Monster Jam!

Hi friends! As you can see by the above picture, I have had some fun recently! Classes are now underway and I have found that a great way to get over syllabus shock is to go and watch huge, noisy trucks destroy things! I have always wanted to go and see Monster Trucks so when I heard they were coming to Columbia, I got a little excited! Last Friday night three of my friends and I went and had a blast! The noise, the smell, the destruction...ah, it was lovely! Okay, so I know most of you are probably laughing your heads off right about now as you picture me there, but for those of you who know me well, you won't be surprised! So have a good laugh and remember to have some fun in life and do something that you have always wanted to do - even if you get a few strange looks from your friends!

On a more serious note, things have been going well since I've been back down South. I was able to attend a C&MA Candidate Development weekend in Atlanta last weekend and that was really good. I was able to connect with my candidate director and talk about future plans a bit. I was greatly encouraged by the conversation as well as meeting other candidates from around the area.

Classes have been going well. I could use your prayer as some of them are going to be quite difficult this semester (such as my research class - ick)! But God is good and He'll help me get through. I am taking the Perspectives course at a local church for class credit and it has been amazing. I thought it would be a review for me in missions, and it has been, but I have been learing so much as well and getting a different perspective on things (pun intended)! I have been re-evaluating why I want tell people about the Lord. Is it because I have heard the statistics about how many people have never heard about Jesus? Yes. Is it because I don't want to see people spend an eternity in hell? Yes. Is it because I want my friends and loved ones to be standing with me before the throne of God in heaven someday? Yes. But what I have been realizing is that there is so much more. All of those things are good and right, but there is more. Those things are so focused on humans, but what about God? My motives are changing and my desire is to tell people about Jesus so that they will worship Him and so that He will be glorified. You see, it's all about giving God the glory. That's why we are here. God has made us to worship Him and until there are people from every tribe, tongue and nation doing so, the mission in incomplete. Each people group and culture that worships the Lord, worships Him in a different way, they worship through their culture and who they are. God is glorified by the diversity in worship. It's an amazing thing! Wow, sorry for breaking into some preaching there, but God has gotten me so excited about this and I wanted to share it with you!

So from Monster Trucks to new motives, God has been loving on me! I am excited to see what God is going to do in the next several months. I am excited to see how He reveals His glory and His power in each of our lives. He is up to something and I can't wait to see how it plays out! Won't you watch with me to see how God works in special ways? And let's share it with each other, encourage each other, and tell of His great love and works in our lives!

Happy 2007

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year friends! I have been intending to send out a Christmas letter and then a New Years letter, but I guess now this is just a Happy 2007 letter! Most of you have been getting regular updates of my blog so this may be a review for you. For others, it has been a while and I would like to catch you up on what God has been doing in my life this past year.

In January I finished up working at the Evangelical Free Church of America Short-Term Missions office. This was a sad time for me as I enjoyed my time there and learned so much. However, God was moving me along, and where He leads I must follow. That month at church I had the privilege of planning an authentic Korean dinner party when Korean missionaries to Mongolia came to our church for a visit!

In February I began working full time at the Alliance Church of Menomonie. I had been working mornings at the EFCA office and afternoons at the church. Now that I was full time at the church, I was able to put more time into the International Student Ministry. One of the things we started was an International Student Bible study. Every Friday night we would start out by serving a meal and teaching the students a new English idiom or talking about new words they had heard that week. We would then have a 30 minute Bible study and end the evening by playing games or talking more in depth about what we had studied that night. This was an amazing time for me where I learned what it might be like to start such a study overseas in the future. I was able to use my apartment for ministry - one of my goals wherever I am living!

The big event for March was again with the International students and families at our church. We decided to have a mock wedding to show students what an American wedding is like. We went all out and decorated the church sanctuary for the wedding and the gym for the reception. We had everything from the flower girl to the grandparents of the bride and groom. Our bride and groom had been married for about a year and still had a lot of things from their wedding we could use. And who says a bride doesn't get to wear her wedding dress twice?!

April was a month that was packed full of activity. I attended the Alliance Women's retreat in Green Lake, WI with a group of women from my church. It was a great time to relax and catch up with friends from around the district and my church. This month was also our Spring Missions Conference. We had our annual Great Commission Race (similar to the Amazing Race on TV) and heard from another missionary couple to Mongolia.

