Job Opportunity???

While hanging out at th Moysiuk home, I decided that I would go and take a nap around 12:30. About 3 I received a phone call from the principal of Jame Bowie Middle School in Simms, TX informing me that she had noticed my application and that I was the only applicant that had math experience and asked if I would be interested in an eighth grade math position for next fall. I told her that I was and she asked if I could come in for an interview.

Here en-lies the problem. I am in Olympia, WA until July 13. When I said yes to returning to work up here, I thought that I had a job lined up and that I wouldn't need to worry about being in the Northwest for a few weeks. Well as school came to a close, a job was not offered. Being a human, I became worried when day after day there was no offer and no returns on phone calls or emails. My fear was to arrive in Olympia and then get a call about a job that required me to be in Texarkana. So I put everything in God's hands. I knew that coming to Olympia was a huge risk, but God had opened the door very wide and if I was supposed to have a job next fall, HE would provide on for me.

Back to the call...after she asked me to come in for an interview, I informed her that I was in Olympia, WA and that I would not be returning until July 13. She then let me know that the school was hoping to fill the position by next week. But if they hadn't filled it by the 13th she would call me when I got back. If that is where God wants me to be, the job will still be open after July 13. Until then, there is nothing else that I can do.

God, I come to you now with this job opportunity. If this is where I am supposed to go next fall, then I am willing. But if not, then fill the position before I return home. I am not going to worry about anything. I am giving this to you and seeking your wisdom and guidance. I know that I have slid away from you lately, but I am turning to you. You know what is best for me and your will is what I want. If this job is not for me, I pray that you provide another. But for right now, it is all for You. I am taking it out of my hands and putting it into Yours.

AMEN

Tumwater Falls

it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful God's creation really is. And I got to experience that first had yesterday while I was out with Rebecca and Ms. Peggy. Since the planned car-wash got canceled, we drove a round a little bit. After going to the store and then the farmers market down town, they took me to Tumwater Falls.

This little stretch of about a quarter of a mile is beautiful. The vegetation is great and the water is powerful. I could have stayed there the rest of the day, but we had to leave. I had a great time and I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Back in the Northwest

It took four year for McKenzie Rd Baptist Church to wrangle me back to Olympia, WA, but it has finally happened: I am back in the Northwest.

When I arrived on Thursday, memories and an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction came over me. I was back and I was ready to work. First it was off to the church to say hi to Pastor Dan and to sort of catch up and talk about kids camp. Then it was on to the Panter house where I had to wait for the host family I am staying with to return from a doctor's appointment. I didn't mind waiting because it gave me some time to catch up with Alyssa and Mrs. Laurie. Sam even came by for an impromptu gab session. After all this, it was finally time for me to head over to the Moisuk home.

John, Peggy and Rebecca have opened their home to me for the time that I am here. John has worked with the youth in the past and Rebecca is one of the students that was in the childrens ministry my first two summers up here and then was a part of the youth when they came to Florence, AL. She is great. They all are. I am looking forward to get to know Mrs. Peggy a little more as in the past I haven't spent much time with her, but now I have a few weeks

To Do:

youth carwash

Prep for kids camp

youth movie night

kids camp

prep for world changers

world changers

Its a full trip, but it will be great. Can't wait to get started

It feels good to be back.

Random Summer Memory 3.0

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Amanda. Amanda loved to go to the park at night and play on the playground, but her all time favorite thing on the playground was the see-saw. But there was one teency little problem...

Amanda had no one to play with. Which means that all she could do was see...she couldn't saw.

Amanda desided to take matters into her own hands and she whipped out her handy, dandy cellular phone and called as many people as she could think of.

all at one Amanda got really excited because...

Her bestest friend Jamie came to play with her.

Together they could see-saw, and they had a wonderful time.

Amanda finally got to see and saw on the see-saw.

and Jamie had fun too.

Amanda and Jamie were bestest of friends and lived happily ever after.

Summer Memory (2005) 2.1

So each summer, Pastor Dan and his fam take the summer missionaries to Seattle. This trip is a time to get to know each other and just have some fun. One of Pastor Dan's favorite places is Pike Place Market and that is where he wanted to take Adrian and me.

