The LION KING!!!

Last night was FINALLY the night for the Lion King. The school has been working on the production for quite some time. A couple months ago I found out that the Pre-Ks were going to be in it, and I think I've been more excited about it than they have been! Here are some pictures from last night. They all did such great job!

When I heard that they needed people to help with the set, I rounded up a few Summit folks and we helped! We made 4 awesome trees (that didn't get used!! :( ) And then Leanne and Chris made this - the elephant grave yard. Is this amazing or what!? I knew Leanne could paint, by my goodness, I didn't know she was this good!

Circle of Life ("and it moves us all...")

Just Can't Wait to Be King ("... if this is where the monarchy is headed, count me out!" - Zazu)

Just Can't Wait to Be King

Curtain Call! :)

Memorial Day Weekend!

This has been an incredible weekend, and I do NOT want it to end! I am now 100% officially ready for summer to begin. Well, not so much summer (I HATE the weather) but Summer BREAK! 8 more days with my kids, and a few more teacher workdays and I'm done! Two whole months off - I can't wait! This weekend I got to spend some time outdoors, and I'm more ready than ever to have some time off to enjoy the great outdoors. So... this weekend...

Friday night I got to use my brand new dishes when I cooked dinner for a few friends. I recently found a dish pattern that I absolutely love. It took me 2 years to find one, but I finally did. Hooray! So on Friday night I had a few friends over. I SO wish I'd taken a picture. Imagine these plates with bright orange placemats, dark blue napkins (yes, the cloth kind) and light green cups. I was kinda proud of myself. We even used salad forks AND dinner forks. I was pretty excited. I also cooked a meal I'd never made before - Tequilla Chicken - and it was very well received. Yippee!!

Saturday was another fun day. Oxford Manor, then a wedding, and then friends came over after the wedding Good times...

Sunday it keeps on getting better. We had one combined service at Cole Mill and then had a cookout afterwards. That was really fun... getting to see my church all out there having a good time together. At one point during the sermon, I found myself thinking, "man, I love this church." I mean really, I LOVE it! I have found such a wonderful home here, and I am so thankful for it. After the cookout, a few of us went to Frankie's for some Putt-Putt. I got a bit of a sunburn, but it was worth it. :) To make it even better, a guy from church that I've tried for MONTHS to talk to and had no luck (he's SUPER shy) actually came with us! After THAT, my friend Jason called and invited us to got play some Disc Golf with him. So off we went to play some disc golf. Wow. THAT was fun. I'm so bad at it (I've even played before with my brothers and Dad, but I'm just not good). But it was still a great time. I'm looking forward to the summer so that I can do more fun things outside like this.

Today was a bit more calm than yesterday, but still fun. :) This morning I went to the gym for an hour and half and then came home to hang out with Leanne while Chris went mountain biking with Jason and Clayton. (FYI: I work with Jason at Sylvan, and Clayton is a rock climbing friend of Jason's.) After they finished, Leanne and I joined them for a cookout at Claytons. Jason made shish-ka-bobs! I made homemade ice cream for the first time this year. Fun was had by all.

Now I'm sitting at home NOT wanting to go back to school tomorrow. At least I have the Lion King to look forward to! Yep, this is the big week! I guess I'd better be getting to bed if I'm going to start this week right. :) Thanks for checking in on me!

ZUMBA!

So I KNOW I have been slack about this blog for the past few weeks - sorry! But the last few weeks of school for a teacher are about the craziest. And add to that that my assistant has been out sick (for real this time) since Tuesday afternoon. School is crazy. My kids are SO done with Pre-K it's crazy. They're done with each other. They're done with the centers in the classroom. They're just done, and their behavior shows it! School is exhausting! I have to go early to get the kids off the bus (which usually my assistant does) and then I have to stay late to do paperwork that I didn't get to do during the day. Phew! I'm tired.

One positive note - I kind of had a challenge last weekend to start getting up and going to the gym BEFORE school. So... Monday morning I was up at the crack of dawn and I did it! And it felt GREAT! Also, while I was there, I noticed a big sign for a new class called ZUMBA! It's a Latin dance-based aerobics class. I went last night with a friend from church and GOOD GOLLY! It kicked my butt. I loved it! :)

Sorry that's all I have time for now... I'll try to write more as soon as I get more than 5 minutes to myself!

400th post

Wow, according to blogger, this is my 400th post! Crazy, isn't it? I started this blog somewhere around October of 2003... almost FIVE years ago!! Insanity, I tell ya! I should have something amazing to say in my 400th post, but really, I can't think of anything. I know I should have posted before this (it's been a long 2 weeks - sorry Amanda!). But now that I actually have a moment to write... nothing is coming to mind. So I'll just write a few snippets as they come to mind...

