So, Summit's in less than a month! Yikes! I still need to memorize fine art stuff as well as study a lot for quiz!
Today we had quiz practice, and even though I hadn't studied as much as I should have (I've studied about 2 hours since locals), I was still very surprised how well I could recall everything. I knew most of the verses as well as most of the definitions, although sadly I couldn't recite the single list I'm supposed to know and I'm really glad Rachel didn't quiz me on any Bible Summary information.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
AWANA band
At my church, at the begining of AWANA we have a group that plays a few songs at the begining of the night and I'm part of it. Right now there's a lot of stuff that is flying around and I'm really wanting to quit. I'm the oldest out of the group and because of that, the majority of the leadership has fallen on me. After many weeks of not playing very well, I finally said something about it and everything feels like it's exploded in my face. Honestly, it feels like a lot of people are mad at me now for saying something, but I had to.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
A note
I just created myself a new blog because I want to keep this one purely summit from here on out. I've just been having a single blog and throwing all of my thoughts on it, but because I know of the dream that God has given me for Mexico and for missions, I've decided that it would be best if I went ahead and just created a blog dedicated to it. Anyway, my other blog is: www.mydreamsofmexico.blogspot.com.
Friday, March 14, 2008
lessons from MEXICO!!!!! - before the trip and while I was there
I got back from Mexico today and I've had an amazing trip. There were moments that were definitely harder than others (including the trip back), but I wouldn't give the experience that I've had up for anything in this world. I'm hoping to be able to return sometime this summer (God willing), and some cool people that I met.
Anyway, God taught me a lot of stuff over the trip, like the need of prayer. This learning experience started before the actual trip and I'm still learning stuff as a result of my trip. This started through the training. Before the trip, we had to write a prayer letter and send it out as well as write out out testimony. I wrote my prayer letter and turned it in when due, but it was a long process before I was actually able to send it out. I felt like before I could actually send it, I had to get to the point where I meant everything I said in it. It took prayer, and God working in my heart, but I got there. And the testimony? well, it got written in the bus, while we were driving from Quretaro to Celaya.
While we were in Celaya, I learned some more about the Mexican culture... (going to the catholic church was so hard!!!!)... and was burdened for the people there. On Sunday, we visited a Catholic church, in Celaya, and really saw how lost most Mexicans are. Mexico is largely a Catholic country, but that doesn't imply that many are Christians. Mexican Catholics worship Mary, not Christ! They believe that they get to heaven by good works and that protestant Christians are wrong and are the ones truly lost. (I wish I still had the pictures I took of the church, so you could see how they exalt Mary.) The first thing that we noticed when we walked into the church, wasn't a cross or Christ. It was a statue of Mary. Sure, she was special, but why? BECAUSE OF CHRIST!!!! She was a humble girl, who was used by God to cary His son. She was the Lord's servant (Luke 1:38) and even though she found favor with God, she was humble. She was a human who is dead, and doesn't deserve to be worshiped! CHRIST IS ALIVE!!!
This experience rocked the plan I had for where I was to be a missionary (I had never imagined going to Mexico), but God showed me that these people need Him. God has given me a desire to be a missionary in the future, and I believe that He is leading me to go to Mexico.
I'm sure that there are more things I learned in Mexico, but as I think about it right now, this is the biggest thing that I learned while I was there.
Anyway, God taught me a lot of stuff over the trip, like the need of prayer. This learning experience started before the actual trip and I'm still learning stuff as a result of my trip. This started through the training. Before the trip, we had to write a prayer letter and send it out as well as write out out testimony. I wrote my prayer letter and turned it in when due, but it was a long process before I was actually able to send it out. I felt like before I could actually send it, I had to get to the point where I meant everything I said in it. It took prayer, and God working in my heart, but I got there. And the testimony? well, it got written in the bus, while we were driving from Quretaro to Celaya.
While we were in Celaya, I learned some more about the Mexican culture... (going to the catholic church was so hard!!!!)... and was burdened for the people there. On Sunday, we visited a Catholic church, in Celaya, and really saw how lost most Mexicans are. Mexico is largely a Catholic country, but that doesn't imply that many are Christians. Mexican Catholics worship Mary, not Christ! They believe that they get to heaven by good works and that protestant Christians are wrong and are the ones truly lost. (I wish I still had the pictures I took of the church, so you could see how they exalt Mary.) The first thing that we noticed when we walked into the church, wasn't a cross or Christ. It was a statue of Mary. Sure, she was special, but why? BECAUSE OF CHRIST!!!! She was a humble girl, who was used by God to cary His son. She was the Lord's servant (Luke 1:38) and even though she found favor with God, she was humble. She was a human who is dead, and doesn't deserve to be worshiped! CHRIST IS ALIVE!!!
This experience rocked the plan I had for where I was to be a missionary (I had never imagined going to Mexico), but God showed me that these people need Him. God has given me a desire to be a missionary in the future, and I believe that He is leading me to go to Mexico.
I'm sure that there are more things I learned in Mexico, but as I think about it right now, this is the biggest thing that I learned while I was there.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Mexico!!!!!!
Tonight I leave for a mission trip to central Mexico with my church and wanted to post something about this trip before I left. This is my prayer letter that I sent out recently and I would like it if you would be willing to pray for me. Please post a comment if you are willing to make this commitment.
Hi! I hope that each of you had a great Christmas and New Years and are getting back into the swing of life whether it be school or work (or even both).
