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!

Getting Ready To Leave

~A little Update and Some Prayer Request~
These last few weeks have been pretty busy as I get ready to head to Missouri to finish training with New Tribes Mission. I have to say my room has never been as messy has it has been these last few days as I have slowly been packing! This year at home has been such an incredible blessing but I am also very excited and ready to be back in school! I would greatly appreciate it if you could be keeping me in your prayers during these next couple of weeks.Some current prayer request:
~For my Dad and I as we start driving to Missouri on August 10th. We will be driving about 13 hours the first day, which will get us to New Mexico. We will then be staying with my Dad's cousin until Tuesday night. We will then drive about 13 more hours to Missouri arriving sometime on Wednesday the 13th. As you can see we have a very long drive ahead of us! =) Prayer for safety and for the long drive would be greatly appreciated!
~ For me as I get settled in and as I begin classes.That I would remain open and teachable before the Lord and to the things He desires to show me.
~ That I would be able to find a church and get involved in it as much as I am able too.
~That I would continue to grow in the likeness of our Savior and keep seeking Him with all of my heart.
Thank you so much for your prayers! I will continue to keep you updated and would love to hear of ways I can also be praying for you! Have a great day!

This is such an encouraging and even challenging video! It is a great reminder for me to remember that our God is so amazing and we really have no idea what He is doing in another's heart. It encourages me to keep being faithful in being His light in this world and to view people through His eyes. We truly serve an incredible God who alone is worthy of all praise!

The Best Things in Life

It is crazy to think that your favorite "hairdresser" is a one year old, who loves to mess it up, or your favorite "back massage" is another one year old climbing onto you and laughing as they wrestle and loving it when you tickle them-laughing the best deep belly laugh ever, or the thing you get most excited about is a child's first smile or steps and to think this is what brings you the most joy in life. As I have been blessed to be a part of my Aunt and Uncle's lives and their triplets, I have began to realize that it is the most simple things in life- the things we so often overlook- that are the greatest things in life! I have loved being able to watch each stage of development over this past year and learn again the joys in the wonder of learning something new. Just watching their faces light up as they first learned to roll over, or sit up, or stand up and now as one of them is beginning to learn to walk, it reminds me again how often we miss out on the simple things in life because we are so busy trying to discover something new, or better or bigger.The best times in life is not in the things you do, but with the people who mean the world to you and the memories that are made doing the "simple" things. I think this past year as taught me that the best thing in life is the joy in the simple discoveries that each day brings- as long as you have your eyes open to see them!

What it's all about!

Anastasia: `Jesus took my sins. He is my bridge-man.`

This Story is from a tribe in PNG that New Tribes Mission is working with. I was so encouraged as I read it, and reminded again of the calling Christ has given to us. Not all of us will go to a tribe in some foreign country, but we are all still messengers of Jesus Christ. And we hold a very important and urgent message that needs to be told to the world, not that the message itself is urgent, but the people who need to hear that message! God has included each us in being a part of what He is doing around this world, may we be faithful in being His light!

May 1, 2008

by Patrick Hatcher

The Inanbimali people of Papua New Guinea have heard about the sacrificial lamb from Genesis through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and they have responded.

The people had been waiting in anticipation for the last lesson to be taught. "Saturday afternoon we went down for the teaching and the drums fired up nearly three hours early," wrote Brooks Buser.

"Within 30 minutes the bulk of the people were there ready to go, which is a first.

"The lesson lasted for three hours and it was amazing how quiet 300 plus people can be when it is something this important. God was working, and the babies, village dogs and even the rain cooperated so everyone could stay and hear.

"As we taught the lesson you could literally watch and see the people that were understanding and putting it all together for the first time. As the concept of the Lamb of God bearing the sins of each one came out, people started smiling, nodding, and shaking their heads as what they were hearing."

The Inanbimali people don't really show bursts of emotion, and this lesson was no exception.

Even so, some couldn't hide their emotions. "They had put together what it meant to be a child of God," Brooks wrote. "Some of the older 'mamas' came around with tears in their eyes shaking our hands. … Some younger guys just kept saying thank you, thank you, thank you."

The Inanbimali people responded to the teaching:

Anastasia said "Jesus was my sipsip (sheep). He is my bridge-man. Because He carried my book I am able to cross to the other side and be in His family-group. I have been living a lie, nothing I can do can get me across to God's side, He took my sins."

An Inanbimali man named Kelly said, "Jesus is the last sacrifice … and because of Him I am on God's side. Jesus made the road open for me."

"These are snippets of long conversations that went on all night," Brooks wrote.

"Now it is on to the task of sitting down with each individual and listening, encouraging and gauging where their understanding is at. There are many that understand clearly, but also many that are almost there, just not yet. This is the task ahead of us, to get to all these people and help them understand clearly the parts that are not quite there."

Please pray for those who have responded to the Gospel, that they would have a firm foundation in Christ. Please also pray for those who are close to understanding but aren't quite there yet that they would be able to take those last few steps and accept Jesus as their savior.