Oh hey,
so right now we are in Schererville, IN. We started last Sunday and we end this Sunday. I am staying with Bev and Charity at Connie and Bob's house. They are a sweet couple and they love the Lord. In Happy Heart we have around 15 kids. They are a very energetic group but its fun. At the end of this summit we will be spending Thanksgiving back up in Buchanan at the camp. I am excited to spend it with my Red Team Family. We have one more summit before going home for Christmas break. We will be in Fort Wayne, IN and then I will be home on December the 9th. I am very excited to go home and see family and friends, but at the same time, please pray for me that my heart would be here until then. That I would have focus and love for the people around me. Thanks for all of your prayers!
Sarah
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
How Do We Come?
Hey everybody,
I didn't get a chance to update y'all last summit. So here it goes: Last summit we were in Harrodsburg, KY. We had been there once last year. This time we were at a smaller church called Shawnee Run Baptist Church. It was different than most summits we will have. Both Base Camp and Happy Heart were combined. We had about 12-15 kids total. It was fun to work with the other club teachers for a few days and to watch God work in the kids! Me and Amanda stayed with Gary and Patti. They were great hosts! We got to play with their grandson, Titus, and chill with their 9 month old baby granddaughter, Addison. Because last summit was an 8 day summit, we had time to relax at our host homes. On our off days, we went to a corn maze, picked pumpkins and destroyed them with machetes!! That was fun! God is faithful to provide us time to rest. We left Kentucky and headed to Pennsylvania.
We are currently in Lebanon, PA, which is right outside Hershey. We are at Lebanon Valley Bible Church for the week. This is also an eight day summit. Happy Heart has around 20 kids every night! It's one of our biggest groups yet. They are all very attentive and they are fun to get to know. I am staying with Angela at Carol's house. Carol has 5 grandsons that we have had the privilege of knowing and I am excited to see how God is going to use these last few days. Friday we are having our annual Fall Cook Off. I am really excited to get together and all cook. It was a lot of fun to do last year, but this year I am not doing something as elaborate. I learned my lesson. But so far, this summit is going pretty well. I am enjoying the fall in PA. Its so beautiful.
The other day we were singing a song. The words were:
I come broken to be mended
I come wounded to be healed
I come desperate to be rescued
I come empty to be filled
I come guilty to be pardoned
By the blood of Christ the Lamb
And I'm welcomed with open arms
Praise God, Just as I am
And it got me thinking... Do we come to God how we are? Or do we get so caught up in trying to clean ourselves up that we forget He is waiting to do the cleaning. We can't do it, and He is willing. But if we don't come, it can't be done. So, the question I asked myself was : How do I come to Christ? Do I come broken in faith, knowing that He will fix me? Do I come hurting, believing He will heal me? Am I desperate for Him? Do I try to fill myself up or do I let Him fill me? Do I come guilty, telling Him something He already knows, so I can be free of it and pardoned... Not because of what I have done, but ONLY by the blood of The Lamb.
The answer... I fail... miserably. But, God is a God of second chances and He is a loving God. So, yes, I come to Him.... Just as I am.
I didn't get a chance to update y'all last summit. So here it goes: Last summit we were in Harrodsburg, KY. We had been there once last year. This time we were at a smaller church called Shawnee Run Baptist Church. It was different than most summits we will have. Both Base Camp and Happy Heart were combined. We had about 12-15 kids total. It was fun to work with the other club teachers for a few days and to watch God work in the kids! Me and Amanda stayed with Gary and Patti. They were great hosts! We got to play with their grandson, Titus, and chill with their 9 month old baby granddaughter, Addison. Because last summit was an 8 day summit, we had time to relax at our host homes. On our off days, we went to a corn maze, picked pumpkins and destroyed them with machetes!! That was fun! God is faithful to provide us time to rest. We left Kentucky and headed to Pennsylvania.
We are currently in Lebanon, PA, which is right outside Hershey. We are at Lebanon Valley Bible Church for the week. This is also an eight day summit. Happy Heart has around 20 kids every night! It's one of our biggest groups yet. They are all very attentive and they are fun to get to know. I am staying with Angela at Carol's house. Carol has 5 grandsons that we have had the privilege of knowing and I am excited to see how God is going to use these last few days. Friday we are having our annual Fall Cook Off. I am really excited to get together and all cook. It was a lot of fun to do last year, but this year I am not doing something as elaborate. I learned my lesson. But so far, this summit is going pretty well. I am enjoying the fall in PA. Its so beautiful.
