Conclusion

Well this is a conclusion to my Houston trip but not the end to this blog or my mission work. I have another mission trip coming up in November to Peru but I wanted to put a few last thoughts on my trip to Houston. My trip to Houston was a life-changing trip. It was the most 2 powerful months of my life. Although I was away from my family, God gave me a family there of the most wonderful Critters and staff. Each one of them touched my life in some way. There were days when I thought I couldn't go on whether it was me being tired or of being discouraged. Every time I felt like that God filled my cup and reminded me that He had me there for a reason. I learned to depend on Him with everything even things I thought I could handle. I learned that there is a real need in the United States. I always heard about hungry people, homeless lying on sidewalks, abused children, teens in gangs, but I never really understood until I actually saw each one of these situations with my own eyes. I learned how to be compassionate towards everyone. I took time to hear so many stories from hurting people and to unconditionally love them even if their in the wrong. Something that I heard was that I could be the only Jesus with skin that they ever see. I cherished every moment because I know in the blink of an eye a life could be gone. God showed me how He could work in every circumstance and how powerful His work really is. I feel so blessed that God chose me to work with Him in Houston. He gave me an opportunity that changed my life forever. I will continue to pray for Houston and everyone that still lives there. Even though I can't be there in person....my heart will always be in Houston. Something that I kept telling myself over and over was that I'm giving Faith to the Faithless, Love to the Loveless, and Hope to the Hopeless...that's what my life is all about.

I'm going to keep updating my blog on my mission work so keep checking back....

Thank you everyone for praying with me through this experience. Your prayers truly helped!

kids from kid's club

Eliana-Eliana is so precious. I taught her in my Bible story group. She's such a story teller. We would be on the playground and everyday she would have a new story that she would be so fascinated about. When it came to our Bible study time she would know the answer to every question I asked about God. We taught the kids about prayer this summer and at the end of class Eliana always wanted to pray. By the end of the summer all the kids wanted to pray :) To hear a 5 year old pray is a sound that would never get old!
Destiny- She told Mrs. Dora one morning that her tummy hurt because she didn't eat anything all day. She came with her grandmother to get food from the food pantry. Her grandmother had been washing her hair wish dish soap. One of the hardest things for me this summer was the food. I would eat amazing meals where we would have so many leftovers but the families I would work with are trying to just get through each day. I worked with forty some kids and you have to ask yourself how many of them are hungry.
Tito- He came towards the end of the summer and I was teaching on when we could pray to God. Anytime. Day or night. To explain day time I put my hands around my face and said sunshine. It reminded me of the smiley sunshines kids see. The cutest thing was when I said "sunshine" Tito said sunshine back with his little hands wiggling his fingers beside his face. I showed everybody in the gym what he was doing because it was so precious. He's precious. He was one of the few kids that didn't know spanish.
Jollette- Everyday she would find me to give me a hug. It didn't matter if I was on the other side of the property, she would find me. The last week she gave me something everyday. One day was a pack of gum. Another day was a mexican candy that they make. The cutest thing was letters that she handed me one day. To me it looked like a four year old scribbled on pieces of paper. Her mom said when she was working on the letters she kept saying "i love you" over and over. I love little Jollette and I'll never forget her smile everyday!

There are so many kids that I worked with in Houston that will always have a special place in my heart. Each and every one of them taught me something new, made me laugh, and let me be a kid Monday through Thursday from 3-5.

Cultural Day

I'm going to do some stories from my summer. They may or may not be in order but I want to make sure that I share as much as I can.
On July 11th all of the Critters(the missionaries) took a day to go visit different areas of the city where people worship their gods. We learned about the Hindu, Buddhist, and Islam religions. Our first stop of the day was the hindu temple. One of the problems is that they make these temples so glorious and beautiful and they make their religion sound so easy. They have a million "gods" that all look the same to me but that's besides the point. The guy that was giving us the tour even knew the number of pieces and how they interlocked. He did talk about how they treat their "gods." They have a schedule for their feeding time, naps, bath time. Walking through the temple was so eary. These people are so blinded to the truth and it broke my heart that somehow their going to realize that their religion was a joke and none of the gods are real. The next stop was the Buddhist temple. One of the monks sat down with us and told us how the religion of Buddhism works. He questions the beliefs and we could all clearly see that he is searching for the truth. We also learned about the islam religion. I could make this blog all about their religion but all I have to say is they need the truth. The truth about the Lord Jesus Christ. One thing that I learned on that day was that they have such devotion for their gods. They have special times to talk to them and spend time with them and that's something that I slack on. I can talk to God anytime of the day, why don't I take advantage of that? I say that I get bored but reality I always have something to do. That's something that I've been working on, really being dedicated to have quiet time with my Lord Jesus Christ!

Quick update

These past few weeks have been some of the best but challenging weeks I've had. I'm sorry for not updating the blog but trust me there's a lot of stories to share. I've decided that I'm going to wait until I get home on July 31st to put alllll of the stories here. It will give me a chance to reflect and really share my heart with everyone. I know a lot of people look forward to reading my blog but check back the first week of August. Please pray for me for the next few days as I'm preparing to leave and for all the ministries to continue growing after we leave.

An amazing July forth weekend.

