Hi friends!
Tomorrow is the big day! We are leaving bright and early tomorrow (Thursday) morning to drive down to LA. We fly out of LAX on Friday the 18th at 3pm. We will arrive in Santiago at 11:20am, their time, on Saturday the 19th. Please keep us in prayer as we travel. We also ask for prayers for our health, productivity, and our discernment with the Spirit during our eight weeks. Pray specifically for energy, as we are all completely exhausted and the trip hasn't even started yet! We love you all so much, and we hope to update as soon as possible. Thank you!
All our love,
Amanda, Matthew & Marissa
Also, the DR team will be at in n out in Elk Grove tonight at 8pm if you would like to say goodbye!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
3 college kids. God. And the DR.
Hi loved ones.
It's Marissa again. I realize that I take up a lot of space on this blog, but I think that Amanda has the kindness of the group, and Matthew manages the money and the details and logistics. So maybe I can be the heart and handle the emotions and the writing.
I wrote last week about God writing a story. I must say, this story hasn't even really begun, and yet it's already more exciting than I ever thought it would be. I remember praying at Nancy and Randal's house many months ago for our trip, and God gave me a vision that there would be obstacles, and that they would not be moved, but that we would have the strength and endurance to get around them. I remember the month of February, when we said "yes" to God's call the the DR and then all 3 of us were hit with severe trials and emotional/spiritual attack. I remember last Tuesday when we needed $2,200 by midnight on Sunday.
And I remember driving around Wilton at 11pm the night that we realized that God had provided above and beyond what we needed. I remember the breeze on my face and Matthew singing along with the music on the radio and I remember the smells and the quietness of my spirit and the tears that poured out of me like the gratefulness of a waterfall. I remember feeling so small, so insignificant, and yet so proud to be a crucial part in this story. We said "Yes." God did the rest.
It amazes me that the God of the universe, the God who gently sculpts the mountains with this fingertips, and rocks the ocean back and forth in a lullaby still took the time to put two moles on my left cheek. It's so rare that people catch the dreams that they've been chasing. I cry, because I am a wuss. But God has made all of this possible, and it has very little to do with me and a whole lot to do with His goodness. It has been a tumultuous 3 months. And the real journey begins next week.
I can sit here and write about how $11,000 came into our hands and in 3 months (and was managed by Matthew, by the way. That guys is AMAZING!) I can write about how our entire trip is paid for. I can say that we have already EXCEEDED our goal financially. But those are just details.
I know that some of you don't know God, and I am terribly sorry if I have offended you. But I would feel wrong to write about this moment and not mention His name. Because, like I said, I didn't do this one on my own. The three of us didn't do this on our own strength. And money is really only one small detail in all of this. We have 2 whole months ahead of us. We get to dive into God's love and grace and joy and peace and majesty and we get to share it with his beloved and beautiful people in the DR.
God is the reason we are going. God is the only thing that could cause us to give up our lives, our comfort, our families and go, headfirst, into the uknown.
This is the story that I want to tell. This is the story that matters. It's God's story. And it's beautiful and compelling and I can't wait to see how it ends.
I send the deepest love I can muster to each of you as you read this. May God's grace bless you. If you have given to us financially, we pray that you would be blessed tenfold. If you have been praying for us, know that we have been praying for you, too. If you have encouraged us, it was worth more than you could ever understand.
3 college kids. God. DR.
It's a good day, today.
With all my love,
Marissa
P.S. For those of you asking, we are driving down to L.A. next Thursday, 6/17. We fly out of of LAX on 6/18 (Friday) at 3pm, and arrive at JFK at 11pm. We fly out of JFK at 7am, Friday 6/18 and we land in Santiago later that day. We will try to give an update as soon as possible. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel!!!
It's Marissa again. I realize that I take up a lot of space on this blog, but I think that Amanda has the kindness of the group, and Matthew manages the money and the details and logistics. So maybe I can be the heart and handle the emotions and the writing.
I wrote last week about God writing a story. I must say, this story hasn't even really begun, and yet it's already more exciting than I ever thought it would be. I remember praying at Nancy and Randal's house many months ago for our trip, and God gave me a vision that there would be obstacles, and that they would not be moved, but that we would have the strength and endurance to get around them. I remember the month of February, when we said "yes" to God's call the the DR and then all 3 of us were hit with severe trials and emotional/spiritual attack. I remember last Tuesday when we needed $2,200 by midnight on Sunday.
