hear God’s voice it becomes the only one that matters. Yes, those four things listed above matter to me don’t get me wrong, but serving the God of the Universe, my Lord and savior, my best friend, redeemer, lover of my soul is what I have been called to do and what ever that looks like I need to do it and be obedient to him. He was calling me to give up my summer and sacrifice and that is what I needed to do.

I have learned that doing missions is not easy. It is a sacrifice. Many people when they hear that I have spent a full summer in Peru they think of it as an adventure, vacation, get away. Yet, If they only knew what I went through and my fellow summer missionaries. Missions is extremely difficult. You get physically sick, you are tired, you become homesick, and you miss your support system. You are in a place where the people don’t speak your language and often don’t understand your culture and you have a difficult time understanding their culture as well. So, for people who think I was going on an adventure, vacation, get away this was far from it. I was in Peru because the Lord placed me there. He gave me a heart for these people. A heart to share his love and himself with them. I grew to love them as much as I love the Lord and as much as I love my family and friends here in the states. I wanted the people of Peru to know how much the Lord loves them and wants to be their savior, best friend, redeemer, and lover of their souls. That is why I went to Peru.

In Peru, I definitely had my share of struggles and hard times, but looking back none of that matters or compares to the experiences I had getting to share the Lord with the people there. My heart began to ache and burn for the people to know the Lord. As we began teaching ESL classes and building relationships with our students, I became excited seeing how we were making an impact on their lives. Every Tuesday and Thursday we had ESL classes. We had one for children and one for adults. At the end of each ESL class we told an oral Bible story. At the beginning of the summer the people in our classes were hesitant to talk and answer the questions we asked after the story, but by the end of the summer they loved talking and sharing what the liked about the story, what the story taught them about God and people and so on and so forth. It was beautiful to see them open up and begin to hunger and thirst for the living God and his Word.

One moment I will never forget was the night that we were able to share the gospel with our ESL class. Pastor Ruben, a Peruvian who we became extremely close to while in Peru told the story of Paul and Silas in chains, his testimony and also the gospel presentation. When the students in our ESL class responded it was incredible to see their faces light up and see the joy of the Lord in them. They were changed and we could tell and it was so beautiful. They committed to following the Lord and I can’t explain the joy I felt when I saw them come to know my savior and now theirs. All of those moments of sickness and tiredness were worth it in that moment. Whether we were playing volleyball with them, teaching them ESL, or sharing a Bible Story in that moment it became clear that all the time we spent made a difference. A life changing and eternal difference for these Peruvians. It is so beautiful to be able to be have been used by the Lord and to be his hands and feet to people who have never heard of him. It is beautiful to see what He can do with you when you let him use you.

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God Reigns”.

Oh, how truthful this verse is and how applicable it has been to my life in Peru these past two months. I am excited to see what the Lord has for me these next five months in Tahoe City, California as I teach preschoolers and minister to the people there. The Lord has truly provided for me and I am so blessed. I continue to lay my life before him in obedience and I can’t wait to see what he does!


What has the telling brought into focus and revealed to you?

Telling my story has made me realize how much I have grown in the Lord this summer. Before this summer, I felt as though I was a strong Christian and close to the Lord, but serving in Peru this summer, I have grown even closer to the Lord. This happened for several reasons. First, I spent so much more quality time with him. My quiet times have been a lot more meaningful and not rushed. I found the value of sitting and just being with him and in his presence. I truly hunger and thirsted for Him and his word more than ever. It was what I depended on to get me through the days. I did not have my family and close friends to depend on so I had to seek after the Lord and get his strength and supernatural Holy Spirit from Him in order to serve him fully.

I learned the value of the family of God. In Peru, I became very close to the Peruvian pastor and his family. One day, I was very sick and the pastor came and prayed for me. This meant so much to me and I saw that need for the family of God. Also, I knew that the family of God back home including my family and friends were praying for me and supporting me and that meant so much to me.

I also feel prepared and ready to step into the next phase of my life that God has for me. I will now be serving as a semester missionary in Tahoe City, California. I truly believe that everything I have gone through in Peru was a way for God to prepare me for what he has ahead for me in Tahoe this fall. I am excited to see what He is going to do and I am trusting in him completely with it all. It is all in his hands and I pray that I can continue to be his hands and feet in powerful ways in Tahoe. I can’t wait to see what beautiful things he has ahead.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." Isaiah 64:4