They had all kinds of stores. There was a lefty store (everything is made for left handed people) where I picked something up for my brother. There were several sports stores, toy stores, and clothing stores. But best of all there was a farmers market with every type of fruit, vegetible, and meat that you could think of. This is also the place where they throw the fish.

But my favorite placea Pike Place was across the street:

The first ever Starbucks stands in all its glory. And of course I had to go in and get a Mint Mocha-Chip Frappachino.

The trip with Pastor Dan wasn't our first to Seattle though. Samantha had taken Adrian and me to Seattle (really just to go and eat somewhere). But when we got there, we desided that we would go to the Space needle. It was a beautiful sunny day and we knew that if we waited until Pastor Dan took us we might not get such a great day. So we went and had a blast.

Summer Memory (2005) 2.0

The summer of 2005 saw me once again in the wonderful Ever Green State, however this time I would be spending it with McKenzie Baptist Church in Olympia. As with each summer missions trip, orientation was the first stop for yours truly.

It was back ot Portland for three days of orientation (where Thursday afternoon was set aside for us to have a free day). I met my summer missions partner, Adrian, at the airpot when we flew in. We hit it off prttey fast and I knew that this summer was going to be great after only the first five minutes of hanging out with him.

We met Pastor Dan the second day of orientation and the three of us threw the frisbe around as we got the down low on what we would be doing over the summer and what our expectations were and what his were for us. Then came our free day.

Pastor Dan took us to Multanomah Falls (which are just breath taking). Adrian had never been there and this was my second trip. We had a great day of hiking and taking pictures and just getting to know each other.

This summer was going to be a blast. Stay tuned for more.

Multanomah Fall

World Changers-Florence, AL a.k.a. A Week with the Toe Nails

So this past week I was a crew chief at a World Changers project in Florence, AL. I went there because the church that I worked at for two summers in Olympia, WA was coming down and my first summer missions partner was going to be there also (and I couldn't let them have a reunion without me). So I went. I drove six hours to meet them and start working hard.

Now, as a crew chief I was going to be in charge of a crew. There is where the Toe Nails were started. The youngest crew at World Changers (I being the youngest crew cheif and having the youngest crew encourager). Our kids were pretty young too, which kind of worried me because we were going to be doing a roof and you have to be at least 16 to get on the roof.

Sunday was when we met and we went to Parkview Baptist Church in Tuscumbia to worship together. After church was over and we visited the site of our home owner, our driver took us to UNA to see the lions and we got our first crew photo.

Gareth, Katie, Mitchell, Hannah, Leslie, Me, Ashley, Briteny, and Caleb were the nine Toe Nails on our little adventure. We rode around on "Old Faithful" (well at least for part of the week until we deemed it unsafe to drive, thats a story in itsself)

Along wit hreplacing the roof, we also got to tear down and build a porch in the front of the house we were working on.

The roofing crew did an amazing job and we got alot done in a short amount of time. This is all of them (minus me) and I think they deserve a standing "o" for the amount of work they did put in last week.
And then there were my grounds crew (ashley, hannah, and caleb). They did some amazing work. You already saw the porch, but another job of theirs was to pick up the site and keep it clean (and find tools that we happened to misplace)
I think that my favorite part of the week was teaching the roof girls how to smoke a nail instead of hitting it thirty times to see it go in.
And needless to say I had to try and stay out of the pictures (Aren't I hiding pretty well?)
With one side done and the other in progress we wan'ted to have a little fun during one of our breaks (which is where this picture came from)
On Monday my crew encourager got sick so I had to ground her (literally). She was a good sport about it though.
And there we are on the tip top of our roof, however I think that this was taken on Friday and Leslie was not supposed to be up there (don't tell anyone)
Mitchell was a work-horse. He was the one who wanted to put the cap on the top of the roof and then...
...we were finished.
Hope you enjoied a little recap of the week I spent in Florence, AL as a World Changer. One last group picture of...The Toe Nails' toenails!

Sojourner Memory 1.2

The week after Reata Springs, we went to a church in Hermatige, OR. The difference this week was that we would be joined by the team of Laura and Hannah (Hannah is the one picking her nose). We were so excited to be doing VBS again for a different church (but it was still the same theme-Rickshaw Ralley).