This past summer, I worked at a camp for inter-city kids and witnessed two of my campers come to know the Lord!! Another thing that I witnessed that week was, although this camp doesn't usually have a baptism service, God moved and we had one. This was an awesome opportunity for me to be able to participate in. My fall was pretty good, although my grades weren't as high as I would have liked them, and we didn't do our best in our marching competitions. I have truly enjoyed doing marching band this past fall, and plan on taking band again next year along with many other fine arts classes (including choir and color guard). Although I have enjoyed marching band these last few years, I have decided to set my marching flute down, and while still playing flute, and participate in color guard. I still enjoy dancing and love serving others and worshiping God through playing flute. This past Christmas, I participated in Christmas Evangelism Boot Camp which was a lot of fun and allowed me to see God working in lives, and opposition to the gospel. I believe that this opportunity has strengthened me for the future. Lastly, as always, I still enjoy AWANA and I'm looking forward to the national competition, Summit. This year, the local quiz team I was on placed first and I was allowed to help coach Bible Quiz for some of Grace Covenant's third through sixth graders.
This coming Spring Break, March 7-14th, many of the youth at Grace Covenant Church will be taking a trip to the cities of Queretaro, Celaya, and Salamanca, which are in central Mexico. We will be working with local missionaries and churches in these cities through running VBS, mimes, sharing testimonies, and working in some of the Mexican orphanages throughout the week. Some will also be working to construct an new church in Celaya as well. I will be involved in the mimes, possibly doing something with music as well as construction. I must admit, I am a little nervous about performing the mimes, but I know that the Lord will be preparing me throughout the training sessions and even the 20-something hour bus ride. Many of the other students in my group, I don't really know yet, and so I am a little afraid of coming out of my comfort zone and really getting to know these other students but I know that I will get to know my peers even better and make many great friends as a result of this trip. One last prayer request is for the family I will be staying with throughout the week.
I know that prayer is an essential part of ministry, whether in Mexico, Asia, or Austin and know that God can do great things. It is for this reason that I am raising up a prayer team that will be praying for me both in preparation to the trip and while I am in Mexico, as well as for my specific ministry of doing mimes. I would like you to consider taking a part in this opportunity by creating that foundation of prayer for this trip. I am confident that prayer is very powerful, as I have seen it in my own life and that God will move when we pray. One specific prayer request I have at this point is that God would cause some crisis in my team during the trip, because when we're stretched the most we must rely on God all the more.
I anticipate that this trip will be a big step as I prepare for what will come in the next few years and would like to thank you for participating and investing in this mission trip through prayer. I am truly grateful for friends God has placed in my life such as you.
In Him,
Amanda
Romans 10:14 ~ "how then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?"
Hi! I hope that each of you had a great Christmas and New Years and are getting back into the swing of life whether it be school or work (or even both).
This past summer, I worked at a camp for inter-city kids and witnessed two of my campers come to know the Lord!! Another thing that I witnessed that week was, although this camp doesn't usually have a baptism service, God moved and we had one. This was an awesome opportunity for me to be able to participate in. My fall was pretty good, although my grades weren't as high as I would have liked them, and we didn't do our best in our marching competitions. I have truly enjoyed doing marching band this past fall, and plan on taking band again next year along with many other fine arts classes (including choir and color guard). Although I have enjoyed marching band these last few years, I have decided to set my marching flute down, and while still playing flute, and participate in color guard. I still enjoy dancing and love serving others and worshiping God through playing flute. This past Christmas, I participated in Christmas Evangelism Boot Camp which was a lot of fun and allowed me to see God working in lives, and opposition to the gospel. I believe that this opportunity has strengthened me for the future. Lastly, as always, I still enjoy AWANA and I'm looking forward to the national competition, Summit. This year, the local quiz team I was on placed first and I was allowed to help coach Bible Quiz for some of Grace Covenant's third through sixth graders.
This coming Spring Break, March 7-14th, many of the youth at Grace Covenant Church will be taking a trip to the cities of Queretaro, Celaya, and Salamanca, which are in central Mexico. We will be working with local missionaries and churches in these cities through running VBS, mimes, sharing testimonies, and working in some of the Mexican orphanages throughout the week. Some will also be working to construct an new church in Celaya as well. I will be involved in the mimes, possibly doing something with music as well as construction. I must admit, I am a little nervous about performing the mimes, but I know that the Lord will be preparing me throughout the training sessions and even the 20-something hour bus ride. Many of the other students in my group, I don't really know yet, and so I am a little afraid of coming out of my comfort zone and really getting to know these other students but I know that I will get to know my peers even better and make many great friends as a result of this trip. One last prayer request is for the family I will be staying with throughout the week.
I know that prayer is an essential part of ministry, whether in Mexico, Asia, or Austin and know that God can do great things. It is for this reason that I am raising up a prayer team that will be praying for me both in preparation to the trip and while I am in Mexico, as well as for my specific ministry of doing mimes. I would like you to consider taking a part in this opportunity by creating that foundation of prayer for this trip. I am confident that prayer is very powerful, as I have seen it in my own life and that God will move when we pray. One specific prayer request I have at this point is that God would cause some crisis in my team during the trip, because when we're stretched the most we must rely on God all the more.
I anticipate that this trip will be a big step as I prepare for what will come in the next few years and would like to thank you for participating and investing in this mission trip through prayer. I am truly grateful for friends God has placed in my life such as you.
In Him,
Amanda
Romans 10:14 ~ "how then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?"
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