Catching Up

So it's been a while...I know. I'm not very good at keeping up with this whole blog thing!

Today is a very busy day. I'm leaving for my trip in about 15 minutes! Wow. I cannot believe I'll be in Africa in a few days. I have a whole mix of emotions- excited, nervous, anxious. I'm sad to be leaving home for two whole weeks but I know it will fly by and the experience will be priceless.

So here's an update on some things that have been going on!

April- The Tennessee trip was awesome! I know I wrote about that but I didn't post any pics! Here's a pic of our cabin:)

May/June- I tried out for Wheel of Fortune! That was a very interesting experience! I went the first time to the Roanoke Civic Center with mom. There were more than 6,000 people who auditioned from Roanoke and Danville this year. They play three hour-long games (kind of). They had this big barrel on the stage with everyone's applications in there and they selected 5 names at a time. They only got to 30 per hour. I didn't get called the first hour. I was in the second to last group for the second hour. They called my name and I said, "Oh Crap!" I don't know what I was thinking- I wasn't thinking I'd have to get up on stage in front of over a thousand people and talk! Anyway, they said they would take the videos back to L.A. and they would send out an email in 3-4 weeks to those selected for final auditions! 

The week before we were headed to NJ to see Tiffany and Tristan, I got this email saying I was selected for final auditions. How crazy is that?!? I went to Roanoke the following week and there were 60 people in the audition room. It was intense! They did several puzzle rounds and called out people's names. I got 6 letters right and then they put me on bankrupt so that everyone would get a change to have their name called! Then we took a written test that was insanely difficult! It was 16 word puzzles with one or two letters in each word filled in. We have 5 minutes to figure out as many words at possible. I think I got 6 puzzles done haha. Most of the people around me got 4. It was definitely not easy. Anyway- then we had a break and when we came back, they let 50 people go. I was in that group of 50 (which I figured after the terrible test). They told us that the 10 people that were left were going to keep competing until they had 2 people. Those 2 people may or may not make it on the show. Apparently there was another audition earlier in the morning and they kept 28 from that group. They could only go back to L.A. with 30 names total!

We then left the next day to see Tiffany and Tristan! It was great catching up with them! I want them to move back home so badly! We went to Atlantic City, spent an hour on the beach, and hung out at their place playing games and watching movies. It was a good time:) 

The Friday after we got home, we threw a surprise party for mom's birthday. She was definitely surprised! All of her siblings and Mawmaw came up for the night and Tara even came from Massachusetts. It was a lot of fun and it was nice having my sister here for a few days:) She was here for our 4th of July celebration which ended up being all of us sitting on our front porch, hoping to see the fireworks from our house. It turns out that we can see the fireworks from our place, but only when there isn't a huge cloud in the way! 

Well now I'm leaving in about 10 minutes so I better get going! Say some prayers for our team while we are in Zambia! We have a long layover in London and should get to Zambia around 7 a.m. on Saturday. 

Until next time...

Waiting!

So the last couple weeks have been challenging...I'm in this place where I don't even know what it is that I want! I love my house, then I want a different house. I love going to school, then I can't wait to be done with the final class and cannot handle the thought of going further! Who knows what is going on. What I do know is that many doors have seemed to be opening in the last few weeks and then they are slammed shut. Things are happening that I know I have to wait at least a year for (i.e. licensure for counseling and for school counseling). I want to be debt-free (who doesn't, right?) but it becomes overwhelmingly frustrating to remember just how many schools loans I have to pay back (it might help if I'd stop going to school!)! I am extremely thankful that we have been able to pay (almost) all of Luther's loans before mine are due. God has blessed us to pay off almost $30,000! Wow! So anyway, Friday was my mini-meltdown moment! I became so frustrated and I wasn't even sure what exactly I was frustrated with (or why). Anyway, Friday night I thought to myself that I need to open up the Bible and see if God speaks to me. I feel like I try this a lot and I often either don't listen or can't hear because I don't get much of a response. My plan was to head for Philippians 4:13:

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.


But something told me to read the whole chapter this time. Amazingly, I found a verse that was perfect for how I was feeling. 
Philippians 4: 4-7


⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 


How awesome to hear God's voice telling me to relax, he's got it under control. Things will work out in his timing (which is better than mine), even when it seems like the current timing for things would be awesome. I need to rely on God. Our school loans will be paid off, our house payment will go down, I will finish school one day...His timing and plan are perfect.

Then today, I'm driving home from the Zambia fundraiser (another huge blessing), when I hear the John Waller song, "While I'm Waiting." I have heard this song several times but have never really thought about the message. I realized today that the song is exactly what I need to be doing. Even though I am struggling with thinking my plan is better (even though I KNOW it isn't), I will still seek after Him and follow his lead. I posted the chorus of the song below.

