The past couple of days

have been interesting to say the least.
Friday was a great day.
If I do say so myself.
We just did some summer orientation stuff
in the early morning,
and then we just chilled out the rest of the day.
(I ended up taking a nap for like three hours
in the afternoon; it was great.)
Then that night we went to First Friday at the Market.
And let me tell you, it was definitely an experience.
And a good one at that.
We got there and walked around.
There were a lot of people selling food,
both to eat immediately and fresh fruits.
And there were a lot of vendors out selling
lava lavas and other kinds of local clothing.
We ended up eating Filipino food,
and it was soooo good!
Then we came back to the apartments,
and a few of us girls played a couple
of rounds of hand and foot before we went to bed.

Saturday we had to wake up slightly early.
We went to watch the mid school girls
play their last game of softball.
It was a lot of fun to get to know
some of the parents there.
I got to just sit and chat.
Once the game was over,
we came back to the apartments,
and we helped get ready for a ceremony.
Two of the missionaries
help a lot of the boys on the island
get football scholarships so that they can go to college.
Well, yesterday, the ceremony was
their "signing" ceremony,
so we helped decorate and get everything set up for that.
It was a really cool cultural experience.
After we finished cleaning up everything,
we were going out to eat,
but I wasn't feeling so great.
We were at the Chinese restaurant,
and my stomach started rolling.
I ended up getting sick at the restaurant.
And then when we got back to the apartments,
I got sick again.
After I got sick the second time,
I just laid down in bed, and went to sleep.
That was around 4.
I woke up around 8
and ate some crackers and
drank some sprite,
then I went back to bed.
I woke up again around 11
to find out when church was,
then I fell back asleep.
I slept all the way through the night.
And I woke up at 7.
I still have no idea what made me sick.
But I'm pretty sure it's all out of my system.
So, anyway,
not a whole lot happened yesterday,
with me getting sick and all.

This morning I woke up feeling
a lot better.
I decided to still take things easy on my stomach
and just eat crackers and drink sprite.
But other than that, I'm doing 100% better.
We went to church this morning,
and it was good,
not IDC, but it was still good.
And this afternoon,
we've just been chilling out,
taking it easy.
I think that sometime today
I'll finally get to the grocery store
to buy some food.
And then we're also going to go
to the airport to pick up two more
summer missionaries.
So I'm excited!
The rest of today should be pretty great.

But anyway,
I have great hopes and expectations
for these upcoming weeks.
I know the Lord has great things in store.
And I'm excited to follow Him down this path.

Please keep praying for the people that we're going to encounter. And please, please, please be praying for the VBS that starts tomorrow! We haven't gotten to go around the village because it's been raining a lot. But we're still hoping for a good turn-out. So please be praying that we will be intentional in the relationships with the kids we meet in and be intentional in sharing the Gospel as often as we can.
We want to make sure that we're meeting all the needs that we can of these kids--most importantly sharing the Gospel.
Also just be praying that we would take advantage of every opportunity that we have to share the Gospel with villagers.

Anyway,
that's all my news.
I'm excited to see what the Lord is going to do next.
Much love and Blessings.

The Beginnings

So, I've decided to try and write at least once a day, maybe more depending on time. But I just want to record everything that happens. And especially how I'm feeling and what I see the Lord doing. I won't necessarily post every single day, but I'll be posting often. 
Anyway, the following is a few updates from the past couple days and earlier this morning. 


Blessings 

5/31/12

8:00am-California time

So, yesterday was my first day of this adventure, I guess. I started my travelling toward American Samoa, so I guess you could call it the technical first day.

Everything went really well. The flights were all uneventful. I was a little crowded on one because the guy I was sitting next to was invading my personal space. But, no big deal. I survived.

I also had to wait a good 30 minutes for a shuttle back to my hotel, which was not very fun. But I eventually made it, and I soon passed out on the bed because I was so tired.

But through it all, it’s been good.

I’ve gotten to spend some extra time with the Lord. Amazing. J

And, I started a Bible study the other day. And yesterday I read about King Saul and his disobedience of the Lord’s command to destroy Amalek in 1 Samuel 15. One thing I was reminded of was that sometimes the Lord may tell us to do something, even though we think we could be wiser to do it a different way. When we choose to go against the Lord’s commands, we are being prideful and arrogant and saying to the Lord that we are wiser than the God of the universe. I know I do this often. And this story of Saul is a sad reminder that if I allow my pride to take root in my heart, my heart will harden towards the Lord, and I will not be used by the Lord to do great things. The Lord no longer is able to use Saul, but He turns to a new king, David, to lead Israel into battle.

