* J U N E 1 5 *
Astonishing.
That's a word to describe my God. :) Just one of many.
Weeks one and two of Life Action Family Camp have flown by quicker than a flock of super-chickens at feeding time. (If you've never raised chickens or seen how they dash for their food, I feel for you.) The first week I had the immense privilege of being adopted into the Overman family: parents, grandparents, cousins and all. My three-year-old camp brother Eli, who sweetly dubbed me "Miss Angel" from the first day, was a delightful little bundle of energetic intelligence and fun, and I truly miss him and his family dearly. I learned much from observing Mr. Elliot and Miss Beth in their parenting endeavors, and was also able to talk with Grandpa about Imani Milele missions, which I am looking into possibly pursuing! And as a fun bonus, even though the family is from the Carolinas, Cousin Samuel is a classmate and good friend of my fellow actor/previous husband in the musical Peter Pan, John E. (Mr. Darling).
Small world, eh?
Week two. Monday afternoon I met Miss Sarah and her two daughters, who were ages 10 and 11. I can't even begin to describe the emotional trials and triumphs God lovingly upheld me in throughout the week in bonding with, learning from and teaching them. He gave us special times of connection and counseling and I won't ever forget it. There were so many similarities between my camp sisters and the girls I've taught & mentored back home through my hometown's GEMS girls clubs for about 6 years. My plan this fall is to re-engage with the Tuesday night programs and reconnect with the girls there by either counseling, leading worship or teaching a class of my own, and it was just such a beneficial blessing to have a sort of throwback to that environment and a glimpse of the familiar yet very different life I'll be leading in a few months.
Praise Jesus!
Week three is here already and I am more excited and joy-filled this morning than I've allowed myself to be in quite a while. God has spoken in so many ways to me recently; despite my attempts to be lazy in the fight for my heart and mind, He's been strong and pressed on to win me over, again and again. And I have naught but gratitude. I want to love others more; He reminds me to seek His face and love Him first, and trust that He will fill me with enough love to pour out to them each and every day. I want to delight in Him in all circumstances; He reminds me that peace is mine through the Holy Spirit but I must cut through the doubt sometimes in order to see it. I want direction; He gives passion and hope for change and avenues galore to see His kingdom advancing. I want to make a difference; he shows me both Scriptures that comfort me in the everyday tasks which amazingly bring Him glory and Scriptures that spur me on to bolder, more venturesome work!
"Take a moment to remember
Who God is and who I am
There You go lifting my load again
No longer am I held by
The yoke of this world
Come up under the yoke of Jesus
His yoke is easy and His burden is so light
His burden is so light..." {{ will reagan }}
Ways to be praying for me:
1. For bravery in taking up challenges with joy
2. For preparing to go home for Father's Day weekend and then transitioning back into Camp life next Monday
3. For loving & gentle communication between me and Andrew, my swain suitor. :)
4. For patience with my camp family this week, consisting of a big family with twin girl toddlers and a 5 year old boy.
Love y'all and so incredibly grateful for your love, encouragement and support!
Monday, June 15, 2015
Monday, June 8, 2015
Michigan Again! :)
Here I am at LifeAction Camp!
Funny. When I look at Road Team members from the other teams, I find myself thinking, "Gee, I'd like to do that myself!"
Road life wasn't what I expected... mainly because I didn't create any expectations. ;) God's surprises are my favorite, though. And He had so many to give in just 9 months! From long travel days to short nights, soulful talks and pun wars, surreal sunsets on southern horizons and countless of glimpses into heaven's beauty through the prayers of children country-wide, being grafted into a family with 10 brothers and 17 sisters (plus a few parents/ aunts and uncles) , random adventures in exotic places like Walmart, Planet Fitness, Goodwill, City Museum in St. Louis, the Barn at Buladean, and Texas (to name a few :) ) , from being in sickness to being in great health, experiencing exhilaration and encouragement and a thousand moments I'll continue to remember throughout the years : it's been a wonderful year. God has shown His faithfulness over and over again, reminding me when I need it most that He is Love and loving when I am not and I don't see the purpose in this flash called life. He has been steadfast, empowering, forgiving, compassionate, and giving of lavish mercy and grace every day. All I can say at the end of my travels is praise Jesus. Praise Him for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever. "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable!"
Many people have been asking what I am going to do once I get home. I have two sides of the page for that reply: side one, what I'm planning to do. Side 2, what I'm looking into doing. Side 1, be a GEMS girls club counselor at my hometown Dorr CRC, work as a nanny for the Aalderink family again, plug into children's ministry at my church, Grace Community, set aside time for writing (fiction and non-fiction works) and get involved with the production side of my favorite theater group, Homeschool Performing Arts (yay!). Side 2, decide whether to pursue college, and if I do, taking classes for A. Massage Therapy, B. Counseling, and C., Missions; and, most likely going on short-term missions trip or two to help me decide if I'm going to become a full-time, long-term missionary overseas. Oh! And Side 3 (haha) is seeking the Lord in prayer, advice and studying the word for wisdom in how to best walk forward in the courtship journey with my best man-friend Andrew. #soexcited
Prayers would be oh-so-welcome. Ways to be specifically praying:
For energy
endurance
joy in the continuous, yet amazing work
and an attitude of unconditional love to all the people I get to interact with!
Love y'all so much, and I'm looking forward to talking with you guys in person when I come home in July!
Funny. When I look at Road Team members from the other teams, I find myself thinking, "Gee, I'd like to do that myself!"
Road life wasn't what I expected... mainly because I didn't create any expectations. ;) God's surprises are my favorite, though. And He had so many to give in just 9 months! From long travel days to short nights, soulful talks and pun wars, surreal sunsets on southern horizons and countless of glimpses into heaven's beauty through the prayers of children country-wide, being grafted into a family with 10 brothers and 17 sisters (plus a few parents/ aunts and uncles) , random adventures in exotic places like Walmart, Planet Fitness, Goodwill, City Museum in St. Louis, the Barn at Buladean, and Texas (to name a few :) ) , from being in sickness to being in great health, experiencing exhilaration and encouragement and a thousand moments I'll continue to remember throughout the years : it's been a wonderful year. God has shown His faithfulness over and over again, reminding me when I need it most that He is Love and loving when I am not and I don't see the purpose in this flash called life. He has been steadfast, empowering, forgiving, compassionate, and giving of lavish mercy and grace every day. All I can say at the end of my travels is praise Jesus. Praise Him for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever. "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable!"
Many people have been asking what I am going to do once I get home. I have two sides of the page for that reply: side one, what I'm planning to do. Side 2, what I'm looking into doing. Side 1, be a GEMS girls club counselor at my hometown Dorr CRC, work as a nanny for the Aalderink family again, plug into children's ministry at my church, Grace Community, set aside time for writing (fiction and non-fiction works) and get involved with the production side of my favorite theater group, Homeschool Performing Arts (yay!). Side 2, decide whether to pursue college, and if I do, taking classes for A. Massage Therapy, B. Counseling, and C., Missions; and, most likely going on short-term missions trip or two to help me decide if I'm going to become a full-time, long-term missionary overseas. Oh! And Side 3 (haha) is seeking the Lord in prayer, advice and studying the word for wisdom in how to best walk forward in the courtship journey with my best man-friend Andrew. #soexcited
Prayers would be oh-so-welcome. Ways to be specifically praying:
For energy
endurance
joy in the continuous, yet amazing work
and an attitude of unconditional love to all the people I get to interact with!
