5 Days Left!

Hey all! I have officially 5 more days till I leave for Base camp! I'm really nervous about base camp.... you never know what could happen there... but it's going to be majorly fun and God is going to be doing some awesome stuff in preparing us for what's going to be happenin this next couple of months.

I sign in at base camp in the afternoon on Saturday on the 23th. I will be there for 3 days and our flight is scheduled for 4:45pm on the 26th. It will be around a 12 - 15 hour flight :P it's going to be long but it will be an experience. Again, I will be with two of my team mates: Andrew and Channing. Once, we get at London Heathrow we will meet up with our 'M' (Robert) and he will show us around and bring us to our host homes. The first week or two We all will be in different homes, then me and Channing will stay in one home while Andrew will be staying in a different host home.

I can't wait to be immersed in the culture there in London. It's going to be amazing! :)

So this week is super busy. I have numerous lists of things I have to buy, things I have to pack in my carry-on and my luggage and then even more things that I have to get finished before I leave: namely, cleaning my room ;) This week is also crazy I've been trying to get together with friends before I leave and I don't have enough room to see everyone it's kinda sad :( I'm having lunch with one of my best friends from high school- she will actually be going to Italy wednesday, so we will be talking international 'stuff' haha! :)

Today I got all of my toiletry accessories ready. Atleast all the stuff that I've bought like shampoo bottles and stuff like that. I got my tavel liquids ready and everything so that part's taken care of :)

Oh, also Robert emailed us (the team) and said that the weather there is very very mild. like today was 60 degrees. so I will need to pack pants and sweaters and stuff. Also, he said that we girls will have to bring a long sleeved shirt and a scarf that will cover our heads, so that if we are to go to a Mosque they will accept us. To me, that is an amazingly exciting opportunity! Islam is quickly growing in the UK and I will be able to witness not only the culture of Britain but also Islamic culture.

For the people who use Skype. I have an account that I will be using this summer, and I will also be using facebook. I am able to bring my computer and WiFi will be available. So i won't be totally cut off from the US. I probably will not make any calls to the states over the summer, if I do it will be very few, other than that the easiest way to get ahold of me is facebook/Skype.

Please pray for my team and the other teams that iWitness will be sending around the world. I have four friends that will be going to Tokyo for two months and a sister that will be in Tokyo for a week. so please pray that the flights go well and that God will do what He wants done there as well! :)

Cheers,

Amanda

Freshman Year and God's Leading

hey you lot!

I am officially done with my freshman year. I finished last tuesday and I am very pleased with the grades I recieved. :) now onto the rest of the year...

I have done a little shopping; getting the small, essential things I will be needing while in London. I got a converter and stuff like that. It was kind of wierd because a little less than a year I've been thinking that it's so far away, but in reality it's not. As of today it is 12 days away! can you believe that? 12 days! Time has definitely flown by.

I also want to share with you guys about what God has been doing in me the past couple of weeks. In early April I told you guys about my turning in the application to be a CG (connection Group) Leader in the College ministry at Highland. Well that didn't go quite as palnned, but God has blessed me so much even though it hasn't worked out how I thought it initially should have.

So at the end of April I recieved an email from Geoff (the guy who interviewed me) and he said that he thought I would best serve God and Highland through being an STL (Servant Team Leader). At first, I was really bummed, I admit it. I was like, "God I thought you wanted me to be a CG leader. Why did he give me an STL position?" I was so conflicted that I had even thought about saying that I no longer wanted the position, but then I felt like I should play it out.

God was/is still sovereign.

I ended up going to the retreat the following weekend (it was basically I time where about 45 college students came together with Kyle (the college minister) and the rest of the staff and discussed what went well and didn't go so well throughout the year and how we could make next year even better. I really saw how much time and energy went into planning and events and everything and I began loving the people that were on the teams even more!

By the end of the weekend I felt so blessed and I was so happy that I listened to God and obeyed Him. I am now the STL for the hostesses. I go around (with other volunteers) meeting and greeting people on Sunday mornings. It's a very important servant team because the college ministry is so big. Our sanctuary holds about 700-750 and it's normally full. Through being an STL leader in Highland I have met so many people that I have grown to love and others who bless me when I hear what God has done in their lives.