-As of now I am sitting in my warm living room waiting on the a/c guy to come and see what's wrong (this time) with my air conditioner. It's no surprise that the thing is broken again. I think it breaks once a year at least. I have a home warranty, so I really want it to be dead so I can get them to replace it with a brand new one! Wouldn't that just be lovely?


-My kids are going to be in the Lion King! I found this out about a month ago now, but I've never written about it. For those who don't know, I teach Pre-K at an elementary arts integrated magnet school. My Pre-Ks haven't gotten to be involved in any of the "specials" this year (art, music, dance, gym). It's quite sad really, because I kinda think I have the best kids in the whole school. (I'm not biased, am I? hehe) Honestly though, I have a small class and they really are strangely well behaved. Teachers often see us in the hallway and ask their kids why they can't act like the Pre-Ks. Hooray! Well, a few weeks ago, during our nap time, the music teacher came and told us that the drama teacher wanted us to come practice with the kindergarteners! I got those kids up in a flash, and before they knew what was going on, we were dancing and singing with the best of them. Lucky for my kids, I learned the dances with them, so we practice (not once a week like the rest of the kids) but every day! The rest of the school has been working on this all year, but my kids have had a month, and this past Monday, the dance teacher kept commenting on how great the Pre-Ks were doing. I'm so proud of them! And it's really exciting to finally get to do something with the rest of the school. I'll make sure to post some pictures when I get a chance. :)

Singing & dancing is nothing new for these Pre-Ks!! :)
This was back in December.

-This week I had a revelation. For the first time in my adult-job history, I am in a job that I 100% want to come back to next year. Wow. THAT is a great feeling. I have been slowly getting to know the teachers at RN Harris though this year, and I love the atmosphere there. I am the only Pre-K teacher, so it is a challenge to feel connected, but I've really made an effort to at least get to know the Kindergarten teachers this year (I'll work on 1st grade next year - hehe). For the first time, I look forward to seeing some of my Pre-Ks in Kindergarten next year. Since RN Harris is a magnet school, none of my kids were districted to attend, but many of them applied, and I may have up to 5 out of 9 returning next year! I'll finally get to see how well I did at preparing them for Kindergarten.

Gosh, I really can't think of anything else right now... Life has been pretty amazing. A great friend gave me a piece of wonderful advice a few weeks ago. He basically said I needed to stop trying so hard to figure out the future that I don't enjoy the present. He was right, and I've been taking that advice to heart and doing my best to enjoy the day God has given me. After all, I'm not guaranteed even tomorrow, right!? Thank God for good, Godly friends who aren't afraid to give the right advice, even when it isn't fun at the time.

Hopefully the a/c guy will be here soon... Here's hoping for a completely busted a/c unit! hehe

SHE'S HOME!!!!!!

Today was kids' club at Oxford Manor. It was a normal Saturday morning until Brett got my attention and said, "guess who's back?" Yep. Shonda's home! They're back! PRAISE THE LORD! They finally came to their senses and got out of the crazy situation they were in. Please keep praying. They need your prayers now just as much as when they were gone. I'd write more, but I don't have time right now. I just had to update with the AWESOME news!!!! HOORAY!

the world is not a trash can!

I love kids. I love my job... most days. Today was one of those days. :) We all ventured outside (before it poured down rain!) to pick up trash on the nature trail and around our playground. Tuesday is Earth Day, so this was our little Pre-K contribution to the Earth. While picking up trash, one of my girls said, "this isn't a trash can!" I said, "you're right, the world is not a trash can." For the rest of the morning, the class went around picking up trash and repeating our mantra, "the world is not a trash can!" It made my day. :) This is a picture of how it makes us feel when we see all the trash on the ground. (hehe)

2 seconds under the bridge

Ok, for those of you who know me well, you know I love metaphors... so here goes...

