Life with Hannah

A Heart that is trying to seek Him

2009-10-02T07:50:00.007-05:00

Wow! It has been so long since I have blogged. I have had several people ask me what is going on, and well life has just been happening. It always seems that I want to blog, but yet do not have time to do it. Well, today, I got up early and took a friend to the airport, and decided that instead of going back to sleep, that I would take advantage of being awake and pour my heart into my blog. I hope you are ready for this, because this is going to be quite an intricate blog. I hope to be quite honest about all things going on in my life. I have not blogged since last March..thus I have about 7 months to fill you in on! I'm currently sitting outside, in 50degree weather, with a blanket wrapped around me and a cup of coffee sitting by my side..so, I'll pause here and let you go get a cup of coffee so that you can sip on some coffee goodness while you read about all that the Lord is and has been doing in my life. . .

Here is a quick overview of the last 7 months, and I will go more in depth on things I feel have been significant :

March-May- I was finishing up my semester at Grace University, and continued to work at HyVee.
May-August- I enjoyed the summer, with a few trips up to Wisconsin to see Alex, and continued to work at HyVee.
August- I began my last semester of my college career! : ) Woohoo! Alex and I decided to end our relationship. I started helping with an English conversation class and still worked at HyVee. I also went on a 4,400 mile roadtrip in my little black car with 2 friends! We went through SD, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR, UT, CO, IA, NE---it was an amazingly fun trip filled with lifelong memories!!
September-October- Still school, work, class, and just living!

(The pictures below are from our roadtrip halfway across America) :)
This is Todd, Lindsey, and I in Portland, Oregon. Lindsey (my roommate) and I drove to out to the west coast, and ended up having Todd ( a teammate from our Mali EDGE team) ride back with us to Nebraska! Todd grew up in Oregon, and so we were able to meet some of his family, and he planned a few days of our trip in Oregon..we were able to go to the Pacific Ocean during our time in OR.

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Ok!! So here we go, life for me these days has been extremely busy. I just keep telling myself that it is only for this chapter in life that I will be as busy as I am. My week begins on Mondays with classes starting in the morning and ending at 9pm. Tuesdays, I work at the coffee shop at school, then have class, and then work at HyVee at night. Wednesdays, I have classes in the morning and afternoon, and then help with an English Conversation Class at Christ Community Church, in Omaha, NE. Thursdays, I work in the coffee shop at school, and then have classes until 10pm (one class being in Elkhorn, NE- which is about a 30 minute drive from where I live) Then, comes Friday and Saturday- I work both days and try to find time in there to do some homework or spend time with friends! Sundays, I also work, and have church in the evening! So, with all that said, my life is quite busy right now...I'm trying to find the balance- how to make time for my roommate, and minister to my friends, yet pay my bills and finish up my LAST semester of college!! It has been a struggle, especially as of late!

Hmm.. Well, my classes this Fall have been going quite well! I am having a hard time keeping up with my online class, but seem to be doing okay in my other classes. I keep telling myself I need to perservere, because this IS my last semester!! : ) I have been taking a class at Metro Community College on Thursday nights, and that will be done in Novemeber, which will free up one night for me..I am looking forward to that! All of my other Grace classes will be done on December 10th! So, basically I have 2 months of college left! Can I get a "WOOHOO?" : )

Just this last month I got promoted at HyVee and I am now an assistant manager! I am in training now, and am loving every minute! I started working for HyVee in May of 2001, and have always wanted to pursue management, and have now been given a chance! Although, along with this opportunity comes alot of responsibility and expectations, thus I am working atleast 32 hours week, which is actually proving to turn itself into about 36 hours or so..thus, work is keeping me really busy! They have told me that after I finish with my classes in December, if I'd like to go fulltime, that will probably be a possibility! Which will potentially help with paying off school loans! : ) So, we will see what happens in the months to come...I never thought that I'd stay with HyVee as long as I have, but God continues to open doors for me at HyVee and so I cannot get away! HyVee just has a special place in my heart : )

Ok, well about the relationship status..Alex and I decided to end our relationship back in August. Many things had changed and decisions had to be made, and neither of us had peace about continuing on in the relationship, and thus we ended it. Since then, I feel like I have been able to attempt to refocus on my relationship with God. It seemed to have been pushed back a little with my focus being on someone else, but I am trying to getting it back on the Lord. I am thankful for Alex and for what our relationship taught me and how it helped me grow in different areas. So, now I am working on falling more in love with my Savior! It is proving to be difficult, because it seems that my time is so easily filled with other things or other people, so I am trying to be intentional about spending time with Him. Considering He has never put me on the back burner or just pushed me aside, as I do with Him sometimes, I feel like I should be desiring to spend more time with Him. I want to want to desire Him..I want to want to love like Him..I want to have my heart broken by the things that break His heart. I want to want to be so in love with Him! I am on a journey of pursuing Him. (I just recently heard the song 'Hosanna' by Hillsong United for the first time, below are some of lyrics from the chorus..I love this song- it is quite challenging to me..

"Heal my heart and make it clean Open up my eyes to the things unseen Show me how to love like you have loved me Break my heart from what breaks yours Everything I am for your kingdoms cause As I go from nothing to Eternity"

THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE

-I am now just trying to get through December, finish up with school, and looking forward to spending some time with family at Thanksgiving and at Christmas! Although, I know that after December some things in my life will change. In some ways I am quite excited about all the potential changes that lie ahead, yet in some ways I'm a bit anxious, because I have no control over them! I have learned that in life there is no need for me to plan, because when I begin to plan, God changes things! : ) Thus, this time around, I am hoping to just wait on Him and see what doors He is going to open! Although, I know I just said that I am not going to plan..here is what I will probably be doing until He leads me elsewhere.. After I graduate in December, I will extend my apartment lease until June, and my roommate and I will continue to live in Council Bluffs, IA (which is where I have been living since January 2009) I plan to continue to work at HyVee as a manager, and just continue to save money to pay off college loans. Without all of the school workload on me, I may work 2 jobs, just to try to pay off loans faster, but only time will tell! I am kind of looking forward to being able to just save money, versus paying to live...

I do still have thoughts of Mali, West Africa..I do not know what the future holds or what His plans include, or even who they include, but I do know that I want Him to lead me. I was talking to some friends on skype this morning that attended the same language school in France, who work with Campus Crusade for Christ. They just asked me to prayerfully consider joining their team going to the Ivory Coast in August 2010.. I hadn't talked with them in quite awhile, thus them presenting this opportunity kind of made me chuckle..it left me thinking, "Really, God?" So, I do not know what comes next. I will continue to try to lean on Him for everything. I want to pursue His will for my life. I want to lay down all of my desires and just truly and passionately pursue Him. Sometimes, I feel alone..I miss being in a relationship, I miss having someone hold me, I miss feeling special; it creates a desire within me to pursue other relationships, when in reality when the surface of my heart is scraped away, I know that all I need is Jesus. So, this is what I am pursuing now..I am praying to pursue Him and Him ALONE! I am asking Him to help me put all of my desires by the wayside and trust Him. I want to lay down my pride and love those around me with the love He has for me. I want to want Him. I pray that I can begin to see people the way He does, and that that will create within me a desire to serve them and not myself. I want to die to myself and 'do' something for Him. I want to 'be' for Him.

. . . So, there you have it..my life up to date! : ) I hope to keep up with my blog, and will try to be more intentional with it!

. .Awestruck. .

2009-03-21T10:38:00.005-05:00

"The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Psalm 19:1

Have you ever found something so beautiful and so majestic that you could just stand in one spot and look at it forever? Something so amazing that it takes your breath away? Something that makes tears flow freely, just because it is so magnificent? This weekend, I was again reminded of how much camp means to me. Right now I am up in Westboro, WI, visiting Alex : ) He is interning at Camp Forest Springs, in Westboro, WI, until May. I've realized that camp has an affect on me. Something about being in a place where everyone is serving one another and truly building each other up, all the while loving the Lord--mmm..it is so sweet. There has been numerous times this weekend when I found myself at a stand still. I found myself looking out across a frozen lake, gazing up at a sky full of stars, looking out the window at the snow lightly falling upon the ground- I love it. I am so thankful that I serve such an awesome God. He has created it all, and it seems that so often I forget to just stop and be still and stand in awe of Him and His creation. This weekend has a been a wonderful time for that. I pray that as I go back to good ol' Nebraska tomorrow, I will be constantly reminded to take time to appreciate God's goodness. Weekends, such as this one, make me wish I could stay in a place like this forever. Constantly being surrounded in love by other believers desiring to serve the Lord and being smothered in love by the Lord and His breath-taking creation.

I wanted to share the lyrics from a song that has become quite precious to me as of late. It has been a wonderful reminder of God's faithfulness through ALL things. We must wait upon Him and lay our requests before Him- and wait expectantly. (Psalm 5:3) God is faithful. I am going to wait upon the Lord, because I know that His plans are greater than my own. "I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." -Psalm 16:2. I am nothing without Him. Thank you Lord for opening my eyes and my heart to You. Thank you for being faithful and for loving me despite my shortcomings.

While I'm Waiting..by John Waller

I’m waiting I’m waiting on You, Lord

And I am hopeful

I’m waiting on You, Lord

Though it is painful

But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting

I will serve You

While I’m waiting I will worship

While I’m waitingI will not faint

I’ll be running the race

Even while I wait

I’m waiting I’m waiting on You, Lord

And I am peaceful

I’m waiting on You, Lord

Though it’s not easy

But faithfully, I will wait

Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I’m waiting

I will worship while I’m waiting

I will serve You while I’m waiting

I will worship while I’m waiting

I will serve You while I’m waiting

I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

*****************************************************************************

A few weeks ago, I heard a song on the radio, and it brought tears to my eyes..and this morning I just found the song- here are the lyrics to it : ) What a beautiful song.

By Your Side..by Tenth Avenue North

Why are you striving these days

Why are you trying to earn grace

Why are you crying

Let me lift up your face

Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love

Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough

To where will you go child

Tell me where will you run

To where will you runchorus

And I'll be by your side

Wherever you fall

In the dead of night

Whenever you call

And please don't fight

These hands that are holding you

My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side

They swallowed the grave on that night

When I drank the world's sin

So I could carry you in

And give you life

I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you

I want you to know

That I, I love you

I'll never let you go

Attempting to wait upon the Lord. . . while in the midst of a construction zone..

2009-02-26T11:48:00.004-06:00

Life is happening. Things are changing everyday, it seems that most things never stay the same. I need to learn to accept that. Change can be a wonderful thing. It helps us stay in tune with God. I belive that He can use changes to shape us and make us more like Him. It is so hard for me to try to live for Him daily, yet think and plan for the future. Knowing that God can change things tomorrow, makes it hard for ME to plan : ) How funny is it that I still haven't grabbed the concept of letting God write my story..I feel that this will be a lesson I will never fully understand! I'm so grateful that He is patient with me. I do not know what my future holds, I'm not even sure I know what direction it is going in. This makes it difficult for me, because I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing, thus I must wait upon the Lord, yet that seems to be a challenge for me. Waiting has never been an easy thing for me, especially because I love to plan, but obviously you can tell by reading what I have just written, God is definitely doing some work within me. It seems as though my life is like a construction zone. I am under construction, it is going to take time to repair and fix some things in my life, as well as take time to build up some new areas. "Driving with caution" and "Slowing down" will both be necessary in order to not cause more of a delay in the construction time. Although, I will always be in somewhat of a construcion zone, knowing that God will always be working on me, if I allow Him, I am excited to see what His plans are for me and excited to see what new roads He builds for me. Please pray for me as I seek His will for my life and pray that I remember to slow down, so as not to delay His work process : )

A New Direction

2009-02-15T15:21:00.003-06:00

I never really know where to begin. It has been almost 2 months since I have written an update on the happenings of my life, so you can only imagine the endless stories I have to tell :) Don’t worry, I will try to be brief, ha ;) God has been quite active in my life since my return from France, and I must say that He has brought several changes into my life once again; changes that are proving to be major blessings in my life thus far!

I returned from France on December 23rd, and was able to spend Christmas with my entire family, which was wonderful I love being with my family, I’ve been blessed. Following Christmas, I moved into an apartment in Council Bluffs, IA. I am currently located about 15 minutes from Grace University :) I am living with Lindsey Dyer, she was part of my Mali, West Africa team. We have a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment, which allows us to have our own space :) Things have been going wonderfully well for the two of us. God is blessing our relationship with one another, and allowing us to have a place to open up for ministry. Currently we have people over every Sunday for food and fellowship, which has been wonderful! I love having my own place, and I love having Lindsey as a roommate. God is good!

I am currently taking 19 credit hours at Grace University, still studying Intercultural Studies/Relations. The projected plan is for me to graduate in December 2009. I am quite excited about that! After graduation, I have no idea what God has planned, but I know that I just have to keep walking with Him and He will guide me in the right direction! :) Most of my classes this semester have been quite challenging, which is helping me view life in a different light. I am loving Grace University and thankful for the professors who are investing in my life.

Just this last Friday, I was at the airport at 6am to see the Mali EDGE 2009 team off. They left to head to Mali for 6 months. I’m not going to lie, that was a bit difficult for me, because I would love to return to Mali, in fact, I thought that I was, but God has changed some directions in my life. Instead of returning to Mali, I will be staying Stateside until further notice, and God is still taming my heart on this issue. I know that He can see the bigger picture and that He knows best, so I need to trust Him and wait upon Him. So whether or not Mali is in my future or not, or even if overseas service is in the future, I am not sure, but one thing I am sure of is that I am seeking Him and His will and know that if I stay in Him, He will lead. So, please be praying for me as I continue to seek His will!

In regards to the change of pace/direction/ everything :) God has lead one of my friendships to blossom into a relationship. My good friend Alex Schubert and I are now pursuing a God-honoring relationship. Over the last 2 years, I have gotten to know Alex as a friend and have seen Him grow in his relationship with God. He stayed in contact with me while I was in Mali, as well as during my time in France. Although there has always been a distance between us, he has always been encouraging and has challenged my walk with the Lord. He is currently fulfilling an internship at Camp Forest Springs in Wisconsin, and will be there until May, so our relationship continues at a distance. Just as the Lord has enabled our friendship to grow despite the distance that has always existed between us, we trust that with the new direction our relationship has taken, He will faithfully continue to work in our lives growing us closer together and closer to Him. Although I do not know what the future holds, I know that as long as we both keep pursuing His will, He will guide us in the right direction. I would like to ask that you pray for Alex and me, as we have entered into a relationship that we hope will honor the Lord in all that we do. We both have hearts that desire to serve the Lord, and pray that He will allow our relationship to positively impact the lives of others! :)

Well, that is the long, yet brief update of my life :) haha..I hope to be able to spend more time keeping up with my blog, as I anticipate many changes ahead! Thanks for all of your support and for keeping up with me! May God bless you and continue to show Himself to you in ways you have never seen!