Love y'all so much, and I'm looking forward to talking with you guys in person when I come home in July!
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Texas.
"DEEP IN THE HEAAARRRRRRTTT OF TEXAAAAAS!"
"Everything's bigger in Texas!", I've been told.
"As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."
"From everlasting to everlasting, the name of the Lord is to be feared.
From Illinois to Viginia, from Tennessee to Texas, neither man nor beast nor Providence is far from me. As ridiculously blessed as I am, you'd think I would be more consistent in my joy and contentment; but alas, that hasn't been the case. But never fear. My Savior is here. :)
Let's see. In Illinois, my beloved sissy, Mom and Pops came to visit; much to our delight, we were granted our own little cabin to stay in for the five days. The first few days I was challenged extensively. I hadn't prepared myself for the emotional turmoil that came with trying to cross two worlds- my real family and my Life Action family. God granted so much grace, and though I didn't recognize or incorporate it into my attitude till three or four days after I should have, I am so thankful for God's (and my family's!) patience with me. Friday, our team went to a host family's farm and went mudding, saw their goats and chickens, jammed out in the barn and had a wonderful cookout together. No mudding experience would be complete without getting stuck, though, and I think at least half of us did. I'd told Becky when they arrived at the farm, I would attack her soon as I saw her. And attack I did, fabulously covered in mud from the field. :) Saturday, all four of us worked on cd duplication together until we were tuckered out. We all had fantastic conversations with each other, went for a scenic drive like old times, talked about plans, swapped stories, and played card games where we laughed till we cried. All activities, happiness, messes and emotions included, it's always a good time.
Much to our team's dismay, my fellow Happy Heart City Teacher Jennifer suffered a knee injury and had to return home for several weeks to heal. We are praying she recovers very quickly and is able to rejoin the team for our last few conferences of this travel season... because we miss her like crazy!
After Benton, Illinois, we traveled to Roanoke, Virginia. Sooooo many goofy little moments happened to, during, and after that Thirst. Oh boy. :) Allie and I roomed together with a sweet, generous, and partially sarcastic ``couple, the Baldwin's, who had a daughter our age we got to meet briefly while she was home from college on the weekend.
The Roanoke summit was, in a word, full. I was blessed with countless joy-filled times with my team brothers and sisters, and yet when I look back on it, I walked through some of the hardest times I've had to on the road so far. I had made my decision back in Benton to instead of travel with LifeAction Red Team again next year, to go home and plug into my home church and community there. My reasoning had see-sawed for weeks prior to that and I finally made my decision based on my emotions telling me it wasn't fair to travel again and be sick so often and not be there if my teammates need me. While there was some truth to that reasoning, I struggled with the decision to leave the team for several weeks afterwards, and I knew something was wrong with my choice. But there was nothing I could do, I told myself. Every night in Roanoke when I came home, I laid awake burdened by the fear I'd made the wrong decision for the wrong reason and, against my wishes found myself most nights crying myself to sleep. (Bear with me. :) It does get better.) One night, during team meeting, it was announced that all the children's ministry positions have been filled for next year's team and that Kristin, who's one of the singers on our team, is returning as a Base Camp teacher. It took a few seconds for it to sink in, and once it did, I almost drowned in my own sudden wave of tears. I couldn't contain the overwhelming realizations in my heart- first, that I really was not going to be with this family next year, all the while rejoicing that secondly, Kristin would be returning and getting the chance to be an incredible CM and remain where she believes God wants her. I wouldn't say that I was going through a dark place. It was all just so very heavy and I couldn't ignore the emotions. I am so thankful for God's grace that equipped me with a strange and abounding joy throughout it all so I could love and engage with the beautiful children we got to know & minister to that week in Happy Heart City. The best mind picture I can paint is one of sunshine breaking through stormclouds just before -not the minute before but more like the hour before -sunset.
Directly after the Roanoak conference our team headed up to the mountains to spend our Spring Break week at the Barn at Buladene with a couple, OJ and Myoshi. It was a fabulous week filled with hiking, board games, naps, discussion times, worship sessions, role-play, and, for me independently, running, reading, dancing on the benches of the outdoor chapel up the hill, practicing the cello and getting to talk with Myoshi about the work and benefits of neuthetic counseling.
After spring break we drove three days to Texas. Goodness, I love Texas. :) Okay.
The scenery was lush and green and spacious, nothing like the sparse dusty land I'd imagined. Suzanne and I stayed with an amazing elderly couple named Carol and Paul and dined with their neighbors (aka best friends) Kathy and Bill. I couldn't have asked for a more exciting, sweet, and spiritually encouraging host family experience. The four of them were best friends, the men adored their wives and showed them (and us- yay!) true gentlemenly manners, and the Mrs.'s were like sisters. I found a kindred spirit in Miss Kathy. She encouraged me so much to turn to the Lord in all circumstances, to trust in Him because He's always on my side, and rejoice in His presence, remembering He's molding and changing me out of His relentless love. Miss Kathy has Celiac disease. And she has such a grace and perseverance about her that I couldn't help but be inspired by. God placed her in my life at exactly the right time, because I had just begun to really struggle with my gluten-intolerance, feeling it was such an inconvenience to others and really tiring of all the attention I got because of it. (If I'm going to get attention I'd prefer it not be for something so menial so repetatively.) But! She, without meaning to, called me out of my hidden frustrated, selfish, state and turned my attention to God and to having a grateful heart for the way He made me, accepting that there are simply choices I have to make to be healthy so that I may serve those around me. It was easy to swallow because she spoke out of her compassionate and honest character. And I learned through her companionship once more what unsurpassable peace comes from choosing to thank the Lord.
Almost every night in HHC (Happy Heart City), we had between fifty and sixty 4-7 yr. olds- our largest group yet. The Lord is so good. Nearly every minute of each night felt like we were on the edge of collapse, disaster, avalanche...hopefully you get the drift. ;) I know there were some crazy mishaps, dozens of last-minute schedule changes, and wherever we weren't flexible before we stretched! For myself, it was the concept of taking charge of a big group of kids by myself, being all authoritative & exuberant at the same time. First Sunday morning we realized we had approximately 10 children who all needed one-on-one attention, and anywhere from 3-9 team members in the room at a time; but, we managed. Monday I realized we absolutely needed to make sure we weren't just "managing" or attempting to crowd control. We were placed there to minister as Jesus would to these kids, and to leave a footprint of love however and whenever we could, whether during craft time, song time, correction time (strikes were given, ladies and gentlemen), or through an extra dose of excitement about the game or lesson being taught! Was it stressful? Yes. Was it difficult? Indeed. But I can look back upon the club in Wedgwood and immediately smile fondly at the memory. Why? Because I truly enjoyed getting to live under such pressure for such a time, knowing all the while how God's got everything under control and He gave me exactly the right amount & right kind of grace for each child and each night to accomplish what he wanted. If that wasn't exciting enough, we teachers left knowing we could count it all joy just being a part of what God did in that church body. :) As an unexpected blessing, several of the children came running up to me at the end of the final service, squishing me with hugs and love, saying thank you and love you and wish you didn't have to go. Needless to say it was very hard to say goodbye to our host families and the people of their church. (p.s. Thank you, Mr. Jeff of Wedgwood for making me y'all's gluten free guinea pig to sample all the local places' GF options, and for checking up on me most every mealtime! It truly blessed me. )
I will write more about our most recent conference in DeLand Florida soon as my stuffy head is cleared a bit. All in all, God is faithful and good. He is teaching me much about persevering in the faith, knowing He is for me and His love never lets go of me. That's the source of true joy; that's my everlasting hope. Why wouldn't I sing and dance and laugh? Life is beautiful because He Is.
