My sister, My best friend

I have been LITERALLY absent from blogging, and to be honest, I don't think I will be doing much of it anymore. Life has been nonstop in the fast lane since I moved back to Bama. I went to Mexico in July, came home and my sister got sick.

The thing is, she was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome when she was 2 years old around (2001-2002). She was treated with oral chemo, steroids, and other meds and eventually she went into remission.

 She stayed completely symptom free until this August. She woke up one Sunday morning with a swollen face and we knew her illness was back.

Before swollen face:

Swollen face:

Little did we know, this time it's back with a vengeance.
Her doctor in Birmingham started her back on her steroids to try and get it back under control. Her swelling would not come down.
She was admitted to the Children's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, for 4 days and 3 nights to pull the extra fluid off of her body, and she lost 15 lbs in 4 days of nothing  but water weight! We went home thinking it was over for the time being.

We were released from the hospital on that Friday... she started her first day of Junior High (7th Grade) that Monday. Went to school Monday, Tuesday, checked in late Wednesday because she started swelling again, went all day on Thursday and stayed out Friday because she started throwing up. That Saturday, she was still throwing up, so we took her to the local ER. They gave her some meds and sent us home because all of her lab work and tests looked fine. On Sunday evening she was STILL throwing up, so we packed a suitcase(with anticipation of being admitted to the hospital again)and headed on down to Birmingham (an hour and a half away from my house.)

That is where we have been since August 26. 3 and a half weeks in the hospital. My sister is currently having to do dialysis 3 days a week because she is in kidney failure. At 12 years old. She is still throwing up every day, and because of this, she also has a feeding tube. The Doctors think her kidneys shut down as a result of dehydration from throwing up so much, but in all honesty, they can't say for sure what happened. They are positive her kidneys will "wake up" and being working on their own. That is what we are hoping for. We are giving them 2 more months to start working again before we begin to think of more permanent and long term treatment options such as a permanent cath for dialysis and transplant options. As of now, those things aren't even on the table as options. If and ONLY if we get to three months and she hasn't responded, will we even begin to discuss more permanent treatment options. We have NO idea how long we will be in the hospital. They say once we get the throwing up part under control a little better, we can go home and come back basically 6 days a week for labs/dialysis, plus continue with the feeding through the tube at home so, even after discharge we will have to stay local in order for her to receive the treatment she needs. We have a Facebook page called Prayers for Lexus Helton where my mother and I regularly update her progress or lack of several times a day or as much as we can. I would love for you all to go "like" her page to keep up to date on her condition and to see pictures and tidbits of information LIKE the first official fundraiser we are doing in her benefit! We are selling GREEN for Kidney Disease Awareness bracelets that look like this:

for $8.50 each! That price INCLUDES having the bracelet shipped right to your front doorstep! This is to help off-set the prices for the equipment she will need for at home care when we get discharged, because our insurance pays 0%! Anyways, if you would like to buy one, I have a Paypal account (breannarains@gmail.com) for easy payment by Debit card or you can get in touch with me via breannarains@gmail.com to work out another form of payment that is more convenient for you!
If you pay through PayPal, in the designated message place, please include your shipping address so I can mail yours to you when we receive them. We have to receive 25 orders before we can get them for that price and the DEADLINE is September 30! There is more info on the Facebook page!

I really hope, if nothing else, you will go "like" the Facebook page and if you pray, PLEASE pray for my little sister! Thank you so much!

Oh what a night

Or should I say day/weekend?! My birthday was on Thursday and it was so much better than I thought it would be seeing as how this was my first birthday away from home. I plan to give a play-by-play of my day... so just bear with me!
First, I was greeted with a coffee from my favorite coffee place when Audrey got home from taking Deci to school. Journey came in and told me "happy birthday" lots of times... well, she tried to tell me "happy birthday" and it's the thought and effort that makes it special!
The mailman came and brought me lots of birthday cards and a package! I was so excited, because while I was expecting the package... I was definitely NOT expecting cards from anyone!
I received one from Nick and Brandi Longshore that included a Starbucks gift card, one from Nancy, Anna, and Allison Montgomery, one from Miranda and Erik Emanuel(and their sweet children), one from my sweet mother, and one inside the package from my favorite cousin ever, Ashley who lives in Georgia! (and has a blog here, in case you are wondering)
Inside the package was a super awesome journal/scrapbook thing that I am SO excited about using, I just have to think of the perfect thing to do with it first, an awesome 2-3 page letter and, like I mentioned earlier, a card!
I was literally in tears at the outpouring of love from my friends and family back home that I was totally not expecting to experience! Just when I thought my birthday couldn't get any better(seeing as how my friends in Oregon already threw me a surprise birthday party on Monday!), my friend Kylee showed up at the front door with a HUGE chocolate cupcake and beautiful flowers for me! It was so sweet of her to stop by on her way to work... go out of her way(because my house is DEFINITELY not on the way to her job) just to make me feel special!
I'm telling you all... I have the best friends/family in the entire world. You could try to argue that statement with me all day, but I would win! I never expected gifts or anything from anyone(except maybe my mom), but I was blown away at the things I received!
Here is a pic of all my gifts(including the ones already mentioned in my blog about my surprise birthday party.)