I remember being a little kid in my parents' car, and not understanding how the rain somehow stopped for about 2 seconds while we drove under a bridge. Of course, it didn't take me too long to figure out that the rain wasn't really stopping, but we were just temporarily being sheltered from the battering rain drops. Tonight as I drove through the rain during a pretty heavy downfall, this image stuck with me. That's kind of how I felt today. Today I had the awesome privilege of spending the day with the Lechners, one of the families I worked/lived with in South Africa. They have been in Virginia at a conference for those who are home on stateside assignment for a few months. This was the closest they would be to me, so I made the trek this morning at about 6am! Seeing them was worth every minute in my car. I have missed them so much! One of the coolest things though, is that it didn't feel like I'd not seen them in almost 2 1/2 years. Of course the kids have grown, and all of our lives have dramatically changed (they've moved to another country!), but we've been able to keep in touch (hooray for blogs!). This morning I arrived early enough to attend the worship service with them. I was a bit apprehensive... usually when I get around a lot of missionaries, it makes me really sad that I'm not one of them! But today was totally different. When the speakers talked about missions and missionaries, I totally felt like it applied to me too. I may not be in another country, but I am 100% sure that God has placed me in Durham, NC to be a missionary here. Maybe someday He will call me back overseas, but for now, I am thrilled to be part of His plan here! Sometimes I have a tendency to get overwhelmed with my life in Durham. I sometimes try to do more than I am capable to doing (or at least doing well!). So today I took a break, I got away from Durham and away from the hustle and bustle of my busy, everyday life. Today was a breath of fresh air... 2 seconds under the bridge during a rainstorm.

And now... PICTURES! :)

Here's one of me with the family. The boys are both leaning down so that I don't feel short... they're both way taller than me now!



See how tall they are!?!



How funny is this? They had a family fun day inside (due to the rain). This is Charlie (on the left) and his son Luke racing to finish the blow up obstacle course! See why I love them? hehe :)




Angie and I... the first one was taken in August of 2005. We attempted a repeat... please note: this was after a long, rainy day! hehe :) We had a couple comments today about how we look related. Anyone agree??

family time

My Mom's birthday was this past Tuesday, but the family all got together today to celebrate. It's sometimes difficult to coordinate, but so much fun when we can get everyone together! I love my family so much. We're pretty wild (13 of us in all - 4 being kids), but it's always a good time. I'm having a hard time deciding between 2 special moments from tonight to share, so I'll share both. :) 1)When I got home, my niece, Lauryn, was asleep. She didn't sleep long though because I think it was too loud. When she woke up, she was still sleepy. I picked her up, and she laid her head down on my shoulder and drifted back to sleep. I took her to the Grandkids' room and sat with her for a while in the rocking chair while she slept peacefully in my arms. How I LOVED that feeling. She is so precious to me! 2)My Mom got the movie, "Enchanted" for her birthday. Since the girls outnumbered the guys at the end of the evening, we got to watch it. All the Boisvert ladies claimed the couch. My Mom, me, Lauryn, Cheryl (my sister in law) and my new niece who is yet to be born! I wish I had a picture of us all... 3 generations of Boisverts! Good times. :)

not giving up

To those of you who faithfully read this blog - THANK YOU! I'm really trying to update it more than I used to (Really, for a while I was lucky to post once a month.) Anywho... sometimes my posts may seem more "down" than others, as my last post was. But really, that's ministry! Some days are great and some are worse than terrible. I said in my last post that I felt discouraged and disappointed, and I meant that. I still feel that way, but I am so VERY thankful that over the years, God has taught me that it is NOT about what I am feeling. It is about Him, and His plan. I love knowing that because it makes me keep going! My feelings cannot, and will not get in the way of His plan. :) Tonight we had Bible study in Oxford Manor. We're meeting at Zee's house now since Shonda is MIA. (Please keep praying for that situation, even if you're not sure what it is!!!) It was kinda funny because tonight, for the first time, everyone at Bible study had gone to the Summit the Sunday before. We started out using a discussion guide that corresponds to the sermon from Sunday. It didn't take long though, for us to get off track. A question about salvation vs works came up (we're getting used to this one!) so we were able to talk about that for the rest of the night. It was pretty awesome. So... we may be missing some of our members, but the Word continues to be preached in Oxford Manor. Praise the Lord!

Gettin' Real..

Ministry is tough. No one ever said it would be easy. I'm pretty sure though, that I had it easier when I was a missionary in South Africa. Being a missionary in Durham has proven to be much more of a challenge. I need everyone reading this to pray. I am not comfortable giving many details out about this (and many details are still unclear to me), but things are a mess. Shonda and Vondeara are making some unwise... no... STUPID choices right now and they are affecting more than just themselves. I'm feeling various emotions right now... shock, anger, disappointment, discouragement... Part of me doesn't know what to feel. Part of me wonders if this is all real. Only last Thursday Shonda and Vondeara were in my house, enjoying a meal with us, and talking about the Bible. Now I'm not entirely sure where they are to be honest. I can't get in touch with them. Everything I hear is through their sister, who seems to be as confused as I am. It's all so crazy.

