The Trees of the Field will Clap Their Hands!

Thank you all for your prayers that CYIA would go well!

Each year is so different from the years before it, but we are thankful for each and every student who comes ready to be equipped to share God's word.

There on the lovely grounds of Camp Fairwood in Westfield, WI, we were sure that even the trees were rejoicing as they heard all those young missionaries practice saying the Gospel out loud in God's beautiful creation! Isn't it incredible to think that all creation longs to see the second coming of the Lord? Even the trees rejoice, Scripture tells us!

Already, this summer has been one of great blessings. I have seen God answer prayers in so many personal ways! Keep praying for every single summer missionary who is teaching 5-Day Clubs this summer! I will be able to teach a week or more this summer at the end of July as well! I am greatly looking forward to that!

Currently I am enjoying the simplicity of just working and living and enjoying my loved ones. I love to be able to stay busy, and still enjoy taking each day more slowly. Even my physical body has begun to feel better as I have had less stress! I still have some lurking physical ailments I am keeping an eye on, but overall, I am starting to feel refreshed. I am a living example that even young bodies can crumble under stress and overcommitment! Take care of your bodies!

Lately I have taken up my art again, (YAY!!) and worked together with my siblings to plan my parent's 40th wedding anniversary picnic. We all had a great time at that this last Sunday.

Keep praying through the decision-making process of becoming a full-time employee with Child Evangelism Fellowship. We are making progress but we are pleading for God's direction to be clearer and clearer. I know it seems like the process is long, and it is, but God has reasons for everything, and I am thanking Him for everyday.

I will rejoice in Him and "clap my hands for joy" (figuratively speaking) for the great things He does day after day! Lately I have seen God miraculously provide for me financially, relationally, and ALL my needs have been perfectly met. I cannot praise and thank Him enough!

A New Day to Praise Him In...

CYIA camp is coming up! We are so excited for it. It kicks off on June 12th and goes on until the 24th. We are looking forward to what the Lord is going to do there in the lives of the Summer Missionaries being trained, those of us leading teams and instructing, and in the lives of the children we reach with the Gospel this summer!

As you know, I am "straddling the state line" now when it comes to CEF ministry. I am still a Wisconsin resident, my fellow Wisconsinites, so do not fear. However, I don't know how much longer that will be the case! :)
I will include prayer requests and praises from my ministry in both states....

CEF of the Greater St. Croix Valley, WI...

• Six Summer Missionaries - pray for them as they are trained to effectively share the Gospel!
  
• Our Director, Jonathan Schussman is a busy man this summer with ministry, health issues, and a wedding to plan! We praise God so much for him! Pray for his continued strength.
• Pray for me as I lead and train our team of six at camp, and help out in all other areas assigned to me those two weeks!
  

CEF of the Twin Cities Area, MN...

• the 16 Summer Missionaries we have coming to training from the Twin Cities, and their team leaders!
  
• I am learning how after school Good News Clubs are put together in the metro area elementary schools! We just received a request from another school asking if we could start one up in the fall! The Lord is already answering our prayers for expansion! Praise Him!
  
• Pray for all the loose ends to come together financially as I get geared up to start another season of support raising... this time on a much more permanent basis as I and my boyfriend Jon Shannon (whom I met through CEF) both pursue Good News Club Coordinating positions for the Twin Cities chapter. We are very excited! Pray for the hiring process to be speedy and efficient!
  

Look and See what the LORD is doing!

Read: 1 Cor. 4:5

Dear Readers:

Your patience in waiting for a new post has been much appreciated. My time of being a student at the Association Free Lutheran Bible School is ending, and in just a few more days I will be a graduate! What an excellent time to look back over the last couple years and thank God for all He has done, as well as see what He is working on now and where I am going to be in the near future!

There is much still to determine as I think about this next year, but many things have been figured out, praise God!

What will I be up to this summer? I will be a team leader for the Greater St. Croix Valley still this summer for the Christian Youth in Action Program, getting these Summer Missionaries ready for their summer of ministry in Wisconsin. My new residence is a lovely little apartment in Loring Park, Minneapolis.

What exactly will I be doing this fall? I will be moving toward working with CEF of the Twin Cities chapter full time. Please continue to pray for all the details, especially financial, to come together so I can officially get started!

For those of you who are aware of the work I do as an artist, you will also be glad to hear that I will be getting back into that now that school is over. I hope to have some pieces ready for sale here in the next couple of months!

I will be starting the adventure of raising support once again now that more things have changed around and better solidified. Please pray for loose ends to come together both on CEF's end, and also on my end.

And in the next couple of days, if you think of college students taking finals, pray for energy for them too!

Soon to be continued....

He's On Our Side

Dear Reader:

First of all, my car, which I fondly call "Reggie" or "Lil' Reg", was recovered by the Minneapolis Police last Friday evening. This is wonderful! But let me say, "he" does NOT look good. Carelessly vandalized by his abductors, he has suffered severe damage. I will still be purchasing a new used vehicle as soon as possible, because "Lil Reg" is not even close to being worth saving.
But thank you so much to all of you who were faithfully praying!
What shall we say? God is on our side, brothers and sisters! He takes care of us.