And I remember driving around Wilton at 11pm the night that we realized that God had provided above and beyond what we needed. I remember the breeze on my face and Matthew singing along with the music on the radio and I remember the smells and the quietness of my spirit and the tears that poured out of me like the gratefulness of a waterfall. I remember feeling so small, so insignificant, and yet so proud to be a crucial part in this story. We said "Yes." God did the rest.
It amazes me that the God of the universe, the God who gently sculpts the mountains with this fingertips, and rocks the ocean back and forth in a lullaby still took the time to put two moles on my left cheek. It's so rare that people catch the dreams that they've been chasing. I cry, because I am a wuss. But God has made all of this possible, and it has very little to do with me and a whole lot to do with His goodness. It has been a tumultuous 3 months. And the real journey begins next week.
I can sit here and write about how $11,000 came into our hands and in 3 months (and was managed by Matthew, by the way. That guys is AMAZING!) I can write about how our entire trip is paid for. I can say that we have already EXCEEDED our goal financially. But those are just details.
I know that some of you don't know God, and I am terribly sorry if I have offended you. But I would feel wrong to write about this moment and not mention His name. Because, like I said, I didn't do this one on my own. The three of us didn't do this on our own strength. And money is really only one small detail in all of this. We have 2 whole months ahead of us. We get to dive into God's love and grace and joy and peace and majesty and we get to share it with his beloved and beautiful people in the DR.
God is the reason we are going. God is the only thing that could cause us to give up our lives, our comfort, our families and go, headfirst, into the uknown.
This is the story that I want to tell. This is the story that matters. It's God's story. And it's beautiful and compelling and I can't wait to see how it ends.
I send the deepest love I can muster to each of you as you read this. May God's grace bless you. If you have given to us financially, we pray that you would be blessed tenfold. If you have been praying for us, know that we have been praying for you, too. If you have encouraged us, it was worth more than you could ever understand.
3 college kids. God. DR.
It's a good day, today.
With all my love,
Marissa
P.S. For those of you asking, we are driving down to L.A. next Thursday, 6/17. We fly out of of LAX on 6/18 (Friday) at 3pm, and arrive at JFK at 11pm. We fly out of JFK at 7am, Friday 6/18 and we land in Santiago later that day. We will try to give an update as soon as possible. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel!!!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
DR Update
Hey friends!
Marissa, here. We are leaving in less than 3 weeks for Santiago! Crazy, huh? It seems like just yesterday, Amanda and I were chatting in a hotel in Redding at 4am about how we want to hang out with some DR babies, and now we are actually getting ready to leave! It is amazing how much God has ALREADY done in us and through us. God has provided $8,600 in just a few short months, and so many people have come forward with love and encouragement and support. TONS of support. I am in awe of my friends and family and fellow followers of Jesus. God is using each one of us to better His Kingdom, and I am so excited to read the next chapter in the book God is writing on this trip.
I think you are a part of this story, too. At least, I'd like you to be. You've helped write it this far. We've been shown such love and support in the past few months, and it has very little to do with us, and a whole lot to do with the amazing and wonderful people that we know. We are blessed to call you friends and family.
But this is the fun part. We still need your help. I would like to start by saying that we, above all, ask that you pray for us. We need tons of prayer and encouragement and support emotionally. Please keep us in your thoughts these next few weeks as we prepare, as well as the 8 weeks that we are in the DR. But we also need financial support. And if you have supported us thus far, we are beyond grateful. We are inexplicably gracious for your generosity. We do not ask that you give more than you already have. We ask that you pray before giving, and we ask that you give WITHOUT obligation. If you feel called to donate, every dollar is appreciated. It doesn't have to be a huge. It doesn't have to be momentous or significant. You are helping to write a story, and every letter and word is important and crucial to the telling of that story.
As of right now, we are $1,800 short of our total cost. It's not a huge amount, but it is overwhelming for us. There are several ways that you can support. First, we are continuing to sell tamales through Baja Burrito. They are $20/dozen, and you can choose from pork, chicken, beef and vegetarian. We are putting in an order THIS SUNDAY, June 6, so get the information and payment to us as soon as you can if you are interested. We are also selling tshirts in black and grey, vneck or crew neck for $20 each as well. You can contact any team member for those as well. Lastly, you can just give freewill. Please make checks payable to Marissa Matheny, Matthew McCleary or Living Water Church (for tax-write off purposes) and the donation will be divided equally amongst the group unless otherwise specified.