I can't say I'm surprised though. I hope that doesn't sound terrible, but I'm not. Heartbroken? Yes. Surprised? No. This is what we're dealing with, and as awful as it may be, this is it. This is the community God has placed me into, and with all my heart I will serve Him the best I know how. But this is a broken world. I can't expect things to go perfectly when we are not at all perfect. We are a messed up people. We do messed up things and make messed up choices. As part of my Bible study last night I read part of the story of Hosea and Gomer. Who, in their right mind, would choose to marry a prostitute? Who would marry and pursue a woman you knew would be unfaithful to you? This is what God has done with us. He pursues us - He loves us - He wants us to be His bride. And yet we run. We run to any temporary pleasure that we deem necessary for the moment. We fail Him time and time again. I fail Him. And He still yearns to rescue me.

Lord, I pray that you will rescue Shonda. I know that she is not too far for You to reach her. Your arm is not to short to save her. Pursue her. Hedge up her way with thorns, build walls around her, so that she cannot find her path. She will pursue her earthly loves, but she will not attain them. She will seek them and not find them. Then she will say, "I will go and return to the Lord, for it was better for me then than now." (Hos. 2:6-7)

Sping Break Day 3: dinner party!

I'm SLEEPY! But I'll write quickly (so please forgive any typos)...

Tonight I had a full housel! My original plan was to invite just Brett, Shonda, and Vondeara over for dinner. Then I decided my friend Paul might want to come too. Then I remembered my friend Zee (also from Oxford Manor) who recently saw Brett and told him to tell me to call her. So I called her. But for a long time, no one called me back. At about 6:45 I almost canceled since I hadn't heard from anyone. Brett suggested I call Tina (Shonda's sister) to invite her and to see if she knew where Shonda was. So she says she wants to come and that she'll bring Shonda. Brett and I go to the store to buy some dessert stuff and while we're there, Paul calls. He might be coming. (yay!) When we get home, Zee calls (it's 8pm by this point)... she wants to come... and asks if her boyfriend can come. Why not?! Then Vondeara calls.. he asks if his brother can come. Then Zee calls back.... Can her boyfriend's Godbother come? Of course... Brett leaves to go pick up Zee and the other 2 guys, and Tina is on her way with Shonda, Vondeara and Vondeara's brother. I'm freaking out. I go through the panty and freezer looking for ANYTHING I have that can go with the ham steaks I had bought (thank God for Food Lion MVP sales! hehe). The original plan was ham, green beans and macaroni salad. That was it... but I KNEW that would not be enough. I found some bisquik and had just enough (literally) to make one batch of drop biscuits. Once those were in the oven, I remembered the potatoes my Mom had given me when I went home for Easter. Though I'd never made mashed potatoes (by myself and from scratch), I figured now was the time to learn! So I got those cooking, and found some frozen corn in the freezer. Phew! All within about 30/45 minutes I had prepared ham steaks, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes (which were, according to my friends, "bangin'") biscuits and macaroni salad (well, that was made ahead of time). I must admit, I'm a little proud of myself. Everyone raved about dinner, and you know... it wasn't that hard! To make the night totally amazing... dinner turned into a straight out Bible study. Someone asked a question, and "Pastor Brett" went to town. I'd say for a good hour questions were asked and every time we went back to the Bible for answers. By this time Paul was there too, so that helped a lot, and he was able to add some good insight. I LOVE THIS! Again I say, this is exactly why I bought this house. I have desired from day one for this house to be a place where people would learn more about Christ. I never imagined it would look like this, but I am so glad it does!! God has blessed me so much! He is truely a God who surpasses all my expectations. :) For Him to put me here... in this time... in this place... What an incredible honor to be His chosen servant!

Amen and goodnight!! :)

Spring Break Day 1 : no plans...

