I am in a club at my local community college called CRU. It is a campus ministry for Christ. We met today and the club has been a huge blessing to me! It is so uplifting to meet and worship and fellowship with other believers every week!
Anyway, the message from today was on 1 Thessalonians chapter 3. It reminded me lately that God knows the longing of my heart.... I'll get to that, don't worry.
Paul was talking about the Thessalonian church that he created and had to leave. (He was building and forming a lot of churches and creating disciples to lead those churches. He stayed for a year or two I think and then left to form another.) He is talking here about they were torn away in person, but not in thought. That meant Paul thought about them all the time! (This is where I was hooked!)
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about Lima, Peru where I went on my first mission trip overseas. A lot of things lately have been reminding me of either the people there or the land itself where we stayed as a team. Well, this applies to me because WE are separated in person, but not in thoughts and prayers.
In verse 18 of chapter 2 Paul writes that he wants to go back and see how they are doing, but was unable to, so in verse 2 of chapter 3, he sent Timothy to go down to encourage the Thessalonians in their faith. I am also wanting to go back and see my Peruvian friends again, but am unable to until next July. Thankfully, there is facebook so we can still communicate (with a lot of google translating).
But in verse 5, Paul admits he was afraid that "the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless." Wouldn't that be horrible to find out going back that all your work had been forgotten and almost seem as if there was no point anymore and it was all for nothing? Thankfully that was not the case. Timothy came back with a very encouraging report in verse 6. They had a strong faith and love. Also Paul writes, "He [Timothy] has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you."
My Peruvian friends tell me that they miss me. Sometimes I've wondered if they miss me as much as the team and I miss them. I can see why Paul was encouraged from that. Knowing that the feeling goes both ways, that both groups made an impact on each other and very encouraging.
Verses 9-10,11: "How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you."
I, like Paul, pray that I may see my friends again one day, and can only hope and trust that God will keep them all safe and answer my prayer.
God knows the longing of our hearts. I can only imagine the reunion that may have happened between Paul and the Thessalonian church years later! Probably many hugs, kisses, tears, and laughter, with everyone trying to talk at the same time. It makes me smile to think that one day, I will have a reunion like that with my Peru friends again next year!
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Sunday, October 27, 2013
What do you believe about yourself?
I was just sitting here reading the book The Unshakable Truth by father and son Josh and Sean McDowell. Amazing book! Truth number Seven is called "Living The Transformed Life" and chapter 30 is the third part of that truth. It is entitled "Seeing Yourself As God Sees You".
First of all, think of the most important people in your life. Parents? Friends? Teachers? Think on the things they say about you. Do they say you're a caring friend? A caring daughter/son? A smart student? A loving husband/wife? Someone who is not committed? Lazy? Antisocial? Unhappy? Mean?
Whatever the most important people in our lives say about us, we tend to believe. Am I right? We conform to their way of thinking. If what they say is negative, our thoughts toward ourself are also negative and we become very unhappy and begin to develop a low self-esteem. But if what they say is positive, we have a more positive attitude about life.
That should also be true with what GOD says about us. If He is the most important person in your life, you should believe him whole-heartedly. In the Bible, God says:
1.) You are His masterpiece (Eph. 2:10).
2.) You are beautiful (Ps. 139:14, Gen. 1:27, Song of Solomon 4:7).
3.) He loves you with an ever-lasting love (Jer. 31:3, Jn 3:16).
4.) He cares about what goes on in your life (2 Peter 5:7, Ps. 46:1).
5.) You are important (Jer. 29:11).
2.) You are beautiful (Ps. 139:14, Gen. 1:27, Song of Solomon 4:7).
3.) He loves you with an ever-lasting love (Jer. 31:3, Jn 3:16).
4.) He cares about what goes on in your life (2 Peter 5:7, Ps. 46:1).
5.) You are important (Jer. 29:11).
Please look up those verses and feel the truth behind the words.
Romans 12:2 (ESV) even tells us to not conform to the ways of this world. "...but be transformed by the renewal of your mind..." Let the Word of God transform your mind and the way you view yourself. Don't let the mindless words of other define who you are as a person. :) <3
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Follow Your Heart
Anthem Lightts released a new single Follow Your Heart” last night. It’s an incredible messaging saying to follow God’s heart! These guys are my favorite Christian band! (I loved them even before Joey joined over a year ago.) Once again these guys blew me away!!!! Every part of the song is so beautiful and such a powerful message!! It’s amazing because God has been teaching me to follow His Heart and then Anthem Lights writes this song? Coincidence? I think not! More like a God thing! ;) I’m not going to try to lie or sugar coat, it’s a tough ride learning to follow God’s heart, because we have to allow Him to change our heart and our lives. It hurts a lot. If you're nervous and uncomfortable now, here is the best part! Yes it may hurt and be a hard process. But guess what? In the end, when you take those steps to Follow God’s heart, it is completely amazing! It changes your whole life and your whole outlook on life! This song explains it all! When you follow God’s heart you will begin to make your mark! Don’t just listen to this song, let it stir your heart and make the decision to follow God’s heart and push forward no matter how high the mountain or how heavy the storm! <3
Here are the lyrics, and I will post the link to the song afterwards. God bless you all!
"Some say follow your own heart and it will never lead you astray. Some say chase your own dreams, that's all that matters anyway. Well I've been there, done that, tried that, lived that way like it was all for me. And I came back, found out, truth is, turns out to get me where I'm meant to be. I gotta follow YOUR HEART, if anything is gonna count in this life. I've gotta follow YOUR HEART if I'm ever gonna make a mark on eternity. So let Heaven's heartbeat always move me. Let my only prayer be to follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. I don't need a second opinion. You just say the word I'll go. And I don't need any convincing to walk along a narrow road cause I'm all in, sold out, can't turn back now. These are more than empty words. For the things that I want, I trust You got. I'll just keep the first thing first. I gotta follow YOUR HEART, if anything is gonna count in this life. I've gotta follow YOUR HEART, if I'm ever gonna make a mark on eternity. So let Heaven's heartbeat always move me. Let my only prayer be, to follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. I count it all as joy to give this life away, there's not a cost too high. A price that I won't pay to, Follow YOUR HEART. Follow YOUR HEART. Gotta follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. I've gotta follow YOUR HEART if anything is gonna count in this life. I've gotta follow YOUR HEART if I'm ever gonna make a mark on eternity. So let Heaven's heartbeat always move me. Let my only prayer be to follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. Follow YOUR HEART."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdu7R6FwLCg&list=FLTJEPyai2aH4brhsl9rYGAQ <3
Here are the lyrics, and I will post the link to the song afterwards. God bless you all!
"Some say follow your own heart and it will never lead you astray. Some say chase your own dreams, that's all that matters anyway. Well I've been there, done that, tried that, lived that way like it was all for me. And I came back, found out, truth is, turns out to get me where I'm meant to be. I gotta follow YOUR HEART, if anything is gonna count in this life. I've gotta follow YOUR HEART if I'm ever gonna make a mark on eternity. So let Heaven's heartbeat always move me. Let my only prayer be to follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. I don't need a second opinion. You just say the word I'll go. And I don't need any convincing to walk along a narrow road cause I'm all in, sold out, can't turn back now. These are more than empty words. For the things that I want, I trust You got. I'll just keep the first thing first. I gotta follow YOUR HEART, if anything is gonna count in this life. I've gotta follow YOUR HEART, if I'm ever gonna make a mark on eternity. So let Heaven's heartbeat always move me. Let my only prayer be, to follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. I count it all as joy to give this life away, there's not a cost too high. A price that I won't pay to, Follow YOUR HEART. Follow YOUR HEART. Gotta follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. I've gotta follow YOUR HEART if anything is gonna count in this life. I've gotta follow YOUR HEART if I'm ever gonna make a mark on eternity. So let Heaven's heartbeat always move me. Let my only prayer be to follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. Help me follow YOUR HEART. Follow YOUR HEART."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdu7R6FwLCg&list=FLTJEPyai2aH4brhsl9rYGAQ <3
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Peru mission trip!!!!
Hey 'all! :) It's been over 2 weeks since I've been home from Peru and I have a feeling this will be a long post haha So buckle your seatbelts and prepare your minds for what's to come. :P
It's always been my dream to fly on a mission trip somewhere. My church made my dream possible! If you've read my testimony, you know we switched churches back to my childhood church. During the Christmas Eve service my pastor was talking about a trip to Peru for the summer and right then I told my mom "I want to do this." and she told me to go talk to our pastor, so I did, and it was set! We had to raise a lot of money for the trip. I've had plenty of time to prepare my heart for this journey, but it still shocked me with what I've seen down in South America.
My church partnered with a few other churches in the state. We met at a meeting before, but during the trip, we grew so much closer. It was a blast getting to know everyone!