Later on in the day, I skyped with my mom, sis, and brother back in Alabama for a while and that was such a fun time! I love getting to skype with my family, but with the 2 hour time difference it is so hard to coordinate a time where we can all sit down with nothing to do for a few minutes. I'm so glad it worked out where I could see them on my birthday. It was definitely more special than just a phone call. 

After our family skype date, Holleigh, Maribel, Audrey and I went out to the Granary (an awesome pizza place in Eugene) to eat. It was so good! Our awesome server took our picture for us:

There is no group of girls I would have rather spent my birthday with! I would have added a couple of people to this picture if I could, though. Since my birthday was a weird day of the week, a lot of people had to work... sad day. But, we had an awesome time and yummy pizza!

After this we went to the rose garden where there is this super old tree that sits smack in the middle of the rose bushes and such. It just so happened to be blooming and it was so beautiful! 

We left the rose garden and took Holleigh back to her car because she had some things to do at home, and Audrey, Maribel, and I went to Yogurt Extreme for dessert! I love frozen yogurt so much... it was only fitting to eat there on my birthday! It was so yummy! 

After Yogurt Extreme, I went to Maribel and Thania's apartment for Bible study and to hang out with my working friends who had finally gotten off work! When I got there, there was another cake waiting on me! It was an orange jello cake and it was awesome! 

I thought my birthday was over(and technically it was) but the next day I received another birthday card and some drawings from 2 of my favorite little girls from back in Alabama, Emma and Ava Rhoden. Also, my mom bought me a NOOK tablet from Barnes&Noble that came in that day as well! I have been playing with it nonstop and already have like 4 books downloaded to it. I love it so much! It's the best birthday gift I think I have ever gotten(thanks mother!)

My birthday festivities continued yesterday(sort of) when Holleigh and I got the chance to go to a Ducks baseball game for free! I love baseball here lately for some reason, and it was like 75 degrees outside... perfect day for baseball! It was an awesome time, for sure! 

I am so thankful that the Lord placed me in a place like this with so many people who care so much about me! I don't know how my birthday would have been without all of these amazing people He has placed in my life. Thank you, Jesus! 

*Tonight is our first service project in the Whiteaker district with The Beautiful Mess! We will be cleaning  up the neighborhood and inviting people back for dinner in the basement afterwards. Please be in prayer for our team as this happens. We really hope the Lord blesses our efforts and plants seeds and fosters relationships tonight.

Where have I been?

via

Have you missed me? 

I have been totally absent from the blogging scene lately... and that includes reading the blogs I keep up with as well. I am partially to blame for this, but most of the blame goes to a ferocious stomach virus that attacked our house over the weekend and the first of the week. Deci started on Saturday followed by Audrey on Saturday night. Journey ended up sick by 3:30 Sunday morning and I woke up sick on Monday. Today is the first day I feel normal since then, although my stomach is still a little uneasy. On top of that, my business class ended this week so I had that final to study for. I had a test on Buddhism in World Religion due, as well. Also, I am working on the Crash newsletter for the month of February (whew! That sounds like I am a lot busier than I feel!) So, needless to say, blogging has been the farthest thing from my mind this week, but I am ready to get back on track!

So, a few praise reports this week! 

I've been learning a lesson on patience and waiting on/trusting the Lord this week.