The other day we were singing a song. The words were:
I come broken to be mended
I come wounded to be healed
I come desperate to be rescued
I come empty to be filled
I come guilty to be pardoned
By the blood of Christ the Lamb
And I'm welcomed with open arms
Praise God, Just as I am
And it got me thinking... Do we come to God how we are? Or do we get so caught up in trying to clean ourselves up that we forget He is waiting to do the cleaning. We can't do it, and He is willing. But if we don't come, it can't be done. So, the question I asked myself was : How do I come to Christ? Do I come broken in faith, knowing that He will fix me? Do I come hurting, believing He will heal me? Am I desperate for Him? Do I try to fill myself up or do I let Him fill me? Do I come guilty, telling Him something He already knows, so I can be free of it and pardoned... Not because of what I have done, but ONLY by the blood of The Lamb.
The answer... I fail... miserably. But, God is a God of second chances and He is a loving God. So, yes, I come to Him.... Just as I am.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Catch Up
Hey!
I didn't get a chance to update y'all last summit. Last summit we were in Hopkinsville, KY. I stayed with Danielle and Bethany at Ms. Peggy's home. The church we were at was Concord Baptist Church. We had anywhere from 6 to 18 kids in Happy Heart City. It was cool to have a lot of boys in Happy Heart, because its normally all girls. We had a lot of fun with that group and I know that God is still working in the kids and the adults.
This summit we are in Allegan, MI. We started on Sunday and we are half way through our first week. The first Sunday, we had 14 kids. We are down to 5 on average at nights now. I am staying with Ms. Annabell at her apartment. Hilary was staying with me, but went home to visit her grandmother. Please be praying for the rest of this summit and for all of us to have energy. These are some really great kids, and I am excited to see what God is going to do in Happy Heart this summit.
This Friday, I get to see my parents! I am really excited to see them and will send my love with them.
Thanks for your prayers.
Sarah
I didn't get a chance to update y'all last summit. Last summit we were in Hopkinsville, KY. I stayed with Danielle and Bethany at Ms. Peggy's home. The church we were at was Concord Baptist Church. We had anywhere from 6 to 18 kids in Happy Heart City. It was cool to have a lot of boys in Happy Heart, because its normally all girls. We had a lot of fun with that group and I know that God is still working in the kids and the adults.
This summit we are in Allegan, MI. We started on Sunday and we are half way through our first week. The first Sunday, we had 14 kids. We are down to 5 on average at nights now. I am staying with Ms. Annabell at her apartment. Hilary was staying with me, but went home to visit her grandmother. Please be praying for the rest of this summit and for all of us to have energy. These are some really great kids, and I am excited to see what God is going to do in Happy Heart this summit.
This Friday, I get to see my parents! I am really excited to see them and will send my love with them.
Thanks for your prayers.
Sarah
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
New Beginning
Hey y'all,
so we just finished our first summit of the year. It was in Flushing, MI. The week started out a lot different than last year, because our bus was broken. We drove to our first church in personal cars and with the truck. We got to the church and everything went pretty normal. We met our host family, and went to their house. I stayed with Savannah at Pat and Rebecca's house. They have four kids, Bridget, Emma, Maggie and Dylan. They were so much fun to get to know and to hang out with.
In Happy Heart, we started out with 18 kids, and ended with 5. Even though we didn't have too many kids, we had a lot of fun with them and got to share God's word with them. Base Camp had about 45 kids to start and ended with about 15. The church had a pretty good response to the messages, and overall, things went well.
It has been a long week and most of us are super tired. But on Friday, we will be back at the Life Action Camp for the day. Adam is taking the bus driving test, and the rest of us will be relaxing. We will leave for our next church on Saturday morning and arrive at the church Saturday afternoon, set up, and meet our host families at about 9:00 and get ready for Sunday morning.
I am really excited about what God is going to do at this next church and what He is going to teach me. Please keep me and my team in your prayers as far as health, general provision and energy.
Thank you!