On the morning of July 22nd, I woke up at 4:30am and arrived at church at 5:15 to make sure suitcases were all ready and the right weight limit. We left around 5:30am to drive to Dulles Maryland. From there we met the rest of the group and flew to Houston Texas! Airports are so crazy! It was also my first time flying. I loved seeing the world get smaller as we gained altitude! Houston is so flat! I'm so used to the mountains of PA.
We finally arrived at the Peru airport and went through customs. At the airport, people were holding signs for other to find them easier... just like we see in movies. We all piled into a bus to drive to Little Lambs. Didn't get to bed until 1:30am (2:30 PA time).
7/23 (Tuesday)
We all woke up between 7 and 7:30 and showered. The showers were different than you'd normally see. We had to turn the water on, then flip the switch for the electricity to come on. I accidentally reached back and touched the handle and it shocked me. Then we had to turn the electricity switch off, then turn the water off afterwards. You get used to it after awhile. :)
We met everyone in the dining area for breakfast. They set up trays of really awesome breads for us! We also had eggs a lot. We prayed and talked together, then went out to face what the day had for us. We met some of the Peruvian people (amazingly awesome people!) and played with the children. We played a freeze tag type game called "cemente y agua" meaning "cement and water" where cemete freezed people and ague unfroze them. It was pretty fun!
One of the members of our team, Dee, got picked on all the time by everyone. It was pretty funny :)
Everyone is so loving. People run up randomly to hug you and kiss you on the cheek. I loved it so much! Definitely can't help feeling loved there!
Lunch time came around and we ate rice, sweet potatoes, chicken, and vegetables. Everything was amazing. Rice pudding was our dessert. Afterwards, we ran around with the kids some more, then walked to the area where we would be building one of the 2 homes. Our team was split into 2 groups: 1 group per house. We had to clear away an area. The pastor from the other church, Tim, is hilarious! He made a tail of leaves and used a machete to know trees down and pull them on top of himself. "All things are possible with God and machetes!" hahaha! There were also dogs and ducks and chickens walking around everyone. We picked up the chickens lol. One of the ducks barked.... so Tim imitated it and barked and did the duck's movements all week long. We all cracked up every time! Soooo we called it Tim's duck! :) The house had 2 rooms where we were at... the biggest was where the chickens and ducks were held. The small was the bedroom I was told. We saw a hole in the ground outside that is used to bathe in.... Imagine that.... I can't.... Makes you think how much we truly take things for granted here. All so eye-opening!
We learned and practiced in the church the songs and dances we performed for the Bible school! So catchy! We breathed in so much dirt haha.
We drew on the sidewalks with chalk with the kids. Saw lots of Jesus writings and church drawings. :) We also watched the Peru youth practicing their dance. So much talent!! I got asked to dance, but I didn't know it. lol. People remember your name very well down in Peru too. They care so much! <3
It was hard at first to remember to not put toilet paper in the toiled... they don't have the same plumbing as we do. Like the showers though, you get used to it. At home, we literally had to think about what we were doing! xD haha.
I also got told I smile and laugh a lot. :P hehe How could I not when I'm with those people? <3 In only 24 hours, our lives were changing from the amazing experience.
In Peru, you can't make the "ok" sign with your hands because that is the same meaning as if someone stuck up their middle finger to you.
It was so cold there! We were all bundled up in hoodies, multiple pairs of socks, and our alpaca blanket haha. Except Shelley. She was never cold.
After a shower, I went down to the dining area and watched a game of UNO with my new friend Neiser. Briana was playing UNO and Neiser kept trying to cheat for the other players. Briana said she would hit Neiser and I started laughing. Neiser was confused and I had to attempt to translate. I enjoyed practicing my Spanish, even though it was tough sometimes. It was time for bed, and Neiser was leaving. He called me short. :P
7/24 (Wednesday)
I woke up in the morning to hear how Tim doesn't use a comb on his hair; his uses a brush. Everyone was lovingly teasing him about it. Then he said he wants corn rows in his hair. haha :)
We had our first day of Bible school! WOOT WOOT! Everyone always gave Jesus a big "Woot Woot" and it was awesome! :D It definitely stuck through the rest of the week, and a lot of us even now still shout it randomly. One of the guys yelled "Weet Weet" instead of woot woot so we sometimes even yell "weet weet" just because...memories. :) But at Bible school, we danced to 3 awesome songs and had a great time getting the kids involved in it. The craft they made was a prayer box. Tim gave the message on prayer, while Sarah translated for them. The days seemed to last longer in Peru because no one was ever rushed for anything. Everyone is so laid back and no one ever cared about what time it was. Things always started late, but no one cared. I really liked that sometimes, not caring about the time or needing to be at a certain place right on the dot.
We ate spaghetti for dinner. :) It was excellent! We had an interesting drink made from purple corn. It wasn't my favorite thing there. I was more open to trying the food and drinks there than in the US for some reason. Not really sure why that is.
Afterwards, I kicked a soccer ball around with some of the people there. That's the only time you'll see me doing anything sports related. :P We went to a park outreach that the Peruvians hosted and put on a show for us all. It was really interesting with all the dancing. Also, Dee, Tim, and I saw 2 dogs mating. Tim said "they just did the nasty right in front of us!" and Dee and I started crying from laughing so hard. That became an inside joke of ours: Park!
Back at Little Lambs for dinner, Shelley put too much sugar in her tea and her face made everyone crack up. She was so hyper after that and it was hilarious! Amanda and I sang Veggie Tales songs hahaha! We're such odd people! :)
We had face painting! :D It was enjoyable. The kids LOVED it! The one 6 year old boy named Alex kept saying I was crazy. I love that kid! I was chasing him around where we stayed and caught him, wrapping him in my arms and tickling him. We were both laughing. Then we saw Ethan on the roof and Alex said to me "Tu loca para ti" meaning "You crazy for him" and kept making a heart sign with his hands at me and pointing at Ethan. I kept saying "no no no" but arguing with Alex never works.
For some reason, a lot of the Peru guys I hung around with thought Michaela and I were related, so they made a joke from it and kept switching our names on purpose. XD I didn't even miss my phone nearly as much as I thought I would. I barely even thought about it laying in the bottom of my suitcase. We had nightly meetings (with Tim's group) where we talked about our day. It was awesome! :) We prayed together too. So nice to share feelings like that.
7/25 (Thursday)
Merry Christmas in July! woot woot! Dee was named "princesa abuela" meaning grandma princess ;) hahaha.
We danced in the second park outreach and got to dance with the Peru group to their song! :D We probably made fools of ourselves, but we enjoyed doing it. Fools for Christ! <3
We went to start building the home. We had to dig probably about 20 holes through the day because we kept doing it wrong. We rode back on the moto-taxi which was so awesome! We passed a yarn shop and Shelley got super excited. Amanda and I almost fell off the back of the moto because we were laughing so hard.
My friend Kris asked me to play UNO so we played, laughed, and teased each other. Neiser cheats! :P
Then I walked to the church and I GOT TO PLAY GUITAR WITH THE WORSHIP TEAM!!!!! Such an amazing moment!!! :) I got pics with the team and Dee and I fell over laughing about the dogs again. xD
That was a night of a deep moment with Kris and some members of the team.
Doug, Sarah, and Israel made me try carbonated water. They wouldn't quit nagging me until I did. It's so gross!
Ethan and Michael and I played with the kids. Ethan got attacked and kept asking me to free him, as I took pictures!
7/26 (Friday)
I sat on the roof for a minute. It was cool. We went shopping downtown today! Downtown traffic was crazy -- like worse than Pittsburgh! The cars drove so close to us and there was so much honking because no one uses turn signals. I found a lot of gifts. It was a great time. I also have some soles (the money) too. We ate at a restaurant called Norky's and they had Inca Kola!!!! Dee and I talked and laughed the whole way back. I said they should turn the A/C on, but there was no air in the bus... so now instead of "park" being our joke, it's "park-air". We blamed our endless laughter on the bus fumes. Shelley and Lori saw 4 guys relieving themselves outside....awkwaaaard.... And we enjoyed teasing Shelley.
It's funny how I felt so at home there, especially considering the poverty.
We played Dutch Blitz which was a game I quickly became hooked on. We stopped because Tim wanted me to get some pictures for him of some of the team. He got made at someone for saying something I didn't hear, but was I think aimed at me. We talked later in the top of the church and he explained his childhood to me after I said his sermon he was planning fit me almost perfectly. We had a nice deep conversation and he asked me to help me with the message. It was on hurting and broken hearts. Amanda and Michael created a dance to Jar Of Hearts by Christina Perri, and it was amazing! It gave me chills just watching them practice. My job was to hold up a broken heart and separate the pieces (Satan steals our joy), then hold up a full heart (how Jesus can make us whole).