We thank you so much for your time, support, and encouragement. Every hug, and kind word, and bit of excitement that you are showing for this trip is helping to write an amazing story. And on behalf of Matthew and Amanda, we are beyond blessed to know you, and proud to call you friends, family and brothers and sisters in Christ. Regardless of the outcome of this note, or how anyone responds, we have been blessed thus far, and that is more than enough for us.
Love you all,
Marissa
P.S. Speaking of the concept of story, if you dig it, read "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller. It'll rock your world.
Marissa, here. We are leaving in less than 3 weeks for Santiago! Crazy, huh? It seems like just yesterday, Amanda and I were chatting in a hotel in Redding at 4am about how we want to hang out with some DR babies, and now we are actually getting ready to leave! It is amazing how much God has ALREADY done in us and through us. God has provided $8,600 in just a few short months, and so many people have come forward with love and encouragement and support. TONS of support. I am in awe of my friends and family and fellow followers of Jesus. God is using each one of us to better His Kingdom, and I am so excited to read the next chapter in the book God is writing on this trip.
I think you are a part of this story, too. At least, I'd like you to be. You've helped write it this far. We've been shown such love and support in the past few months, and it has very little to do with us, and a whole lot to do with the amazing and wonderful people that we know. We are blessed to call you friends and family.
But this is the fun part. We still need your help. I would like to start by saying that we, above all, ask that you pray for us. We need tons of prayer and encouragement and support emotionally. Please keep us in your thoughts these next few weeks as we prepare, as well as the 8 weeks that we are in the DR. But we also need financial support. And if you have supported us thus far, we are beyond grateful. We are inexplicably gracious for your generosity. We do not ask that you give more than you already have. We ask that you pray before giving, and we ask that you give WITHOUT obligation. If you feel called to donate, every dollar is appreciated. It doesn't have to be a huge. It doesn't have to be momentous or significant. You are helping to write a story, and every letter and word is important and crucial to the telling of that story.
As of right now, we are $1,800 short of our total cost. It's not a huge amount, but it is overwhelming for us. There are several ways that you can support. First, we are continuing to sell tamales through Baja Burrito. They are $20/dozen, and you can choose from pork, chicken, beef and vegetarian. We are putting in an order THIS SUNDAY, June 6, so get the information and payment to us as soon as you can if you are interested. We are also selling tshirts in black and grey, vneck or crew neck for $20 each as well. You can contact any team member for those as well. Lastly, you can just give freewill. Please make checks payable to Marissa Matheny, Matthew McCleary or Living Water Church (for tax-write off purposes) and the donation will be divided equally amongst the group unless otherwise specified.
We thank you so much for your time, support, and encouragement. Every hug, and kind word, and bit of excitement that you are showing for this trip is helping to write an amazing story. And on behalf of Matthew and Amanda, we are beyond blessed to know you, and proud to call you friends, family and brothers and sisters in Christ. Regardless of the outcome of this note, or how anyone responds, we have been blessed thus far, and that is more than enough for us.
Love you all,
Marissa
P.S. Speaking of the concept of story, if you dig it, read "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller. It'll rock your world.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
32 days.
Hola Amigos!
Yesterday was AMAZING! Thanks to everyone who came out and supported our trip! Baja Burrito es muy delicioso. Special thanks to Colin and the staff at Baja for putting this on for us! We love you guys SO much! Here are some photos from yesterday!
Yesterday was AMAZING! Thanks to everyone who came out and supported our trip! Baja Burrito es muy delicioso. Special thanks to Colin and the staff at Baja for putting this on for us! We love you guys SO much! Here are some photos from yesterday!
The Braithwaite family, PJ, Ashleys and Squaron.
PJ and Kati
Josh and Matt Midthun
Cori & Chris Ashley
Naomi, Derek, Tony, Ariana, and Taylor
Matthew, Joel and Ben
Squaron
Cori and Matthew (in the middle of a conversation about Lost)
Amanda and her brother, Andrew
Andrew. Eating two burritos. At once.
Marissa y Matthew
Team DR (Amanda, Marissa and Matthew)
I know I didn't get pictures of everyone, but thanks to everyone who came! It was great so see so many amazing family and friends there!!! We love you all SO much!