On Friday night we were invited to a missions celebration. A lot of missionaries from different states and countries gather to just fellowship together. It was the first time I got to see horses and real cowboys in Houston. There was amazing slow cooked brisket so I'm definitely moving to Texas just for the food! It was a comfort to just be in country land with the smell without having to get dirty! :)

On Saturday we were invited to someone's house from Second Baptist Church. Before I got there they said it was going to be more or less like a castle. It was absolutely gorgeous. The rules were...you can sleep in any bed you want. you can do your nails. you can have a massage. you can have your hair cut. you can swim in the pool. you can call home. It was fabulous. I went swimming which was a blessing in this heat. The girl's changing room was in the master bedroom which was like three rooms in itself. They didn't make any of the beds because they thought we would be more comfortable jumping into a messy bed. We had the whole day to sit back and just relax. They did cookout style foods which was like being at home :) Later that night everyone was going to watch a movie but I was really into my book so I took it upon myself to find me a cozy spot in one of the beds. They said we could sleep so I took it upon myself that I would do just that. Peaceful. Quiet. When you're in a room with 14 other girls there are times when you just need time to yourself and hear yourself think. Don't get me wrong I love all the girls but I like "me" time too! 

I'm starting week 6 and I'm still loving Houston but I'm missing home. I miss my family but I know I'm where God wants me to be so that's comfort. I love the outings on the weekends because they give you pieces that feel like home! 

More of July 5th...

I have learned so much about God and about myself. One thing I wanted to share is that in life we are going to have a lot going on ad some times it will seem unbearable. I know I'm dealing with a lot right not and there are times where I just want to get away. A verse that has really stuck out this week is 1 Corinthians 10: 13, " No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." At times I get frustrated because of things going on because I have no control of the outcome but last night I came to a point where I have peace. Things are going to happen that you have no control over but I know God is my strength. I just have to rely on Him. He's not going to let me go through anything that I can't handle. 

July 5th.

Just ending the fifth week there is a lot to look back on and to reflect. I'm not really sure where to start so this post be a little all over the place but it's all my thoughts. On Tuesday, June 30, we did a swap day of all the centers. It's a chance for each of us to get to experience the other centers and to see how they run things. The Gano team, which is my team, went to the Joy Mission Center. I had a lot of fears going into this day because I knew that they do the food pantry different than what I'm used to but I knew somehow I would get through the day. When the people arrive at Joy then sign in and get interviewed. After that we receive two papers, one paper goes with them to the clothing closet where they get five mins to get five things. After that time we have piles of food set up with their other paper which tells them when to come back. They bring their own bags to put their food in. The Gano food pantry does things a little different. We make bags for families of different families. Like there are families of 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, and 9-10. We hand the bags out the door so they never come in the food pantry. Both ways are efficient and at the end of the day I looked back and saw that God helped me the whole time. He took away all my fears and gave me the strength for the unknown. So that was swap day, I worked in the food pantry at Joy for the morning. 

Stories from my food pantry. 

I met an older guy named David and he normally doesn't come but this week he ran out of money and food and when he was thinking of somewhere he could go he thought of the Mission Centers. I've been thinking a while that it's a priority for me to have quiet time with God and I never said a word about quiet time to David. David thought started sharing with me about the importance of quiet time with God and really having our focus on God. It was like a message from God that it's important to him and for me to just have time with Him not letting anything else interfere. 

Willie Jean- His son was murdered a few months ago and he really seems to be struggling. I told him that I would pray for him. This is very common to this community. It's not just hispanic people that I see everyday but people of every race. Every race searching for something. A love that endures and never ends. 

This next story effected my week and my outlook on things. A guy named Samuel came to the door and his ticket said he was a homeless. I gave him his homeless bag and he went on his way. It was slow and I noticed he just went outside and sat on the sidewalk. I took this as an opportunity. I said hello, you know the normal conversation starters. He then began to tell e his life story. He has 6 children and his 1 yr. old is not allowed to see him. He pulled up his shirt and showed me his scars from stab wounds. I was like whoa this is something I don't need to be handling so I started to go inside and just kept telling him that I would pray for him. He seemed to have a solution to all his problems though and that's when he pointed to a can of beer behind the food pantry door. This is where I started having a problem. You're not parenting your kids because you are too busy being drunk. This brought up so many emotions with my biological father having no place in my life. I realized that there are a lot of feelings that I always put off of dealing with. I realized that there's a lot of things I have to deal with including the process of forgiveness. This isn't a easy road to begin but in the long run it's worth the time. There's no point building up that bitterness when Christ can be your peace. Another thing I learned that in ministry you have to have a fine line between letting your personal things interfere with ministering to people. You can use your experiences to reach out to people but there has to be a line where you don't let your emotions get the best of you. This wasn't a bridge that I would have expected but at the end of the day I realized that God was teaching me. There really is not miraculous end to the story except that I told him that I would pray for him and I will. 

Prayer

Prayer conquers all things. How do you get to a point in your life where you are content with everything going on. Until a little bit ago I didn't take time each day to be with the Lord. Looking back I think I was literally crazy because you can't get through each day without God. I love taking quiet time with God. I don't necessarily always talk, just being there to listen is powerful. I also talk to God at random parts of the day where I ask him to work in all the situations. 

I've been struggling with something lately. A feeling like I'm not doing enough. You probably think this is a joke hearing everything that I do but I'm being serious. I always think that I should be doing more. A particular area is with the teens. I want to reach out to them and let them see that I've been through a lot that they're going through. You have to know my whole testimony to really understand what I'm talking about but I've been in those dark times that they're in. Please pray for me. Every week gets better with me really talking to them about deep stuff. Tomorrow night is teen night and I just pray that the spirit would work in me and guide me. 