Sarah
so we just finished our first summit of the year. It was in Flushing, MI. The week started out a lot different than last year, because our bus was broken. We drove to our first church in personal cars and with the truck. We got to the church and everything went pretty normal. We met our host family, and went to their house. I stayed with Savannah at Pat and Rebecca's house. They have four kids, Bridget, Emma, Maggie and Dylan. They were so much fun to get to know and to hang out with.
In Happy Heart, we started out with 18 kids, and ended with 5. Even though we didn't have too many kids, we had a lot of fun with them and got to share God's word with them. Base Camp had about 45 kids to start and ended with about 15. The church had a pretty good response to the messages, and overall, things went well.
It has been a long week and most of us are super tired. But on Friday, we will be back at the Life Action Camp for the day. Adam is taking the bus driving test, and the rest of us will be relaxing. We will leave for our next church on Saturday morning and arrive at the church Saturday afternoon, set up, and meet our host families at about 9:00 and get ready for Sunday morning.
I am really excited about what God is going to do at this next church and what He is going to teach me. Please keep me and my team in your prayers as far as health, general provision and energy.
Thank you!
Sarah
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Camp and what not
Hey y'all!
So training camp is coming to a close. We only have two days left until we load up and hit the road. I have made so many great friends over the past 5 weeks. Two weeks ago, we went to Battle Creek, MI, for a one day practice summit. It was great to go back to that church again. They brought out the boats again and we got to go tubing and just fellowship and relax with one another. Last weekend we got to help out with Labor Day family camp. I worked night shifts in Sonshine Club, which is for 2-3 year olds. It was a refreshing change of pace. On Friday we head out to Flushing, MI. We will be there for 11 days. I am excited to see what God is going to do in the congregation and in the team. We have already had some changes during camp with changing people to different teams. But God has the big picture in mind and His way is better than ours. Please keep us in your prayers as we head out and do our first summit together as a new team!
Monday, August 5, 2013
Your Grace is Enough
Hey again, I know its been a while since I have updated.
To begin, I had 6 weeks off for the summer. I enjoyed seeing family and spending time with them. After the short six weeks at home, I left for Life Action Family Camp. I worked three weeks of family camp. I was a family assistant all three weeks. I also taught Happy Heart for the entire time. I met so many great families over the three weeks, and make a lot of great friends. The second week of family camp was eventful. I broke my finger, and lost my voice all within 24 hours. But, God's grace is enough. I really had a great time at family camp and I learned how important surrender really is. Even though I was teaching kids, God used what we were teaching them, to teach me.
Now we are starting training camp. We will be training for 5 weeks. Training camp is a lot of fun, but it is also super exhausting. On top of all of the new team members coming in, we are kicking it all off with Seek Week. That is where we have speakers come in and speak to us. It is intense, deep, and very much needed. I am so excited to see what God is going to do this week here at camp, and this year in my heart.
I am still trusting God to provide all of my needs, and I know that it is His timing and not mine. Please be praying for me to rest in God's love and peace. I need to let go and let God.
Thanks for all of your prayers!
To begin, I had 6 weeks off for the summer. I enjoyed seeing family and spending time with them. After the short six weeks at home, I left for Life Action Family Camp. I worked three weeks of family camp. I was a family assistant all three weeks. I also taught Happy Heart for the entire time. I met so many great families over the three weeks, and make a lot of great friends. The second week of family camp was eventful. I broke my finger, and lost my voice all within 24 hours. But, God's grace is enough. I really had a great time at family camp and I learned how important surrender really is. Even though I was teaching kids, God used what we were teaching them, to teach me.
Now we are starting training camp. We will be training for 5 weeks. Training camp is a lot of fun, but it is also super exhausting. On top of all of the new team members coming in, we are kicking it all off with Seek Week. That is where we have speakers come in and speak to us. It is intense, deep, and very much needed. I am so excited to see what God is going to do this week here at camp, and this year in my heart.
I am still trusting God to provide all of my needs, and I know that it is His timing and not mine. Please be praying for me to rest in God's love and peace. I need to let go and let God.
Thanks for all of your prayers!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Follow Me Because I Follow Christ
Matthew 16:24 says: Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wants to come with me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."
