Sunday, November 21, 2010

Vision to Reality??

Hi Everyone! Hope this blog post finds you well! Sorry for my lateness in getting this out! It was so nice to not be living out of a suitcase I guess I forgot to blog..haha.

Firsts from travel week 2:

1) Went up Mt Washington to see a great view of Pittsburgh

2) Played an awesome game called “things”with the very awesome Walsh family!

3) Saw the Riverwalk and the ALAMO in San Antonio!

4) Ran a Half Marathon in San Antonio in 2 hours 2 seconds!

Recruiting Thru My Cold…

My second week in PA was another amazing testimony of God providing opportunities to speak to students about what He’s doing in our ministry and to catch up with friends I had met in New Orleans. Unfortunately I had a cold the whole time but that didn’t seem to stop people from hanging out with me..haha. I hung out with my friend Kim who is the reason I was in PA in the first place! I’m grateful for our friendship and loved seeing how God is moving in her life in PA! THANKS for everything girl!

One of my favorite experiences from the trip was the chance to share my testimony with InterVarsity at Pitt. I love telling people how God called me to the mission field and how He really can use anyone to do His work! I shared how it’s on us to join God where He’s working so no matter where you are God can use you now! One cool part was my friends Kim and Ross shared how God connected the three of us together in New Orleans, how he allowed our paths to cross, and how He grew us in our faith there. It really is cool to think how because of the call to serve God in New Orleans and my obedience, I now have friends not only in Pittsburgh but all over the country! Thanks be to God!

Howdy Texas!

Another great time on my trip was reconnecting with Ben and Emily in San Antonio..they used to serve with our ministry. I’m also stoked to be in their wedding on Jan 1st and enjoyed running the half marathon with Emily. She did a great job of pushing me to run faster than I thought I could!

God also allowed me the chance to speak to the youth group at Northwest Community Church and be encouraged by Scott and Ruby, the youth leaders there. It’s awesome to see how their week in NOLA has spurred them on to work in inner city San Antonio! Their desire to take back what they learned on their mission trip reminds me why we host teams in the first place! We want teams to take back what they learn in NOLA and apply it to their lives back home! It’s not just suppose to be a one week experience but a life changing experience that brings God glory!

NOw what?

I’m back in the NO for the next month. While I’m here I’ll follow up with the connections I made in PA and continue to get the word out about our internship program. Let me know if you want any info on the internship program, I’d love to share with you more about it!

I’m headed home for two weeks for Christmas so if you’re in the NC area I better see you!

Please keep praying for:

1) Interns to come and serve in New Orleans, Haiti, and Peru

2) The internship program itself…that it glorifies God and grows the interns closer to God

3) My decision to fill out the long term application and to fully trust God with my future plans

LOVE YOU ALL! thanks for taking the time to read this and thank you for the prayers!

goodnight!

katie :)

Devo from Oswald Chambers that speaks to the internship program and my role in it:

Thank God for being able to see all that you have not yet been. You have had the vision (for the internship program) but you are not yet to the reality of it by any means. It is when we are in the valley, where we prove whether we will be the choice ones, that most of us turn back. We are not quite prepared for the bumps and bruises that must come if we are going to be turned into the shape of the vision. We have seen what we are not, and what God wants us to be, but are we willing to be battered into the shape of the vision to be used by God?

Praying I'm willing to let God mold me, beat me, batter me, and stretch me to make this vision a reality! Praying I don't let the thoughts of inadequacies and inexperience paralyze me from running the race He's marked out for me! Praying I do not turn back!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Hey Yall!

On the bus right now from Philly to Pitt. I wanted to share praises for how the first week in PA went and how to be praying for next week!

So far I've had a couple of Firsts:
1) saw my first amish horse and buggy!
2) ate scrapple??
3) visited Philly! (got to walk up the Rocky steps, saw the Liberty Bell, and walked around lots!)
4) went to Chocolate World in Hershey PA

God's Provision!
God has really blessed me this week with having food to eat, rides to places, students to talk to, and homes to rest in! As I think back to the last 2.5 years, God really has been working in the midst of the relationships I made in New Orleans to aid me on this trip in PA. Everyone I've stayed with thus far is someone who came down to serve the Lord in New Orleans! I've been able to meet up with a few teams that have been down and it's been so encouraging! It really is remarkable what God can do when we let go of the control and allow Him to work!

As for the college tour...I'm learning LOTS! I've been able to connect with the faculty in the career services departments and had tables in the dining halls presenting our info to the students. Recruiting is not really my gift to be honest. I'm not a salesperson. So this week has definitely been stretching me and I ask for prayer to continue to trust in God to speak through me to the students He puts in my path.

Story from Lebanon Valley College:
While at my table at LVC, I was flipping through my Bible and came across Luke 18:5, "yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice." So as I was meditating on this scripture I began to pray continuously for God to bring people to my table..7 people to be precise. As I was talking with the first couple of students, in my head I was still praying for God to bring people to my table. I think it's easy to forget sometimes how much we need to depend on God because only HE can deliver...I can do nothing on my own. Sure enough the last girl I spoke with (#7) ended up being the VP of the InterVarsity Chapter at LVC. We ended up talking about IV, being a senior, future plans, and before she left she wrote down her email (something she had been reluctant to do at first). I'm looking forward to staying in touch with her to see how God uses her at LVC and post college. God answers prayers people! Just continue to ASK!

So on that note, I'm ASKing you to pray for this coming week in PA:
1) Visiting Chippewa EFC tomorrow and hanging out with my girl Kim!
2) Colleges: Nov 9th - Geneva, 10th - Malone, 11th - Grove City and InterVarsity at Univ of Pitt in the evening
3) safe travels between colleges and to San Antonio then back to New Orleans.
4) pray God would continue to show up on these campuses and many students would commit to serving with our ministry!

Love yall and thanks for your continued prayers!
In Christ,
Katie :)

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5