[Even though we know that it's bittersweet... I know it's right]

The Lord has shown me an open door!! I have been approved to stay in Spain for another semester! It's something that has been on my heart for several weeks, and now I know where the Lord is guiding me. I know it's right, because there were, once again, a million things that had to work out. In some ways, this is the easiest decision ever, because I am simply trusting the Lord… in other ways, it’s difficult only because it’s a little bit sad.

But everything that makes it a little bit sad is very selfish,… and if I can plant or water even just ONE seed for the Lord that eventually sprouts and grows, that’s SOOO worth it! I'm just trying my best to follow Him very purposefully. I know His plan is so much better than anything I could ever come up with, and He is ALWAYS unbelievably good. I’m striving to completely trust Him, and He’s continuing to hold me. A good friend recently said to me, “There’s not enough time in this world to be sad for things when you can be glad on the flip side.” I think that pretty much hits it on the head. :)

It's pretty cool, because as soon as I posted the last blog asking for prayers and talked to a few close prayer buddies, and really just petitioned the Lord for an answer, it was no time at all until I had one. :) Thank you all so much for all your prayers, support, and encouragement. God is soooo good. All the time.

Love!
Philippians 4:4-7

Praying for More Patience

Can we just pray that God will open the door and my eyes this week?
That it will become clear what He wants me to do, and that I will not let my emotions carry me?

I want to learn to have joy in Him every day.
Serving isn't about feeling, it's about obedience.
I need to work on this.

Thank you so much. Love you all.

I was talking with a friend yesterday, about how to tell what’s next for your life… how do you know?? If you’re truly following God, He will open and close doors… I’m just always nervous I’m not looking at the right doors. As it is, I feel like being open to doing ANYTHING He tells me to is the key. I want to completely surrender myself to Him. This is so hard, sometimes, when it hurts a little, when it hurts a lot, when it’s scary. But I’m learning that if I’m not in His will… that’s even more scary and hurtful. I would rather be so blessed by chasing Him, running hard for Him.

In the conversation, I told my friend sometimes I don’t really care if I’m at home in the States or not. It doesn’t bother me to be away. I asked if that was normal, and kind of laughed, but what he said really struck me. He basically said that he thought that it IS normal, and that if everybody would really step out of their comfort zones and really go for it in missions for the Lord, that they would realize that they feel “normal,” or rather, “at home,” away from home, doing the Lord’s ministry. The Lord has given me that peace, even when I do feel out of my comfort zone, and that’s one way that I can know I am in His will.

The whole concept is very relieving. I’m an excellent worrier. But I know that the Lord is caring for me always, and within that, I have realized that includes giving me His peace when I am striving first and foremost to let Him shine through me. It goes full circle… and suddenly I have nothing to worry about. Wow. :)

I just have been amazed, and I wanted to share, and to encourage everyone to really seek after the Lord’s will for your life in THIS moment; strive to be content, happy, joyful in Him, and as a result, feel His glorious grace and peace.

"whatever You're doing
inside of me
it feels like chaos
but i believe
You're up to something
bigger than me

... all i can do is surrender."
-Sanctus Real

Prayer Pictures...

basketball team! Antonio and the girls





World Team member Kami and our friend Maria







Luisi and Patricia







David (in the middle) from Trujillo, and his buddies. We play futbol with them.






Journeyman team member: Timon







Hands-On Team Member David, and Fernando







Journeyman team member: Daniel








Journeyman team member: Paul

Tooooooo much to write about, so I’ll hit the highlights: (just click on a pic to see it bigger)

This last weekend we got to have a little break and go to Lisbon to visit some Journeymen friends over there! It was very relaxing and refreshing to be able to be with American friends (Caroline and Craig) and to encourage each other.

Bible study has started, been going for two weeks now! It’s slowly growing, so please pray that our friends (Josu, Dani, Canario, Fernando) will feel comfortable and welcome to come see what it’s all about!!




[the Caceres church plant]

Our English- Spanish conversational lessons are expanding as well. We have met with Rosa and her friends again, and a couple of times with our friend Maria (yea! for girls!) and Paul and I had the chance to substitute for Chris in his English class when he was gone last week. Definitely fun stuff.

[us with Rosa and the girls]



Speaking of girls, thank the Lord for Kami! She is new, straight from Virginia, here with World Team. It’s so great to have her around.




[me and Kami]


And Mom says maybe the Lord meant for me to go on sports missions, because my friend Antonio invited me to play on the basketball team he coaches… turns out, it’s girls (!) my age! We’ve practiced three times already, and it’s absolutely FABULOUS. Praise the Lord for basketball girls (Clara, Ira, Sara, Maria, Jada, Angelica, Maria) in every language. I’m absolutely floating.

Finally, yesterday I received a heavy box in the mail… filled with Kraft macaroni and cheese! I practically danced around all day, thinking about it. Thank you to everybody who contributed to the Mac-n-Cheese-Is-Essential-For-Emily’s-Nutrition Drive. :) Tonight Luisi and I are going to hang out and cook some up at the boys’ flat.