Something I realized is that we always need to pray. No matter what is going on in life we need to pray. Prayer has been a huge part of my life because I'm seeing God work so much in things because of prayer. I want to do so much in houston but it's impossible when my life isn't in line with God's will. I think a lot of us tend to do that. We get an idea in our head and we run with it. I've learned to really seek God for His will. All we have to do is seek Him and in time He'll show us all we need to know. His plans are absolutely amazing. I've learned that His plans are so much better than anything I could ever have planned. I also realized that through prayer God can confirm things. I don't want to go into detail but I'm sure everyone will see in the future what God has planned. God has confirmed some of the things that I will be doing in the future and I'm so excited and I can't wait for everyone to see what He is going to do. I encourage you to really seek what the Lord has planned for you. It doesn't matter how old you are. He has a plan. A very special plan just for you!

As you can see I'm in a writing mood. I hear that a lot of people look at this so I'll try to write on here more often. If you have any questions or anything you want me to write specific about you can facebook me or email me. My email is amanda_ac_30@hotmail.com. I would love to hear from everyone! hint hint :)

Nigerian Church

Nigerian Church

Today my team went to a Nigerian Church. I was a little uneasy about trying something new but I had an incredible experience. There were not a lot of people but it was very lively. The worship was very uplifting and all to God. You felt God's presence. When it came to the offering time you either walked or danced your way up the aisle to the front to put it into the basket. They told you to dance as the spirit was leading you. It was a neat experience because in most churches you can't be as open and free as you can in the church I visited. They blessed us with a luncheon. It was all Nigerian food which was pretty interesting. They had rice, dough with ground beef, dough balls, plantains, fried chicken, and salad. Let's just say we were all full at the end. I look forward to Sunday's because I learn so much from different pastors. I learn so much everyday about me and about God. 

Where I stand...

The term Christian is highly overused. I went to Wednesday worship and Tina talked about tan in a can. When you pray this tan stuff on you to make you darker it is temporary. It drips. Makes splotches. This can go with some "Christians." Many people call themselves Christians when they feel like it. THey put on this mask but when it's convenient for them they can do whatever they want pulling off the Christianness about them. When your a true Christian you are suppose to have skin like Jesus. THis is hard for some people to grasp. If you call yourself a Christian then act like it. I'm trying to reach out to houston but some people are unsure. I'm sure they've had people who call themselves Christians let them down. It's time to throw away this fakeness and clean up the tern "Christian." If you call yourself a "Christian" then mean it, act like it, embrace it. But if you will not fully live your life for Christ then why call yourself a Christian. It should be a privilege to call yourself a Christian. 

This is something that I'm very strong about right now. So many people who call themselves Christians have no proof. One thing I've learned being down here is that I have a voice and sometimes you just have to come out be blunt about some things. There is no sugar coat for this topic. Either you are or you aren't. You can't be wishy washy because people don't take you seriously. I think a lot of things are going to change when I get back home. I'm very careful of the situations I put myself into now because I want EVERY action I do and every word I say to be all for the glory of God. My life isn't about me. It's all about our Lord. 

June 28

It's been a while since I've updated. My schedule can get kinda crazy and when I get free time I normally like to relax and breathe. haha. I can't remember if I've given you my full schedule but I'll go ahead and give it so you can see what each day is like. 

Monday's. Breakfast. Clean the entire gym(sweep, mop, bathrooms, etc). lunch. unload the truck for the food pantry. kid's club. dinner. teen club. We start at 8am and end at 7:30. 

Tuesday's. Breakfast. Food Pantry. Lunch. Food Pantry. Kid's club. Dinner. Target.

Wednesday's. Breakfast. Food Pantry. Lunch. Food Pantry. Kid's club. Dinner. Worship Service.

Thursday's. Breakfast. Senior ministry. Lunch. Senior Ministry. Kid's club. Dinner. Bible Study.

Friday's. Breakfast. Meetings. Lunch. Cleaning the dorm building. Pre-teen club. dinner. 

Weekends vary. Like this past weekend we had a benefit concert for the Mission Centers of Houston. This is just my schedule but we also have exercise classes, lawn work, etc that I'm not involved in. There are over 20 ministries that happen each week at the 3 different centers. We have very busy schedules and we get tired but every moment is worth it. People's lives are changing and I wish everyone could see what I'm seeing.

One of my prayer requests was answered this past week. On Tuesday, during food pantry, Kolby came back to visit. I had talked to him before and I prayed that I would have more opportunities to talk to him. God blessed me with two opportunities to talk to him. He's going away for a while and he won't be back while I'm here but I'm thankful that I got those two chances. He says he is a Christian but not going to church. I just pray that whatever is holding him back in life that he'll just reach out for Christ. Christ has his arms open wide. I ask that you would help me to continue to pray for him and everyone else in houston who really needs to see the light of Jesus Christ. 