For those of you who have been asking, we leave June 18th, a little less than 5 weeks away! We are still working on getting all of our funds, but God has been providing like crazy lately. Our continued prayer is that "Thus far has the LORD helped us." (1 Samuel 7:12. Read the story of the Ebenezer stone.) We are getting SO excited, and are SO thankful for everything that God has given us so far. If you have donations for the orphanage, get those to us as soon as possible! Dios le bendiga, mis amigos.
En el amor de Dios, Marissa
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Potatoes and Provision!
Hey everyone!
Yesterday we had our first big fundraiser at Matthew's and my home church, Living Water. We decided to do a potato bar, because Remedy (our college group that the three of us go to) had done one in the past, and it had been pretty successful. We ended up raising above and beyond the amount we thought we would make, and we blessed with the presence of family and friends. We cannot express the gratitude we feel for God, and our families, friends, and church.
Saturday afternoon, Matthew and I met with Kris Puccinelli (or Mama Kris, as I call her), our second mother, mentor and college group leader at Living Water to do our big shopping at Sam's Club (Amanda had to work, so she couldn't make it). Then, Matthew, Kris and I went to Kris' house to scrub and wrap the potatoes in foil. Our wonderful friend Ariana helped out, too! We managed to finish all of the preparations in about 2 hours, which gave us time to celebrate our friend Tony's 21st birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY!
Sunday morning, we woke up bright and early and spoke at two of Living Water's services to inform everyone about our trip and our fundraiser, and afterwards we headed over to St. Peter's Lutheran Church (our mother church, big thanks to them!) and used their ovens and kitchen prep area for all of our preparations. We cooked potatoes, made a salad, cut brownies and onions, and crock-potted some chili. Our friend Danielle came and helped us out that afternoon/evening because she is WONDERFUL! Our fundraiser started at 5, and people began PILING in the door. We had about 30 people RSVP and had bought around 100 potatoes (I honestly thought that would be too much) but by about 5:30pm we were wondering if we would have ENOUGH! God provided a miracle for us, and everyone got a potato! One of Matthew's and my former youth leaders, Siobhan, even brought homemade cupcakes for everyone! It was great to see everyone coming together to support us!
One of my favorite parts about last night was the feeling of family. I've been going to Living Water Church since I was in the 6th grade (I'm 23 now) and, at times, it is hard to be a part of a place that has known you since before you hit puberty. I so often just want to GET AWAY and do something different, but last night, I was reminded of what church is all about. I get grumpy sometimes, and can complain, but when we needed it, God used our church, which is basically my family, to provide. That says something. I thank God for each person in my church, no matter how I feel about them sometimes, because they are my family, and families love each other, support each other, and help each other grow. I come from a family that wasn't always consistent, and people that were supposed to me in my life, were not. I think that is what gets me most about last night is what it meant when people showed up. And what it means when people give, or when they pray. It means you care. And that resonates in me more deeply than I ever thought it would. This is my dream, and my calling, and to be supported and encourage and loved like family through it all is God's gift to me. YOU are God's gift to me.
The other major blessing of last night was the fact that each of our parents came and supported us last night. Both of Amanda's parents, my mother, and Matthew's dad came. I don't think there are words to describe what a wonderful blessing that was to each one of us, so I'll leave it at that. God knows.
Lastly, I just wanted to thank you for your continued support of our trip! Whether you are digging into your wallet, reading our blogs, praying for us, or just giving us hugs, we are so humbled to be a part of YOUR family. Thank you for helping send us. We love you.
We managed to take a few photos this weekend as we got everything together, and I wanted to share them with you! Enjoy!
Matthew preparing some potatoes!
Mama Kris helping us prepare
Our wonderful friend, Ariana helping scrub potatoes
A very excited Matthew (which is pretty typical)
Amanda making a salad
Matthew and the huge can of chili (and we had 4 of them)
Marissa cutting some brownies
The Amazing Danielle, who helped us out all day Sunday
Amanda and Danielle
Hot Potatoes!
Oven Mitt Five!
Mama Kris and Matthew doing some set up at Living Water
The Spread!
cupcakes made by the wonderful Siobhan!
Jeret wafting the smells!
Enjoying the Food
We heart Ashley!
Matthew & Amanda (Can you feel the excitement?)