:)
.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
finally.
Note: This post was written about a week ago, just before we left Missouri and I was hit with the flu. Please excuse the mightily jumbled update! I hope to stay consistent in writing a post after each summit from here on out!!
Hello, lovely people!
So. After numerous half-written blog posts and failed attempts to put into words all that I have seen and learned these past few weeks, I am decided to simply start up again from this point, and from here on hopefully do a better job staying on top of my updates. :) I do apologize to any of you who've been wondering where I disappeared to for about a month! In all seriousness though.
I have been through many ups and downs. That is life itself, indeed. But once on the other side of a trial, one is able to offer helpful perspectives and maybe even advice; if nothing else, a clearer telling of what the trial entailed. (Like our most recent host dad said, we tend to see grace best in the rear-view mirror.)
Without remembering a clear date, I would date this struggle back to about last November, when I became ill in, ironically, Illinois. God still spoke to me through Scripture, song, prayer and the exhortation of others, but I went through many days of doubting my salvation, focusing on my own merit and considering my failure to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit to be the plumb line of this issue. Foolish, I know. But my mind was trying to wrap itself around the biggest questions of my life and was in continual confusion and frustration and overall, a desperate desire for my mind & heart to be genuine and unified, to not have anything fake in my conduct and to not imagine up my belief system. Again, foolish. In January, during our teams' reunion, just before stepping into life again, I finally broke down and voiced all my questions and frustrations to God. Sitting beneath an oak tree growing colder by the minute as the sun slowly began it's descent, I spewed out the most raw and bold and pessimistic thoughts to the Lord that I believe I ever have, feeling utterly alone and rejected by Him and, as a person, hopeless. In the end, I cried out desperately to Him for help. And He assured me that He is there. His word stands firm. And He promised He will never leave or forsake me, no matter how I feel. And that He will give me the power to overcome the lies and despair of the enemy whenever I ask Him to. I just have to trust Him, and ask.
Thus began this extraordinary consequent journey.
So! Where am I now? Missouri, right. Our last church was in Oxford, Alabama. Here is just a snippet from what I wrote
for that summit...
"...After 5 Thirst conferences back to back-- meaning, very little downtime, what with setting up,
being in one place for 6 days and then leaving again-- almost everyone on the team was running on fumes. Travel day last Friday was rough, mainly because I had a bad attitude to top off my personal pity party. But God spoke through and our set-up Saturday went really well, complete with the best vehicle- washing bonding time, Walmart run with Jordan, and dinner at Debbie and Angela's house followed by an epic time of Jordie and I playing Barbies. Much to my dismay, I was tired more days than not, making my memories rather foggy..."
We had an incredible, loving couple for host parents. Mr. Wayne and Miss Ginger's home was a classic picture of southern hospitality; not only were they astonishingly gracious to Jordan and myself, but they seemed to have company stop by almost every night our first week there, just to chat for a few minutes. We bonded with them and their kitties, had a few movie nights that were either emotional or Disney or both. Through our conversations, I personally was very encouraged and inspired by their love for Jesus and their desire to see their own family and the families in the church in close relationship with God.
Our first Sunday was full of delights and challenges. First, we had the privilege of partnering with a kid's bus ministry. The remainder of the week, we had the same two little boys; cool thing was, they came every night.
We had a very tight-knit group that week, with Tyler sitting in (being in services, not clubs), us three girls (Jenn, Hannah and I) handling Happy Heart with Lindsey, Josh and Abby as our helpers of the week, and for most nights, Colin and Andy. Oh, the quotes of those nights. My favorite is still this one. I had the kids sit down and said "Okay, guys, I'm going to ask y'all some questions about the story we just heard, and if you want to answer, just raise your hand and-"
And little Andy raises his hand and immediately shouts out "The woman!"
He was, in fact, referring to Miss Abdula, the saleswoman in the Sin the Camel skit. But oh my, he was so emphatic and serious in his outburst. We teachers could barely keep it together, we were trying so hard to contain our laughter.
It was great.
All my allergies and exhaustion and sickness and emotional chaos slammed together and crashed Sunday morning right before clubs were about to start. I was being attacked with feelings of being worthless and tired of fighting to be loving and passionate and finally couldn't mask it. My compassionate team sister Angela found me, I told her what I was battling. She listened, and prayed with me, and then, (which I will ever be grateful to her for) decided to step back into her previous year's role as a Happy Heart City Teacher for that morning. I was able to talk some things through with God and take a 2 hour nap. It was one of the weirdest days, really. We had closing service and packed up that night. Monday was lovely. The men on our team have a tradition of putting
on a Valentine's Day celebration for the ladies every year. We all dressed in our formal best, they took us out to a Hibachi restaurant, then back at the church served us dessert by candlelight, lead us in a time of praise and worship, showed us a hilarious video they made called "Life Without the Red Team Girls". Between the music choices, the grand demeanor in which they treated us like royalty all night, and their explanations of the symbolism in the decorations, we ladies were touched beyond words, and inspired to look at ourselves the way Christ does.
So, we are now in Missouri. :) This group of children is the most loving and compassionate as a whole that I have yet to see. Each night has been a total joy. God has opened my eyes to see how different my ability to relate to the kids and my teaching is from when I began last year. He's restored to me a deep love and compassion for them, and it's been like a continual give and receive
every encounter I had with them. Last night ranks as one of the most special nights in my travel experiences so far. Hannah and I had an absolutely hysterical skit; during the worship time, the Lord in His power and goodness allowed me to imagine what it will be like to worship Him in heaven.
Again, this was my incredibly jumbled attempt at recapping the past few weeks. I will hopefully have a new update at the end of this week!
We are currently in Benton Illinois! I am so excited because my mom, dad and sister are coming to visit this weekend. :) Prayers for health would be much appreciated as myself and about 5 others on my team are recovering from the flu wave that hit us last week; also, be praying for my team sis Hannah as she today came down with it.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support! I am so very grateful for it. :) Praise God from who all blessings flow.
Hello, lovely people!
So. After numerous half-written blog posts and failed attempts to put into words all that I have seen and learned these past few weeks, I am decided to simply start up again from this point, and from here on hopefully do a better job staying on top of my updates. :) I do apologize to any of you who've been wondering where I disappeared to for about a month! In all seriousness though.
I have been through many ups and downs. That is life itself, indeed. But once on the other side of a trial, one is able to offer helpful perspectives and maybe even advice; if nothing else, a clearer telling of what the trial entailed. (Like our most recent host dad said, we tend to see grace best in the rear-view mirror.)
Without remembering a clear date, I would date this struggle back to about last November, when I became ill in, ironically, Illinois. God still spoke to me through Scripture, song, prayer and the exhortation of others, but I went through many days of doubting my salvation, focusing on my own merit and considering my failure to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit to be the plumb line of this issue. Foolish, I know. But my mind was trying to wrap itself around the biggest questions of my life and was in continual confusion and frustration and overall, a desperate desire for my mind & heart to be genuine and unified, to not have anything fake in my conduct and to not imagine up my belief system. Again, foolish. In January, during our teams' reunion, just before stepping into life again, I finally broke down and voiced all my questions and frustrations to God. Sitting beneath an oak tree growing colder by the minute as the sun slowly began it's descent, I spewed out the most raw and bold and pessimistic thoughts to the Lord that I believe I ever have, feeling utterly alone and rejected by Him and, as a person, hopeless. In the end, I cried out desperately to Him for help. And He assured me that He is there. His word stands firm. And He promised He will never leave or forsake me, no matter how I feel. And that He will give me the power to overcome the lies and despair of the enemy whenever I ask Him to. I just have to trust Him, and ask.