Quick Update

2008-12-30T12:45:00.000-06:00

Hey Everyone! I am home and back in the States...I've been home for about a week now, but have been busy running around. Today, I am in the process of moving into an apartment down in Council Bluffs, IA..about 10-15 minutes from my university. So, needless to say I dont have much time, but wanted to let everyone know I made it back safely, I am in one piece for now : ) I will give a more detailed update as soon as I can, until then may you all have a Happy New Year and may you continue to remember the true reason for the season- Jesus! : )

The key to my heart <3

2008-12-07T04:29:00.008-06:00

Janna, Micah, and new baby girl, Aila

Novemeber was a crazy month for me. Not only was I furiously working on my online classes for the States, trying to find an apartment for my return, planning a Thanksgiving meal for 50+ ppl, but I was also trying to study French : ) Oh boy, those of you who know me well, know that I tend to take on too many things at one time, and have a hard time saying no- well, it seems that I can still not say NO even when in a different country : ) Despite that, all is and went well!

I have one of two of my online classes all done - praise the Lord! : ) I will be finishing up the other class this week.

As far as the apartment, I believe that I have found one- I also found a roommate- she was one of my teammates from Africa :) so that will be wonderful- I'll know for sure about the apt. after the 15th of December- if it all works out, we will move in January 1-2 :) I am super excited, because this will be my first apartment and it just sounds perfect! We will see! : )

The Thanksgiving meal went AMAZINGLY well :) I will post some pictures on here from our American Thankgsiving in France : ) I love organizing things, so I sent out invitations to all the families here at the school and all the staff, and then ordered turkeys, assigned food dishes, decorated, etc...and everything turned out wonderfully! Thanksgiving came and went quite quickly. There were about 55-60 people, we all stood in a big circle and shared one thing we were thankful for, before we ate. It was truly a special day! It was also special, because the Americans were able to share our holiday with families from Holland, England, Korea, and France. I believe a wonderful time was had by all, it is always a good time when the body of Christ comes together and fellowships : )

The last Saturday in November, I went with the church here in Albertville, up into the mountains. Every year they distribute calendars that have verses on them- they go to door to the houses up in the mountains handing out these calendars. Some people wait all year to receive the calendars! : ) It was an amazing experience. The group I was with got invited into many homes, where we drank coffee, cider, and wine(a traditional French practice) We also ate cookies, etc. It is an amazing one day outreach, most people were quite thankful and very welcoming. We were able to share God's love with them! After we came back down from the mountains, the group I was with went over to my teacher's house *French teacher*( Her husband was in the group I was with) We went over to their house and had cheese and cider(also a French tradition) It was wonderful! : ) The French cheese is starting to grow on me! After that I went back to my home, took a quick nap, and then someone picked me up to go to another family's house for supper. I ate supper with an older couple from the church, we had a special soup, crepes, and special cookies. Wow- what a meal! : ) It was again, more wonderful fellowship time, as well as French practice! : ) Needless to say, I had no problems falling asleep that night!!

Just this last week, Sharon and I went to visit our friend, Janna. She had a baby back in October, and was expecting visitors this weekend- her parents were/are coming from Argentina for about a month. Janna is an MK. She actually came to the school where Sharon and I, met her husband during her time here, and married at the end of her studies. She and her husband, Laurent, now live in a city about 30 minutes from where I live. They are an amazing family, they have 2 little boys (2 and 4) and a new baby girl : ) Their story of how they met, fell in love, and decided to continue to pursue Christ together, is very encouraging. So, Ive taken advantage of the time I can spend with Janna, because she has been very encouraging during my time here. Anyway, all that to say- this last week, Sharon and I went and visited them. We stayed overnight and helped her do some cleaning and helped her prepare for her parents' arrival. She taught me how to make a traditional French dish, which if I can find the ingredients in the States, I will definitely try to make- you'd be more than welcome to try it, if I can make it- just let me know : )

Hmm... what else.... Yesterday I finally finished writing the papers for my Intro to Linguistics class, and after that I made 4 different kinds of cookies for the all the families here : ) That was my way of celebrating the finish of one class- and I will start to work on finishing the other class today : ( Last night was the official lightening ceremony of all the Christmas lights here in Albertville. They actually turn off all the lights in one place, and have a little ceremony and then all of the lights come on at once : ) It was beautiful. They also had fireworks- and believe it or not..Pere Noel (Santa Claus) came to France- I saw him : ) I'll post a little video clip of him coming! ; ) There were several hundreds of people who were there for the lighting festival and afterwards there was free chocolat chaud and vin chaud. Free hot chocolate and hot wine. : ) It was wonderful. After all the several of us girls came back to our house, and then I made a late supper for all of us. It was the French dish that Janna taught me to make- I believe everyone enjoyed it! : )

Well, I do believe that has you mostly up to date with all that has been going on with me : ) The countdown has truly begun- I leave the school 2 weeks from today, and fly out two weeks from tomorrow!! I cannot believe how quickly my time here has gone. So much more than just learning French has happened in my life. God has definitely been at work on my heart. I know that when I return home, many changes will lay ahead. I will be starting my 2nd to last semester of college, moving into a new apartment, finding a new job, etc. My future is unknown to me, but known to the Lord- so I must walk by faith and trust that He will lead me!

Psalm 37:4-7 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your ways to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this; He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. "

I will definitely be clinging to Him as I look into the future. I must let Him hold the key to my heart. As I continue to daily give Him my control, I continue to fall more and more in love with Him. He is the author of my faith, no matter how busy things get, or no matter how many things fill up my life and my heart, the True Owner of my heart is the Lord. He holds the key to my heart, and for that I am so thankful.

- The video clip of Pere Noel (Santa Claus)- He came to France! : )

My 100th Post : )

2008-12-06T01:15:00.004-06:00

Well, here is a sneak peek of what it looked like here last week! We had a good snow one night, I keep hoping I'll wake up and there will be more- we will see, weather is predicting more snow soon!! : ) (I am whispering in the film, because-Sharon, who lives next door, was still sleeping) : )

Quick tid bit

2008-12-02T05:56:00.001-06:00

OK...so I apologize on how long it has taken me to write...I have been extremely busy..infact, I am not even really writing a blog right now- I will try to make some time this weekend to sit down and write out all that has been going on. November was a busy month and I can hardly believe we are already into December! I am coming home in less than 3 weeks- Ca c'est tres bizare!! That is really crazy! Time has flown by! Anyway, please look for an update with pictures come Sunday or Monday! Thanks for your prayers! Please keep praying that I will be able to manage my time- I have A LOT to do and very little time! Merci beaucoup!!(Thank you very much)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-11-10T15:46:00.006-06:00

Do you see what I see? Do you hear what I hear? : ) Yes, Christmas time is near! So, I decided to decorate my room! I love Christmas, it is my favorite time of year. Also, this year, I know that I will not be 'home' to decorate and to spend the whole month of Decemeber celebrating, so I felt the need to start early and decorate my room just a little for Christmas. I have always loved lights, especially Christmas lights! : )

The choices we make reflect on who we are on the inside

2008-11-09T09:28:00.002-06:00

Do you ever have days when you wonder if people wonder why you are the way you are? I know that may sound like a funny question, but I have come to a realization that we are all who we are for particular reasons. We choose who we want to be. Everyday we have choices to make; we can choose to have a good day or choose to have a bad day. Granted, each day may be filled with difficulties and trials, yet when we choose to praise God for all things and to be joyful in all things, He DOES bless us for that. I would categorize myself as a generally happy person. Very rarely do things get me down, or I should say, very rarely do I let things get me down. Life seems to always throw hardships at people, but it is who we are on the inside that helps us overcome trials and then, actually grow from those trials. As most of you know, my father was killed in a car accident a little over 3 years ago. His absence is so very real to me now. Not that it wasn’t three years ago, but now, as I am living alone in another country, trying to serve my God, I have realized that I must look to God as my Father. He is the One who can guide me and give me daily strength. I think too often people get frustrated with life and trials that arise, and they forget that God told us in James 1:2-5, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” Having joy within a trial is not easy, yet it IS the most rewarding way to live. Sometimes, I forget the true reason I am here. I am here to ultimately serve my King and to help reach lost people for Him. I have the gift of eternal life, because of Him. How can I not be happy? How can I not rejoice in that? Too often I start to focus on the things that I have done or the things that I need to do, and forget that there is Someone greater than I, waiting to help me. God is always at my side, He never leaves me. Thank you Lord for being so good to me! I know that it is hard for some people to find joy in all situations and to find God in all things, but joy is there to be had, and He is there too. When people start to praise God for the bad things in their life, as well as for the good things, I believe more smiles will appear on their faces, more blessings will be given to them; life may not be easier, yet it will be lived with the help of a Friend, who is greater than all. I know that sometimes people get frustrated with me, because they don’t understand why I am always happy, or why I do the things I do, but I know why I am happy and I know why I do the things I do. Ultimately, it is not about pleasing others or living up to their expectations or to their likings, but it is about honoring God in all that we think, say, and do. I pray that each day, as I make a choice to be happy, to find joy in all things, that I will make the Lord proud. I pray that He will be able to smile at me, and tell me that He loves me and that He is proud of me! Lord, thank you for loving me, and for giving me a chance everyday to choose to serve You! Help me to choose You everyday, help me to live for only You! Thank you for letting me feel Your love today, thank you for being my Father!

My word is . . . . WAIT

2008-11-07T01:29:00.002-06:00

This morning, while reading my devotional book, I was challenged. It always seems that God puts the right thing in front of me at the right time. He then leaves it up to me to decide what I am supposed to do. : ) Well, this morning, He gave me His Word- and it said WAIT. I am going to put the devotional in here- there is 2 parts to it. It is from the K-LOVE "On the Right Note" devotional booklet.

James 1:21-25

"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. DO what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it- he will be blessed in what he does."

The engrafted Word

The word "engrafted" means "to attach to, and become part of." Picture a gardener grafting a branch into a tree and that branch coming to life and bearing fruit. Now picture yourself reading God's Word and a Scripture attaching itself to you, growing in you and producing change in your life. That's how God's Word works. And that's why you need to read it daily!

Sometimes you can tell the pastor what you received through his sermon and he won't know what you're talking about because he was emphasizing something different. He was just the mailman; he didn't know what was in the envelope. God sent a Word just for you. He said, "Here's what I want you to do," or "This is what I'm going to do for you in this situation." It's a Word that liberates you from fear, lifts you, directs you, and enables you to fight and win. Engrafted-Word-carrying believers are potent. That's because the engrafted Word sticks to you, takes you through the storm, feeds you in famine, quenches your thirst in drought, and brings you through the worst of times.

It doesn't have to be a sermon; Jesus just gave Peter one Word, "Come," and Peter started walking on water. It works like this: God gives you a Word, and the moment you step out on it your mind says, "It doesn't make sense, you don't have the talent, you don't have the finances, you don't have the education, etc." The amazing thing is, as long as you stand on the Word God gave you, you won't go under. That one Word, "Come," stuck to Peter's heart and propelled him through the storm. And the engrafted Word will do the same to you.

Part 2

The "engrafted Word" is self-sustaining. It doesn't require the accolades of men or the support of others to validate it. As Jesus was walking on the water towards His disciples in the boat Peter said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come" (Mt 14:28) Jesus gave him one Word, "Come," and Peter started walking. Was he scared? Wouldn't you be? But his desire was greater than his fear. That's all you need to get started, a desire for God that is greater than your doubts and limitations. The other disciples probably didn't believe Peter could do it. Indeed, those who feared for his safety didn't want him to try, and those who were competitive with him didn't want him to succeed. The truth is, the other disciples didn't understand who was calling to Peter; they thought Jesus was "a ghost!" (Mk. 6:49). There's a lesson here for you:

When God gives you a Word and you step out on it, DON'T expect everybody to validate it. It's normal for you to want certain people to see what you see and believe what you believe. But in this verse God prepares you for disagreements between you, and those who don't understand what God has told you. If you're not careful, people's opinions will short-circuit your faith and make you doubt what God has said. God says: "I'm not going to confirm what I've told you through them. In fact, I don't even need them to agree with what I've spoken concerning you." Relax. Be confident in God. You may want all these external support systems, but the truth is, you don't need them!

After I had read these words, it made me sit back and think about what the Lord has been telling me. I know that I must wait upon Him. I know that He has called me to "GO" and to serve, yet He has shown me that now is not the time, so I must wait upon Him. I also have to be ready for His timing, and be ready to accept whatever He has for me, because maybe He will use me in the United States, or perhaps He will again give me the Word to go back overseas, only time will tell! Please pray that I will hear His voice and follow! : )

Reflections from my heart

2008-11-01T05:01:00.002-05:00

These past couple of weeks have been quite challenging for me. Not challenging in terms of French, but challenging in terms of life. I feel as though God has been stripping me of my independence, so as to make me fully rely on Him. I always tell God that I want to be broken before Him, yet I tend to forget how much that process can really hurt. Yet, I am continuously reminded that God is faithful and He never leaves my side. In some recent conversations with the Lord, He has given me a new direction for my life. It may or may not change every aspect of my life, but I must be ready and willing to allow God to bring and create changes within me. For the time being, I believe that the Lord has lead me to put Africa on hold. Although, I loved my time in Mali, and desperately want to return, the Lord has given me a peace about it all. It is not what I would have chosen or really what I want to do, but because the Lord has led me in that way, I will follow His direction. Too many times have I gone in the wrong direction, going my own way, and have failed greatly. I believe it is time for me to step up to the plate and allow the Lord to be Lord of my life. I know that I am supposed to return home in December and then finish my college education, which may contain another 2 semesters, entailing that I would possibly graduate in December 2009. I need to focus on finishing school and paying off my loans, trusting all the while that the Lord will provide. As many of you know, I have worked at HyVee for the last 7 years. I love HyVee- more specifically I've always loved the people I work with. God has definitely blessed me with lots of opportunities to minister to my coworkers, but I am not sure what job I will have upon my return to the States. I am praying that God will open up a job opportunity that pertains to something intercultural, so I can put my major to use. I believe that my uncertainties in life right now are causing me to walk by faith. I am trusting that the Lord will provide, He always has. As weird as it is for me to say this, I feel at total peace with my uncertainties, which is not normal for me. I usually have to be in control, I always feel as though I need a plan, I need to know what is going on, but I believe that the Lord is changing my heart. As He is walking by my side, I know that He has everything under control, and that His ways are best. I pray that as I continue to strive to live each day for Him, I will continue to walk by His side and not jump ahead or get in the way of His plans. I've been comforted by His promise in

Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer your and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." God is always there, and He will direct my life in the way that it should go, when it should go that way.

