kristin stutes

“Let’s start a revolution by SERVING!”

This past Saturday, over 1,400 volunteers put on a red shirt ALL OVER the WORLD and served over 15,000 people.  Yes, my people in Mozambique and Swaziland were representing in Africa, and yes, my heart is still over there. Maybe you saw the 900 in Baton Rouge either at a block party, handing out bottles of water, car wash, nursing homes, battered women’s shelter….

Mark and I had the honor of playing games at the nursing.  They were so CUTE!  The grumpier they were the more fun I had. We played games, sang songs, and Mark was giving all of the ladies a white rose.  I’m sure they enjoyed that! 

“You Are My Sunshine” is there favorite song; you have to hear them!!

Before I left for Africa, some AMAZING girls I work with adopted another coworker from Shri Lanka who only had 2 pieces of luggage and was living with a family.  Within 3 weeks she has an apartment that is fully furnished and food in all of the shelves.  Now I understand what what Jesus was telling His disciples in Matthew 25.

     36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

    37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

    38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

    39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

    40 The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

I am learning PATIENCE, to be STILL and REST….all of which I don’t like to do.  I keep asking with tears in my eyes, “So God, what do you want me to do with everything I saw and experienced in Africa?” and He replies, “Rest…Be still…Just wait.”  Then I ask again, “What do you want me to do with all of this?” and He responds AGAIN, “Rest…Be still…Just wait.” 

To show you how hard headed I am I ask the beautiful Ms. Sherrie May and she says, “Kristin, you just need to rest, be still and wait.”  For some reason I really thought she was going to give me a specific answer/formula but she must have heard the same thing from God.  He is so funny!  Just an example of how consistent and unmovable He is.

Here are some BEAUTIFUL pictures of some BEAUTIFUL people.  They ALL have a story and I want to know the details of each one of their lives.

Natalie and I learned how to get out of a puddle of rut and lies.  This AMAZING girl handed Nat a pen and said to write the opposite of what the enemy tells you on your wrist. Mine keeps changing but today my wrist says…”QUALIFIED.”  What should your wrist say? Listen to Natalie’s wrists!!

To end on a fun note, here is a video of us heading to the Passion Conference (that’s a whole other post I will share soon).  The 3 girls in the back are doing the “White Girl Swazzi Dance”.  They are about to graduate from High School in a few weeks, but they are wise beyond their years.  HPC Swazi is developing them in to some AMAZING leaders.  If I knew what they knew when I was 18 I can’t imagine where I’d be right now.

All I wanted was a shower and a bowl of cereal…but not at the same time.  Mark had to explain what side of the car the passanger sits on in America.

I just got home about an hour ago and my body thinks it’s 4:30am.  I will post more later but here are some videos!!

I miss my Natalie!!! I haven’t slept by myself, ate by myself, rode in a car by myself, driven a car, or even walked across the street by myself in like 15 days.  I hope I can make it!

Every morning we wake up and say, “This is going to be the BEST day of our lives,” and believe it or not it ALWAYS is!!!!!  I am completely BLOWN away by the details and BIG things I’ve been able to experience in Africa.  We got back late last night after spending 2 days in Mozambique with Isaac and Carol.  I JUST LOVE THEM!! It’s been almost 2 years since they have been here and started the HPC campus aka. Terry Melancon Chapel and care point.  We spent one morning playing with over 100 kids.  They are sssoooo cute.  The night before, I told Natalie that I pictured her own daughter with a dress and mary-jane shoes and then we met this little girl at the care point with little braids and a contagious smile and was attached to her all morning.  When we looked down she was wearing a skirt and orange mary-jane shoes.  LOVELY! Details–Thanks Lord!

Each child has a story and I want to know all of them!! To know more about their story and to possibly sponsor one go to Mission’s of Mercy and listen to them!!

We played a little while on the beach, the city is AMAZING! This is where Blood Diamonds was filmed and I felt like I was in a movie as we rode around the city.  Monday night we attended a youth event called Som do C’eu (Sounds of Heaven) and danced African style. Yebo!!

Sunday was amazing as well!!! I had the honor of getting up and doing flow and the announcements for church.  Sarah Kelly is an amazing musician from the US and is filming a video for her upcoming tour and is focusing on the children and women in Africa.  She gave her testimony at church that ROCKED the lives of the people in Africa as well as the Americans (me). 

