All Over the World this Gospel is Bearing Fruit and Growing

All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.  Colossians 1:6

Each season of life seems to bring new lessons.  This especially seems to hold true in my walk with God.  I sometimes I find myself longing to go back to the last season, which leads me to lose sight of my current surroundings.

I was recently recounting for one of the awesome medical students that is currently working for us at Baxter a season of life a few years back.  I was telling her about different challenges I was facing then, and how those challenges led me to some of the most intimate times with God that I have ever experienced.  Throughout that season, I would spend hours in the Word and on my knees in prayer in my office.  His presence was so easily felt in the quiet of my small office.  I would sometimes even go to my office on the weekend just to close the door and pray, because I knew that He would meet me there.  I knew that He would give me strength.  I knew that He would remind me of His promises.  He sustained me. He took hold of my right hand and led me through that season.

I look back on that season of my life and remember it with such a mix of emotions.  I remember the pain and hurt, but I also remember the way my God made His presence so tangible and real.  I felt God holding me closer than I had ever experienced before.

Sometimes it seems that God is so easy to feel, but I'm learning to seek Him even when it's hard to feel him.  I'm learning that my faith cannot be built solely on emotion.  I am learning that His character and His presence are not dependent on my feelings.  This season of life I'm learning to see Him in new ways.  What a beautiful adventure it is to serve the one true God.

I believe that God is teaching me something new and beautiful in this season of life.  Recently so many people have been drawing my attention to the beauty of God's work throughout the world.  These last 6 months have taught me so much about the power of God's Word and unity through the love of Christ.

My friend Yariel baptizing a new sister in Cuba!

Living at a school with 10+ countries represented by the students, faculty, and staff opens your eyes to the limitless power of God.  How can so many people who are so different know and love the same God?  God is showing me how He meets his children where they are and draws them to the cross.  He is showing me how the Good News of Jesus is the deepest need across the whole world. He is showing me the beauty of the Church around the world.  This truth amazes me and draws me closer to Him.

Ronald from Venezuela baptizing a new brother here in Honduras!

I know that when I leave Baxter I will have deep relationships with people in Bolivia, Cuba, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Peru, Guatemala, Venezuela, Honduras, and beyond.  In this season of life God is teaching me so much through these incredible brothers and sisters.  He is teaching me the beauty of unity in Christ.  He is showing me that His love reaches so much further than I could ever imagine, and I am amazed!

Nine of our new Baxter students from four different countries!

I know that God's Church is growing in beautiful ways.  I believe that Jesus is the Best News no matter your age, race, gender, or economic situation.  I believe that we serve a God who meets us where we are and transforms us into who He wants us to be.  I believe that in this season of life I am learning new and beautiful things.

One Place...Thousands Changed

A few days ago I was filling out a medical school application that required me to list all of the cities that I have had permanent residence in.  The application then required that I indicate which city I spent most of my childhood in, which city I lived in when I graduated from high school, and which city had the greatest impact on my life.  When I think about what city has most shaped my thoughts, goals, and dreams, Tegucigalpa, Honduras is the first place that comes to mind.

I wonder if my parents knew how much that first trip to Honduras 14 years ago was going to change our lives.  I wonder if my parents knew that taking their 3 kids to Honduras was going to completely change the way they thought about the world.  I wonder if my parents knew that a one week trip to Honduras was going to change the goals and dreams of their 3 children.  When I look back on the different circumstances that have shaped my faith and influenced my life goals, the trips to Honduras as a family are at the top of the list.  I'm thankful for parents who knew that their children needed to see a bigger picture of how so many people around the world live.

Honduras has impacted my life and influenced my dreams in so many ways, but I know that I'm not the only person that has been blessed by Honduras.  Since my family started taking trips to Honduras when I was in 7th grade, we have always stayed at Baxter Institute.  I am currently living and working at Baxter until June of 2015.  I always knew that Baxter was a special place, but the last month here has opened my eyes to what a difference this school is making throughout the world.

As I sit in Baxter's cafeteria typing this post, I can look up and see 15 different flags from all over Central and South America that represent the different countries of the students here.  Over the last month and half I have gotten to know the students better than ever before.  They have invited me into their homes to show me how to cook foods from their countries.  They have prayed with me, and shared their families with me.  They have shared stories with me from their home countries.  They have shared their hopes and plans for what they want to do after they graduate from Baxter.  They have become my family 2,500 miles away from home.

