No Left Turns

"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- The Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you." John 14:16-17

I can hardly believe that I have only been here for almost three weeks. The way I have gotten to know these awesome people amazes me because I feel like I have known them my whole life, yet it has been such a short time. These past couple of weeks have been busy with my work schedule and I had my first day off last Saturday. Since it was the weekend, everyone had to work, so I enjoyed my day by relaxing by the beach right by myself. Once Kaitlin got off work, we went and rode rides! It was one of the funniest things I have ever experienced considering she is not a fan of roller coasters. Haha

(At my work haha)

(Doing laundry, which occurs at a laundry mat downtown)



(On the Giant Dipper with Kaitlin)

One of the things I really look forward to each week is MNL (Monday Night Live), and it is like our “crusade” for the project. The whole project goes to a church and we have praise and worship, games, testimony sharing, and then a message. This is a great opportunity for us to invite co-workers, and I was SO excited when my sweet friend/co-worker, Riley, wanted to come on Monday. She is such a fun girl, with a great personality, and I loved working with her and I hope I get to a lot more during these next 8 weeks!

(Riley and I at MNL)

On Wednesday the women on project were serenaded by the guys and each given a rose, it was so sweet! Then we were treated to a candlelight dinner for just the ladies! It honestly was so fun and girly, and nice to get away for girl time. I love all of these wonderful ladies and am so thankful to be serving along with them here, they are such a blessing to me!

(I love this girl)

(The North Carolina women)

 My rose :)

(Mrs. Sharon, such an incredible woman)

(I seriously love these ladies!!!)

I was so excited to have a week day off from work this week and was determined to find other people that were off the same day as me, so I could plan a trip somewhere! So I found 12 people that had Thursday off and we started planning. I decided it would be fun to go to San Francisco for the day, so we rented three cars that could transport all of us. As silly as this may sound, I really felt like a true adult being able to rent a car. haha! Anyways we had a blast and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. We were able to see the Golden Gate Bridge, ride the Lombard Road, and spend some time at Pier 39. It has been one of the best days so far, and I can’t wait to do it again soon. I laughed so much and just enjoyed being around my friends in such a neat city.

(our group at the Golden Gate Bridge)

My roommate, Samantha

(Anna, Breanna, and Ethan all rode with me to San Francisco)

We have a big event on Saturday that we are hoping to have a lot of co-workers and people we have met come to, so please pray that this opens an opportunity to share the gospel. Please also pray for me as I will be sharing my testimony at MNL this Monday, and that the Lord will speak through me! Thank you for praying for me, I have seen so faithfully many prayers being answered.

Soli Deo Gloria.

First Day of Work

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17

I experienced my first day of work on the boardwalk yesterday. I am working in food, which is something I have never done before, but I really did enjoy it! We stayed fairly busy, which I LOVE because it makes the time go by much faster. I was positioned at a funnel cake place and it was so much fun. I was blessed with an awesome “leader” worker, Raefel, who was really interested in getting to know me and Ethan (another Crusade student). He kept saying that we Crusaders were cool, and that he enjoyed working with “our kind.” Haha Because this past week I have been around my project, I have forgotten about my accent, until yesterday. I asked a customer, “would ya’ll like whip cream on your funnel cake?” and Raefel said I like that, in confusion I said “what?” He said I like the word “ya’ll.” My southern accent sticks out a LOT, but it is a neat tool to draw people into telling them why I am here and why I love the Lord! I was also reminded how much I love to make people smile, and how fun it is to do simple things that will bring such joy to them. A simple smiley face of whip cream brought them joy and in turn made me happy. I am so excited about where I work, how I can serve people through my job, and the relationships that are already starting to build through my job. Please continue to pray for me and my team as this will be our first full week of work!

My roommates!! (Emily, Stephanie, Anna Joy, Me, Samantha, and Danielle)

Sweet Dawn :)

Kaitlin, me, Christin, and Brandon

Soli Deo Gloria.

Santa Cruz, California

“For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5

First, I am safely in Santa Cruz and LOVING it!! J Second, I am so sorry it has taken me a few days to update my blog…we have been SO busy! When we got here on Monday, we were greeted by staff and students with hugs and excitement which made me feel right at home. We spent the rest of the day meeting everyone and getting settled into our home at the Peter Pan Motel. These people are amazing, and I am overwhelmed by God’s goodness in providing me with some awesome roommates and dear friends already!

(Me, Elizabeth, Christin, and Kaitlin)

Our first true day is Santa Cruz was much different than I imagined because it was rainy and very cold (there is usually no rain here), so it was sort of a bummer. However, we spent most of the day in training, so if I had to spend the day inside it was a perfect day to! Kaitlin and I did do some exploring and it was so cool to explore this city that we would call home for the next 10 weeks.