I walk down and Neiser wanted me to play the guitar. He got it for me and just sat in front of me watching and listening to me sing and play. We talked for awhile afterwards.
Then I talked with Ethan for awhile.
It was Elmer's birthday and we gave him a gift that we split the cost of.
7/27 (Saturday)
Busy day. We celebrated Peru Independence Day today, even though it's not today. (I think it's the 28th but I could be wrong.) There was dancing from every age in the school. It was adorable! I sat on the roof and watched, then raced down when it was the Team's turn to dance. Hung out with my awesome friends there. Then we went to work at the house more.
We showed up at the house and saw that they tried to re-build the house (as if we wouldn't notice the huge gaping hole where a panels was only days before) differently to make it bigger. They thought we would have more panels for them, which we didn't. No one wanted to stay and re-build it, but we ended up modifying it, and it was a little bit smaller than before. We left the extra panels there, because the family is going to re-build it their way sometime in the future.
We got back and had the church service where Tim spoke. The altar call was amazing!!! Probably my favorite night of the week! Most of the team went up during the call and laid hands on those who knelt by the cross praying (silently or aloud). It almost made me cry, too. Afterwards, we walked around and asked people if they were okay and if there was anything we could do to help them. Kris hugged me for awhile and said I'm like his sister, and his best friend, and he loves me. We planned to talk more the next day, because he was going home. I met up with Neiser and Michaela and we joked around. Before leaving, Neiser picked me up really high haha. Then Ethan spun me in circles. I think we were all in great moods from the church service. Their services are so cool. The youth did an amazing pantomime that I loved! I wish I could see more things like that around where I live.
This was a day full of ups and downs... but God worked wonders by the end of it!
7/28 (Sunday)
We had church this morning where Pastor Gary preached. Each member of the Team got upfront to introduce ourselves and say something. It was interesting, considering I'm not much of a public speaker and it was totally improv. Israel translated for the Peruvians. Pastor Gary spoke on being a witness. After church we talked to the people for awhile and Neiser wanted me to wear his sweatshirt and get a picture with me in it. It was so long on me and Neiser made fun of me the rest of the day haha. I asked why and he was like, "por favor? para mi?" (please? for me?) so I gave in haha. :)
We ate goat today! :) It's so good!
We set out to go finish the house today. Didn't go as well as we hoped, but it's finished. "Weet weet!"
We laughed and danced and cheered a lot in celebration haha.
I was outside one time and Alex kept coming up and scaring me. He's so cute!
I handed out some gifts to the children, too! We also bought our tea and Inka to take home with us!<3
After playing UNO (Peruvian way...won't ever be the same again), I went to shower, and the power went off on me twice. Not fun because it was dark and the water turned freezing haha.
7/29 (Monday)
After breakfast, Pastor Gary had me pray for our protection and for the day. I don't like praying out loud, so that was new for me kind of.
We got all of our stuff packed up and it took awhile to get organized enough. I walked into the dining area and hung out listening to music with Kris. I also kicked the soccer ball around outside a bit with 2 of the guys. We took some pictures and joked around with the guys. We kept trying to get Louis to say "scared" and he said "escared". It was too funny!
We played Dutch Blitz and Michael and I were going at it and slamming cards down. hahaha!
For lunch some of us tried guinea pig (cui)! It was too chewy for my taste. My new friends kept laughing when I showed them the picture of it that I took because it's a pet (mascota) in the States and food in Peru.
We hung out for awhile and walked to the 2 houses that were built. We came back and talked some more. The cooks told us they had a snack for us and it ended up being like a dinner: chicken, rice, and potatoes.
Preparing to leave was not fun at all! The bus came around 7pm and we were all walking around hugging everyone and saying our goodbyes. A lot of us (both American and Peruvian) started crying. Neiser hugged me and (trying to make me stop crying and be happier) said, "Facebook. Tomorrow." <3 Then one of the little girls kept hugging me tightly and trying to move my mouth with her fingers to make me smile. She said "No triste, happy happy happy!" It was adorable! Kris was hugging me for a long time and said he loves me and he'll miss me and for me not to cry. I completely lost it.... A lot of the older women hugged and kissed me. One of them tried to wipe my tears away. I hugged Neiser again and was the last one on the bus. We drove off and waved to everyone until we couldn't see them anymore.
Neiser surprised me by meeting us at the airport. I ran over and yelled "oh my gosh!" and gave him a big hug. It was so crowded there haha...
We played Dutch Blitz in the airport during our wait. Good distraction.
Slept for 3 hours max. on the flight to Houston. Back in Houston, we had a 5 hour layover and just laid around. I turned my cell phone on and it was so weird having it on again and using it. The first thing I had was a voicemail saying I lost my second job I had just gotten for a stupid reason, and I wanted to just turned around and get on the next plane back to Lima and away from drama and stress again.
Sat by Josh on the flight from Houston to Dulles. He was singing "Don't Stop Believing" and dancing haha. I needed a laugh.
Came home and my life is changed! I no longer take as many things for granted. I miss everyone so much and think about them all the time. They're always in my prayers and I'd go back in a heartbeat. We keep in contact through facebook, which I'm so happy about, but you know it's never the same as talking to them in person. I can't wait for next year! Already talking fundraising! Woot Woot! <333
It's always been my dream to fly on a mission trip somewhere. My church made my dream possible! If you've read my testimony, you know we switched churches back to my childhood church. During the Christmas Eve service my pastor was talking about a trip to Peru for the summer and right then I told my mom "I want to do this." and she told me to go talk to our pastor, so I did, and it was set! We had to raise a lot of money for the trip. I've had plenty of time to prepare my heart for this journey, but it still shocked me with what I've seen down in South America.
My church partnered with a few other churches in the state. We met at a meeting before, but during the trip, we grew so much closer. It was a blast getting to know everyone!
On the morning of July 22nd, I woke up at 4:30am and arrived at church at 5:15 to make sure suitcases were all ready and the right weight limit. We left around 5:30am to drive to Dulles Maryland. From there we met the rest of the group and flew to Houston Texas! Airports are so crazy! It was also my first time flying. I loved seeing the world get smaller as we gained altitude! Houston is so flat! I'm so used to the mountains of PA.
We finally arrived at the Peru airport and went through customs. At the airport, people were holding signs for other to find them easier... just like we see in movies. We all piled into a bus to drive to Little Lambs. Didn't get to bed until 1:30am (2:30 PA time).
7/23 (Tuesday)
We all woke up between 7 and 7:30 and showered. The showers were different than you'd normally see. We had to turn the water on, then flip the switch for the electricity to come on. I accidentally reached back and touched the handle and it shocked me. Then we had to turn the electricity switch off, then turn the water off afterwards. You get used to it after awhile. :)
We met everyone in the dining area for breakfast. They set up trays of really awesome breads for us! We also had eggs a lot. We prayed and talked together, then went out to face what the day had for us. We met some of the Peruvian people (amazingly awesome people!) and played with the children. We played a freeze tag type game called "cemente y agua" meaning "cement and water" where cemete freezed people and ague unfroze them. It was pretty fun!
One of the members of our team, Dee, got picked on all the time by everyone. It was pretty funny :)
Everyone is so loving. People run up randomly to hug you and kiss you on the cheek. I loved it so much! Definitely can't help feeling loved there!
Lunch time came around and we ate rice, sweet potatoes, chicken, and vegetables. Everything was amazing. Rice pudding was our dessert. Afterwards, we ran around with the kids some more, then walked to the area where we would be building one of the 2 homes. Our team was split into 2 groups: 1 group per house. We had to clear away an area. The pastor from the other church, Tim, is hilarious! He made a tail of leaves and used a machete to know trees down and pull them on top of himself. "All things are possible with God and machetes!" hahaha! There were also dogs and ducks and chickens walking around everyone. We picked up the chickens lol. One of the ducks barked.... so Tim imitated it and barked and did the duck's movements all week long. We all cracked up every time! Soooo we called it Tim's duck! :) The house had 2 rooms where we were at... the biggest was where the chickens and ducks were held. The small was the bedroom I was told. We saw a hole in the ground outside that is used to bathe in.... Imagine that.... I can't.... Makes you think how much we truly take things for granted here. All so eye-opening!
We learned and practiced in the church the songs and dances we performed for the Bible school! So catchy! We breathed in so much dirt haha.
We drew on the sidewalks with chalk with the kids. Saw lots of Jesus writings and church drawings. :) We also watched the Peru youth practicing their dance. So much talent!! I got asked to dance, but I didn't know it. lol. People remember your name very well down in Peru too. They care so much! <3
It was hard at first to remember to not put toilet paper in the toiled... they don't have the same plumbing as we do. Like the showers though, you get used to it. At home, we literally had to think about what we were doing! xD haha.