One thing that has amazed me most about the students here, is there passion to share The Good News of Jesus.  When you ask these students why they are at Baxter, they all tell you, "Because I want to be an instrument for God."  Each Sunday the students work at different churches around the Tegucigalpa area, and each week they come back with stories of how God worked in the lives of the people around the city.  Baxter is helping to build incredible leaders in the Church, and these men and women have an incredible love for the Lord.

The students at Baxter are using their gifts to grow the Kingdom of God!  When I think about a ministry that is obeying the Great Commission, I think of Baxter.  They are raising up men and women to go into ALL the world.  I have been so blessed and encouraged by the men and women that have taken me in and have made me feel like family!  They have taught me so much about sharing the Good News and about devotion to God.  Please join me in praying for the men, women, and children that are currently at Baxter.  Pray that they will be instruments in the hands of our Mighty God, and that God will open doors for them to share His Great Name with ALL of Latin America.

If you want to find out more about Baxter, or if you want to come see Baxter for yourself...check out our website!  We would love to have your support in this ministry!  www.baxterinstitute.org

Always a New Adventure

Weeks two and three are coming to a close here in Honduras and they have been filled with just as much excitement as the first!  I feel like my Spanish is improving daily, and I am so thankful for the sweet friendships that I am building with so many of the students here at Baxter.

Hanging out with Milena and Hillary!

Things at Baxter have been super busy over the last two weeks, and today finally marks the start of a short break for the students.  In the last two weeks, we have had a two day seminar, celebrated children's day at the clinic, and hosted a 3 1/2 day youth rally.  I would encourage all of you who have a chance to come and visit Baxter and see all of the wonderful things that this school is doing to show the love of Christ and spread the Good News of Jesus!

A little over a week ago the students finished up exam week by participating in a two day seminar with Dr. Allen Black.  Dr. Black is a professor at Harding School of Theology in Memphis, TN.  During his short stay at Baxter he took the time to walk us through the book of Mark.  His wonderful wife Nancy spoke to the women during chapel each day, and was such a sweet blessing to get to know.  I am continually amazed at how hard the students here at Baxter work on their studies, and how devoted they are to learning how to spread the name of Jesus.

This last Friday the nutrition program at the Baxter Clinic celebrated Children's Day!  Children's Day is always quite the party here in Honduras.  The Children's Day festivities started off with a devotional for the kids, and was followed up by games, popcorn, pinatas, and cake!  It was great to watch the kids smile and laugh while participating in all of the activities.  I am surprised that there are not numerous injuries due to pinatas around here!  Hillary even took the time to draw a giant Olaf, and we cut out 25 carrot shaped noses in order to play, pin the nose on Olaf!  The nutrition program at Baxter does a wonderful job at helping those from the community who are in desperate need for food and support for their families.

Sack races during Children's Day!

The final major activity of the last two weeks was the Encuentro Juvenil, which came to a close last night.  This is a youth rally that the fourth year students from Baxter organize for around 300 teens from Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.  Over the last few years I have been to my fair share of youth camps and retreats, and I can easily say that the students here did one of the best jobs I have seen at organizing and executing such a large event.  The theme of the weekend was Dunamis.  We focused on the power that we have because of God living in us.  I pray that all of the students that were here over the last weekend will continue to grow deeper in their faith and love of God and that they will remember that God has given us a Spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.

The students at the Encuentro Juvenil!

One of the classes during the youth rally!

The last few weeks have also included little activities such as, a trip to the stadium to watch one of the local Honduran soccer teams, a lovely Colombian dinner with one of the sweet families here at Baxter, participating in a soccer tournament, and multiple attempts at baking food from back home that have failed misserably.

The Honduran soccer game was an exciting experience.  Hillary found out that our driver and his two kids had never been to a soccer game at the stadium before because of the price of the tickets...which turned out to be around $5 a ticket. So she offered to take all of us to the soccer game.  You should have seen how excited everyone was to be inside the national stadium watching the game live.  We finished off a wonderful evening with a trip to the mall for a fast food dinner.

Hanging out at the soccer game!

The next day, my sweet friend Monica invited me over to have dinner with her and her family.  She made some wonderful arepas, which is a common food in Colombia.  Her husband Ronald also brewed some strong Colombian coffee for me to try!  It was such a blessing to share a meal with their family and spend some time after dinner talking and playing with their sweet kids.  Their oldest son fell in love with the no bake cookies that I brought over, and quickly downed two or three of them.