Those of you who know me personally or who have been reading my blog for a while know that I have been searching for a job since August to no avail. I have had interviews and such, but no job offers and it was beginning to get frustrating. Have you ever felt like you are praying and praying and God is just sitting up there twiddling His thumbs(His mighty big thumbs, if I had to guess)? I HATE to admit that is how I had been feeling. A few posts back, I talked about how I had an interview at my favorite frozen yogurt place (Vanilla Jill's) and then later on how they called me in for a second interview. Well, I received an email Sunday evening saying I HAVE BEEN HIRED! I know, I know, it's about time! That's what I felt like I was saying to God as I thanked Him for answering my prayers! I felt so silly afterwards for not fully trusting in Him 1000%. I am so thankful to serve a God who sees my life in eternity when I am faced with the curse of only seeing the "right now." 


Another way the Lord has reminded me He is in control is through my India mission trip planned for January 2013. My $500 deposit is due this week(which I was going to have to mail in 2 days before in full in order for it to arrive on time) and as of Saturday I did not even have half of the money. I had already had the conversation with Kerrie(she's in charge of the trip) about getting my money back if I wasn't able to finish paying the deposit. Well, Saturday morning came along and I went to a conference on leadership. Sitting next to me was a guy that has joined us in our ministry here in Oregon who wrote me a check for $100. Next thing I know, my friend Alec is giving me money he already owed me for a knit hat I made him. He keeps throwing(literally) cash my way and it ends up totaling $39. So, at this point I needed only around $50 more to reach my deposit and an anonymous donor gave me $100 more! Which put me $42 OVER the deposit amount of $500! (I had a check already on it's way for $100 from Kerrie's dad as well) I was able to send the money into TREC, International in time for the money to arrive before the deadline! 
Isn't our God amazing?! 
It's taken these small reminders from Him for me to remember that I am safe in His arms. Always. I don't have to worry with tomorrow or even yesterday anymore. 

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" 

Luke 12:25

"Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what the day will bring." Proverbs 27:1

Thank You, Jesus for Your promise to never forsake me... that You wish to give me a future and a hope, and as long as I trust in You and seek Your face, I don't have to worry about what that looks like because You are writing my story. And thank You  for always being faithful and answering my prayers even though I am less than faithful on a daily basis. 

Psalms to live by.

I bought this book at a bookstore the other day called Lady In Waiting: "Becoming God's Best While Waiting for Mr. Right" and have been using it as a devotional type study. So far, I love it! I encourage every single woman-young or old-to read it.

Yesterday and today I have been working on the challenge to read through the book of Psalms in the Old Testament and underline/circle the words "trust" and "rely upon" every time they appear(which just so happens to be A LOT). I could just skim through, since I have read the Pslams before, but instead, I decided to actually read every word out loud while I search for those keywords of "trust" and "rely upon." While reading this morning, I stumbled across this section of Psalms 119 (verses 9-16) that I have read a thousand times it seems, but it really hit home with me today, and in making this my prayer today, I wanted to share it with you guys as well!

How can a young man(woman) keep his way pure?

By living according to your word.

I seek you with all my heart;

do not let me stray from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart 

that I might not sin against you.

Praise be to you, O LORD;

teach me your decrees.

With my lips I recount

all the laws that come from your mouth.

I rejoice in following your statutes

as one rejoices in great riches.

I meditate on your precepts

and consider your ways.

I delight in your decrees; 

I will not neglect your word. 

♥

P.S. I won a giveaway for a Blog Critique e-book today! So I may be making some major blog renovations in the coming days! Check out the blog I won the giveaway at! 

Marriage Letter Monday: Patience

Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote a letter to my future husband? Well my friends Audrey and Quinton are joining with there friend Amber at The Run a Muck and her husband in an effort to preserve marriage by writing letters back and forth on their blogs every Monday. Since I am not married, I have decided to join in by writing to my future husband every once in a while. Click on my friends' names to read their letters to their spouses this week.

Wait for the Lord. Be strong, take heart and wait for the Lord.