On Thursday during Senior ministry I had the chance to sit with a group of gentlemen who were playing dominos. Everyone who knows me knows that I didn't know what dominos was actually a game. I just thought you stood them up and knocked them down. Well these guys have taught me how to play and I have actually won several games. They make me smile. It's just a time to fellowship and make jokes. They are very good at bringing sunshine to a rainy day :) 

Kid's Club this week was very special for me. I teach the four and five year olds and the theme for this year is prayer. One day we were talking about how prayer is not just talking to God but it's listening too. We took turns to pray. A little girl, Eliana, prayed right after me. She was speaking softly but one part that I hear was "I'll love you God forever and ever and ever." Hearing those words out of the mouth of a child is precious and priceless. She remembers all of the stories each week that we do and I'm so blessed to watch her grow each and everyday.

This past Thursday we took the kid's to the children's museum. 47 kids. 6 missionaries. 1 director. You're probably thinking we're crazy for taking that many kids downtown on a bus and I was thinking the same thing at first. I wasn't sure how 7 of us were going to watch 47 kids. Those kids surprised me. They were so happy to be there that I didn't have any trouble. On the bus ride down we sang songs like the Flea song that David taught the kid's. My God is so big. I love to listen to the kids sing about Jesus. The children's museum was so much fun for them. There was an endless amount of things for the kids to do. The were running everywhere with huge smiles on their faces. At the end of the day we took them outside where they could play in water and stand under this huge bucket that dumps loads of water. This might be the only time the kids get to go to the children's museum nonetheless their neighborhood so we wanted to make it the best possible for them. 

A heart breaking moment. There is a little girl about my sister Kaitlin's age and her name is Janet. She had longer hair and one day she came in with a buzz cut. My heart broke with her when she said her mom didn't like her hair. Come to find out she had a problem but it was so sad because other kids were trying to pull off her hat and she's a little girl who should have her hair. I love her. I think she reminds me so much of Kaitlin with her big smile and joyfulness. 

Doing Something!

To be inspired is one thing and to do something is a different story. We find things in life that motivates us to get involved but some times it stops with the thought. What happens when I get home from a mission trip, do my actions just stop there? I don't think so. When other people go on mission trips they are totally on fire for God but some people start losing that passion for spreading the gospel when they get home. Why should we be totally on fire for God when we're away from home but then go on with our normal lives. My goal is to not stop when I leave Houston. I want to get involved in shelters, food pantry's, etc. I encourage everybody to get out there and do something. When you minister to someone and you bless them it will wind up blessing you. When you see the smiles on their faces it's priceless. Another thing is that a mission field doesn't always have to be miles away. Your mission field can be your backyard, your family, your neighbors. You don't always have to preach the gospel you can live your life completely for God. People will put you on a pedestal because you call yourself a Christian so live up to those standards. We have one life to live, a special life, and not everyone knows that. I'm not saying drop your normal routine and go volunteer...I just love working with the community. The thing I've learned is that it doesn't matter where I am in the world...I could be in my living room...I'm a missionary. Be a witness. Be a light.

Another Fabulous Day!

I look forward to Monday's because of the teens that come each monday night. I've been praying that I would build relationships with them and to really bond with them. Tonight was a great start. I know the last few weeks I think they were just trying to get to know us but we really got involved tonight. I talked to a lot of them so I'm excited about next week. Please pray that the relationships will continue to grow with them and that God would lead me in whatever way He pleases. Kid's club was interesting today. Last week we had a mission group from Longview, TX to come work with us serving our Heavenly Father but this week we don't have a group. There are a lot of kids and only six missionaries. Our love goes around though, we make sure of that! We are taking the kids on a field trip on Thursday to the children's museum so I'm super pumped about that! The kid's don't get a lot of outings so it's amazing to see all their smiles! The Bible stories in kid's club is going really well. I teach the english to the english-speaking and Joanna teaches the spanish kids. So we both teach everyday. The other groups switch days so one person teaches one day and the other the next. So on average a person teaches 2 lessons a week but I teach four lessons a week. Tomorrow is food pantry so please pray as everyone comes to get their food.

Over the weekend we were adopted by different families to spend the day away from the mission centers to have fun and relax. It's basically a day of being spoiled. haha. My family was the Taylors' and Mrs. Debbie took Megan and I to get manicures and pedicures first. They wrapped hands and feet in this wax stuff to make us all smooth and it was absolutely so relaxing! I loved it. But of course, I was walking out of the nail place and messed up my nails so they had to re-paint. Leave it to me to take the longest ;) After the nails, Mr. Rob and their son Coley picked us up to go to Kemah. Kemah is about 30 mins north of Galveston I think. In Kemah, they bought us wrist bands to ride all the rides. There was this rollercoaster that I went on with Coley twice and Megan once and 2 out of the three times the rollercoaster stopped on the way up. Then someone threw up. So we had lovely memories with the rollercoaster! I loved all the rides. They took us to this seafood restaurant which has the best seafood ever. I got lots of different kinds of shrimp! It was table 19 which was the best table in the house!!!!! It was right by the windows where we could see all the boats coming in :) I enjoyed the day so much! I was extremely blessed!

Food Pantry...

Tuesday's are food pantry days. I look forward to all the ministries but I absolutely love the food pantry. One because I get to hand out food to people in need. Two I get to give hope and inspire the people I come into contact with. Though at times it can be chaotic trying to get the right amount of food to people but we do have our slower times where I get to go outside and talk to people. Well it was a slow time and as I was going inside the food pantry I saw this man sitting across the lawn. So I just continued on inside and thought to myself, "perfect opportunity. it's slow and he looks like he needs a friend." I made my way on over there and his name is Charlie. He lives by himself and I got to talking to him about God and I eventually gave him a Bible. I didn't ask if he wanted to accept Jesus Christ or pressure him into anything because I'm trying to build a relationship not him being a project. I encouraged him to come to our senior time on thursday morning and he said he would come. So please pray that he'll come and I'll have more time to talk to him. The seed is planted it just needs to be watered.