The past two weeks there has been a group of women from Baxter practicing in preparation for the soccer tournament at the youth rally.  I'm not much of a soccer player, but I agreed to participate.  I loved getting to spend time with our team each day during our hour of practice, and now feel so much closer to the women that I had the opportunity to play with.  We shared many laughs during our practice times, and improved a little bit due to our wonderful coach, Hillary!  Even with our quality 5 hours of practice before the big game, we just weren't prepared for the wall checking and intense game that we encountered this weekend!  We had a great time together, and it was a real blessing to get to know more of the women on campus.

Our amazing soccer team!

Yesterday, Hillary and I made some attempts at rice crispy treats and oreo truffles.  FAIL!!!  The oreo truffles were decent, and edible, just a much different taste than they have in the states.  I got to hand them out to a few of the students, and they thought they were wonderful, so I guess that was a win.  The rice crispy treats on the other hand...may I just point out that not all marshmallows are equal.  If you think marshmallows in the States are sticky...think again!  O well, it was a good experience, and now I know for future reference.

My new wonderful friend Hillary, and of course OLAF!

In only three short weeks I feel like I have built friendships that are going to last for a life time.  I have been blessed to get to spend the last three weeks with Hillary, and I am so thankful for the time that she has taken to teach me things in the clinic and for her caring, sweet spirit.  She leaves this Thursday and I am really going to miss having her around.  I feel like I am building some wonderful new friendships with so many of the students, and I have loved learning more about their families and the places that they are from.  I have also been incredibly blessed to have the Teels close by.  They head to the states for a month of fundraising on Friday, and I am really going to miss having them right across the street from me.  I am looking forward to seeing what other adventures God has in store for my time here.  I feel so blessed to be able to spend the next 10 months at Baxter growing in so many ways.

An Exciting First Week

One week ago I loaded up my two large suitcases to their 50 pound limit with random foods and different necessities, my carry-on with tons of clothes, and my backpack with a large amount of books, said good-bye to my friends and family and hopped on a plane to Honduras for a 10 month adventure. The last week has proven to be nothing short of an adventure!

Hanging out with some of the Shine girls after Church at Mateo on Sunday!

When I arrived in Honduras, I was greeted at the airport by Steve and Dianna Teel, the president and his wife of Baxter Institute.  We loaded up the truck and headed off to Baxter, where I was given keys to my apartment and a few minutes to unpack before joining the women of the school for a devotional.

At the devotional I was quickly overwhelmed with love and encouragement from all the women that I met.  I struggled through pronouncing names and communicating, but the women covered me in grace and love.  To close off the devotional I was asked to pray in Spanish, this pushed me outside of my comfort zone, but it was a blessing to share that time with such wonderful women.  One of the things that I am looking forward to most, is building relationships with so many different women from so many different countries, who are attending school here, at Baxter.

Hanging out after church with the kids.

Each morning I have had the opportunity to work in the clinic alongside my new friend Hillary.  Hillary is a 3rd year medical student from VCOM, the medical school associated with Virginia Tech. Hillary and Dr. Xiomara, the director of the clinic, have been so encouraging and helpful in teaching me different medical techniques. I have had the opportunity to observe and help with many different procedures, and I have learned so much in only one week!  I am looking forward to spending quality time in the clinic practicing my Spanish and learning more about medicine.

I was also given the opportunity to observe a night shift in labor and delivery at one of the public hospitals.  This experience was challenging, but I was able to learn so much.  I was able to observe 10-12 natural deliveries (and by natural I mean completely natural), 1 c-section, and was given the opportunity to observe a few other clinical aspects.  I now know without a shadow of a doubt, that epidurals are wonderful things!  I was thankful to have Hillary by my side for the 12 hours explaining everything that I needed to know!

Just after Hillary and I completed our 12 hour
overnight labor and delivery shift!

This past weekend we had visitors from my home church in Oklahoma, Norm and Denise Easter.  They spoiled me rotten during their time here by taking me out to lunch, to Walmart, and having me over to share dinner with the students at Baxter who are from Cuba.

Walmart looks the same everywhere!

One of the highlights from my week was sharing pizza with the Easters and the Cuban students.  After we had all had our fill of Pizza and cookies we sat around the living room and enjoyed each others company.  So many of the students from Cuba are very musically talented.  We sat around and listened to them play and sing different songs from Cuba.  It was such a wonderful experience to be able to learn more about their culture and share such a enjoyable evening with them.