A look into my room now. . .

2008-11-01T04:10:00.002-05:00

There are really only two pieces of furniture that can be moved in my room- and I moved them : ) I swithced the places of my desk and chair. It worked out perfectly, because I can now look at my French wall, because it is directly in front of my desk, as opposed to behind me. : )

. . . SnOw Up In ThE mOuNtAiNs . . .

2008-10-30T10:45:00.007-05:00

It has been really rainy here lately, and finally the sun came out today. We can now see the 2nd snow up in the mountains : ) It is so beautiful! Also, the little video clips are a look through my eyes and a quick guide on how to keep warm. . .fire and cocoa! ( You can even see the steam from the cocoa..mmm) :)

My room before I rearranged it : )

2008-10-27T07:16:00.002-05:00

. .A weekend in LoNdOn . .

2008-10-22T04:37:00.006-05:00

Me & Ben- He needed a little 'pick-me-up' : )
Westminister Abbey
The London Eye
Stephany & I outside Buckingham Palace
Changing of The Guard..it only happens once a day..we made it just in time to see it

They are starting to decorate for Christmas!
Amy and I waiting in line to get tickets to the Broadway Musical "Wicked" . It was about the Wizard of Oz. I loved it! : )

These were porta-potty type things all over the city for men...kind of weird..definitely not something I've ever seen in the States!

The song in my heart . .

2008-10-16T13:33:00.003-05:00

*Random fact- I am heading to London tomorrow, for the weekend- please pray for safety!*

Well, it seems that God has given me a little tid-bit of information as to what I am supposed to do. Although, I do not know what the future holds, I know that I am to trust Him in all things. I will post more of the feelings from my heart as to how He is leading me in a couple of days, but for now- I am going to post the song lyrics "Knowing You" I found that this song was on my heart today- the verses just kept repeating themselves in my mind over and over again- that I am to count all as loss- but to know Christ as gain . . .

All I once held dear, built my life upon

All this world reveres, and wars to own

All I once thought gain I have counted loss

Spent and worthless now, compared to this

Knowing you, Jesus

Knowing you, there is no greater thing

You're my all, you're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love you, Lord

Now my heart's desire is to know you more

To be found in you and known as yours

To possess by faith what I could not earn

All-surpassing gift of righteousness

Oh, to know the power of your risen life

And to know You in Your sufferings

To become like you in your death, my Lord

So with you to live and never die

La Nuit Des Femmes

2008-10-13T05:58:00.006-05:00

Ladies Night!!
My friend(another single gal living on my hall) Amy, and I planned a night just for the ladies at the Centre! There were about 15 of us ladies there. Some of our professors came. It was a night planned for food, fellowship, and fun : ) We had a great turn out- we started around 8:15pm on Friday night, and finished our movie at 12:45am : )It went longer than expected, but you know how ladies are..we love chatting!! Here are some pictures from the night : )

My almost to the top. . . hike! : ) (This was probably the first real mountainside hike I've ever been on & it was in the French Alps..how cool)

2008-10-08T23:58:00.006-05:00

Oh man! What a day yesterday was : ) I got up and led the ladies first prayer group time, which went well! As soon as we had finished with that, I had to run up stairs and change and leave immediatly for the hike. We had to drive about 45-60 minutes to reach the starting point. By the time we got to the starting point, which was up above the tree line in the mountains, I was nauseaous. The road up to the top climbs back and forth and back and forth- so it is a lot of gas and break and gas and break! I thought if I ate something before I began hiking it would help the feeling go away, but as I continued to hike, it only got worse. Also, they say that with altitude change, that can make you nauseauous as well. We changed altitudes of about 8000ft. Needless to say, I did not make it up to the top. It was a three hour hike to the top. My friend, Julie, stayed with me, and we hiked up about an hr. or so, and then just sat there up on some rocks on the mountainside for a long time. We slowly made our way down back towards the car, taking our time and enjoying some fellowship. After I had sat for over an hr., it seemed that I felt much better. There was some snow up on the mountain, Julie even threw a snowball at me : ) After the rest got back, and we were just waiting for a few others to return, a couple of us decided to help make the load down the mountain easier on the van. We walked 7km to the bottom of the road, where it begins it ascent up to the top of the mountain! It was a great day! The mountains, as you will see in a moment, were majestic and breath-taking (literally : ) )

Nine of us crammed into a small minivan that holds 6. It was a great ride up and back : )

The busyness of life. . . what to do with it?

2008-10-06T12:06:00.003-05:00

So, Life is busy. It always presents things that tend to be unexpected! Right now, I am sitting here trying to figure out what to write about and in what order, while I am listening to Christmas music and drinking .5L of coffee! That's right, I am already listening to Christmas music! I love Christmas. . .and maybe it is because we've already had the first snow up in the mountains here. . . snow puts me in the mood for Christmas, or so it seems! Anyway, I decided I am going to divide what I'm writing about into three categories!

1) School Activities

Things here at my school have been keeping me extremely busy. While trying to stay on top of my french studies, I am also taking one online class from Grace University in Omaha, NE. My days are filled with lots of studying. I am enjoying my class, I am beginning to feel more comfortable speaking French. . I still speak quite slowly, but can express myself and my thoughts quite well, with time. Despite all the time spent studying, I do find time to fit some other exciting things in. . . such as the hike I am going to take on Wednesday morning! We are going to hike up the Alps, it is supposedly a 4 hours hike. . which probably means it will take me 6 : )Time will tell. Also, as most of you know, I love planning things! The other students here at the Centre(that is what we call the school) appreciate me planning things and love to participate. There is also another girl who likes to decorate and plan as well, and so together, we've created some different activities! We had a parents night, where all the single girls babysat, so that all the parents could go out for a couple of hours. That is a great sucess and a ton of fun! We had 17 children in all! : )This Friday night, we are having a Ladies Night. It is going to be a night of fun, food, and fellowship. . .cheesy line, I know. But : )I am really looking forward to it, because generally the married ladies with children are not able to get away and spend time with us singles, or even with each other, because they are busy tending to their families, so the goal of this particular night is to create an atmoshpere, where we can all fellowship together! We are also going to watch some girly movie, who doesnt like to do that? : )I am going to bake lots of goodies for this night. I've found that I LOVE baking!! It seems that everything I make disappears by the next day, if I leave it out for the other girls to eat :) (Random fact: Last night, for really the 1st time...but maybe it was the 2nd time.. I made homemade lasanga! It was soo good. .and there were NO leftovers! We had our Sunday night meal together, yummy! It was good) Anyway, needless to say I put some of my time into planning activities for those here at the Centre. We are working on trying to plan something special for Thanksgiving- time will tell!

2. My Language Partner, Audrey!

The school recommends that each student get a language partner. I've finally found one. . . actually she kind of found me : ) A couple of weeks ago when I was helping at a youth group event, she was there. Her and her husband, both help with the youth group! She is close to my age, and her name is Audrey! We got to talking, and I found out that she spoke English, but she said that she needed to practice. . .(Insert sound of a door opening) : )So, I asked if she'd be interested in meeting to practice English and French, she agreed! We are meeting twice a week. One hour + we spend in French and then on a different day, we spend 1 + in English! I am really excited about this, and pray that God will bless us with a good, longlasting friendship!

3.Praying about the future. . .

I've been thinking about a lot of things lately. It seems that my mind gets preoccupied with a lot of things sometimes. Potentially, I am coming home at the end of December, and will be taking classes at Grace in the spring, but finances are somewhat of an issue, so I am praying about what God wants me to do. Possibilities are always endless of different opportunities or of different options, so I am just praying that God will give me a clear sense of direction. I would like to ask that you pray for this too! I want to feel His hand in my life, I want to be sure I am doing what it is that He wants me to do! So, please pray that He will guide in the direction I should be going!

Well, I suppose that is all for now. . . I will try to post more often than I have been, sorry about that time between the last messages! I hope that life for you is going well and that you are able to feel and sense God in ALL things! :) No matter the size of the role that you have planned in my life, I'm so thankful for you! Yes, YOU! Without the support of my family and friends, life would not be the same! Thank you for keeping up with me and for keeping me in your prayers! Hope you have a blessed week!

The 1st Snow...

2008-10-04T16:22:00.002-05:00

So, this is still not the promised update...but I had to post pictures of the first snow!! It started to snow up on the mountain tops yesterday. As it rains in the city of Albertville, the snow falls on the tops of the mountains...here are some majestic pictures : )

Post to come!!

2008-10-01T16:15:00.002-05:00

Bonjour Mes Amis!! I am still alive and doing very well. I have been staying extremely busy, which is why I have not written in over a week, but I promise a nice sized post is soon to come : ) Just know for now that I am doing well : )

The joy of fellowship. . .and other fun things

2008-09-22T05:50:00.003-05:00

These are the other 8 women that I live with. On Sunday nights, we gather together for a meal. It is a time of fellowship and fun : ) We had sloppy joes and FRENCH french fries : ) Sharon and I prepared the meal for everyone! One of the other girls made cheesecake...mmm it was good! : )

The Choices we make do have effects. . .Who are you going to serve?

2008-09-17T11:55:00.009-05:00

This morning, as I was reading my Bible, I came across a little devotional in a KLOVE book. I am going to post the devotional here and then reply with my thoughts following the post.

CHOICES

Joshua 24:15, "Choose for yourselves."

"Our lives are like icebergs. Only 15% is visible; that's reputation. The rest, our chracter, is below the surface, hidden. Chracter is what we think but never share. It's what we do when no one's watching. It's how we react to everyday aggravations. It's how we handle failure- and success. The thing that has muade us what we are is our choices. At the end of a successful career, Joshua challenges the people of Israel: "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." So the choice is yours!

French writer Francois de la Rochefoucauld asserted, "Almost all our faults are more pardonable than the methods we think up to hide them." Ever notice that people with the weakest character tend to place blame on their circumstances? They talk alot about poor upbringing, financial difficulties, the unkindness of others, or other circumstances that have made them victims. Your circumstances may be beyond your control, but your charcater is not. You can no more blame your character on your circumstances,than you can blame the mirror for your looks. Developing character is always your choice. Every time you make a character-based decision, you take another step forward in your spiritual growth. "

My thoughts:

I believe that everyday when we wake up we have the choice to do the right thing or to do the wrong thing. We have the choice to have a good day or a bad day. Yes, things that are unfortunate may come about during the day, things that we did not plan, but it is our response to those things that define our character. It is our response to unfortunate circumstances that gives a glimpse into our cores. I liked this devotional, because it really challenged me. I know that even though it isn't always easy to serve the Lord, that is the choice I am going to make. Despite whatever my circumstances are, I hope to always choose the Lord and His ways above all else. I pray that as I choose to live for the Lord daily, that those around me will be able to see a difference within me. I hope to examplify a Christ-like character. Every choice we make does have an effect, it has a result. So, my question or challenge for you and for myself today is : What choices are we going to make today? Are they going to be choices that build our characters up or tear them down? Today, as you decided who you are going to live for and decide what choices to make, I pray that you seek to build your character up in Christ!

A Day in Albertville

2008-09-17T11:55:00.004-05:00

Although, you can't see it very well in this picture, I was sporting my Huskers shirt here- Go Big Red! : )

Here I am holding a cup of some much needed coffee!

Left: Sharon making Malian tea with some friends from the school.

Living Free in Christ

2008-09-10T02:59:00.002-05:00

Today, I am sitting here thinking about the past few days. They have all been full of so many encouraging things, I definitely need to share them. Last week, I took a placement test and was placed in the French intermediate class. They have 4 classes here. There are 2 beginner classes, 1 intermediate, and 1 advanced. Last Friday was our first real day of classes. My teacher probably spoke about 10 words of English the entire day, the rest was in French! By the end of the day, my head hurt. I felt as though I had probably understood maybe 50-60% of what she said that day. I was thinking that learning french was going to be an intense task! On Saturday, Sharon and I decided to ride our bikes about 2 miles to McDonalds. When we arrived there, it was sprinkling. As we were preparing to leave it was raining a little bit harder, so we decided to check out the surrounding stories( there was a shoe store-Sharon's favorite- : ) and a large grocery store/mallish place) So, waiting for the rain to go away, we walked around inside- we kept waiting and waiting..and it only began to rain harder!! So, we ended up riding our bikes home in the pouring rain- I wish that we had taken a picture when we got back, because everything was SOAKING wet!! Oh well..It was fun, I guess : ) On Sunday, we went to a french church here for the first time. It was different, but not in a negative way. Afterwards, we ended up going back to McDonalds with about 10 people from the school! Class continued on Monday and Tuesday- I was quite excited, because I felt that on Monday I understood about 90% of what the teacher was saying, which was really encouraging!! It was the same on Tuesday as well. God is definitely enabling me to pick up a lot of things in a short amount of time. I am excited to see where I will be by the time December rolls around!

These last couple of nights have been some of my favorite nights thus far here. I've ended up in our community kitchen with some of the other girls here, and we've had several late night talks about life. Sharing experiences, sharing God's calling on our lives, sharing in each other's pains/troubles- it has been an amazingly, encouraging time for me! God is definitely using the other girls here to challenge me and to teach me new things! I am just so thankful that I serve the God of the Universe...He definitely has been surrounding me with His love! He is good!

Well, today is Wednesday. I do not have classes on Wednesday. Therefore, today is my catch up day. I need to work on homework for an online class back home, do some reading, study my french, and do french homework, etc etc : ) I think I am going to like Wednesday- it is a midweek break : ) Funny thing - lots of the businesses are closed in town on Wednesday- everyone takes a break...all the schools in France do not have classes on Wednesday- it is a law. Just a little bit of info for you: ) Wouldnt it be nice in the States to have a law declaring Wednesday a family/break day?? Oh, the things it would do for our country : ) Anyway, thanks for everyone keeping up with me and for your prayers..definitely seeing God at work in me and those around me!! You could be praying for this: This week I am supposed to have a meeting with the headmaster at the highschool, because Sharon and I are hoping to help in the English there- or do some sort of after-school ministry there. We would love to be able to build relationships with highschool students in hopes of leading them to the Lord!! It seems that much of the youth in Europe do not seek God- hardly any go to church or get involved in church groups..so we are praying that God will use us and the short time we are here, to make a little ripple in the water!! Please pray for this! Thanks! Merci beaucoup!(Thank you very much)

Just in case you don't know my family....