Oh, but Saturday was……(I’m speechless and about to cry just thinking about it).  First, we had a sleep over on Friday so we all woke up and went for a hike and made a video. I can’t wait to post it!!! Then we spent the afternoon with my sister Ruth. I can’t stop talking about her.  She likes her bread toasted (details)!  She is in her 30’s and in 2003, she was diagnosed with HIV and was cast out by everyone.  Two years later she suffered a stroke and was paralyzed which not only left her abandoned but abused physically and mentally.  To provide for herself she had to crawl on her stomach to get around!!  She said in her mind she knew she had to get out of the situation and a man made a pair of walking sticks to help her get around and eventually she was able to move around.  Before her mother passed away she got to see her daughter walk!! Now, Ruth only has 1 walking stick and gets around slowly…but she gets around and lives on her own in a little room where we got to hang out all afternoon. 

We met her aunt who she now considers her mother and when we arrived she felt SO bad because in their culture you are suppose to give your guests something to eat even if it’s your last meal and she had NOTHING to give us.  We told her to please, please not worry! There are so many details with this visit that I’d love to share but it’s overwhelming but GOD IS SO GOOD!!! Ruth has joy that could ONLY come from the Lord.

Natalie, Ruth, Zinty and Me

There area dozens of stories similar to Ruth’s that I’ve been able to listen to first hand so I could go on and on….  It’s so amazing because they are OVERWHELMED with JOY when we hang out or help them but the truth is that we leave far more BLESSED then they are.

It’s only 3pm here…and I don’t think this day could get any better!  Natalie said that it will get better…. This morning we hiked up a mountain and had an amazing time.  When we got there Patrick was sitting with some of the interns and they were playing the guitar and enjoying life.  We joined them for a few songs!!

Sandra, I thought of you as we hiked around the moutain. You would have LOVED it!!  The view was beautiful, the weather was perfect and the company was even better.  I have to say I am very impressed with Natalie; not only is she driving which requires sitting on the right and driving in the left lane and driving a standard.  She has to shift with the left hand and there is no flat land around here only hills…steep hills.

We arrived at the Fonteyn Care Point just in time for lunch.  The sang songs for us, danced, counted to 100 in English, played patty-cake and gave lots of hugs!  They were so cute. They were giving me all high-fives and a little boy had porrage all over his hands and a little girl with cute little dread locks said “grose” in her cute little accent. She was so cute.  I have pics and videos but if I continue to upload them I may loose my religion.

I don’t know what today is but it’s my first day in Swaziland, Africa!  Mollie, I relayed the message to Natalie that you love her, and Bailey and Kari I gave her a hug from both of you.  The weather is absolutely beautiful!  I was playing football and jumping on the trampline with some kids and didn’t even sweat.  You’re probably thinking I didn’t play hard enough but not really-the weather is bEauTIfuL!

So, the last few days I was in London, and I fell in LOVE. The weather was gorgeous!  As I got off the plane Armando from Hillsong picked me up and my (according to the airport) overweight luggage.  He gave me 20 minutes to shower and get ready for service.  When I get home I’ll have to post the video, but it was incredible!  I’m having trouble uploading pictures but I doing  my best….it takes FOREVER!

The picture of the roof top is where Mary Poppins and the crew danced around! That’s the kind of sight seeing I like to do.  Mom, I got a picture of the Bookstore from Notting Hill just for you.

The CRAZIEST thing happened in London….you will NOT believe this but I am going to tell you anyway.  I was walking around the streets of London and I hear “Kristin”.  My first thought was it’s not me they are calling because I am all by myself on the other side of the world, but I turned just to see what was going on and it’s my college roommate, Candice!!  We were in total shock and couldn’t speak for like a minute.  It was so crazy and we got to hang out the next day.  THAT IS SO  STINKIN’ CRAZY!

Now I know why they teach us to look both ways when crossing the street because when you’re in another country the cars drive on the wrong side of the road.  Yes, I say “wrong” because this guy said “oh, yeah, in America you drive on the wrong side of the road.”  My reply was, “Why is our way ‘wrong’?”

Currently, I am at the Healing Place Campus in Swazi enjoying the internet.  It is a rare thing around these parts.