I am hopeful that during my time here I will be able to build wonderful relationships with so many of the students that are studying here at Baxter.  I am looking forward to many of the women teaching me how to cook foods from their countries, loving on their children, and sharing our lives with each other.  I feel incredibly blessed to have this opportunity, and I pray that during my time here I can be an encouragement to all of those that I come into contact with, and that I will be stretched and will grow in new ways.

The beautiful Baxter campus, where I am living!

If you want to learn more about Baxter and the incredible impact this school is having on the Kingdom of God, take a look at our new website, http://www.baxterinstitute.org

Is Jesus Enough?

After practically three years of not going to a Bible class, it is weird to be back in a classroom of my peers on a Sunday morning.  Although I definitely miss the youth ministry, I am really enjoying opening the Word each Sunday morning and discussing with my class.

This morning our class focused on Jesus as the messiah and the different images that people during Jesus’ time would have associated with that word.  Some thought the messiah was going to come and rule over them as a king.  Some thought the messiah was going to be a military leader.  Everyone had developed their own idea of whom Jesus was going to be.

When Jesus showed up, He didn’t fit the mold that most people had made for him to fit.  Jesus wasn’t what most people were expecting as a messiah.  In fact, Jesus was the complete opposite of what many of the religious leaders of the day were expecting.

We talked a little bit about how we sometimes mold Jesus into who we want Him to be.  We mold Him so that He is in support of everything we do or support.  We read Him into the image that we want Him to be.  We view Him in a way that keeps us comfortable where we are.  We pick out the scriptures about Jesus that keep us comfortable and we neglect the ones that might step on our toes or call us to change. 

So many of the old religious leaders missed the messiah because he wasn’t what they expected.  He wasn’t enough for them.  Today as we were leaving class, Josh left us with one final question to ponder, “Is Jesus enough?”  Is Jesus enough, or do we have other expectations that come along with Him? 

That question led me to think about the Garden of Eden and how the serpent deceived Eve.  Satan is really tricky.  He likes to make us think that God is holding out on us.  The serpent tricked Eve by convincing her that God was withholding good from her.  I think He tries to do the same to us today.  He tries to convince us that Jesus wasn’t enough and that God is withholding good from us. 

We sometimes think that we deserve Jesus + ___________________________.  Jesus + a good job.  Jesus + good health. Jesus + a big house.    Those things aren’t necessarily bad, but my hope is that I learn to say no matter the circumstance, Jesus you are enough.  Jesus asked His apostles to give up a lot to follow Him.  They gave up their homes, their families, their comfort, their normal routine and followed our Savior.  In the storm, Jesus you are enough.  On the mountain top, Jesus you are enough.  When this world passes away and we see our Savior face to face, Praise God, JESUS YOU ARE ENOUGH!

“I am THE way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”   

John 14:6

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  

John 16:33

Three Months Later

It's been about three months since I moved from Little Rock back to Oklahoma City to start back to school.  I wasn't really sure what to expect when I left Little Rock, but three months in, I can easily say that God's blessings and peace are present in abundance.

Today is the first day of my Fall semester and in two weeks I'm going to take a stab at the MCAT.  The med school application process has started, and the reality that this is actually happening is starting to sink in!

I miss my Little Rock family a lot, but the peace that God has filled my heart with gives me assurance that He has and will continue to lead the way in this journey.  He has already blessed me in so many great ways.  I'm loving the new challenges, the extra family time, and the new friends.  He is so faithful!

This morning during my quiet time these two verses reminded me of the peace and joy that comes from walking in step with the Spirit.

The mind of the sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is LIFE and PEACE.
Romans 8:6

I consider that our present sufferings are NOT WORTH COMPARING with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18

Praying this school year that the Spirit will lead me boldly, gently, and with love to those who don't know our Jesus.

How About Some Throwbacks...3 years later!

These are some of my favorite pictures from my first Summer in Little Rock!  Wow how time flies!  I LOVE these girls so so much!

Our first picture ever together! Jr./Sr. 2010 

Uplift 2012

Uplift 2010

Kentucky Mission Trip

OKC 2010

OKC 2010

This is PERFECTION!!!

Uplift 2010

Paragould

Paragould

All of these girls are about to graduate...

Cinnamon Rolls and a Beautiful Legacy

Thursday mornings are early mornings.  Each Thursday morning a small group of my senior high girls meets up at the building for breakfast and a Bible study.  So each Thursday morning I attempt to bake something for breakfast.  Some mornings turn out great, and some mornings start with the smoke detector going off 4 times in my apartment before 5:30 a.m.  And some weeks I just give up and go and buy cereal.