I had all intentions of this being a "do-nothing," uneventful Spring Break. It seems God had other plans in mind. My day started off fairly normal... I had to get up early because the Time Warner Cable guy was coming to install our internet (finally!). A little after he left, a friend of mine who is a news reporter in Durham called to ask me if I new a girl named Skye in Oxford Manor. When I said I didn't, he told me that he was on his way to Oxford Manor because he was assigned to a story about this girl's murder. Whoa. I know this stuff happens "all the time" in Durham, but it happening in Oxford Manor made it hit home that this is real. I'll admit that at the time I didn't do all that I should have. I tried to reach Shonda, but her phone was off. I should have driven over there, but I didn't. I was too comfy at home enjoying my uneventful Spring Break. As I was getting into my car later to go to Sylvan, I checked my phone and noticed that I had a voicemail from Rick (another missionary to Oxford Manor). He said that he had talked to Shonda and that she knew Skye through some line of connections. And then it hit me. Skye... Sha's sister... Sha, the young man who I've mentioned before a few posts ago. Sha used to live with Shonda and he came to Bible study on Thursday nights. I called Brett to inform him of what was going on, but unfortunately I had to go to work. Rick called to say he and Brett were heading over to Oxford Manor. My heart hurt. The last place I wanted to be was at Sylvan. I wanted to be where I should have been earlier in the day. I wasn't at all focused on my students. Since it is Durham's Spring break this week, Sylvan had many no-shows. My boss was kind enough to let me give my students to someone else so that I could go to Oxford Manor and be with my friends. When I got there Brett and Rick were outside talking to Sha already. He seemed so stoic at first, still in shock I'm sure... still processing what had happened. I had nothing to say... no great words of wisdom... but I was there... He did at least smile when I showed up! :) Maybe all I was supposed to do was to be there, give him a big hug, and let him know what we are praying for him. Maybe I don't have to have words of wisdom... not yet anyway. He's not in a place to really hear them right now. It amazed me as I stood with Rick and watched Brett minister to Sha. He didn't say a whole lot... he just stood with him and let him talk. This is a very confusing time for Sha's family. This is a time when we especially need to be on our knees before God begging Him for His glory to shine through all of this. I plead with you, right now, pray for this family. Pray for healing. Pray that many will come to know Christ through this tragedy. Pray for wisdom for Brett, Rick, and I as we seek to serve this community in any way we can. Praise God for His sovereignty in this as well. It's no coincidence that Sha was part of our Bible study and that he is a friend of ours. Praise God that Shonda and Vondeara seem to see this as an opportunity for them to tell others about the Lord (they are growing so much!). Praise God that I am on Spring break with "no plans" and am completely free to be there for whoever needs me!

Psalm 33:20-22

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.

22 Let Your unfailing love, O Lord, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.

Pictures!!!

My parents let me borrow their camera to take a few pictures this weekend.
Enjoy!!

My Dad and I Saturday morning before the egg hunt at the church grew up in, my niece, Lauryn and I, and 'Team Boisvert" - my sister in law (and future niece or nephew!), brother, me, and Lauryn


Amanda, me, and Kina practicing for Saturday night (if you want me to remove this, I will!)

After Saturday night's service, I hung out with the crazy Subletts These are two of the crazies! hehe

Kina and I Amanda and I

Leanne and her man ;) my friend, Brett, and I


Dad, me, Leanne, and Mom Mom and I the precious Lauryn, and Aunt Bonnie!


The Boisvert Families!

Easter update....

Ok... ok... I finally have someone holding me accountable when I don't update my blog often enough! :) So I guess I'd better get to it!

Let me think... not too much has happened since I last updated, but I'll try to give some highlights. Shonda is doing well, though she and Vondeara are not married yet and are still living together. Ugh. I must remember that ministry is often 2 steps forward, 1 step back. Shonda says she is doing well, and that Vondeara is "respecting her decision" but I can't help but wonder how long that will last!! Please keep both of them in your prayers. They're still planning to have the wedding in May... so if all goes as planned, at least they'll be married before too long!

A little while ago I found my old journals - 4 journals full of writing, starting from about May of 2003 (when I graduated from UNC) until November of 2005 (when I came home from South Africa). Wow. I have gotten away from journalling like I used to, and that's quite unfortunate! It is amazing to look back and revisit everything that was happening in my life 5-3 years ago. God was teaching me some amazing things! When I journal, I write very honestly, so as I was reading the entries, I could almost feel exactly what I was feeling as I wrote. Gosh... I still very much miss the life I used to have in SA, though I realize it was not all roses by any means! Reading the journals (I read them all, page by page) sometimes made me sad - how I wish I could have that life back! But they also made me laugh and remember the awesome times... one common theme of my entries is me reminding myself that "God has a plan and that plan is bigger than me!" I STILL have to remind myself of that truth everyday. Why is it not yet ingrained into my being!! I so often ask God "why?" I know very well that He is in control and that I may never have the answer to all of my whys, and that's ok! He knows why, and as long as He knows, I'm cool with that. :)