I will move ahead, bold and confident 
Taking every step in obedience 
While I'm waiting 
I will serve You 
While I'm waiting 
I will worship 
While I'm waiting 
I will not faint 
I'll be running the race 
Even while I wait 


 God is good and having to wait for His plan to come to fruition will be an awesome journey:)




P.S. It was calling for rain all weekend which would have canceled our car wash/hot dog stand fundraiser. Turns out that the team raised almost $1,400 in two days!! I am amazed at how many people came to get their car washed even though they knew the rain was coming. God is good!

Godwinks

How God works...

He always wins. Ever since I've agreed to this Zambia trip, I feel like the devil is working (but not hard enough!) It could also be that I'm reading this book about how God "winks" at us with coincidences and so I am noticing more things about how God really does work.

The day after I took the plunge and said I was going to Zambia, there was a random assembly at our school about African folktales. *Godwink confirming the decision*

When we were in Tennessee, we went to Dollywood. It just so happens that the time we were there was called the Festival of Nations. Out of all the nations in the world, Zambia was represented by five guys from Zambia who sang songs. They were so good! *Another Godwink confirming the trip*

How the devil is trying to get to me...but God is overpowering him.

1) Work has been so emotionally exhausting. The worst part is that I have been having dreams (some could say nightmares haha) about my little kiddos. It's like I can't catch a break, even when I'm sleeping! I left work today being (almost) totally caught up!


2) Our chicken fundraiser for the trip took place in the POURING rain and wind the entire time we were outside (about 7 hours). We still made a profit on the chicken sales.


3) Our roof started leaking in water around the chimney on the day of the chicken fundraiser. I'm thinking, "Great...how much is this going to cost?!?!" The roof guy comes, climbs on top of the roof, and sees a nail sticking out. He hammers the nail and puts stuff around the chimney. Charges $10.00. Luther is so excited that he gives him a $5.00 tip. Praise God. 


4) Our basement flooded for the first time ever because of a fluke paving job done by the city. Again, I wonder how much the repairs will cost. Luther goes to buy a pump for 70.00 to get the water out of the basement. By the time he gets home with the pump, the water is gone. We return the pump that is now not needed. Praise God. 


5) Our Mac's hard drive randomly starts acting weird and "failure will be imminent" according to the code we were given (P.S.- I'm still typing right now from my Mac). I'm still able to work from the MAC as long as I don't turn it off. Plus, we found a better hard drive for only $70.


6) School- there are a couple big projects left to do but I have been so exhausted (mentally and physically) that I have really struggled to be motivated and do them. I get an email from my teacher telling me that my initial paper for my project was so good that I am receiving the natural consequence of not having to do a paper for the final project. PRAISE GOD! That saved time and energy. 


God is great, all the time:)








So this is a long post!!!! My total for the trip is now over $2,700!

We're having a fundraiser at my parent's house on May 19 from 5-9 with Tastefully Simple, Pampered Chef, 31 gifts, Silpada, and (hopefully) Scentsy. All the proceeds will benefit the Zambia trip.

Tennessee was awesome!!! (Pictures to come later!) I went horseback riding and on a zip line tour with my dad while Luther and his dad rode go-carts for hours. We all went to Dollywood and even played putt-putt three nights! We went inside a huge Christmas store (those of you who know me well know that I can do some serious damage on buying ornaments!). Stayed in an amazing cabin. Did I mention that we ran into a family from church at a store in Pigeon Forge?!? How random!

24 more days of school! 3 more projects for class! 2 more months until we see Tiffany and Tristan. Lots of things to look forward to!

Another day in paradise!

My Saturday:

4:40 a.m.- "Bubble" sounds on my phone...time to get up
5:15 a.m.- Arrive at my parents house. There must be SOMETHING left in my old closet that can get trashed. I hear we are about to get really dirty. Found an old UNC sweatshirt. Child size large. Try it on. Perfect, it still fits!
6:00 a.m.- Arrive at the Stuarts Draft Fire House to start on the BBQ chicken in the rain.

The day consisted of getting soaking wet and having the wind blow charcoal dust in our faces. We had to open about 30 bags of charcoal and put them in the pit. Then lighter fluid was poured on top and then the flames came! Chickens went on the rack. They had to be sprayed with sauce that was stirred over a fire that kept blowing out because of the wind. We put boxes together and lined the boxes with foil. After the chickens were cooked (all 631 of them), they went into the lined boxes and were sprayed with more BBQ sauce. After they marinated a little longer, the chickens were wrapped and ready to go. People could pick up the chicken they ordered starting at 11:00. Mind you, the rain never stopped once.

Around 2:30, I decide to take a quick nap. Luther decides to come upstairs and watch TV while I sleep on his chest.
2:45 p.m.- Luther wakes me up. That was a quick nap!