All of my girls have different favorites, some love the banana bread, some love the cereal, some love the bagels, and some love the cinnamon rolls!  Ahhhhh the cinnamon rolls.  For any of you who have spent any significant amount of time around my family, you know our love for and have probably developed your own love for grandma's homemade cinnamon rolls.  These were always a special treat in my house growing up.  Cinnamon rolls were always present during the holidays or big dinners or events that were happening at our house.

My sweet grandmother was known by her family and friends for her amazing homemade cinnamon rolls.  The only thing is...there is no recipe.  Growing up it was always entertaining to watch mom mix the dough together, throw flour all over the kitchen, roll out the dough, smother it in butter, sugar, and cinnamon, and out came a pan of ooooey gooey goodness.

It wasn't until I moved to Little Rock that I got the privilege of learning how to make these slices of heaven in a pan, come to life.  During one of my trips back to OKC to visit the family I insisted that mom teach me how it was done.  So, my sweet mother took the time to roll up her sleeves, make a giant mess, and pass on the cinnamon roll legacy to her daughter.

Last night as I was spreading flour all over my counter and rolling out a double batch of dough for our breakfast this morning, it hit me.  O what a beautiful legacy my grandmother left for me.  Sure, the cinnamon rolls triggered the thought, but it goes so much further than that.  What a legacy of faith, love, and hospitality she left for me.

I am so thankful that my grandmother didn't just pass along her wonderful cinnamon roll recipe, but that she passed along so much more.  My grandmother passed on so many amazing qualities to my mother, and I pray that those qualities that they have shared will be present in my life as well.  Qualities like, gentleness, love, hospitality, grace, wisdom, and humility.

I was told that I never got to know my grandmother during her heyday, but that she lit up a room.  She was quite the spark plug from what I understand.  Grandma Sue was alive until the Summer before my senior year of high school.  I still have fond memories of going to grandma's house as a little kid and pulling out the blocks to play on the floor with my brother.  Grandma always had a candy dispenser full of those little strawberry hard candies...I always looked forward to having those when we stopped by.  I even remember going with my parents and my grandma to a play one time, and she showed up for a pan of cinnamon rolls for the people in the orchestra pit, and of course they all knew her by name!

When I think back on memories of my sweet grandma Sue, I am amazed at the life she lived and the way she loved people.  She left a legacy of love, kindness, faithfulness, holiness, and so much more.  I am so thankful that she passed these characteristics down to my amazing mother, and I pray that as I seek after God that He will produce this fruit in my life as well.  I am so blessed to be a part of a family with so much love!  God has blessed me far more than I could ever imagine!

Spanish Degree Turns into Youth Ministry...and now Med School???

It's funny how life happens sometimes.  I mean, God has a way of taking something and turning it into something completely different.  If you would have asked me 5 years ago where I thought I would be today, the answer would definitely not have been finishing up three wonderful years of youth ministry in Little Rock and heading back to school with the hopes of being a doctor.  Yet, here I am.

Here I am...a 24 year old single girl with a Spanish degree and three years of youth ministry experience.  The obvious next step is med school...right?

There are so many questions being thrown my way...Where do you want to go to medical school?  What kind of doctor do you want to be?  Are you worried about the MCAT?  You have to take Organic Chemistry, I hear that's horrible?!?  Where are you going to live?  Where are you going to go to church?  How long is this going to take you?  Are you nervous?  What if you don't get in?  What's plan B?

So many questions...and right now, so few answers.

But I have something bigger than all of those questions to cling to.

Five years ago I would have never dreamed that God was leading me down the path that brought me to where I am today, but in His amazing faithfulness He has walked beside me down an incredible journey.  As I sit here typing this post, I wonder what the next 5 years will hold.  I dream... I wonder...I plan...I wait...and I trust.

I trust...I trust that my God has something in store for me that is far greater than I can even imagine.

I pray...I pray that my God will open up doors for me to minister to hurting people.

I wait...I wait with expectation that my God is already preparing something greater than I could ever imagine.

So, I don't have all the answers to the questions.  And I don't know where this path is leading, but I know that my God has a way of working things out in ways bigger than we could ever dream.

The Moments I Cherish Most

So many emotions...

So many memories...

So many uncertainties...

So many relationships...

So many tears...

So many blessings...

So many moments to cherish...

