America The Refreshing

Living the adventure sometimes blocks blogging about the adventure.  I am now back from America and am in the Philippines again.

America was, well, my home away from Home.  It was SOOOOOOO GOOD to be there!!!!!

On my flight over, I got to tell so many people about Jesus and how He has boundaries to our relationship with Him.  It is from these boundaries that we are able to have and maintain our relationship with the Uncreated One.

I arrived to see my Memaw and Papa waiting for me at the airport.  Shortly after, my parents and brother were there.  It was surreal to see them all.  Then, we went to eat at El Fenix (MEXICAN FOOD!) where many of my closest friends showed up to welcome me home.  So many tears and smiles!!

The next night, my friends arranged for a worship and prayer dinner.  I got to share about my time in the Philippines- the glories and the groans.  It was amazing to be with people who know who I am and will remind me of it when I forget.  We ate, talked, laughed, cried, and prayed together.

I then had wonderful Christmas celebrations with my family.  I ate SOOO much and created so many wonderful memories!

Notice here that I have on 3 layers and my aunt has on a tank top!

After Christmas, I went to the OneThing conference in Kansas City, MO with my friends Nathan and Paige.  We stopped in Tulsa on the way up there and the way back.  We paid for all of the tolls with dimes and pennies.  I won the "Alphabet Game."  The whole trip was full of laughter and amazing conversations.  I got to see my friends Michael and Christy while we were in Kansas City.  They have been my intercessors and friends for over 7 years.  It was so good to see them!  I love that God brought me from the other side of the world to have a divine appointment with them.

The best part of the conference was when I went to the Youth Leaders meeting.  It was there that I received prayer and the joy of the Lord was restored to me.  The leaders asked people to ask God what He thinks about them.  God showed me that He sees me as joyful and dancing.  They also asked people who were frustrated to raise their hands to receive prayer.  I was one of the people who received.  Something shifted inside of me in these moments.  The conference was great.  Worship was awesome, but the miracle is what God did in my heart.

 Paige, Rebecca, Nathan and I

25,000+ people worshipping Jesus

On the way back from Kansas City, I got to have dinner with Melissa.  I've known her since freshmen year of high school and we have been prayer partners and accountability partners ever since.  She is awesome and every second I spent with her was precious even though it was so little.

I was able to go to my church, Gateway Church, once I was back in Texas.  WOW!  What an emotional experience for me to step into the new building for the first time and realize that my prayers had helped build the place.  I was already weeping during the first "happy praise" song!  While I was there, I had many divine appointments with friends, pastors, and leaders.  It was so sweet to be in such a place.

Then, I went to my mom's house in Mineola for a few days of relaxation and "Mommy Time."  I loved being in her beautiful cabin/house and just relaxing.  Again, beautiful memories were created there.

This is the bathtub where I had my first bath as a a baby. :-)

The night before I left, my friends invited themselves over and again, created awesome memories that still have me laughing everyday.  Thank you, Jeremy and Nathan, for not listening to me when I said I was busy! :-)

The day I left, I got to meet with a lot of pastors from Gateway, have a breakfast date with my dad, and see my old students and co-workers.  I was so blessed by all of these appointments!

Visiting America was like drinking straight from a cup of joy.  I left America with a renewed vision for my time in the Philippines.  I am not doing anything different in the Philippines than I did in America.  I am just loving Jesus in a different location and therefore, there is a different expression to this love.