via

Dear future husband of mine, 

Some days when I am looking on Facebook at all of my friends who are married or dating or something, I wonder "when is it gonna be my turn?" As I said in my last letter, I don't want to be married right now, but there is still this feeling of missing out or being left out when everyone else is enjoying being with their boyfriends/husbands especially with Valentine's Day being tomorrow! I don't like to be that cliched single person who hates Valentine's Day and all who celebrate it because of my singleness, but I do have to admit, it is slightly depressing. That's when I am reminded by God to be patient. I know that if I fully focus on the Lord and if you fully focus on the Lord, our paths will converge when the timing is right in God's eyes, not my eyes and not your eyes. Sometimes I wonder if I already know who you are, not if I know you're gonna be my  husband, but if we are friends or acquaintances or something. Is that silly? I don't want to rush into anything and to grow up to fast, I mean, my goodness the years of my life are already flying by at warp speed, I just need to focus all of my attention on God and being patient with His great and perfect plan for my life and your life and just be okay with waiting until the Lord feels that I am ready for a relationship. I just hope He doesn't wait until I am 30 or something, but if He does, I will just have to cross that bridge when I get to it, although, I am sure my mom will want grandkids before she is too old to play with them(no offense, Mother!) Speaking of mothers, I hope you have a nice one... as discussed earlier, I have a problem with patience! I also wanna add that I pray for you and who you are and who you are becoming often. I want our lives to reflect the love that Jesus has for us. I want our marriage to be one that shows people how Jesus loves the world. Last but not least, today I am praying that you will have patience with me. I can be a difficult person to get along with and I can be super negative about life sometimes, and sometimes I will just want my space. Please be patient with me on those days and in those moments, because even though I may say I don't want you around, I will always want that reassurance that you have my back no matter what.

Love,
Breanna♥

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongdoing. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. 

Missionary Friends Spotlight: Jake Kersh

Meet my friend Jake!

Jake lives around Birmingham, Alabama. I met Jake this past summer on Lifepoint's bi-annual Mexico mission trip. Let me just tell you that my friends Natasha Terrell and Jessica Bearden sat in the same van as him and Jamey Walton, who also joined our church for that trip, for about 15 hours wondering who these strange people were in the van with us. Haha! Eventually we started talking to each other and what an awesome week we all ended up having. I can honestly say that was my favorite Mexico trip so far. Jake is such an awesome servant of the Lord, and is an encouragement and inspiration to a lot of people, including myself. He fell in love with Mexico that trip, just like I knew he would... because who couldn't help falling in love with these faces? 

So, we go to Mexico and help a missionary family (Roy and Rebecca Busby) that is also from Alabama build a house (or 2) for a pre-selected family from the canal and other miscellaneous things they need help with while we are there. Rebecca and Roy bring many teams down to Reynosa, Mexico, to help people who are living in houses like this:

Get houses like this:

 Jake is taking time out of his summer coming up to head down to the canal to help Roy and Rebecca and then join our team from Lifepoint in July and head back to Alabama with the team. Below is an interview with Jake about his upcoming trip:

Q. What led you to go to Mexico the first time?
A. What led me to Mexico my first time? Hmm…My buddy Jamey Walton was told about a mission trip to Mexico by Ben Salter at work. I’ve been called to into the ministry (Missions) since I was bout 15-16 years old. So, when I had the opportunity to go on my first mission trip I was like, “LETT”S GOOOO!”

Q. What made you want to go back?
A. I believe everything happens for a reason and I do know that it was set before hand by Christ for me to go to Mexico. I think all the time on how many things had to happen to allow me to go. Things such as:
1. My buddy Jamey Walton becoming an electrican allowed him to get a job 10+ years in the future to meet Ben Salter who attends Lifepoint.
2. Ben Salter becoming a Christian and leading him into a friendship with Jamey Walton.
Just so many others to name. It’s awesome how God works and the chain of events he uses to get us to where HE wants us to be. But, I say that to say this…Christ wants…called me back to further relationships with the people of Reynosa, Mexico.

Q. Why are you going on the next trip?
A. What I’ve interpreted from consistent prayer and meditation (not hindu meditation ;D) that Christ wants me to further my relationship with the people, assist Roy and Rebecca (Main mission family there), and to follow God’s will in my life. Plus, why waste a summer doing pointless things when I can impact Christ over 1000 miles away. I live serving Christ by serving others.

Q. How long will you be staying?
A. I’ll be leaving May 31st and returning July 14 with the Lifepoint Group. It’s going to be off the hizzy.

Q. How much (estimate) are you looking to raise money-wise before you leave?
A. I hope this doesn’t come across as a “jerk-move” but, I don’t want to say because I believe that Christ will provide for his flock and by just stating the need for money all the money will be met perfectly. Christ works in mysterious ways. I’ve just seen so many AWESOME things happen all by the grace of God.

