Summer time!

I'm home in NC now....and I'm back in my beautiful mountains! Yep, we went hiking today. Such a gorgeous day and so clear....we could see Mt Mitchell, Mt Pisgah, Hump Mtn, and Balsam Knob, among others. The small variety of rhododendron was in bloom leaving pink splashes across the slopes. However, summer has begun with temperatures well into the 70s. Oh well, the sweat makes the hiking seem more fulfilling. ^_^

Ponding myself

yes, I jumped into the campus pond voluntarily.....with Benaiah, Elijah, and Nolan (taking the picture). It was fun and very wet and dirty. ^_^

Paper and Presentation

The last slide of my power point presentation.

I turned in my term paper and gave a presentation on it today in Religions of the World class. The assignment was to discuss the influence of religion on the economic, political, and general culture of a particular country of my choice. Originally, I choose Uzbekistan. (if you don't know where it is, educate yourself: ) The trouble with picking a country that has only been independent for 17 years and prefers to keep to itself, would obviously be the challenge of finding information. Less than a week before it was due, I realized I could not write the paper with what information I had available to me. So.......what country would be interesting, not one someone else picked, and I could come up with enough information for this paper in less than a week? Well, I settled on Swaziland. Yep, once again, I used my experience from that trip and the pictures from Matthew an Jena to complete a class assignment. ^_^ I truly enjoy attending a Christian university!

In the Rough

The past couple weeks and the upcoming few weeks are very challenging for me. Please pray for me: better attitude, patient endurance, efficient concentration, and correct focus = Jesus. With big papers and important projects, on top of regular homework, the limits of my academic abilities are being pushed more than ever before. I think I've said that at the end of every semester of college, but it is still true. I am stretched almost to the point of ripping and splintering, then I end up growing and becoming stronger....kinda like getting mild shin-splits.....

By the way, this is a picture from just one of the many azalea bushes on campus. God has given me flowers again this spring!! ^_^

Fresnillo, Zachatcus!!

The city and state in Mexico where I went over Spring Break. God blessed us sooo far above and beyond anything I could have imagined!
In this picture, Seongmi and I are working on the steel bar reinforcements which go in the concrete walls. The shovels to the left are in a pile of concrete awaiting toe mixed with water. Behind Seongmi are the rocks we used for the foundation and the cement blocks for part of the walls. I had never done anything besides sidewalks with cement or concrete. The new experience was exciting! I love serving through hard work, interacting in other cultures, and bonding with my Christian family!!! God is awesome, and He works in mighty ways in and through His people, despite our flaws. Praise God for all He has done!!!

He is Risen!!!

What a glorious Easter Sunday! Beautiful weather, Christian friends, hardly laughter, truly worshipful praise, encouraging testimonies, and all sorts of simple joys from my Lord and Savior!!! This afternoon I ate lunch with several guys whom I would called my friends (mostly from my brother floor) and got to listen in on one of their conversations where they forget I'm there. ^_^ Made me happy to hear them so enthusiastic. My two roommates and I cooked supper for a group of what ended up being 13 of our friends. It was so much fun! Rene made salad and toasted bread; Andy baked three pies and directed the making of asparagus; and I got to cook the the chicken and put together a sheet of hymns which we sang between eating the main part of the meal and dessert. Twas so much of a blessing to spend those hours with my roommates working on food to share with our splendid friends! God blesses me so amazingly! Another unexpected, yet wonderful blessing I had today was with my voice. My voice has been coming and going randomly for about two weeks now and singing has been almost completely out of the question. Wednesday night as floor devotions I tried to sing and ended up totally killing my voice for the rest of the night. This morning, while getting ready for church, I was saddened by the thought of not being able to sing praises to my Savior on Resurrection Sunday. However, when the congregation began singing, I tried my voice........and it worked just fine!! I was so surprised and happy!!! ^_^ God is so completely, perfectly good. YaY GOD!!!!!!

Time Flies when...

...when you're Crazy Busy!!! It's March and this is only my first post......