That is a very well known verse, however, we usually don't take time to really listen to what it is saying. If we want to follow Christ, we must first deny ourselves. We have to be willing to give up EVERYTHING we have for The King of Kings. Anything that He has for us, is so much better than what we have or could ever hope to have.
***Taking up our cross is self denial. We need to refuse to settle for anything less that the very best... Which is God. It also means torture or persecution. Jesus went through so much for us... Are we willing to do the same for Him? No pain, no gain. Are we willing to suffer temporal pain for eternal gain? And lastly, it means death. We need to die to self, die to pride, die to sin, die to anything that goes against what God says***
The last part is the most important part. (In my opinion.) We need to FOLLOW Him. Not just say we do, we really need to follow. That means waiting on His timing and not rushing it and going with what you had planned. It means being obedient to His calling and being willing to go where He wants you to go. Its trusting in Him even when things get tough. It's knowing that He wont fail you... EVER!! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We are called to be holy as He is holy. We can't do it on our own, and if we aren't committed to Christ, there is no way that we will ever be holy. As we draw nearer to Him, and let Him change us, that is when we will start looking more like Christ. Its not a pain free experience. He will stretch us and take us out of our comfort zone. He knows where our hearts are, but He is testing us to see if we will follow Him.
The saying "Follow me because I follow Christ" is very heavy. If we say it, we cant be hypocritical about it. The word "Christian" literally means "little Christ". So many of us "Christians" are going around and saying we are following Christ, but are living the exact opposite. We can't say we are living like Christ, while we are really living like the devil. It can't happen. If we don't look like what we are proclaiming, its time to take a step back, pray and see what isn't lining up with what we are saying. We cant expect people to want to be a follower of Christ if we are living the same way that they are. That is what drives people away from the church and from Christianity in general. We have such a double standard as Christians and tend to live hypocritically. Its time to change. Its time to get real with God. Its time to start living out your faith and truly start following Christ.
(I wrote this with only myself in mind... However, I hope that it opened your eyes to how much this nation needs God. And it won't ever reach it unless we change first. Pray, "Lord, send revival... And start it in Me!"
We need God to change this nation.. but it won't happen without prayer. We need change, but we need God more.)
***www.markbatterson.com***
Sunday, May 12, 2013
He washed my sins away!
Hey guys,
Its been a while since I have updated y’all. Since the last
update, we have been to two other churches. We went to Goodlettsville, TN after
Harrodsburg and we were there for 8 days. I stayed with Tara at Jeff and Mary’s
home. They have a daughter, Katie, who is 19. God did some great things in
Goodlettsville with the adults and in the kids.
After Goodlettsville, we went to Asheville, NC for Heart Cry
for Revival. It was a conference that our team got to do worship for. That was
a really great time seeking God as a team. Heart Cry was 4 days and then we
left for Guyton, GA. We were at New Providence Baptist for 11 days. It is
Danielle’s home church, so that was fun to have her family there. It was our
last summit with Laine and Janet and their kids, so that was sad. But we had an
end of the year party at Danielle’s house. We got to square dance, and
sack-race and compete with corn toss and seed spitting. It was so much fun to
learn how to square dance with the team.
We left Guyton and headed to Honea Path, SC. Me and Jodie
are staying with Sam and Cathy’s home. We just got here two days ago and I am
really excited to see how God is going to work in this church. This morning was
the first morning of the summit and we had ten kids in Happy Heart.
I am praying that God gives us all energy and focus. This is
our second to last summit of the year and its winding down fast. It has been a
wonderful year and I am excited to see what is going to happen next year too.
Thank you for all your prayer and support. It really is a
blessing.
Watch this video and read the lyrics.. its great http://proskuneo.org/2012/12/multilingual-worship-song-loue-haitian-creole-english/
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Christ is Risen From the Dead
Hey guys! So last summit we were in Harrodsburg, KY at Harrodsburg Baptist Church. It started out really well and once again, there were at least two nights where Laine didn't preach. God really took over that church and moved in a great way. On the first Wednesday, there were a lot of people who went up to testify. Because of that, the night was very long. Us Happy Heart teachers decided to circle up and pray for everything that was going on in the sanctuary. We told the kids that they could come join us if they wanted, or they could finish their game. Every single child came over and joined our circle to pray. It was the coolest thing EVER! Each service that week went about 3 to 3 and a half hours. But God was moving so much. He worked so much in my host family too. It was really cool to see what God was doing in their lives.