Cherish...The moments I will cherish for eternity...the moments I will hold closely to my heart no matter where this new adventure might lead.  As I look back over my last three years in Little Rock there are so many moments that I cling to fondly.  There are so many moments that have been overwhelmingly FULL of the Spirit of God, and that have grown and stretched me in ways I could have never imagined when I first stepped foot into Pleasant Valley three years ago.

May 17, 2010 I loaded up my car and pulled out of my parents' house and made the 5 hour journey across I-40 to Little Rock.  As a 21 year old who just graduated from college with a degree in Spanish I felt extremely unqualified for the journey I was embarking on.  But I knew then, what I know even more now...this is not my ministry...this is God's ministry through me, and that He is qualified for the journey.  He will supply His servants with what they need to fulfill the purpose that He lays before them.  So three years later as this chapter of my life is starting to close, I still feel extremely inadequate to be a part of His ministry to the teens at Pleasant Valley, and I am so humbled that our perfect God who created the heavens and the earth would allow me to have purpose and give me a role in His story.

As I reflect on the last three years there are so many moments that I pray I will never forget.  Yes, there have been lots of big events that have been tons of fun and have taken a lot of planning, but those are not the moments that I will hold close to my heart.  The moments that I will hold onto will be those moments of deep spiritual connection with my brothers and sisters at Pleasant Valley.

I will cherish the moments where I have seen my teens confess Jesus Christ as the Lord of their life and be baptized.  I cry EVERY TIME...it never fails.  I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to teach me and reveal to me the beauty of a life confessing Christ. O how I pray that those confessions will be the guiding light for every decision that my teens make from that point on.

I will cherish the moments of prayer with my girls.  Last week, I was taking one of my girls home after we grabbed some coffee after church, we pulled into her driveway and grabbed each others hand to close our night together with prayer.  As she prayed over me the tears flowed from my eyes, what a blessing to have teens who lift me up in prayer.  As I prayed over her and all my other kids the tears flowed...and there was no stopping them.  When we finished we just sat in the car and cried on each others shoulders, and all I could say was, "Wow, God has been so good to us."  Blessed beyond belief!  And moments like that I will cherish my whole life.

I will cherish the weekly breakfasts with my girls.  Every Wednesday morning for the last three years has been devoted to one on one breakfasts with my girls.  The conversations have ranged from my nonexistent love life to what is our purpose on this earth, from sports and drama to how do we live out our faith in our daily living, from breakups and mess ups to restoration and forgiveness.  Those conversations with my girls have taught me so many things.  And there have been mornings where tears have been shed in the middle of Morningside Bagels over the faithfulness of God.  There have been moments where laughter has filled the whole room.  There have been moments where pain has been expressed, and turned over to our God who is more than able to help.  And there have been moments of prayer and praise.  O what an incredible God we serve!

I will cherish the moments when my girls have been the ones to speak so much truth into my life.  I will cherish the moments when God has used them to be the answer to my prayers.  I will cherish the moments that they have taken God's Word and read it to me for encouragement.  I will cherish the moments when they say..."Can I pray for you right now?"  I will cling to these moments and be reminded of the faithfulness of our Creator!  He is so so good.  I promise...I have experienced His goodness firsthand these last three years in so many beautiful ways!

I will cherish the moments that my mentor has walked into my office and read Psalms to me to encourage me.  I will cherish the truth that she has spoken into my life.  I will cherish the countless prayers that she has offered up to God on my behalf.  I will cherish the texts and phone calls of encouragement from my sweet sister in Christ.

I will cherish the hundreds of dinners that I have been blessed to share with so many families.  I will cherish the moments around the table breaking bread and sharing our lives together.  I will cherish the moments where so many people have brought me in as family.  O how amazing it is to be a part of the family of God.  I have been blessed to experience that first hand over the last three years.

O there are so many moments to hold close to my heart.  There are so many moments to thank God for.  There are so many blessings that have flowed from the last three years, and I know that my God is not done yet.  I know that a new chapter of my life might be starting, but that these last three years have built characters into the story God has given me that will weave in and out of my life forever.  I can't wait to see how these last three years have prepared me for my next fifty.  I can't wait to see how my life continues to intersect with the amazing family that I have been blessed with at Pleasant Valley.  I know that God is not finished with this story.

And I know that my story is only a small paragraph in the story that our God has been telling since He spoke this world into existence.  O what a blessing to be a part of His story, and to serve along so many faithful men and women of God.  It truly is beautiful the way He has set this whole thing in motion.  O God has given me so many moments to cherish and so many people to love.  I am so thankful for His faithfulness to a 24 year old girl with so much to learn.      