I also got told I smile and laugh a lot. :P hehe How could I not when I'm with those people? <3 In only 24 hours, our lives were changing from the amazing experience.
In Peru, you can't make the "ok" sign with your hands because that is the same meaning as if someone stuck up their middle finger to you.
It was so cold there! We were all bundled up in hoodies, multiple pairs of socks, and our alpaca blanket haha. Except Shelley. She was never cold.
After a shower, I went down to the dining area and watched a game of UNO with my new friend Neiser. Briana was playing UNO and Neiser kept trying to cheat for the other players. Briana said she would hit Neiser and I started laughing. Neiser was confused and I had to attempt to translate. I enjoyed practicing my Spanish, even though it was tough sometimes. It was time for bed, and Neiser was leaving. He called me short. :P
7/24 (Wednesday)
I woke up in the morning to hear how Tim doesn't use a comb on his hair; his uses a brush. Everyone was lovingly teasing him about it. Then he said he wants corn rows in his hair. haha :)
We had our first day of Bible school! WOOT WOOT! Everyone always gave Jesus a big "Woot Woot" and it was awesome! :D It definitely stuck through the rest of the week, and a lot of us even now still shout it randomly. One of the guys yelled "Weet Weet" instead of woot woot so we sometimes even yell "weet weet" just because...memories. :) But at Bible school, we danced to 3 awesome songs and had a great time getting the kids involved in it. The craft they made was a prayer box. Tim gave the message on prayer, while Sarah translated for them. The days seemed to last longer in Peru because no one was ever rushed for anything. Everyone is so laid back and no one ever cared about what time it was. Things always started late, but no one cared. I really liked that sometimes, not caring about the time or needing to be at a certain place right on the dot.
We ate spaghetti for dinner. :) It was excellent! We had an interesting drink made from purple corn. It wasn't my favorite thing there. I was more open to trying the food and drinks there than in the US for some reason. Not really sure why that is.
Afterwards, I kicked a soccer ball around with some of the people there. That's the only time you'll see me doing anything sports related. :P We went to a park outreach that the Peruvians hosted and put on a show for us all. It was really interesting with all the dancing. Also, Dee, Tim, and I saw 2 dogs mating. Tim said "they just did the nasty right in front of us!" and Dee and I started crying from laughing so hard. That became an inside joke of ours: Park!
Back at Little Lambs for dinner, Shelley put too much sugar in her tea and her face made everyone crack up. She was so hyper after that and it was hilarious! Amanda and I sang Veggie Tales songs hahaha! We're such odd people! :)
We had face painting! :D It was enjoyable. The kids LOVED it! The one 6 year old boy named Alex kept saying I was crazy. I love that kid! I was chasing him around where we stayed and caught him, wrapping him in my arms and tickling him. We were both laughing. Then we saw Ethan on the roof and Alex said to me "Tu loca para ti" meaning "You crazy for him" and kept making a heart sign with his hands at me and pointing at Ethan. I kept saying "no no no" but arguing with Alex never works.
For some reason, a lot of the Peru guys I hung around with thought Michaela and I were related, so they made a joke from it and kept switching our names on purpose. XD I didn't even miss my phone nearly as much as I thought I would. I barely even thought about it laying in the bottom of my suitcase. We had nightly meetings (with Tim's group) where we talked about our day. It was awesome! :) We prayed together too. So nice to share feelings like that.
7/25 (Thursday)
Merry Christmas in July! woot woot! Dee was named "princesa abuela" meaning grandma princess ;) hahaha.
We danced in the second park outreach and got to dance with the Peru group to their song! :D We probably made fools of ourselves, but we enjoyed doing it. Fools for Christ! <3
We went to start building the home. We had to dig probably about 20 holes through the day because we kept doing it wrong. We rode back on the moto-taxi which was so awesome! We passed a yarn shop and Shelley got super excited. Amanda and I almost fell off the back of the moto because we were laughing so hard.
My friend Kris asked me to play UNO so we played, laughed, and teased each other. Neiser cheats! :P
Then I walked to the church and I GOT TO PLAY GUITAR WITH THE WORSHIP TEAM!!!!! Such an amazing moment!!! :) I got pics with the team and Dee and I fell over laughing about the dogs again. xD
That was a night of a deep moment with Kris and some members of the team.
Doug, Sarah, and Israel made me try carbonated water. They wouldn't quit nagging me until I did. It's so gross!
Ethan and Michael and I played with the kids. Ethan got attacked and kept asking me to free him, as I took pictures!
7/26 (Friday)
I sat on the roof for a minute. It was cool. We went shopping downtown today! Downtown traffic was crazy -- like worse than Pittsburgh! The cars drove so close to us and there was so much honking because no one uses turn signals. I found a lot of gifts. It was a great time. I also have some soles (the money) too. We ate at a restaurant called Norky's and they had Inca Kola!!!! Dee and I talked and laughed the whole way back. I said they should turn the A/C on, but there was no air in the bus... so now instead of "park" being our joke, it's "park-air". We blamed our endless laughter on the bus fumes. Shelley and Lori saw 4 guys relieving themselves outside....awkwaaaard.... And we enjoyed teasing Shelley.
It's funny how I felt so at home there, especially considering the poverty.
We played Dutch Blitz which was a game I quickly became hooked on. We stopped because Tim wanted me to get some pictures for him of some of the team. He got made at someone for saying something I didn't hear, but was I think aimed at me. We talked later in the top of the church and he explained his childhood to me after I said his sermon he was planning fit me almost perfectly. We had a nice deep conversation and he asked me to help me with the message. It was on hurting and broken hearts. Amanda and Michael created a dance to Jar Of Hearts by Christina Perri, and it was amazing! It gave me chills just watching them practice. My job was to hold up a broken heart and separate the pieces (Satan steals our joy), then hold up a full heart (how Jesus can make us whole).
I walk down and Neiser wanted me to play the guitar. He got it for me and just sat in front of me watching and listening to me sing and play. We talked for awhile afterwards.
Then I talked with Ethan for awhile.
It was Elmer's birthday and we gave him a gift that we split the cost of.
7/27 (Saturday)
Busy day. We celebrated Peru Independence Day today, even though it's not today. (I think it's the 28th but I could be wrong.) There was dancing from every age in the school. It was adorable! I sat on the roof and watched, then raced down when it was the Team's turn to dance. Hung out with my awesome friends there. Then we went to work at the house more.
We showed up at the house and saw that they tried to re-build the house (as if we wouldn't notice the huge gaping hole where a panels was only days before) differently to make it bigger. They thought we would have more panels for them, which we didn't. No one wanted to stay and re-build it, but we ended up modifying it, and it was a little bit smaller than before. We left the extra panels there, because the family is going to re-build it their way sometime in the future.
We got back and had the church service where Tim spoke. The altar call was amazing!!! Probably my favorite night of the week! Most of the team went up during the call and laid hands on those who knelt by the cross praying (silently or aloud). It almost made me cry, too. Afterwards, we walked around and asked people if they were okay and if there was anything we could do to help them. Kris hugged me for awhile and said I'm like his sister, and his best friend, and he loves me. We planned to talk more the next day, because he was going home. I met up with Neiser and Michaela and we joked around. Before leaving, Neiser picked me up really high haha. Then Ethan spun me in circles. I think we were all in great moods from the church service. Their services are so cool. The youth did an amazing pantomime that I loved! I wish I could see more things like that around where I live.
This was a day full of ups and downs... but God worked wonders by the end of it!
7/28 (Sunday)
We had church this morning where Pastor Gary preached. Each member of the Team got upfront to introduce ourselves and say something. It was interesting, considering I'm not much of a public speaker and it was totally improv. Israel translated for the Peruvians. Pastor Gary spoke on being a witness. After church we talked to the people for awhile and Neiser wanted me to wear his sweatshirt and get a picture with me in it. It was so long on me and Neiser made fun of me the rest of the day haha. I asked why and he was like, "por favor? para mi?" (please? for me?) so I gave in haha. :)
We ate goat today! :) It's so good!
We set out to go finish the house today. Didn't go as well as we hoped, but it's finished. "Weet weet!"
We laughed and danced and cheered a lot in celebration haha.
I was outside one time and Alex kept coming up and scaring me. He's so cute!
I handed out some gifts to the children, too! We also bought our tea and Inka to take home with us!<3
After playing UNO (Peruvian way...won't ever be the same again), I went to shower, and the power went off on me twice. Not fun because it was dark and the water turned freezing haha.
7/29 (Monday)
After breakfast, Pastor Gary had me pray for our protection and for the day. I don't like praying out loud, so that was new for me kind of.
We got all of our stuff packed up and it took awhile to get organized enough. I walked into the dining area and hung out listening to music with Kris. I also kicked the soccer ball around outside a bit with 2 of the guys. We took some pictures and joked around with the guys. We kept trying to get Louis to say "scared" and he said "escared". It was too funny!