That summit I stayed with Amanda at Chad and Leanna's home. They had two kids. Logan is 16 and Joshua was 11. It was really great to get to know them and spend time with them. We ended up extending our summit for an extra day. And the super awesome thing was that all of the team got to sit in for the last night to see what God was doing. We got to partake in the Lord's Supper with everyone in the church.
Right now we are on Spring break!!! We are in Johnson City, NC at The Barn at Buladean. We have a beautiful view of the mountains. I am rooming with Danielle, Hannah, and Sarah. So far me and Danielle have watched The Parent Trap on VHS :)
God is so great and I am super excited for church tomorrow for Easter!
Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave!
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with him again
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave!
That summit I stayed with Amanda at Chad and Leanna's home. They had two kids. Logan is 16 and Joshua was 11. It was really great to get to know them and spend time with them. We ended up extending our summit for an extra day. And the super awesome thing was that all of the team got to sit in for the last night to see what God was doing. We got to partake in the Lord's Supper with everyone in the church.
Right now we are on Spring break!!! We are in Johnson City, NC at The Barn at Buladean. We have a beautiful view of the mountains. I am rooming with Danielle, Hannah, and Sarah. So far me and Danielle have watched The Parent Trap on VHS :)
God is so great and I am super excited for church tomorrow for Easter!
Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave!
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with him again
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Stuttgart, AR
This summit is in Stuttgart, AR. Tomorrow is our last day here, but this summit has been pretty good. We have been staying with Darren and Tricia. However, we ended up moving halfway through the week, because Dylan got the flu. So we moved in with Teresa and Bruce. They have two girls, Jenny and Samantha. We are once again back with Tricia and Darren and Dylan is doing fine. Instead of being in Happy Heart, I have been in Teens for the beginning and in service during main. I have really enjoyed getting to listen to what the teens are learning from Michael. On Sunday, we talk about salvation. He really put it in perspective of what it means to die to self.
I got to see my parents this summit! I missed them so much! They came bearing pies :) They brought 9 pies, and a lot of love. I got to spend the night with them Thursday and Friday. They left on Saturday morning and made it home safely. It was really great to visit with them and to just have fun with family.
Next summit we will be in Harrodsburg, KY. I am very excited about that summit. It seems like revival has already started. There has been many people saved already, and just some of the activities that have been going on, it gives me a new excitement. I know that God is working here and in all of the other places we have been and are going to go to.
Please keep praying for our team as we only have 4 summits left this year. We need to finish well and not get distracted. Also that we will continue to walk with God daily and He will strengthen our faith.
Thanks for everything you do!!
I got to see my parents this summit! I missed them so much! They came bearing pies :) They brought 9 pies, and a lot of love. I got to spend the night with them Thursday and Friday. They left on Saturday morning and made it home safely. It was really great to visit with them and to just have fun with family.
Next summit we will be in Harrodsburg, KY. I am very excited about that summit. It seems like revival has already started. There has been many people saved already, and just some of the activities that have been going on, it gives me a new excitement. I know that God is working here and in all of the other places we have been and are going to go to.
Please keep praying for our team as we only have 4 summits left this year. We need to finish well and not get distracted. Also that we will continue to walk with God daily and He will strengthen our faith.
Thanks for everything you do!!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Faithfulness None Can Deny
This past summit went really well. We were in Hernando, MS. God did some really amazing things on the first Tuesday night. We ended up going for about 3 or so hours. God really moved in families. In Happy Heart, we had our biggest group at 34. It was so much fun to have that many kids, and it seemed like they understood the lessons too! I really enjoyed our host home. Andrea and Dave were generous enough to host three of us. They bought me a cheesehead! (Go Pack Go!) They have two children, Elizabeth and Joshua. It was awesome getting to know them.
We are now in Stuttgart, AR. The summit just started yesterday. I am sitting in for main service and I am working with the teens during pre service. I really enjoy being in with the teens. I have made some connections with some of the girls already and I am excited to see what God will teach me. I am staying with Angela and Jodie at Tricia and Darren's home. They have two children, Dylan and Haley. I am very excited to see what God is going to do at this church!