Thus began this extraordinary consequent journey.
So! Where am I now? Missouri, right. Our last church was in Oxford, Alabama. Here is just a snippet from what I wrote
for that summit...
"...After 5 Thirst conferences back to back-- meaning, very little downtime, what with setting up,
being in one place for 6 days and then leaving again-- almost everyone on the team was running on fumes. Travel day last Friday was rough, mainly because I had a bad attitude to top off my personal pity party. But God spoke through and our set-up Saturday went really well, complete with the best vehicle- washing bonding time, Walmart run with Jordan, and dinner at Debbie and Angela's house followed by an epic time of Jordie and I playing Barbies. Much to my dismay, I was tired more days than not, making my memories rather foggy..."
We had an incredible, loving couple for host parents. Mr. Wayne and Miss Ginger's home was a classic picture of southern hospitality; not only were they astonishingly gracious to Jordan and myself, but they seemed to have company stop by almost every night our first week there, just to chat for a few minutes. We bonded with them and their kitties, had a few movie nights that were either emotional or Disney or both. Through our conversations, I personally was very encouraged and inspired by their love for Jesus and their desire to see their own family and the families in the church in close relationship with God.
Our first Sunday was full of delights and challenges. First, we had the privilege of partnering with a kid's bus ministry. The remainder of the week, we had the same two little boys; cool thing was, they came every night.
We had a very tight-knit group that week, with Tyler sitting in (being in services, not clubs), us three girls (Jenn, Hannah and I) handling Happy Heart with Lindsey, Josh and Abby as our helpers of the week, and for most nights, Colin and Andy. Oh, the quotes of those nights. My favorite is still this one. I had the kids sit down and said "Okay, guys, I'm going to ask y'all some questions about the story we just heard, and if you want to answer, just raise your hand and-"
And little Andy raises his hand and immediately shouts out "The woman!"
He was, in fact, referring to Miss Abdula, the saleswoman in the Sin the Camel skit. But oh my, he was so emphatic and serious in his outburst. We teachers could barely keep it together, we were trying so hard to contain our laughter.
It was great.
All my allergies and exhaustion and sickness and emotional chaos slammed together and crashed Sunday morning right before clubs were about to start. I was being attacked with feelings of being worthless and tired of fighting to be loving and passionate and finally couldn't mask it. My compassionate team sister Angela found me, I told her what I was battling. She listened, and prayed with me, and then, (which I will ever be grateful to her for) decided to step back into her previous year's role as a Happy Heart City Teacher for that morning. I was able to talk some things through with God and take a 2 hour nap. It was one of the weirdest days, really. We had closing service and packed up that night. Monday was lovely. The men on our team have a tradition of putting
on a Valentine's Day celebration for the ladies every year. We all dressed in our formal best, they took us out to a Hibachi restaurant, then back at the church served us dessert by candlelight, lead us in a time of praise and worship, showed us a hilarious video they made called "Life Without the Red Team Girls". Between the music choices, the grand demeanor in which they treated us like royalty all night, and their explanations of the symbolism in the decorations, we ladies were touched beyond words, and inspired to look at ourselves the way Christ does.
So, we are now in Missouri. :) This group of children is the most loving and compassionate as a whole that I have yet to see. Each night has been a total joy. God has opened my eyes to see how different my ability to relate to the kids and my teaching is from when I began last year. He's restored to me a deep love and compassion for them, and it's been like a continual give and receive
every encounter I had with them. Last night ranks as one of the most special nights in my travel experiences so far. Hannah and I had an absolutely hysterical skit; during the worship time, the Lord in His power and goodness allowed me to imagine what it will be like to worship Him in heaven.
Again, this was my incredibly jumbled attempt at recapping the past few weeks. I will hopefully have a new update at the end of this week!
We are currently in Benton Illinois! I am so excited because my mom, dad and sister are coming to visit this weekend. :) Prayers for health would be much appreciated as myself and about 5 others on my team are recovering from the flu wave that hit us last week; also, be praying for my team sis Hannah as she today came down with it.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support! I am so very grateful for it. :) Praise God from who all blessings flow.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Dothan, Alabama > > > > > Fayetteville, Georgia
"What is life without challenges?
Rather, what are challenges without life?
How can a mountain be scaled without movement, or blood flow without a beating heart?
The tragic truth, though, is however present the beautiful challenges of life are, which they always are, they are dormant boulders, obstacles in the path we want to take, lest we make our hearts face the right direction and embrace the only right motive. To glorify God is really the only goal that will ever be met..."
January 18- January 21. Dothan, Alabama.
2nd THIRST conference of '15.
Tyler wisely advised us three other Happy Heart City teachers to not expect the same group of kids as we'd had in Picayune. Thank heavens he did. You see, I knew we'd been spoiled first summit out with a great bunch of kids, and that the next churches would certainly not be all like that. Yet I am grateful for the extra heads up, because the little ones in Dothan, were a handful. :) But oh, did I learn much from them! Both from their characters, and in how to work with them. It was a large group... a large, mostly rambunctious, group. Come Sunday evening I was crying out for patience, and wisdom in how to love them as Jesus does. My roommate for the week, Amanda, after hearing a bit of how the morning went, sat thoughtfully for a moment, then remarked, "I doubt the little children that came to Jesus were well-behaved. But he loved 'em anyways!" It was SUCH a good thought, and I replied, "Perhaps that's why His disciples shooed them away from Him. I guess we just assume from the pictures they were like little angels. Probably not."
That evening we performed a skit about sin, called "Sin the Camel", telling how we all have sin in our hearts and yet God's made a way through Jesus for us to be forgiven and free of it. Tyler's application was received with wide eyes and listening ears, much to our joy. There remained bouts of chaos throughout the night, but progress had been made. Monday was Surrender night and Tuesday was Grace night. On Grace night, God spoke to me - pretty clearly!- of how I have not been going to Him in prayer about everything. It's the age-old issue of me, I know- continuously just trying to do stuff on my own strength and failing. (Stubborn 1/32 Irish roots.) :) But He just reminded me that I am indeed free to call out for help any time, in the very midst of ANY situation - and that He WANTS me to do so! It seems so elementary. Thank you, Father, for your never-ending patience. You are so good.
Come Wednesday night club time, it was really sinking in that yes, I was teaching the Salvation lesson to this group, and yes, I really hadn't practiced it at all that day or the 6 days prior since the last time I taught it. But instead of a guilt over my own unpreparedness, I felt a strange urge to let God take me over in the area of my teaching. Like, I'd been praying that I would share the Gospel how HE wanted me to. I knew it was all in my brain, like I haven't forgotten any of my lesson since September. And Wednesday night, I spoke the Salvation message like never before. God gave me such a passion and a gentleness and a love for these kids and a concern for their soul all mashed up together and pouring out in a way that maybe wasn't discernable by anyone else in the room. But I knew, right in the moment and every moment recollecting it, that God saw and was at work.