We played Dutch Blitz and Michael and I were going at it and slamming cards down. hahaha!
For lunch some of us tried guinea pig (cui)! It was too chewy for my taste. My new friends kept laughing when I showed them the picture of it that I took because it's a pet (mascota) in the States and food in Peru.
We hung out for awhile and walked to the 2 houses that were built. We came back and talked some more. The cooks told us they had a snack for us and it ended up being like a dinner: chicken, rice, and potatoes.
Preparing to leave was not fun at all! The bus came around 7pm and we were all walking around hugging everyone and saying our goodbyes. A lot of us (both American and Peruvian) started crying. Neiser hugged me and (trying to make me stop crying and be happier) said, "Facebook. Tomorrow." <3 Then one of the little girls kept hugging me tightly and trying to move my mouth with her fingers to make me smile. She said "No triste, happy happy happy!" It was adorable! Kris was hugging me for a long time and said he loves me and he'll miss me and for me not to cry. I completely lost it.... A lot of the older women hugged and kissed me. One of them tried to wipe my tears away. I hugged Neiser again and was the last one on the bus. We drove off and waved to everyone until we couldn't see them anymore.
Neiser surprised me by meeting us at the airport. I ran over and yelled "oh my gosh!" and gave him a big hug. It was so crowded there haha...
We played Dutch Blitz in the airport during our wait. Good distraction.
Slept for 3 hours max. on the flight to Houston. Back in Houston, we had a 5 hour layover and just laid around. I turned my cell phone on and it was so weird having it on again and using it. The first thing I had was a voicemail saying I lost my second job I had just gotten for a stupid reason, and I wanted to just turned around and get on the next plane back to Lima and away from drama and stress again.
Sat by Josh on the flight from Houston to Dulles. He was singing "Don't Stop Believing" and dancing haha. I needed a laugh.
Came home and my life is changed! I no longer take as many things for granted. I miss everyone so much and think about them all the time. They're always in my prayers and I'd go back in a heartbeat. We keep in contact through facebook, which I'm so happy about, but you know it's never the same as talking to them in person. I can't wait for next year! Already talking fundraising! Woot Woot! <333
Monday, July 15, 2013
Never say you're too young!
There are so many laws restricting young adults from doing many things in today's society. Examples are you can't drive until you're 16, you can't buy lottery tickets or cigarettes until you're 18, you can't drink until you're 21, and the list goes on and on. And if you want to do one of those things, most times you get carded to prove you're the right age and you're not using someone else's name.
Jeremiah 1:6-10 (NIV) says this:
“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
To spread God's word, you don't need to believe you're too young and inexperienced. God told Jeremiah to obey everything He says because He will rescue Jeremiah from anyone who gets in his way. God is always with us. He empowers us. Spreading God's word is priceless and very rewarding! You can tell anyone about God! Pray and ask the Lord to send an opportunity your way. No matter how small, God will use you to do His will. He says in Matthew 21:22 (ESV) "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Don't let anyone get in your way or tell you you're too young to know what you're talking about!
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Independence Day.
We are called to be FREE! Like Galations 5:13 tells us. We are free because of Christ! And yet people go out and abuse our freedoms every day... They "indulge the flesh" by going out and getting drunk, living sexually impure lives, and going along with the crowd. We are made to stand out (in the image of Christ) and speak His Word! Go out wherever you're celebrating today and praise the Name of God! :)
Thursday, April 25, 2013
How my "Tests" turned into my "Testimony"!
Hey! First of all, the title of my new blog "Forgiven, Found & Rescued" has a special meaning for me. It's lyrics to the bridge of an amazing song by a singer Aaron Keyes, which you'll read about later. But that is what we are in Christ. It's what I became at the end of all the trials in my life, and I'm really hoping this blog will help and encourage anyone reading it. Stay strong in your faith! Here is my testimony:
My name is Emily. I'm 18 years old. My testimony isn't like the ones you usually hear of. I didn't grown up in an abusive family. My parents are still together. I was raised in a Christian home my entire life. But like everyone, I have had to overcome some very tough challenges. Bear with me here as I attempt to type it all down to share with you...
Might as well start at the very beginning, right? (And by beginning, I mean VERY beginning.)
I was born 3 months early, in July instead of October. I weighed 2 pounds, 1 ounce. Yep... I also had some type of fluid around my heart, and my brain was swelled. I should never have lived past the first night. The doctors didn't think I would. My mom hardly got a chance to hold me, before I was taken away from her. As if that wasn't enough to deal with already, since my health was so bad that my chance of survival was very slim, I was life-flighted to a hospital about 2 hours away. My first flight on a helicopter! Exciting, right? If only I remembered it... probably a good thing I don't, considering all the obstacles, and I was only a few days old.
Anyway, I don't remember all the details, but my parents watched the helicopter fly away. My dad told me once that as they watched it leave, he had a sense of peace that everything would be okay. How could something like this turn out okay, you might ask? Keep reading!
My parents walked into the hospital one day after getting something to eat or something (yes, they slept there on very uncomfortable mattresses and it was freezing!) and all the doctors and nurses were crowded around together. My parents were starting to worry. "What was going on with my baby?" So they rushed over and the doctor or nurse told them that the fluid around my heart was completely GONE! And the swelling in my brain was going down. "I have no idea where it went!" the nurse exclaimed!
"We do." my parents said.
God. That's where. He removed it. He healed me. So, I guess you could say I'm a miracle baby.
But there was one catch. Doctors told my parents that I would definitely have some percentage of mental retardation.
But here I am, nearly 19 years later. No degree of any mental disabilities.
Anyway, like I said, my parents raised me in the Christian faith. I lived with my dad's mom for about 3 years before we found our current house. I was a very happy baby, who very rarely cried over anything. My mom said I used to ask questions about Jesus all the time as a young girl.
I went to pre-school at my church. But I wasn't ready for it, so they waited an extra year to send me. So technically, I should have been a grade above where I was all through school. But after my pre-school and kindergarten years, came elementary school at the school I've attended my whole life. In elementary school, I was always made fun of because I was smaller than everyone in my grade. I remember coming off the bus and walking into the house crying because of something some kids said to me that day. Kids eventually grew up, and in 4th grade, I met my best friend.
Also, when I was 10 years old, I found out I had a spine condition called scoliosis.That is where the spine is curved at a larger degree, making me walking semi-crooked. My parents decided to have me go to a hospital (the same hospital I was life-flighted to as an infant, in fact) to get it checked out. I had 2 options:
1.) Wear a hard brace for 5 years.
or 2.) Surgery
We opted for the brace. It was very hard to put on, and it straightened my spine. My friends all wanted to punch me, because it was like wearing a hard plastic shield... it didn't hurt me. But those first couple weeks, when I had to put it back on after my shower, I remember just laying in my bed crying from the pain. I never protested to my parents, because I wanted to stay strong and just get the problem fixed.
Soon, I got used to it and it didn't hurt as bad. It only bothered me when I was itchy and couldn't reach my side or wherever the itch was. But fortunately for me, when I was 13, I got to take the brace off for good. I was able to wear jeans again!!!
I also needed braces a few years later.
I don't remember when I became a Christian. All I know was that I was very young. I wish I remembered exactly what happened and where I was.
When I was in 9th grade, I got my first boyfriend! His name was Tom, and he was a grade under me. He told me he liked me one night over a text or facebook, and the next morning was Labor Day and I told him I liked him, too. He came to my house and met my family and we hung out. Dad and I drove him home and after that, we texted constantly and he called me a lot after school (though service was bad near where he lived). We hung out at school football games, and took weekends and went to the mall. I was very shy around him, because I was only 15 and he was my first boyfriend! He's dated other girls before me. The most we ever did was hold hands, and in school he kissed me cheek once, and my hand maybe twice. Then one day, my school had a Fall Fine Arts concert and a friend of both of ours in his grade came up and told me Tom was going to break up with me. Of course I didn't believe him. Then Tom was acting weird, so I texted him, and sure enough, he dumped me after dating for about 6 weeks. I shouldn't have had to find out from everyone BUT him! and over a text... I mean, really? I was really upset about it for a long time afterwards, and it was extremely awkward in school. My friends were still friends with him and I saw him often. We stopped talking altogether. Soon enough, it wasn't awkward anymore, but to this day we don't talk.
Life was normal up until 10th grade. My one bestie and I expanded our group of friends, as we gradually met others. We hung out every weekend, shared secrets, and everything that young teenage girls do. We were also very over-dramatic about things.