Blessed...Blessed...Blessed

Mission Trip to Kentucky my very first Summer at Pleasant Valley!

Love!

Uplift with some of the girls!

The SUAVE in pajamas...this is PERFECTION!

Taco Cat!

Halloween Bowling

Hike at the Spring retreat!

Spring retreat

Nothing quite like an Adorable nightgown or a snowflake onesie!

Love my girls!

No Way... Well Maybe that was True

Today Casey and I got into a conversation on our way back from lunch that has really stirred my heart. It all stems off of a conversation that I had with a few of my senior girls over lunch just a few days ago.  I'm really not sure how the topic came up at lunch, but somehow we started discussing the number of people who leave church after high school.

I proceeded to tell the girls a story that I really hadn't thought much about until this last week.  I remember clearly when I was in high school I had a Bible school teacher one Sunday morning who looked at our class and said, "Statistically speaking 5 or more of you will leave the church after high school."  I remember looking around that classroom and looking at all of my friends and thinking, who will it be?  I remember looking at certain people and thinking...It won't be them or them or them.  I remember thinking, that might be true in other church classrooms, but I know these people and that won't happen to this group.

 Well it happened...

I think back to our senior night at Memorial Road in 2006.  I think back to the 35 or so students that I sat with.  I think back to my friends that I grew up with.  I think back to my fellow classmates who sat in Mrs. McBride's 4 year old class and memorized the 23rd Psalm.  I think back to the countless Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights together with my fellow classmates, and then I think about where a lot of us are today.  And I remember my Bible class teacher who said, " Statistically speaking 5 or more of you will leave the church after high school."

I used to think there is no way that is true, but reality has set it.  It scares me.  It saddens me.  It drives me to my knees in prayer.  It scares me because I see the 130 kids that I work with here at Pleasant Valley and I look around the room and think no, that won't happen here, but in reality it very well could.  It scares me because I care so much about these kids and I love them so much, and I don't want any of them to walk away from their faith in God.  It saddens me because I see so many friends that I grew up with who were so involved in our youth group who have walked away from Jesus.  It saddens me that they have turned away from the one thing that can truly fill their hearts and give them true life.  And it drives me to my knees in prayer because I know that I can't fix this dilemma.  I have no power on my own to change this tide.  I pray that somehow God can use me in some small way to impact the teens that He has put in my life.

A few weeks ago I had a little bit of an emotional breakdown with God.  The emotions are running high these days with the reality of me leaving and moving back to Oklahoma City in just a little over a month pressing in on me.  I had stopped just to spend some time on my knees in prayer.  Before I knew it there were emotions rushing over me.  So many questions to lay at the feet of my God.  So many tears.  And my plea was simply this...God may you produce fruit from the work of these last three years.  My biggest fear is that somehow I have failed to take these teens deeper than the surface.  My biggest fear is that in three years that I have led these kids to believe that faith = showing up to church on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights.  O I pray that God can take the work of these last three years and draw these kids deeper into Him.  I pray that these teens that I love so dearly will know that He is enough for them.  I pray that they will know that He is their answer.  I pray that they will know that His word is true and full of life.  I pray that they will know that loving God does not simply come by showing up to church on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, but that it must penetrate EVERY aspect of their lives.  I pray that my teens will cling to Jesus tightly!  I pray that my kids here at PV will not be a part of the staggering number of youth that leave the church after high school.

When I don't have the answers I must fall to my knees and pray.  So please join me in praying for our teens and children.  May we ask God to use us to draw them deeper into Him.

Where it All Started

I am currently the only member of my immediate family in the United States.  My brother and sister-in-law have been in Costa Rica for a little over a year now working as Peace Corps volunteers, and last Friday my Mom, Dad, Sister, and Uncle got on a plane and headed down to Honduras for a week.  So that leaves me...the one member of the family with a Spanish degree, hanging out in an English speaking country while everyone else spends a week in Central America.

My parents have made the trip down to Honduras every Spring break except for one since I was in 7th grade.  I still remember my first trip to Honduras like it was just yesterday.  It's a miracle that I ever wanted to go back to that place.  I spent the first half of the week sick as a dog because I couldn't breathe which resulted in little to no sleep, somewhere towards the end of the week I fell down a tree and landed in a pile of glass and became the only medical emergency my parents treated all day in the medical clinic, and I finished off the week by catching a stomach bug and not being able to keep anything down for 24 hours.  And yet, for some reason I LOVED IT!  

