61 Days!

Our trip is getting so close! We are getting so excited! I want to first start by thanking you a million times over again for your support! With your help, God has supplied us with every penny we have needed! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I recently went to Florence to attend our orientation. Here's what we know so far!

• We will be staying in a local church, where we will help repair damages from the harsh winter.


• Tuesday- Thursday, we will be going into the villages and working with children. Sort of a VBS for the neighborhood. In the evenings, we will return for what we're calling "park parties". We'll serve hot dogs, have bounce houses and face paint. It will just be a fun time to hang out and love on some kiddos and their families


• When we're not working with the villages or working on the church, we will get to do a few tourist things. We'll get to go fishing. We will also get to go on a boat ride up to a glacier.

These are just a few details. We will be busy, but it will truly be a trip to remember! So excited! Won't you pray for us? Pray the Holy Spirit would go before us and prepare our way, prepare hearts.

Sorry this is so short, and has been so long, but know we are always so thankful for your support! We love you all more than you know!

Forever His,

Norman and Emily Jo

Alaska Update!

We are officially signed up for the Alaska trip! We're so pumped to see what God has in store. I want to take the time to thank all of you who have supported up financially so far. Your donations mean the world to us! Thank you for being apart of this!

We still have quite a ways to go with our fundraising, so Norman and I have started making Survival Bracelets. They are made out of military grade 550 Parachute Cord. They are indestructible. We have black, hunter green, blue, yellow, red, hot pink, grey, neon green, orange, camo, purple and white. We can mix up to three colors into one bracelet. If you are interested in buying one, please feel free to email me your color preference, wrist size and address to eklingsick@yahoo.com. We would love to send you one! All the proceeds will go to our Alaska Fund.

Thank you so much for your support! Our first meeting will be on May 21st, so we will have plenty more details to share with all of you! I hope you're having a wonderful Easter! HE is risen! HE is risen indeed! We love you all more than you know!

Forever His,

Norman and EmilyJo

Our Story

For all you faithful followers of my blog, I would like to apologize for being gone so long! Life has been crazy... let me fill you in!

The biggest news would be my wonderful boyfriend, Norman Trotter. We met at GA Camp over the summer. I was going with a group from my church and he was on staff as the lifeguard. My fourth grade girls were obsessed with him! All week long they were telling me how cute he was and how they wish he would sit with them at all our meals or would come to the pool when we were there. Finally, on the last day of camp, we were sitting quietly eating our breakfast when all of the sudden all my 4th graders get up and start running across the cafeteria for find "the lifeguard". They asked him for his number and he replied, "If Miss Emily wants my number, she needs to come and get it herself". I was far too embarrassed to go back into the mess hall, so when my girls found me, they stole my phone and ran back into the cafeteria, with me chasing after them. By the time I reached the group of girls, basically the entire camp staff and the lifeguard, he already had my phone in his hands. I stole it from him and retreated back to my safe hiding place outside. We were trying to get the girls to take some pictures, this being the last day of camp, but they kept going to the window and torturing him, begging for his number. I went to get the girls away from the glass, in doing so, I ran into a pole. The next thing I know, the girls are screaming! He had written his number on a napkin and stuck it out the door. They went CRAZY!

My plan was to quietly place the napkin in my purse and not ever think about it again, but my 4th graders had another plan! They would not be quiet until I text him. They were already planning our wedding and naming our children. So, I text him apologizing for the embarrassing display, and the rest is history. This is our ninth month together, and we couldn't be happier! We are complete opposites! For example, Norman grew up a country boy, perfecting the art of living the rugged cowboy life with the boots, hat, belt buckle and torn jeans. I, on the other hand, had never spent the night outside, made a smore or taken the four wheeler out for a spin on the dried up lake bottom. Norman's best friend is truly his dog, Remi. My best friend is my iphone. I enjoy staying in and watching tv on my days off. Norman likes to fish and hunt. The list goes on and on! One of the things we do have in common, is we both prefer our birthday cakes to be strawberry with strawberry icing! Norman is so patient and so kind. He truly loves me for who I am, not what I look like or what I do or will do. He's quietly brilliant and hilariously funny. He takes care of me. He knows exactly how to push all over my buttons and give me a hard time, but he also knows exactly how to make me laugh and how to encourage me. I am truly blessed to have him!