Q. What other needs do you have for the trip besides money?
A. Other needs? I’m a worry wart and I hate asking for stuff I’ll just say, “Whatever the Lord calls you to give!” I love seeing my needs provided for by God through allowing others to serve. I can live off basically nothing, but anything to give away to the people. It’s really nothing about my need but, what I can do for the people. Things such as bibles, tracks, devotionals, (all in Spanish of course..). THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!! All I want to do is make the TRUE Word of the Lord known to the people. 

Q. What will you be doing on this trip specifically?
A. I’ll be helping the Busby family with WHATEVER they need. I’ll be like a little gopher man and building my relationship and trust with the people. Since’ I feel led to do some full-time missions in Reynosa, Mexico…

Q. Contact info?
A. I have a bunch of ways. Everyone has a facebook and if not they are not human. Lol. 
Facebook.com/jakethelobster
Twitter: @jakethelobster (I’m a pretty cool tweeter. ;D)
Email: jake.kersh@hotmail.com

I’m reachable anytime. I can receive all three within hours or even within minutes. So if you think it’s too late in the night. I’ll most likely get it. :)

I hope you will join me in praying for Jake and the people of the Canal in Reynosa, Mexico. I pray that if the Lord is calling you to help Jake in any of the ways listed above, that you will be obedient to that and contact Jake from the info he provided or email me and breannarains@gmail.com. The people in this colonia have a very special chunk of my heart and it means so much to me and Jake knowing that there are people praying for life change and basic needs in the area. Also be in prayer for Roy and Rebecca Busby as they continue their ministry on the Canal. Pray that the Lord gives them perseverance, and strength, and courage, words to speak when needed, and a smile on their face when words aren't necessary.  

If you want to read Jake's blog (which shows his passion for the mission field and Mexico) go here. Roy and Rebecca have a blog, also (here) with a great video of the Canal from when they first arrived in the colonia until today.

Missionary Friends Spotlight: Ashley Lightfoot

Meet my cousin, Ashley.

She is 17 years old and lives in Senoia, Georgia. You may remember her from my last blog post. I met Ashley when my mom married her uncle when I was about 5 or 6 years old and she was probably 4 years old. Okay, so she is not technically my cousin anymore, but even though we were only related for a few years, we've always considered each other family and claimed one another as such. I remember screaming at her when she was at my house for a sleepover and telling her to go home because I was tired of her... I remember teaming up to play jokes on my brother... I remember wishing I didn't have to go to her house to play. I have a lot of memories with Ashley from when we were little and I look back now and cherish all of them. I have watched her grow up for the most part and now looking back and seeing the awesome young woman of God she has become is such an awesome thing! We got to spend a week together when I was home for Christmas... she came in from Georgia to stay at our house with us, and it was definitely a fun week full of laughter, shopping and inside jokes! I wish we could spend more time together, for sure!

Ashley is taking her first EVER mission trip to Romania in the Summer to work with an orphanage. I am SOOOO excited for her! I love that she is stepping out in faith and doing what God has called her to do, and I know that she will return from her trip a better person than she already is. She has an awesome story about how God got her attention turned to Romania and you can read that story on her blog. It is one that gave me chill bumps for real! Our God is just so overwhelmingly AMAZING! It is great to see young followers of God taking up their crosses and following Him with everything they have.

**A Romanian Orphanage background:

Under the rule of Nicolae Ceauşescu, contraception and abortion were illegal, which led to an increase in birth rates... which led to an increase in children being abandoned on the steps of orphanages or worse, the streets to fend for themselves. Images of Romanian orphanages were released after the fall of the Communist government in 1989, and the standard of living for the orphans is still horrible, despite huge improvements. The children have no access to medical treatment or proper food and clothing and are often subjected to physical and mental abuse in the orphanages. There are some, obviously, more poor than others and some where the children are not treated totally horrible. The number of orphans in these state ran homes are increasing and the amount of care providers is not, so this leaves many children without the comfort of having someone wrapping their arms around them and being nice.**

What is Ashley going to be doing in Romania? Here is her story below: 