As another cool update in Bonnie's life, I have a new family. :) No, my old one isn't gone, and they certainly have not been replaced, but God has blessed me with a Durham family! I've always said that I don't just want to know single 20-somethings in the church. I want to know kids, Moms, Dads, Grandmas, and so forth. Well, recently I've gotten to know the Sublett family better, and I am loving it! I knew this family before I went to South Africa. Actually, their daughter, Jessica, was one of the first kids I knew! When I joined the Summit almost 6 years ago, I started teaching the 3 year old Sunday school class, and Jessica was in my class! Amanda (the Mom) was also in choir, so I knew her from there too. When I went to SA, Amanda was one of the few people who kept in touch with me (hooray for Internet-savvy people!). When I came back though, I never really saw her that much. Funny how that happens. Well, a little while ago, Amanda started singing with the Cole Mill Road praise team! Talk about uncontrollable laughter from the get-go. I fell in love with her all over again (is it ok to say that? I hope so) and concluded that whether the Subletts liked it or not, I was going to become part of their family. ;) Since then I've hung out with the family 3 times now (not counting church), and as long as I don't get on their nerves, I plan to spend lots more time with them. The whole family is a hoot. I love being at their house because I feel like I can be myself and they're totally fine with that. They really are a blessing and an answer to my prayers. I am a family person through and through. I love my single friends, but there's not much that's better to me than hanging out with a family. I pray that as long as God has me in Durham (and as of now I think that will be a while!), I will know and love this family. I want to be around to watch Alex, Jessica and Caleb grow up. They can be my Durham nephews and niece. :) God is so good, and I can never thank Him enough for the ways He blesses me!

I hope that's enough of an update for now... I've been enjoying the last day and a half at home with my Mom and Dad, which has been so nice and relaxing. In a little bit, I'll be heading back to Durham for church. Then as soon as the last song is sung on Sunday, my roommate (Leanne) and I will be coming back to Sanford for Easter dinner with ALL the Boisvert family! Good times... :)

PS- If anyone reading this is thinking, "I miss the pictures, Bonnie... post pictures!" I say to you... you got a camera I can have?? hehe I finally got word that mine is damaged beyond fixing. Sad day in the life of Bonnie. Seriously though, if you have an old one you want to sell to me, let me know! ;)

This is what it's all about!

I don't know how to put this all into words, but I'll do my feeble best. Last night Shonda, Vondeara (Shonda's fiance) and Vondeara's mom all came to the Gospel class. And to make a long story short, Shonda prayed to give her life to Christ. One thing that excites me is that this wasn't a "church" service... there was no emotional music playing or convicting sermon. It was just a class and JD was talking about our response to salvation. During the discussion part our table (providentially) didn't have a table leader and JD sat down with us. One of the discussion questions was "have you given your life to Christ and if so, when?" When it got to Shonda, she said that until tonight she would have said she wasn't sure, but now she realized that she needed to give her life to Christ and that she wanted to do it "sometime soon." JD said, "so what your saying is..." (he repeated what she had said pretty much). She said yes, and he said, "why don't we pray right now and you tell God that." It was awesome. She just prayed right there. She later told me that she was nervous about praying outloud at the table, but while she was praying she just felt like she had a heavy weight lifted off of her! After the class was over a group of us all went out to Apple Bee's to celebrate. :) We wanted to make sure she knew this was a big deal and that we were so excited for her!

While we were there, the topic of the wedding came up, and we ended up talking about how right now they're still living together and what we were going to do about that. (Cool thing is, I didn't bring it up!) I told them what a Summit pastor had told me and that was that one of two things needed to happen...1)they go to the court house and get legally married now and then have the ceremony later or 2)one of them moves out. At first they were gung ho about going to the court house TODAY to get it done (and Vondeara was all about it too, which is amazing!). Then Shonda decided she needed to think about it first and get a few things straight. Tonight she's staying with her sister (to avoid temptation) and she may be coming to my house the next few nights.

I went to visit with them tonight and let them know what I'd found out about the getting legally married at the court house. I also had to do a little research about what would happen to Shonda's apartment once she became married. She lives in Durham public housing, and they're really picky about rules (as crazy as they may be), and Shonda was thinking that they'd make her move out if she got married. So I called them today and that's not the case! Shonda was grinning from ear to ear when I told her that, and she and Vondeara said they'll go tomorrow to get his name on the lease. Then they can go to the court house and get married! :) Woohoo!!! Please pray for Shonda to continue in her faith, for people to come around her and Vondeara and support their decision to honor God with their relationship.

This is HUGE and AMAZING!!! Our God is so good and faithful to hear our prayers. Please keep praying for the work He is doing in Oxford Manor. I know this is only the beginning!

Stop the madness!