I also wanted to show you lot a picture of my CG group (there's a few missing because we took this picture during finals week). These are the most amazing people and God has blessed me thoroughly with this group!

These people have not only been my friends, but my accountability partners, and encouragers as well. This past week was the last week of classes, so I won't get to see anybody until the fall semester, but we will still be meeting with each other weekly and stay in touch during the summer months.

I know this was a long post but I really wanted to share with you how God has been working and how He has placed such awesome, Godly people in my life.

Thank you for all your continued prayers and support! I will update soon! :)

Cheers,
Amanda

London Team 2009!

Hey guys!

So this past weekend (April 18th and 19th) was the JSI retreat. I got to meet all the people that I will be serving with over the summer and the missionaries we will be working with.

I'm going to give you the low down on everything:

• My team is about 17 students. and 4 of them are currently college students (including me).


• I will be there with two other college students one month prior to the rest of the high school JSI's I leave on May 23rd with Andrew and Channing and the rest come in late June (24th-ish).


• For the first month, I will be with a host home, so I will be emersed in the culture and everything! It's so exciting! and when everyone else comes we will have our own apartments.


• There are a number of different mission opportunities while we will be there in London (like 12) they range from Art classes to carnivals to teen outreach to Narrative Mapping (mapping by culture and sociological information).


• At the end of our trip (around July 23rd-ish) we will be taking the chunnel (The English Channel Tunnel) and go to Paris, France for a few days. I'm not particularly sure exactly what we will be doing, but I'm super excited about that.

Those are the big main points that I thought you guys might want to know. I also wanted to let you know that I have totally finished raising money for my trip! It's all paid for, but I'm still raising money for spending money while I'm there since there are things that I won't be able to bring over and the fact that I will be living there for two months. So if you still want to donate to my trip I am still recieving money just make sure you don't mak it out to iWitness, instead you can make it out to me or my mom.

Please still keep praying for me and my team! There are alot of different things that we will be apart of when we are there. please pray that the Lord will grant comfort to our parents and family members. Pray for safety in our transportation (plane, train, chunnel, bus, etc.). Also please pray for the preparation of our team. This is huge! Pray that we stay in constant communication with God (We aren't all super christians; we fall and make mistakes too) and that we are open to what God wants for us and is calling us to do.

Thank you for all your continued support! Love you guys! :)

Below is a picture of my team:

If You Tarry Till You're Better, You Will Never Come At All...

Wow, so there are so many different things going on lately! I have officially sent in my final payment for my trip to London!!!!! God provided! He is so amazing! all $4500 is paid in full and all I have to come up with is the money I need while I'm there.

Classes are starting to wrap up, right about now and so I'm going to be really busy taking care of tests and assignments that are due. It's getting pretty hectic now that my moom has a job and I'm at home taking care of everything here, but it's all good.

I also wanted to tell you guys something really cool that has been happening in my life over the last couple of weeks. about 2 weeks ago I was in the middle of a really dry spell in my spiritual life. I had no drive and almost no desire... it was horrible. My Connection group (church small group) leader sent me an email saying that I needed to fill out the application to become a CG leader next year. I kinda decided to ignore the email just because I didn't feel like I was at the right place in my life to take on that responsibility in the Church. And that I might do it the following year, but now wouldn't be a good time.

Then service came along on Sunday and Kyle (the minister) talked about being complacent in the Faith and we sang a song that had a verse that said:
If you tarry till you're better, you will never come at all.
I was struck speechless after I sang the words.

It was like god was talking directly to me and I froze!

It was in that moment that I decided to apply to be a CG leader next year (fall-spring). It was crazy and so fulfilling to hear God speak to me again like that! :)

I just want you guys to be praying for me about all these leadership positions God is putting in front of me and that He will be the only reason for my doing this.

Thank you guys for all your support! :)

"In Your Presence Who Can Stand? Even Angels Veil Their Sight!"