There's water pouring inside our bedroom around the chimney. I run to pull the TV cord out of the wall since the water is coming in directly over the power strip and outlet. We hold a towel to stop the water. Once the rain stops, the water stops coming inside. It poured rain for at least 45 minutes. Luther decides to check the basement. He doesn't think any water went in. Then he opens the door and sees a few inches of water on the floor. Great! Thankfully, Luther had organized the basement so that not much would be ruined if water did ever go into the basement. We talked to some guys from the city because apparently when they repaved the road next to us, they didn't put a bump like in the old road to keep all of the water from coming down the hill and into our basement. We make some phone calls and are very appreciative to all our friends who were giving us advice and referrals for people who work on a metal roof! Luther goes to Lowes to buy something to get the water out of the basement while I stay home and make sure no more water comes in through the roof! By the time he gets home (45 minutes later) the water in the basement was gone. Weird, but thankful.

Sooo, I think I was asleep by 9 because I was so exhausted! I woke up to hear that Draft had a tornado. It looked awful as we drove to church today and saw the damage. I have not heard that anyone was hurt and for that, I am thankful. Many people still need our prayers though as they are going to try to rebuild their houses and farms.


On a different note, I am almost to $2,000 for my Zambia trip! Almost enough to buy the plane ticket and almost half way to the $4,300 total needed. Very thankful for God's blessings and I get chills thinking about who God is asking to support this specific trip of a lifetime. I can't wait to see how we are used and to share with those who donate what a difference they made for the people of Zambia by donating money to this cause.

Until next time...

Keeping the faith!

I've just passed the $1,000 mark towards my trip! A little over $3,200 left to go! I'm very thankful for those who are not only financially supporting this journey, but also those who are praying for this adventure! I know that God is faithful and provides for our needs and I am excited to see how God works in this situation!

Saturday was the yard sale for Relay for Life at McSwain. Luther did really well!! He made almost $100 and even though I didn't make near as much in money, I am overly ecstatic about the new shelf that has opened up in our house (from him selling his PS2 and games) and all the new closet space:)

Tomorrow starts week four of the class I'm taking! I'm hoping to get a lot of work done this afternoon so that I can finish up this class early! I only have one more class after this one!!

We are headed to Gatlinburg a week from Wednesday! I am sooo excited and am hoping that the trip meets all my expectations! We booked a cabin with a big front porch and a hot tub and all kinds of amazing things! We are making the trip with both of our parents and are looking forward to some relaxing family time:)

Here is some information about the upcoming fundraisers for the Zambia team!

Saturday, April 16th- Come to the Stuarts Draft Fire House between 11 and 1:30 to buy chicken halves for $4.00.

Sunday, May 1st- Potato bar lunch after church. Donation only.

Friday and Saturday May 12th and 13th- Hot dog stand and car wash in front of Ace hardware in Draft!

Friday May 20th- movie night outside of Greenmonte

Saturday May 21st- Yard Sale

Any support you can provide would definitely be appreciated!

Zambia, here I come!

Well, in case you haven't heard since my last post, I'm going to Zambia!! I'm going with my dad which is something I've always wanted to do, especially since he went on a trip with Tara and Eric. We are leaving for Zambia on July 7th and returning on the 21st. We have over $4,000 to raise between now and then so we definitely have our work cut out for us! In the middle of all of that, I am still taking a class, studying for my GRE (which I realized yesterday is this upcoming Saturday), and working full-time. I'm counting down the days until our Gatlinburg trip so we can just lay around and relax, enjoying each other's company:)

Here are some upcoming fundraisers for anyone who is local and is willing to support our team as we embark on this adventure! The next fundraiser is:

April 16th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Stuarts Draft Fire House
We are selling BBQ Chicken halves for $4.00. We have tickets to sell ahead of time if anyone is interested.

Another fundraiser will be a yard sale on May 21st. I will post more details on the place and time when I know where it is!

I have heard of other creative fundraising ideas from people outside of our church...keep those ideas coming! We can use all of the help we can get:)

Thanks for supporting our Zambia mission!

Decisions and faith

When I think about all of the decisions I've made (and Luther and I have made together) in the past couple years, I know that God has had a part of all decisions and that he has given us the knowledge to make good decisions. We decided to get married, buy a house, send me back to school (two times), etc. These are pretty life-altering decisions. Now I feel like there's another decision to be made and I'm struggling to decipher what God is saying versus what my own desire is saying.

Our church has worked with a community called Grips Farm in Zambia for the last few years. Many amazing things have occurred since the church became involved and ever since we started attending the church, I have had a little desire to go to Zambia and see first hand the work that God is doing. Anyone who knows me would understand how odd this is to be coming from me...I am not a big fan of being uncomfortable and I hate getting dirty. I'm more fond of traveling to places like NYC, Paris, Greece, the beach.... However, I can't deny that I have this yearning to go and be with these children first hand and love them the way that Christ loves us. The problem comes in because I can't tell if this desire is something that God has placed on my heart or if it is coming from my own desire for adventure. I am really praying for a sign confirming that God would want me to be with this team that is going to Zambia in the summer but I am struggling with having enough faith to believe that the money will be provided if I am supposed to go. We definitely do not have $3,000 to spend on a trip...and that is my predicament.
I am praying that God will show us if I am supposed to be on this trip and if so, that the money will be provided. I know that God does amazing things and that He can provide for all of our needs.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.