Anyway, I want the Lord to use me in great ways. I want Him to change my heart, to mold me more into His image, to see Him move in great ways. I want Him to be glorified in me. And most of all, I want my life to make much of Him. He is the reason I am living today. He is the reason I can move. He is Lord of all, including my life. And it is a privilege to serve Him. I am so unworthy to be sitting in the LA airport waiting for my flight to HA so I can then go to Pago Pago and serve Him. But He has bestowed much grace upon me in allowing me to be a part of His great plan of the nations hearing the Gospel.

I am humbled.

I am thankful.

And I am waiting expectantly for Him to move.

Blessings.

12:00pm-Hawaii time

So, I am now in Hawaii. And it’s pretty nice. I’m not going to lie. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful landings I have ever had the privilege of seeing. The water was such an amazing shade of blue. And, yeah, it was just wonderful.

THERE ARE BIRDS IN THIS AIRPORT. Let me correct that statement.

There are PIGEONS in this airport. They are just wandering around this gate with absolutely nothing to do. They’re coming so close to me, and it’s kinda freaking me out.

Anyway, the flight was wonderful. I actually got some sleep…which basically never happens when I fly. But I slept for like an hour, and it was good. I got a lot of reading and other things done as well. So, yet another good thing.

And now I’m just here in the airport. For another 5 hours.

Yay.

But it shouldn’t be that bad, I don’t think. I have a book to finish, some studying to do, I can always text people, and talk to them on the phone, I can maybe sleep a little bit…maybe.

And I can also wait for the people who I’ll be working with. Maybe I’ll have the courage to talk to them…maybe not. Haha. I’m so lame and shy. This is the time when I need a super outgoing person around, like Rachel or Colby. They talk, I listen and get to know outsiders through that. It’s perfect.

Anyway, as I did my Bible study this morning, the Lord offered me another reminder that I most definitely needed. He reminded me that it’s not about the way I look or what others think of me. He sees my heart. And as long as my heart is soft and ready to serve Him in whatever way He chooses, then that’s all that matters. I was reading through 1 Samuel 16, when Samuel anoints David—such a great passage. It was just so wonderful to be reminded that I have the Holy Spirit of power living in me. And it is only through the Spirit that I am able to do anything worthwhile. He is worthy. He is powerful. And if the Lord chooses to do great things in me and through me, then I will be humbled and thankful.

So, I think that’s it right now. My need for talking is coming out through this…because I really haven’t talked to anyone since I left the Ballews yesterday afternoon. So I feel like I’m just rambling on and on—which I totally am.

God is good.

I’m almost to American Samoa.

And there’s a Starbucks about 50 feet away.

I’m pretty sure I can make it.

Haha.

Blessings.

6/1/12

8:21am-American Samoa time

So.

I’m here in American Samoa.

It still feels surreal. It really does. I’m still trying to figure out which way is up at this point. Lol. I’m still super tired. I’m sore from having sat in the same position for so long. My back hurts. My shoulders hurt.

But the Lord got me here in one piece, my luggage got here in one piece, we landed here pretty much on time, and I didn’t have any problems going through customs. So I would definitely say that prayers were answered for safe and smooth travels. Thank you all so much for praying.

On a lighter note, I met someone on my final flight to American Samoa. She’s a local girl who just graduated from college in the States. She went to Samoa Baptist Academy—which is where I’m staying—when she was in high school. This is the first time that she’s been home in two years. Anyway, she’s coming back home to teach in a school on the island. She’s a Christian. And she wants to hang out with me sometime. So, I’m going to try try try to meet up with her a least once before I leave. I had no idea I would be meeting Charity on my flight here and end up talking for hours with her about her family, her schooling, the culture on American Samoa, and the Lord. It was a true blessing that came straight from the Lord. He is so good!!

Anyway.

I’m sitting in the living room of the apartment I’ll be living in for the month. And it’s so cute. It’s nothing fancy by far, but when have I ever needed something fancy? I’m sharing a room with my friend Sarah, and there’s three of us girls sharing a bathroom. It’s pretty cozy.