2008-09-06T14:46:00.005-05:00

My nephew, Jordon, and IMy niece, Madison, and I

My sister-in-law, Anita, and I
My mommy!
Me and Mom
My lil' bro, Joel, and I
My sister, Christy, and I

My nephew, Ty, and I
My niece, Taylor, and I
My niece, Morgan, and I
My older brother, Jeremy, and I

The current status of my heart. . .

2008-09-02T06:11:00.003-05:00

So, I am now sitting in ma chambre( my room) in Albertville, France. I am going to be studying at a missionary language school for atleast the next four months. Life as I know it is about to change, because I soon approach a day when I will no longer be allowed to speak English : ) I am here in France with one of my closest friends, Sharon Lane. Sharon spent 2 out of the 6 months in Africa with me. It seems that God has brought us together, because our passions are heading in the same direction. We both feel the need to learn the french language, so that we can return to Mali, West Africa and more effectively minister to the people of Africa. I arrived at my school this last Saturday night. The next morning when I woke up, I walked outside on the veranda, and the view was breathtaking! I posted some pictures already of the view, it is so beautiful here! It seems that God is definitely at work here. There are two other girls that are studying here that are also going to Mali. Four out of 9 single girls studying at this school are heading to Mali-what a small world we live in : ) Both of these girls are heading to Koutiala, which during my time in Mali, I was able to visit Koutiala and the hospital in which both of these girls will be working! My heart is so happy, because I have a passion for Mali to be reached for Christ, and well obviously others do too! God is definitely good! Everyone keeps asking what my plans are after I leave the language school- and how long I will stay in Mali- it seems as though my opportunities are endless...should I stay at this language for a year(which is the normal term)? Should I return to Mali next summer and stay for 3 months, 6 months, or 12months +? I am not really sure what I am supposed to do..but I do know that as long as I continue to trust in the Lord, He will lead me in the right direction. There are so many choices and lots of opportunities to serve, I am curious to see where I will end up! I wonder if I will serve in Africa my whole life or only for a short time? I wonder if I will serve as a single woman or if I will marry? I wonder if I will be fluent in a tribal language, or end up in a country where English is spoken? I wonder. . . Despite all of my questions, I know that for now, I am where I am supposed to be. God has lead me here, and I am anxious to see what else He has in store for me. . . time will tell!

"God does notice us and He watches over us. But it is usually through another person that He meets our needs." ~Spencer W. Kimball

MY NEW ADDRESS WHILE IN FRANCE:

HANNAH HAMPTON

C/O AFEB

50 RUE DES GALIBOUDS

73200 ALBERTVILLE, FRANCE

P.S. I love mail ;)

A little peek at the Effiel Tower

2008-09-01T14:18:00.002-05:00

A look through my eyes...

2008-08-31T12:23:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning and stepped outside on our little veranda/terrace and this is the view that I saw.... It was completely beautiful...God's creation is so majestic! I think I will be excited about getting up every morning, if this is the view I am going to have : )

GO BIG RED! : )

2008-08-30T17:48:00.003-05:00

Here are some of the promised pictures...I just arrived at my school this evening and now have a stable internet access, so I will be able to keep this blog up to date! I know that as I am typing this blog, the Huskers have just begun their 1st game of the season..GO BIG RED!! : ) It is 1am here...I should be in bed, but just finished unpacking and felt the need to update a little! I will soon post my address on here, so that anyone wishing to send me mail ( hint, hint) : ) can know where to send it! Things here are going really well thus far, and I believe they will continue to go that way...I will plan on writing more in the next couple of days, until then...A Bientot! : ) Au revoir!

The famous portrait of "Mona Lisa"
The Arc de Triomphe!
A fancy car inside of a car shop...not actually sure anyone drives a car like this.

The Effiel Tower all lite up at night!
My friend Emily and I...She came over to France with me for one week, as did my mother! : ) It was wonderful having them both there with me!

We had quite the group show up to see us off! Thanks to everyone who came...your support is greatly appreciated! : )
This is Emily, Sharon, I all outside of the Louvre!
Here is my mother and I trying to pose like the statue behind us : )
THis is the french replica of the YMCA! : ) Can you see it?
Well..that is just me. : )

LIfe before the French Language!

2008-08-22T18:06:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures from the last couple of days spent in Paris, France!! : ) I'll be posting an update soon of everything going on in my life! : ) Keep posted!

Blessings!

2008-02-04T15:03:00.001-06:00

This is my first post of the year...kind of sad, considering it is now February! Oh well, I actually just wanted to let everyone know that God is doing a lot of work in my life right now! He is really shaping and molding me! I will be writing more soon, I just wanted to let you know that He is blessing my life beyond belief! Thank you for praying, and please continue to pray!

Run from temptations...The discerning heart seeks knowledge.

2007-12-14T10:31:00.000-06:00

So, I thought I would share with you two amazing devotionals I just found. They are from the "On the Right Note" devotion book from K-Love.

Run from temptations. 2 Timothy 2:22

What do you need to avoid?

According to Greek mythology sirens living along the Mediterranean coast made such compelling music that passing sailors were mesmerized and jumped overboard to their death. So the hero Odysseus ordered himself to be tied to the mast and the crew's ears filled with wax to block the music; that way they sailed past in safety. A wise sailor knows when the storm is more than his boat can handle. An ocean liner can withstand winds that will sink a small boat. Look at Joseph. When Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him he didn't (1) try to counsel or convert her; (2) think, 'I'm young, lonely, far from home, and her husband's out of town' maybe just this once'; (3) hand around to see how strong he was. No, he fled the scene saying, "How...could I do such a wicked thing...against God?" (Ge 39:9)

It's good to stretch yourself. It's how you mature. But be aware of your danger zones and don't knowingly put yourself in harm's way. Paul said, "If you think you are strong...be careful not to fall" (1 Cor. 10:12) He told Timothy, "Run from temptations that capture young people...do the right thing." And James said, "Don't let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, 'God is trying to trip me up.' God ...puts evil in no one's way. The temptation...comes from us and only us' (James 1:13-15 TM). The bottom line is this: when you're weak in certain areas you need to steerclear of anything that feeds into them. The Psalmist said, "You are my safe refuge...where my enemies cannot reach me" (Ps 61:3) So, what do you need to avoid?

**The discerning heart seeks knowledge. Proverbs 15:14

Stay teachable

If you're talented, you may have difficulties when it comes to staying teachable. Gifted people sometimes act like they know it all. That makes it hard for them to keep developing. Teachability is not so much about competence and mental capacity as it is about attitude; it's the hunger to discover and grow. It's the willingness to learn, unlearn, and relearn. John Wooden said, "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." When you stop learning, you stop leading. Only as you remain teachable will you keep growing and continue to make an impact.

Besides being an astonishing painted and sculptor, Leonardo da Vinci was a genius in more fields than any scientist of any age. His notebooks were hundreds of years ahead of their time. He anticipated submarines, helicopters and other modern inventions. In one notebook he wrote, "Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses it purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind." He was driven by his desire to know more. He was learning and writing discoveries in his notebooks until the very end of his life. And the good news is, you don't have to mind or talent of a Leonardo da Vinci to be teachable. You just have to have the right attitude.

The most important skills to acquire is- learning how to learn. Try this for the next week; ask others for their advice and deliberately withhold the advice you'd normally give. At each day's end write down what you've learned by being attentive to others. You'll be amazed.

***I read these two devotionals, and was quite challenged. I want to be able to stay teachable, because I know that God has many lessons for me to learn, but I have to stay open, and have the right attitude to continue to learn. I hope that these challenge you to have the right attitude.

Some trials..."Transition Semester"

2007-12-11T11:43:00.000-06:00

So, lately it seems as though God is trying to teach me a lot. I knew that this was going to happen after I returned home. He taught me a lot while I was gone, and then told me that He has many things for me to learn now that I am back "home" in America. So, I am in the process of trying to decide what I am supposed to do with my major. I am currently an elementary education major, but part of me is thinking that I would like to switch to Intercultural studies. It would enable me to study more about culture, which I love. So, I am calling this next semester my "transition semester". All of my classes, can go toward either major, so I have some time to pray about things and listen to figure out what I am supposed to do. Also, while I was in Africa God was really working on my heart, showing me things, teaching me His ways, in ways that I hadn't ever experienced. So, now that I am back at home, I am not sure what I am supposed to do with some of those feelings, and lessons. I am praying that He will show me what I am supposed to do, what He would have me do. I want to do all things that will bring glory to His Name!

*Another trial is that we just found out that my grandpa has lung cancer( This is my mom's father) and that my aunt my have thyroid cancer. This is been extremely hard on my mother, because as most of you know, my father was killed in a car accident about 2 1/2 years ago, and then three months after that my grandmother died of cancer(my mom's mother). So, now her father and one of her sister's have cancer. My grandpa is really not doing well, so I believe that my family will be travelling down to Kentucky after Christmas to be with him and other family. God is good, and He does have a reason and a timing for ALL that He does, I just pray that understanding comes to all in my family. Please be praying for my mother, as she tries to find her strength in the Lord, and for the rest of my family as they do the same.

*Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."

You can't escape this trial!

2007-12-11T11:05:00.000-06:00

Consider it all joy...when you encounter various trials. James 1:2

The Bible doesn't tell us to rejoice when we mess up and get into trouble. God can certainly use our mistakes to teach us, but that's not what James has in mind. Some of our trials just come from "living." Things aren't going right. Usually it's not one big thing but a lot of little things. We enounter physical, financial, relational or emotional trials that knock us for a loop. Peter calls this "the trial of your faith" (1Peter 1:7) What's on trial? Your faith! Whatever the size or length of our trial, there's nowhere we can go to escape the trial of our faith. Trying to avoid it is like changing schools in hopes of avoiding a test you don't want to take. But the next school will probably have tests too, probably harder than the ones in the school you just left, and now you're that much further behind in your studies and preparation. You can't outrun God-ordained trials. He knows where to find you!

The good news is, there's no such thing as a purposeless trial! Each trial is designed to launch us to a new spiritual level. The interesting thing about our trials is, they're custom made; they have our name on them. Paul discovered 2 things about his trials: (a) The reason for the trial. "To keep me from becoming conceited" (2 Cor 12:7) (b) The result of the trial. "That Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Cor 12:9) Like a tailor measuring you for a suit that will fit perfectly, the Holy Spirit customizes the trials we encounter to meet our spiritual need, to mold us, and to make us more like Jesus!

Home...for now.

2007-11-19T13:36:00.000-06:00

Well...I am home. Home in Nebraska that is: ) I arrived back in Omaha, NE on Saturday, November 17th. My family and many friends were there to greet the team and I as we walked off the plane! It feels good to be at home, although I am already missing Africa. I know that God has many things to teach me here at home...lessons that I couldnt learn over there, so I just need to be patient and He will continue to prepare me for the future. I really do feel like God is calling me to serve in Mali, atleast for a time...and I know that many changes lie ahead. I am in the process of trying to decide what I am going to do next semester, and have many choices to make, so please continue to be praying for me. Thank you so much for praying these last 6 months, all the prayers have been appreciated and felt. I will write about my trip home and the short time in Paris soon. I am heading back to Omaha today, because my team is doing a presentation of Mali to the students and staff of Grace University tomorrow.

My Last Weekend in Bougouni

2007-11-05T17:14:00.000-06:00

Me and the Kids
Youssef & Papa & I
Ramata and I : )
Abel, The Kids, and I....at our favorite spot : )

Goodbyes Galore!

2007-11-01T17:42:00.000-05:00

This weekend is going to be my last weekend to visit Bougouni. I leave tomorrow morning, and will stay through Monday. My friend, Ramata, is going with me for one night, so she can come and meet my second family : ) So, please be praying for me, as I have to say some more goodbyes....I will report on Monday! Thank you! : )

Caleb's Cliff Jumpin' Experience

2007-10-27T16:49:00.000-05:00

Fun in the Sun...in Oct, almost NOVEMBER!

2007-10-27T16:31:00.000-05:00

Today, the team woke up early and headed off on an adventure. We travelled about an hour past Siby, on roads that only allowed one vehicle at a time, and that required a 4-wheel drive..talk about rough roads...you haven't been on one, until you hit these roads : ) Anyway, we arrived, and spent a couple of hours at the waterfalls, swimming, and such, and then headed off the the "Natural Bridge" and hiked up the mountain, and saw some breathe-taking views from the top. God's creation is truly amazing!

