Day Four!

Tonight we watched a video entitled, "How Great is our God".  It was a speaker who talked about how small we are in comparison to the stars that God created.  He calls God the "Star-Breather", which I think is a fitting name for Him.  The speaker, Louie Giglio, shows images of the largest star in our universe, Canis Majoris, and compares Earth to a golf ball....Canis Majoris would then be the length of two Golden Gate Bridges.  It is a pretty astonishing thought that God created these vast creations.  God is so big...what can even matter in our tiny lives? But that is just it...we do matter!  We actually don't just matter...but God is chasing after us to be near us!  He loves us more than the magnificent stars He breathed out. 
Louie then goes on to talk about how we are formed in the womb, and how tiny our DNA is....which if you have had children you know even more what a miracle this event is!   Louie talks of the skin covering the eyes of a baby in the womb, and how a tiny "cutter" then slices through the skin to create our eyelids.  What a unique thought!  The left hook...the clincher....the happily ever after of the story is that God created a protein molecule in our body that is the "glue", hoplding all of our membranes together, in the shape of a cross! 
God is definitely great! 

Day Two and Three

Hi friends!
Well, I missed last nights post...so I am just going to combine the days.  And what amazing days they have been!  We had a very first speaker come yesterday.  His name is Art Collins.  He is one of the funniest people I have every met!  And we all know how much I love funny people.  He is teaching us about studying the Bible...which is one of my main goals I have while I am here...to form a habit of hungering for the word.  As he was going through the SYLLABUS, I was tearing up!  He is an amazing person, and I am so blessed to be under his tutelage.

I have also made friends with some of the girls in my DTS class, shared my story with Annie and Mike (Ava's sitter), received guidance from Allen (my school director), and am feeling like I am really making strong relationships that will be impossible to withdraw from.

Thank you for all of your prayers, for as God stretches me, and challenges me, I will need your support more than ever.  I love you all!

Day 1

My first day was successful, busy, and very memorable!  A load of logistic info was poured on, a heavy testimony of healing and raising people from the dead was delivered by our DTS director, and a welcoming caravan of staff famillies made me feel extremely loved.  Ava made heaps of new friends, including but not limited to, an adorable boy named Luke, and a feisty girl named Anja.  They were all three the same age, and instantly became the Three Muskateers! 
And now, after putting Ava to bed, I have homework consisting of writing first impressions of YWAM, How I knew God called me to YWAM, and a checklist of areas I want to grow in while I am here! 
Needless to say, I will be signing off now....
Love you all!

From Black Mountain to Adams, TN (Nashville)

Hello friends!  I am writing to you from the YWAM "Big House", which consists of a dining hall, kitchen, small living room spaces, and some family apartments upstairs.  Ava and I are currently residing in a fairly small room with bunk beds.  However, we are both sleeping on the bottom bunk, due to the fact that I am scared to crawl up to the top of that rickity thing...let alone sleep there! We are told that we will soon (not sure how soon) be moving to a more spacious room with our own bathroom.  The Big House has the most amazing character, but not as amazing as the characters in it!  I have met some very cool people...who will probably only get cooler and cooler...until they are ice cold!  I say this because I haven't even been in a single lengthy conversation yet, but already I can see great potential in their coolness.  :) Ava has made friends too...there is a chunky blonde one year old boy, a tiny gorgeous brunette four month old girl, and a spunky 4 year old girl in mis-matched clothing (just like the kids in good old Greensboro).  I think she likes the spunky girl the best! 

There are so many exciting things that have already happened...and that I want to share with you...but we will be waking at 6 am, and so I feel I must say good night.  I love you all, and I am really glad to be here.  Tennesse is a great state, and I do want to add that on the way here we at Uncle Pete's restaurant/gas station which is home to over 4 thousand different coffee mugs which line the top of the walls.  The owners gave a very hospitable tour! 


 

From Summer to Autumn.....From Greensboro to Black Mountain

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, with thanksgiving and prayer, let your requests be made known to God." Phil 4:6 

This is the verse I just read off of a newsletter from a girl who just finished her YWAM DTS in Chile.  I have been trying very hard not to focus on the money I need in a couple days, but to focus on hearing God's voice, and learning about Him, and loving Him. 

The moment was bittersweet as we left our house in Greensboro, but the day outside was gorgeous.  The first day of Fall.  Fall is my favorite season.  The weather is perfect, as are the perfectly colored trees. 
It is so fitting that this transition of seasons also falls on our transition to another era in life. 

So, we made it to my parents' house, and will spend a couple days with them before we move on.  It is also a bittersweet time here as I say good bye for a while to my loving and supportive parents. 