In May things slowed down a little bit. I began thinking about graduate school and looking for a place that would be a good fit for me. I celebrated turning a quarter of a century this month and got to spend some time with an amazing missionary to Mali, Africa who came to speak at our church. And, I finished up teaching fifth and sixth grade Bible class at our Christian school. It had been a fun year where I am pretty sure I learned a lot more than my kids!

June was a great month! I got to do something that I had always wanted to do, but never thought I would have the opportunity. I went on a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I went with a team from my church and spent a week canoeing and camping. It was so amazing - God sure is a great artist!

In July we had beautiful weather and I got to spend some time riding my motorcycle and fishing. I was accepted into Columbia Biblical Seminary and School of Missions and was busy trying to get things arranged for this fall.

August was full of firsts and lasts. I was able to preach my first sermon (besides in preaching class) for one of our Thursday night services. I finished up working at the church. I packed for school, and I was able to cross another thing off of my "things to do before I die" list. Yup, who would have guessed it that I got to ride in a monster truck at our little county fair?! It was great fun! Too bad they wouldn't let me drive!

In September I was starting to get settled into classes and life in South Carolina. I was able to go to Charleston with some friends and we had a retreat for all of the graduate and seminary students on campus. This month was also the first meeting about North Africa where God grabbed my heart and began to open up a new door for me.

In October I got to go to my second ever state fair and see Casting Crowns in concert - they were amazing! Also, my parents came to visit me and it was great showing them around and introducing them to my new friends!

In November part of our team that is going to North Africa this summer was able to take a road trip down to Florida to learn more about the country and people we will be working with. This month was also Thanksgiving. Last year I was in Latvia, and this year I was in South Carolina. I was able to do some cooking with a couple of friends and then spend the afternoon with International and American students. I even met a Chinese girl named Josie!

December came all too quickly. I finished my first semester and am now half way to a Master of Arts degree. I flew home and the next day left for my dear friend Elizabeth's wedding in Iowa. I was able to spend a week with her before her wedding and have some special sister time! The wedding was beautiful and it was great to see friends that I haven't seen for years.

I head back to South Carolina this Sunday. I am excited to see what the Lord has planned for me this next year. What will He do in my life? Where will He take me? I would love for you to pray for me this next semester as my classes are going to be more difficult. Pray that I would learn what God wants me to learn and that I would be open to experience all that He has for me.

I treasure each one of you and your prayers. May you know the Lord deeply in 2007 and walk the path He is laying before you.

Heading North

Hello Friends! I am excited to say that I have three and a half more days of this semester! Things are finishing up here and I am getting ready for a nice long break. I will fly back to Wisconsin this Saturday, the 16th.

However, right away on Sunday morning my brother will be driving me down to Iowa. Some of you know my dear friend Elizabeth (or have heard about her!) She will be getting married on Friday, December 22nd and I am going to go spend some time with her before her wedding. I am so excited to see her as well as some other dear friends I have not seen in years - it will be a very special time for all of us. I will come back to Wisconsin in time for Christmas Eve with my family!

I have a month off of classes and am very much looking forward to the break. I will head back down South on January 21st. (It will be so nice to return to warm weather!) I am looking forward to seeing many of you while I am home. I am glad I will have a month to catch up with you all :-) I look forward to hearing how God has been working in your lives over these last months and sharing with you what He has been doing in mine.

I will miss my friends here this next month. God has blessed me with such good friends so quickly. In the picture with me is one of those great friends! Linda is from Honduras and we have been called "twins" several times. We even had a man from India - in all seriousness - ask us if we were sisters because we look so much alike! We have had many laughs over that one!

It seems as if whenever I go new places I am worried about making friends. However, God always provides in such amazing ways. He has blessed me with great friends all over this world. I have seen that as one of the themes running through my life - the blessings of the Lord. I have realized this semester how truly blessed I am. I have a great family who has always loved and supported me, I have great friends who care about me, my needs have always been provided for at just the right moment, I have been blessed with great places to work and amazing ministry training. . . I could go on and on.

So I want to thank each one of you. You have all been such a blessing to my life. Know that I truly appreciate it and I pray that God blesses you as much as you have blessed me!

Have a very Merry Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!