The Lord has blessed our relationship in ways we never thought possible. We had our first date on a Sunday, then I left for Romania on the next Wednesday. Both of us were unsure of how things would go from there. When I asked him what he thought of our relationship he replied with, "We'll pray about it and leave it in God's hands. Where He leads, I'll follow. I just pray He leads me to you". Now, 9 months later, we are embarking on the greatest adventure yet...

Here's the exciting part! Ever since we started dating, we have joked about fleeing to Alaska and starting a new life up there. We were recently invited to join a team from FBC Florence Texas to venture out into our own backyard.. kind of! We will be going to Anchorage, Alaska July 31-August 6. We are beyond excited to not only see how God uses us in Anchorage, but to see how God strengthens our relationship. I finally get to teach Norman something! This is his very first mission trip!! I'm excited to show him the ropes as we prepare to go, you know, the little secrets you don't figure out until your second or third trip.

This trip will be an exciting one! We'll be participating in backyard Bible clubs, VBS, working in nursing homes, food pantries and really anything we can get our hands on! Won't you pray for us and our team! Details about the trip will follow as we receive them! If you would like more information regarding our trip, and how you can help support us, please feel free to email me at eklingsick@yahoo.com

We are so excited to be Christ's hands and feet in Anchorage, Alaska! We love you all more than you know!

Forever His,
Norman and Emily Jo

I can't do this alone, God I need you to hold onto me...

So the more I think about Romania, and the more I tell people about it, the more my heart is just burdened. I mean, it was such an awesome trip full of laughs and inside jokes. But our purpose of going there was to shine His light to the people of Constanta. I truly believe we accomplished that. However, the images of the children begging on the streets and the doors that were slammed in our faces when we tried to tell them the good news haunt me. The hardest part of the visitations was walking away from an angry resident, knowing they were going to hell. Knowing that could have been their last chance to accept this free gift of life. Knowing they would never feel the joy I feel. How can you walk away from that experience and not be moved?

The other parts I dwell on are the faces of Bhara and her family. I don't even need to look at the pictures. They're permanently in my memory. Sad children, losing hope, abused with no one and no where to call home. I feel so guilty being home with my loving family, in our nice home with AC and my nice car while they struggle to survive. I know our God is sovereign, so my prayer is that He would reign. I pray, that against all odds, those precious children would grow up to be godly men and women that strive for change. That long to see their family and community open their eyes to what God has done and will do.

This trip has touched me on a different level than any of the other trips I've been on. I can't explain it, I just know God has something big planned for Constanta, Romania. I fervently pray that the seeds we planted would be used to better His kingdom, that our work was not done in vain and that He was completely glorified through our efforts.

Thank you a million times over again if you committed to praying for our team! We felt those prayers all the way in Romania, and I thank you for that! It feels so good to know I have such an awesome support team behind me. I ask that you would continue to pray for Constanta. Especially for Bhara's family. I pray your hearts would be burdened for them as well.

Now, how can I pray for you guys? I want to return the favor, so to speak! I hope you guys have an awesome week! I love you all more than you know!
Forever His,
EmilyJo

Home Sweet Home!

Hey guys! We made it home late last night, and thanks to my awesome parents, I got to sleep in my own bed for the first time in over two weeks! They surprised me in the Austin airport and drove me home instead of having me spend the night in Florence. I think we are pretty much all exhausted from the 26 hours of traveling. I'll update more as the jet lag wears off! Praise be to Him for all the lives that were touched this week! I love you guys so much for supporting us and praying for us. We could feel your prayers all week!! Be looking out for pictures and different ways you can continue to pray for Romania! I love you guys more than you know!
Forever His,
EmilyJo

Leaving on a Jet Plane

O what a week it has been! I want to quickly update you on Bhara's situation. CPS is in the process of taking the kids away from their mother. It's a bittersweet time for all of us. They will be pulled out of their situation and homelessness, however, they will be put in an orphanage where they won't get any attention or love. They will merely exsist until someone wants to adopt them or their mom gets them back. It's a catch 22 type of thing I suppose. Please pray for those precious children! Pray they would somehow defy all oods and become incredible, godly men and women.

The past few days have kind of been just for relaxing. On Saturday a few of our new Romanian friends took up around the city. It was so cool because we got to see the city the way they do. They took up through all the short cuts and all the cool places. We shopped around and ate lunch, then it was straight to the hotel to get ready for the baptism service. It was honoring an 83 year old woman. It was such an incredible experience, and I am so thanful we got to be a part of it. Her and her husband had tear soaked faces as she made it public that she loves Jesus. Such a mighty and awesome God we serve!