White Girl Robbed

2007-10-20T12:21:00.000-05:00

Oh boy! Well folks, the countdown is on. I think it is to about 27 days until we are back in the United States. I really dont feel like I am ready to be back in the States, but I do know that God still has some work to do on me in the States, so I must come home. Although, I do believe that the Lord Willing, I will return to Mali someday to serve! I really do love the people, and have a second family here. So these last 2 weeks have been really busy! Last Saturday, Sarah and I got up early and headed to the bus station, to catch a bus to Bougouni for 2 days, but ended up riding with some people who were going half way, and met Joseph Camara, and went the rest of the way with him. We arrived in Bougouni Saturday night, and I watched Spider Man 2 with the family ;) and then on Sunday in the afternoon, several of the ladies got together and had a craft time with lots of the supplies that my mom sent( THANKS MOM!) and I worked with the children, while Sarah was with the women, and after I finished with the kids, I joined the women. I had about 25 kids under the age of 10, all to myself...quite interesting, but fun : ) On Monday, Sarah and I headed out to Koutiala, which takes 2 bus rides to get there, a total of about 6-7 hours. We arrived, and visited Scott and Tessa Angelo, fellow team members in Koutiala. On Tuesday, we got to go to the CMA hospital, and I got to weigh babies, and Sarah measured them. It was a very enjoyable day. Then, on Wednesday, I got up around 5:30am, and we arrived at the bus station to head back to Bamako around 6:15am. We got our tickets, and then waited for others to start to board the bus. Around 6:30am, people started to board, and as I was getting on, there was a man, who pushed his way inbetween Sarah and I, and was pushing me up into the bus. He acted like he wanted to sit next to me, but I gave him a disgusted look, and put my bags inthe seat, because that is where Sarah was going to sit. Well, he stepped into the seat behind me, and threw his coat over top of the chair. I pulled my bags out, and held them as Sarah sat down, and I saw him go off the bus...but I wasnt really thinking anything...but Sarah said I should check my purse, and I did...and to my surprise..he had stolen my wallet. Inside of my wallet, was a lot of my money, a photocopy of my passport, bank card, driver's license,and other cards. I ran off the bus, and went to the man who had helped me get the tickets, I knew him. I tried to speak to him in Bambara, saying that this man had stolen wallet, but he didnt understand, so I called Joseph Camara. He translated, and the search began. I knew that the guy had already run off, but wanted to report what had happened. So, they said that they were going to announce it on the radio, and phone the police. So, about an hour later, we left town. We were about 5 minutes outside of town, and the driver turned the bus around, and we went back through town, and stopped at the police station. By this time, all the Malians on the bus are talking about what had happened, and how this white girl lost a lot of money...news spreads quickly. At the police station, they made everyone get off the bus, and searched everyone, and patted them all down...I felt awful, because I knew that the guy had run off the bus. The police spoke to me in french, and got all of my information, and what exactly was stolen. So again, another hour went by. We left Koutiala 2 hours late that morning. We arrived in Sikasso, where we were supposed to catch another bus to Bougouni. It was a total God provision thing, because the bus was already leaving, but stopped and waited for us to arrive in Sikasso, thank you Lord. You are good! We hopped on and were off again. And the only reason we had any money to travel, was because the night before I took some money out of my wallet and put it in my coin purse, otherwise, we wouldn't have had any money. Again, another way the Lord provided! So, I had been up for about 7 hours, had only slept for about 5 hours that night, and we had been on a bus for approx. 4 hours, when the bus broke down in the middle of a town. Sarah and I had no idea where we were, and we just started laughing, to keep ourselves from crying : ) We all had to get off the bus, and there was a shop owner that gave us a bench to sit on, which was very nice. About an hour later, they had fixed the bus and we were off again. Sarah and I just laughed, thinking about how wonderfully the day was going...we couldnt imagine what was going to happen next : ) We finally arrived in Bougouni around 3:15pm, and met Joseph, who brought a suitcase that I had left to us at the station. We were tempted to stay overnight in Bougouni, but decided to press on and get home. So, we were off again. We made it safely, with no more adventures, to Bamako, around 6pm that night. So, we had a full 12hr. day of travelling on Wednesday. To give you a little idea of what these buses are like...well, there we were sitting next to one another, sweat dripping off every inch of our bodies, allowing our arms to stick to each other. Honk! In a high pitch scream-like noise, the horn on the bus alerts the oncoming oxen that the bus is not going to stop for them, even if they are crossing the road, the bus swurves to miss the cattle, and almost tips over. Dust which had settled on the floor of the bus, was now floating in the air, so as I took a breath, I inhaled a breath of dust and dirt. Let me just tell you that by the time Sarah and I arrived in Bamako, we decided to see who could take the longest shower ;) Oh, the adventures of just one day in Mali. But, I love it! We arrived home, and thanked God for providing, and getting us all the way home. We prayed for the man who stole my wallet, that the money would be a blessing, and that they would atleast find my wallet. We serve such a BIG God! The next morning, the Koutiala Police called, and said that they had found my wallet, no money, but everything else! I was so thankful! God is so good! He know exactly what He is doing! : ) So, Sarah and I decided that we are going to take a little break from bus travel...atleast for a little while.

Thursday and Friday I had my Bambara class, and then worked at the Tea House. Here I am today, a day off, and I am trying to catch up on some emails, blogging, etc...I think that the team is going to order pizza tonight...yummy! I made sugar cookies this afternoon: ) and for the first time ever, I made cinnamon rolls from scratch yesterday, all by myself:) and they turned out pretty good: ) Mali is making me into a new woman ;) It is funny how I had to come to Mali to learn how to really cook, but it has helped me alot...although, I still am learning how to cook Malian style, which is a just a little different...I mean, the only difference is that the stove is outside ; )

Anyway, I hope that all who are reading this are doing well. I know that I asked for prayer for some family friends not to long ago, and Joel Wentworth received a transplant, and is doing much better, his body accepted the liver, and he is doing well...long road ahead, but God is still using him. Keith Bartos passed away about a week ago, so please be praying for that family. They do have the hope and assurance that Keith is in Heaven, because Keith had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but please just pray that God will give them strength everyday to keep relying on Him. I serve a BIG God, and I know that He is always there, and I am so thankful for that! I don't know what I would do without Him in my life! Thank you God for being in my life, and always being at my side!

2007-10-19T15:06:00.000-05:00

Here I am with Managali. She is Joseph, Abel, and Kadiatou's mother. The grandmother of the Camara family! Quite a special lady : )

Craft time with the children. I was working with about 25 kids, under the age of 10, all by myself...doing some crafts that I have never done: ) quite interesting...but fun: )

Go Huskers!

2007-10-06T17:26:00.000-05:00

Just a random picture of me. I am wearing a new outfit that I had made in Bougouni. This was taken right before I was heading to a wedding.
Scandelous, I know...here is a picture of my leg...if you look closely, you can see the white and then the red...I miss the Huskers so much, that I thought I would color my legs to show my support, even though I am in another country: ) Actually, today the team went swimming..I will post more pics later, and well, our legs(the girls) are always covered, but today at the pool, they werent...and so we all got burned...:) A little painful, but it was a nice, relaxing day at the poolside in October. : )

Some new pics

2007-10-05T16:39:00.000-05:00

This is Courtney and I, back in August, before Courtney returned home to the U.S.A
This is Abel, with Rebecca(She is Bourama and Maya's baby girl...They pronounce her name like this-Air-Ray-Bay-Kah. She is a cutie! : )

Here I am painting Tanti's and Kyria's fingernails and toenails.

Oh the fun we have : )

Here I am getting my hair done with Maya. My faithful fans sitting around me : )

"When God puts You on hold"

2007-10-05T03:26:00.001-05:00

Here is a copy of a devotion, from a K-Love book, that I read the other day, that describes my life at the moment : )

"A well-known Bible teacher tells of a pilot friend who received word from the control tower saying, "You're cleared for 5,000 feet." When he got there he had to hold for further instructions. Next came the words, "You're cleared for 10,000 feet." Gradually the controller took him level by level to 35,000 feet where he was cleared to fly to his destination. God spoke to this Bible teacher and said, "I wish you would trust me like that. Instead you want to go straight to 35,000 feet in one thrust!" Try to understand this: God sees the end from the beginning and He has already mapped out your journey. He knows that if you rise too quickly there are dangers. You may be in the cockpit, but God's in the control tower. And His Word to you today is: "Trust me and I'll get you safely to your destination." God's plan for your life can't be rushed. When you try to move to quickly you end up in a tug-of-war with Him. And you lose every time!

Before God could trust David to lead the nation He first had to see how he'd handle his father's flock. It was here David built a relationship with God and developed the qualities that would sustain him through the tough times ahead when he was king. God will let you practice in a place where your weaknesses can be worked on, your gifts developed, and where your mistakes won't affect too many others. That's because He cares for them too! If God has put you on hold today, it's because He loves you and wants only what's best for you."

**If you are in the same boat, just remember that God only wants what is best for us: ) We just have to trust Him! : )

Oh so busy!

2007-10-04T18:24:00.000-05:00

This is Tasha, Sarah, and I with our friend Ramata. She can speak English, I met her at a conference that we went to. We are at the Broadway Cafe. A fun, little American style restaurant. Papou, Kyria, and I playing with Papou's new helicopter! I just love these kids!

Family and Friends,

Oh boy, it has been forever since I have written! SO many things have been happening, and God has been changing, molding, and shaping my heart. He has been teaching me so many things, the main thing has been to trust Him, and to trust Him in ALL things! He is so good, and I am so thankful that God is in my life, trying to imagine what my life would look like without God in it, would be hard. He is just so good. Even when things seem unfair, or challenging, He is constantly reminding me that He is here with me, and wants the best for me! Mali has been amazing, God has shown me so many things while I have been here. I love the people, I love teaching English. Tasha and I taught English three times a week during September, and decided to continue on teaching throughout October. We are teaching on Mondays and Wednesdays. Then, on Tuesdays and Thursday, I have Bambara lessons, with a private tutor. She does not speak English well, so she is really helping me learn both French and Bambara at the same time : ) The team also opened an American Tea House this last week. It is a way for Malians to come and practice their English. They come and have a cup of coffee or tea, and sit around and have conversations in English, God seems to be opening many doors. Many people here in Mali are Muslims, despite that, they are usually quite open to hear about Jesus Christ, so please be praying for open doors, and that the team will have open hearts to minister to all those who come. I am no longer going to Bougouni every weekend. The team came to me, and said that they felt that it is unfair for me to be in both places, they either want me to put all of my heart into things here in Bamako, or all into things in Bougouni, but not split. I didnt really know what to think, I told them that I would have to pray about it. That night, God gave me a peace about everything. Even though, I would rather be in Bougouni, because of all of the relationships that I have built there, God gave me a peace in my heart that I would be back in Mali one day to minister to the people here, but that I wouldnt ever have the opportunity to minister to those on my team, that I have now. I will still go and visit for a day or two in a couple of weeks, but I will not be going every weekend. It hurts my heart to not be able to see the Camara family and the women from the church, but I am just praying that God will continue to bless them all, and attend to their needs, and strengthen their faith. I know that I can still continue on my ministry there, even if my prescence is not there, and I can do that through prayer! So, I have begun to pray for the women everyday, just that God will draw them all closer to Him. God is so good! I love the Lord! Even when things are hard, He says to consider it pure joy, because He is still with us, and He is going to help us develop perserverance, and will give us wisdom, if we ask it of Him. (James 1:2-5) Right now, I have several family friends going through some really hard times, some going through losing loved ones, and illnesses, and I am constantly reminded that God is faithful. Even when things seem unfair, and we do not understand why things are happening the way they are, God is still there, and He is in control. He wants ONLY the best for those of us who have a relationship with Him, He wants to hold us close, have us solely rely on Him. So, I pray that those of you reading this blog, if you are struggling with losing a loved one, sufferring from an illness, or maybe life is just plain rough now, I challenge to draw near to Christ, stand on His promises. He is always there! Always! If you have never experienced His joy, because maybe you have never decided to have a personal relationship with Christ, I pray that you will seek Him. He wants to be in a relationship with you. The Bible says that, "For God so loved the World, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall NOT perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16. The Bible also says, that God sent His Son to die for our sins, and that He was buried, and that on the third day, He rose again. Which means, that if you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins( because the Bible says that "For ALL have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God") So, if you believe that Jesus died for your sins, and then confess those sins to Him, and ask Him to be in control of your life, you give everything up to Him, He will come into your life and change everything! He will give you a peace and a joy that you cannot experience otherwise. He doesn't promise that all of life will be easy, just because you have Him in your life, but He promises that He will ALWAYS be with you! If you are reading this, and havent ever made a decision to have a personal relationship with Christ, please ask me about it, I would love to tell you more about how richly God has blessed my life, because of my relationship with Him. He is so good!

Well, tomorrow I will be getting up early to make cookies for the Camara family, because Joseph is coming to Bamako for a meeting, so I said that I would send some goodies home with him. After I bake, I will then be heading off to teach English, and then head to the Tea House in the afternoon....busy day:) I am looking forward to Saturday, I can sleep in, and maybe relax...; ) It is a nice thought anyway...we will see! Anyway, thank you for praying! I hope you enjoy seeing some new pictures below!

A little update

2007-09-18T09:09:00.000-05:00

Friends and Family,
Oh boy! So much has happened...it has been almost two weeks since I have blogged, and oh boy, have I been busy. I have been to Bougouni the last two weekends. It was wonderful to go back, I was welcomed with open arms, and lots of hugs:) I felt as though I had returned home! This weekend will be the first time I will be doing some women's ministry in Bougouni, and this week I started to teach an English class with Tasha. Yesterday was our first day, we had about 12 students, it went really well. It was actually a lot of fun! I am also going to get to have a personal tutor for Bambara, so that I can further my language skills. I am really excited about this. I pray that God will enable me to learn the language quickly, so that I can better communicate with the Malians. Today I am having two friends over, and teaching them how to cook some American food. They will be here soon, so I must hurry. God has been teaching me so many things. Especially that even if there seems to be NO way, He will make a way. "He will be my guide. Hold me closely by His side. With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way. I just have to trust Him. Some exciting things have been happening here, and once I can share them with you, I will. Until then, please be praying. Also, I received news today, that two of my family's close friends, are in the hospital. One is named Keith Bartos, and the other is Joel Wentworth, both of them need prayer, as well as their families. Please be praying that God will comfort them during this time, and give them strength. Thank you for your prayers!

Coming Soon!

2007-09-06T17:45:00.000-05:00

Just a quick little message...tomorrow I will be heading back to Bougouni, for a weekend visit. Then, hopefully from here on out, I will actually go to Bougouni every weekend to do some women's minsitry. This weekend will be a planning period, and just a fun time for me to be back with the kids:) I am so excited...a bus ride all alone..where I will have to use my Bambara ..oh boy! It ought to be excting...I am sure I will have stories to tell next week...until then, please be praying for me...for safety, good planning, and wisdom :) Thanks!