Laine and Janet are in Texas for the Vision Gathering, so we have a guest speaker for this summit. I cant believe how fast February went by! Its already March, which means we have about 2 and a half months left of traveling!
Today during team meeting, God really put on my heart how important it is to please God and not man. Also that it is impossible to please God without faith. God has really been working with me on that one. I know that God is faithful because He has proven Himself time and time again. But I struggle with trusting that He will be faithful again... Time and time again He proves me wrong, He always comes through. Praise the Lord.
I am super excited to see my family this week!!! I miss them and will send love with them for all of my "Rustonians"
Thanks for all your prayers!
We are now in Stuttgart, AR. The summit just started yesterday. I am sitting in for main service and I am working with the teens during pre service. I really enjoy being in with the teens. I have made some connections with some of the girls already and I am excited to see what God will teach me. I am staying with Angela and Jodie at Tricia and Darren's home. They have two children, Dylan and Haley. I am very excited to see what God is going to do at this church!
Laine and Janet are in Texas for the Vision Gathering, so we have a guest speaker for this summit. I cant believe how fast February went by! Its already March, which means we have about 2 and a half months left of traveling!
Today during team meeting, God really put on my heart how important it is to please God and not man. Also that it is impossible to please God without faith. God has really been working with me on that one. I know that God is faithful because He has proven Himself time and time again. But I struggle with trusting that He will be faithful again... Time and time again He proves me wrong, He always comes through. Praise the Lord.
I am super excited to see my family this week!!! I miss them and will send love with them for all of my "Rustonians"
Thanks for all your prayers!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
White Flag
This past summit was good. We were in Social Circle, GA. It was a quaint little town and I liked it. I stayed with Allison at CL ad Joyce's house. They were so sweet! Unfortunately they got the stomach bug that was going around and were not able to attend many services. Despite that, there were many who went up and testified about what God had been doing in their life. We had about 16 children in Happy Heart the entire time. Matt was sitting in again so it was just me and Angela, but we did it well! There was one night where I went home sick, slept for 4 hours and then went back to bed at 11:00 that night. I felt much better the next day. :)
We are now in Hernando, MS. I am staying with Sarah and Hilary. We are staying at Dave and Andrea's house. They have two kids; Elizabeth, 13 and Joshua, 15. I am very excited for this summit to start and see what God is going to do here. In Happy Heart, we are going to have (estimated) 45 kids!!! That is the biggest group we have had all year! I have a good feeling about this summit and I know that God will do great things!
So as I was getting ready this morning, Sarah was playing her music. The song White Flag came on. I absolutely love that song. Its a good reminder that we need to surrender daily! God has already won whatever battle we are going to face that day, and we need to surrender to Him and let Him fight it for us. What a great reminder! I appreciate all your prayers and will try to keep y'all updated more often.
We are now in Hernando, MS. I am staying with Sarah and Hilary. We are staying at Dave and Andrea's house. They have two kids; Elizabeth, 13 and Joshua, 15. I am very excited for this summit to start and see what God is going to do here. In Happy Heart, we are going to have (estimated) 45 kids!!! That is the biggest group we have had all year! I have a good feeling about this summit and I know that God will do great things!
So as I was getting ready this morning, Sarah was playing her music. The song White Flag came on. I absolutely love that song. Its a good reminder that we need to surrender daily! God has already won whatever battle we are going to face that day, and we need to surrender to Him and let Him fight it for us. What a great reminder! I appreciate all your prayers and will try to keep y'all updated more often.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Rediscover You
Hey Y'all! This past summit was really great! We had so many amazing testimonies of current addictions, and breaking addictions. It was amazing. I had never heard so many testimonies like that before. God was really working in that church. We had a big group of Happy Heart kids all week, which was awesome. And one of the kids, Jedadiah, wanted to auction a cow. So we let him :) He was pretty good at auctioning too. There were so many great times at this church. We are currently headed to Social Circle, GA for our next summit. It will be our 10th church of the travel year but our 3rd church of 2013. The time is going by so fast! I cant believe its February 1st already. In 14 days, we all have to tell Head Quarters if we are traveling again or not. I have already let them know that I will be traveling. God has really showed me that this is where He has me for the next year. I am so thankful and appreciative that I have y'alls prayers! (I have been pickin' up on the whole "y'all" thing) This past week we had a team meeting and Laine talked about faith.. It really hit me, I dont have faith and I need to. Its not something that happens over night, but God is definitely showing His faithfulness to me. He provides time after time and yet I doubt. I am asking Him to help me believe and trust Him. This week I heard this song again. It is called Rediscover You. The chorus is this: "You told me, look for You and I will find. So I'm here like I'm searching for the first time. Revive me, Jesus, make this cold heart start to move. Help me rediscover You"
I think its very fitting.
