BLESSINGS
Break was amazing... I was so happy to see those that I could. And a little sad that I didn't see a few. But it's ok. God truly blessed me with an amazing Christmas. I am so encouraged that almost everything I received I'll be able to use in service for others. :)
SO this semester has been pretty awesome so far. I'm very excited about it. My classes are pretty cool... :) I like that I have a goal that I really enjoy going after. It's encouraging.
My Birthday happened... it was awesome! Jen and Rachel and Lauren blind folded me and walked me into a door (lol) and then downtown to Baby's.... I was wearing a happy birthday crown the whole while. :) And I received beautiful roses from my parents, and a cake from Julie my mentor. Those were but a few highlights... I had many other well-wishes that day as well. It was awesome, and I am truly thankful for such magnificent people in my life.
Troy and I have been doing soo well. I feel so blessed to share such fellowship with such an amazing man of God. He really encourages me and sets a Godly example for me to follow after. Recently he has felt very called to be a Chaplain in the Army. I am so excited for him. I earnestly pray it is in the Lord's will that I marry this man, so that I may encourage and aid Him in every way as he serves the Lord in such a magnificent ministry. I also have a strong desire to witness to the wives of men in the service. I believe it could be such a powerful ministry. I pray I can serve the Lord so.
So I think all of my summer dreams have come true. Within the past year I have been thinking about what I want to do during the summer and two things came to mind: 1) missions trip overseas. I want to give a good amount of time to God so that He might use me wherever I am needed. And not only that, I really want to be taken outside my comfort zone so that I may walk in faith and grow to trust my Lord all the more. And 2) going out west! I loved being at Yellowstone over the summer and truly fell in love with the NW part of our country. I loved hiking up to inspiration point at Jenny Lake, hunting down wildlife, and LOVED white water rafting. So I had been pursuing a missions trip overseas to Asia, and this past week I was accepted. I was still uneasy about saying yes to it because I know both my parents (more my mom than dad) were uneasy and worried for my safety. So last night, I met Kenny Layton from Youth Dynamics. He is starting to plant a Youth Dynamics place in Idaho, and he needs staff. Youth Dynamics does outreach ministry to troubled teens and hosts activities for youth groups. The staff would be trained in guiding white water rafting tours and be specialized in outdoors things like hiking and obstacle courses. I would be gone the whole summer, and it is a two summer commitment. I thought this was magnificent. Exactly what I wanted.... Then I continued talking to friends and Dave Bowman (a regional staff member for Navigators) walked over and asked his classic line.... "So what are you doing this summer?" Needless to say he asked me if I would be willing to go to Kenya and do a missions with four other Penn State students in Nairobi....
It was overwhelming. TO top it off, one of the women on nav staff (Betsy) got engaged to Morgan, the grad student she had been seeing. And The Letournau's (a coupled that worked at penn state last year) had their baby last night. Little Nathan, but last I heard he is in ICU so prayers would be appreciated.
So as the night continued, I started to realize how selfish the Idaho trip would be. It would be because I want to do these things, and I'd be leaving so many people at home that I feel God is calling me to serve. And the next two summers? Well, the next two summers could very possibly be my last two at home. And then Kenya.... Dave Bowman has a way of selling things... and I knew my parents would be much more comfortable with Kenya than with Asia. God soon made it clear: Kenya.
I called my parents up this morning and they did research all day. I talked to them tonight... and Kenya it is.....
I'M GOING TO KENYA TO SERVE GOD!!!!!!!!!
I wanted to tell you to share in this joy, this honor, that I have been asked to join this gifted, talented, and called group of believers. I am very excited. A couple of questions were asked of me (from friends) if I would be ready for this. If I could do this... well I read this one quote somewhere that has really stuck in my heart:
"It has often been said that God does not call those who are qualified; He qualifies those who are called."
Amen. I believe God has called me to this, and I will obey.
SO this semester has been pretty awesome so far. I'm very excited about it. My classes are pretty cool... :) I like that I have a goal that I really enjoy going after. It's encouraging.
My Birthday happened... it was awesome! Jen and Rachel and Lauren blind folded me and walked me into a door (lol) and then downtown to Baby's.... I was wearing a happy birthday crown the whole while. :) And I received beautiful roses from my parents, and a cake from Julie my mentor. Those were but a few highlights... I had many other well-wishes that day as well. It was awesome, and I am truly thankful for such magnificent people in my life.
Troy and I have been doing soo well. I feel so blessed to share such fellowship with such an amazing man of God. He really encourages me and sets a Godly example for me to follow after. Recently he has felt very called to be a Chaplain in the Army. I am so excited for him. I earnestly pray it is in the Lord's will that I marry this man, so that I may encourage and aid Him in every way as he serves the Lord in such a magnificent ministry. I also have a strong desire to witness to the wives of men in the service. I believe it could be such a powerful ministry. I pray I can serve the Lord so.
So I think all of my summer dreams have come true. Within the past year I have been thinking about what I want to do during the summer and two things came to mind: 1) missions trip overseas. I want to give a good amount of time to God so that He might use me wherever I am needed. And not only that, I really want to be taken outside my comfort zone so that I may walk in faith and grow to trust my Lord all the more. And 2) going out west! I loved being at Yellowstone over the summer and truly fell in love with the NW part of our country. I loved hiking up to inspiration point at Jenny Lake, hunting down wildlife, and LOVED white water rafting. So I had been pursuing a missions trip overseas to Asia, and this past week I was accepted. I was still uneasy about saying yes to it because I know both my parents (more my mom than dad) were uneasy and worried for my safety. So last night, I met Kenny Layton from Youth Dynamics. He is starting to plant a Youth Dynamics place in Idaho, and he needs staff. Youth Dynamics does outreach ministry to troubled teens and hosts activities for youth groups. The staff would be trained in guiding white water rafting tours and be specialized in outdoors things like hiking and obstacle courses. I would be gone the whole summer, and it is a two summer commitment. I thought this was magnificent. Exactly what I wanted.... Then I continued talking to friends and Dave Bowman (a regional staff member for Navigators) walked over and asked his classic line.... "So what are you doing this summer?" Needless to say he asked me if I would be willing to go to Kenya and do a missions with four other Penn State students in Nairobi....
It was overwhelming. TO top it off, one of the women on nav staff (Betsy) got engaged to Morgan, the grad student she had been seeing. And The Letournau's (a coupled that worked at penn state last year) had their baby last night. Little Nathan, but last I heard he is in ICU so prayers would be appreciated.
So as the night continued, I started to realize how selfish the Idaho trip would be. It would be because I want to do these things, and I'd be leaving so many people at home that I feel God is calling me to serve. And the next two summers? Well, the next two summers could very possibly be my last two at home. And then Kenya.... Dave Bowman has a way of selling things... and I knew my parents would be much more comfortable with Kenya than with Asia. God soon made it clear: Kenya.
I called my parents up this morning and they did research all day. I talked to them tonight... and Kenya it is.....
I'M GOING TO KENYA TO SERVE GOD!!!!!!!!!
I wanted to tell you to share in this joy, this honor, that I have been asked to join this gifted, talented, and called group of believers. I am very excited. A couple of questions were asked of me (from friends) if I would be ready for this. If I could do this... well I read this one quote somewhere that has really stuck in my heart:
"It has often been said that God does not call those who are qualified; He qualifies those who are called."
Amen. I believe God has called me to this, and I will obey.