College:

Week 1: Registration: AKA...taking your picture, spending the most money you have ever spent in your ENTIRE life (of your own), meeting lots of new people, getting a card with your picture on it (that is pretty much the key to your new life), being thrust out of your comfort zone, lugging your stuff up the dorm stairs mostly by yourself, sitting in meetings, meeting with your advisor, meeting the most amazing family group ever (SUIT UP!!!), going bowling, changing your major, and...I'm sure there was something else, but that was the jist. :)

Weekend 1: Driving about two hours away to an amazing camp with all the Freshman girls to listen to different seminars and worship together. It was beautiful and Lake Michigan is awesome. :)

Week 2: Getting lost in the dorm, trying to figure out which building is which. The building where English is ...is not "The English Building, it's Nethery Hall", walking around with a map totally looking lost, almost going into the wrong nutrition class, barely able to make it to communications on time because you can't figure out what room it's supposed to be in, being terrified by your Nutrition teacher who says he has given out only 10 A's out of a Hundred students last semester, and...best of all, looking forward to the weekend and SABBATH!!! :)

Weekend 2: Hanging out at the beach on Sabbath afternoon and going on a bike ride with Christophe! I am addicted. It's as fun and more fun than I ever imagined it would be!!! :D Sunday...more beachy-ness :) I LOVE THE BEACH!!! AND THE SUNSHINE!!!!

Week 3: Getting all settled into classes, looking forward to Labor Day!! WHOO HOO!!! Last three years..or pretty much my entire life I think I still had school on Labor Day! Loving classes and just moving along ...and of course...looking forward to the weekend! ESPECIALLY since friends from Union were coming!! YAY!!

Weekend 3: Church, Lunch, Beach, Dinner, BOWLING!!! :) and...getting sick :( Sunday: SIX FLAGS!!! :) The roller coasters were awesome..but I was getting tired towards the end of the day for sure...It was Renee's first time ever being on a roller coaster and by the end of the second one she was hooked! :) She looked at me with a big grin on her face and said "YAY! let's do it again!!" First time I ever did the drop tower...it looks scarier than it is...and the anticipation was worse than the drop!!! :) Actually, I got sick on a little swinging boat...how lame is that. I didn't feel good for hours after that one! OLIVE GARDEN was an amazing supper of SOUP and breadsticks! Cheap...but delicious! :) And we had to zip back in time for curfew...we made it. Barely.

Week 4: Studying and panicking for my first EXAM! Yeah, not cool when your book is lost in the mail. Cram, cram, cram the night before = not a very good grade. At least I passed and was in the average pool...but I don't like the average!~ I want to be ABOVE average!!! Realizing that next week..I have TWO exams (nutrition and intro to psych) and an english paper (collage) due. Wow. This weekend is going to include some studying. That's for sure. Tonight (friday) was Fusion! The sermon was really good.It was Me vs. Me. and how sometimes we get so focused on the ins and outs, that we forget to let God lead and we are just fighting against ourselves instead of letting God do the change in us. Romans 8 - NOTHING will separate us from the love of God. AMEN!!!!The music gets too loud, but if you leave early after the sermon, well you get out easier, and you can go to bed earlier!

So..this was super long...but the words were just coming...ta ta...morning comes and the clock doesn't wait for a sick, tired, half-asian freshman girl who is hungry!

:) - ME
Happy Sabbath!

Tales of a Bible Worker

Alex: Are you a teenager?
Me: Yup! I am a teenager!
Slade: You're not a teenager! You're an adult!
Me: I am an adult teenager.
Slade: Alex! ALEX! Did you HEAR THAT! She's an ADULT teenager!
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I walk in the door....and meet a little girl...
Alex: You're pretty, and I like sitting next to you!

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Bible Study Contact (reading a bible verse): and the genitals... *slight pause, then keeps reading* blah, blah, blah....*all of a sudden* ...the GENTILES!
I could barely smother my laughter!

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It doesn't seem to matter who it is, but almost every single bible study reads this verse in Isaiah and read the word LIONS instead of the word LOINS.

Isaiah 45:1 - Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

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And....life gets...busier....

For a while I was trying to follow up with Bible Study contacts and get them to schedule a time for studies...now I have so many! I don't know where to put them. I have people ranging from 9am to literally starting their bible study at 9pm. Thank goodness they are on different days..Unfortunately, the 9pm one is the night before the 9am one.