Two days before the big move in!  I can't wait!  Love you all!

A Fabulous Farewell

Tonight was the second night in a row that I felt loved and blessed by my friends.  Last night, seven of our once ten member Bible Study, "Community Love", commenced our tradition of a farewell meal, and embarked on another road trip to Winston Salem. :) The 45 minute drive took us to a shabby, but characteristic park which seemed to be at an old YMCA.  There were college age guys just finishing a game of basketball, a few children with their teen parents on the playground, and a very algae green, unused pool.  The seven of us made our way to one of the three picnic tables, under no light.  We spread out a table cloth and unpacked an eclectic array of food; pizza slices, potato salad, banana bread, fruit, and a giant cookie cake (for Nate's birthday).  As the night grew darker, the boys at the table began to create a make shift lantern out of an IPHONE and a piece of tin foil.  It was actually very successful...thanks to the architect at the table. The conversation consisted of job news, babies, parties, old houses, moving...and then we began our ritual of showering the person leaving (me in this case)  with compliments.  I have been waiting many months for my turn! :) It was a very intimate and beautiful scene.  I love everyone in Community Love with a passion that they might never really grasp.  I had the priviledge of ending the session by playing a song I had written for the occasion, on my dusty guitar.  I actually just took it out of hibernation, and immediately wrote this song.  It went very well, and was compared to the likeness of an emo song...which made me smile.  We sadly cleaned up our picnic, and said our good byes, and headed back "home" to Greensboro. 

Tonight was just as sad a farewell to Ava's best, best friends from church.  We met them at a playground belonging to a Rec center, and the two girls (the famous Chloe and Singer-London) and Ava ran and squealed, and played like they have never ran and squealed and played before!  By dusk, they were grimy, dirty, sticky, and exhausted....well we hoped they were exhausted.  The girls were so sentimental and genuine as they said good bye to each other.  Their mom told me she would make sure that they wrote to us while we were away.  Ava has been so blessed to have friends like them, and looking back I should definitely have taken my sister's advice to make time to see them more often.  Hopefully we will see them again soon one day.  I would love to have Ava grow up with childhood friends, which I didn't get to do.  However, to quote the early 90's Michael W Smith song...." A friend's a friend forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them."

Hi friends! I have been so encouraged by so many people these past few weeks.  I only have 3 more days here in Greensboro, and then I will be heading up to the mountains before I go to Adams, TN.  That is where the actual YWAM school is.  It is about 45 minutes from Nashville.  We will be moving in on Saturday! I am so excited, but also sad to leave such amazing people here in the Boro.  I have actually been pleasantly surprised at how genuinly happy people have been for me and Ava.  I am so encouraged my every word my friends have spoken to me about how God is getting ready to bless us, and change us, and use us for His glory.  Transitions in life are such bittersweet times.  I know that what is ahead will be peaceful and surprising, but what I am leaving is years full of sweet memories of people who have blessed me, and challenged me, and shown me the many personalities of Jesus.  But there are also so many more wonderful personalities of His to meet!  So look out YWAM...here we come!

My awesome church

I want to thank all of you that prayed for me this morning as I spoke at church, and asked for support from my church family.  Boy, did I get support! I felt so loved and welcomed this morning...I felt as though people were really rooting for me!  It felt really good, and I want to especially thank those of you who were there this morning.  A couple of people handed me money right on the spot.  A lot of people took my card, and said that they would be praying, and following the blog.  I also got to spend time talking to a lot of people that I have never got to build relationships with.  It was a really great time of uplifting fellowship

A call from YWAM!

Hey everybody! We are finally home from our mountain vacation.  Ava and I had such a blast!  We took a scenic tour of Lake Lure on a pontoon boat, enjoyed the sun on the "beach" lakeside, spent a lot of time feeding goats at Queenie and Pappy's house, and even climbed Chimney Rock!  It was a quarter of a mile hike up tiny, wooden stairs...but Ava didn't complain once!  It was a really great adventure. 

On the way home a woman from YWAM called to say that she would be Ava's babysitter while we were in Nashville.  I will be taking morning classes, and Ava will get to play with her and her 4 month old baby girl!  Her name is Annie, and her daughter is named Zion.  Annie and her husband are on staff there.  I am so excited for Ava!  I know how much she loves babies, and Annie said there are a lot of other stay at home moms on the base that Ava will get to go on play dates with.  Annie was so sweet, and we both can't wait to meet her.