XOXOXO,

Kristin

8 more days till I head to Africa!!! Eish (that’s what they say in Africa)!! I get to stay with one of the best people in the WORLD, my Natalie Spera. I can not wait!!!

People may wonder and ask “Why” and my answer is because last year I surrendered and was broken in Cambodia and I can’t turn my back on something I have seen. It’s too late! Ms. Sherrie put it this way,

“Stop doing life as you know it and take a detour to the unknown.  The only danger is having to come back…but your heart may not.  You risk having it stolen right out of your chest by a sweet smile from a soul who most probably won’t know what you are even saying (the language barrier) but will sense your words and smile-a sincere expression of God.”

And, I saw this video and fell in love

My goal this trip is to—

-Love, dance and play with the kids at different Care Points (12 million children are orphaned in Africa due to AIDS)

-Give hope to those dying of AIDS in the hospital (Touch the Untouchables)

-Slumber Party with Ben , Susan, Kayla, Levi and Trinity Rodgers

-Hang out in Mozambique with Isaac and Carol and soon-to-be-baby

-Attend the Passion Conference with Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin & The David Crowder Band

-Be broken even more…Ouch! 

Another AMAZING opportunity I get is to spend 2 days in London with Hillsong…Something I’ve been talking about and now I really get to go!!!  They are hosting me so I don’t get too lost.  I get there early Sunday morning and head strait to their church, but I’ll probably be in shock for the 1st service and hopefully I can focus for the 2nd one;  Of course, I’m going to have to check out the sites around the city and Princess Diana (if you’ve been to my house you’ll know that I am a fan).

My only request is your prayer for health, safety and God’s will be done.

Here are some of the lyrics from the song above from Hillsong–

It is not a human right
To stare not fight while broken nations dream
Open up our eyes, so blind
That we might find the mercy for the need

Hey now
Fill our hearts with your compassion
Hey now
As we hold to our confession

It is not too far a cry
Too much to try to help the least of these
Politics will not decide if we should rise
And be your hands and feet

Whoa-oo-ooh
God, be the solution
Whoa-oo-ooh
We will be your hands and be your feet

Higher than our circumstance
You promised and you loved for all to see
Higher than our protest lines and dollar signs
Your love is all we need

Only you can mend the broken heart
And cause the blind to see
You erase complete, the sinner’s past
And set the captives free

Only you can take the widow’s cry
And cause the heart to see
Be the Father to the fatherless
Our Saviour and our King

We will be your hands
We will be your feet
We run this race for the least of these
In the darkest place we will be your light,
We will you light

Life is so crazy; I didn’t realized I was going to NY until the taxi dropped us off at Anna’s cute little apartment.  I had so much fun with my girlfriends (Kacie, Emily and Anna Katherine) that I’ve had a hard time adjusting to reality this week.

We ate corn dogs and sunbathed at Coney Island, shopped on 5th Ave, strolled down the streets of Little Italy and ate the BEST pizza, enjoyed all kinds of treats homemade by Cara aka CaraLinnCakes at 3AM, strolled through Central Park in the rain, danced with a stranger, and played the drums and guitar in a ROCK BAND!!! One of my favorite moments was watching the firework show on the roof top of some apartments…to the right was the NY skyline and in front was the BEST firework show I’ve ever seen right over the Hudson River.

Another highlight was seeing the Knight family and my friend Casey from college who is now on Broadway in Legally Blonde…I am so HAPPY for her!  I miss all of you girls!!!

So, my best friend and I are doing a summer Bible study with Beth Moore.  Our first assignment was to memorize a Bible verse; then she challenged us to make a video with a creative way to help others memorize verses.  Well, I don’t know if really accomplished that specific task but it was definitely creative and hopefully we will win most entertaining!  What’s even greater is that after Sam emailed our video to the judges, Beth Moore’s daughter replied to the email- “Sam, that was so stinking funny.  It made my day.  Thanks for having fun with us!  I loved your video!”

So you’re saying there’s a chance…. Check out the video!

For Bonus, Sam’s son Will (my other best friend) is 4 years old and has enlightened us with a few comments over the last week.

After church this past Sunday, Will asked his mom, “Mom, I have somtin’ bery bery important to tell you.  Did you know that GOD is our FATHER?  He is like our great, great, great, great, great awesomist grandfather!”