I am currently sitting in a hotel in Bucharest. We have an extremely early flight in the morning. Please pray for the day ahead. It promises to be very long and draining. Pray for low frustration and stress levels. We are all so tired and SO ready to be home!

I love you guys so much! Thank you a million times over for your prayers and support. Your encouraging thoughts and emails have meant so much to our team! I wish I could have written more, but as you can imagine, our week has been completely draining! I can't wait to upload pictures on here and share them with you!

Thanks again! I love you all more than you know!
Forever His,
EmilyJo

A Call to Prayer!

So there's a family that I've mentioned on here before that lives on an empty lot under a house made of all kinds of scrap material. The house belongs to Bhara, her mom, aunt, grandma and 12 brothers, sisters and cousins. The lot they are living on is just an empty lot full of rocks. This morning the owner of the lot kicked Bhara's family off and they were forced to take down their home. They are currently taking up residence on the small strip of sidewalk in front of the lot. All 16 of them get to sit side by side far too close to the street. On top of all these unfortunate events of the day, it is raining. Not just a light afternoon shower. It's pouring and has been for about seven hours. The city is quickly beginning to flood. While my team and I are cozy in our four star hotel, Bhara and her family are sitting on their sidewalk with a piece of tarp wrapped around them. There aren't any shelters that can take them. The Day Center rented them a room, but the mother refuses to take it, so they sit. They sit hoping the rain will stop, hoping it doesn't rain for the rest of the weekend as promised, and hoping to make it through the night. CPS has called asking the mom's to drop off the kids two different times and they refuse. So now we just wait until CPS takes them away.

This is a call to prayer for all who call upon His name! Bhara's family is in desperate need of a Savior! These precious children are being exposed to a life that no one deserves to live. My heart is completely broken tonight. Won't you pray with me? Fervently pray that our Savior would choose to deliever them from their hell. Pray they would realize just how much Jesus loves them. Pray they get out of the control of their family. Just pray!

Prayer Requests:

• Pray that God, in all His infinite power, would deliever Bhara and her family.
• Pray that the flooding ceases.
• Pray the rain scheduled for Saturday would not come. We are doing a baptism service in the village we've been working with and rain is promised for the whole day.
• Pray for peaceful hearts as we are burdened with the news of Bhara and her family.

Other than that, the day was pretty good. We went door to door at an apartment complex. After a few doors getting slammed in our faces, we were feeling a little discouraged. Please pray that the seeds we planted would be good and God would use them for the harvest.

It has been an incredible week so far, and we still have three days to go! Thank you all so very much for your prayers! To Him be the glory! I love you all more than you know!

Forever His,

EmilyJo

To Make You More Than a Religion...

Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update you yesterday! It was a very long day but here's what happened! My team got to go door to door in a nearby village. We are starting a nation wide campaign here in Romania. It's to read your Bible. Simple as that! To read your Bible every day. I can't honestly say I do it. It was awesome to watch our Romanian friends talk to these people. They have the greatest sense of urgency I've ever seen about spreading the gospel. Sadly, my team of four got mainly "No"s and "The Bible isn't important enough to spend any time reading it". It broke my heart for these people. To walk away from a home that just refused to talk to you about Jesus and knowing they are going to hell, is truly humbling and extremely sad. God save those people!

Today, my team was back at the Day Center. We made pillows. The kids were beyond thrilled but it quickly turned into a huge pillow fight with 15 little participants. It was so awesome! After a long day at the Day Center we took food to a family of a few of the kids. They have a family of eight living a room probably smaller than most of your master bathrooms. To see such conditions really makes your greatful for all the things you take for grante.

It's been a really good couple of days... long... but great!
Prayer Requests:

• PLENTY of rest tonight!
• A couple of our team members came down with some kind of stomach thing today. Pray it goes away quickly and isn't spread. They all brushed their teeth with the water and no one else did so we're thinking it was caused by that.
• Pray for boldness and urgency tomorrow as we tell people about Jesus
• Pray for ready and willing hearts to commit to reading their Bibles

It's been an awesome week so far! We're half way through! Thank you so much for the prayers and support! I love you all more than you know!

Forever His,

EmilyJo

There's Nothing My God Cannot Do...

Today was a very long day... I'll update everyone tomorrow! Sorry guys!

