About Alabaster Images Art Studio

The Origin Story of "Alabaster Images Art Studio"

The following story is completely true. Jesus is amazing. I needed to write that, just then because I know that this will be a long road. I hope and pray that it is something you meditate and pray about, that if you feel led by God to join me on this road, that you may obey that calling. Thank you.

It all started on May 24th, 2017, at the end of one of Ben Dixon's (Mill Creek Foursquare Church's prior associate and young adult pastor) last session of his "Learning How To Pray" (Immersion Discipleship School- IDS, 2017). During the prayer time at the end of the session, Ben said that there were people in the room that He (God) was calling to a country, and that many people in the room felt "stuck" (the exact term I had used before that evening: multiple times before in my life, to describe how I felt about my life) and He was going to prepare them forward like a sling shot. Ben then said to us (in the IDS group) to speak out a word (audibly) for a country God brings to our mind.

Because the Manchester (England) concert bombing happened just a few days earlier, and my heart was particularly broken by it, at that point I was very emotional and felt the feeling where a word is for you, and all I could say was "Manchester England" three times, through my tears. Then the most surprising thing happened. I heard God say "I want you to go to England.” During that moment, I was just in shock, and balling my eyes out. This was incredible what God was (and is) calling me to. It was crazy-amazing. I was mainly shocked, because I didn’t really think God would call me to be a missionary.

I need the Lord’s help with it because I cannot do this on my own, by myself. This could* not be real, but I believe and choose to believe it is, because it is something God is calling me to do.

(**The above account was taken directly from a journal entry, dated: October 9th, 2017. Approximately 4-5 months after this happened.)

In the months following, God had and has given me what I believe to be encouragements toward the end goal of ministering and missioning to Manchester, England. I received confirmation that Manchester, England is to be where I am meant to mission to, I believe via spiritual impression a few months after my calling to be a missionary. Then I received final confirmation on January 5th, 2018.

Origin Story of Alabaster Images Studio's Name

On the week of June 2017 and a bit earlier, I was praying about what God wanted me to do, and how God wanted me to minister to England/ Manchester, England, and then on June 9th, 2017, I was given what I’d call a “divine idea,” the idea for an art studio popped into my head that day. It was an awesome idea because art has been my forte almost my entire life, it’s one of the few things that come naturally to me. I just knew that it was the right thing to do. Then I spent the next couple weeks praying about what God would want it to be called. I had my own idea, naming it after my Facebook art page’s title, “Vivid Images,” but eventually, during prayer I heard two titles “Alabaster Box,” and “Hope Studio.” I prayed and thought on it more, and one night I was playing around with the two names. Then I decided to Google “alabaster box.”

Turns out that during biblical times, an alabaster box was a young woman’s dowry bought by her family. When the young woman was married, she would break it at the feet of her beloved, the man she was marrying. I also learned from my research that it is also a symbol of worship. I just think both of those two answers I found, are beautiful. That is the base meaning for the title of this page and future ministry, “Alabaster Images.”

(Continued below... )

This is the image (above) I pulled off of the internet, is and was part of my inspiration for the ministry's name, "Alabaster Images Art Studio."

A few people to whom I have shared this with have told others that “this is what Lorena wants to do”: NO. It is something that I strongly believe God is calling me to minister to Manchester, England through an art studio. Not many who knows me, knows how much a perfect fit that is for me, but it truly is. It’s as if it’s divinely right (God-given) because I love art, and have since I was a child, and I and many others believe I am pretty good at it. I love family, friends and also art, and Jesus, I daresay, like Dominic Toretto (Fast & The Furious films). That might be too bold, but that’s honestly for real (haha). They don’t know how much.
If you choose to support this, whether by counsel & advice and/or financially in any way, you will not be sorry. I am choosing to have faith and believe that God will make this happen.

_____________________

Please note:
I cannot, CAN NOT do this when there are people in my life who will cast the bad kind of doubt and uncertainty over me and in my mind by saying it out loud to me, and making me doubt it. I don’t say this because I am currently so weak & weak-minded that I will be easily swayed- no. I am saying this, even though it is very hard, given that in the previous paragraph I likened my love for my friends (as well as for family, art & Jesus) to Dominic Toretto’s love & care of cars, but I needed to say this because it would be too hard for me in person because I love all my friends.
However, despite that, people in my life who are going to cast unnecessary doubt about this and not believe it shouldn’t be in my life because it is something God has given me to do with my life. Not just to be a missionary to Manchester, England, but to probably mission to other places as well, depending on what the Lord tells me to do & where to go. With a calling this steeped in responsibility and needing to hear God clearly, having people in my life who don’t believe in my original calling to minister to England cannot possibly believe for when future moments of mission trip callings happen.
Thank you to those who have been my friend but feels the need to honor this request. I have appreciated whatever kind of friendship we have had.