Later on today a guy knocked on the door of the pantry and and it was really slow so again I took it upon myself to go outside and talk to him. His name is Robbie. He started sharing some things going on in his life like him being involved into some pretty bad things and that's why he's coming to the food pantry. He needs help...He's trying to get his life on track. I was also able to give him a Bible. Not everyone takes the Bibles I offer so I'm glad when they do. The seed is planted. It just needs to be watered. I think he'll be back so we shall see. Please pray that he'll continue to keep seeing God and keep his life on track.

I think my heart breaks everytime I hand a bag out because I'm so blessed and I don't know their daily life. I don't know what obstacles they have to face. Just like kid's club. With some of the kids I don't know what their home situation is. The only thing I can do is to love on the kids when I see them.

Please pray that every person we come into contact with will just feel the love of God and see the hope they can have in Him. Please pray that they'll see that they have a life that's worth living.

prayer walk

My heart breaks for the city of houston. A group went on a prayer walk today. We took about 45 minutes and stopped at 5 different places to pray. At one corner we stopped by a night club that has prostitutes outside and a cement wall that has guys always there up to no good. At another stop we stopped by this house that is run down and found out that there used to be another house/shop right next to it but it burned down. The daughter lives in the house still standing but the son burned down the father's house. The daughter used to bring a cooler to the center which is a good walk away to get ice for her babies milk. My heart felt so heavy because there are all kinds of people in Houston that get to that place in their life where they feel the need to take someone else's life. Then the hatred that comes with the people still living. The next stop we stopped at really did it for me. There was a barbed wire fence and on one side there was grass and then downtown beautiful houston. On the side where we were is the "5th ward," people who have no hope, money, etc. The parents don't have any hope so they don't give any hope to their kids. When the centers take the kids on outings even to a near by park we learn that the kids don't get to go anywhere besides the neighborhood they live in because their family can't afford to go anywhere. A song "There's a God in this city" or something like that came to my mind today. There is a God in this city and He loves the people here. I believe His heart breaks when He sees some one the things that goes on but I faith that one day people will turn their eyes to Him. He's working in this city. I can see His love. I felt His presence today and I hope everyone feels His presence like I did today! I saw again today why I'm here. I'm here to give hope to the hopeless. Love to the loveless. Have faith in the faithless. I'm building relationships with the community letting them know there are people that they can trust. People they can come to for help. I wish I had more than two months here to be with the kids, pre-teens, teens, adults, and seniors. I don't think I realized how much I would absolutely fall in love with this city. I think I'll go back home to finish school for ten months but I have a feeling I'll be back.

Another Day in Houston...

Today we worked in the food pantry and got more involved in the community. Working with people and the kids today really made me think attitudes. Many of the people that come in my path each day don't have anything and seeing a smile just makes their day. If I'm having a bad day I shouldn't let that interfere with me being compassionate to the community. By giving a smile to someone could make their day. Why should I take that away from them? It doesn't always have to be on a mission trip. Even if I'm home just giving a smile to someone and them seeing the compassion could change someone's life. If that change leads them to Christ, why should I take that away from them because I'm having a bad day. Looking in my devotional book I saw a quote, "Attitude is the mind's paintbrush; it can color any situation." It doesn't matter what the circumstance we should always try to see the positive. Again it comes down to a choice. Are we going to let our bad day take over or are we going to determine that each day is for Christ and we should live to the fullest?

Funny moment of the day. I was in the lounge and two of the guys started talking about cockroaches. Apparently they convinced me that in the state of texas the cockroach is the state insect or whatever and it's against the law to kill them. I then said that I rather go to jail then a cockroach crawl on me. This totally reminded me of the bear story with the backpacks in Alaska. They finally told me the story was fake. haha. but the conversation continued. I learned that cockroaches apparently don't have brains in their heads. I don't know if that's true...if any one has any insight...let me know please.

Prayer...A couple girls on my team still aren't feeling well. Also, I am working with the seniors tomorrow and I just pray that I can reach out to them. This is the area where my heart is(plus the food pantry, kid's club, really everything but that's besides the point) and I really want to make an impact. I'll probably be actually learning how to play dominos instead of just setting them up and knocking them down. That's the rosie way to play dominos. Thanks a bunches for the prayers.

Sorry this message is short. It's been a long day and I'm ready for bed. Sweet dreams everyone.

Mucho Amor, Rosie

Today's thoughts...

Today has to be the best day yet. I worked in the food pantry and got to meet many people from the community. While I was working this guy named Colby came to the door for food. I took his slip and handed him a bag. I noticed a few minutes later that he was sitting outside so I went out making sure he wasn't a homeless and that I gave him the right bag. While being outside with him we got into a really good conversation about God and I learned that he is a Christian...but I got this feeling that something is standing in between him and God. I gave Colby a Bible which I'm praying he will find comfort and wisdom. He asked for my number but, of course, I will never give my number to strangers. I told him that I will be working here the next two months and if he comes back that I would be more than willing to come out and have a conversation with him. I pray that he does come back so I get a chance to talk to him more and encourage him more that God is all that he needs. It doesn't matter if he doesn't have all the riches in life...God is everything. My heart is really in the food pantry and helping the community. For some reason Colby is really on my heart and I hope to know one day why. I ask that you join with me and pray for him that he really seek God. It feels so good to get involved with the community.

