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..."

"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

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

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.

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.

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.

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