There are some rules about American Samoa and our apartment that I’ve learned over the past half day that I’ve been here:

1. Don’t try to pet the dogs. They are generally not friendly. They are NOT pets. What do you do instead? you might ask. You throw rocks at them. Or you kick them. They will bite.

2. Leave the bathroom light on in the apartment. (It won’t turn back on.)

3. Don’t close the front door to the apartment all the way. (I’m not exactly sure why, but I don’t really want to find out.)

4. Don’t drink the tap water.

5. Don’t ride the bus system by yourself. (Especially if you’re a tourist and a girl.)

So, I think that those are all the rules I’ve learned….there are probably more, but I just can’t seem to think of them right now. Haha. My brain does not want to wake up.

There are so many chickens here…and the roosters have all been crowing since about 6am. I now have something to look forward to every morning. Haha. But I really don’t mind it. It reminds me of living out in the country. And I guess I technically am doing just that…I’m living out on an island…so it would be kinda like living in the country, I guess.

But anyway.

In a little while I’ll be going to breakfast with Pastor Elise—the pastor of the Samoan speaking church, Happy Valley Baptist Church—his wife, Mrs. Lucy, and the other missionaries who are here. So should probably go get ready to do that and face the day.

I will have internet access more often than I originally thought, so that will be very helpful. J

Anyway, time to get ready!

Blessings. 

Freak Out!

That would be what I'm starting to do.
Yuppers.
And I don't necessarily have a reason to
freak out about it.
But I am.
It's terrible.
I'm freaking out about
flying 6000 miles away.
I'm freaking out about
serving the Lord in a completely
new context around people I don't know.
I'm freaking out about leaving everything behind for a month
to know God in a completely new way.
I'm just freaking out.
Freaking. Out.
FrEaKiNg OuT.

But the Lord is good.
I've been spending time with
Mary Grace and her mom.
They are truly a blessing.
They've, unknowingly, been keeping me sane
and calm and reliant on the Lord.
And this whole me freaking out
is just another way that is keeping me dependent on
the Lord.
I have absolutely no control
over what is about to go down in my life.
And it freaks me out.
But,
it's a good thing.
I know that I mess things up wayy to easily.
And the Lord has great and amazing plans.
So, trusting Him during this time is of the utmost
importance.
I need to be dependent.
I need to trust.
I need to have faith.
He will take care of everything.
He is Lord.

Anyway, I have found out a more
detailed schedule of this summer.
But instead of posting it,
I'm just going to write about it as it goes down.
So you will just be surprised as I go along.
haha.
My plan is to write a little something at the end of
each day.
Because I want to
be able to
look back
at this experience and see how the Lord moved
each day.
So, I may not post every single day,
but I will have a little something written for every day.

I also found out a list of people I will be working with this summer, and I'd like to pass along their names, so that you can also be praying for them:

Brian Smart, Brandon Smart, Larry Leming, Anne Crane, Samantha Gase, Katie Smith, Patrick Miller, Brandon Haywood, Sarah Andrews, Jennifer Hydrick, Aufata, Pastor Elise, Ruth, Alisa, Sonya

So.
Anyway. 

I guess that is all for now. 

I should probably help Mary Grace 

work on the jigsaw puzzle...

or maybe I'll just watch her as she struggles.

That second option sounds a whole lot better.

haha.

Blessings. 

Summer Bucket List

I always love Bucket Lists...so I decided to make one for the summer.
I hope to get a lot of this stuff done,
but if I don't,
it's no big deal.
And a lot of things I hope to do
with friends
or family
or both.
But there are some personal
ones on here too.
So anyway.

Summer 2012:
- Get a tattoo
- Camp at Virginia Beach
- Get a tan
- Random Sunday Beach Trip
- Sing karaoke at a club
- Ride roller coasters
- Visit Clara in Charlotte
- Visit Rachel in VA
- Go swimming (a lot)
- movie marathon(s)
- apartment hunting
- find a job
- see a drive-in movie
- watch the sunrise on the beach
- camp in the mountains
- go to a baseball game (or a few)
- star gazing (completed - 6/13/12)
- watch the 4th of July fireworks from the crest of the Sandias (completed - 7/4/12)
- let the Lord work through me in American Samoa (completed - 6/28/12)
- let the Lord change my heart about a lot of things (in progress)
- bake, a lot
- visit Inlow Baptist Camp (completed - 7/3/12)
- start saving to go skydiving
- hang out with the parentals and family (completed 7/5/12)
- eat local food in American Samoa (completed - 6/1/12)
- go to the beach! (completed - lots of times in Samoa)
- watch the sunset on the beach (completed, sorta - in Samoa)
- fly to American Samoa (completed - 5/31/12)


So, that's the list so far.
Beware,
this is subject to change.
I could add more,
or I could take some off.
But anyway,
I will hopefully go back through and
check things off the list as I complete them.
And then maybe at the end of the summer,
I'll go through and see which ones I actually did
and write about them.