One of the little guys we had the hardest time (pressing) to listen and obey became one of my best buddies by the last night. During craft time he was re-enacting parts of the Grace story about a boy who got adopted by a ship captain; and, as I listened to him and laughed, I heard Jennifer behind me talking with another of the more stubborn (look who's talking) boys and asking him what the cross was for, why Jesus had to die, etc. And he actually responded. And as he talked, bored as he seemed at first with the interrogation, his tone softened as he seemed to realize the importance of what was being said. It was a tiny glimpse. But a joyous one at that.
I again held back tears as the kiddos were picked up by their parents, only this time I was leading a game and didn't really get to say goodbye at all. It had been a beautiful set of hours, short as they were, with them.
What God taught me through this THIRST conference week.....
First, I woke up early (like, 6:15) every morning to go with a group of team guys to the gym at the church to work out. It was a new discipline for me, working out first thing in the morning. I was afraid I would be exhausted and/or get sick, but praise God, I actually felt healthier than I had in a while. So that was a great experience, and I'm sticking to cultivating that habit as much as I can.
I went through a ton -emotionally, mentally and spiritually- this past week. Typical. :)
God is continuously convicting me of my fear of man. I've always believed I don't really care what others think of me. And actually...I don't! ha. But I will bend, withdraw, laugh and serve based on what I know others need, to help them. And sometimes it is with an attitude of wanting to not make waves - either by saying, or not saying, something. I've not been asking God for greater wisdom in this area - only relying on my own intuition to guide me in how I react or act out. So God's been drawing me to pray for wisdom more, and to step out and speak and encourage and engage with others with love and courage, forgetting myself and really focusing on them. Still praying for wisdom in how to share God's word in truth and love in everyday little encounters with people here in the churches.
And the one word God keeps putting on my mind over and over and over again these past 3 or 4 days is this:
relationship.
God allowed me to be utterly broken Saturday night. I felt so distant from Him, I have for a while and it was eating me up. He reminded me that He is close. He is near. He is here for me and loves me. Yes, I am to obey and disobedience creates a barrier in our relationship. But His love changes not. Oh, God, search me and know me! Create in me a clean heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within me! I need just be persistent in asking Him to reveal any areas in my life where I am displeasing Him!
All my life needs to be about is just knowing Him. To know Him is to love Him. And, as Jesus said
" Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” ....23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me..."
So here we are in Fayetteville, Georgia. Yesterday we had about 20 kids in HHC (Happy Heart City), most of which were from the Hispanic church that also meets in this building (which was SUPER exciting to combine our services together for the Sunday message & worship!) I wish more of the children from their church had returned last night; but still, hallelujah, for one little girl begged her mom to bring her back and let her stay the entire club meeting. We were so excited and so blessed to hear that and to have her be a part of our group. Please be praying for her, that she would be receptive to God's word in her life and have the courage to speak and act on it. :)
Also, I crave y'alls prayers for myself and for the team's health. We've had several team members down with illness, and I am starting to not feel very well myself which is causing me anxiety which I know should have no place in my mind.
Thank you all for your unending love, prayers and support. If there is anything you would like to ask about road life, you have any prayer requests that I can be praying with you about, or you just want to chat, please feel free to let me know!
Toodles. :)
p.s. please be praying for wisdom, too, for me and my teammates as we are all deciding whether or not to travel another year with LifeAction! Our decisions must be verbalized by February 13.
Rather, what are challenges without life?
How can a mountain be scaled without movement, or blood flow without a beating heart?
The tragic truth, though, is however present the beautiful challenges of life are, which they always are, they are dormant boulders, obstacles in the path we want to take, lest we make our hearts face the right direction and embrace the only right motive. To glorify God is really the only goal that will ever be met..."
January 18- January 21. Dothan, Alabama.
2nd THIRST conference of '15.
Tyler wisely advised us three other Happy Heart City teachers to not expect the same group of kids as we'd had in Picayune. Thank heavens he did. You see, I knew we'd been spoiled first summit out with a great bunch of kids, and that the next churches would certainly not be all like that. Yet I am grateful for the extra heads up, because the little ones in Dothan, were a handful. :) But oh, did I learn much from them! Both from their characters, and in how to work with them. It was a large group... a large, mostly rambunctious, group. Come Sunday evening I was crying out for patience, and wisdom in how to love them as Jesus does. My roommate for the week, Amanda, after hearing a bit of how the morning went, sat thoughtfully for a moment, then remarked, "I doubt the little children that came to Jesus were well-behaved. But he loved 'em anyways!" It was SUCH a good thought, and I replied, "Perhaps that's why His disciples shooed them away from Him. I guess we just assume from the pictures they were like little angels. Probably not."
That evening we performed a skit about sin, called "Sin the Camel", telling how we all have sin in our hearts and yet God's made a way through Jesus for us to be forgiven and free of it. Tyler's application was received with wide eyes and listening ears, much to our joy. There remained bouts of chaos throughout the night, but progress had been made. Monday was Surrender night and Tuesday was Grace night. On Grace night, God spoke to me - pretty clearly!- of how I have not been going to Him in prayer about everything. It's the age-old issue of me, I know- continuously just trying to do stuff on my own strength and failing. (Stubborn 1/32 Irish roots.) :) But He just reminded me that I am indeed free to call out for help any time, in the very midst of ANY situation - and that He WANTS me to do so! It seems so elementary. Thank you, Father, for your never-ending patience. You are so good.
Come Wednesday night club time, it was really sinking in that yes, I was teaching the Salvation lesson to this group, and yes, I really hadn't practiced it at all that day or the 6 days prior since the last time I taught it. But instead of a guilt over my own unpreparedness, I felt a strange urge to let God take me over in the area of my teaching. Like, I'd been praying that I would share the Gospel how HE wanted me to. I knew it was all in my brain, like I haven't forgotten any of my lesson since September. And Wednesday night, I spoke the Salvation message like never before. God gave me such a passion and a gentleness and a love for these kids and a concern for their soul all mashed up together and pouring out in a way that maybe wasn't discernable by anyone else in the room. But I knew, right in the moment and every moment recollecting it, that God saw and was at work.
One of the little guys we had the hardest time (pressing) to listen and obey became one of my best buddies by the last night. During craft time he was re-enacting parts of the Grace story about a boy who got adopted by a ship captain; and, as I listened to him and laughed, I heard Jennifer behind me talking with another of the more stubborn (look who's talking) boys and asking him what the cross was for, why Jesus had to die, etc. And he actually responded. And as he talked, bored as he seemed at first with the interrogation, his tone softened as he seemed to realize the importance of what was being said. It was a tiny glimpse. But a joyous one at that.
I again held back tears as the kiddos were picked up by their parents, only this time I was leading a game and didn't really get to say goodbye at all. It had been a beautiful set of hours, short as they were, with them.
What God taught me through this THIRST conference week.....
First, I woke up early (like, 6:15) every morning to go with a group of team guys to the gym at the church to work out. It was a new discipline for me, working out first thing in the morning. I was afraid I would be exhausted and/or get sick, but praise God, I actually felt healthier than I had in a while. So that was a great experience, and I'm sticking to cultivating that habit as much as I can.
I went through a ton -emotionally, mentally and spiritually- this past week. Typical. :)
God is continuously convicting me of my fear of man. I've always believed I don't really care what others think of me. And actually...I don't! ha. But I will bend, withdraw, laugh and serve based on what I know others need, to help them. And sometimes it is with an attitude of wanting to not make waves - either by saying, or not saying, something. I've not been asking God for greater wisdom in this area - only relying on my own intuition to guide me in how I react or act out. So God's been drawing me to pray for wisdom more, and to step out and speak and encourage and engage with others with love and courage, forgetting myself and really focusing on them. Still praying for wisdom in how to share God's word in truth and love in everyday little encounters with people here in the churches.