Hey peoples! I have a couple of things I want to share with you on what God has been teaching me!

First: I have been doing a lot of art stuff and keeping up with my soft pastels and things like that. I also have been doing a bible study over the story of Exodus. Well the second night of reading Exodus I read the 4th chapter and was amazed at what I had read. Previously, I had been very knocked down and worried about what I would say to people while I'm in London, or even here at home! I was so worried and upset about it, I started telling God, I think you picked the totally wrong person for this job! then I read this:


The Lord said to [Moses], "Who gave man his mouth?
Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight
or makes him blind? Is it not I, The Lord? Now go;
I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.

Exodus 4:11-12


I was totally amazed by Moses's meeting with God! It blew my mind! He made my mouth!!! Will He not use it for His own glory??

I was amazed and fell in love with those verses.

How often do I tell God He picked the wrong dude! Correct answer: too often!
How many times am I right? Correct answer: never!


I was stuck in this amazing revelation. It almost seems simple: He made my mouth; okay He's done that for many others, whats the big deal? The big deal is, He made it for His glory and I need to honor His creation!!

I loved Moses's meeting with God so much I was compelled to draw the scene on paper...although I knew I could never portray something like that as well as it originally was.









I came up with this and immediately loved it because of what I learned through this amazing story!

I thought all my fears were done away with and that everything was going to be okay again; however, they were not, and they came flooding back not a week and half later.

This was just last Wednesday, I had been completely depressed over how I was going to have to come up with over $2,300. I was so worried, I somewhat became sick. Despite my stomach knots, I went to my church small group bible study and met with my friends.

I told them that I was worrying about how I would come up with the huge sum that's due on April 1st and not only the stress of my sister having to pay her final payment on that day as well. I almost broke down right there because I was at such a loss as to what to do. I told them that I had sent out support letters at the beginning of January and this would be the time that people would stop responding and that I didn't know how we were going to pay for this.

After the bible study was finished and everyone had left, one of my friends came up to me and asked if they could give me something and they handed me $100. I was in shock and surprised at their actions. I couldn't say anything but 'thank you's' I was so shocked and teary eyed.

They gave me a hug and told me to have a safe drive home. It was a very short conversation, probably because I was about to creat a flood the size of Niagra Falls, but I hugged them back and made my way to my car to head home.

Once in my car, I cried so hard. It was in that small action that God showed me how much He cares for His sheep! I was still shocked, because this was the last person I expected money from and their they were, ready to give it.

I prayed to God asking Him to forgive my unbelief and lack of trust in Him! I could not believe I had fallen into this again. The fear, destroyed my trust in the Lord and I let it happen AGAIN!!!

I was on my face in front of God the whole way home (not literally because I was driving) talking to Him, telling Him how sorry I was about not trusting Him.

It's hard to explain to you how I felt at that moment. It was a mixture of joy, grief, praise, and awe.

Joy because I was $100 closer to the goal.
Grief because I was so sad about my lack of trust in God.
Praise because I wanted to sing songs to Him all the way home for His faithfulness to His children.
and Awe because I foget just how good God is.


I wanted to share this with you because I keep on witnessing how amazing He is then forgetting. I dont want others to forget and fall the same way I do.

To the people who read this, I hope God bless you and that you walk continually with Him no matter how inadequate you feel or your situation is.

By the way the quote in the title is from a song called Love Like Rain by Daniel Doss Band.

What God Has Been Teaching Me

Hey guys! I hope this find you all well. :) This past Sunday was my first actual deposit for my trip. God is so great that He provides everything just as we need it! My next deposit of $700 is due February 22.

I also wanted to share with you guys that I had the privilege of being a leader for Disciple Now (which is a weekend discipleship retreat) at Highland Baptist Church. I was a leader of 7 amazing 8th grade girls! God really spoke this weekend and it was so neat to experience it! Our speaker Chris Brooks taught on tough topics, like how we need to stop going to church and start BEING the Church. We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works and spread His name (Eph. 2:10).

