It's Here!

After lots of planning, praying, and packing, it's here! Monday we'll be on a plane to Africa! I never thought I would go to Africa, but God has a way of changing our desires, doesn't He?! It's neat to look back over the last 5 years and see how God has put people and circumstances in our lives to give us a heart for Sudan... and now we're going to experience it firsthand! Even though I have moments of nervousness, Yancy and I both CAN NOT wait to be there and we can't wait to be back and tell you all about it! Please continue to remember us in your prayers, along with all of the team's families who will be staying behind. It seems like such a huge task, but God has been encouraging me with Philippians 2:13, "for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order fulfill his good purpose." I'm glad it's not up to me!! Thank you again for your support and prayers! I can't wait to share this experience with you!

I Love Fringe!

New York City... Good

Free trip to New York City... Better

Free trip to NYC with 2 of my favorite girls... THE BEST!

For those of you not from Opelika/Auburn, Fringe is an awesome consignment shop. They have great clothes, purses, shoes, and accessories all for really great prices. It has completely spoiled me; I don't want to shop anywhere else! Rebecca and Apryl love Fringe as much as I do, so on Thursday nights when they're open til 8, we like to shop together. It's like a little girls getaway. The beginning of September, Stacie (the owner of Fringe) announced that she was giving away a trip to NYC for 2. So that Thursday night as we were shopping, we filled out entry forms for the trip and talked about how much fun it would be to win and go together... not really thinking we would actually win! Well, long story short, Rebecca won!!! And she chose to give the trip to me and Apryl and pay her own way to go. What an awesome friend! It was all so much fun! From finding out we won and talking about NYC and planning what we would wear to actually being there and experiencing it together... amazing! We had THE BEST time! I still can't believe it all happened! Enjoy the pictures!

Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village

The best and prettiest cupcakes ever!

Ready to see Martha!

Somewhere in Central Park

Times Square!

I'm a workin' girl now!

I know a lot of people work A LOT harder than I do, but I am working 2 jobs now... 3 if you count baking, 4 if you count being Yancy's personal editor/assistant! :) I'm still at Bright Beginnings at FBCO which I absolutely love! I love the children and their parents, I love the other teachers, I love my boss... It's a perfect fit for me! And now I'm also working with Four Corners Ministries (the ministry that we're going to Sudan with) helping them out with their Uganda Child Sponsorship program. In a nutshell, I'm just keeping all the children and sponsor information current and organized. While we're in Uganda before heading into Sudan, we'll make a stop at the orphanage to meet some of the children there, as well as some of the workers that I've been communicating with. I'm really looking forward to that! If you are interested in sponsoring a child, it's very simple and convenient. For $30 a month, you can give a child in Uganda the opportunities they need to grow and thrive... clean water, clothing, 3 meals a day, education, etc. Most importantly, they will hear the Good News of Jesus Christ!! You can visit http://www.4cornersministries.org/sponsor-a-child/ to sign up or if you have any questions about FCM's sponsorship program, I'd LOVE to talk to you about it!

Too Much to Say

Because I haven't blogged in almost 3 months...

Because I've been super busy, working 4 jobs (ha!ha!) and doing some traveling...

Because I really appreciate anyone who's still interested in reading my blog...


I have a lot to say! Let's get to it...

In August, we went to the Bristol night race! The week before the race, we had a friend call and say he had 4 free- yes, FREE- tickets to the night race and wanted to know if we'd like them. Hmmmm.... let me think about that for 2 seconds.... YES!!! So off we went with Tommy and Rebecca and we all had a great time. We actually stayed in Boone, NC- a quaint little town with beautiful mountain views- and enjoyed perfect weather while we were there. Good times! JJ- as Yancy and I affectionately call Jimmie Johnson- didn't do so well at Bristol, but we're cheering him on to his 5th championship! Go 48!

Next on to New Orleans. Yancy tried for years and years to get me to go to NOLA and I was not interested. Last year I gave in and went... and loved it. It's a fun city with awesome restaurants, and since eating is one of our favorite hobbies, it's a great city for us! And of course, there's great music too! Here are a few pics...

Arnaud's Jazz Bistro (the humidity does wonders for my hair!)

Preservation Hall- Our favorite place to hear live jazz in NOLA.
Our dentist, who is originally from NOLA, recommended a restaurant called Jacques Imo's. When we got there, we saw crazy costumes and floats. We had stumbled upon Midsummer Mardi Gras, and let's just say that we were very entertained! Jacques Imo's, by the way, was our favorite restaurant in NOLA. It's similar in feel to The Red Bar in Grayton Beach. We highly recommend it!

Galatoire's

Much more to come... New York, new job, Sudan, and living radically!

Look What Yancy Did!

He built a pergola with a lot of help! (BIG THANKS to Darryl and Tommy!) They all did an excellent job and worked very hard out in the scorching heat! Our new pergola provides lots of shade and is covered so we'll be able to stay out if it rains. Yancy even thought about lights and a ceiling fan! And even as hot as it's been lately, we've been sitting out there in the evenings and it's been so nice. I think it's really going to be awesome when the weather cools off a bit. It's like having another room on the house and I just love it! I'm so proud! Here's some before and after pictures...

Weekend Full of Fun

We had a much needed fun weekend! Andrew and Bullen were able to come and hang out with us and they are always such a blessing! Their love for God and their faith in Him is truly infectious!! Every time I spend time with them, my heart is so encouraged and it was definitely just what I needed! I love them!! Friday night, we had friends over to visit- Tommy and Rebecca, and Kevin, Apryl, Connor and Presley. We ate and laughed and sang praise songs... such a sweet time of fellowship!

Saturday, Yancy's parents and Aunt Renee came up and we celebrated Yancy's Mom's birthday. (Happy Birthday, Cynthia!!!) We had another great day of eating and laughing and rejoicing in the Lord!

Bullen and Andrew were able to share their testimonies on Sunday morning with some youth from our church. I wasn't there for it, but I hear that it was amazing (as always!). It was a spur of the moment thing, but they are always ready to give a reason for the hope that they have! (1 Peter 3:15) What a great weekend! :)

At the Top of My Lungs

The past few days have been a roller coaster ride for us to say the least. I don't really feel like I can talk about all the details, but let's just say that it involves major disappointment! I feel like there were wounds in our hearts that were starting to heal and they've just been ripped wide open. Honestly, I'm really starting to relate to Job (not that I have suffered nearly as much as Job, but you know what I mean!) But like Job, I'm declaring that "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him." (Job 13:15) I DO NOT understand the things of this world, but I am choosing to completely trust God, my Savior. I heard this song this morning and I think it might be my new theme song for awhile. Instead of screaming Why and I don't understand and even What do I do now, I'll just sing at the top of my lungs, Hallelujah! I am His and HE IS GOOD... all the time!