I have a stack of about twenty-five names or so that I haven't even contacted...at all...and some that I haven' been able to get a hold of yet...and my schedule is already more than half full...So, question is, where am I going to fit all these people that want studies. It's a great dilemma...but, I think it's time to get Bible Worker #3 :)

God has been truly blessing...I can see how he was brought about miraculous meetings and divine appointments. He is ever faithful.

This last weekend was crazy hectic! The Chang family (minus Samantha) were all home so that meant that the house was constantly busy! Always people coming in and out. Last night Mrs. Chang said "Our house has revolving doors." It's almost true. When she's home there's always someone here!
Sunday was a birthday party...for...six birthdays! Yup...lots of food...lots of dessert. It was a HOT, busy day! Seriously. At 6pm it was 96 degrees! It was only May 2!

I think I am going to melt all my fat this summer....without even trying :)

It Never Rains...It Pours

God is still in the business of working Miracles. Amen? Yes! He is! I have been trying to keep my Sundays free, but this last Sunday, I decided that I would go out door-to-door trying to get some more bible studies going. I only had about 4 and I am trying to work up to at least 20! It is estimated that you have to knock on over a hundred doors to get one person to agree to anything. Which means...I have a LONG ways to go!

I had been feeling slightly overwhelmed and frustrated with my current situation of going door-to-door by myself. I had been hearing all over..mind you, not once, not twice, but several times that Lake County (the county I am in) has the most sex-offenders in Central Florida. Not a very comforting thought for a 100 pound-5'2"-19 year old girl!

I talked to my dad and he told me I needed to pray. Pray about all the things I needed to pray about, and pray that God would lead me to the right people. So, I prayed. I said, God, can you please PLEASE, help me find some people to have bible studies with today?

I called some of the people I have been trying to get ahold of for weeks now, and finally TWO of them answered the phone, and said YES to personal bible studies! Praise God! One had moved, and the other one was supposed to be a drop-off study that turned into a personal study. At least that's what she agreed to! :)

I went to an apartment area I had been eyeing but saving for a time when I saw a lot of cars there, and was sad to see that it said "No Soliciting" so, I called Mike and said, "Can we go in there?" We're not asking for money! He told me that I should just go in and if they say "No Soliciting" explain what I am doing, and hope for the best! I went to the doors, and withing 24 doors, I had SIX BIBLE STUDIES signed up! I got a little worried that my schedule would get mixed up, so I ran back to the car to check my schedule to see what was left. Especially since everyone seemed to be asking for Tuesday! So far, I have 5 people that want studies on Tuesdays! I went back going door-to-door and by the end of the evening had a total of 11 people (including the two phone calls) signed up for bible studies! Praise GOD!!!!

I was floating on air. After going door-to-door quite a few times with no one setting up an ACTUAL appointment for Bible Studies, I felt like God had poured out Heaven's blessings on me. You can be so tired, tired of walking, tired of rejections, but when you find just ONE person, it all seems worth it! AND I was blessed with 11! It was truly from God. There was no other way anything like that could have happened.

My prayer that asked for five people (and I thought I was asking a lot for one day) was answered and more than doubled! God is Good!

Week 2

Wow! I can't believe that I have already been here in the sunny state of Florida for two whole weeks...two and a half really, I guess.

The first week...d..r...a...g...g...e...d......by! But, after that! Things were looking up and going better. I am grateful that time is going by faster. I sometimes wonder if it's just me...or if time has really sped up!

Well, the first week I was here, I went and knocked on doors, went to a couple bible studies with Donna McDonald (it's so funny to hear her say "Hi, Donna, this is Donna!"), went to an afternoon prayer meeting (3PM!), and got familiar with the area! I tried to follow up with all the bible study cards I had, but only got two bible studies scheduled!

Let me tell you a little about Michelle. I went to her house, ragged, porch falling off the house, all broken. I was scared to step on it. Then, I got to the door...and heard what sounded like a pack of wild dogs! Wow. You never know what is on the other side of the door. Well, I built up courage and knocked on the door. A very tired looking lady came to the door. I thought, "Wow, it's going to be interesting giving studies at THIS house!" But, God had it all worked out for me! To my great DELIGHT, she said, yes! I want studies, but not here... * my face fell....* "Oh," Well, we could have them at our church! She said...Sure! I'll see you there tomorrow, 3 o' Clock! God is SO GOOD!

Since that day, we have had two lessons. She is very interested in the bible, and so far has no objections! She took a whole bunch of Spirit of Prophecy books including, Desire of Ages, Great Controversy, Christ's Object Lessons....she loves to read, so I said! Sure, take all you can read!!!! :)

Anyhow, I wish all stories could be as happy as that one, but God is refining my character and showing me that not everyone is as open as she is! He's also showing me what it's like when people say "I'm not interested..." after all the time and effort He has put into us!