Thank y'all for everything!
I think its very fitting.
Thank y'all for everything!
Friday, January 25, 2013
You Are
This week, we are at Pump Springs Baptist Church in Harrogate, TN. I am staying with Danielle at Steve and Christy's home. They have two girls, Baileigh and Addison. We had some really great conversations with Steve and Christy already. It is so great to see what God is doing in this church. On Wednesday night, Laine was planning on speaking about Forgiveness, like normal, but God had other plans. Many people went up to confess sins and six base camp students went up to ask their parents forgiveness infront of the church. We normally dont do testimonies until the second week, but God really was moving in the church that night. Happy Heart City has had a great group! They are very energetic children and we have about 26 every night. Its great to have a big group, because most times we have super little ones. So me and Angela are enjoying it. Unfortunately, last summit, we missed two days of the summit due to ice storms. And this summit, we had to change the time of Home Life Cafe. It is normally at 9:00-1:00 but its going to be from 1:00-5:00. This is the biggest HLC we have had, and that Wilson has had. We are expecting 125 adults. That is so amazing. We set up 20 tables, and we are praying that they will all be filled.
God is still working in my life and teaching me many things. One thing He is teaching me right now is how to wait on His timing and to trust Him. It's so easy to find myself in a situation where I am doing things how I want to do them, but I need to catch myself and LET GO AND LET GOD. Don't get me wrong, I am still working on it. But I am farther than I was 6 months ago. This coming February, we all have to tell Head Quarters if we are returning next year. I have made my decision and am waiting for the date to tell them. I have prayed a lot about this, and I feel that this is where God has me for the next year.
This week I started a devotional by Matt Redman. It has really been good for me. The first day was about finding 10,000 reasons to praise God. When you think about it, it sounds like a lot, but he went through and explained it... Every single thing that God made is a reason to give Him praise. And he made everything, therefore, we wont ever run out of things to praise Him for.. I am so glad I worship a God like that.
One of the songs that I hear so often is You Are by Colton Dixon. It really makes me think about if that describes my life.. in the bridge he sings, "If I had no voice if I had no tongue, I would dance for you like the rising sun. And when that day comes and I see your face I will shout Your endless glorious praise." I am turning this into a prayer, one that can be fulfilled before that day comes. I want to be filled with His praise and shout it to everyone.
Please be praying for our team as they make the decision to travel next year or not. Also please be praying for my coteacher Matt, he is with his family for the time being. Pray for peace for all of them.
God is still working in my life and teaching me many things. One thing He is teaching me right now is how to wait on His timing and to trust Him. It's so easy to find myself in a situation where I am doing things how I want to do them, but I need to catch myself and LET GO AND LET GOD. Don't get me wrong, I am still working on it. But I am farther than I was 6 months ago. This coming February, we all have to tell Head Quarters if we are returning next year. I have made my decision and am waiting for the date to tell them. I have prayed a lot about this, and I feel that this is where God has me for the next year.
This week I started a devotional by Matt Redman. It has really been good for me. The first day was about finding 10,000 reasons to praise God. When you think about it, it sounds like a lot, but he went through and explained it... Every single thing that God made is a reason to give Him praise. And he made everything, therefore, we wont ever run out of things to praise Him for.. I am so glad I worship a God like that.
One of the songs that I hear so often is You Are by Colton Dixon. It really makes me think about if that describes my life.. in the bridge he sings, "If I had no voice if I had no tongue, I would dance for you like the rising sun. And when that day comes and I see your face I will shout Your endless glorious praise." I am turning this into a prayer, one that can be fulfilled before that day comes. I want to be filled with His praise and shout it to everyone.
