A Brand New Step

“No prayer is lost. Praying breath was never spent in vain. There is no such thing as prayer unanswered or unnoticed by God, and some things that we count refusals or denials are simply delays…

Christ sometimes delays His help that He may try our faith and quicken our prayers. The boat may be covered with the waves, and He sleeps on, but He will wake up before it sinks. He sleeps, but He never oversleeps; and there are no ‘too lates’ with Him.”

-Streams in the Desert, July 10th

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I can tell you with complete honesty that I have not prayed (or cried) and asked for guidance and direction more than I have this past year. I have been unemployed since the end of last August, and in my search for jobs—even in the graphic design field—they have all fallen through.

I started to wonder, what could God be doing here? Is He pointing me elsewhere? I still have a desire to do graphic design as I feel art is a natural part of me, but I also have a heart for people’s walk of faith and their relationship with God. That was, after all, the reason I moved to Denver in the first place: to get the degree of Christian Formation and Soul Care, or spiritual direction, from Denver Seminary.* Yet, I was wondering how to go about doing that…

A Brand-New Step!

And so, I’m excited to announce that God has led me to do spiritual direction through the organization, Paraclete. Paraclete is the Greek word used in the scriptures for the Holy Spirit, and it means to come alongside. Working for Paraclete will allow me to offer my skills of spiritual direction to come alongside mission organizations.

Having personally lived overseas and already directed several missionary women, I am passionate about ministering to them year-round, either through short-term trips or virtually. I’ve been offered an opportunity to serve with Azmera, which focuses on missionary women.

Yet, I Need Your Help!

As this is turning a new page in my life, I am seeking both prayer and financial support. I want to invite others to join my team as we work to encourage missionaries around the world and help keep their faith alive. It’s important to me that they walk closely with God, knowing He is always by their side. I ask for prayers that God will guide this mission and use me in whatever way He sees fit.

Your financial support can make a significant impact as I provide spiritual direction for missionaries. With your contributions, I can offer my services free or at reduced rates, ensuring that no missionary—whether overseas or in America**—is turned away due to financial limitations. Your assistance will not only give them the spiritual support they need but also give me the pleasure of God using me in this way.

This is where Paraclete comes in—like a pair of cleats (note the wordplay). I played softball from 3rd to 12th grade, and cleats gave me the grip and stability I needed to move from base to base or catch the ball in the outfield. In the same way, Paraclete supports workers of any task, which would be providing spiritual direction to missionaries for me, helping them stay grounded and effective. Just as I wouldn’t have gotten far without my cleats, I rely on Paraclete to keep moving forward.

I need your help to achieve a goal: to support and strengthen missionaries. My aim is to encourage them and help them renew their enthusiasm for sharing Christ with the world. I would like you to be part of this effort—my "cleats" in this mission. You can contribute in whatever way you feel led by God, whether through prayer or providing financial sustainability.

How to be my Cleats…

You can support me through my Paraclete bio, which can be found here, with a monthly gift or a one-time donation.*** Your support helps cover my living expenses and aids the organization I'm affiliated with: Azmera. A one-time gift can also go towards a retreat with Azmera, focusing on supporting each missionary personally. Any contribution is appreciated!

I am truly grateful for your prayers and interest in finding out what God is doing in my life. I look forward to sharing how He is using you in the upcoming weeks and months.

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* Spiritual direction involves a meeting between a director and a directee, where the directee reflects on their life and explores God's presence and activity in it. They discuss the directee’s relationship with God and seek to understand how they can live closer to Him, even amidst life's craziness and distractions.

** When I say "missionaries", I refer to all believers. Acts 1:8 states that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and we are to be witnesses in Jerusalem (our hometown), Judea and Samaria (nearby cities), and to the ends of the earth (international). This means we are all called to be missionaries.

*** In case you can’t get the link for some reason, it can be found here: https://www.paraclete.net/associate/christie-smith/

If you wish to give with a check, just send it to:

Paraclete Mission Group

P.O. Box 912576

Denver, CO 80291-2576

--> And make sure to add “Preference: Christie Smith Ministry" to the memo line on your check.