Today kind of reminds me of the sermon from sunday. The main verse was Jeremiah 2:13. "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." Many times in life we create our own cisterns to get satisfaction and to quench our thirst. All the cisterns we create though are temporary...Examples...A guy in a gang. Him being in a gang is a security thing. Let's say he gets wounded in a gun battle...is that really satisfaction? There are negative things to every cistern we create. Another example...A man with drugs. He's addicted and starts trafficking drugs. He eventually gets a sentence in jail. Is that really satisfaction? Pornography is another thing. People may find enjoyment in it for a while but pornography doesn't build us up. It takes us away from the purity that God wants for us. Is this really satisfaction? We need to be careful to satisfy us with good, beneficial things. What are some of our cisterns that we dig to take us away from God? In the fountain of life of living water...the water is free. God wants us to come to the fountain. Those who are thirsty...come and drink. Christ has His arms open wide...waiting. Again it's a choice. So many choices in life but it's up to us on what we decide. A thought: we can all think about parts of life that take us away from God or make a division between us and God. Should we realize these divisions between us and God now...or until it's too late to fully go back to God. It's up to you.

I ask that you pray for strength for my team. One girl has pink eye and another girl has a stomach virus. Pray for healing and strength. I also ask that you would continue to pray for me to be a light. We have food pantry tomorrow and I hope to meet more people in the community. Also, for Colby. He's really on my heart. Thank you for all of your prayers. I reallllly appreciate them!

In Christ Alone, Rosie

two posts in one day...i know it's surprising.

There have been couple of inspirational thoughts that have really impacted my life lately and I would love to share them with you if you would take a few minutes to read them. 

This is a quote that I found in my center..."Some times God calms the storm but other times He comforts his child." We have lots of trials in our lifetime. We are going to have days that we struggle and think that it's impossible to make it through. Many times we ask God to take away our problems but that's not always His intent. Some times He just wants us to lay in His comforting hands and let Him protect us through everything. Our problems aren't always going to go away. It's learning how to deal with things in a Christ-like manner that's the hard part for some people. 

Matt. 26:41. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak." I hear so many times and I've even said this that the reason for all of our mistakes is because we're human. Yes, we're human and we will make mistakes. We have a sinful nature. We can ask God to help us though help us get through temptation. We don't have to fall to every temptation in front of us. I think we could avoid a lot of mistakes if we actually allow God to be on our side and guide us in life...not just having Him on the back burner or in the back of our minds. God is absolutely amazing. When you get to experience things with Him you will find so much happiness! Trust me!

Jeremiah 1:7-8. "But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child. 'you must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue.' declares the Lord." God is going to send whoever, wherever. We need to trust God that He'll see us through. I've had a few people question why I go far away and why I stay close to home to spread the good news of Christ. My answer to that is that God is going to call who He wants to India. He is going to call different people to Africa. He will have some people go to Peru. He will also have some people stay in the United States and go elsewhere. It's up to God and only God where we go. Jesus Christ isn't coming until every nation has heard. That's why we have missionaries going all over the place so every ear can hear and every eye can see and hear the love of Christ. Even though I'm only a teenager I'm trusting God to send me wherever, whenever. If you would have asked me 2 years ago if I would do summer missions I would have called you crazy. It's taken me a long time to fully trust God in leading me to go wherever. At times it's scary not always knowing what to expect. I just remind myself over and over that everything is in God's Hands. He knows everything that will happen way before it actually happens and He has His awesome love and power in everything. So everyone back home who is worried about the situations I could be in...it's okay. I know the Lord Jesus Christ is my protection is my comfort.

Isaiah 40:28-31."The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." This verse really sums up what I've been saying. Every man will make mistakes and fall. We will grow tired and weary. We need to hope and trust in God. HE is our strength. He gives hope to the hopless. He gives love to the unloveable. When you think that no one around you understands what you're going through and no one can really help you...there is hope. There is someone that understands. God understands every happy moment. He understands every hurt and ache. He sees every tear drop that falls. God is so amazing. You have to take the leap of faith and to not worry about what other people think. 

Jeremiah 29:11-13. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. THen you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." If you ever thought that your hopeless or you don't belong and that you're not special. You are absolutely WRONG! I will be the first person to tell you that. God has a purpose and a special plan for every single person every created. He creates us beautifully(Psalm 139) and only wants the best for us. We all are called to different things. You make think that someone  is called to something bigger than you but don't think that because you're special! We might not always know what our plan in life is or we could have our whole life planned out how we think it should be and God could have totally opposite things in mind. Don't be discouraged. God's ways our so much better than what we could ever think of. He knows everything that will happen in our lives. Everything is in His perfect time. It also comes down to whether we want to FULLY give our life to God. I'm not talking about salvation. We can be saved but still hold something from God. I'm talking about letting God have FULL control of our lives and if He calls us to do something...then we follow. You might ask...well how do I know if God is calling me to something or I'm not really feeling that God is calling me to something. And my answer to you is are you really seeking? Are you really trusting Him? God says that we will find Him when we seek/look with our whole hearts. We have a special purpose. It's up to us what we want to do with it. 