I came back from Honduras that year and I couldn't wait to go back.  I couldn't wait to go back and see the kids that I fell in love with during that short week.  I couldn't wait to go back and see how the church that we had helped build had grown.  I couldn't wait to go back and see families living in the houses that we had built.  I couldn't wait to go back.

And so our family went back to Honduras, and we went back, and we went back, and we went back again, until somewhere along the line those Spring break visits started turning into short Summer trips.  Those short Summer trips started turning into ALL Summer trips followed by Christmas visits.  Those trips ended up turning into a girl going to college and majoring in Spanish and spending a whole semester in Honduras.

And that semester in Honduras played such a pivotal role in my desire to enter into youth ministry.  It's amazing how God used a Spring break trip when I was a 7th grader to shape 13 or 14 years later where I would be.  He has a way of working things out in such beautiful ways.

Had my parents not taken Braden, Brennan, and me on that trip 13 years ago I think my life would look totally different.  

People often ask me what my home life was like growing up.  I get asked often by parents what my parents did to help shape my faith in God.  I tell them that I have two of the most loving parents that anyone could ever have.  I have been blessed beyond belief.  I tell them that I was encouraged and pushed to always do my best and dream big.  But I also tell people that my family was not one of those families that would sit down and talk a lot about our faith.  We would pray before meals together.  We would go to church together every week, but we didn't have a whole lot of casual conversations about our faith or about God.  BUT, I can also tell people that my parents lived out a beautiful story of loving and serving other people, and they challenged us to do the same.  I watched my parents put their faith into action, whether that be in Honduras or right down the street in the Luther Christmas project.  

But the BIGGEST thing my parents ever did to shape my faith was start taking us kids to Honduras when I was 12.  My parents challenged us to live a better story.  My parents opened our eyes to a world outside of the little Edmond bubble that I grew up in.  My parents opened doors for us to share our faith and grow in our beliefs.  My parents showed us kids the importance of loving and serving others.  My parents helped us to see what it looks like to love sacrificially and serve those in need.  I got to stand right beside my parents as we served our brothers and sister in Tegucigalpa. 

So when I look back to the biggest defining moment in my faith, I would pinpoint it to Honduras.  Not because it was thousands of miles away and poverty like I had never seen before, but because it opened up a door for me to live out my faith walking side by side with my mother and father, brother and sister.  I was able to watch how they interacted with the poor, sick, hurting, and starving people around them and learn from them what it looks like to love and serve others.  I learned that there is a world out there who is hurting and in need of not just physical things but also the Good News of Jesus (whether that be down the street in OKC or down in Honduras).

So my encouragement to parents is to find a way to serve with your kids.  It doesn't have to be a huge trip to another country, it could be just 5 minutes down the road.  Nothing will impact their lives more than serving alongside their parents.  There eyes will be opened to a whole new world, and they will be challenged to step outside of their comfort zone and live a bigger story.  I have been so incredibly blessed to have parents who have always been willing to serve in big and small ways , and I am so thankful for the times that they brought my siblings and me along to learn and to help.  They truly helped shape my life through their actions!   

A Few of my Favorite Moments

Rule #1...Never go on a retreat without temporary tattoos!!! 

So glad my teens have learned the value of a good nightgown!!!

Love these girls so so so very much!

First MSGC with my girls!  We laughed for hours and Morgan Goodlow showed us her excellent speed walking skills!

Back to School bash!

These sevies have been such a beautiful blessing to my life!

Spring Break in Haiti with my teens...what a blessing!

WINTERFEST!!!

Nightgown punishment for breaking dress code...it's more like a privilege!

Sevie Six Flags trip! Craziness in the hotel room!

Love Love Love her!

One of my all time favorite pictures...Gracie and I got stuck together!

Halloween Bowling with my beautiful girls!!!

I have been so incredibly blessed to spend my last three years with some of the most amazing teens!  I'm so thankful for all of the incredible relationships that I have been able to build!  I know that whoever comes along next will be so incredibly blessed to be a part of the PV youth group and grow with these incredible teens.  I trust that God is going to provide someone incredible to love and mentor these girls!

I have a feeling there will be quite a few more posts with lots of pictures like this between now and May 10.  Ahhhh, there are so many wonderful memories to recap!  I have been so incredibly blessed!