2007-09-03T09:15:00.000-05:00

Pictured with me is the pastor's wife, and notice the necklace that I am wearing. It is the one that she gave to me.
Here are the 3 Musketeers...getting ready to set out on their night bus adventure! : )

A whole week at once

2007-09-03T08:42:00.000-05:00

So where to begin? I am not sure, there is soo much to tell! I have fallen behind in my blogging...I have a whole week to fill you all in on. So much has happened. I suppose I will tell you everything in the order that it happened, which means I will start with last Tuesday. The team got up early, and headed to the bus station about 6:45am, but we ended up missing our 7am bus to Segou. So, we waited around and caught a different bus around 8am. We arrived in Segou around 12noon, and hopped on a little van like bus and headed to Sibla. While in Sibla, we visited a pastor and his family. They fed us lunch( a traditional Malian meal of rice and a sauce) then we visited with the mayor of the region. Before leaving, the Pastor's wife, came up and gave me her necklace, for no apparent reason. It was beautiful...there is a picture below. She did not give anyone else a gift, so I was honored. After we left their house, we hopped back on the small van-bus and headed back to Segou, where we were originally going to spend the night, but had some thoughts off taking a late night bus back to Bamako. Long story short---(Tessa and Karlee had stayed behind in Bamako, because they were not feeling well...so the boys wanted to return home to their wives) soo...Scott, Brent, and I decided to be adventurous and try to catch a night bus back to Bamako. *Something that I forgot to mention was that morning, it poured rain for several hours...and so some of the roads had been flooded. There were actually spots where you could not see the road. FLASH FLOOD! * So, we decided to wait around and finally caught a bus around 10:30pm...We arrived in Bamako around 2am, and got a taxi to our homes. The bus ride back was interesting, because it had also rained more in the afternoon, so parts of the road were completely covered with water. Some areas were knee deep with water! Anyway...that was an experience! It was a great experience though, because I was able to talk with Brent and Scott about where their hearts are with thoughts on ministry. It was a blessing! So, I ended up staying over at their place that night, and spent the next day hanging out with Scott and Tessa, and little Ellen. We played Monopoly and ate Vietnamese food. It was a great day of relaxation. Friday afternoon, we had our international choir concert. It was quite interesting, but fun:) Not sure how you would say it turned out. We sang 4 songs as a team( which was a stretch, considering Todd and Tessa are the only ones with musical abilities) and I shared my testimony, and then there were some other choirs that sang in french and bambara. Itwas fun, and afterwards, we had several people contact us about learning English, so we made several contacts...we will see what opportunities God gives us. After the concert was over, Tasha, Sarah, and I took a friend of our's( that we had met at the Tent Maker's conference) out to eat. We went to the Broadway Cafe ( yes, a little American-like restaurant.) That was a good time of fellowship and fun. Saturday afternoon, myself and the other girls moved back over to the Avant guesthouse, because we had been staying at the Baptist guesthouse, and needed to move. The boys just moved over to day! Anyway, on Saturday night, Sarah said she needed some real bread(like a loaf..and not french bread) so she sent me with some money to the Ecole Boulangerie Patesserie( School of Bakery and Pastry)..well, Tessa went with me. It started pouring rain as soon as we started walking to find a cab..which it took us forever to find an empty cab and when we did, he didnt really know where he was going, and neither did we. So, he drove around asking people if they could speak english...and then he ended up dropping us off on the street corner in the pouring rain, because he didnt know what to do with us! So, as we standing there in the pouring rain, finally we found another cab, and called someone who could speak french, and he told the driver where to go...and after about an hour, we made it....all for a loaf of bread!!! CRAZY! :) Oh what an adventure! Let me tell you, those grilled cheese sandwiches, were amazing after all that! So, Sunday morning, I woke up and went across town to Doudabougou church, which is where Ramata goes to church. The service is in french and bambara, so I could understand a little of the french( I did study french for two years in high school...but can only recall so much) After church, she took me to greet some of her family. They invited me to come back and spend a day with them, so maybe sometime this week I will go and spend time with them. I am not sure if they are believers, she is, but I am not sure about her family...so you can pray that I will be able to have an opportunity to share with them. Ramata speaks English rather well, which is really nice :) Last night, the team just hung out and watched a movie..and well, here I am today...Scott and Tessa and Ellen, just headed off for Koutiala, and Brent and Karlee left for Bougouni. So, the singles are left here in Bamako. This next week is supposed to be our week break..we will see what that entails...who knows what stories I will share next! Time will tell.... Please keep praying, all of your prayers are apprecited and felt! :)

Shining His Light in Mali, Hannah

The Little Princess : )

2007-09-01T05:49:00.000-05:00

Ellen and I at the Tent Makers Conference. We had a break, so Ellen and I snuck away to go down to the Niger River.

Tasha and Ellen. : ) Ellen is starting to grow on Tasha!

Tea Time

2007-08-27T11:17:00.000-05:00

I must "Go"

2007-08-27T03:12:00.001-05:00

Again, I have decided that my K-Love devotional book is just simply amazing. Here was the message for today.

"I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way...to show them what roads to take." Isaiah 42:16
"GO!"
Are you facing a situation that feels overwhelming and you're afraid to make a wrong move? Or maybe you're saying no to something in your life that you'd really like to say yes to. A well-known counselor says, "For years I heard about hiking. It sounded elusive, difficult...and mysterious. When a friend asked me to go hiking...I began thinking..what if I couldn't do it well enough? Or I didn't know how to do it all? 'Don't be ridiculous,' I scolded myself. 'You're making thos more complicated than it is...it's just walking, and you've bee doing that since you were a baby!' We left ...and I followed... as he started up a steep incline. 'Just walk,' I told myself...'Put one foot in front of another... like you've done all your life.' I didn't make it to the top of the mountain that day, but I made it halfway...Start where you are. Start poorly. Just start...if you already knew how to do it well, it wouldn't be a lesson...and you'd never have the thrill of victory, years from now looking back."

God has promised to "take the hand of those who don't know the way...to show them what roads to take." You say, "But what if I get into difficulty?" You probably will! But God says: "When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you" (Is 43:2). But you've got to be willing to 'go' in order for God to bring you 'through!' In other words- you have to be willing to get your feet wet. The thing to keep in mind is: "God...goes ahead of you" (Dt 1:30).

**It reminds me of the saying..When the going gets tough, the tough get going! No matter what trials I may be facing, or no matter what obstacles lay ahead, I must go..and remember that God is on my side. He is going to take my hand and lead me through. : ) What a great God I serve!

Church Kids in Bougouni

2007-08-25T14:56:00.000-05:00

Here is a video clip from one Sunday morning. The kids sang a song for the church. It was so cute!

The Dance :)

2007-08-25T14:13:00.000-05:00

So, this afternoon, Sarah and I went out into the streets of Bamako. When we hit a main road, we noticed lots of commotion and loud music coming from across the street...so, we crossed the road. As we approached, to our surprise, there were lots of litte kids dancing. After the kids, then there were lots of women and men dancing. We just stood on the outside and observed, but the annoucer all of a sudden, got on the mic and said in Bambara, " Hey Toubabous, come join us...you dance?" Sarah and I looked at each, and just laughed...in the past, whenever we have tried to dance the way they dance, it ends up being more entertainment for others. :) A source of amusement...so we shook our heads and smiled, and then just watched:) Maybe someday soon I will make my dancing debut to the Malians, but watch out...Mali will never be the same after that day! : )

Thoughts straight from my heart

2007-08-22T03:35:00.000-05:00

This morning, while doing my devotions, I came across an article. It seemed as though someone had gotten into my heart and wrote down how my heart was feeling...the article captivated my thoughts. I would like to share it with you. It came from a K-LOVE devotional book entitled, "On the Right Note"( an amazing little devo book)

Wednesday, August 22

Faith vs. Control
" When you obsess over problems instead of looking to God for solutions, the enemy will magnify your fears. If he can't get you to worry about the present he'll remind you of everything that could go wrong in the future! Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "All I have seen, has taught me to trust God for all I haven't seen." The last time you checked, wasn't God still bigger than any terrorist attack, financial disaster, illness, accusation, or mess you found yourself in? Well, He hasn't changed! David said, "He won't go to sleep...The Lord is...at your right side...(He) will...keep you safe...wherever you go" (Ps121:3-8 CEV); plus His angels are watching over you 24/7.

It all comes down to faith vs. control. You can struggle to handle things on your own- or trust your Heavenly Father. That's the choice! It's not about "blind faith" it's about believing that God is who He says He is. And it's an issue you need to settle in your mind once and for all, because if you don't believe He wants ONLY the best for you, you'll keep trying to run the show. Control isn't responsibility. Responsibility is doing your part by praying, obeying, and trusting God. Control is manipulating the circumstances to engineer the outcome you want. Jesus knows how we like holding on to things we're not wise enough to control, so He said, "If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give it up... for me, you will save it." (Luke 9:24) Bottom line- you either trust God or you don't. "

**My prayer for today:
Lord, help me to believe that you want ONLY the best for me, and therefore you will supply for my every need, if I give you the control, and I have faith.

2007-08-21T18:13:00.000-05:00

This is LeVieux and I.

The Good ol' Days : )

2007-08-21T16:12:00.000-05:00

Papou and Ellen on the Power K.

Here I am with Ellen on my back....I am totally trying to be as Malian as possible ;)

2007-08-21T15:34:00.000-05:00

This is Kadiatou. We are working on learning English :)

I taught the kids how to play "Slap Jack", so in this picture was a round between Abel and I. It lasted for like 20 minutes. I think I won. :)

This is me with Papou and Kyria. I love these two kids!

This is Baby Ellen and I in Bougouni. :) She is now one year old.

2007-08-20T12:01:00.000-05:00

My niece was asking me if I had any pictures of the henna that I had done, and if you look closely at the picture, you will be able to see it on my feet. :) It lasted for 2-3 weeks. Also, you can see my African beautician in the background, her name is Maya. She has done an amazing job with my hair, considering how fine my hair is compared to their hair. This picture was when she was doing my hair for the second time. :)

The Update :)

2007-08-20T11:58:00.000-05:00

Aw ni wula(Good Afternoon) to My Dear Friends and Family,
It seems as though I got so excited about having internet connection again, that I went picture crazy, but did not write an updated blog message, so I decided I best update you all on what God has been doing here in Mali, West Africa. He has been quite busy! The team returned to Bamako, from our stay in Bougouni. While we were in Bougouni, we stayed at Reed Bible Institute, where the director of the school, taught us our “World’s Living Religions” course. His family lives on the compound, as did we. I fell in love with his family, and spent almost every evening with them. Our professor’s name was Joseph Camara, and he studied at Grace University, in Omaha, NE, about 11 years ago. So, he and his wife can both speak English, and their children are learning. They have three children, whom I am pictured with many times. Almost every afternoon, I would go with their threes kids up to a mountain and we would just sit and talk, take pictures, play UNO J In Africa, it is quite common for extended family to all live together, and so not only does Joseph’s family live there, his mother, one sister, and one brother also live there. His sister is 25, and his brother is 27. I have spent a lot of time with his brother and sister, as well. His brother, Abel, can speak a small amount of English, but he is learning, and he has been helping me with my French. I am trying to teach English to his sister, Kadiatou. When we left Bougouni, I really did leave part of my heart there. I learned many things while in Bougouni. I really did enjoy my time there, so much so, that I will be returning to Bougouni on the weekends to hopefully engage in some women’s and children’s ministry, and then doing some ministry with university students here in Bamako, during the week. While in Bougouni, I would say that my relationship with God, reached a level that it has never been at before. Although, I have tried many times, and have always wanted to have a daily time that I spent with God, it is something that I always struggled with. While in Bougouni, I found a little secret spot, and EVERY morning, I would get up early, at the same time, and go to my spot and spend time with the Lord. Every morning, He had something new to show me. I actually look forward to getting up early every morning just to spend time with Him. Never in my life have I ever enjoyed getting up early, but I have come to love my mornings. Not to mention, that no one else on my team is up, so it quiet and peaceful. J I can honestly say that I love the Lord, and I am so thankful that He is in my life, and that He has control. He has been teaching me many lessons on being patient, and waiting for His timing. Isnt it great that we serve such a big God?
Well, after returning to Bamako on August 11, 2007, we attended a “Tent-making Conference” this last weekend. Its emphasis was on witness and taking Christ into your work setting. It was very interesting, and I felt that thinking long-term, it was a very beneficial conference. It was an international conference, everything was in French and English. There were 17 different countries represented, most from within Africa. At one point, they called people up to represent the different countries, and my team sent me up as the rep. for the United States…oh boy, I was a proud representative for the United States( it was kind of funny, because I was actually wearing a Malian outfit, on the day that I was representing the United States of America. J ) I was able to make many contacts with people from the different countries, so that one day when I am finished with school, if Africa is still where the Lord wants me, I have many invitations to many different African countries. God is good! I was also able to make contacts with several of the local university students, which is amazing, because as a team, we will now be able to work on building some relationships with them. The students that were at the conference could all speak English rather well. I am really excited to see what God is going to do with these contacts, I am very excited about all the potential…J Anyway, we started our final class today..”Evangelism and Church Planting” I am excited about it. So, I actually best be heading off, so that I can focus on doing some of my homeworkJ Anyway, thank you to all of you who have been and still are praying for me and my team. God has been doing some amazing things, and we can feel the impacts of your prayers! After we finish up with this last class, the team will be splitting up to focus on ministry opportunites. The 6 single students will be living in Bamako, and the two married couples will be heading to different cities to do their ministry. So, you can be praying for the adjustments that will have to be made. Also, I am just super excited about all the potential there is to serve here, so if you would be praying that God would be guiding me in what He wants me to be doing, I would appreciate that! I kept telling my mother, that although my plane ticket says that my return date in November 17th, that date just may change to a later date…she keeps telling me that I must come home and finish school, before I can stay in Africa…I told her that we will just see what God has in mindJ I do truly love it here, the people are amazing, they love to build relationships! I am excited to see what God has in store for myself and my team in the next 3 months. Please keep us in your prayers, and know that you are playing a major role in our team, although you are on the other side of the world. Let us all keep our eyes focused on Jesus, as we all strive to serve Him each and every day.

Shining His Light,
Hannah

2007-08-13T05:19:00.000-05:00

Me at an orphanage.

Hannah.LeVieux.Papou. on our way to the mount.

Kyria and I in our new matching outfits. :)
The Camara family monkey.
Our American Cultural Soiree.

2007-08-13T04:53:00.001-05:00

Foot Party :)

Baby Ellen and I :)

2007-08-12T18:49:00.000-05:00

This is me receiving an award for first place in Bible quizzing at a camp in Koutiala....It was kind of exciting to get this award, because there were about 250 other campers, and I had to have everything translated, and they understood everything, and I received first place. The camp was a french speaking camp. I really enjoyed the week....got to shower under the stars in the moonlight, was that ever an experience..I loved it! God is good! I love Africa!

2007-08-12T18:25:00.000-05:00

This is the Camara family. Some of the extended family lives with them.
Back Row: Abel, Joseph, Marthe
Middle Row: Amie, Karidatou, LeVieux, Papou, Kyria
Front and Center: MaNagali

*I love this family..they have been such a blessing in my life.

This was my team with one of our professors....the Director of Reed Bible Institute, Joseph Camara. Although now, two of our team members have returned to the States, which was planned. :)

2007-08-12T12:57:00.000-05:00

My family:) in Africa that is...:)

2007-08-12T12:07:00.000-05:00

Here I am on the "Antenna Mount" with the Camara kids.. While I was in Bougouni, I stayed at a place called IBR.. Reed Bible Institute. The director's name was Joseph Camara, in this picture are his three children. Papou, LeVieux, and Kyria, and then the guy next to me is named Abel. He is Joseph's brother. These are probably my four most favorite people here in Mali, thus far :) Almost everyday in the afternoons, we would go hike up some "mountain/mound" and just spend time together.

Special People

2007-08-11T17:43:00.000-05:00

This is me with some Pastors children. The names of the boys whose faces you can see are LeVieux and Papou. The other little boy is name Joussef. I've spent a lot of time with these little boys. :) I am loving Africa...I told my mom that I might not come home...and she informed me that I must come home and finish school, and then maybe I could come back to Africa:) We will see what God has in mind. Please be praying for the health of my team, we have had a few get sick with Malaria and typhoid...but right not all is well, but just keep praying for safety and health. God has been opening a lot of doors for us!

