New Friends!

So, i have been so excited about meeting many new students since i've been back at school. particularly i've been excited about meeting a lot of new freshman and i have high hopes of meeting tons of international students. i love international students for many, many reasons. they have brought so much cultural diversity to the campus of USC and they are so eager about being here. i love meeting them and learning from them. it gives me a insight to the world outside of the US and keeps me on my toes. i'm so excited about the opportunities i have before me to go and meet more international students. i was about to go to the International Student Association meeting last night and met two girls specifically that i am so excited about spending much more time with! their names are Rina and Shizuka. they are from Japan and have only been here a few short weeks. they are students trying to learn english through the local english program. they are so exciting and fun--and so eager to learn english. i can see a lot of awesome times ahead with them. tomorrow i am picking them up and cooking an american breakfast for them, i'm so excited.

i am just beyond blessed by the ways God has shown Himself to me lately by reminding me that i am His. since i've been back from camp it hasn't been the easiest adjustment. i went from bible study every morning at 730, ministry work (which was awesome) all day long, and worship at night. it was a constant flow of the His word into my life. since being at home, the bible hasn't just naturally surrounded everything i do or been apart of my schedule like it was during camp. it is a choice now. i must wake up and choose to be in the word, and choose to live by the standards it shows me. it is still an adjustment and i'm thankful for a group of friends that desire the word and desire to seek Him. i've had my struggles since being at school, but none the cross hasn't overcome. and i'm thankful for that.

It has been too long.

So, my last post was in JUNE! Unbelievable. I have missed blogging, I really have. Summer is over and classes are in full swing. I have so much I feel the need to share with the world, but it is all still overwhelming to me. A lot of things I'm still processing. Things from this summer, relationships that I've made, wonderful moments with my family, and now...school. It is unreal. God has been more than faithful and good to me this summer. I could write a novel on camp and the things I learned and the many ways I saw God move. There were many times we prayed as a staff for prayer requests given to us by youth ministers and many times we saw those prayers answered within days. God was faithful, and always good. I have a new sister and her name is Maurine. Maurine grew up in Compassion International and traveled with our team speaking on behalf of children across the world. I saw God move in huge ways through this 90 lb African woman. She is someone I have been so blessed to have met. She has changed my life and I'm so thankful that the Lord allowed her to come into my life. I continue to talk to her and learn from her. Currently, a few people close to me are praying through ways we can help Maurine and also help her community. Helping them in physical poverty, but more importantly spiritual poverty. God is mighty and it is all in His time.

Having been back at school I've been able to get involved in international ministries a lot! I've been so excited all summer to get plugged in more on campus. I'm hoping to get a conversation partner soon (i will meet with an international student for an hour a week and talk with them...so they can practice english). I was able to go to a spanish church on sunday and that was such a treat. It was actually a very powerful sermon. My knowledge of spanish is not that great, but I was able to understand a lot more than I thought. The pastor went over passages of scripture reminding us all that the devil is out to steal, kill, and destroy...and then he went over what Christ did for us. He set us free, Libre. We sang a song all about Libre. Being free in Christ. We then went through Psalm 51 and it just inspired me so much....praying that God would restore to me the joy of His salvation. I'm currently going to try and memorize Psalm 51. I'll leave on that note for today...
Psalm 51: 10-12
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Psalmos 52:10-12
"Crea en mi, oh Dios, un corazon limpio, y renueva la firmeza de mi espiritu. No me alejes de tu presencia ni me quites tu santo Espiritu. Devuelveme la alegria de tu salvacion; que un espiritua obediente me sostenga."

camp madness.

