Ending February...

Well, these past few weeks my team has been traveling back and forth between Washington and Oregon. Our schedule hasn't been too hectic, just a lot of driving. We're headed back into Northern California tomorrow! Pray for safety as we drive through the snow-covered mountains on the coast....the interstate was closed last night.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog about how I was searching to know how my impact in the schools could be greater. God has reminded me of my purpose in the assemblies by bringing a teacher (and former missionary and minister's wife) into the empty hallway one day while I was refilling my water bottle to specifically say "God is breathing life into these kids because you're letting His Spirit work through you. He is your strength. Continue to depend on Him and these kids and teachers will see His love in you. Thank you." What a blessing it is to recieve encouragement from fellow brothers and sisters and to know we will meet again!
As far as the weather goes...it's cold, rainy, and snowy on some days! This is not my favorite climate and I can't wait for the sunshine!! Speaking of sunshine....the ministry will be meeting up in Miami, Florida in approx. 11 days for our annual cruise!!! WAHOO!! We're headed to the Carribean for a week of relaxation, rejuvination, fellowship, and fun! Right now, everyone is trying to get all of their summer clothes, dresses, and accessories together so that we can look fabulous on the big boat! Thrift stores are the place to shop these days! haha. Trust me, there will be a ton of pictures to show when I get back to the West Coast!!
I want to say thanks to all of you who continue to support me and encourage me! Thanks for your love and prayers.

April

Random Pictures

The Gondala boy at the Venitian Hotel in Vegas

Me and Steven at Outback

Me and Chris at Outback

Me in Vegas

Me on the playground at a school in Vegas - this is a perfect picture for everyday of my life right now!

Fun at the Wynn Hotel in Vegas

Ray, Steven, Jenny, and I spent the evening exploring the Wynn Hotel...and trying not to get in trouble. Collectively, I think we took about 300 pictures! We had a blast pretending to be American Idol, posing with mirrors and fun furniture, and of course, acting like we're famous!

Goodbye Vegas!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated! I've gone without internet for about 2 weeks and that's just crazy! We've had a full schedule in Las Vegas completing 17 schools in two weeks with 2 assemblies at each school on average. Life in Vegas has a desire to be fast-paced but ends up being very slow because of all the people! We were able to do a lot of sight seeing on this trip because we were staying in the heart of the city at the Circus Circus Hotel and it was a blast! Not having the desire to gamble or finances to see the shows left us doing one of our favorite activities....people watching! And trust me, Vegas has some really interesting people to keep you entertained. On Monday night we were blessed with the opportunity to see Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin, and Matt Redman with the How Great Is Our God Tour and it was phenomenal! Dont worry, pictures from all of these events are soon to come!

Please keep me in your prayers as it pertains to sharing the Gospel. Recently, it's been on my heart that teaching kids to make good choices and have good character is wonderful but I want to do/say more! Unfortunately, we've been asked not to share about our faith or anything to do with Christianity because of the separation of church and state law. Sometimes I see an opportunity but feel that my hands are tied. For example, today I was sitting in a first grade class helping some of the kids with their crafts when Mebarka, a beautiful girl with a glowing personality, randomly says "If I eat pork, I will die". My response was one of talking about different allergies and stuff like that to let her know that it wasn't weird. A few minutes later, I noticed that she was drawing something that looked like a church. She told me that it was a house and that she doesn't go to church. Her words were "I dont go to church because I'm Muslim. And that's why I dont eat pork because it will kill me. I dont believe that Jesus was the Son of God; He was just a prophet". Does it sound like this six year old has been fed what to say or what?? I wanted to tell her that I knew Jesus and that He's not just a prophet but out of fear of what her family would say to the school and then to Primary Focus, I said nothing. I'm asking for discernment to know when to speak and when not to...obviously, my words will always be at risk as long as I'm in a public school trying to represent the love of Christ. Sometimes I'm able to say more which I love. Since my heart has been burdened to say more it's been interesting to see who God has brought in my path outside of the schools - people at our hotel and a young guy at mcdonalds tonight. Walking in the direction of the Holy Spirit is very exciting and rewarding. Thank you for you prayers!

By the way, we left Vegas today for Salt Lake City, Utah and we're headed to Boise, Idaho in the morning...actually in just a few hours!

April