Holiday Plans

I can't believe it is already that time of year again and that a semester here at the training center is almost over! Time goes by so quick! =)
I wanted to fill you in on what my plans for the Holidays are- and if you are going to be in CA during the times I am at home at Christmas, I would LOVE to see you and catch up! God has been doing a lot in my life this year!

Here is the basic plan:
Thanksgiving ~ Our Thanksgiving break begins Tuesday November 25th and ends on Sunday November 30th. Sunday November 23rd, Aaron and I are going to His Grandma's church about a hour north of us here in MO to have a Thanksgiving Meal and then after the meal we will stay and visit with her. For Thanksgiving Day ~ Aaron and I will be going to His Cousin's House about 2 hours North of us here in MO.
Christmas ~ Classes will end on December 19th for the semester. On the 20th of December we will be driving about 12 hours to Houston TX. We will be spending about a day with His family and then fly out Monday,December 22nd to CA. We will spend time with my family and friends until January 2nd and then fly back to Houston to spend about 2 weeks with His family and friends. We will most be driving back to School on either January 15th or 16th as classes start again on the 19th.

I would greatly appreciate your prayers for safe travels and a blessed time with family and friends. As well that we would be able to be a blessing and a encouragement to everyone that we come into contact with during these holidays! Thank you so much!

God is Good!

As Thanksgiving draws near, I am reminded again of the greatness of my God. I have been so humbled and blessed by the ways He works and the ways that He always knows what is best! I have to keep remembering that He does see the bigger picture and I can only see a small part of the picture He is painting, and how He desires me to keep walking my faith.
I have so many things I could mention that the Lord has blessed my life with and a million things I could praise Him for! Our God is so good! =)
But one of the things I am thanking Him for this year is a young man named Aaron Hartzel. This time last year I would never would have imagined that this is what the Lord had in store for me! Aaron and I have been courting since September and has been a really neat time to watch God work, as He continues to teach us and lead us. We are both excited to see what the Lord has in store and would love to have your prayers as we continue to seek the Lord!

ALL Because of Christ

I just wanted to share with you some of the things God has been encouraging my heart with as well as teaching me these few days. God has been teaching me so much and it has been so awesome watching Him work in and through my life! One of the things He has been teaching me is just how BIG He is. Our God is so BIG and more then able to do what even seems impossible in our human minds! The first day of Phonetics I was thinking "there is no way I will ever really learn these things"! Now looking at all I have learned and all the crazy things my mouth has learned to say- I can only say it is ALL because of Christ! He has been reminding me and encouraging me with the sweet truth that He delights in me and is with me in EVERYTHING! There is nothing in my life that does not matter to Him! It is so amazing to think of how BIG our God is and also how very personal He is!

A Day in St. Louis

Last Saturday, November 8th, My day begin at about 4:30am! I spent the day in St. Louis with the Graceland Youth group. Graceland is the church that I have been blessed to be attending while here in training at the Missionary Training Center. We went down to St. Louis to be a part of a Church that reaches out to the communities around them and helps out with projects that need to be done. We ended up serving at a factory that is run by a couple Christian Men whose desire to help men in the neighborhood around them to come and learn some trades so they can get back on their feet. We ended up working outside- yes it was freezing!- doing some yard work, such as hauling rocks, digging out trenches and some other odd jobs. Everyone worked so hard! It was a great time of being able to get to know the youth better and to be able to be Christ to those around us. We had a lot of fun- even though it was freezing cold! We also went to the Zoo after we were done working- which was a ton of fun! In all the day was a huge blessing for me, just to be able to serve Christ alongside my brothers and sisters and to be able to connect a little more with each person that went down.

A Little Update

I just wanted to share a little bit of what has been going on these last few weeks! We had Field Fair here at the Missionary Training Center last Thursday the 18th and Friday the 19th. It was so neat to hear of the many different countries that New Tribes works with and what is going on in those countries. It was also a challenge to see the many needs that are in those countries waiting for people to come and fill the spots. I am still not sure where God is leading- But I do know that He is always faithful! There were some countries that jumped out to me, and others that I just could not see myself in. It was encouraging to know that the work that still needs to be done will be done by every member of the body of Christ! It is not just a one person job, but a job where everyone can get involved. I was also reminded that some places just work better for some people than others. We all have a part in what God is doing, no matter where we are! I am just amazed and blessed that we can have a part in bringing this incredible news of our Savior to those who have yet to hear!
I also wanted to let you know that my trip out here to MO from CA went great! I had such a great time with my Dad, and it was a huge joy and blessing to meet my Dad's Aunt Bonnie as well as His cousin Becky. We arrived here in MO on the 13th. I am all settled in now and really enjoying the time here! It seems like we are always changing classes, but I can not begin to tell you how much I am enjoying them!We are in a class right now called Foundational Bible Teaching, which is a class that is teaching us how to teach the Bible in a Chronological Order. They are actually teaching it to us as if we were unbelievers or brand new believers. I have been so encouraged as I am reminded again of the greatness of our God! I am blessed to be here and to have this opportunity to be trained and to be prepared for the ministry God has before me! As well as the time to really grow in the Lord and to know Him more. Our God is so incredible!
I will send some more updates soon! =)

A Look Back

Well, last week was my last week with my adorable triplet cousins. I can not even begin to say what a blessing it has been to be a part of their lives! When I think about some of the things we went through this past year- it seems like only a dream! God taught me so much and I am thankful for the time I have had with them! I also really enjoyed the time with my Aunt and Uncle and being able to get to know them better.

Also, last month was my last month teaching at my home church. I have really enjoyed getting to know each kid and being able to dig into God's Word with them! They are such a great group of kids and it is so neat to see their desire to know the Lord! They surprised me with a goodbye party and a really neat shirt they each signed.
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The Campus!

Here is a little video showing the New Tribes Mission Missionary Training Center where I will be living for the next year and a half. It is located in Roach,MO right on the Lake of the Ozarks. It is a very beautiful campus! While there I will be taking classes on the very practical things involved in being a tribal church planter- things like learning about world views, how to learn an unwritten language, How to teach the Bible from beginning to end, What is involved in planting a church that is based on New Testament principles, Classes that will help us grow in our own spiritual walks and so much more! If you have any questions or would like more details about the classes I will be taking, don't hesitate to ask!