I became very active in the music department of my school. Yay music dork!<3 I played the violin in the orchestra, sang in the chorus, and was involved in the musicals. Also, I started learning to play the guitar. I instantly fell in love. But a lot of times I didn't want to practice because of the teacher I had. She wasn't my favorite person.... So, I never practiced what she gave me, so my progress was slow, and I became frustrated that a year into my lessons, I couldn't play a chord progression smoothly enough to satisfy me or her. So I left. My cousin taught me a lot during a few summers when he was home from college (to be a music teacher). I was happier with that, and actually enjoyed what I learned (for the most part).
My guitar became my "safe place" for when life got hard.
Back to school. Tenth grade came and things started to get a little rough, but nothing we couldn't handle. Or so we thought. We had crushes, and joked around with everyone. Most people would consider me a very quiet person; most still do.
But back to the musical stuff. Like I said previously, I loved musicals! We were one big family. We trusted each other, joked around about everything, and just enjoyed being together. Our director was pretty awesome, too. Of course we had some issues along the way, and tech week was never enjoyable being at the school late into the night practicing, but at the end, it paid off. Our musical that year was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. My favorite, by far! One of my long-time crushes starred in the show, and he was shirtless for a scene, soooo I was a happy girl. :P The afternoon of our opening night, one of the dancers got into a serious car accident and got killed. The Joseph cast all met in the band room of our school and circled up. We formed a prayer circle, and walked around talking and comforting each other however we could manage. Just remembering that night, all the grief shared and seen, makes me want to cry even now over 2 years later. We became so close that night. We didn't perform the show, needless to say. But the next night, we did! We got through it, and broke down afterwards in the arms of our cast family members. I've never felt that close in a musical cast since.
Also that year, I went through a very hard time shortly after her death... I stood up for my Christian beliefs about homosexuality being a sin. I lost nearly every single one of my friends that weekend. The ones I didn't lose became distant enough. I walked through the school alone for my last 2 years basically. It got to the point that I was afraid to go to school because of what the other kids might say to me. I was cyber-bullied any time I got online... texts came too. Bullies are everywhere now, and people aren't afraid over a computer. Then everyone tried to turn it back on me.
Then that weekend, God sent a long-lost friend from my old church back into my life and turned things right-side up again! He soon became a big crush of mine for quite awhile, hehe. He made me smile, and we were into a lot of the same things: music, beliefs, and basically could talk about anything and be silly. We texted constantly and that was one of the only ways I made it through my school days. Things started to cool down a bit after a few months, then it would magically start up again at random moments and things got awkward again with my friends. I do not regret that decision, and would do it again in a heartbeat. I became a stronger person because of it. I may have trust issues now because of most people from my school that year, but at least I'm more cautious.
The end of the school year, I found out that my best friend in the world was moving 2 hours away. At that time, it seemed like the worst thing in the world. We all left our one friend's house crying after swimming and going in the hot tub, so as we were driving my friend home one last time, her and I joked (trying to lighten the moment) through our tears that we didn't know if we were wet from pool water or crying. We stayed up that whole weekend until 3am every night texting each other about any little thing we could think of. Reminiscing on the school year, telling secrets, and having deep conversation about the future and how we felt... couldn't leave that out, even though it was obvious for both of us. No one could cheer me up during the day. It felt like my heart was breaking. She left June 25 that year... the start of the summer. I didn't see her again until August. It felt like the longest 2 months ever! We've never gone that long without seeing each other because of school, since 7th grade. We called and texted as much as we could, until her parents got mad at her for using her phone too much. Yep, we were mad.
Not gonna say we ever got used to it, because then I'd be lying. But we learned to get by. Life was changing for both of us in different ways.
That summer, my grace brethren church raised money for us to go on a 5 day trip called Momentum. Lucky for our first time there, we only had to travel less than 10 minutes to get to where we stayed. It's a Christian summer camp thing... minus the camp... not sure what to call it. But anyway, there were speakers and amazing music from Aaron Keyes, and a lot of classes to choose from for each day. On the second to last day, each church group went on a separate missions trip to help around the community and witness to people. I'm pretty sure we went to a park? Not sure why I can't remember that detail, but it was tiring. The final night there, we all celebrated and danced after communion and feet washing and deep conversations. It was sooo amazing!!!! I got so close with that group and we were already talking about next year! We laughed together and shared secrets.
Only one problem. I was kind of flirting with this guy (Let's call him W) I didn't like in the way he supposedly liked me. Later I found out he had a lot of mental issues going on that I never knew about... My mom found a conversations once and banned me from talking to him. He created a secret account on facebook under a Christian name and we talked from there. Mom found out again. I felt horrible for betraying her trust and silently vowed never to do anything like that again! Throughout the whole thing, I hardly talked to ANYONE about it, just wanting to stop thinking about it, which was near impossible. Everyone could see how upset I was, but no one knew why at first. I felt like such a horrible person for everything I've done.
A few days after Momentum, I met some new friends on facebook. Glad they didn't think I was creepy for just randomly adding them. To this day, a few of them are some of my closest friends and I'd trust them with my life, like I would with any of my local best friends! One especially I became closer with; his name is Isaiah! Not sure why I suddenly confided in him about so much, but it just happened one day. He has also strengthened my faith in ways he'll never know. :)
11th grade was here! We were JUNIORS! OH MY GOSH! EXCITEMENT! Then it died down as the work loads piled up. I lost more friends during that year. I guess you could even say, I made enemies. Drama was also starting at my church. My youth leader one night at youth showed the video of Louie Giglio's Mash-Up! Youtube it. Still takes my breath away, and I got to see it LIVE! Well, I was thinking: "I'm gonna like this!" So we watched the video. Then randomly, my youth leader started saying how he was sick of hearing about the "gay" situations and how "we" (subtly meaning me) were cowards and hypocrites. I was SO angry and hurt by that. I never felt comfortable around him since that evening. I even tried to avoid him as much as possible, and spoke as little as I could at youth, only wanting to get out of there. I also heard from a married couple that I talked to Sunday mornings, that my youth leader told them to watch out for me because I was supposedly "flirting" with the husband... Umm, NO! He didn't know me at all, if that's what he thought.
Christmas was here! My mom told me I could talk to that guy (W) I used to talk to before, again. We started talking again, just friends. Things were okay, until around February. I found out that he lied to me about so many big things... probably scared I'd stop being his friend if I knew the things he was into. No drugs as far as I know, although he was pressured. But he was into some very bad things in his spare time, and he didn't get along with his family at all. He ended up moving out of his house and I haven't heard from him since. I used to be tempted to ask how he was, but it was forbidden by my mom. I didn't have much of a problem though, since I was angry that he did that to me. Since then, I've had issues with who I trust and what I tell certain people.
The school year finally ended, and my church was getting ready for Momentum again in the summer! Kentucky this time. I was excited for everything again, plus the chance to meet my facebook friends from the previous year. We traveled with a different youth group, and had a blast driving down! The van pulled up to the building where we could check in and we were happy to stretch our legs after the 8 hour drive. We were yelling about some silly game we played on the way there and laughed at the confusion floating around. Then I met my online friends! I heard my name called, and it took me a second to realize. Sadly, we didn't get to hang out much that week because we were all on different schedules with groups, but we did see each other and talk sometimes, which was fun! Some things about it, I liked the first year better. Other things, I liked the second year. So when people ask which year was my favorite, I have trouble deciding. Our mission trip that year. we went to a mall and witnessed, then we went to a home where people gave out... food I think? or clothing or something, or maybe a bit of everything. But I was ecstatic because I got to play guitar! This one guy named Marcus sang Jesus Friend Of Sinners as a duet with me! :) Every time I hear that song, I think of that day! Lots of work was done, and we were all tired and sweaty when we got back. The girls made a beeline for the showers. We had a dance/singing party in there singing Aaron Keyes! Soooo much fun! The celebration at the end was also awesome, but since we weren't on the floor that year, no one really danced. Then we rushed to get ready to go home the next morning. We were up late the night before talking, and we overslept, so we were in a rush! Saying goodbye to our friends that day was sooo hard.... and we were all exhausted.
Rough couple of weeks after that. Quite a few sleepless nights and arguments with friends over silly things.
Early August, I got a job! I was so happy to be able to be making my own money to save for a car and college.
Then I found out we were moving churches and I was very confused for months.... I've known that even at Momentum. I wanted out of that church, but I didn't... We were going back to our old old church from when I was really little and I hardly knew anyone, so I was really nervous. We started there again and everyone made us feel at home, and we got to know everyone again. I became good friends with people in my new youth group. I wasn't completely happy with the way things were going, but the road was getting smoother.
Senior year!