It was really neat to see how my girls soaked up what Chris was telling us and how they wanted to change. It was a huge encouragement to me as well! I got a lot of questions answered that I had been wrestling with. I actually got to talk to Chris Brooks personally and tell him what God was doing in my life and how He told me to go to London. He was a very supported and ecstatic to see how Father is working in the lives of me and others.

I share all of this with you guys to show/tell you that God is still working in my life. He didn't just cut off when I knew He wanted me to go to London. No, it's still an on going process; He still shows me new things everyday and reveals Himself to me in various ways. I hope all of you realize that God is ALIVE and He wants to interact in your everyday life! He is interested in the thing in our life that we would refer to as petty! He wants to know us; to have a relationship with us! May God bless all of you!

Prayer Requests
My grandfathers funeral is taking place in his home town of Fresno, Claifornia. We arenot attending and neither is m grandmother, but it will still be a hard day none the less.

That God will give me discernment.

That God will prepare all the JSI's hearts as we partake in this experience.

♪ Great God, Great God! ♪

Hey guys! I hope you all are doing well! I have a few updates!

So I talked to my College Minister, and he said that they didn't think selling the cookie/brownie jars in the foyer was a good idea. And that's okay! In "Big Church" (hehe) we are starting a new series that talks about keeping our temple healthy, so I totally agree! But needless to say I still have MANY jars. I have Brownie jars, Chocolate Chip Cookie, and M&M Cookie mix. If you want one all you have to do is email or call me and I would be happy to sell some to you! :)

I still havent heard from the place I turned in my resume, so I'm still not sure if I got the job or not. and maybe its not God's will that I work this semester, He could be teaching me to rely fully on his providing what I need. Lesson can be learned everywhere, only if you are open to them! :)

Also I have a praise! My Grandma (my mom's mom) works for NASA. Her work wanted to do a donation to one of my great-grandpa's favorite charity foundations in honor of his passing. And my grandma mentioned that me and my sister are going on mission trips and said that he would appreciate a donation to our cause!! My whole family was amazed at hearing this! We pretty much couldn't believe it!

I knew God was going to provide for us, and when I heard this I was surprised! To be honest I shouldn't have been surprised or expected less of God! He wants the best for his children and we shouldnt ask God for the least amount of what we need but over what we need; a surplus of sorts. God wants us to expect his best, not anything smaller than that. God is so amazing! He knows exactly what we need and He WILL provide; it's not beyond Him or too big for Him!!

Anyways this is what has happened in the last couple of days. I hope to update you more often as these events occur. thank you for all your prayers and support! May God bless you! :)

Brownie Jars Are Ready!!! :)

Hey guys! Today I finally got my support letters sent off! It was such a relief after working on them for days and trying to find addresses, but I got them all to you and that makes me happy! So you should have them around the middle of this next week.

I dont want you guys (the people I sent support letters to) to think that I am just asking you guys for money and not working towards the goal as well. There will be different things that I will be doing in order to contribute to my own trip. Which includes getting a job. I will hopefully be accepted by a small movie store in town. I havent officially been given the position, but that is something I will be taking on and almost all of my pay checks will be going towards my trip as well. I hate for you to think I just sent you the letters for the money. Most of the reason why I sent them is because I would love to have your prayers! That is the most special thing to me.

I also want to let you know that I have my fundraiser ready, so I can start filling orders now! I have 24 jars ready as I type this and I am selling them for $8 a piece. Right now I only have brownie mix ready, my mom and I are going to be looking for another recipe for the cookies, but brownies are ready for ordering. So if you feel like eating brownies or just contributing to my trip I will happily sell you a jar or two :)
I havent heard yet if I am able to sell the jars of mix at the church. I should find out in the near future and will post if I have been given an answer.

I just wanted to let you know what to expect in the mail and know that I am ready to take orders. Thank you guys. Love you! God bless! :)

Prayer Requests

That the next semester goes smoothly including payment deadlines

The people of London- that their heart will be softened in hearing the Word

The JSI's and smaller trips that come into England this summer

And some of you know my great grandfather (Fred Hollister) passed away this week- pray for strength for my GG. She doesnt know really what to do and pray for peace too.