That's the Power of the Cross

Today was our first full day of ministry. I heard the visitng team had an incredible day, but I can only really speak of the experiences I had with my team at the Day Center. We got to sleep in an extra hour than the visitng team.. it was glorious! We went down to the day center to get ready for the day. Around noon all the kids had shown up. Praise the Lord there were 16 kids in attendance. It was a trying day with the kids. Most of them come from pretty violent homes and didn't understand the concept of a hug. For them, touching is only in mean ways.

There is one family we are helping out with that lives on a vacant lot. There are 13 kids and 3 adults. The have made a shelter our of tarp and any spare materials. One of the mothers bites her kids faces when they are bad. There is also supicision of sexual abuse. CPS has been called, tomorrow could be the day they get taken away. It's a really rough situation. I wish I could tell you more. Just pray for Bhara's family. She is a 12 year old girl now expected to be the mom of 12 kids.

Tomorrow our teams switch responsiblities. I'm excited to share my experiences with you guys.

Prayer Requests

• PLENTY of rest tonight!
• Boldness to share God's word without hesistation and fear!
• Positive attitudes and willing and flexible hearts!

I'm so sorry this is so short. We have very long days here and my bed is calling my name! Thank you for all your prayers and support!

I love you all more than you know!

Forever His,

EmilyJo

Just Give Me 5 Minutes.... Romanian Minutes...

So we found out today that Romanian time is unlike any other time we're use to. 5 minutes usually turns into about an hour. Today we got to go to church twice. Both times we were told the service would only last about an hour.. three and a half hours later we left for lunch. It was crazy to say the least. The first service was three hours full of singing, offerings, preaching, sitting down, standing up and we even took part in the Lord's Supper. It was really neat to see these Romanians worship. They prayed with such reverence and urgency. It was incredible. It really challeneged me and my prayer life. Do I pray to God like I actually expect Him to hear and deliever? These people do!

Tomorrow we are splitting up into two teams. One team will go into a neighborhood and go door to door telling people about Jesus and handing out Bibles. The other team, the team I am on, will go down the street to the day center and put on a VBS for the kiddos that go there. I am SO excited to play with some kids!

Prayer Requests:

• PLENTY of rest tonight!
• A few of us are having stomach aches and feeling a little sick to our stomachs. Pray it would all go away by morning! I'm sure it just has something to do with the jetlag.
• Pray for awesome and FLEXIBLE attitudes!
• Pray for boldness. May we be urgent about spreading the gospel!
• That all fear and nervousness would disappear!

Praise Him for an awesome day today!! God was glorified and we learned something in the process!

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers! The days ahead are looking to be long but it's all going to be worth it! I love you all more than you know!

Forever His,

EmilyJo

FINALLY HERE!

After 13 hours in the air and 3 hours in a van, we have arrived in Constana, Romania. The flight was a little rough for most of us. I think the excitement and anticpation mixed an uncomfortable plane loaded with strangers wasn't the best of combinations, but we made it! I don't think I've ever been so happy to walk around! Driving in was beautiful, well the parts I was actually awake for! There were fields and fields of bright yellow sunflowers. It was so refreshing!

Tonight we are just taking it easy in our hotel. We've been traveling over a day so some R&R is greatly appreciated! Tomorrow we have an easy day. We're worshipping with a Romanian church in the morning and then coming back for their evening service, where Troy will be bringing the word. Won't you pray with us? Pray for open ears and open hearts. Pray the language barrier would somehow disappear!

I can't believe we are actually here! We drove by a lot where a family is living. It's a gravel lot with three ladies and fourteen children who got kicked out of their home. Tomorrrow we will get to go meet them. Poverty is everywhere and we only got to see a glimpse of it!

Prayer Requests:

• Plenty of rest!!
• Renewed spirits and attitudes for tomorrow!
• If you didn't already know, I left the states sick and it's proving to be a bit of a hindrence. Just pray for healing and that I could just forget about how I feel.

Praise Him for a safe journey!!

Our team memebers are Troy, Todd, Autumn, Boots, Shelly, Rick, Patti, Pam, Cindy, Sandy, Greg, Angie, Roger, Mike and Myself. Please pray for each of us speifically knowing God has a very different plan for each of us while we are here!

I'm about to crash for the night! I'll update everyone more tomorrow! Thank you all for the prayers and supports! I love you all more than you know!
Forever His,

EmilyJo

PS- My computer is in Romanian right now, so spell check says everything is mispelled and my brain is way too fried to adjust any errors! Sorry! haha O and there's a radio in the shower...no big deal!