Blessings.

I can FINALLY Think

about this summer.
And everything that's going to happen.
I have been so distracted
by so many things:
finals/school,
packing,
moving,
apartment hunting,
and just life.
I haven't really had the chance
to really think about what's in store for the summer.
At all.
But
I believe that
it's all going to change.

I am done with school...
for this semester. haha.
I'm pretty sure I'll pull out
with decent grades.
But you never know.
But anyway, I finished with all my finals
on Wednesday,
so when I was done,
a huge burden was lifted.
It was fantastic.

I finished moving out of my dorm
this morning.
It's all cleaned.
Everything is either in
my storage unit
or in my car.
And it's so weird.
I won't be moving back in here...
I'll be finding an apartment
somewhere in Raleigh.
What?!
I'm growing up,
becoming an adult.
It's strange.
But anyway,
it feels great knowing that
I don't have to live in the dorm
anymore.
Like, it was a good experience.
And I'm so glad that I had it.
But I'm ready to be more in a closed
environment, with not
as many
people living as close to me.
But, still, it was a great year.

Apartment hunting
went okay...
it got complicated.
And Rachel and I just decided to wait
until July to really look for a place.
Nothing was really going how we
thought it would.
And I was just tired and stressed,
and I didn't want to deal with
apartment stuff on my own.
So we're putting that on a
hiatus.
Good plan. Good plan.


And now it's officially summer!!
I am terribly thrilled.
I'm excited to take a break this next week.
I'm planning on reading a lot,
sleeping a lot,
hanging out with friends a lot,
and preparing for what is about to happen.

I leave for American Samoa so soon.
So soon.
And because of all the stuff mentioned previously...
I just haven't had as much time
as I was hoping to prepare.
So, that's what this upcoming week
will be all about.
Yay!

I found out from Larry what all I'll
be up to while
I'm in
American Samoa.
It's going to be epic:
- first week (June 4th-8th) - VBS with Tafuna Baptist and Happy Valley Baptist
I'll be working with the 5th and 6th grade girls. (Larry has told us that this is their biggest one of the summer. Usually they have between 150-200 kids in attendance. So this is a huge opportunity for the Gospel to be spread into this community.) This is an afternoon VBS, so in the mornings we'll be able to get things ready.
- second week - VBS with another Island Church (mornings) and VBS events with middle schoolers (afternoons/evenings)
I'll still be working with the 5th and 6th grade girls...that's the age group that I was placed with for the summer. Anyway, it sounds like these are going to be a little more relaxed and not a huge as the one the previous week.
- third week - VBS location tbd (mornings) and VBS on the East side of the Island (evenings)
This week should be pretty great. Larry is still working on a location for the morning VBS, but we're going to travel to the East side of American Samoa to do a VBS there. Tafuna Baptist is looking at planting a church there within the next year, so it's great that they're wanting to be a part of the community already.
- fourth week - morning VBS/Backyard Bible Clubs for a couple days and helping out with Football Camps
This'll be my last week on the Island. I guess I'll be working right up till my plane takes off. haha. But anyway, we'll be doing small scale camps the last couple of days and helping out with the football camps that happen on the school campus. So it should be a lot of fun.
And then I get to go home.

But anyway, there will be lots of opportunities to share the Gospel and be a shining light to the dark world around me. And I'm so thankful that the Lord has given me this opportunity.
I really have no idea what to expect. I don't really have any expectations for this summer. Except I want to see the Lord do great things. I want to see Him move in His power and might. I want to see Him save many lost people. I want to see Him accomplish things in my life which I never thought would be possible.
He is good. He is worthy. And I am so blessed to be able to serve such a great God.

Blessings.

Learning Dependence

This past week, I have been fully reminded of my dependence upon the Lord.
Nothing super major happened.
But it was just going through situations,
everyday life situations.
And I was brought to my knees
in humility
recognizing that I can't do it on my own.