And the one word God keeps putting on my mind over and over and over again these past 3 or 4 days is this:
relationship.
God allowed me to be utterly broken Saturday night. I felt so distant from Him, I have for a while and it was eating me up. He reminded me that He is close. He is near. He is here for me and loves me. Yes, I am to obey and disobedience creates a barrier in our relationship. But His love changes not. Oh, God, search me and know me! Create in me a clean heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within me! I need just be persistent in asking Him to reveal any areas in my life where I am displeasing Him!
All my life needs to be about is just knowing Him. To know Him is to love Him. And, as Jesus said
" Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” ....23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me..."
"More than my next breath
More than life or death
All I'm reaching for, I live my life to know You more
I leave it all behind, You're all that satisfies
To know You is to want to know You more
To know You is to want to know You more
More than life or death
All I'm reaching for, I live my life to know You more
I leave it all behind, You're all that satisfies
To know You is to want to know You more
To know You is to want to know You more
To know You is to ache for more than ordinary
To know You is to look beyond the temporary
To know You is believing that You'll be enough
'Cause there's no life without You." ~Casting Crowns
To know You is to look beyond the temporary
To know You is believing that You'll be enough
'Cause there's no life without You." ~Casting Crowns
So here we are in Fayetteville, Georgia. Yesterday we had about 20 kids in HHC (Happy Heart City), most of which were from the Hispanic church that also meets in this building (which was SUPER exciting to combine our services together for the Sunday message & worship!) I wish more of the children from their church had returned last night; but still, hallelujah, for one little girl begged her mom to bring her back and let her stay the entire club meeting. We were so excited and so blessed to hear that and to have her be a part of our group. Please be praying for her, that she would be receptive to God's word in her life and have the courage to speak and act on it. :)
Also, I crave y'alls prayers for myself and for the team's health. We've had several team members down with illness, and I am starting to not feel very well myself which is causing me anxiety which I know should have no place in my mind.
Thank you all for your unending love, prayers and support. If there is anything you would like to ask about road life, you have any prayer requests that I can be praying with you about, or you just want to chat, please feel free to let me know!
Toodles. :)
p.s. please be praying for wisdom, too, for me and my teammates as we are all deciding whether or not to travel another year with LifeAction! Our decisions must be verbalized by February 13.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Picayune, Mississippi - - - - - Dothan, Alabama
*NOTE: I wrote this yesterday! Today we are in Dothan, Alabama, set up and ready for our second Thirst summit of this year.*
So, here I am. Here we are, heading down the freeway at 55mph in our old new motorhome, toting backpacks, Pilot coffee and a ukulele, ready to be adopted for the second time in a week.
Wait what! Rewind. :)
Last Friday, we entered First Baptist of Picayune, Mississippi and set up for our first Thirst summit of the year. Following our fine dining experience at "the Char" provided by the generous patrons of the church-- at which Hannah, Andrew and I laughed almost too much (bread pudding, bread comes out), gave each other visual tours through our homes via sketched-on-the-paper-tablecover blueprints, and of course, made puns -- Jennifer and I met our host mom, Miss Debbie Wolfe, and moved into her world for the week. Besides having an absolutely FANTASTIC host mom, we also got to share life with Solomon, Tulip and Sadie, her loving pig, goat and persnickety dachshund, respectively. *Cool side note: Sadie went from growling and attacking our feet to actually curling up on the couch with Jenn yesterday.*
Saturday's set up went smoothly with only a few Gaffer's tape wads launched by Nathan or myself in the epic Gaffer's tape war. To be continued.
Come Sunday morning, we did indeed have the big group of kids predicted. If I remember correctly, we had approximately 25 that morning, increasing to 32 Monday evening. This was the most high-energy yet attentive group we've had so far. Because it was such a large group, it seemed more chaotic at times, yet our prayers for the kid's excitement to be all about Jesus and the lessons & not just the fun & games we teachers make happen, were answered. So many of the sweet kiddos were incredibly helpful and friendly towards us and the other kids, they truly listened and they participated in the lessons way more than we expected. For example, during Hannah's lesson on Surrender, when her character is convincing herself that this one sin isn't really that bad and starts to act on it, the kids started gasping and telling her "No, Nikki, no! Don't do it!" ; and, when us teachers reminded them to follow the "zip up" rule so they could hear what else Nikki was saying, they continued to shake their heads and whisper "No!"
We had the challenging and beautiful blessing of having one little boy named Eli in club Sunday and Wednesday. Eli has autism, and I believe is the first child with special needs that we've worked with this traveling year. Not only was it a divine opportunity for us teachers collectively to grow in patience and to learn to show unconditional love, it was a huge God-planned milestone in my walk with Him. I've always been uncomfortable around people with special needs. Mainly because I am not sure how to think like they do and meet them where they're at....because I usually can't figure out where they are at, at least not without some background from loved ones. It was a lesson God began really teaching me last year at our host home with Miss Iva, our host parent's mother who had Alzheimer's. He revealed to me that I was prideful in the area of rationalization, justice intelligence. Strange, I know. How does pride creep into such odd areas as that? Let me tell you, it can. I highly valued justice and rational thinking, more than mercy and compassion. It was amazing then to see how Miss Jan, our host mom, and Suzanne, my dear sis who worked in an assisted living home before tour, related to Miss Iva, and it was amazing this week to see how God worked in my heart to want to become Eli's friend, to be allowed into his little world, just for a few days. The all-encompassing joy he has over the smallest things and the enthusiasm he had to be in Happy Heart City inspired me. The best thing was Wednesday night when the Doctor Snood Siblings came in and apologized for their wicked ways, as they were leaving, Eli got up from the puzzle he was working on at the back of the room, ran to them and gave Josh a huge hug. If nothing else, through Eli God showed me what love for Him should look like. All-encompassing, enthusiastic. And unbound by man's standards. :)
I had to fight tears all Wednesday night. We CMs (Children's Ministers) all agreed that we wished this summit was longer than a 4-day, for the sake of being with this group of kids longer.
As for what else the Lord has taught me over the course of this summit... for one, peace. I've been convicted of my anxiety and fear of man, and over the course of this week, God has miraculously replenished His peace within my soul. I've been prideful in my unwillingness to trust Him wholly these past few weeks, and finally came to realize that He has not left me and never will. I am free to pray. I am free to ask for His strength and courage to fight the good fight, both against my own selfish will and the wiles of the devil. He is good. SO good. I haven't always thought so, much to my shame. But thank heavens it's not about me. Not one bit. :) He is beautiful in power and constantly at work. Oh! And I am so thankful that He has helped me to open my eyes to the evidence of His hand all around me. He is the strength of my spirit, the stronghold and joy of my life, the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it!
"You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You may lead me..."
Friday we took a field trip/ tour around New Orleans. Needless to say, my heart was breaking the entire time as we passed home after home in ruins, walls painted with words devoid of hope and adamantly rebellious, and then entered the St. Louis cathedral. But the Lord kept reminding me to pray, and though I wish I had listened more, I am grateful to Him for His lovingkindness and faithfulness in searching me out and calling me to intercede on the people's behalf. It was emotionally exhausting and yet, in a quiet way, a display of His power.