Marissa and Jocelyn and Ainsley Feaster
Amanda and her dad
All $1535 in my hands (and now in a bank account!)
Thanks again, everyone for making this fundraiser such a huge success!
With all the love I have in my heart,
Marissa
P.S. I, again, want to thank some special people who went out of their way to help us this weekend. Kris Puccinelli is God's gift to me when my life seems to be falling apart, but she also somehow manages to take care of everyone's everything. She helped prepare, shop, and plan this event! Thanks to Ariana Nicholson who helped scrub potatoes on Saturday, and Danielle Sipes who gave up her Sunday afternoon and evening to hang out with us and prepare everything! (She even did a run to the grocery store because we had to get lemonade!) And to Siobhan Russell, who brought homemade cupcakes for everyone! Thanks to Pastor Joel Midthun (PJ!) for letting us throw this shindig, and everyone at Living Water, Remedy, and our friends and family who came and enjoyed a potato or two. Blessings to you!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Joy because of Pain, not in spite of it.
I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while now, but I keep putting it off. But today, considering everything that has been going on, not only in our team but also in my friends and other people around us, it feels especially appropriate. I’m talking about trials. All three of us have been going through some really rough stuff lately. I think there was one week when all three of us were hit with different things pretty bad. And for me personally, I’m having a very trial-iffic year. I’ve experienced more family drama than I’ve ever had to deal with, and then a little over a month ago, just weeks after we decided to go on this trip, my house was broken into and all of my stuff was stolen. It sucked. I’m not trying to sit here and tell you how bad my life is, or that you should feel sorry for me. Actually I feel incredibly blessed and I’ve felt closer to God this past month than I have in a long time. He is amazing. I write about this because this is my life right now, and I can feel God working in me like never before. It’s a good feeling.
James chapter 1 says:
“2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James is my favorite book of the Bible, and this is one of my favorite passages. God wants us to be joyful when our lives are falling apart. I love that. I want to be like that. I try to be like that. I’ve just got to throw myself into Him because He’s all I’ve got, and that becomes even more apparent when life isn’t so great. No matter how bad things may get here, He never changes and He is always great. Honestly trials excite me (maybe not right away; the days after my dad moved out were not quite exciting for me) because I know that God is doing something in me. At the end of it all I want to be “not lacking anything,” and all the growing that comes from these trials is going to make me a better Christian with a more mature faith and relationship with Him, and I’ll be better equipped to serve Him. I don’t think that a year ago I was mature enough in my faith to go on a two-month mission trip to a foreign country. But a lot can change in a year, and a lot has. I know that I’m closer to God today than I was a year ago, and though I might never be fully prepared for whatever I’m going to experience this summer, I’m closer to maturity now than ever.
A few people have expressed worry to us that maybe the reason we’re going on this trip is to get away from all of our troubles. I understand why someone might think that. We’re three friends who are having kind of a bad run right now and two months away from family and all of that drama would be great. But for us that is not the case. When I first started thinking and praying about this trip the thought of leaving to get away from everything never crossed my mind. The bottom line is that I’m going to serve God, to serve and have an incredible experience that I get to share with people that are very close to me. But going to “get away” is not one of my reasons for this trip. People might say that all the bad things that are happening might be a reason for me to leave and run away, but I see the trials as confirmation that this trip is what I’m supposed to be doing. They’re confirmation not because it’s further proof that life sucks and I might as well leave now but rather because every bad thing is an attack, a reason to stay and deal with everything here. If I let my family problems consume me then I’ll lose sight of the amazing journey I’ve started in this trip. If I focus on my problems then I’m making things about myself rather than about God and I’m not letting myself serve Him. Satan does not want us to go to the Dominican Republic. Each of us has been attacked in one form or another. I’m joyful for the pain because it’s Satan’s attempt to get me away from God’s work.
In all of this we’ve been able to stand by each other, supporting each other, and holding each other up. In the midst of broken relationships, financial worries, the stress of school, discouraging friends, and more family drama than any college students should have to go through we’ve all been there, right there, for each other with encouragement and prayers like nothing else. I feel truly blessed to have these two people in my life, not only as teammates, but also as incredible friends. I feel like because we’ve gone through all of these different things together, supporting and encouraging each other, that we are closer friends and teammates than we ever would have been if our lives were great and there was nothing to complain about. As far as our trip goes, I feel that all of our shared experiences, and every opportunity to encourage, pray, and just be there for each other has been the best training for this summer.