2007-07-16T16:33:00.000-05:00

A little Update!

2007-07-16T16:30:00.000-05:00

Ou ni tile! It has been quite some time since I last wrote on my blog, but I have been unable to get to the internet. Things here in Africa have been amazing! I truly do love it here. I wouldn’t mind if God called me here to serve! J We will just have to wait and see. I have been able to spend a lot of one on one time with Him lately, and therefore He has been teaching me a lot! I have been learning to rely on Him and only Him. Also, to know and understand that what I need, He WILL provide for meJ in His time! That is a hard one to learn, but I know that He will give me only what I need! Thank you all for your prayers. I am starting to build relationships, and that has been enjoyable. The rainy season has now begun, and so the weather is cooler, and I really like that, although the heat was never unbearable! I love the people, and the family that we are staying with. Well, I need to be heading out…I am going out on a hiking adventure with some kids…yesterday we went, and picked some interesting fruit, that kind of tasted liked bananas(namasa), but after you eat the fruit, on the inside there is nut that is crushed and made into butter…interesting, huh? So, I best be off! Again, remember you can email me anytimeJ hhampton3669@graceu.edu

Prayer Request

2007-06-24T11:50:00.000-05:00

Hello All! My internet acess is becoming limited soon, so dont worry if there isnt much to read for a short time. I would like to ask that you would all be praying for my co-workers back in the States as well as the Little family. I received word a few days ago, that a lady that I worked with passed away in a car accident. I know how hard it is to lose a loved one, so I would ask that you keep the Little family in your prayers. Marla Little passed away about a week ago, leaving behind a husband and two young daugthers...one of which also needs prayers; because she was with her mother in the car and wa severly injured! Please be praying for them...I know that the Little Family has been reading my blog, so whenever you read this, please know that I am praying for you..and Erica, I will try to send you something in the mail soon :)

The team and I transitioned to Bougouni on Friday, and are getting settled in before starting our next class next week! I will try to write a longer update as soon as possible...until then..thanks for praying...and remember you can always send emails...

hhampton3669@graceu.edu

My Testimony

2007-06-16T16:04:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is Father's Day. It seems that that day is usually kind of hard for me. After my dad's accident things have never been the same. I have learned to appreciate what I have, while I have it: ) I decided that for those of you reading my blog, if you havent ever heard part of my testimony, that I would post it on here. I hope that if you choose to read it, that you are challenged to not take things for granted. Let those you love, know you love them! : ) Thanks for your prayers and the emails! They are appreciated!

*MY TESTIMONY*
Have you ever had something that happened to you that changed your life forever, it may have happened in just a moment, or even over a long period of time, but the final outcome changed your life, well two summers, while at camp, my life did just that. There were many aspects of my life that changed, some in quite a short period of time, but also a few over a long period of time. It all started back in March of 2005, when one of my co-workers, whom had once been a counselor at camp when I was a camper, told me that she was going to go back to camp and was going to spend the whole summer counseling. She told me that I should consider counseling also, because they always need help, and that it would just be great to be back out at camp. I believe that God has called me into missions, and have been trying to do missions work these last couple of summers, and at that time I didn’t have a trip planned for this last summer, and so I thought maybe having this coworker talk to me about an opportunity to serve at camp was God’s way of telling me that Camp Witness was where He wanted me to be this summer, and now as I look back, Camp Witness was exactly where He wanted me to be! My original plan was to spend two weeks counseling at camp, and then return home, but another window of opportunity opened up, and they asked me to come back to counsel for another week, to which I gladly accepted their offer, not knowing at the time, that that would be the week that would dramatically change my life forever.
It was the second to last week of camp, and this particular week we had mainly junior high kids, being that there was a basketball clinic going on. Because of the age of the campers, we were able to show Nooma videos during the Bible class times, and had discussions that would directly follow these short films. Nooma videos are about an average of 11 minutes each, yet within that short time, the creator of the films, Rob Bell, is able to discuss many of the challenges life presents, and what the best way is to respond to them. His messages are quite clear, and really require some thought. I remember, that one day we watched one of his movies called, “Luggage” and in this film the main message is that we need to be taking every opportunity to attend to the needs of others, and we need to do it now, because we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Well, in the end of this film there is a woman who is killed in a car accident, the point is illustrated that we need to be living each day as though it were our last, because again we are not guaranteed tomorrow. That short little film, really touched my heart, it really challenged me, it made me think of a few friends that I knew I needed to talk to, and it also made me appreciate my family and all of the things that I have. The next day, while in game time, out at the ball diamond, I received a phone call telling me that my father and my brother had been in a car accident. At first, they told me that is wasn’t too serious, they said that my brother was fine, but that my dad had a severely broken arm, and some cuts, but nothing to serious. As the afternoon progressed, more and more little, but serious details started to come in, I found out that my dad had hit a semi head on, and then about 2 hours after I received the first phone call telling me that there had been an accident, I received one last phone call, a call that I will never forget, it was the call that told me that my dad hadn’t made it through the accident. At just 56 years of age, my father was killed in a car accident, and although I knew where my dad was, because he had chosen to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior at a very young age, it was still hard for me to understand God’s reasoning. I quickly learned that although we don’t always understand, God’s timing is perfect. Being out at camp, when the accident happened literally saved my life, I was actually supposed to be with my dad teaching some college students how to start Bible studies, but I had told my dad that I was going to be counseling at camp, and wouldn’t be able to go with him, so my being at camp was all part of God’s perfect timing and perfect plan; it also made me realize that God isn’t quite done with me yet!J Another way camp played a major role in my life this last summer, was the relationships that I was able to build. Before I left for camp for the first 2 weeks, my dad had told me that he was going to be praying that I would find great Christian friends, who would be able to not only hold me accountable, but to also encourage me; that was also a prayer of mine as well, and while at camp, God answered that prayer. I was able to build some wonderful friendships with many of my fellow counselors, relationships that have changed my life forever. After the accident had happened, if I hadn’t been out at camp, I wouldn’t have really had any friends to turn to, but because I was at Camp Witness, and because I had developed these relationships, all the counselors were right there with me. I can honestly say, that if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have been able to handle that particular obstacle in the way that I did. I love each and every one of the counselors, and I am truly appreciative to them for everything that they have done for me.
The Nooma video that I would’ve watched the day after the accident, had I been at camp, was one called “Rain”. In this film, Rob Bell is talking about how God will never leave us, and that although He can put storms in our lives, He knows the way home, and that He loves us enough to help us through them. I actually watched that video about a week after the accident, I just sat there amazed at the message. I, felt as though God was talking directly to me, through this video. It was at that point that I was again reminded , that although I may not understand God’s timing, He isn’t ever going to leave me, and that He is right here by my side, holding me tight, telling me that we are going to get through this.

God used Camp Witness to prepare my heart for His plans for my life. I look back now and I am quite amazed at how intricate God’s timing and planning can be, it is just so perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing about my summer, although there are times that I wish my dad was here, I do know that he is in a better place, and I also know that God put this trial in my life for a reason. He used camp to help not only prepare my heart for what happened, but He also used the people at camp to help keep all the pieces of my heart together. James 1:2-4, it says, “ Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Although, I know that I will continue to face trials of many kind all throughout my life, I know that because of Camp Witness, and the relationships I built there, I was able to face that particular trial in my life, and that I will now have the strength and support to do all things through Christ who will be there to give me that strength. This last summer changed my life forever, and yet although some things were harder to deal with than others, I know that God was right there behind it all guiding me and helping me fulfill His plan for my life. Someone once said, “God guides us, He leads us step by step, from event to event. Only afterwards, as we look back over the way we have come…do we experience the feeling of having been led without knowing it, the feeling that God has mysteriously guided us.” God not only used Camp Witness to prepare heart for His plans, but He also used camp to bring me closer to Him.

Here is a song that I wrote:
God, Can you hear me now?
Sometimes I take control, but then I seem to lose it
When things seem to be going right,
I close my eyes, and to my surprise,
my world is falling apart, it is tearing at my heart..
God, can you hear me now, I need to know now,
what to do, what to do, what to do with my life…?
I am at a loss for words, I’ve never felt like this before…
if only I could give it up, then everything would turn around;
I want your will for my life, You say you know the plans that you have for my life,
please help me to see, that you are ALL I need,
please help me to stand strong, and against all wrong…
God, can you hear me now, I need to know now what to do, what to do, what to do with my life…?
Whenever I let you be in my life, everything goes just right, teach me to wait, before it is too late,
help me to hang on, though the wait may be long,
with you by my side, I’ll never collide…
God, can you hear me now, I need to know now what to do, what to do, what to do with my life…?
I am faced with a decision, it’s all up to me,
do I call on Thee, or do I hold it all in, and face it all alone, or do I let it go, let you take control;
the choice is mine, I want to let my light shine so, …
God, can you hear me now, I need to know now what to do, what to do, what to do with my life…?

Shoping and Riding Experiences!

2007-06-16T14:57:00.000-05:00

Today, I had my first cloth shopping experience. Wow! Talk about being mauled! Vendors were coming at me and some of the other girls like vultures...it was crazy: ) I bought enough material to have two wrap around skirts made! It cost 3500 cfa(francs) which is about $7-8 US Dollars! I also went to the grocery store later in the afternoon, I love going to the store. The grocery store is run by Lebanese people. Usually almost every time I go to the store, which is only once or twice a week, I get meat. There is one butcher, who now has a familar face, he can understand english, and is quite helpful! We have one of those relationships that as soon as he sees me, he comes right over and helps. Those kinds of relationships usually allow for witnessing, but because I cannot speak the language very well, it is can be difficult, because he does not understand English that well! But, be praying that I have opportunities to atleast touch people's lives by my attitude: )

**TRANSPORTATION**

There seem to be three types of public transportation. They consist of two different kinds of taxis, and a bus system. There is a bus-like taxi, known as the “Green Machine”, and there is a normal 4-passenger taxi. There are many different brands of cars that are used in Mali. Dodge, Toyota, Honda, Chevy, and Mazda are a few of the brand name cars in Bamako. Cars are seen quite frequently. I would say that they are used almost as much as the taxis are. Also, people ride bikes!
Technology in Mali is limited. Many are without electricity, but those who do have electricity, receive it from cement made telephone poles. Electricity seemed to be present in most business offices and schools, but not in the market place, or in the church building. Several Malians have cell phones, and most answer their phone calls even if in the middle of a conversation with someone else.

A Malian Wedding : )

2007-06-14T18:41:00.000-05:00

Weddings are usually joyous times of celebration, signifying the unity of two people, becoming one. Every culture has different ways of celebrating and performing ceremonies. No wedding is ever alike.

While I was in Mali, I was able to observe a Christian wedding ceremony. It had many similarities to a wedding in the United States, but it also had several things that were notably different.
The attire of those in attendance varied greatly. Some people were dressed quite nicely, some wore fancy, shiny dresses, others just wore a plain skirt and top. The bride wore a white dress, it looked to be similar to an American styled dress, and the groom wore a suit. The rest of the wedding party was dressed similarly to a best man and maid of honor in the US would be. The maid of honor wore a fancy top, and skirt, both made in satin material, and both colored maroon. The best man wore a suit, with a maroon flower in the pocket.
The wedding was on Saturday, June 9, 2007. As the team arrived around 9a.m., we were informed that the time of the ceremony had changed to 10a.m. I found that to be quite interesting that the time of the ceremony had changed just that morning, or so it seemed. Several people gestured to us to sit outside, under an awning, until they opened the doors to seat people inside.
About 30 minutes prior to the starting of the ceremony, they began to seat us inside. There were several people seating the guests, although they were not dressed in accordance with the wedding party. In the United States, it is usually customary to have ushers seat the guests, at most weddings, but that was not practiced at this particular wedding. There did not appear to be a bride’s side and a groom’s side, which allowed the guests to be seated on either side. The balcony was also full by the time the wedding had begun.
One observation that I made, that came across a little unusual, was that during the wedding the bride and groom did not seem to look at each other, communicate with one another, or even touch during the whole ceremony.

Twenty minutes after the ceremony was said to begin, it began. As the couple walked in together, following the Bamankan choir. All the guests stood. The choir proceeded down the center row, in a single file line, singing a song, with the couple following after. Then the choir took their place, and the couple walked up on the stage. In the middle of the stage, there were four chairs. The two on the outside, looked the same, and the two in the middle looked the same. The outside ones had ribbon tied around them. The bride and groom sat in the two middle chairs, and the “best man” and “maid of honor” sat on the outside chairs. There was also a row of five or so chairs behind the couple. The pastors and leaders of the ceremony sat in the chairs behind the couple.
After the couple was seated, someone prayed, and then we, the guests, all stood and sang two songs with a choir. There were three choirs that were present at the wedding, each singing in a different language. The French choir, Bamankan choir, and the Kalanban choir each sang a different song to the couple.
There was a pastor who read some Scripture, and then Joseph Camara, gave the main message. After he had finished, the pastors surrounded the couple, someone prayed for them. The couple exchanged a kiss, before they exchanged their rings. After they had exchanged their rings, and said, “I do”, one of the pastors, gave them some gifts. I am not sure who the gifts were from, whether they were from the church or family, I am uncertain. The pastor would say something, hand the gift to the groom, the bride would touch it, and then the groom would hand the gift to the best man. After all this was done, someone prayed, the couple walked down off the stage, and people came up and congratulated them. The ceremony lasted 2 hours.
In comparison with many of the other weddings I have been to, a traditional Christian Malian wedding was quite similar to one in the United States. Although the ceremony was longer than most in the United States, the actual ceremony was similar. The coming together of two people, when God is obviously the center of their focus, is a beautiful thing. Although, I did not understand everything that was said during the wedding, through people’s actions, it was obvious that the bride and groom have families and friends that are going to support their marriage and that God will be part of their lives.

Some People : )

2007-06-07T17:27:00.000-05:00

Today..is Thursday..things here have been going well! I am loving Mali, thus far! It is staying quite warm, but not unbearable! God is already working on my heart. I am having to learn to be flexible(which those of you who knew my day, knew that being flexibile was not ever an issue) so I am learning a lot! I am also learning to trust the guys on my team to lead me. God blessed the team with some amazing guys, who are really looking out for our best interests! I do love the guys, and know that God will continue to bless our team! Thanks for your prayers...please feel free to email me at

hhampton3669@graceu.edu

I would appreciate any emails...I will try to reply as quickly as possible..send any questions my way:) I am quite excited, because tomorrow I get to go and visit an orphanage! Anyway, here are some observations I made about some of the people I have seen in Mali.