I still had friend issues all year, that kind of ebbed and flowed throughout the whole year... Lots of homework, work, house work, extra activities outside school, and still tried to take time for myself and to talk to friends and think about what I wanted to do for college. I got stressed out a lot! By this time, we switched churches and my spiritual life was growing. I was friend with the kids in the youth group, and getting closer with other members of the church. I took time to pray more than I used to, and try to depend on God more. I still need to work on it a lot when certain circumstances happen. A lot of my friends have been in hard situations. One friend in particular had a situation much like mine in 10th grade, and my heart broke for her. She doesn't like when people focus on her when she's going through something, but that's just the kind of person I am; I wanted to fix everything. Problem was, I didn't know how! Then my church was putting on a Passion play for Easter. She came to see it and was moved deeply. Since then, if I'm going through something, she reminds me that God is always here. Coming from her, it means a lot! God is so good! It's amazing how things work out.
Not soon enough, graduation day! I was so happy to hang out with friends in the gym, and joke about our tassels until it was time. We graduated after a lot of speeches, and it felt amazing, but so unreal at the same time.
Currently, I am working on what to do after going to a community college. I will be trusting that God will direct my steps. Proverbs 3:5-6 says to lean not on our own understanding and God will set our paths straight! He's never failed in my life before, through every trial I've endured. He was holding my hand and walking with me the whole time, even when I wasn't thinking about that.
I play guitar for my church's Saturday Night Service praise band too, and every week is so nothing short of amazing! To feel how the worship affects us on the stage, and to see how it affects those in the church is truly remarkable! Watching others worship our Almighty God is a beautiful thing! I'm so blessed to have this church and my family and friends to stick by me through everything! I also have the amazing opportunity to go on a missions trip with 30 people, both from my church and one in another town. We're flying to LIMA, PERU!!!!! So beyond excited to see how God works through us all!!! I'll definitely have a post up about it afterwards! A few weeks afterwards, I started getting nervous, questioning whether I was really worthy of serving God in another country. Many verses from the Bible kept popping up that answered my question that: Yes, I am supposed to do this.
Romans 11:29 says "for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable."
1 Kings 8:61 says "And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”
and of course, the famous Jeremiah 29:11. God has plans for me, some I know and am anticipating with great joy and excitement. Others He has yet to reveal to me. I will wait patiently on Him until then! :)
My name is Emily. I'm 18 years old. My testimony isn't like the ones you usually hear of. I didn't grown up in an abusive family. My parents are still together. I was raised in a Christian home my entire life. But like everyone, I have had to overcome some very tough challenges. Bear with me here as I attempt to type it all down to share with you...
Might as well start at the very beginning, right? (And by beginning, I mean VERY beginning.)
I was born 3 months early, in July instead of October. I weighed 2 pounds, 1 ounce. Yep... I also had some type of fluid around my heart, and my brain was swelled. I should never have lived past the first night. The doctors didn't think I would. My mom hardly got a chance to hold me, before I was taken away from her. As if that wasn't enough to deal with already, since my health was so bad that my chance of survival was very slim, I was life-flighted to a hospital about 2 hours away. My first flight on a helicopter! Exciting, right? If only I remembered it... probably a good thing I don't, considering all the obstacles, and I was only a few days old.
Anyway, I don't remember all the details, but my parents watched the helicopter fly away. My dad told me once that as they watched it leave, he had a sense of peace that everything would be okay. How could something like this turn out okay, you might ask? Keep reading!
My parents walked into the hospital one day after getting something to eat or something (yes, they slept there on very uncomfortable mattresses and it was freezing!) and all the doctors and nurses were crowded around together. My parents were starting to worry. "What was going on with my baby?" So they rushed over and the doctor or nurse told them that the fluid around my heart was completely GONE! And the swelling in my brain was going down. "I have no idea where it went!" the nurse exclaimed!
"We do." my parents said.
God. That's where. He removed it. He healed me. So, I guess you could say I'm a miracle baby.
But there was one catch. Doctors told my parents that I would definitely have some percentage of mental retardation.
But here I am, nearly 19 years later. No degree of any mental disabilities.
Anyway, like I said, my parents raised me in the Christian faith. I lived with my dad's mom for about 3 years before we found our current house. I was a very happy baby, who very rarely cried over anything. My mom said I used to ask questions about Jesus all the time as a young girl.
I went to pre-school at my church. But I wasn't ready for it, so they waited an extra year to send me. So technically, I should have been a grade above where I was all through school. But after my pre-school and kindergarten years, came elementary school at the school I've attended my whole life. In elementary school, I was always made fun of because I was smaller than everyone in my grade. I remember coming off the bus and walking into the house crying because of something some kids said to me that day. Kids eventually grew up, and in 4th grade, I met my best friend.
Also, when I was 10 years old, I found out I had a spine condition called scoliosis.That is where the spine is curved at a larger degree, making me walking semi-crooked. My parents decided to have me go to a hospital (the same hospital I was life-flighted to as an infant, in fact) to get it checked out. I had 2 options:
1.) Wear a hard brace for 5 years.
or 2.) Surgery
We opted for the brace. It was very hard to put on, and it straightened my spine. My friends all wanted to punch me, because it was like wearing a hard plastic shield... it didn't hurt me. But those first couple weeks, when I had to put it back on after my shower, I remember just laying in my bed crying from the pain. I never protested to my parents, because I wanted to stay strong and just get the problem fixed.
Soon, I got used to it and it didn't hurt as bad. It only bothered me when I was itchy and couldn't reach my side or wherever the itch was. But fortunately for me, when I was 13, I got to take the brace off for good. I was able to wear jeans again!!!
I also needed braces a few years later.
I don't remember when I became a Christian. All I know was that I was very young. I wish I remembered exactly what happened and where I was.
When I was in 9th grade, I got my first boyfriend! His name was Tom, and he was a grade under me. He told me he liked me one night over a text or facebook, and the next morning was Labor Day and I told him I liked him, too. He came to my house and met my family and we hung out. Dad and I drove him home and after that, we texted constantly and he called me a lot after school (though service was bad near where he lived). We hung out at school football games, and took weekends and went to the mall. I was very shy around him, because I was only 15 and he was my first boyfriend! He's dated other girls before me. The most we ever did was hold hands, and in school he kissed me cheek once, and my hand maybe twice. Then one day, my school had a Fall Fine Arts concert and a friend of both of ours in his grade came up and told me Tom was going to break up with me. Of course I didn't believe him. Then Tom was acting weird, so I texted him, and sure enough, he dumped me after dating for about 6 weeks. I shouldn't have had to find out from everyone BUT him! and over a text... I mean, really? I was really upset about it for a long time afterwards, and it was extremely awkward in school. My friends were still friends with him and I saw him often. We stopped talking altogether. Soon enough, it wasn't awkward anymore, but to this day we don't talk.
Life was normal up until 10th grade. My one bestie and I expanded our group of friends, as we gradually met others. We hung out every weekend, shared secrets, and everything that young teenage girls do. We were also very over-dramatic about things.
I became very active in the music department of my school. Yay music dork!<3 I played the violin in the orchestra, sang in the chorus, and was involved in the musicals. Also, I started learning to play the guitar. I instantly fell in love. But a lot of times I didn't want to practice because of the teacher I had. She wasn't my favorite person.... So, I never practiced what she gave me, so my progress was slow, and I became frustrated that a year into my lessons, I couldn't play a chord progression smoothly enough to satisfy me or her. So I left. My cousin taught me a lot during a few summers when he was home from college (to be a music teacher). I was happier with that, and actually enjoyed what I learned (for the most part).
My guitar became my "safe place" for when life got hard.
Back to school. Tenth grade came and things started to get a little rough, but nothing we couldn't handle. Or so we thought. We had crushes, and joked around with everyone. Most people would consider me a very quiet person; most still do.
But back to the musical stuff. Like I said previously, I loved musicals! We were one big family. We trusted each other, joked around about everything, and just enjoyed being together. Our director was pretty awesome, too. Of course we had some issues along the way, and tech week was never enjoyable being at the school late into the night practicing, but at the end, it paid off. Our musical that year was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. My favorite, by far! One of my long-time crushes starred in the show, and he was shirtless for a scene, soooo I was a happy girl. :P The afternoon of our opening night, one of the dancers got into a serious car accident and got killed. The Joseph cast all met in the band room of our school and circled up. We formed a prayer circle, and walked around talking and comforting each other however we could manage. Just remembering that night, all the grief shared and seen, makes me want to cry even now over 2 years later. We became so close that night. We didn't perform the show, needless to say. But the next night, we did! We got through it, and broke down afterwards in the arms of our cast family members. I've never felt that close in a musical cast since.
Also that year, I went through a very hard time shortly after her death... I stood up for my Christian beliefs about homosexuality being a sin. I lost nearly every single one of my friends that weekend. The ones I didn't lose became distant enough. I walked through the school alone for my last 2 years basically. It got to the point that I was afraid to go to school because of what the other kids might say to me. I was cyber-bullied any time I got online... texts came too. Bullies are everywhere now, and people aren't afraid over a computer. Then everyone tried to turn it back on me.