To All True Nerds

This morning in Sunday School (as usual) I sat between two guys from my brother floor and counted the number of college students in attendance: seventeen guys and me. Please, don't worry, I am entirely used to it and for the majority of the time, rather enjoy it because I get the privileged of observing a group of Christian, nerdy guys interact with each other and God's Word as if there were no girls around. My biggest regret is when they remember I'm in their mist and feel obligated to apologize for being so much themselves. Conversations become most interesting in the large van on the way back from church. Although not all the topics which they discuss are to my personal taste or particularly edifying, I appreciate the nerdiness that is free of crude and otherwise inappropriate remarks. I enjoy listening! Please, guys don't stop being yourselves because a girl is in your company. I will admit that on some occasions I wish I knew enough to join the conversation, but therein lies one reason I like listening to nerds so much: I learn while being entertained.
I really don't know who all reads my blog, but if any of the splendid nerds I hang out with happen to read this, please know you don't need to apologize for being yourself. ^_^ I'm very thankful God put me amongst so many Christian nerds like you!!

Perseverance in Trials

For most everyone who has seen/talked to me within the past week know how rough my path has been. I've been struggling uphill with several things spiritual and a bunch of stuff mentally, while trying to keep up with schoolwork at the same time. I know the Deceiver has been attaching me, because of my renewed dedication (see previous post). He certainly knows just how to work doubt and fear into all my little weak spots. But I'm here to tell you that JESUS is the VICTORY!!!! He has overcome!! He is the conquering King! He has washed me in the blood of the spotless Lamb! He has given me confidence in His powerful grace! He has covered me in His infinite love! He is the First and Last! the Almighty! the perfect One!

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty!
He who was and is and is to come!

As a follower of Christ, I am not expected to be perfect, only to strive to be so. As a follower of Christ, all focus is to be on Him alone! He is all my hope, peace, joy, and love! No more will I let depression and guilt weight me down. Rejoicing in suffering! Blessed in persecuion! Seeking to be the glove on His hand to do always, only all for my Lord!

I need help. If any of you who ever read these posts see/talk to me, keep me accountable to this commitment. I can't be what God wants me to be if I'm always focused on my short comings. Those of you whom I don't have regular contact with, please, pray for me. Thank you all!

Overflow!

Time for a little catching up: this past week was Missions Emphasis Week here at school, five days for missionaries and mission organizations to come and talk to students. Th majority of the student body a LeTourneau are interested in missions on some level, whether a kid of missionary, training to live out the call to go over seas later, considering being a 'tent-maker,' or just preparing to enter the business world and be one of the many vital supporters. I personally very much enjoy the many opportunities presented throughout the week to converse with enthusiastic missionaries and share the excitement of what God is doing all around the world with my brothers and sisters in the faith! I spoke with a couple who spent 23 years in Kenya with AIM, a lady who had worked on translating the Bible for 14 years in PNG with Wycliffe, a couple who had lived in Rwanda, Liberia, and Congo and now both their children are missionaries in Jordon with WEC, a young lady who recently came back from two years in India teaching One Story, and a man who told me about all sorts of intern ship opportunities over the summer with World Team. Wednesday evening a lady with Gospel for Asia lead our floor devotion time. On Thursday evening a variety of seminars were held; I attended one about the work of JAARS, an information/testimony time from a couple with Cross World, and an update of Wycliffe's 2025 vision.
One of our guest chapel speakers, a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and works closely with CAM International, preached from 2 Corinthians 4 and 5. The theme for the week was 'Redeemed 2 Reconcile,' taken from 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. Thursday morning, he ended his sermon on chapter 4 by asking us to recommit to do whatever God had put on our hearts, no matter the consequences. I had been struggling to make sense of my current place the past few weeks, but I realized I was exactly where God put me and I needed to refocus on what He wants me to do now without being caught up in worry about what I can't control. During Friday morning chapel, he shared an arousing message from 2 Corinthians 5, concluding with an alter call for anyone who heard God's call to the mission field in any capacity, anyone who wanted to give themselves whole-heartedly to the mission work anywhere God would direct. I practically leapt out of my seat! After being in the humdrums of life for several months, God's strong call pulled me down front, and with a great joy nearly overwhelming me, I once more gave God both reigns. Such a wonderful peace flooded me. I felt so weak, yet so very strong because I knew He was holding me. Trying to speak a comprehensible sentence was totally out of the question as I thanked God for calling me and all those near me who had also answered the call. Leaving chapel, and for the rest of the day, I couldn't stop grinning and singing praise to God!
My Father God is amazingly, mightily, wonderfully, justly, awesomely, incomprehensibly, incomparably faithful, gracious, merciful, and loving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I love HIM!!!!!