SO! As for the 55mph in the new/old moho! One member of the church generously donated their motorhome, which me, Amanda, Nick, Hannah and Michael are attempting to drive all the way to Dothan, Alabama, our next Summit location. Worst case scenario, the trannie fully gives out and we leave her in Mobile. It's funny. Some days I feel like we're hobos. Other days like orphans...missionaries.... immigrants. Today I feel like some kind of hippie. We're in an old motorhome bouncing down the road with the sun shining above, the delta streams sparkling on either side of the highway, and though we haven't broken out the ukulele yet and this big girl is barely put-puttin' along, we've got songs played on our heartstrings to last us through the night.
Thank you, Lord, for Your goodness. Give us strength for the battle, joy for the journey and chances to share the truth of your salvation with others.
Love you.
So, here I am. Here we are, heading down the freeway at 55mph in our old new motorhome, toting backpacks, Pilot coffee and a ukulele, ready to be adopted for the second time in a week.
Wait what! Rewind. :)
Last Friday, we entered First Baptist of Picayune, Mississippi and set up for our first Thirst summit of the year. Following our fine dining experience at "the Char" provided by the generous patrons of the church-- at which Hannah, Andrew and I laughed almost too much (bread pudding, bread comes out), gave each other visual tours through our homes via sketched-on-the-paper-tablecover blueprints, and of course, made puns -- Jennifer and I met our host mom, Miss Debbie Wolfe, and moved into her world for the week. Besides having an absolutely FANTASTIC host mom, we also got to share life with Solomon, Tulip and Sadie, her loving pig, goat and persnickety dachshund, respectively. *Cool side note: Sadie went from growling and attacking our feet to actually curling up on the couch with Jenn yesterday.*
Saturday's set up went smoothly with only a few Gaffer's tape wads launched by Nathan or myself in the epic Gaffer's tape war. To be continued.
Come Sunday morning, we did indeed have the big group of kids predicted. If I remember correctly, we had approximately 25 that morning, increasing to 32 Monday evening. This was the most high-energy yet attentive group we've had so far. Because it was such a large group, it seemed more chaotic at times, yet our prayers for the kid's excitement to be all about Jesus and the lessons & not just the fun & games we teachers make happen, were answered. So many of the sweet kiddos were incredibly helpful and friendly towards us and the other kids, they truly listened and they participated in the lessons way more than we expected. For example, during Hannah's lesson on Surrender, when her character is convincing herself that this one sin isn't really that bad and starts to act on it, the kids started gasping and telling her "No, Nikki, no! Don't do it!" ; and, when us teachers reminded them to follow the "zip up" rule so they could hear what else Nikki was saying, they continued to shake their heads and whisper "No!"
We had the challenging and beautiful blessing of having one little boy named Eli in club Sunday and Wednesday. Eli has autism, and I believe is the first child with special needs that we've worked with this traveling year. Not only was it a divine opportunity for us teachers collectively to grow in patience and to learn to show unconditional love, it was a huge God-planned milestone in my walk with Him. I've always been uncomfortable around people with special needs. Mainly because I am not sure how to think like they do and meet them where they're at....because I usually can't figure out where they are at, at least not without some background from loved ones. It was a lesson God began really teaching me last year at our host home with Miss Iva, our host parent's mother who had Alzheimer's. He revealed to me that I was prideful in the area of rationalization, justice intelligence. Strange, I know. How does pride creep into such odd areas as that? Let me tell you, it can. I highly valued justice and rational thinking, more than mercy and compassion. It was amazing then to see how Miss Jan, our host mom, and Suzanne, my dear sis who worked in an assisted living home before tour, related to Miss Iva, and it was amazing this week to see how God worked in my heart to want to become Eli's friend, to be allowed into his little world, just for a few days. The all-encompassing joy he has over the smallest things and the enthusiasm he had to be in Happy Heart City inspired me. The best thing was Wednesday night when the Doctor Snood Siblings came in and apologized for their wicked ways, as they were leaving, Eli got up from the puzzle he was working on at the back of the room, ran to them and gave Josh a huge hug. If nothing else, through Eli God showed me what love for Him should look like. All-encompassing, enthusiastic. And unbound by man's standards. :)
I had to fight tears all Wednesday night. We CMs (Children's Ministers) all agreed that we wished this summit was longer than a 4-day, for the sake of being with this group of kids longer.
As for what else the Lord has taught me over the course of this summit... for one, peace. I've been convicted of my anxiety and fear of man, and over the course of this week, God has miraculously replenished His peace within my soul. I've been prideful in my unwillingness to trust Him wholly these past few weeks, and finally came to realize that He has not left me and never will. I am free to pray. I am free to ask for His strength and courage to fight the good fight, both against my own selfish will and the wiles of the devil. He is good. SO good. I haven't always thought so, much to my shame. But thank heavens it's not about me. Not one bit. :) He is beautiful in power and constantly at work. Oh! And I am so thankful that He has helped me to open my eyes to the evidence of His hand all around me. He is the strength of my spirit, the stronghold and joy of my life, the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it!
"You have called me higherYou have called me deeper
And I'll go where You may lead me..."
Friday we took a field trip/ tour around New Orleans. Needless to say, my heart was breaking the entire time as we passed home after home in ruins, walls painted with words devoid of hope and adamantly rebellious, and then entered the St. Louis cathedral. But the Lord kept reminding me to pray, and though I wish I had listened more, I am grateful to Him for His lovingkindness and faithfulness in searching me out and calling me to intercede on the people's behalf. It was emotionally exhausting and yet, in a quiet way, a display of His power.
SO! As for the 55mph in the new/old moho! One member of the church generously donated their motorhome, which me, Amanda, Nick, Hannah and Michael are attempting to drive all the way to Dothan, Alabama, our next Summit location. Worst case scenario, the trannie fully gives out and we leave her in Mobile. It's funny. Some days I feel like we're hobos. Other days like orphans...missionaries.... immigrants. Today I feel like some kind of hippie. We're in an old motorhome bouncing down the road with the sun shining above, the delta streams sparkling on either side of the highway, and though we haven't broken out the ukulele yet and this big girl is barely put-puttin' along, we've got songs played on our heartstrings to last us through the night.
Thank you, Lord, for Your goodness. Give us strength for the battle, joy for the journey and chances to share the truth of your salvation with others.
Love you.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Hello from Mississippi!
Some days are sugar and spice. :) Today is one of those.
All praises to the One and only King and Messiah! He has granted peace where there was fear, strength where there was worry, and wisdom where there was doubt.
Today was our first Sunday of the first THIRST summit of the year in Picayune, Mississippi. Today God gave the precious gift of encouragement through countless team members as well as kids. I've been praying for the Lord to help me cultivate a spirit of supreme honesty and to be filled with His love to overflow. He is faithful. I am so thankful for His will and working in the lives of those around me. Prayer is a powerful opportunity & privilege given to us, and I'm so grateful for my brothers and sisters who are willing to not only laugh, talk, call, listen, work (and sometimes even cry) with me, but to pray for and with me. It is a beautiful thing. I've been contemplating lately what it actually means to glorify God, and thanks to God's grace I am learning that it really is the daily things that He delights in. It's not all counted up at the end of life and THEN He is glorified; every act of obedience out of love for Him brings Him glory and happiness now. Kind of a strange little rabbit trail there. ;) But hey.