AHHH!!! Who's in a drought? There's no drought at my house. I've sucked up 8+ gallons of water today that has made it into my kitchen and my laundry room. I'm trying to remain positive about it... but I could use your prayers for that! At the moment I'm choosing to pretend my house isn't flooding and that the cabinets aren't water-logged, and I'm going to hang out with some friends. I'm quite aware that I will come home and have to suck up more water, but oh well. Such is life in a fixer-upper house!

the best feeling EVER!

I helped a kid learn to read!!!!!!! I have a part time job at Sylvan Learning Center. I always get the little kids, and back in August of 2007 we got "Bob." Bob was starting his 2nd year of kindergarten and was totally -and I mean TOTALLY- clueless. Actually, up until a few weeks ago, he still seemed pretty clueless. We'd work on a letter/sound on Monday and Tuesday he couldn't remember it. Today was a glorious day. Today Bob read 9 words. NINE WORDS! They were all "word family" words (like cat, hat, rat, etc.) and they were simple, but I don't care. He read them... not recognized from memory... I heard him sound out the word. I had tears in my eyes, and I'm not even kidding. If I'd have been alone I probably would have really cried. I made him go read the words to the other teacher that works with him sometimes. I told both my bosses. I bragged on Bob to my friends tonight at church. I am so proud of this little guy! It's so amazing to be a part of this kid's life. I helped him learn to read. I've never done that before. My kids learn pre-reading skills, and I'm proud of them and all.. but reading! Bob is reading!!!! And Ms. Boisvert is ecstatic! :-D

Salvation and Birthday Cake

Tonight I got to share my heart with the Oxford Manor Bible study. I missed the study last week, and was told by Brett that I missed a doozy. Apparently there was a lady there who was throwing some confusing questions out and really making a mess of the study. So Shonda (the girl facilitating the study) finally had enough and decided to tell everyone that their homework was to go home, study, and find out what they could about salvation. (big topic!) I won't go into detail for lack of time, but I have been going Bible study crazy this past week. I have been falling in love with the Bible and am just now (at the age of 26 and after serving overseas for 2 years)... JUST NOW realizing just how amazing the Bible is. I'm learning that it all goes together... I mean, I knew that, but I didn't "get it." But this week I would be studying one thing in Romans, and it would link to something in 1 Corinthians and that would link to something in Galatians, which links to something in Genesis, which goes back to Romans! Crazy. So I did my "homework" and I came ready to share tonight. It was a bit crazy at first because it was Vandeara's birthday so there were lots of extra people there and cake and fun stuff. But finally we got down to business. We were kind of all over the place for a while, but at one point I had the floor and I started talking, and I couldn't stop! I shared how it breaks my heart that the Gospel is so simple and yet we make it so hard. I shared how Christ came for us, for everyone in that room (some of whom are not yet Christians), and how much He had to give for us. I said over and over again that it's JESUS who saves us, and there's nothing - NOTHING - we can do to add to that. To make it even more amazing, one of the guys who seems to be seeking the most was sitting right across from me, and I had his undivided attention. I don't think I looked away from him for much of my little spiel. God was totally speaking through me. I don't mean that to sounds weird or like spirit possession or anything wacky, but usually I'm pretty quiet at Bible study until a point needs to be made, and I will quietly make that point. This time I was pumped. I couldn't hold it in anymore! People were actually saying "amen," "yes, Lord" and "bring it" while I was talking! Hah! Who'da thought I had it in me? Well, I have the Holy Spirit in me, so I shouldn't be surprised. :) WOOHOO!!! Jesus rocks my world. PLEASE keep praying for this Bible study and the people in it. The guy's name that I mentioned is Sha'. Pray that God will show Sha' more and more of who He is and how much He loves him. He seems to be so close, but I get the feeling that there are things he's just not ready to let go of yet. Thank you for your prayers. I'm not really sure who even reads this blog anymore, but if you do - thank you! Your prayers mean the world to me!

Oh, and on a completely different note... because of a lack of time, my wonderful roommate made Vandeara's cake for me. She started to make the cake and realized she didn't have eggs, and she couldn't go out because the girl she is a nanny for was asleep. So... she used mayonnaise
as a substitute. What in the world!? Yeah... I had no idea you could do that. Good thing her Mom is a real chef, so she knows these things. The cake was fantastic. Who knew? Thanks for the cake, Leanne!!