Today, I made our "business cards"  that tell who we are...missionaries for YWAM....and how to support us.  The cards are pink and super cute!  I will be handing them out tomorrow at church, after I give a tiny speech up front during announcements!  So please pray that I will say the right things, and pray that our church body will have ears to hear.  Also pray that God will send the right people from our church to financially support us.  We just heard that our pastor will be resigning from our church, so I know a lot of the members will be sad tomorrow...please pray for them and for the elders of Spring Garden. 

Thank you for all that praying you will be doing for me tonight! ;) I love you all!

 

Two and a half weeks left!

I hope you all had such a great Labor Day weekend.  We spent it in the Mountains of NC, where we are currently still enjoying the view of God's breath-taking creation.  There is nothing so spectacular, that flaunt His beauty as much as the mountains.  Every time I see the tall peaks, covered in evergreen trees, I melt at God's love for me! That he would create that view just for me!  And so I cannot do anything but trust that He will provide for Ava and I these last weeks before we leave for YWAM.  We are still in need of financial support, but I KNOW that God will provide.  Thank you to all of you that have offered us your help so far!  We love you all so much!
In just two and a half weeks we will be headed up to Nashville...and then hopefully our blog will be much more interesting...and funny! ;)

By the way...the adds on my page earn me money if you click on them! :)

Today Ava decided that I am Sleeping Beauty and she is Cinderella (nothing new). She is currently adorning my fingernails with tiny stick on, pink princess nails.  So, it is somewhat difficult to type right now.  Before our beauty session, I emailed the pastor at our church, and the missions board to see about support.  I entered an article in our church's email newsblast, and confirmed that I will be speaking at church before we leave.  Just a short speak to ask our church to support us on this journey God has set us on.  I have been a little worried about money lately...since no new support has come in...however I still know that God is in control.  Thank you for your prayers my friends and followers! :)

Good Friday my few and faithful friends! :) How do you like that for alliteration? I am so thankful that you all are praying for us...and reading about our journey.  I am growing more and more excited everyday.  Ava and I still need about 1,000 more dollars before we arrive at the YWAM base on September 25th.  We are almost 50 percent supported.  Please keep praying for us as God keeps continuing to bless us!
PS. We are going to apply for passports tomorrow!
Talk to you soon!

The Package

This morning a package arrived.  It was a rectangular white package...and it was thick.  That meant something was inside!  I quickly looked at who it was addressed to first...ME!  Then I scanned the return address...YWAM Nashville! I tore into the package and pulled out a shiny new paperback book, and a stack of papers.  One of the papers was folded in half.  After seeing that the other papers were just arrival forms which I had received via email a couple days earlier, I carefully unfolded the creased paper.  It began: "Greetings from YWAM Nashville, as the leader of your school, I would like to introduce myself to you."  The letter went on to explain that our leader and his family (a 9 year old girl and a 6 year old boy) had been on staff since 1998, had spent four years in China, and were originally from England.  The letter was exciting and motivating, to say the least.  When I got home this afternoon, I began reading the enclosed book, "Is that really you, God?" by YWAM's founder Loren Cunningham.  I immediately read the first 6 chapters, and am already hooked!    

Good Sunday everyone! This morning was a great blessing to me.  The pastor at my church asked if I would like to speak about me and Ava's upcoming YWAM journey! I was just thinking about that before I went to church, and contemplating what I would say to our church family if the time ever arose.  I am so excited about inviting our church to support us in prayer and positive encouragement...as well as financially. I absolutely LOVE our church...and it's inhabitants.  After the service, the first person I ever met from the church (a woman who is so sweet and awesome) grabbed me and asked if she could pray with me about YWAM.  I got to tell her that I was accepted, and on my way!  It was a very encouraging morning.  Thank you Jesus!

Good morning!  Yesterday Ava and I got our passport photos taken at the AAA office.  Ava's first passport! How exciting! Also, I received a message from Sarah on the YWAM FaceBook page, saying how excited they were to meet us, and that there are a lot of babies and kids there for Ava to play with.  In addition, I got my vaccine forms, arrival forms, what to bring letter...etc.! It's ALL happening!

Here we come YWAM!

Hello friends and supporters! This is my first blog to let you all know that I talked to the director of YWAM today, and was told that Ava and I are officially accepted to the DTS in Nashville, which begins on September 26th.  So, we have roughly 5 weeks to go.  We are currently 40 percent supported.  God has really been blessing us!  Please keep praying for Ava and I, and if you would like to support us financially, please let me know!  There are many ways that you can support us, including by Paypal...or directly sending money to YWAM.  I am so glad to be officially beginning this journey, and I pray that you will all be blessed by my blogs! :) Talk to you soon!