Let me paint the picture for you.

So, last Saturday,
my friend Quinny and I went to look at apartments
that we were hoping to move into.
Well, we both really liked them, and so later that night,
Rachel, Quinny, and I sat down together and filled out the applications.
We thought it was going to be a quick and easy process.
Little did I know that I was entering the most stressful week of my semester.
Sunday, everything seemed fine.
We were all excited about everything, and we were starting to figure things out.
Well, Monday rolled around, and Quinny went to go pay the application fees,
and they said that they hadn't even looked at the applications yet.
In fact, they couldn't find them.
So that's when I first started freaking out.
I started to get the queasy feeling that something wasn't quite right.
Tuesday came, and I finally heard something from the leasing consultant we were working with.
She was taking forever to finish the starting steps to processing our applications.
But by the end of the day, she said she was done.
So Wednesday afternoon, I drove out there to pay the application fees.
And that's where I encountered tons of other problems.
They wanted a lot of paperwork...paperwork that they hadn't told any of us about.
So. Frustrating.
So then we all started asking our parents if they would be willing to cosign,
all the while, I was still thinking that something wasn't quite right.
And the Lord was starting to work in my heart, changing it so that I wasn't desiring to live there anymore.
I was anxious.
Thursday rolled around, and I still had the anxious feeling that
we shouldn't keep pursuing the apartment application process.
Something wasn't adding up.
Then we found out some information about the apartments.
Not good.
So, that information completely changed my mind,
and confirmed the fact that we weren't supposed to go there.

Friday came, and we still didn't have any new options.
So we started to look at different apartment complexes
and possibly houses to rent.
But we found some that we think are going to work.
We checked them out on Saturday,
and they seem really good.
We've seen some decent reviews about them.
And I've been praying about it.
A lot.
And depending on the Lord to guide me. And I think
we're going to pursue it.
But if the Lord shuts the door in our faces, then
we def know that we weren't supposed to go there.

I realized today that I am afraid of moving to Raleigh.
Not because of physical safety.
But because I'm so comfortable where I am.
I moved all the way across the country about a year ago...
but I moved to places that I at least knew a little bit about.
Places that were already a little more comfortable because
of the Christian influences.
I didn't necessarily know anyone, but I knew I'd be okay there.
I'm afraid of leaving this comfort zone.
I'm afraid to see how God is going to push me and stretch me.
And this realization scared me.
How did I make it to this point?
And am I going to do something about it?
I need to be pushed. I need to be stretched.
I need to be taken out of the normal.
Therefore, I think that the Lord is moving me to Raleigh.
To live in this neighborhood where I will only know my roommates.
To share the Gospel with my neighbors.
To befriend people I don't know.
To love the poor, sick, and hurting.
To live life with the lost of this city.

It's time.
It's time to move on.
It's time to take the risk.
It's time to have faith.
It's time to trust in the Lord's provision.

He is good.
He will take care of me.
He is Sovereign.
He knows what He's doing.
He loves me.

And that's enough for me.

Blessings.

Many Thanks!

This post is mainly for those who have supported my trip to American Samoa!

First of all, thank you to everyone who has financially supported this trip! The Lord has greatly blessed these fundraising efforts! My goal was greatly exceeded, and I know it's all because you were faithful to His call to give. But most of all, the Lord was faithful in giving. I never dreamed that this would happen. Ever. But He tends to blow any expectations that I had out of the water. And that's exactly what He did again. So, thank you for giving!

And thank you to everyone else who has already been praying for the trip! The Lord has some great things in store! We're less than a month away, and I know that I still feel very unprepared for what's coming. So keep praying! Keep praying that the Lord would prepare my heart for what He wants to show me and how He wants to use me. Keep praying that God would be preparing many hearts to hear His Gospel and that He would save many this summer! Pray for the kids that I'll be working with at VBS's. (I'm going to be working with the 5th and 6th grade girls.) Pray that God would speak into their lives. Pray for life change. Please, just keep praying. I need it so desperately. And there are so many lost people on the island that need your prayers as well.

So, I am so thankful to see how the Lord has already blessed me through this trip. He has indeed already grown my faith, and I know that He will continue to do so. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for the time that I'll be in American Samoa. But I guess I kinda have to, since I still have a few weeks to wait till I fly out!

Blessings!