There are just a few thoughts that I've had on my mind for a while. I'm really not sure why I decided to write them on this blog. It's just a God-thing. I pray that whoever read this will find comfort in knowing they are not alone. If anyone ever needs to talk or pray. If you ever have any prayer requests feel free to let me know...I love to pray for things because I know my God answers prayers! He's a mighty God. Feel free to email me, call me, facebook me whenever you need some encouragement.

Lots of Love, Amanda Rose

So I guess I have a lot to fill everyone in on since it's been since friday...Well. Saturday we had another block party at the Joy center to kick off the summer. Again we had a lot of kids, carnival games, food and the best part...the presentation of Jesus Christ. I tried my first frito pie. You're probably wondering wha a frito pie is. A frito pie is fritos, chili, and cheese sauce. If you're a spicy person you can had jalepenos . I tried the jalepenos. It was acutally quite tasty so for the people back home...be prepared to try them. I guarentee you they will be at the next get-together. I was with the younger kids when we went and did our craft and Bible story. It was very rewarding to be around such precious kids. I wish I could bring them all home! :) I don't think Gran would like the idea of one hundred kids running around the house though. haha.

Saturday night we went to a house party of one of the volunteers. It was a time to chill and bond. They rented this blow up water slide. You know those bounce houses? Well it was like that except with a huge slide in it with water. It was absolutely a trip. haha. There's an intern here named Graham. He would try to go up and then fall. We would all laugh and think it can't possibly be that hard. Well when I was brave enough to try...I got almost to the top and then I fell right back down. The people that create these slides must not want you to succeed to get to go down the slide because it is extremely difficult. I had some of the best laughs I've ever had. I got to try homemade icecream for the first time and real Texas sweet tea. It's nothing like the tea in PA. no offense :)

Sunday we went to Iglesia Bautista Horeb. It was an all-speaking spanish church. The atmosphere was just indescribable. I loved it. I did understand most of it. They had one of the staff from mission centers of houston, Mara, to go up front and translate. I'll explain the sermon in my devotional blog. I'm going to create a post of all the things that really stick out to me during devotion time or sermons. I'm learning a tremendous amount and I'm hoping that you can learn too. So that is coming...I promise.

Today was the start of ministries. In the morning I learned all about the food pantry which is starting tomorrow. I'm extactic about that. I'm so ready to jump in and help the community. I believe that kid's club ran smoothly. I learned the banana song. As soon as I figure out all the words I'll put it up here. it's pretty funny and all the kids love it. I tried to teach the 4&5 year olds but they really weren't getting the concept so Joanna who is from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish stepped in and explained everything so much better than I could have. I'm so thankful for her!

We had teen club tonight. The summer missionaries were just getting introduced tonight so hopefully in weeks to come we can really be a light and influence to them. They really love sports like basketball and I'm up to try anything so I'm going to learn the games they play. It's mainly all guys that come...well it was 15 guys and 1 girl so I'm praying that God would bring more girls in! Teen club is a time where the teens can come in and play sports for about an hour and a half then they have a Bible study and we feed them. Tonight we fixed hotdogs, chips, cookies, and koolaid.

Oh am I learning not only about God and ministries but also about real life. Just to give you a look at what I've done...I learned how to make koolaid when I can't find measuring things, make my bed EVERYDAY, clean all the time. Like today we had to mop the gym floor. I never really thought about how much responisibility I would have this summer. I'm loving that I get to learn new things. This is something new to me. Cleaning. I'm getting used to it though. I think my family would be very proud of me of how clean I'm keeping my area. And Nana or Uncle Jamie, if you read this can you please tell Connor that my area is not "Rosie clean like my room back home" it's actually clean!!!!! haha. He'll get a kick out of that.

Well lots of love to everyone. Please pray as the food pantry opens tomorrow that we'll just be a light to everyone we come into contact with. Thank you so much for praying for me and my team!

Excitement!!!

Today we had our kick-off for the summer with a block party. We handed out flyers yesterday at a local summer school and to families all our the neighborhoods. I learned very fast that word of mouth travels very fast! We had over 276 people. Praise God!!! There was so much to do...cotton candy stand, snowball stand, popcorn stand, 3 on 3 basketball tournament, a huge moonbounce, carnival games, a toddler play area, face painting, animal balloon making, and hotdogs and nachos at the end. I do have to say the moonbounce rocked! We convinced everyone before the block party that we had to try it and make sure it was okay so if you would have walked by you would have seen a group of young adults bouncing on this thing. It even had a slide that I absolutely loved! I was working in the toddler area with another missionary Courtney but the face painting was really overwhelmed so I went to help. I was not expecting to face paint or I would have practiced more yesterday when we learning...so I stuck with flowers and hearts. I tried to do fire for a little boy but it turned out to be more of an orange ball. At least I tried. I decided after a while to go back to the toddler area. They are so precious. There was this little girl that wanted to go everywhere she was the cutest thing ever! I thank God for letting me work with these kiddos. They bless me so much with their smiles. I promise I really will get pictures up soon. Tomorrow there is another block party at another center so that'll be exciting.

Please continue to pray for my spanish. I didn't realize how much spanish I would actually be speaking but I'm trying...I also ask that you would pray for my house parents. They lost a cousin very dear to them and we all know this is a very hard time!

Interesting fact: I learned how to mop today. I never knew how to use one of those mops with the long things on the end. My pappy always did it so it was new for me. haha. I learned though. I'm learning more than I ever would have dreamed of.