I am going on a mission trip this summer to the country of Romania. I am going to be part of a team of people from Crossroads Church who will hold a summer camp for orphaned children, ranging in age from 8 to 18. I am very excited about this opportunity and I would like to ask that you prayerfully consider supporting me through prayer and giving. The dates I will be traveling are June 29-July 8 and the cost is approximately $2,800. I’d like to share some information with you about the children we will be serving.
There are approximately 125,000 orphaned children living in Romania. Many of these children have grown up in state run orphanages from the time of birth. Some have been left on the doorsteps of these institutions by family members or parents who suffer from poverty, addiction, and mental illness. These children grow up suffering physically, emotionally, and psychologically. They are regarded as unwanted and undesirable and are treated as outcasts in their society. The care and education they receive is substandard and sets them up to repeat the vicious cycle of dysfunction.
For the past 10 years, teams from Atlanta, California, and Colorado have gone to Mures County in Romania to minister to the "least of these." These teams have held week long, overnight camps that focus on sharing God's love and His hope with these children. These teams have built play structures, provided dental care, and transported medical supplies, clothing, and school supplies to various counties in the western region of the country.
I believe that God is calling me to join Him where He is already at work and be a part of this year’s team. I want to share His love and His hope with these children at camp and remind them that they are cherished and valued and that their lives have purpose and meaning.
Please pray that our team will be knit together and that God will speak through us during our week with the children in Romania.

These children need someone to hold them and tell them it will be alright. They need to find some kind of hope, and the hope that will get them through these tough lives they have can only be found in Jesus. It is our job, as people who are not able to attend these trips ourselves, to send workers out into the harvest as Jesus says in Matthew. Mission trips, especially foreign ones are so expensive. There is the passport expense, the visa expense(if she needs one) the travel expenses, and of course the base expense of the trip as listed above. The first $100 is due at the end of this month(in 2 days!!) and then 75% of the remaining balance is due by March 15 which is $2,025 if my math is correct, plus anything else that needs to be bought or paid for as this trip winds closer. I fully believe with all of my heart that we should support missionaries both monetarily and prayerfully. Ashley is going to receive the funds she needs to get to Romania, because the God of Creation is on her side. I totally believe that this is what God wants for her life in this moment, and if it is... He will make it happen! Please join me in prayer for her and her team and all of the people the team will encounter on this trip. If you would like to help support her trip in any way, send me an email at breannarains@gmail.com :) 

*photo credit: Blog post*

Missionary Friends

I am so lucky to have friends who love the Lord and follow Him anywhere in the world that He may lead them. Check out my blog post from the other day about missions HERE. This is going to be a short(maybe) sweet and link filled blog post(inspired by Quinton Williams) just to spotlight some of these people.

Brooke Davidson: She has been to Mexico mission trips with me and has recently returned from Nepal where she spent July-December serving the Lord. We picked her up at the airport in Atlanta and were so amazed and blessed by the stories she told us on the way home. No way is the Lord done with Brooke and Nepal, you can hear her passion for the Nepali people in the words she speaks. She is also a dear friend of mine who I look up to and respect! She doesn't have a blog, but follow her on twitter @brookeisaflower.

Kerrie Williams over at The Williams Post: Life on a Mission. She and her husband Wade have been on many foreign mission trips including Mexico(Kerrie and Wade), India(Kerrie and Wade), Jamaica(Kerrie), and Uganda(Kerrie). Kerrie is the Missions Coordinator at Lifepoint Church and can be credited(but not without God, of course!) with the success of many many foreign and local mission trips with people from Lifepoint. I am not too good to admit that Kerrie and Wade are both role models in my life, for sure. I long to have the giving hearts that they have. They seriously are two of the most giving people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I have been so blessed to know them and to have the opportunity to serve with them in Mexico many times and India next January.

Quinton Williams over at "Q Crashing" (linked to blog above) is the one who dreamed up and started the Crash Mission organization that I am a part of here in Eugene, Oregon. He has also been to Mexico on mission trips along side me, Brooke, and Kerrie and Wade. He is also living out a mission here in Oregon. He is the chaplain at the Eugene Mission where he has the opportunity to work with homeless guys every day providing them with hope, friendship, and love as well as speak at chapel meetings. He has dreams of making trips to India, Russia, Ireland and other places in the future all for the purpose of spreading God's Word to the ends of the earth. His wife Audrey at Q and A has also been to Mexico as well as Africa, Ireland, Arizona and other places. They have the sweetest family(2 girls; December-4 and Journey-1) and are great examples of what it looks like to "raise up children in the way they should go." Visit The Crash on Facebook.

My friends Aimee Jung, Chrystal Campbell, Brittany Rundt and Lisa Cain all also have passion for serving in Africa.

My cousin Ashley Lightfoot at Living this life for Him will be making her first foreign mission trip to Romania this summer!!!! I have watched her grow up and we have always okay, not always, but for the most part we have been really close and it is so exciting to see her step out in faith like this and follow God's commandment to us all to GO. Stay tuned to my blog in the next few days for a spotlight blog on her!