Here in the Twin Cities chapter of Child Evangelism Fellowship, we are gearing up for a series of three consecutive Fundraising events at the end of April. The committee here has done a great deal of planning for these events, and the Twin Cities director, Maureen, called on me to work with her on confirming the speakers for the program, and all that goes into that. We all are sure these events will come together nicely, with all glory to God, and Lord willing, a great response will follow!

We are praising God for the high school and college students we have applying for our Christian Youth in Action summer program! We are beginning to process applications now and conduct interviews. These students need your prayers as well as they commit to being a part of a ministry (CEF) that will change their life in huge ways, if they allow God to work through them. Teaching children the Gospel and watching as the Lord works in their lives and brings them to the place of responding to Christ's offer of salvation will do incredible things to your own personal faith!
Remember! You could even volunteer, yourself! Or Seek to become part of the ministry of CEF in some way. Our mission is to "Evangelize children with the Gospel, disciple them in the Word of God, and establish them in the church for Christian living."
You could be a part of this "something greater".

Through these last few months, I cannot humanly express all that I have felt and experienced. The battle of life has been hot and difficult. "If I can just survive this season!" But let me encourage you... life's not just about survival. Every season of life is beautiful. The battle may not let up, but realizing that God is ON YOUR SIDE and that He has promised "I will be with your wherever you go" will change your very existence.
As Believers, we are part of something that is so much bigger than ourselves. We do not live for ourselves. We do not simply survive... we thrive in the hands of our God.

Joy When Things Get Scary

Dear Reader:
If you are reading this post and you are one of my dear prayer partners or financial supporters for my ministry with Child Evangelism Fellowship, THANK YOU for taking the time to visit my blog!
I have created this blog to communicate with you in a more exciting way than just email. It is my hope that the design of this blog will help you set aside your the worries from the moment and soak in some encouragement from God's Word and from other believers in ministry. And if you will, please take a few moments to pray for me, the ministry of CEF, and also for your own missionary heart!

Here is this month's update:

• Our fundraising event, our Christian Comedy Night Out was held at Faith Community Church in Hudson, WI, on Friday evening, March 4th. What fun! If you missed it, be sure you attend the next event CEF of the Greater St. Croix Valley hosts. You won't want to miss another one! Comedian John Branyan (www.johnbranyan.com) was fantastic!
  
• We are praying for Summer Missionaries for this summer's 5-Day Clubs! Please pray for willing teens, called by God to do this incredible thing this summer... lead children to Christ in Wisconsin!!
  
• CEF of the Greater St. Croix Valley has a new intern, Caleb Jones, from Madison, WI!! Praise God!! We are so happy to have him here. Now this CEF chapter has three staff! Wonderful!
  

These past few Months have been a great challenge for me personally, but I am still not afraid, and am moving on, trusting Jesus for everything! May I share some specific needs with you?
- I am in need of a new car! It was stolen this weekend in Minneapolis. THIS IS A HUGE NEED!! Thankfully I have wonderful people surrounding me and I am taken care of with a temporary vehicle, but if you have any leads on INEXPENSIVE VEHICLES, please let me know ASAP!! :) Thank you so much.
- I am also in need of a new LAPTOP in the near future. Please pray that, financially, things will work out for that as well. Both needs - the car and the laptop - are major expences for a college student in ministry to cover, so please pray and let me know if you know of any great deals! Thank you!

• School is almost over for me! In a couple months I will be graduated with my first degree in Bible. Praise God! It's been a challenging two years, but God has done incredible things. I am so excited to use this schooling continually throughout my life and ministry. All Glory to God!!
  
• I will be returning to Wisconsin after graduation, eager to be fulltime again with CEF of the Greater St. Croix Valley, at least for the summer months. Pray for transitioning into working in Minneapolis this fall, if that is God's will!
• Please continue to pray that I remain healthy! The last couple months I have dealt with a series of viruses. Praise God I am finally feeling better!
  

The Life of the Unafraid Believer (3/15/11)

God said to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous . Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9). He told this to the young leader immediately following the news that he would be the new political leader of an entire nation! Joshua was young, he thought he was incompetent for the task, and the man who had taught him nearly everything he knew about leadership had just died. Joshua had much to be afraid of, but this was a command of God to NOT BE AFRAID.

As Believers, we have the same command from our great God. We are not to fear anything. Why? Because He is with us. "...He has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" (Heb. 13:5-6) As a believer in Christ Jesus, I cling to this promise. I don't have to be afraid of anything that will happen in my life, even when things are looking frightening and unstable all around me. I can own the promises of God... and so can you.

What kinds of things are YOU afraid of? Do you ever worry about finances? Are you afraid of losing loved ones? Do traumatic life experiences from the past still weigh heavily on your heart? I know these are my concerns sometimes. But these things can never hinder us from continuing on in the victory of Christ. Courageously, with the Lord in the lead, we can continue to embark on this adventure called life, because LIFE ISN'T ABOUT OUR COMFORT. Life is about obeying God in whatever He calls us to do and withstand, and we get the incredible joys and privileges that are received from obedience.

"Glorify the Lord with me! Let us exalt His name together!" (Ps. 34:4) Together, lets lay our fears at the feet of Jesus, trust Him with our entire lives, and get ready for the life of incredible fulfillment we can have in the freedom of Jesus Christ.