Fun Weekend Ahead

We have a busy weekend ahead of us. On Thursday morning, Heston & I, along with all of the soccer girls, are headed down to IL to play 3 soccer games: Robert Morris College, Lincoln Christian College, and Trinity Christian College. I am hoping and praying that they continue to play well! I always drive the mini-van and I always enjoy listening to the conversations that go on in the van. I also enjoy the talks I am able to have with the girls. It will be a great time away to get to know the girls better. Thanks to all of you who prayed for me the other day when I met with one of the girls. We talked for about an hour and a half and when I felt at a loss for words, it seemed like the Lord would direct me to a thought or scripture to share. I believe this is just the beginning, but I praise the Lord for the opportunity He has given me to share with the particular girl what the Lord has done in and through my life.

Heston's parents are driving down from PA to Chicago on Friday/Saturday to deliver a dining room suite for us. It was in the house that they purchased this summer and they want to give it to us. There are so many pieces to it and I am looking forward to making it a part of my home. I will definately take pictures once we get it all settled!

Also, Heston's mom is bringing me my kitchen curtains! Yeah, I am so excited! I bought the curtain rods and curtain clips this past week and I am looking forward to having a finished kictchen! Thank you!! I will DEFINATELY take pictures!!

We are staying over Saturday night to minister in a church on Sunday. It is a great opportunity for the girls as well as for Heston & I.

Well, hope you all have a great weekend!!

Discilpeship Opportunity

Today I have an opportunity to meet with one of the soccer girls one on one. I have always desired to be available to these girls and I always get super excited when one of them seeks me out to talk. Every single time I feel so inadequate! I feel like I should be the one who is still being discipled, but God has taught me so many things throughout the 25 years of my life and I love being able to share things with the girls that were huge struggles for me and that only by the grace of God, He brought me through victoriously. So if you think about it, please pray for me and I have opportunites to talk to these girls. Pray that they would see Christ's love through me and that I wouldn't attempt this without the strength of Christ. I am excited for the opportunity for the Lord to use me!

Update on life

Thanks for those of you who prayed for Brianne's trip to Zambia. She made it safely to Zambia last Tuesday. Her roommate is really sweet and her room is very nice (I think she was a little surprised!) She as her own room and they already had a mosquito net above her bed and a fan blowing in her room. The Lord allowed her to make it there safely and for that we are extremely grateful! My mom also found an affordable way to call her.

2 weekends ago, we traveled down to Rockford, IL & Milwaukee area for 2 soccer games for the girls. I had packed all of our stuff and put it out on the deck for Heston to load up, which included his lap top. When we got to the hotel later that night, we could not find his lap top ANYWHERE. We thought for sure it was stolen because we both remembered it being out on the deck. So on the way home, I found myself praying that we did leave it outside in the rain instead of it being stolen. Sure enough, when we got home, our friends who were watching our house had put the soaking wet computer bag inside the front door. Thank the Lord for a wet computer instead of a stolen computer (it still works - PTL!). That taught us a lesson!

This week at Northland are the Revival Meetings. Pray for revival amongst the Student Body & Staff. This is always a great week, even though it is exhausting both physically & spiritually.

Also, pray for our ministry amongst the Girls Soccer team here at Northland. The Lord gives us daily opportunities to minister to these girls. I appreciate the opportunities even though I often feel inadequate. Pray that I would forget myself and give without hesitation of my time and resources to these girls. I have already learned alot about myself through these girls. We just found out that we are going to be able to go on a mission's trip next summer to Uruguay with the girls soccer team. The girls are so excited! We are already beginning to pray that the Lord will bring in the money and allow the right girls to come on this trip. One girl on the team, who was only planning on coming for this fall semester, had been praying for another opportunity to go back to Uruguay. That weekend, Heston had mentioned the trip and she said it was as if the Lord was directly speaking to her. This may lead her to stay at Northland for longer. Pray for her!

The highlight of my week last week was when we were in Milwaukke playing Mount Mary, Ruth Sauers called Heston's cell phone and asked where we were at. Sure enough we were less than a mile from her house!! So while the girls were warming up, I got to go visit Ruth & Haven and see thier new house! It was great to see you, Ruth! I wish I would have had my camera. I can't wait until we can go down and visit you guys.

Well, I have alot of other things to write about, but these are the main things. Hope you all had a great weekend!

Bon Voyage, Brianne

My sister, Brianne, left for Zambia at 6 am this morning. She won't actually arrive in Zambia until tomorrow afternoon at 12 noon our time. That is one long flight!!

Kelli & Bri this past summer

The Lord worked out a seemingly small, but amazing thing. Within the last 2 weeks, we found out that an acquaintance from back home was leaving for Zambia 1 day before Brianne. My mom has always been a little bit leary about Brianne traveling by herself all the way to Zambia. This boy was with the same mission board as my sister as well. Anyways, after a few days of talking and praying about it, my mom decided to call the mission board and see if this boy could fly out 1 day later in order to be on the same flight to Zambia as my sister. She talked to the mission board and expressed her concern of Brianne flying by herself. The man had to call the travel agency. He called her back a while later and he said, "you're not going to beleive this, but when I called the travel agency, for some reason, Nic's ticket had been returned to them and they weren't sure why!" He had asked if they could possibly change his ticket and since it hadn't been fully issued, they could make the necessary changes so that Nic and Brianne will be able to travel on the same flight to Zambia. Even better yet, Nic got the very last seat on the flight! We serve a great God.

Brianne and the boys after graduation

I got a quote in my inbox this morning that said "No one is safe by his own strength, but he is safe by the grace and mercy of God". How true that is! We often worry about the safety and health of Brianne as she is in Africa, but she is safest where she is going because she is in the center of God's will.

Brianne in China holding a Red Panda

Bri has created a blog and will hopefully be able to have time to keep up with it! I will post the link on my sidebar. Pleae pray for her safety travels these next 2 days and then as she gets settled in Africa and for the ministry that she will be a part of for the next year. She will be working with Phil Hunt & his family at the college they started as well as thier various other ministries.