Then that weekend, God sent a long-lost friend from my old church back into my life and turned things right-side up again! He soon became a big crush of mine for quite awhile, hehe. He made me smile, and we were into a lot of the same things: music, beliefs, and basically could talk about anything and be silly. We texted constantly and that was one of the only ways I made it through my school days. Things started to cool down a bit after a few months, then it would magically start up again at random moments and things got awkward again with my friends. I do not regret that decision, and would do it again in a heartbeat. I became a stronger person because of it. I may have trust issues now because of most people from my school that year, but at least I'm more cautious.
The end of the school year, I found out that my best friend in the world was moving 2 hours away. At that time, it seemed like the worst thing in the world. We all left our one friend's house crying after swimming and going in the hot tub, so as we were driving my friend home one last time, her and I joked (trying to lighten the moment) through our tears that we didn't know if we were wet from pool water or crying. We stayed up that whole weekend until 3am every night texting each other about any little thing we could think of. Reminiscing on the school year, telling secrets, and having deep conversation about the future and how we felt... couldn't leave that out, even though it was obvious for both of us. No one could cheer me up during the day. It felt like my heart was breaking. She left June 25 that year... the start of the summer. I didn't see her again until August. It felt like the longest 2 months ever! We've never gone that long without seeing each other because of school, since 7th grade. We called and texted as much as we could, until her parents got mad at her for using her phone too much. Yep, we were mad.
Not gonna say we ever got used to it, because then I'd be lying. But we learned to get by. Life was changing for both of us in different ways.
That summer, my grace brethren church raised money for us to go on a 5 day trip called Momentum. Lucky for our first time there, we only had to travel less than 10 minutes to get to where we stayed. It's a Christian summer camp thing... minus the camp... not sure what to call it. But anyway, there were speakers and amazing music from Aaron Keyes, and a lot of classes to choose from for each day. On the second to last day, each church group went on a separate missions trip to help around the community and witness to people. I'm pretty sure we went to a park? Not sure why I can't remember that detail, but it was tiring. The final night there, we all celebrated and danced after communion and feet washing and deep conversations. It was sooo amazing!!!! I got so close with that group and we were already talking about next year! We laughed together and shared secrets.
Only one problem. I was kind of flirting with this guy (Let's call him W) I didn't like in the way he supposedly liked me. Later I found out he had a lot of mental issues going on that I never knew about... My mom found a conversations once and banned me from talking to him. He created a secret account on facebook under a Christian name and we talked from there. Mom found out again. I felt horrible for betraying her trust and silently vowed never to do anything like that again! Throughout the whole thing, I hardly talked to ANYONE about it, just wanting to stop thinking about it, which was near impossible. Everyone could see how upset I was, but no one knew why at first. I felt like such a horrible person for everything I've done.
A few days after Momentum, I met some new friends on facebook. Glad they didn't think I was creepy for just randomly adding them. To this day, a few of them are some of my closest friends and I'd trust them with my life, like I would with any of my local best friends! One especially I became closer with; his name is Isaiah! Not sure why I suddenly confided in him about so much, but it just happened one day. He has also strengthened my faith in ways he'll never know. :)
11th grade was here! We were JUNIORS! OH MY GOSH! EXCITEMENT! Then it died down as the work loads piled up. I lost more friends during that year. I guess you could even say, I made enemies. Drama was also starting at my church. My youth leader one night at youth showed the video of Louie Giglio's Mash-Up! Youtube it. Still takes my breath away, and I got to see it LIVE! Well, I was thinking: "I'm gonna like this!" So we watched the video. Then randomly, my youth leader started saying how he was sick of hearing about the "gay" situations and how "we" (subtly meaning me) were cowards and hypocrites. I was SO angry and hurt by that. I never felt comfortable around him since that evening. I even tried to avoid him as much as possible, and spoke as little as I could at youth, only wanting to get out of there. I also heard from a married couple that I talked to Sunday mornings, that my youth leader told them to watch out for me because I was supposedly "flirting" with the husband... Umm, NO! He didn't know me at all, if that's what he thought.
Christmas was here! My mom told me I could talk to that guy (W) I used to talk to before, again. We started talking again, just friends. Things were okay, until around February. I found out that he lied to me about so many big things... probably scared I'd stop being his friend if I knew the things he was into. No drugs as far as I know, although he was pressured. But he was into some very bad things in his spare time, and he didn't get along with his family at all. He ended up moving out of his house and I haven't heard from him since. I used to be tempted to ask how he was, but it was forbidden by my mom. I didn't have much of a problem though, since I was angry that he did that to me. Since then, I've had issues with who I trust and what I tell certain people.
The school year finally ended, and my church was getting ready for Momentum again in the summer! Kentucky this time. I was excited for everything again, plus the chance to meet my facebook friends from the previous year. We traveled with a different youth group, and had a blast driving down! The van pulled up to the building where we could check in and we were happy to stretch our legs after the 8 hour drive. We were yelling about some silly game we played on the way there and laughed at the confusion floating around. Then I met my online friends! I heard my name called, and it took me a second to realize. Sadly, we didn't get to hang out much that week because we were all on different schedules with groups, but we did see each other and talk sometimes, which was fun! Some things about it, I liked the first year better. Other things, I liked the second year. So when people ask which year was my favorite, I have trouble deciding. Our mission trip that year. we went to a mall and witnessed, then we went to a home where people gave out... food I think? or clothing or something, or maybe a bit of everything. But I was ecstatic because I got to play guitar! This one guy named Marcus sang Jesus Friend Of Sinners as a duet with me! :) Every time I hear that song, I think of that day! Lots of work was done, and we were all tired and sweaty when we got back. The girls made a beeline for the showers. We had a dance/singing party in there singing Aaron Keyes! Soooo much fun! The celebration at the end was also awesome, but since we weren't on the floor that year, no one really danced. Then we rushed to get ready to go home the next morning. We were up late the night before talking, and we overslept, so we were in a rush! Saying goodbye to our friends that day was sooo hard.... and we were all exhausted.
Rough couple of weeks after that. Quite a few sleepless nights and arguments with friends over silly things.
Early August, I got a job! I was so happy to be able to be making my own money to save for a car and college.
Then I found out we were moving churches and I was very confused for months.... I've known that even at Momentum. I wanted out of that church, but I didn't... We were going back to our old old church from when I was really little and I hardly knew anyone, so I was really nervous. We started there again and everyone made us feel at home, and we got to know everyone again. I became good friends with people in my new youth group. I wasn't completely happy with the way things were going, but the road was getting smoother.
Senior year!
I still had friend issues all year, that kind of ebbed and flowed throughout the whole year... Lots of homework, work, house work, extra activities outside school, and still tried to take time for myself and to talk to friends and think about what I wanted to do for college. I got stressed out a lot! By this time, we switched churches and my spiritual life was growing. I was friend with the kids in the youth group, and getting closer with other members of the church. I took time to pray more than I used to, and try to depend on God more. I still need to work on it a lot when certain circumstances happen. A lot of my friends have been in hard situations. One friend in particular had a situation much like mine in 10th grade, and my heart broke for her. She doesn't like when people focus on her when she's going through something, but that's just the kind of person I am; I wanted to fix everything. Problem was, I didn't know how! Then my church was putting on a Passion play for Easter. She came to see it and was moved deeply. Since then, if I'm going through something, she reminds me that God is always here. Coming from her, it means a lot! God is so good! It's amazing how things work out.
Not soon enough, graduation day! I was so happy to hang out with friends in the gym, and joke about our tassels until it was time. We graduated after a lot of speeches, and it felt amazing, but so unreal at the same time.
Currently, I am working on what to do after going to a community college. I will be trusting that God will direct my steps. Proverbs 3:5-6 says to lean not on our own understanding and God will set our paths straight! He's never failed in my life before, through every trial I've endured. He was holding my hand and walking with me the whole time, even when I wasn't thinking about that.
I play guitar for my church's Saturday Night Service praise band too, and every week is so nothing short of amazing! To feel how the worship affects us on the stage, and to see how it affects those in the church is truly remarkable! Watching others worship our Almighty God is a beautiful thing! I'm so blessed to have this church and my family and friends to stick by me through everything! I also have the amazing opportunity to go on a missions trip with 30 people, both from my church and one in another town. We're flying to LIMA, PERU!!!!! So beyond excited to see how God works through us all!!! I'll definitely have a post up about it afterwards! A few weeks afterwards, I started getting nervous, questioning whether I was really worthy of serving God in another country. Many verses from the Bible kept popping up that answered my question that: Yes, I am supposed to do this.
Romans 11:29 says "for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable."
1 Kings 8:61 says "And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”
and of course, the famous Jeremiah 29:11. God has plans for me, some I know and am anticipating with great joy and excitement. Others He has yet to reveal to me. I will wait patiently on Him until then! :)
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