Please be praying for our team as they make the decision to travel next year or not. Also please be praying for my coteacher Matt, he is with his family for the time being. Pray for peace for all of them.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Never Once
Hey guys! Its been so long since I have updated. So here goes:
Our last summit before break was in Athens, AL. It was such a great summit. However, the attendance for Happy Heart was very few.. towards the end of the summit, we only had the revivalists daughter. So we combined with Base Camp for a lot. The teens were open to what Michael had to say, and I think all around it was a good summit. I stayed with a really awesome family who had three kids. Jake, Hannah, and Mary Beth. I had such a great time with them.
Once we left Athens, we went back home for the month of December. It was so good to be back home with my family and friends. I got to see my grandma and my brother. I really just now realized how easy it is to take family forgranted. Because the people you live with you see everyday, and now that I am traveling, I really realized how much I miss them. But I know that this is where God has me for now.
Right now we are in Corinth, MS. Our summit started this past Sunday and we have had a pretty good group of kids in Happy Heart. We have about 10-12 on any given night. Base Camp has about 20-30. I am praying that God grabs ahold of their hearts and that the kids would really understand everything that we are teaching. Before we left for break we all switched up lessons. So we are getting back into the swing of things with new lessons. But so far its going good. My host parents at this summit are very sweet. They are an older couple, but its so awesome to see them together. They are coming up on 49 years of marriage tomorrow!
Its such a blessing to be able to do what I am doing. God is so great and He has really been teaching me, and the team, that without Him, we are incapable of agape love. 100% sacrificial love, expecting absolutely nothing in return. Another thing He has been teaching me throughout this time is to wait on Him. Its not about what I want and when I want it... Its all about HIM and HIS timing. He is never late, and never early... always on time.
If y'all could be praying for our team to stay healthy, that is much appreciated. We are trying to not get the flu, and where we are right now is where the flu is hitting the hardest. Also please pray for me as I just came off of break.. My mind is still back home, and I need to be 100% here.
As I was sitting here writing this, I was listening to my music. One of the songs that I had heard a thousand times came on. It really hit me this time. Never Once by Matt Redman. Listen to that song when you get a chance.. really listen, meditate on the truth that is in the song. Prasie God for NEVER leaving us!
Our last summit before break was in Athens, AL. It was such a great summit. However, the attendance for Happy Heart was very few.. towards the end of the summit, we only had the revivalists daughter. So we combined with Base Camp for a lot. The teens were open to what Michael had to say, and I think all around it was a good summit. I stayed with a really awesome family who had three kids. Jake, Hannah, and Mary Beth. I had such a great time with them.
Once we left Athens, we went back home for the month of December. It was so good to be back home with my family and friends. I got to see my grandma and my brother. I really just now realized how easy it is to take family forgranted. Because the people you live with you see everyday, and now that I am traveling, I really realized how much I miss them. But I know that this is where God has me for now.
Right now we are in Corinth, MS. Our summit started this past Sunday and we have had a pretty good group of kids in Happy Heart. We have about 10-12 on any given night. Base Camp has about 20-30. I am praying that God grabs ahold of their hearts and that the kids would really understand everything that we are teaching. Before we left for break we all switched up lessons. So we are getting back into the swing of things with new lessons. But so far its going good. My host parents at this summit are very sweet. They are an older couple, but its so awesome to see them together. They are coming up on 49 years of marriage tomorrow!
Its such a blessing to be able to do what I am doing. God is so great and He has really been teaching me, and the team, that without Him, we are incapable of agape love. 100% sacrificial love, expecting absolutely nothing in return. Another thing He has been teaching me throughout this time is to wait on Him. Its not about what I want and when I want it... Its all about HIM and HIS timing. He is never late, and never early... always on time.
If y'all could be praying for our team to stay healthy, that is much appreciated. We are trying to not get the flu, and where we are right now is where the flu is hitting the hardest. Also please pray for me as I just came off of break.. My mind is still back home, and I need to be 100% here.
As I was sitting here writing this, I was listening to my music. One of the songs that I had heard a thousand times came on. It really hit me this time. Never Once by Matt Redman. Listen to that song when you get a chance.. really listen, meditate on the truth that is in the song. Prasie God for NEVER leaving us!
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