A Twisted, Messed Up Tango

Ladies-
As you read this, I need to you silently put one hand in the air if you have spoken negatively of another woman in the past twenty-four hours. I would be lying if I told you both of my hands weren't straight in the air. Why is it that we feel the need to constantly talk about someone behind their back? Some have better excuses than others, but when it comes down to it, they are merely excuses. Suzie said something about my boyfriend. Did you see what Jane was wearing yesterday? O man.. I could hit Margret for what she did to me! All of these, minus the names, are phrases I hear almost every day. The reality of the matter is that no one really cares what you say about someone. We all look like complete idiots when we open our mouths about someone else, because guess what?? It doesn't make us better than anyone!

If we claim to be daughters of the Almighty King, then isn't it about time we started acting as such? If we really love our friends as much as we say, isn't it time to encourage them? I get so frustrated when we choose to spend our time gossiping about someone. Does me talking about a comment someone else made that hurt my feelings make the comment somehow disappear? I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that, in fact, it makes it worse. It just fuels the fire.

I'm not saying I am completely innocent of such behavior. I am just as guilty as anyone, but I am saying that we need to fix it.

"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it."
1 Peter 3:9-11

"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."
James 1:26

It's time to start living as daughters in the light of our Creator. It's time to treat each other with respect. It's time to keep our comments to ourselves and instead of speaking poorly to one another, we must lift each other up. I challenge you to be the change in your office, your school or even your family. Relationships are breaking all over the place, and it's partly due to our inability to properly respect and love one another with the love of Christ.

I hope this finds you having an incredible week! I love you all more than you know!
Forever His,
EmilyJo

I Will Go Where You Send Me!

I get to be the hands and feet our my Precious Savior!!! I keep thinking about that awesome fact today. Not only is He allowing me to travel all over the world to spread His name, but He allows me to be His hands and feet every day, everywhere I go.. me EmilyJo... just an average person! What an awesome responsibility!

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
1 Corinthians 15:57-58

I hope you're loving Him today! It's Wednesday... half way there! I love you all more than you know!
Forever His,
EmilyJo

I'm Leavin on a Jet Plane...

In case you were wondering, I finally got my itenerary for our trip to Constanta, Romania. I leave Dallas on July 1st to go to Austin, only to fly to DFW on the 2nd to begin our long journey! It's really kind of complicated and sounds silly to drive out there just to fly to the airport that happens to be twenty minutes from my house, but it will be a fun adventure!


We are planning to spend our days split into two teams. One team will work VBS at the Constanta Day Center (look them up on facebook) and the other have will be doing some evangelism through some near by cities. The people going on the trip are Sandi Adair, Troy Allen, Cindy Boucher, Todd Chafin, Shelly Clopton, Pam Griswold, Autumn Hibner, Patti Knight, Greg Knight, Roger Morrison, Angie Ray, Rich Schiller, Mike Tackett and myself. I ask that you would specifically pray for each of our team members. Each of us has a special set of gifts and talents, and our prayer is the Lord would allow us to put them to good use!

I don't have a lot of details regarding the trip. This group is based out of Georgetown, TX, so I have not made it to any of the meetings. I have kind of enjoyed not being in on the planning. I think I'm going to like going over there and seeing what happens!

I'll let you know more as I find out more! Pray! Pray! Pray! The team has decided to make Thursdays prayer and fasting days until we leave. Here is the call, will you participate? Starting this Thursday, fervently pray that our relentless God would reign not only in the lives of each team member, but in all the lives we will come in contact with during our short stay and if you feel led to participate in the fasting, please do! I'm so very excited to be apart of this, and ask that you would choose to be as well!

I love you all more than you know!
Forever His,
EmilyJo

I Need Grace...

I know you have all been on the edge of your seats anticipating my next post... well here you go, Aunt Debbie! My most faithful follower! Sorry it has been so long. I don't know where the time has gone, but I would really love to find it and get some back!

As I've been seeking Christ through planning out my summer, I've noticed one thing I've been lacking for quite some time. My eyes have been sown shut. Not by a hurtful past, not by a loser friend, but through my own willingness and desire to stay in my own bubble. I want to plan my life out the way I see it happening. Meet someone at 23, get degree at 24, settle down at 25. But the beauty of His grace is He doesn't care what is "normal". He doesn't care where my friends or family think I should be or think I should be doing. God's plan is so much greater than all the silly ones I come up with!