so, camp is crazy. it has been so long since i have been able to update. training week was so intense and every minute was filled with something to do. i enjoyed it so much. my team is quite incredible. each person is so unique and i'm so surprised at how much i care for them this early. it is going to be an incredible next two months. we're on our third camp out of eleven right now. hearing the word daily in a sermon and being a part of such an incredible worship atmosphere is something i've taken for granted. i'm so thankful for such incredible people around me. the things i've learned since i've been here would take me all day to tell about. more currently, i've been challenged to read through Ecclesiastes. pretty powerful book. it discusses the meaning of life in pretty harsh terms. how everything in this life is meaningless. it has been making me think of idols i have in my life, meaningless and temporary idols. i was also challenged by someone on my team who is trying to rid their life from idols. i'll continue to seek and read. every morning we have staff devotion at 730 a.m. and our team (the blue team) is going through the psalms. today we went through psalm 100 and looked at how truly incredible it is. all nations giving praise to God. how glorious. and the worship leader this week is jeff johnson, who is incredible. i'll leave you with the lyrics to one of his songs...it is a powerful prayer to pray and i am thankful the Lord has allowed me to be included in such a great ministry this summer. i look forward to the convictions i'll feel throughout the summer and the lessons He'll continue to teach me.

woe to me, i am unclean.
a sinner, found in Your presence.
i see You, seated on Your throne.
exalted, Your glory surrounds You.
now the plans that i have made, fail to compare.
when i see Your glory.

ruin my life, the plans that i made.
ruin these eyes, for my own selfish gain.
destroy the idols that have taken Your place,
till it's You alone i live for, You alone i live for.

woe to me, i am unclean.
a sinner, found in Your presence.
i see You, seated on Your throne.
exalted, Your glory surrounds You.

now the plans that i have made
fail to compare, when i see Your glory.

holy, holy is the Lord almighty.
holy, is the Lord
holy, holy is the Lord almighty.
holy, is the Lord

so...it's may.

it has clearly been quite some time since i last posted...fail. i thought, like one might think, that with finals all done i would have all the time in the world to do fun things such as blog. whelp, wrong. i've been somewhat busier now than i was like all semester. just visiting people, shopping, working, family time, etc. it has been a real blast, but the reality of me leaving home for the entire summer in 10 days is crazy. still a lot to pack. luckily, i've purchased all i need to get for the summer minus one or two items. phew. still some people to see and some conversations to have :) fun times.

as i've been home i've been able to read this book called Forgotten God, by Francis Chan. the book is a MUST-READ. it is so good and it deals with the Holy Spirit. it is a truly convicting and challenging book. i was most def convicted of something a lot of believers do...we form our opinions on 'hot topics' or really any topic and we THEN search for scripture that backs it up. contrary to the correct way to go about this...pray about a topic and search in the word FIRST, then make your view on it from the Bible. and honestly, do we approach the Bible in humility that we could be wrong on certain issues? or do we search it completely biased to what we've been taught or what we think is correct...hm. good stuff.

exciting news..two of my good friends from camp got engaged the other day! ah! i'm going to be a bridesmaid in the wedding (my first time being a bridesmaid :) )! ah! i am just so excited for the two of them and i think they will have such a wonderful marriage and i cannot wait to see their journey together. they both love the Lord a whole lot and i know that they will continue to seek Him as they become one. through their experience i just realize how much of a romantic i am. i love, love. hah. silly, but completely true. it's totally fine because i cannot seem to be any more joyous for them :) yayay! keep you posted on the wedding plans, etc :)

now--off to work.

closing time.

so, school is about to end. and i'm quite indifferent about the whole thing. i want the class and exam part to end, but i really don't want the legit 'college' aspect of it to end. you know, the socializing, always with your friends part. now, i am super excited about working with Student Life again this summer...don't get me wrong there, but leaving all my friends for the summer will be much more difficult this time i believe. this semester/year i've made some really close friends and some unforgettable memories. the Lord has done so much over this school year. as i recall previous posts i see all that the Lord has done and all the works He has started in my life. i am reminded of the verse that says He who created a good work in you will be faithful until completion. how awesome is that? all the things God has stirred up in my heart this year, He will stick by and carry out His purpose in them. some things i have done this year have been so random, yet so awesome. i've been out of the country and i have fallen in love with international students. hearing about their cultures and truly making friendships with them has been amazing. now, seeing some of them leave for summer and knowing i won't be seeing them again--that is more difficult than one might think.

