Less than two weeks left!!!

So, I have been really busy these last few weeks! I've been working like everyday and enjoying time with people on project on our socail outings! Monday, July 14th we went to Dollywood, which was a lot of fun! Then my family came (and by family, I mean my grandparents, Grace, and my cousin Parker) that thursday! I had so much fun with them. We went to Dollywood on Friday and my cousin Heather came too. It was so exciting to see people from home! I've made lots of friends here, but I still miss the ones from home! I can't wait to get back to Fort Mill and see everyone! I love it here it Gatlinburg and I have learned so much! I think it is amazing how much I've grown this summer! I've learned how to trust God every moment, and most importantly I'm learning how to depend on God moment by moment!

Great News

So I have some amazing news! On Sunday June 22, 2008, I went out evangelizing in Gatlinburg with Whitney and Taylor. I got the chance to talk to a girl named Amber by myself. She was really sweet. I did the Quest survey with her and she told me that she has gone to church all her life. I had a Knowing God Personally book and a Satisfied? book. But for some reason I decided to go through the KGP book. I explained that sin separates us from God and that Jesus is the only way. In the book there is this great illustration of two circles. One (on the right) with Christ on the outside and self on the throne and the other (on the left) that has Christ on the throne and self sumbiting to Christ. I explained the circles and asked her which circle she thought she was and she told me the one on the left. I then asked her which circle would she want to be. And she said the one on the right. I was so excited and turned the page of the booklet and read a prayer to recieve Christ. After I finished reading the prayer, I asked her if that was the desire of her heart and she answered yes. So I asked her if she wanted to pray that prayer and she said she just did when I was reading it. I was so amazed at how God could work through me. I finished my conversation with her and went back with Whitney and Taylor. I just think its so awesome how God can work through me. I would never have thought that I could lead someone to Christ, but it was actually God using me to tell this girl that just going to church wasnt enough, which was exactly what she needed to hear. Praise God!

the first two weeks!!

So its been almost two weeks and I'm already a little homesick:( But God has been teaching me a lot about trusting Him and praising Him in the hard times!
Last thursday (June 5th) my dad called me and told me that at my mom's appointment the day before, they couldnt find the heart. I was really worried, but my discipler, Heather, prayed with me and it really helped me to trust God. The following wednesday my mom went to her appointment and had told me that morning to call her when I got off work. That morning Heather came to my room before work and prayed with me. I was so scared that something was going to be wrong, but she showed me that I needed to place my faith in God and trust that everything will go according to His will.
So, when I got off work it was raining, so I hung out in the store and called my mom. The news wasnt that great. The baby is doing fine, she is growing and they saw her hands and feet. They did find the heart, but there was a problem. It wasnt a major problem, but she will have to have surgery right after she is born.
After hearing this I was really upset, so I called Heather and asked if I could talk to her. She asked me how my mom was and I told her that I had to talked to her when I got back.
When I got back I ran up to her room and told her what my mom had said and through tears and prayers, I started to feel better.
That night we had reflection after dinner. I read a couple of chapters from this book that my grandma had given me called God is in the tough stuff. There was this one chapter that talked about rejoicing through stuffering. It talked about how God places hard times in our lives so that we can grow closer to him.
I talked to my mom right after I had talked to Heather and I had beed telling her that I knew God was using this for something, but I didnt know what. Now I know that God wants me to grow closer to Him and that had I been at home when they found the problem with the baby's heart, I might not have gone to Him and depended on God in this time of need.
Yesterday, Friday June 13, I had a one-on-one with Heather and we talked about walking in the Spirit. I realized that it was a day-to-day thing, and even sometimes and moment-to-moment thing. I know now that I have to place my faith in Him every moment of the day. Everytime I feel scared or homesick, I place my faith in God and pray that He will give me peace that everything will be fine and go according to His will!
I guess that's all for now. Please continue to pray for my mom and the baby.

My New Job!

After many phone calls, trips to th store and much stress.. I got a job at Baskin Robbins! I'm so excited about working at an Ice Cream shop. It sounds like it would be a lot of fun! I start tuesday at 10:00! When I first chose Baskin Robbins I thought it would be easy to get a job there and at one point I was thinking that I would never hear back from them. I think God just wanted to show me that He will answer prayers in His time not mine! I cant wait to see what other lessons God has for me to learn while I'm here in Gatlinburg!

Getting to Gatlinburg!

Day 1
Well let me start by telling you the exciting thing that happened on the way to Gatlinburg! I rode with Whitney who drove Lauren and me. She was following Mandy who was driving Logan, T.J. and Rachel. Logan thought he saw an elephant in this white truck, but we couldnt slow down enough to see it, so we got off at the next exit and got back on and caught up to see the elephant. It was so fun and I got a picture of it!
Then we got to the Chatau and found our rooms and unloaded our luggage! I met my discipler for the summer! Her name was Heather. I also found out that the two girls I rode up with were in my discipleship group! I am so excited about my discipleship group! The other girl in my group is one of my roommates, Taylor!
Then we went grocery shopping, which was alot of fun! But then we had to be back at 5 to eat dinner with our discipleship group. We went to Corkeys! Then we had a meeting at 7 in the Conference room! Then after our meeting we got to get together with our family groups! Our family group is Oakley! Kris, Eric, Nathan, Regan, and Julianna is in my family group! We had a great time getting to know each other in the parking lot(which wasnt the greatest place to have our family group time). Then we had an Ice Cream social in the Conference room!
Then we went to our rooms and went to bed!
Day 2
We woke up around 8 and got ready and went to the Conference room for breakfast! The we had an orientation meeting! Then we went out and looked for jobs! I am still a little frustrated that I dont have a job yet, but Jonathan (one of the staff guys) gave me the name of the manager that said they could hire 4 people.. so I'm just praying that it will go well tomorrow when I talk with her at 4. Then we went back to the Chatau and got ready to go hiking which was a lot of fun! We got to walk in the water which felt amazing!
Then we went back and ate some lunch on the place outside our condo. Then we met back at the Conference room at 5:30 for dinner! It was so good! Then we went on a sagvenger hunt around Gatlinburg which was alot of fun!
Well thats all about it so far.. I cant wait to see what God has in store for the rest of the summer!

Baby Clayton

My aunt Rhonda just had a new baby boy on Wednesday May 21, 2008! He was so adorable! I got to hold him just hours after he was born! He was 8lb 9oz! I love him so much! And his big sister Zoe was also very excited to get a little brother! She is 3 years old and just as cute as Clayton!

It's another girl!!

So.. my mom is having another girl.. that makes four of us "drama queens" as my mother puts it. I am really excited about getting another sister. I know we kinda wished for a boy, but my family is going to spoil her just as much as if she had been a boy. When we went for the oltrasound the baby was being too wiggly so the lady could find everything she needed to, but she did show us where the baby really was a little girl! I cant wait to meet her. Her due date is september 26th!