My fellow Crash team members Audrey and Quinton Williams, Alec and Holleigh Woodward, Luis Corona, Zach Gideon, Jeff Tennant, Derrick May, and Richie and Sharee Powell. I am so blessed to be able to work alongside people who are truly after God's own heart. I consider these people family and love that we get to run this race together everyday.


Rebecca and Roy Busby over at Until the Whole World Hears. I have known Rebecca and Roy since around 2008 when I made my first trip down to Mexico with Lifepoint. They are the missionary family that our team works with when we take our trips. I truly consider these guys my second(or 3rd or 4th?) family(have I said that about everyone else above as well? Maybe so, but it is true!) This past November I had the opportunity to go down an extra week before Lifepoint arrived, and I was amazed to get the inside "behind the scenes" look at all the things they do on a regular basis when there is not a group down there building. This family is one of the hardest working families I know. They currently have a mission house down in Reynosa, Mexico, on the "canal" where they live mostly. While you are at it, go check out their friends Bruce and Paula who are also doing ministry on the canal.


I have a lot of other friends who are missionaries and I am so so thankful for all of them. Please join me in prayer for all of these people as they step out in faith and do what God has called all of us to do!

Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. -Matthew 9:38

A Proverbs 31 Woman

I have recently been thinking a great deal about being single. I have been single for like.... 2 years or more now? (Not that I necessarily want to be married or have children right now or within the next few years) Sometimes, when I have those days of self-pity, I start to really feel sorry for myself and think "Lord, what is so wrong with me?" Then I realize, I have a Man in my life who would never forsake me, never cheat on me, never ever ever leave me, someone I can tell all of my secrets to and not feel like I will be judged, and who will always love me no matter what life brings and His name is JESUS! That sounds so cliched for a Christian woman to say, but honestly, when you just really think about that, isn't it amazing?! The God of the universe wants an intimate relationship with you and can totally fill all of the voids in your life that you think having a worldly relationship will fill. We all have heard the old quote that says "A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ, that a man must seek Him first to find her." and this has been my adopted quote for life lately. My prayer is that I will fall so much in love with Christ that the idea of being single will never even cross my mind because I am so infatuated with the Lord, and if someone happens to come along and wants to run the race after God with me, then so be it. Also, I have been focusing on a couple different scriptures lately that have brought a great deal of comfort to my soul regarding this topic. These scriptures paint a picture of what an ideal wife should look like based on what the Lord says about it.

A wife should put her husband first, as she does the Lord. -Ephesians 5:22

So many times in my life I do not put the Lord first. Why do I think I could have a relationship with the right perspective, when I do not put the Lord first and foremost in my life EVERY. SINGLE. DAY? 

The steady dripping of rain and the nagging of a wife are one and the same. 

-Proverbs 27:15

Okay, so this one is definitely more on the funny side, seriously?! haha this just cracks me up. But on a serious note, I complain A LOT! I try not to be so negative all the time, but it just leaks out before I can stop it sometimes, and I don't want my husband to hate me because of it. It's something I am working to overcome.

And lastly, my prayer is that I can become a Proverbs 31 woman. 

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good. not harm, all the days of her life. She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She is like a merchant's ship, bringing her food from afar. She gets up before the dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plans the day's work for her servant girls. She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night. Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms wide to the needy. She has no fear for winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes. She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders. She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!" Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise. -Proverbs 31:10-31

I pray with all of my heart that one day when I am married and later when I have children, that I will be the wife that the Lord has laid out here in Proverbs: smart, brave, trustworthy, God-fearing, loving, motherly.... all of these things. I know that I am single because I am not capable of being all of these things right now, and I fully believe that my ministry here in Eugene is best done while being single(not true for everyone here on our team, ie: Q&A, Holleigh and Alec...just me personally) and the Lord is working on me and molding my heart to His will and to be able to one day be the best wife and mother I can possibly be to bring glory to His name. 

So, what does that mean for my life right now? It means I will focus on falling more and more in love with the Lord everyday. It means I will not let being single get me down ANY LONGER. It means I will be satisfied with the life God has placed in front of me. I will chase after His will with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. 