Prayer requests: Health and mental clarity for myself and my teammates, increased sensitivity of the Spirit's convictions and leadings, and overall strength to fight the good fight with a Christ-like attitude.
Today we had more than 20 kids in our club, which was the largest group we've had yet! It was so exciting to be back into the groove of children's ministry and hallelujah, we teachers maneuvered throughout the sessions like clockwork...most of the time. :) SO blessed to have a friend & roomie whom I can totally sing in the car with, and has hysterical laughing fits with me over classic musicals, (MM in St. Louis quote: "I LOVE you!"). I got to play a saleswoman and camel with my darling Hannah, sing terrible atheist kid's church songs with Tyler (thank you, Tim Hawkins), and go all southern-gal while camel-evaluatin' and skedaddlin' (yes, Andrew, I looked up the proper spelling and definition) with Mr. Clemons as my surprise "daddy" for the night, the King. #children'sministryskits
Top it off with a fine, healthy dinner with our incredible (no really, incredible) host home mama, a splendid cup of chamomile tea with local raw honey for allergies (woot woot) and the blessing of hearing my sissy's voice over the phone, and today has been, in a word, wonderful.
P.S. I simply adore Mississippi.
All praises to the One and only King and Messiah! He has granted peace where there was fear, strength where there was worry, and wisdom where there was doubt.
Today was our first Sunday of the first THIRST summit of the year in Picayune, Mississippi. Today God gave the precious gift of encouragement through countless team members as well as kids. I've been praying for the Lord to help me cultivate a spirit of supreme honesty and to be filled with His love to overflow. He is faithful. I am so thankful for His will and working in the lives of those around me. Prayer is a powerful opportunity & privilege given to us, and I'm so grateful for my brothers and sisters who are willing to not only laugh, talk, call, listen, work (and sometimes even cry) with me, but to pray for and with me. It is a beautiful thing. I've been contemplating lately what it actually means to glorify God, and thanks to God's grace I am learning that it really is the daily things that He delights in. It's not all counted up at the end of life and THEN He is glorified; every act of obedience out of love for Him brings Him glory and happiness now. Kind of a strange little rabbit trail there. ;) But hey.
Prayer requests: Health and mental clarity for myself and my teammates, increased sensitivity of the Spirit's convictions and leadings, and overall strength to fight the good fight with a Christ-like attitude.
Today we had more than 20 kids in our club, which was the largest group we've had yet! It was so exciting to be back into the groove of children's ministry and hallelujah, we teachers maneuvered throughout the sessions like clockwork...most of the time. :) SO blessed to have a friend & roomie whom I can totally sing in the car with, and has hysterical laughing fits with me over classic musicals, (MM in St. Louis quote: "I LOVE you!"). I got to play a saleswoman and camel with my darling Hannah, sing terrible atheist kid's church songs with Tyler (thank you, Tim Hawkins), and go all southern-gal while camel-evaluatin' and skedaddlin' (yes, Andrew, I looked up the proper spelling and definition) with Mr. Clemons as my surprise "daddy" for the night, the King. #children'sministryskits
Top it off with a fine, healthy dinner with our incredible (no really, incredible) host home mama, a splendid cup of chamomile tea with local raw honey for allergies (woot woot) and the blessing of hearing my sissy's voice over the phone, and today has been, in a word, wonderful.
P.S. I simply adore Mississippi.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Adios.
"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" #Psalms118
I probably would have had Les Mis' "One Day More" stuck in my head last night if it hadn't been for the half-dozen Music Man songs already repeating themselves there simultaneously (thank you, oh terrific HPA!).
Today, One Day More is definitely stuck in my head, along with Newsies' "Seize the Day", and Lincoln Brewster's "Today is the Day".
Today is indeed bittersweet. I have said farewell to the nearest and dearest, sent letters, planned and packed, and am anything but ready to embark upon the longest trek away from home of my life so far. Pardon the dramatic phraseology. ;) These last few weeks at home- this past week especially- have taught me that no matter where I am, God has opportunities waiting for me. It is all a matter of how willing I am to surrender despite circumstances, emotions or people, and will I press on towards the goal of seeking Him even when doubts and deception have taken a toll on me. He has allowed me to walk through a period of frustration and doubt to show His great mercy in accepting me back. I praise Him with my whole heart, for He never changes, His truth is always available for me, His forgiveness does not run dry, and He is stronger than the enemy and stronger than any obstacle I face.
I am overjoyed to think of how blessed I am with the family and friendships the Lord has allowed in my life. I am slowly realizing how deeply He's made me to love, and also, just how loved I am. It hurts. But it is, like I'm sure a writer somewhere has already said, very much a good pain. It's crazy. HE is good, and I have faith that that goodness will carry me through to the end of this excursion. Tonight I drive down to the Life Action Camp in Buchanan, MI, and tomorrow we head down to Mississippi to meet up with the rest of my team! Needless to say, this girl is ecstatic to reunite with her Red Team family. :)
I would ask you all for your prayers for 1. A greater humility and an increasing hunger and fire for Jesus & for sharing his saving Gospel with others, 2. Health on the road!! 3. Comfort through homesickness and separation from family & dear friends, and 4. That I would be a good steward of the time entrusted to me this season.
I love you all so much. Thanks to many of you for how you have graced me just with quality time, encouragement, lots of hugs and laughter.
Adios, and Lord willing I shall see y'all this summer! :) I'll be posting updates per summit, so check back when you can!
Keep in touch.
ANGELA
I probably would have had Les Mis' "One Day More" stuck in my head last night if it hadn't been for the half-dozen Music Man songs already repeating themselves there simultaneously (thank you, oh terrific HPA!).
Today, One Day More is definitely stuck in my head, along with Newsies' "Seize the Day", and Lincoln Brewster's "Today is the Day".
Today is indeed bittersweet. I have said farewell to the nearest and dearest, sent letters, planned and packed, and am anything but ready to embark upon the longest trek away from home of my life so far. Pardon the dramatic phraseology. ;) These last few weeks at home- this past week especially- have taught me that no matter where I am, God has opportunities waiting for me. It is all a matter of how willing I am to surrender despite circumstances, emotions or people, and will I press on towards the goal of seeking Him even when doubts and deception have taken a toll on me. He has allowed me to walk through a period of frustration and doubt to show His great mercy in accepting me back. I praise Him with my whole heart, for He never changes, His truth is always available for me, His forgiveness does not run dry, and He is stronger than the enemy and stronger than any obstacle I face.
I am overjoyed to think of how blessed I am with the family and friendships the Lord has allowed in my life. I am slowly realizing how deeply He's made me to love, and also, just how loved I am. It hurts. But it is, like I'm sure a writer somewhere has already said, very much a good pain. It's crazy. HE is good, and I have faith that that goodness will carry me through to the end of this excursion. Tonight I drive down to the Life Action Camp in Buchanan, MI, and tomorrow we head down to Mississippi to meet up with the rest of my team! Needless to say, this girl is ecstatic to reunite with her Red Team family. :)
I would ask you all for your prayers for 1. A greater humility and an increasing hunger and fire for Jesus & for sharing his saving Gospel with others, 2. Health on the road!! 3. Comfort through homesickness and separation from family & dear friends, and 4. That I would be a good steward of the time entrusted to me this season.
I love you all so much. Thanks to many of you for how you have graced me just with quality time, encouragement, lots of hugs and laughter.
Adios, and Lord willing I shall see y'all this summer! :) I'll be posting updates per summit, so check back when you can!
Keep in touch.
ANGELA
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