Speaking of summer plans, I would love to share mine! Next week I'm taking an awesome group of 4th grade girls to GA Camp. I'm a little nervous, but I'm so excited to be an example to them and to learn from them as well! Our trip to Romania is coming up so fast! I'm sooo not ready! But when you answer the call to go, He prepares you! I'm asking that you guys would commit to praying for both trips. Pray that the Holy Spirit would go before us and create a way. Pray that the Lord would be glorified in our small efforts to exalt His name. Pray that He would meet us both at GA Camp and Romania. I have a prayer guide for our Romania trip. I would love to send you a copy. Shoot me an email if you're interested!

I know this post was kind of all over the place, but I promise they will get better! I'll post about more ways to pray for Romania soon! I promise... and plan to keep that promise this time! I hope your summer is going well, and I hope you can see His grace today!

I love you all more than you know!
Forever His,
EmilyJo

Psalm 73:23-28... Will You Read it??

Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Those who are far from you will perish;

you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

There's Just Something About That Name

For my birthday, my friend Cassie, decorated my car with window paint. A few of the windows said things like, "I'm 22!" and "Happy Birthday, Emily". On my back windshield, written no bigger than an inch high read "Emily Loves Jesus". It was written so tiny, I figured no one really noticed that part next to the huge "I'M 22!" signs. So yesterday I was sitting outside my school, waiting for my class to start and all of the sudden I feel someone hitting the back of my car. I looked in the rare view mirror, only to find two girls standing behind me, clearly upset. They started yelling things like, "Bible Thumper!" and "OOO Emily loves Jesus... well we HATE you and your Jesus". They obviously had no idea I was in the car. The look of embarrassment on their faces was priceless as they approached my diver's side window. I just looked up at them, smiled, and went back to reading my book. They quickly got into the car next to me and drove away.

At that moment, I wanted to say something to them, anything to make them feel stupid for acting so immaturely. Then I realized that nothing I could have said would have taken back their acts of hate towards my Savior. They are lost. They are obviously mad at God, or they wouldn't have even thought about the inch tall letters on the back of a stranger's car. My heart began to break for these girls. Beautiful girls with bright futures, but with the biggest and darkest clouds hanging over their heads. Their lives are empty. Their lives lack purpose and direction, and they felt it appropriate to take it out on my car. I never knew three little words could make a perfect stranger act out in such dislike. I began to earnestly pray that God would somehow save them. That He would wrap His loving arms around those girls, whisper His promises in their ears, and turn their lives into lives that glorify and honor Him. I prayed that those girls would no longer take their anger with God out of other people, but that they would learn to forgive and let go of the bitterness they have in their hearts. Won't you pray with me? They are in desperate need of a Savior!

Impossible in NOT a Word!

Basic Training... It Starts With A Heart Condition

This weekend, at DNOW, God was just everywhere! From Friday night playing dodgeball, to the last worship service of intense convictions and the awesome presence of our Maker! Man it was so blessed! 

Cassie and I co-lead the 7th grade girls group. Coming into the weekend we were both unsure as to what to expect. Freshman girls thought we were probably the coolest thing since sliced bread, but we had no idea what a bunch of middle schoolers would think. They said we were the coolest people they had ever met and wanted to hang out with us all the time! Such a blessing and so humbling to have a group of eight thirteen year old girls that hung on every word we said. 

One of our sessions was on the importance of baptism. I was kind of blowing through the lesson really fast, thinking they wouldn't really care and they just wanted to eat lunch. As I was going through it, I noticed the look of intense concentration on what I was saying. At the end of it I told them to come talk to Cassie or myself if they felt they wanted to get baptized. 4 our of my 8 girls came and talked to me and confessed they wanted to take the next step in their walk and follow in believers baptism. It was truly humbling to see these young girls have such faith in such an unshakable God!!

Saturday Night, we stayed up far too late prank calling people. I know, it's really immature, but it brought so much joy to them. Not that calling people was the joy, but just spending time with each other. One of them even told me they had never felt any older girls would ever want to hang out with them. I know it meant so much to them that we were just in the same room as them! Such a blessing to my heart!!

I could talk all day about what an awesome time we had at DNOW this year! I pray those girls would keep the fire going, and make a difference in their schools!

In other news, I fracture my foot about two weeks ago and I'm just now getting it taken care of... really good idea! It just makes me laugh at this point! I hope you guys are having an incredible Monday! I love you all more than you know!

Forever His,

EmilyJo