God writes your Lovestory (only in english)

This is a repost from my beauftiful sister& friend Jessica   
( http://www.jessicahover.blogspot.com/ )

She took the time and wrote in her blog about how god brought me and my fianceé together. I just love how amazing and perfect planned he has our lifes. Enjoy reading. 

a love story that i love.

I have a crazy friend named JP. He is Canadian. And he is more of a brother than just and friend... annddd he is the best kind of crazy. A type of crazy that is submitted to Jesus.

When JP was 20 years old he felt a call from God to go to Asia and start a skateboard company in order to minister to the skateboarders there. He prayed and asked God which city to go to and felt like he heard a specific city.... though he didn't actually know if that place existed. Next he searched a map until he found the exact city that the Lord showed him in prayer.

So he bought a plane ticket to that city. (I told you he was crazy.) After 3 months living in asia he met a skater from England, who had just moved there. Guess why he moved there?... He ALSO felt a call from God to move to that city and start a skateboard company to minister to the skateboarders there!

That was 5 years ago. Today JP and his English friend... and a team of others, are fluent in the language of the country and have devoted their lives to sharing the love of Christ with the skateboarders in that nation- through the skate company that they successfully started!

Now here is where things really get fun for me...

I have a German friend named Eve. She came through YWAM last year, went to Chile with me, and joined staff with Beauty Arise last September. One time when we were in Chile she told me she hated Asia and NEVER wanted to go there.

For real.
She said that.

That was true until last October when she came into my bedroom one night and said, "Jess, I think God wants me to go to Asia." The amazing thing is that she wasn't afraid and she didn't hate it. She explained that her heart had been changing, and the more she prayed the more peace and excitement she felt about going to Asia.

During that same time JP, my crazy brother from the beginning of this story, had moved in with us and was getting ready to lead a team of our skateboarders (from Calling All Skaters) to his city in Asia.

Eventually it was decided that Eve would join that team and head over to Asia to do Beauty Arise ministry for girls over there. They all left at the beginning of December.

Okay, I should tell you something. It was a secret at the time, but everyone knows now. JP started falling for Eve basically the first day he met her. Last September. But in his wisdom he didn't tell her.... or anyone really. Because he knew that his future was in Asia. And if she didn't share that calling, then this relationship definitely wouldn't go anywhere. And if the relationship wasn't going anywhere, it was not worth harming Eve's heart by getting romantically involved.

So he kept it a secret. Sort of. Instead of telling her how he felt about her, he started carrying around a little tin in his pocket, and every time he noticed something he liked about her he would write it down and put it in the tin.

In late January I went over to Asia to visit the team. When I first sat down with Evi for coffee, she was literally gushing with love for this country. She was overwhelmed by it. This place that she had once hated, had completely captured her heart... AND she confessed that she had started to "fancy JP". Like A LOT. She hadn't told him yet, but she was confident that she had never met a better man in her life.

In Evi's wisdom she decided not to tell JP how she felt, unless she was confident that God was calling her to live in Asia. She SO believes in his vision, and she wanted to protect him, so she just prayed and waited for God to bring clarity to her heart.

(How awesome is it that BOTH of them were seeking to protect each others' hearts?!)

Anyway fast-forward. Valentine's Day. JP decided it was time to tell Eve how he felt. He went all out. He made her a romantic dinner- her favorite- his version of In N Out burger and fries. (For a 25 year-old man who doesn't know how to cook, in a country that doesn't do burgers... it was totally impressive.) He presented her with the tin, letting her read every napkin, note and receipt that he had used to jot down his favorite things about her. He took her on a boat ride through the city, a walk, and a motorcycle ride at night! (Best first date of a lifetime!!) And they made it official... actually Eve and JP were facebook official "In a Relationship" on February 14th, this year.

It has all been kind of a whirlwind since then. JP & Eve wanted to be married. They were confident in their relationship and sure of their guidance from the Lord to get hitched and serve Him together in Asia. One major piece of the picture was going to be breaking the news to their parents. Mostly HER parents. JP's family loves his radical faith and unique way of doing life- they trust his ability to make choices and hear from God. Evi's family is from a small-town in Germany. They are more traditional and though they completely support her life, they would love it if she would come home and follow Jesus right in her home-town. Anyway, Eve shared with her family that she was hoping to marry JP and live in Asia. She explained her journey with God and that she really believed this was His best for her. andddd GUESS WHAT...... her family agreed with her! They supported her 100% and offered their assistance in planning her wedding!

Next came the hunt for an engagement ring. No big deal. Except that JP didn't have the money for the ring he wanted to get her. Once again, God comes through, a friend approaches JP and offers to pay for the ring in full. !!!!?!??!?!?!!!! Yes. That is our God.

So JP & Eve returned to LA from Asia May 21st. They were engaged two days later and will be getting married in Germany this August! Loved ones near and far are coming together to make this wedding a dream-come-true. (She just found out that she is getting married in a CASTLE!)