Like “great” was an adjective.

They went to lunch with Brian (his father) and Will asked Sam if his dad’s salad had “coupons” in it instead of croutons.

Oh, and last weekend we were all at the beach and he crawled in my lap and I explained to him that we were playing in the Gulf of Mexico and if he swam really, really far he would get to Mexico.  His response was, “Do they play golf over there?”  I said “yes”…get it “gOlf of Mexico.”

 This past Saturday the Hub put together 15 teams of 4 and sent us all over Baton Rouge in sunshine and thunderstorm to compete in our own Amazing Race.  Just in case you were wondering:

There are 236 tables in the Mall of Louisiana’s Food Court.

If you ever need to fill up a trash bag, go to a gas station and go car to car and ask them to clean out their car.

It takes 4 people 3min and 22 sec to put together a mini Care Bears puzzle.

Throwing a frisbee in a tub is hard enough…try doing it in a thunderstorm while the weatherman is telling everyone to stay inside, with blurry contacts in your eyes. This is where the NO Amazing Grace played it’s part in the game…Thanks Blair!

If someone tells you to paint your face like a clown and you think there is a purpose…there’s not…they just want you to look like a fool.

Always have a nurse on your team, because they travel with diapers and “chuck” pads in their trunk and these materials soak up rain from your clothes, hair, shoes…

At Wal-mart in Prarieville, oreos are 2 for $5; there’s no such thing as a 24 pk of Dr. Pepper… 

Be prepared to phone a friend to list all 50 states in alphabetical order.

We stayed in 2nd place the until the last 2 courses and ended up #4.

You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to the game you want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you’ve ever heard fills the air. The sound is high above you. A trumpet? A choir? A choir of trumpets? You don’t know, but you want to know.. So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up. As you do, you see you aren’t the only curious one. The roadside has become a parking lot. Car doors are open, and people are staring at the sky.  Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store. The Little League baseball game across the street has come to a halt. Players and parents are searching the clouds. And what they see, and what you see, has never before been seen.

As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the earth. There are no shadows. None.

From every hue ever seen and a million more never seen Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at a time, until they occupy every square inch of the sky.

North. South. East. West.
 
Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison, and over the sound of the trumpets, you can hear the cherubim and seraphim chanting, Holy, holy, holy.. The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four silver-bearded elders and a multitude of souls who join the angels in worship.

Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet. The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns and there He is. Jesus.

Through waves of light you s ee the silhouetted figure of Christ theKing. He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is atop a billowingcloud. He opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his declaration:

 I am the Alpha and the Omega.

The angels bow their heads.. The elders remove their crowns. And befor e you is a Figure so consuming that you know, instantly you know: Nothing else matters. Forget stock markets and school reports. Sales meetings and football games. Nothing is newsworthy. All that mattered, matters no more…. For Christ has come.

Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard lately, and I pray the Lord continues to get louder and louder when He “ugh hums” me again.  This past weekend, I woke up and said I’m going to have a quiet time then get a few little projects done before I take off running.  Well, I started the little projects and got distracted and I heard “ugh hum” softly then it got louder and louder until I heard “UGH HUM”.  He’s so gentle and patient, but that’s all he had to say for me to STOP.

“Lord, I give you permission to grunt, yell, trip me or do whatever it takes to make me focus on You more. Amen”

Poor Adam… Everybody blames Adam for bringing sin into the world.  People all over and forever will say, “We wouldn’t have sin and suffering if ADAM wouldn’t have eaten that apple.”  In reality, if that was me, I would have done the same, better yet I would have eaten 2 apples and millions and millions and millions would say, “What an idiot?  Because KRISTIN ate the apple(s) we are all suffering.”  I don’t even like apples, and I would have still eaten it just because.  I make those little, stupid mistakes every day.  I’m just glad people don’t connect me with sin like they do Adam.  Poor Adam…

 After hearing Louie Giglio explain Laminin and realize that your schedule (dates and time) revolve around Christ (BC and AD)….how can you not believe?  Over a year ago, Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin came to Baton Rouge and they were AMAZING, and now I get the priviledge of attending their Passion Conference across the world in Africa this August!!! Praise the Lord!