Genesis / OM update :)

So... I've embarked on quite an endeavor. I've started reading/listening to "The Bible in 90 Days." Yep... 90 days. I'm pretty stoked about it! I'm actually a day ahead right now... I wanted to finish Genesis! It's crazy that I've heard all these different stories before in my life, but I've never put them all together like I can now that I've heard them all in the order they happened. My one thought after reading Genesis? Dang, these people were pretty messed up! I mean my goodness... we've got denial, murder, lying, cheating, doubting God (over and over again), and I could go on. What stands out to me though, is that God's promise to these people never wavered. God didn't say, "aw man, he messed up... I guess I'll have to go bless someone else now." God knew the doubt, the pain, and the wickedness that these men would undergo. I can't help but let my imagination wander and think that God watched these men, whom He had promised time and time again to bless and make into a great nation, commit great sins against Him. How His heart must have ached. Liars and cheaters... who would've ever thought that God's plan would come about through such people as these?? But wow... How refreshing! Knowing that God can use these men shows me that He can use me too! I know you guys are thinking that I've never murdered someone, I try not to lie, and I don't really think I'm a cheater either. But man, sometimes you can't help but to come face to face with the harsh reality that you are, indeed, a sinner. I have fallen short of the glory of God. We all have, whether we like to admit it or not. But thanks be to God, who sent His Son to redeem me from my sin! Because of Him, and His grace and love for me, I can be a part of God's plan, just like the men from Genesis.

And now... as a bonus for reading this blog... a little Oxford Manor update... The Bible study that Brett and I were trying to get started flopped. FLOPPED! But, get this... we met a couple in Oxford Manor who said that since they could never make it to the Bible study that we were having on Tuesday nights, they decided to start one of their own on Thursday nights. How cool is that? They invited us to it, and we love it! This is now an effort within Oxford Manor... not something that Brett and I (neither of whom live in OM) are trying to get going. So we've joined forces. The couple leading the study is young, and needs guidance. Brett and I aren't all that old and wise, but we have great leaders at the Summit who have taught us one main thing... always bring it around to the Gospel! And we've taken that mindset and are working to teach it to those in Oxford Manor as well. I absolutely love the crazy mix of people that are in this group. They're all pretty young, and they've surely got some struggles and messed up lives. But what have I learned from Genesis? It looks like they're prime candidates for God do some pretty amazing things in and through their lives! Tonight they all came over to my house for dinner. I'd post some photos... but to my dismay... someone dropped my camera on the floor and now it's broken. I was pretty bummed about that, but cool story... later that evening, the girl who dropped it said to Brett and I that something is different about us because we were the only 2 who didn't get upset with her for dropping it. We had yet another opportunity to share God's love and grace with her. Without it in our lives, we surely couldn't give it to her - praise God for His love, mercy and grace! I couldn't stop smiling tonight. This, THIS is what I bought this house for. My new friends live about 4 minutes from my house, and they now know that they are welcome anytime. I love this house, I love my new friends, and I love my LORD!

Amen & Goodnight!

back in business

Lately God has been rocking my world, and I love it! A couple of months ago my friend, Brett, and I randomly went to visit an Oxford Manor parent who was in the hospital. Ever since that day we have been watching as God slowly but surely unveils His plan for His glory to be made known in Oxford Manor. We've yet to even see a fraction of this plan, but we're both running hard after the main goal - to make God famous and to see Him worshiped in Oxford Manor! We've recently begun an adult Bible study that meets on Tuesday nights. We've only been able to meet twice so far (since once was Christmas and the next was New Years), but we're excited about it. Tonight we had a great plan for the Bible study... Brett was so well prepared to lead tonight... and no one wanted to come! The host's neighbor just happened to be visiting her and she decided to stay. So instead of using the well-planned study, we just opened up the Bible and started talking about what we've been learning lately. We covered a lot and the Gospel was clearly laid out and proclaimed! What seemed like a disappointment at first turned out to an awesome time of getting into God's Word... what more could we ask for? Both ladies seem to want to come to church on Sunday. Pray that they will go through with this desire... that God will keep their paths clear from distraction and that He will burn in them a desire to seek hard after God and His Truth!

I'll be honest... this ministry is much more difficult for me than anything I did in South Africa. Crazy how that works, isn't it? I guess kids' ministries for me were always "safe." I know kids... I know how to teach them and answer their questions. But adults? That's a whole new ballgame and I'm only beginning to scratch the surface of this new adventure! It's amazing though... I may wonder sometimes why God has me in this ministry... I often don't feel adequate or ready for it. But I know He has me here. I know this is where I am supposed to be. And WOW! What a great feeling that is! Nestled right in the middle of God's plan. There isn't a more peaceful place I can imagine.