Happy Sabbath!

April Fool?

No April fools around for me today!

I spent the morning at my supervisors house and then the early afternoon with Donna McDonald, my bible-working partner. As she drove me around showing me stores, post offices, Subways, and a million other things I felt slightly overloaded with information! Donna took me to the church (a beautiful church)and around 4 p.m. I came back here to the house where I am staying. I can hardly wait to post pictures up of this area! It's different than anything I have ever seen before!

I have a few bible study contacts that filled out cards that I need to follow up with! I am really happy. That saved me a lot of walking. I have heard that it takes knocking on a thousand doors to get one bible study, and I already have some leads! Praise the Lord.

I'm going out today to get more familiar with my surroundings, drive around a bit in my ginormeous territory, and get ready for Sabbath!

- me

My Beautiful Buddy

A couple days ago Becca and I went to town to do a photoshoot! I have been dying to take pictures and Melissa kindly lent me her camera....so, Becca and I (FINALLY) were able to go to town and take some pictures...I am just putting up a few of my favorites :) Hope you like them...oh, and don't forget to give me tips if you have any! I need all I can get!

A Packed Car, Hugs, Tears, Goodbyes = New Beginning

Hey Everyone! I made it to Florida safely! I am so excited! I really am. Nervousness creeps up into my throat sometimes, but right now, I am content and happy. I am sitting in my Supervisors house...on the edge of Lake something-or-other...watched the sunset through the palm trees, sun reflecting on the water; soaked in the hot tub (needed to relax those tight muscles from driving!)Pictures to come later!

This morning was crazy...waking up early to clean, shower, pack last few things in the car, hugs, tears, goodbyes....and then the seven hour drive here! Thankfully Davie and Vern called me to keep me company! :) They totally cheered my day :D

Sorry for the random ramblings...I will write more sensibly when I have more of a brain after catching up on sleep!!!!

Ta-ta!

:)

GPS? Why use one of those? Lost? Never. It's just another Adventure....

Why would you use a GPS? Well, let's just say they could save you a lot of time, gas, and worry. But, look on the bright side, life without one makes more memories. This last weekend Renee was able to come down all the way to Atlanta from Michigan! I couldn't miss the chance to go and see her, but sadly, I didn't get to spend as much time with her as I could have if I would have had a GPS. When she told me where she was going to be, I looked it up on Mapquest and thought, "Well, I'll just follow the signs to Fayetteville, How hard can it be?" I drove up to the exit I needed to take and asked at a gas station which direction Fayetteville was. The guy told me to take a left, cross the freeway, and follow the signs...my instinct automatically told me that was the opposite direction that I was supposed to be going, but I swallowed my fears and went ahead. I finally called Renee and asked her if she knew how I could get there. She handed the phone to someone from the church in Fayetteville who stayed on the phone with me until I got close enough to the church to make it there myself. God is good to me! :D

When I finally made it to the church Renee was already up front singing....I looked around and soon realized that I was one of four "white" faces in the group. I quickly looked for a seat and sat down. After an amazing concert, I finally got to hug Renee!!!! After an agonizing decision of whether or not I was going with her to the next concert (it was an hour away) I decided that I HAD to go. It was such a long ways to drive to spend only and actual 15 minutes with her. So we decided that she would drive with me to the next church.

Then, the REAL adventure began. We were in a group of about 5 cars when we all passed the road we were supposed to turn on. Everyone started to turn around in driveways and by the time I was turned around...we were left behind. And...let me add. They do NOT drive slowly. After going down the right road TWICE and being told we were on the wrong road, we finally waited for them to come and find US! We felt terrible about holding everyone up, but we finally were on our way. We arrived at the church ten minutes before the concert was supposed to start with a sigh of relief and I had to hug Renee goodbye before I started the 2 1/2 hour drive home.

The way back was uneventful, I just prayed a lot. God is the best GPS I am sure. Random note: I have decided that driving really...just...isn't my thing. I don't mind driving...but I don't like driving by myself, in the rain, in the dark, or in the city. All of which I had to do yesterday. But, I survived! :)

Until the next adventure...

...all on a sunny day...

It was a gorgeous, sunny Sunday! The great outdoors were begging me to come outside! I was SO excited to see sunshine and have some warmth!!!!! I randomly suggested that we go play Tennis (it's been forever since we have played) and my parents thought it was a great idea. So, off to the Idle Hour Tennis Court we went! Here are just a few pictures I took! :)