Soon I'm going to do a post of some of the devotions that I've been hearing. They have been very helpful to me and hopefully someone else will be touched by them!

In Christ Alone, Rosie

More Details...

Today I went to my center and had orientation there with the two directors, Dora and Haley. At Gano we do VBS, preteen and teen clubs, Food pantry, and lawn work, and interviewing people who want food. We had to figure out who wanted leadership in each area and I signed up for Food pantry. I will be working with the weekly mission groups that will be coming around the middle of June to pack grocery bags for families and homeless people. I'm so looking forward to this because I get to meet people in the community and see their needs. There are going to be many opportunities as I'm handing food to them to present the gospel so pray that I would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. In the afternoon we went around the neighborhood and gave out flyers about tomorrow's block party where we're having free games and food. I got a chance to really see what it's like in the city. Yeah I've been to Baltimore city but I've never actually lived in a city. I'm not used to seeing dogs just running loose, houses having gates all around them, schools having fences around them with locks, and piles of trash in front of all the houses. I can't remember if I've mentioned this but when I asked if we're in a good part of the city they said we're living in the fifth ward. I still have yet to figure out what that means but by the conclusion of what I saw today I take it as a no. Also, where I live we are in a fenced in area and you can't get in or out if you don't have a key so I feel safe and I know God is watching over me.

We got our lesson books for VBS which is Monday through Thursday from 3-5. I will be teaching 4&5 year olds and this is the group that isn't very good with english. My partner for teaching is Joanna and she is from Puerto Rico and is fluent with spanish so that's a blessing. :) This is going to be a challenge so please pray that I'll remember everything I learned in Spanish class because I'll be teaching Monday's and Wednesday's and Joanna will be teaching Tuesday's and Thursday's. I really want to reach out to these kids...I met a few today in the neighborhood and they are so precious!!!

That's my breakdown for the day. I'm sure I'll have some good stories from the block party tomorrow!

Lots of Love, Amanda

My assignment

June 3rd

I started off today by going learning about lifestyle evangelism. We had someone come in and give helpful tips on how to evangelize. The main thing that I learned is that I'm not here to "finish as many projects as I can" which means I'm not here to win as many people to Christ just to say they're a "Christian." I'm here to build relationships. Not every conversation I have with people will be about Christ. It's to build trust and they'll know that they can come to me and ask questions. My goal is just to be a light everywhere I go. In the afternoon we all had time with Gabby the clown. We learned how to paint faces and make balloon animals. I never thought that I would have the opportunity to make little animals out of balloons...well let's just say i attempted. I could only make the dog which i think is the easiest. haha. I had my first experience with a cockroach or however you spell it...nobody told me that there would be huge ones. yeah people said bugs but i didn't think about HUGE ones...so I'm just gonna have to buckle down and get over my fear.

Just the beginning of an amazing summer...

I really don't know how to start the posts I put on here...haha...I guess I'll start with my journey down here. As everyone knows, I pack anything and everything. If you ask me for something most likely I have it. When I weighed my luggage at home it was like 67 lbs and it's suppose to weigh no more than 50. I had to down size A LOT! When I weighed it at the airport I was still overweight but the person checking me in said to take something out and she would take my suitcase. It still wasn't 50 and under but I'm thankful she just took my bag anyway. Then it got more interesting at the Atlanta airport. Anyone who knows me that I have no sense of direction and I get lost very easily. They had my flight at three different gates so it was really confusing especially for someone like me. haha. But God helped me through everything :) When I got to Hobby airport in Houston two people from Mission Centers of Houston, Kristen and Haley, welcomed me and my friend Megan. We went to the center and got settled in. Last night we just hung out and bonded. The girls in my dorm area are absolutely amazing and sooo nice. Today we had orientation and a few hour of first aid. I'm officially certified in first aid! I'm praying though for no injuries because what I learned I really wouldn't want to do to a real person. I get my assignment of which center I will be at. There are three centers: Gano, Fletcher, and Joy. My future blog things will be more interesting because I'll actually be able to tell you stories and what's happening in the lives of people in the inner-city of Houston. Oh and I can't to forget to talk about the food. The food is incredible. People sacrifice a lot to donate food for us and we feel so thankful for the meals we get. It's just like eating at home. I guess that's it for now...I'll start telling stories of the ministry here soon...You'll get to hear how God is mightly working in everyone here! But until then take care...

In Christ Alone,
Amanda

The beginning

Well I leave for Houston in 5 hours. It seems like just yesterday I was telling people that I was going to Houston in four months. My journey of being a missionary has been interesting. It all started in October when I started my application to be a summer missionary through NAMB. I wasn't really sure that going away for two months so far away was really what I was suppose to do or what I even wanted to do. God showed me time and time again that I'm suppose to do more than just a one week mission trip. In December I finally sent in my application after A LOT of prayer. A couple months later I found out that I was being sent to Houston. I'm really excited because I've never been to Texas and I'm so thankful that I have this opportunity to go and be a light. I'm praying everyday that every word that I speak and every action I do will be glorifying to God's name. I ask that you pray with me that everyone we come into contact with will be able to know that God loves them and that He sent His only begotten Son to die for us. (John 3:16) I will try to update this blog thing as much as I can and feel free to call me, email me, facebook me, or write me.

My address until July 31st is:
1815 Gano Street
Houston, TX 77009