Final Thoughts

After I posted my last entry, I realized that I had titled it, "6 days til Tijuana!" That is not entirely true. It was 6 days until my trip, but in all actuality, 8 days til Tijuana. Sorry for the incorrect information, and hope your life was not negatively impacted by this. Lol. Saturday and Sunday will be training days, and then we drive into Tijuana on Monday morning. My mind has been going 100+ miles an hour, mentally checking my packing list, and tying up loose ends. Everyone I meet gets an earful of my excitement, and I think people are avoiding me on purpose. Lol.

I will update as I have time. As always, internet could be very sketchy and updates might not happen, or happen infrequently. In any case, we don't know. Once we cross the Mexican border, all bets are off, and internet is not always available. The past 2 years, we have been lucky, and have been able to update. Praying that this will be the case as well. Feel free to stalk my page for updates. Understand that if updates are not coming, it's because internet is not working, or I am working. I will be very busy with carnivals, work projects, and hanging with the kids, and I cannot post during these times. The long and short of it is this: I will post when and if I can.

This is my final post before I take off. I wanted to post once more to thank you for getting me to this point. Many of you bought goodies to support my cause. Many people donated to my fund at my church to get me where I need to go. I had people push money into my hand, or send an anonymous gift in my direction. Please know that every dollar has been appreciated and been used to make my way toward fulfilling my dream of serving on the mission field. You have no idea how much it has meant to me. Your donations and prayers have made a huge impact in my life. After my first trip, God used the experiences to heighten my sense of mission work and how God might use me. After my second trip, God "pushed me over the edge," and actually called me onto the mission field. I can't help but wonder what God might do with me after my 3rd trip? I can't wait to see what happens!

Thanks again for all you have done to bless my life. Thanks for reading, thanks for your prayers (Please keep them coming), and God bless you!

PS: 1& 1/2  days until my trip, and 3 & 1/2 days until Tijuana, but who's keeping track? :-)

6 days til Tijuana!

If I don't count today, it's only 5 days, so maybe I'll go with that. That will make it seem closer! I am simply out-of-my-mind excited about this trip. I've been waiting for a year to go back to this very special place that has stolen my heart. This trip will feel like coming home. I so love the church in San Diego (Ocean View Church), and the orphanage in Tijuana (Colina de Luz).  Today was a special day in which the church gathered around to lay hands on me and pray for a safe and life-changing journey. I've never had that done before, and it was quite a blessed experience to be in the midst of all of that prayer and support. It is so crystal clear that God's hand is in this. He has led me every step of the way. Today, I wore my Mexico shirt to church and gave some of the kids treats that were made in Mexico. You can find them in Dillons or Walmart. I then asked them to keep the wrapper (it has Spanish writing on it) in a conspicuous place as a reminder to pray for me. There is power in prayer, especially where kids are concerned. I believe that kids are some of the greatest prayer warriors we have. I'm asking you to pray as well, if you would be willing. Here is how you can pray: 1) That the hearts of the people we reach out to will be open to the Gospel.  2)For safety. I would sure appreciate it.

This Thursday will be a tomato day! From 6-8 pm, you can come by my place and take some tomatoes. Here's the disclaimer: I do not have too many red tomatoes, there are more green ones than red. So, if you are a green tomato fan, we have the goods! If you are in the mood for red ones, come right at 6pm, as they will disappear fast. I will have more tomato days in the future, when I have more red ones.

This post will be a short one, and will end in the way my posts usually end... I have a shift to work at the ball fields tonight, and I need to get ready. I'm thankful for this job. I have good people to work with, and it brings some fundage in my direction.  I'm not sure if I'll have the opportunity to post again before I leave, we'll just have to see how busy life gets. I thank you for reading, and for your tireless support of what I am trying to do. I pray that God blesses you.   