We got to meet the new youth director (who had only been there for like two weeks and he and his wife had moved from TEXAS). They were so much fun. Lupe was pregnant, about 2 months, and Jeff was just loving being in Oregon. They are both teachers, and they both love working with youth and children. It was their job to get VBS rolling and they were the ones who assigned the jobs.

And then there was Troubador. He was probably one of the wildest kids that you will ever meet. A true handful he was. He fell in love with Hannah and so they were hard to break up when it was time for us to leave.

Fun time all week on the Far Out, Far East, Rickshaw Ralley Racing to the Son.

Sojourner Memory 1.1

After our first week of orientations and odd jobs here and there, it was time for our group of eight to split into our teams of two. Erin and I were teammates and our first assignment...Reata Springs Baptist Church. This was one of my favorite weeks of the whole summer.

Each new church we went to meant a new host family for Erin and Me. At Reata Springs, we had our favorites, Mark and Tammy. They were amazing. Both of them grew up in Mississippi. One went to the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and the other went to Mississippi State University (MSU). Both of them work at the Wal-Mart distribution plant right outside of the Tri-Cities (which is how they got to Washington in the frist place). They are a couple of great people.

Mark was like our stay at home dad all week. We did VBS every morning and handed out flyers for the block-party in the afternoons, but nights were full of fun. MArk and Tammy would take us to get ice-cream, mark stayed up and watched a "chick-flick" with us (which turned to be a straight sports movie with like a guy and girl talking a total of three times in the whole thing, which to Mark constituted a "chick-flick"). Mark even took us to the distribution plant one afternoon and we got to go into the freezer.

Mark and Tammy were great and I will always remember them. I wonder what they are doing right now?

Coming soon Sojourner memory 1.2 and look for Olympia Memories.

Sojourner Memory 1.0

My first summer mission trip took me all the way to the tri-cities of Washington state. along with eight other missionaries, I was stationed in the Columbia Basin Baptist Association. We were split into teams of two and went to different chruches each week to help them run their VBS, we were counselors at youth camp and my partner and I got to go to Jericho 2004.

These eight girls made my summer. Although during the week we were separated, the reunions ath the white house were the best weekends ever. I hope you enjoy as a take your through memory lane this week in the CBBA.

Front: Sarah, Amy. Jenna

Middle: Hannah "Bessie", Kelly, me

Back: Laura, Erin, Amanda

Back in Action

So, I am finally back in the saddle and going to start blogging again. My Greece blog will soon have many excerpts from my journal that I kept all summer (along with pictures) to kind of give everyone an idea of what my summer was like.

I hope that you enjoy.

No Updates all Summer

So I leave my house in about six hours (yeah to excited to sleep) to head on my mission trip overseas. With internet access being so limited this summer I won't be able to update this blog during the summer.

However if I get a chance I will update my Greece blog

Catch you in August.

I GOT MY PASSPORT!!!!!

Its finally here and I am so glad to have that stress over with...now its just a matter of getting the rest of my money...

Passport is Coming (in theory)

So I am now about eleven days away from leaving for Greece and even though I am still short when it comes to the finances, nothing will happen if I don't get my passport. Well I talked to the National Passport Information people and they told me that it was in the final stage and that I should get it within the week. So keep praying.

The finance thing is still a prayer request. This weekend I am having a garage/bake sale to try and make money. But keep this in your prayers.

I'm Going To Greece

Yes, you read it right, I am going to Greece this summer on a mission trip. This has kind of been a decision that I have come to in the last month. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do this summer (whether to take classes or to go on a mission trip has been my debate lately). Finally I desided to just let the Lord handle it and as soon as I did that, he came in fast. I got a call yesterday from the Edge (the group I am going with). Jessica gave me my interview over the phone and by the end of the conversation, I was placed on the Greece Team.

I will be based in Athens (right outside Athens) and an encampment. I will be on the Camp staff and help with lifeguarding, music, drama and other everyday camp tasks. My team will meet on June 10 in Chicago for our oreintation. After about four days we will fly out together to Athens. We will be overseas for about nine weeks. We will fly back together for a debriefing time in Orlando. Then I will Fly into Little Rock on August 16. (after that I am not quite sure, I will either come straight to Monticello for Summer band, or I will go home to Texarkana for a day or two and then come to Monticello.)