(view of the boardwalk)

(Samantha, Danielle, and me)--two of my roommates!

Wednesday was a wonderful day! I got up early and ran with a few girls up to the cliffs, which was a breathtaking view. We spent the morning and early afternoon with our roommates, getting to know each other. THEN we got into these groups and had an awesome pirate scavenger hunt around Santa Cruz, and our group won!! Whoop whoop! Because the day was pirate themed, we ended the night watching Pirates of the Caribbean and making s'mores (which are my favorite!).

(Kaitlin, me, and Abbey)

(Kaitlin, Emilee, me, and Kaylie)

I am so thankful for incredible staff and awesome students, and I am already so blessed by these people. Thank you for continuing to pray for me!

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare if fearlessly, as I should.” Ephesians 6: 19-20

Soli Deo Gloria.

West bound very soon...

Last night I slept in my bed for the last time this summer! I am now sitting in my brother’s house, packed and ready to head to Raleigh to stay before we go to the airport in the morning. I feel like tonight is going to be like Christmas Eve because I am SOO excited!! I am just ready to be there!! As I am soaking in this last bit of time with family, I just wanted to leave a verse that I ask will be your prayer for me and my project team this summer. It has been such a blessing to have people pray for me, and I want to have you continuing to pray!

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Colossians 4: 2-6

4 Days

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

1 Peter 3:15

What a hope we have in Christ! It's hard to believe that I am leaving for Santa Cruz, California, in less than four days! I am so excited about being there in such a short time. But with that said, I have a LOT to do before I get on my non-stop flight to California on Monday. These past couple of weeks have been full of fun and visiting with friends before I leave. Yesterday it really hit me that I will be away from friends and family for the whole summer, but I really am so stoked about serving the Lord and meeting my project team very soon. It has been great to spend some time at the lake, visit with sweet friends and spend a little time at home before Monday. Here are some pictures from these couple of weeks with friends.

 With my cousin, Lainey, at her graduation!

Me and Mimi at the Lake

Spent some time in VA with Alex and Kelsey

 A fun dinner in Wilmington with friends

Had lunch with Paige this week. So thankful for this sweet friend who has encouraged me so much as I have been preparing for CA.

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17: 3

I cannot wait for the Lord to use my team in an incredible way this summer. I have been praying for the people that the Lord is going to place in our paths and how he will choose to use us to bring them to Christ. Thank you for those of you who have partnered with me on this journey and for continuing to pray for me. Please pray as my team will be traveling in a few days, as they are continuing to raise support, and that this summer will bring glory to Christ in all ways! Well on Monday morning, I will be flying out of RDU with my precious friend, Kaitlin, and I can't wait! I am soo excited to have her with me this summer! Here is a picture of us when she came to visit Rose Hill with me.

Soli Deo Gloria.

10 Things...

I will miss...

1. Sweet friends and family

2. Being in NC when my sister comes home for the final time!

3. White Lake

4. Living with my parents during the summer like I have done for the past 20 years.

5. Sal’s Snowballs!

6. Louisa, Amy, and Johanna’s wedding

7. Sweet tea!!!

8. Atlantic Ocean

9. Late night talks with my Dad

10. Washburn Beach Vacation

I am looking forward to...

1. Living in California

2. NO humidity!

3. Working a job where I can get on a roller coaster in an easy second

4. Meeting 60 students, who desire to grow with the Lord

5. Sharing the gospel with people who have no hope, and through Christ giving them hope!

6. Doing something different for my summer.

7. Learning to surf

8. Pacific Ocean

9. Growing in a lot of different ways

10. Site seeing lots of neat places!!

Three weeks away

This blog was created for my family and friends to follow as I am in Santa Cruz, California this summer. I will be giving updates about what the Lord is doing in and through me as well as what my life on the west coast is like.

With that said, I can't believe it is almost time for me to leave for California. It seems like yesterday I was applying and then receiving the phone call that I was accepted to do summer project in Santa Cruz. I vividly remember that night getting off the phone and in tears of joy calling my parents and telling them. I was and still am overjoyed for this opportunity to serve Christ there! And I am even more excited to meet my project team of about 60 students and for how the Lord is going to use us for His glory.

Monday marks three weeks until I step out of everything that is familiar and fully depend on the Lord during this very exciting journey. There are moments when it hits me that I will be away from friends and family for a whole summer and I know I will miss them terribly, but there is no doubt, in how faithful the Lord has been to provide, that this is where I am suppose to be. I count it pure joy that Christ chose to use me to share the gospel in California.

Thank you for those who have committed to partnering with me in prayer, there are no words to describe how truly thankful I am. Please continue to pray me and for the people in Santa Cruz that the Lord will place in my path. I cannot wait to be there and I look forward to updating you often on my experience.

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24

Soli Deo Gloria.