People tend to relate to one another in such a way that resembles a family. Human interaction in public is necessary. It seems as though most genuinely care about one another, so when they meet, they greet each other with a long stream of questions and concerns. Interaction between the young and the old is not noticeably different, although is seems that the younger generation is not usually around the older generation.
There has been a lack of couples in public. I am curious to know whether or not it is inappropriate for Malians to show affection in public places. I did see one younger couple holding hands, but I have made no other observations. I did see several Malians wearing wedding rings, but rarely saw anything that looked like husband/wife couples together. I did not ever observe any mixed-race couples.
In response to the way that I have had to make adaptations, I would say that I have had to change the way that I tend to look people in the eyes and smile. I have that I have to be quite careful when I do that, and that I should not look men in the eyes.

A little about Mali!

2007-06-04T16:54:00.000-05:00

Mali is a country where the people are all the same, yet all different in a unique way. Observing a different culture is proving to be a very humbling experience. Learning the ways of the people is opening up doors for relationships. There are many aspects of the Malian culture that I have yet to observe, but in regards to the ones that I have already experienced, I would say that Mali has a lot to offer to its people.

Clothing in Mali has many different levels. Men and women both have two very different styles of clothing. The men that live in the slums are usually dressed in torn, old t-shirts and pants. The women usually have old, faded clothing on. Those who are street vendors are usually dressed in the same way as those who are purchasing items. The men can usually be seen in some form of pants and t-shirts or button-up shirts. Most women are seen wearing long skirts or dresses that cover their legs. Their shirts are all made with different designs, and can at times expose their chest.

I have only noticed a few girls dressed in pants, and wearing plain tank tops, otherwise, it seems as though most are dressed to impress. It appears that most all women keep their legs covered up. They wear ornate dresses, which many times, will show no figure. There is a sense of personal style, because there is no one dress alike.

Older women tend to wear head coverings. It is seen more often, that the younger girls leave their hair uncovered, and the older women cover their heads. A possible suggestion as to why it always seems that the older women are wearing head coverings could be that they are married.

2nd Day in Mali

2007-05-29T07:14:00.000-05:00

Hello All! Well, I made it! It was quite an interesting experience getting here though. We ended up having a flight cancelled, and did not arrive in Mali until late Sunday night. It is not Tuesday, May 29, 12:15pm. I am just about to eat lunch. The team and I went into the market place today, and all had separate shopping lists, that was quite interesting and fun: ) Anyway, I will write more later! Thank you for all your prayers!

2007-05-22T00:47:00.000-05:00

Well...we will be leaving for Africa on Friday...which is in 3 days...my mom and I went shopping tonight, for a majority of the things that I will be needing for 6 months! I cannot believe just how quickly May 25th has come! I am so excited...and anticipate our flight over...I know that it will be long, but I cannot wait to spend time with my team : )

It's Coming!

2007-05-15T16:22:00.000-05:00

10 Days! I can count the number of days left until I am Africa Bound on 2 hands...oh boy! It is coming and it is coming fast. I leave tomorrow for my roommate's wedding, which is on Thursday! Then I leave for Kentucky, with my mom and sister, on Friday, for my cousin's wedding. I will get back late Monday night, and then head to Omaha, on Thursday, and fly out on Friday! Crazy crazy crazy! :)

God is so good to me!

2007-04-25T23:33:00.000-05:00

God is just so good! I just got back from a little night out with the girls that I work with at HyVee. Today was my last day, and so we had kind of a going away party for me:) It was so special, God blessed our time together, and I felt so loved. They were all anxious to hear about Africa..which I leave in 30 days!!!! I will write more and the details later...but for now...I got flowers and balloons...They gave me colorful, cheerful, beautiful daisies..which are my favorites:) I love you Lord...thank you for taking care of me..and lifting me up when I need it!

Humbling Experience

2007-04-20T10:32:00.000-05:00

Last night, during my night class, which is Introduction to Special Education, I was humbled. I gave a 22 minute presentation of AIDS, especially the effects it has on children in Africa. I chose that topic, because in 35 days..aka 5 weeks, I will be leaving for Mali, Africa :) After my presentation, we listened to a few other presentations, and then we had a lecture on how to deal with children that have lost a loved one, or they themselves are dying. We watched a video clip on children dealing with cancer and lukemia. The children were just excited to be alive. Some shared their struggles, and fears, but also their hopes and how they arent going to let the cancer take their life away from them! It was so encouraging. I need to be thankful for my healthy body! I have so much to be thankful for! God is so good, and even when people are sick, God can use their stories, because that is just because we have such an amazing God! So, thank you God, for giving me a healthy body, and for giving me so much to be thankful for, help me to never take that for granted! I just love you Lord! You are so good to me!

A Heart for Missions/ Being on fire for God:)

2007-04-18T23:26:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I had the most interesting experience:) I decided to go running, which is a rare thing. As I was returning around 7:45pm, I got a phone call from a friend asking if I wanted to go to the Switchfoot concert, which was at 8pm. The concert was a sold out concert, so I hadnt been able to get tickets previously. Well, it turns out that a lady got out of her car and had 3 extra tickets..so I got to go:) Before the concert, as I was waiting in line, I ran into an a friend of mine's brother, and talked with him quickly, just tell him to tell his brother hi from me. Well, after the concert, I ran into this guy again, and we talked for awhile about missions. He has a total heart for God..and it is obvious in the way he spoke! He is going to go to Serbia for one year, to build relationships with college students..and just share God's love with them. So, amazing! So, not only was the concert amazing, I was really blessed and encouraged by this guy. God used him to remind me that I need to be patient, and wait on the Lord. :) Thank God for being so good to me! I love you Lord!

It's Coming!

2007-04-17T15:10:00.000-05:00

38 days left! I am sitting here thinking..how in the world did the last few months go by so quickly! It seems as though just week ago, I decided I was going to Africa..and now I am leaving in less than 6 weeks! Things are starting to get crazy, with finals, graduation, and such:) I am just hoping that I can keep my focus and get things done that need to be done:)

43 days!

2007-04-12T23:29:00.000-05:00

We are down to 43 days...I can't wait! Today was a busy day..lots of things to be done! I had my night class, which is Introduction to Special Education..which, the more I learn, the more I am inclined to pursue special education! I think that I would love the challenge!

Always something to do

2007-04-11T23:23:00.001-05:00

I just cant get over the fact that there is always something to do...I am learning that if I want free time I have to make it. I have to learn to build it into my schedule! Otherwise, if I let my schedule control my life, I will never have anytime to myself. Things are getting so busy with finals just around the corner! I can't believe just how soon this year is going to be over! A little challenging thought for today is this : Love isn't love until you give it away!

Challenges :)

2007-04-10T22:25:00.000-05:00

45 days...45 days until I leave for Mali, Africa! I am so excited! I just feel like God is going to give me a lot of opportunities to serve Him! Lately, He has been showing Himself to me through my devotions. He is constantly reminding me that He is always there and that He has a purpose for everything! Although sometimes it is hard to understand why things happen, I know that I have to keep on keeping on and just trust that He knows best! Some verses that have really challenged me lately are

*Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

*Philippains 4:19, "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus."

Giving

2007-04-07T11:47:00.000-05:00

I still have not figured out why it is so hard for me to make time to blog! I always have intentions of doing it, but seem to fail at following those through more often than not...but I need to start practicing trying to blog/journal everyday, because I am planning on keeping an online blog while I am in Africa! I am leaving in 48days:) the count down is on! Here is a little devotional I found, that really challenged me!

"Give and it shall be given unto you." - Luke 6:38
The Law of Reciprocity
Mother Teresa wrote" One night a man came to our house and said, "There's a family of eight children who haven't eaten for days.' I took some food and went to see them. When I got there I saw the faces of little children disfigured by malnutrition. There was no sadness there, just the pain of hunger. I gave a sack of rice to the mother. She kept one half and went out carrying the other. When she came back I asked, 'Where did you go?' She answered, "To my neighbors, they're hungry also.' I wasn't surprised that she gave, the poor are usually very generous. But I was surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we're suffering we are so focused on our own problems that we have no time for others." That's the law of reciprocity!
It teaches you that:
1)You can give your way to great blessing. Jesus said: "Give, and it shall be given unto you"(Luke 6:38). No seed is too little to multiply if you're willing to sow it. (2)What you do for others determines what God does for you. "Knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord"(Eph 6:8). (3)Your gift is the key to your future, but you must be willing to give it. "How?" you ask. By finding a cause greater than yourself and pouring your life into it! When you do that you discover two things: (a) It's okay to acknowledge your limitations as long as you don't build your life around them. (b) That success begins by focusing on what you have, not on what you don't!

A good God

2007-03-09T13:09:00.000-06:00

I am so thankful that we have a good God! I just went out with a friend this morning for brunch, and was reminded of how good our God truly is! He may have funny ways of working things out, but He is in control and that is so awesome! I read a devotion this morning out of abook, from K-LOVE, that I have never used and just found it to be very encouraging, so I am going to post it on here!

"Staying the Course"
Endurance means "staying the course". But endurance is only a word until you have to deal with a strife-torn marriage, the long road back from bankruptcy, divorce or illness, the rebuilding of your life, or the required preparation of success in any field. It takes commitment to keep going when friends fail you, discouragement whispers "give up", and doubt says "it cant be done." That's when endurance takes on new meaning. It becomes your anchor in the storm, your compass in times of confusion, and the head of steam that gets you up the next hill.

Remember, God knows when to discontinue a trial because its purpose has been fulfilled. And He gives us 2 great promises: (1)His comforting presence. (2)The assurance that He wont permit more pressure than we can handle.

But there's another reason- others are watching! Paul writes, "People are watching us as we stay at our post...working hard, working late, working without eating; with a pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness and honest love; when we're telling the truth...when God's showing His power; when we're doing our best setting things right; when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God...immersed in tears yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing at all, having it all" (1Cor. 6:1-10). That's called "staying the course."

*Challenge- Stay strong and live life "staying on the course"

Overwhelmed

2007-03-08T21:19:00.000-06:00

It seems to me that life really never does slow down. I am feeling quite overwhelmed right now, because I have so much to do, and so many people relying on me. I love to be dependable, but sometimes it is so hard to stay on top of everything. I have decided that on Sunday, I am going to take the day and get away and plan out the next 78days...because that is when I leave for Africa. I know that I cant plan everything, God is in control, but I need to sit down and look through all of my syllabi. Oh craziness! I cannot wait for Sunday, I just need a day to refocus and reprioritize my life. :)

Blogging--My Prince Charming

2007-03-03T17:54:00.000-06:00

I feel like I am horrible at blogging...it is so funny, because I love writing, and I tend to be online all the time, yet I have problems actually writing something on this page:) Anyway, I decided that I would write something about what is consuming my thoughts as of right now. I just had the girls from the youth group I help at sleepover in the dorms last night and they all just left. Last night we used my "Book of Questions" to stimulate conversation, and it was amazing. We talked a lot about relationships and what we want to get out of them, and what we should put into them. I realized that I really respect guys who are honest about their feelings, and who arent afraid to tell you how they feel. There are so many things that I want in a guy. The particular question asked for my top 3, and which are as follows: 1) Must have a personal relationship with Christ. 2) Must love children, and want some of his own :). 3) Must appreciate me for me, and cherish me while holding me accountable, always challenging me spiritually and encouraging me as well! There are so many more, but those would be the top 3ish:) I know that I just have to wait on God, and trust that He will provide me with my prince charming when the timing is just right :)

Busy Busy Busy

2007-02-22T23:01:00.000-06:00

Life is so busy right now...there is always something going on:) This weekend is going to be crazy... I will be in Lincoln on Friday, and then I have a business mtg in Ames, IA on Saturday, and then will be going home on Sunday to go to church with my family and see my brother in his highschool musical....crazy crazy crazy! :)

There Comes A Day

2007-02-10T15:31:00.000-06:00

So many faces,
all yet to be seen
So many voices,
yet all unheard
Animals take the place,
as rulers of them all
So many people,
yet with no incline
So many people,
so little time.

Reaching for the Son

2007-02-10T14:59:00.000-06:00

A sky reaching up to Heaven,
mountains set so high
A raging river running,
with rigid rocks nearby
A gentle forest yonder,
with shawdows left to ponder
There in the Teton Range,
sits the sun,
which guides us to

the Holy One.

123

2007-02-10T14:43:00.000-06:00

Just checking this bloggin thing out:) Testing 123:)

Life with Hannah

A Heart that is trying to seek Him

. .Awestruck. .

Attempting to wait upon the Lord. . . while in the midst of a construction zone..

A New Direction

Quick Update

The key to my heart <3

My 100th Post : )

Quick tid bit

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

*The choices we make reflect on who we are on the inside *

My word is . . . . WAIT

Reflections from my heart

A look into my room now. . .

. . . SnOw Up In ThE mOuNtAiNs . . .

My room before I rearranged it : )

. .A weekend in LoNdOn . .

The song in my heart . .

La Nuit Des Femmes

My almost to the top. . . hike! : ) (This was probably the first real mountainside hike I've ever been on & it was in the French Alps..how cool)

The busyness of life. . . what to do with it?

The 1st Snow...

Post to come!!

The joy of fellowship. . .and other fun things

The Choices we make do have effects. . .Who are you going to serve?

A Day in Albertville

Living Free in Christ

Just in case you don't know my family....

The current status of my heart. . .

A little peek at the Effiel Tower

A look through my eyes...

GO BIG RED! : )

LIfe before the French Language!

Blessings!

Run from temptations...The discerning heart seeks knowledge.

Some trials..."Transition Semester"

You can't escape this trial!

Home...for now.

My Last Weekend in Bougouni

Goodbyes Galore!

Caleb's Cliff Jumpin' Experience

Fun in the Sun...in Oct, almost NOVEMBER!

White Girl Robbed

Go Huskers!

Some new pics

"When God puts You on hold"

Oh so busy!

A little update

Coming Soon!

A whole week at once

The Little Princess : )

Tea Time

I must "Go"

Church Kids in Bougouni

The Dance :)

Thoughts straight from my heart

The Good ol' Days : )

The Update :)

Special People

A little Update!

Prayer Request

My Testimony

Shoping and Riding Experiences!

A Malian Wedding : )

Some People : )

A little about Mali!

2nd Day in Mali

It's Coming!

God is so good to me!

Humbling Experience

A Heart for Missions/ Being on fire for God:)

It's Coming!

43 days!

Always something to do

Challenges :)

Giving

A good God

Overwhelmed

Blogging--My Prince Charming

Busy Busy Busy

The choices we make reflect on who we are on the inside