Anyway being a part of this story has been a highlight of my life... Eve has been here with me in LA getting things ready.... and I thought it wasn't fair for me to soak up all the goodness of what God is doing here, without letting you be a part of it!

I pray their story is encouraging for you! -- That no matter where you are in life you can be certain that our God is faithful and good. He loves to love us, and His love is unconditional. Continue to trust Him sweet one, and wait for His timing. He will come through for you. The story He is writing with your life is one worth telling! Let Him write it!

Here is the link to a sweet video JP made for Eve's shower Sunday! 

http://vimeo.com/68498524 

 Oh!! and PS. JP had never kissed 
a girl before Eve! (heart-melting I know!!!)

So that's it and I hope it encouraged yout to trust God. For more pictures you are more than welcome to visit Jessica's Blog  http://www.jessicahover.blogspot.com/

Passion / Leidenschaft

Was ist Leidenschaft? What is passion? Was bedeutet Leidenschaft für dich und worüber bist du total begeistert? What makes you passionated and what are you passionated about? Was setzt dich in Brand? What sets you on fire? Ist deine Leidenschaft gut für dich?Are your passions good for you? Ist sie nach dem Herzen Gottes? Are they after the heart of God?
Solche und ähnliche Fragen wurden uns diese Woche, der ersten von vier, in dem Leiter-Seminar, woran ich bei Jugend mit einer Mission Los Angeles teilnehme, gestellt. Those and similar questions we faced this week, our first week of a four week leadership school with Youth with a mission Los Angeles.

Für mich persönlich war die ganze Woche einfach eine totale Bestätigung für meine Zukunft. For me personally the whole week was just a huge confirmation about my future. Ich habe noch keinen Blogpost darüber geschrieben (welcher sehr bald noch kommen wird), aber ich werde in zwei einhalb Monaten den tollsten Mann der Welt heiraten und nach China ziehen. I haven't made an own post about it (which will come soon) but I am getting married in about two and a half months to the most amazing man of the world and I am gonna move to China. Gott hat mir die Vision, mit Frauen in China zu arbeiten, gegeben. And God gave me the vision of working with women in China. Und nun poppt das Thema "Leidenschaft" in dieser Woche auf. And than the topic "passion" popped up. Ich habe realisiert, dass wirklich Gott mir die Begeisterung und Leidenschaft für Mädchen gegeben hat. Ihre Identität nicht in Männern, Make-Up und in den perfekten Bodymaßen zu finden. Oder in den ungefähr anderen hundert Sachen, wo die Welt uns Frauen sagt, wie wir zu sein und auszusehen haben. And I realized God really gave me the passion for girls and that they find their identity in god instead of boys, make up, having the perfect bodyindex etc. There are a million things, who the world tells us as girls we have to be like. Ich habe auch erkannt, dass ich Probleme habe, leidenschaftlich für meine Freunde da zu sein. I also realized, that I have a lack of passion for my friends. Wirklich in Fürbitte für sie zu gehen, auch wenn ich mich nicht danach fühle. To really interceed and pray for them, even I don't feel like to. Wenn sich nichts verändert und ich nicht das Gefühl habe, das Gebet einen Unterschied macht. Even I don't see any progress. Aber das ist ja das Gute daran, wenn unsere Begeisterung wirklich von Gott kommt. But that's the cool thing, when we get a godly passion. Wir sind nicht aus unserer eigene Kraft für etwas begeistert, sondern es ist die Leidenschaft von dem, der die Welt gemacht hat. It's not our own strength who keeps us passionated, it's the creator of the universe passion´. Praktisch umgesetzt heißt das für mich, Gott um Leidenschaft für Dinge zu bitten, die ihn begeistern und in Brand setzen. So for me practical means that, to ask God, to give me again the passion to pray. Nicht einfach Gebete herunter zu leiern, sondern sie wirklich von ganzen Herzen zu meinen, vor allem wenn es zu dem Thema Fürbitte kommt. Not just to say prayers but to really truly mean them, especially when it comes to intercession for family and friends. Was ich also mit diesem Blogpost sagen möchte, ist, dich zum Nachdenken an zuregen, und zu überlegen, was dich beigeistert, wo deine Leidenschaften liegen und ob sie mit biblischen Leidenschaften übereinstimmen. So what I want to say with this post, is just to make you think, what your passions are and what do you think lines up with the bible and which don't. Und wenn du einige Bereich entdeckst, wo du mehr begeistert bei der Sache sein könntest, dann erbitte dir einfach diese Begeisterung/Leidenschaft von unserem himmlischen Vater. And when you see some areas, where you think you could be more passionated, than just ask our Father, to give you his heart and passion about it. Er wird dir zuhören und antworten. He'll hear you and answer. Ich weiß das, weil es mir so erging. I know that, because that happens to me.

Love you, Eve