at BCM last night we went over the year and had a time of prayer for the summer. God is using students from USC in powerful ways this summer. many are traveling abroad to bring His news, and many will be ministering to those they'll meet here in the states. i look forward to engulfing myself in the awesomeness of summer. i have many expectations and goals of myself this summer. one of them being to truly let my heart be captivated by His love. to be consumed and sit back in that consumption and truly be content. to truly want nothing more than what He has to offer me. so many times i find myself wanting more, always trying to excel in everything. this summer will be crazy busy and will require a lot of hard work and dedication, but i truly believe as a christian i can be crazy busy working/serving for the Lord and still rest in Him. it sounds like those things aren't possible, but i think when we truly are serving the Lord by serving others and our hearts are completely surrendered to His plan, we are at rest in Him. we find that we are exactly where He has called us to be--we get a sigh of relief that He is guiding us and we are His. He is protecting us. now, that's just one goal this summer... :) the others are little 'fun' things. make new friends, see the U.S., let students impact me, etc. God is so good and i'm blessed to be apart of His work.

right now, i'll be honest with you. i gotta get in the word. big time. it seems that sometimes i just don't have that desire and i'm in that valley position. i'm honest about this, yes, but it isn't okay. so, it's time to be obediant. that's that. obediance. hm, tough stuff. thanks for reading...

difficulties.

yesterday in the bible study i lead on the book 'captivating' we were wrapping up the entire book and just talking about things we've learned about God and about the way He created women. we came to the final conclusion that we will be exactly who we are supposed to be, without being held back by our insecurities and fears, when we are truly abiding in Christ. our joy will be concrete, no matter what happens to us or who leaves/enters our own lives. Christ is always steadfast, His love always near. but then why do we sometimes feel so lonely? is it because Christ has turned from us, no i don't think that is it. we have wandered out from under His wing. the very place we indeed feel burdens and sufferings of the world, but the comfort of the Lord is greater. He has overcome the world and all that is in it. Abide in Him. Abide in Him. Abide in Him. abiding in Him will always be the answer. it doesn't mean people won't hurt us or bad things won't happen, but in the midst of pain and suffering God's redeeming, loving, healing, and gentle character shines. now, we must also seek God like we do in suffering, even if we are not. we must remember who He is and how we are exactly who we are meant to be when we are in Him. His character is always perfect! in the book we also found truth about spiritual warfare. how ever present it is. how the devil does come to steal, kill, and destroy. he hates our Father with a great hatred, therefore, he hates His children-us. the devil tries to captivate our thoughts to therefore captivate our hearts, leading to the captivation of our lives and our actions. it is a scary thing, but we need to acknowledge that the devil is real. he wants us to fail. but, i'm so glad i was reminded on easter of the one who paid my debt, who raised my life up from the dead. i am under the wing of the one who defeated sin and death. and i hold that same power in me. today has been a very difficult day already and it is still morning. but in the presence of old memories and recent wounds i'm choosing to go about my day remembering that He who is in me is greater than the struggles, fears, pains, and situations around me.

ah!

alrightey. this is going to be quite brief. lots to do. been slammed. awesome. life. is. great. three. tests. project. quiz. paper. awesome....
okay--so this past week has flown by! i worked over the weekend and had an awesome time on Easter remembering what Jesus did. how awesome that He rose again and how even more awesome is it that He is going to return! reminded me of how i need to remember Easter, daily! well, i've been trying to get outside and do stuff this week. went biking and running several times. school work is overwhelming. the hardest part about college is balance. stayed up till 330 last night. got up at 730. yup, that's a total of 4 hours. i'm hoping to study into the darkness tonight--and get enough rest to do well on my first exam tomorrow at 125. and then i need to be motivated and full of rest to study for my two exams on thursday. phew. gotta get crackin. for sure. well, i'm going to still go to international lunch tomorrow. i think it will be good for me to get my mind off of anatomy before i have to take the test, plus--i love internationals. so this is good. okay, coffee is ready and calling my name. so is breakfast. so is a stack of anatomy papers. awesome. giving thanks for the opportunity to be at college, despite the chaos and madness it causes in my life--i am very thankful and blessed. honestly, keep remembering that i am not really doing the work for my teachers or my grades, but for the Lord. by being obediant to my teachers and fulfilling my assignments the best i can, i am being obediant to the Lord....awesome reminder.