God is going to get us through all the crap. He is all we have. All I can do is encourage my friends towards Him, and they do the same for me. And every hard day, every bit of pain; it’s been a pure joy.
-Matthew
Thursday, March 25, 2010
In the Presence of God
Blessings to all.....
I am so excited to see what God is doing in my life, in the lives of my friends, and in the lives on my teammates. He is revealing Himself and His mighty works to us everyday. He is so glorious and worthy to be praised. I am so thankful that I have a Father who loves me so much that He sent His son to die for the payment of my sins. I am such a sinner and so unworthy for that amazing sacrifice, but He gave His son because He loves us and that through Him we might be saved. What a great God we have! Thank you, God, for loving us!!!
I wanted to let you know a little about what is going on in our lives; me, Marissa, and Matthew. I wanted to share just little ways we have seen God's presences and His work in our lives. It says in Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in My name I am there in the midst of them." I absolutely love this verse, because I know where there are two people coming together in the name of Christ there He is. It is just this beautiful feeling when you can just feel Him right there beside you. This happened to Marissa and I about a week ago at a prayer and worship night at Remedy, our college group.
After worship we separated off into small group or individual prayers. Marissa turned to me and asked if we could pray together, and I was so excited to pray with my beautiful, amazing sister. We went into the back room and began to talk and pray with one another. I feel totally blessed to have a sister in the Lord who loves and supports me; who encourages me everyday to seek a closer and fuller relationship with God. As we were praying, I could feel God's love just pouring out on us. There were only two for us but as it is said in Matthew "Where two or three are gathered in my name there I am there in the midst of them." He was there present and listening to us, surrounding us, and comforting us. It was just this beautiful moment in the presence of God.
We ended up missing the last couple worship songs, so we decided to worship God where we were. We said "Lord give us a song to sing." The first song that came to me was 'Surrender.' (I'm giving you my heart. And all that is within. I'm laying it all down. For the sake of you my king. I'm giving you my dreams. I'm laying down my rights. I'm giving up my pride. For the promise of new live. And I surrender it all to you, all to you. And I surrender it all to you, all to you). Right as I began to sing Marissa turned to me, "That was the song I was just about to sing." At that moment a chill went through my whole body, because I knew God was right there in that room with us. We began to sing out to God, singing we surrender all to Him. After Surrender, I began to sing, "The splendor of a King...." and Marissa yells with excitement, "I was just thinking 'How great is our God'." At that moment, we looked at each other and just knew our Lord and Savior was in this little dark room with us, and it was beautiful. There were just two voices, but God heard our praise. Even through the chaos of the world and the heaviness of our hearts, He still heard us and meet us right where we were. We knew that moment was so special, and there was no way we could just leave that place. So we kept on worshiping God with our voices.
We were in that room for quite a long time, but we just did not want to leave because we felt His presence. In silences, I heard Marissa begin to sing, "He is jealous for me. Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy. And Oh how He loves us." What an amazing testament to God, that we know He loves us, and that we can sing that out to Him. There is so much junk going on in both of our lives, and Satan is trying to get in and destroy who we are in Christ, but because we know that "He loves us" we have a rock to stand on. We know we have a God who is fighting for us, and because of that Satan has no foothold over our lives because we are His children and Oh how He loves us. Thank you for loving us...
It was just an overwhelming and beautiful night. We sat there in the presence of God singing songs and surrender our hearts to Him. It was this time of total peace within our souls. We ended the night out singing as loud as our voices would let us "WE LOVE YOU, OH HOW WE LOVE YOU, YES LORD WE LOVE YOU, OH HOW WE LOVE." We thanked Him for loving us, and we wanted to yell out how much we loved Him.
This was just a beautiful moment that I was able to share with my amazing friend, sister, and teammate. God has been moving in our lives and revealing His mighty works. He has blessed the three of us with the deposit money we needed by April 1, 2010 for our trip. This was just a blessing for all of us. We have been a bit worried at times about our funds, so for that money to come in it was just another great confirmation that God is going to be working in such amazing ways. We sent our deposit today, and it was just this relief knowing we are totally 100% willing and ready to be used by God. Our hands are wide open and we are saying "YES LORD!!! Send me." Please keep us in your prayers, while we are continuing this journey. Love you all so much. Be blessed. Amanda
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