I am really excited about this. I really feel that this is where God is calling me and I know that he will provide for it. Right now, my grandparents are not 100% for me going. I ask that ya'll (my faithful readers) pray for me and my family for patience and for wisdom in this time.

I'M GOING TO GREECE!!!

Well...Its Official

So I guess this whole internet dating thing really works.

Kious was my summer missions partner this past summer...this is her story.

Once upon a time in a land not to far from here (I think in the barren land of Kentucky) lived a fair maidden named Christine (but to her friends she was know as Kious). Kious stated a blog to scribble down her thoughts and have people read them. One day a stranger (a boy stranger at that) commented on one of those thoughts, and a spark was ignited.

Day after day, and week after week, they would comment on each others rambling blogs and it got to a point when commenting just didn't work anymoe. What was next for this maiden and her stranger?...instant messaging (yeah I know, a little high tech for a fairy tale), but anyway they started having real conversations.

Our fair maiden, took a trip to the enchanted land of the Evergreens where she met a beautiful, smart, charming, witty, sporty, young sorceres named Amanda, in whom she confided her story. As soon as our stranger asked for the fedexing of some very stylish and comfortable shoes, Amanda knew where this was going...but it wasn't until their trip the rain forrest that Amanda voiced these opinions and she whipped out her crystal ball and told the fair maiden exactaly what would happen:

"I predict see that you will be dateing byt the end of the summer. Next I see an engagement in your future, it looks like it will happen by the end of the winter. Oh but wait I see a wedding, and it is going to happen right after you, fair Maiden graduate." But it wasn't until their trip to Lebannon when these prdictions were confirmed. (see our maiden's side here)

We skip ahead a little in time and our stranger hops on a steel bird and flew over an ocean or two to capture the heart of the fair maiden. And our stranger turned out to be a handsome prince who indeed won the heart of our fair maiden and are now engaged.

All I have to say is...I better be invited to the wedding (I am the one who prdicted that it was going to happen)


This all make a wonderful story and I wish the two of them all the best. But it doesn't happen for everybody. But as you can see, it does happen every once in a while. I hope that my prince is out there. A girl can wish can't she?

So Long Good Friends

My youth minister and his family have just moved to Virgina. They are in the final preparation stages for moving to Africa to be full time missionaries. (because of where they are going I can't say where exactally or even tell you there names. It is very risky where they are headed.

I remember when I baby sat the kids. They are the best. Rarely fought and just loved me. I am really going to miss them. I am going to miss the whole family. But my youth miniser said that I could come visit after about a year of them being on the field. Keep them in your prayers. They are definately going to need it.

The picture is of the kids on there trip to Virginia.

Post Card Pictures

I don't know about you, but I LOVE to take pictures. Every new place that I go to, or new things that I see, or just weird and interesting thing that I think would make a funney picture, I take a picture. But here's the question:

Have you ever gotten your print back to find that they look like those post card they were trying to sell you?

The following pictures are pictures that I have taken over the past two summers and I swear to you that they look exactally like post cards in the visitor's gift shops.

Jericho Memory 1.2

At the block party on Friday night, my job was to man the bounce house (see Jericho Memory 1.1). Watching the kids just having a blast was so great. Their smiles were worth it. But my fun came at the end of the night, when it was time to deflate the bounce house and fold it up and put it back into the block party trailer. To see all the adults (and yes, even Kious joined in the fun) rolling on the ground was great. And we were laughing and just living it up.

Jericho Memory 1.1

I know that I haven't had one of these in a while, so I thought that I would give you another. The last night of Jericho the church that we were working with that week hosted a block party in their town. At the block party, it was my job to man the bounce house. The bounce house was where the kids mainly stayed, therefore I was busy all night.

It was so much fun to just sit there and watch the kids having so much fun just jumpinf and jumping and jumping.

It was hard for some of the kids to stay on thier feet.

Instead of jumping, some kids just enjoied rolling around (probably tring to trip the others)

What amazes me about the bounce house is that, no matter what mood the child goes in with, there are nothing but smiles while inside (until you tell them it is time to get out, then you are the most disliked person in the world!)