Exclamation Points

I don't know what it is but I love exclamation points! I feel like I have to use them at the end of every sentence becasue everything I say now has such passion in it! I can't help it! Sometimes I try to take them out and then the sentence just doesn't look right! But I don't really want to go around yelling all the time. (OMG I didn't put one there, I may have to go back and change it!)

Especially in text messages! Sometimes I just text people a message full of exclamation points!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Missions Class

Bro. Jack and Mrs Dyer, world missionaries

Since I am in the Missions Stream of Elevate we get to attend special classes geared toward preparing us for the mission field. Last Sunday we were able to listen to the testimonies of Bro. and Mrs. Jack Dyer, who have over 25 years of experience each. They were already living in Honduras before hurricane Mitch devastated the country. They lived and worked in India for years and taught English using the Gospel while Bro. Jack worked as an engineer to they could legally live in the country. It was an incredible opportunity to ask questions and get real answers, not romanticized stories about the opportunity in the field.

The Dyers didn't go into the mission field until they were in their mid 40's, breaking all the rules of missionary etiquette. Bro Jack was an engineer and a pilot which God used to strategically place them in Honduras and then in India to spread the love of Jesus in some of the hardest environments.

He spoke about the call to missions God placed on His life and how important it is to know that God has called you. It is difficult for us to "know we are called" when it is rarely an audible voice form the heavens saying, "Heather pack your bags you are going to Peru." I really learned a lot about how to decipher the call on my life by looking at my past. Because God's plan for my life was written before the foundations of the earth; so he has been preparing me for this since the beginning. If I can look at my past though God's eyes I should be able to see how he has been preparing me for my future. What am I passionate about? What skills has he developed in me? What drives me? What makes me angry? These are all things God has put in me for a reason, and with God's direction I can begin to discover what they mean for my future. This is the time in my life when God has promised to prepare me for my future.

Bro Jack also said that he didn't create opportunities or relationships or try to manipulate his path. He served God and God created the way. God formed the right relationships. All Bro. Jack had to do was be available.

If you are praying for me please pray that I will have God's perspective when I look at my past and the wisdom to apply what I see to my future. I want to be guided by the Lord and not by my own ideas. Pray that I will be available for the Lord to use me and that I will prepare myself so that I will be ready when God's time comes.

Long Time No Blog

Hey guys, sorry for not blogging in 9 days!!! I think there may be a law in Leviticus that says I have to stay outside of the camp for a week now becasue I haven't been faithful, just kidding. things have been incrediblly busy the past week.

The Healing Place Women's Conference, Live the Dream, is this weekend!! We have all been praying over this conference and fasting for an unbelievable time with God. There will be over 1200 women during the 3 days and we expect God to move in an awesome way.

All the Elevate interns have been working hard to help make this the best conference ever. We have made give-away bags, decorated chairs, cleaned, made signs, and anything else we were entrusted with! But of course having fun is one of the unspoken rules of Elevate so here are a few pics of us having fun in the children's church dress up bin...

Jaime, Kelly, Joy, Shana, Mary Beth, and Hannah workin hard in the gift zone

Joy and I playing dress up with left over Velcro!
Kelly and I having some tea

On Friday we worked at the LSU vs Auburn game to raise money for our missions trip! I know all of you watched the game, right, and it was pretty stressful up until the very end. But we all know God is a LSU Tiger fan so we prevailed again! Here are a few pics from our concessions stand during the game!

1:30am, still in the concession stand and we have to be at service for 6am

I think you have to have a great sense of humor and the ability to make relationships without taking yourself too seriously to succeed in ministry. If you remember Jordan, the Elevate of the Month, you will remember that he is one of those guys that was made for high school ministry. Here are a few pics of him with this awkward mustache that he is growing out for a prank. He also dressed up as a French Settlement coach for our sports themed vision night and I got a pic of him at waffle house...hilarious!!

Ever get a crumb in your mustache and no one told you it was there?

Yes, that is Jordan...looks just like his dad, whom he borrowed the clothes from!