*Linking Up!
I was referred to this blog today by Kerrie(The Williams Post) and I have been reading it all day! Her name is Casey Wiegand and she is an awesome blogger who is totally transparent in her writings in a way that I wish I could/would be. Go check her out and show her some blog lovin' ;)

Mission: India and Mexico

We are all called to be Missionaries. I fully believe that with all of my heart and soul. Actually, so does God. Don't believe me? Well check out Matthew 28:19 which says,

Go therefore and make disciples of ALL NATIONS,

 baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This does not mean some people need to go and make disciples, or most people need to go, or only the ones that God calls should go... this means all people. All of us are called to go and all of us are called to go to all nations. No excuses. 

This summer I am taking a trip to Mexico. I believe it will be my 7th or so trip. I have begun to lose count. To see a video about what we do in Mexico and to read an awesome blog by the missionary family that our Mexico team considers our own family go here.
 Anyways, I am also planning on making a trip to India in January of 2013 with Lifepoint which I a TOTALLY STOKED about. It will be first of many overseas mission trips I take. 

Please be in prayer for me as I prepare spiritually and physically for these trips. It takes a lot of preparation to go on mission trips, including raising funds and making travel arrangements, and since I live across the country from Lifepoint, I have to do all of that myself where Kerrie (who does a WONDERFUL job) plans all of that for the people there joining the trips. It can be a stressful experience while planning and preparing, but I know without a doubt that God is calling me..... and you, for that matter, to GO. I know it will all work out, because He will provide! Also, please be in prayer starting now for the people that we will come in contact with, whether they accept Jesus during our trip or not, pray that seeds will be planted. Also, pray that everyone who is making the trip will find the means to get there and will be changed for the better because of the trips. 

And He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, 

but the workers are few. 

Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord

of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

Luke 10:2

The More I Seek You.

I apologize in advance if this turns out to be a complaint filled blog post, but it will get brighter by the end, promise ;). I have been felling really dumpy today for no apparent reason. Not much happened in the course of the day. I woke up feeling like I didn't get near enough sleep. I sat around until after lunch and then went to get my Oregon driver's license (woo hoo, I'm legal! ...and registered to vote!) which cost $65 that I didn't really need to spend... and went to a thrift store with Audrey to look for yarn and didn't end up buying any. I still haven't eaten dinner. I feel really fat and out of shape today because I tried to exercise this morning to a 45 minute workout video and could barely get through the first 15 minutes. My jeans are no longer fitting and I just feel all around unhealthy. (Read how I am trying to change that here) Anyways, so I was sitting at my desk just about ten minutes ago reading through a devotional book that I got for Christmas and was just "taking time to walk and talk with Jesus" as so stated in my book. My side of the "walk/talk" was going a little like this:

"Jesus, I hate this day. I hate how I feel. I feel gross, fat, blah, useless, helpless and I am running out of self confidence and self esteem. I am not sure why I am feeling this way. I don't know why I am even going to bother with that stupid job interview tomorrow, because I am not good enough to work at The Buckle... come on, have you seen the people that work there? They ooze fashion and beauty. Definitely not me. On the other hand, if I don't find a job fast I am going to run out of money. Also, everyone will think that I am not trying hard enough. Am I trying hard enough? I'm not even sure of that myself. What am I even doing here? I feel dumb. I miss Alabama... I miss my friends, I miss Lifepoint, I miss my mom. I MISS MY LIFE. It was so easy to just exist in Alabama surrounded by people who make life fun and simple. WHY AM I FEELING LIKE THIS?"

Jesus's side of our "walk/talk" was going somewhat like this: 

"Are you done? ....okay good! Open your Bible and start reading. I can give you rest and peace from all of this. I am on your side even when it seems that no one else is."

So, at this point, I open my Bible and this is what I read:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." 

Matthew 11: 28-30

Woah!? Really, Jesus? You are amazing! Why do I ever doubt? Why do I ever question? So then, I pull up Facebook and find this picture posted on my timeline from my grandmother:

Wow.. I tell you honestly that my mind has been blown tonight. Why has my mind been blown when I should know that our God is so more than capable, yet I continue to doubt all the time.

I will go to bed a happy girl and wake up tomorrow refreshed and ready for my interview, because no matter the outcome I know that I AM good enough and I am NOT useless. Things will work out in God's perfect timing, and I am totally okay with that. :)

I leave you with a song that I absolutely LOVE... it always makes me feel like I am in the room with God. Ever since this conversation I had with the Lord took place this evening it has been stuck in my head. :) Enjoy!