From one thing to another

I think a more appropriate name for this blog post could be, "I was a sponsor at Jr. High camp....and survived!" Truth be told, I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was a blessing to see these kids worshiping and praising God during the evening church services, some with hands lifted in connection with God. I also had a chance to pray with these kids about their needs and concerns.  I am not exactly sure of the exact numbers, but a large number of teens made decisions concerning salvation and lifestyle changes. Most people would have heart failure at the thought of dealing with this age group, but I was tremendously blessed by them, even the onery ones.  Camp was also very exhausting. The students were kept busy with crazy games and challenge courses. I had the opportunity to ride a zip-line and a simulated flying experience. I got to bond with the kids by swimming (translation: get pummeled and nearly drowned) with them. All in all, I think I was more blessed by these kids than they were by us. I am kind of sad, as this was the last time I was able to take some of these kids to camp, as most of them are moving up to high school camp next year.  FYI, I do not do high school camp.

We came home on Friday, and I instantly jumped into prep for VBS, starting tomorrow. Our theme is "Cave Quest," and my co-teacher and I are teaching the lessons for this week. We don't merely teach these lessons, we transform our classroom into another world, bringing the Bible to life for these kids, allowing them to become a part of the Bible story.  We truly feel that if they can experience the story, they'll remember it for life. In addition to the Bible lessons, I'll also assume the character of "Clark Cavern," a cave explorer who will learn throughout the week that the exploration of God's Word has many more benefits than what this world can offer. Please pray for stamina, as I'm still a bit tired from camp.

2 weeks from today, I'll be in California, worshiping at the Ocean View Church, and preparing to cross the border into Mexico. I have truly missed the people of Ocean View Church, and especially the children at the Colina de Luz orphanage in Tijuana. I have waited for this time to come for over a year. The next 2 weeks will probably crawl by, as waiting is going to be hard. This trip will be my 4th and final adventure of the Summer. After that, I'll be readying myself for the re-start of school.

It's yet again time for another set-up session for VBS. I'm truly pumped! I am praying that the kids will experience God in a whole new way, and that God will move in their hearts. I'll try to update soon with a report on what God is doing in VBS.

Thanks for reading, and God bless!   

My Next Summer Adventure

A few weeks ago, I was able to take a great group of kids to Junior Camp, where I had a great time, and saw kids make decisions for Christ. Tomorrow morning, I embark on another camp adventure, only this time it's with a group of Junior Highers. I am looking forward to this week. A few years ago, I would have never considered being a sponsor for this age group. However, these kids practically begged me to go with them to Junior High camp when they were too old to go to Junior Camp any longer. While the thought of taking this age group might frighten some, including me, I have a history with them and have built a relationship with them through the years. I'm asking you to pray with me that God gets a hold on these young people's hearts, and that they will develop a desire to serve God. Lives can change at camp, and that's why I am such a big supporter of the camp ministry.

My garden continues to thrive in the tomato section. I have clusters of green tomatoes, and I was able to make fried green tomatoes last week! I love them, and was only able to get them at the fair (2 months away, people!).  Now, I know how to make them whenever, and I don't have to buy any at the fair. My corn and sunflowers have gotten pretty windblown, so I'm hoping they are hearty, and will pull through. My vining plants (cucumbers, cantaloupe, pumpkins, watermelons) are still not very big, and not showing any signs of fruit, or even flowers. I've not had much luck with vining plants since I moved to the new house 3 years ago.  At least it looks like I'll have a bumper crop of tomatoes! As soon as I have enough to share, I'll post an invitation to when and where you can go to get some green or red tomatoes.

On New Years Eve, I made a resolution to cut caffeine out of my diet. We just crossed into July, and I'm glad to say I'm doing fabulous! The only times I have taken in caffeine were situations where I didn't know the drinks had caffeine in them. I had a few glasses of iced tea one afternoon, and then another day I had some diet cream soda. It was only after consuming these drinks that I discovered they had caffeine in them. So, while I have had some caffeine since the New Year, I have not knowingly had caffeine. I feel better! I still enjoy my Diet Caffeine Free Pepsi, though. People have told me to stop pop as well! Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps. I would have gone off the deep end without the CFDP to fall back on. 

I have one more shift to work at Hobart-Detter today before I begin the task of laundry and finish packing. I need to get ready to go. I plan to turn in to my bed as early as I can, so that I can be well-rested for a crazy fun week of camp.

Thanks for your prayers and for reading. God bless you!