[me and mac :)]


Please continue to pray for all these wonderful young people, that their hearts would be open to hearing His word. Please pray that we will have the (Spanish!) words to tell them why we are here and why He loves them. Finally, please pray for strength of heart and mind, that I would be focused on the here and now and exactly what God’s plan is.

Praise the Lord for this beautiful week!!

the Snowball Effect

No, it's not snowing here in Spain. It's very rare that it would ever. BUT, I can definitely feel a snowball effect as a result of the Lord's wonderful movings (is that a word?) here in Caceres.
Your prayers have definitely been felt! Since my last post (sorry it's been a bit), we have had a couple of really great conversations with Josu and Danny about what we believe and about differences in types of religion and about the Bible. Praise the Lord for Luisi, who was hanging out with us that night and was able to answer most of their questions in Spanish! And praise Him for nudging me to put my Spanish Bible in my purse that night too, because then we were able to see things from both sides of the language barrier! Danny tends to be somewhat of an attacker of issues, while Josu sort of sits back and takes it all in. Please pray that we can tend to both of their needs and meet them where they are at.
Enter snowball effect: they are always inviting us to hang out with their friends, and it seems they know everybody! It's new people every time, and it's great! There are a few regulars, and we have gotten to know Canario better. Canario says he used to go to church when he was younger, but he's not into that now. But he is learning English very rapidly, and is really excited to come to our English club in the next week or two! Please pray for conversations in English club to turn to the Bible and our Lord. Also pray that a connection could be drawn between English club and Bible study that starts this next Monday; I'm hoping they will feel welcome to come to Bible study if they have been hanging out with our friends from English club.
More snowballing: many people here are eager to learn or improve their English, and we have made a number of friends simply as a result of being native English speakers. Praise the Lord! We met with some girls, Rosa and her friends, who accidentally rang the wrong doorbell at Paul, Daniel, and Timon's apartment, and found out there are English speakers living in 2B. We practiced Spanish/English with them last week, and they want to meet again this Friday. Pray for conversation to turn to beliefs there. The Lord shoved me in the direction of a girl, Fanny, in my facultad on campus who offered me her email address so we can practice language sometime! (I've since emailed her with no response, and haven't run into her again; please pray for opportunities!) Finally, a new guy in our residencia, Fernando, was an exchange student in Chicago for a year, and his English is very good- he has opened himself up to me and David as a result. We got to have a cool conversation about books, which turned into religions, which turned into him being very excited about Bible study this next Monday. Please pray for the convictions of his heart.
Finally, I am constantly amazed how the Lord can create a snowball out of nothing. We have been playing basketball usually once a week with a group of guys that Chris usually plays with. Just us being there sparked a conversation for Chris- Paco wanted to know why there were more American friends all of a sudden, and Chris was able to tell him why we're all in Caceres and what we all believe. Pray for Paco's interest to grow and for it to spread throughout Nacho, Luis, and our basketball friends.
Sometimes when the day is uneventful, I feel somewhat useless, so please pray for encouragement and realization that this has nothing to do with me and everything to do with our Lord and Savior. We just have to pray BIG. He can do anything, so let's continue to petition Him for a huge movement! Thank you all so much for all your prayers and encouraging words and notes. I am blessed beyond measure.

Hugs all around!

Then sings my soul... how great Thou art!

Its been a great week! Last Saturday our Spanish class got to take a trip to Merida, a nearby town with some ancient Roman ruins, so that was really neat to see. Class is coming along nicely, and we are all blessed because the student-teacher ratio is awesome, so we get a lot of specific attention!


Got to hang out with Luisi a couple of times last week, watched Kung Fu Panda one time, haha, and played frisbee at the picnic after church. Yea! for girl time.


Josu and Danny (it's Danny, not Jonny, but we discovered that before he figured out we had it wrong, thankfully) have been calling a lot, so we've been playing board games and basketball and hanging out. Our relationship with them is snowballing into new friendships as we meet their friends, so please just pray for opportunities to bring up our Lord, for open minds and hearts, and for His words on our lips.

It seems I was meant to minister to boys here, which doesn't make much sense to me, but as long as it's in the Lord's plan, it doesn't have to. I have been around more boys than girls, as the rest of the team is all boys, and have only met like three or four girls, really. I am feeling a little lonely, needing that girly togetherness that only girls automatically have between each other!! So I guess that's a prayer request. I also haven't really been frustrated with the language barrier until just like yesterday or the day before... which is strange, because I feel like I am learning! But I guess as I improve, people don't talk as slowly, and all of a sudden I don't understand them again, same as when I first got here. So prayer for that, for patience, would be great. Honestly, to be all-encompassing, prayer that I would be willing to stay out of my comfort zone and not wish to be back in it and prayer for boldness in His name are what I would appreciate so very much.

Finally, I have a different sort of prayer request, not for me, but for a friend also in the field in Europe: he and his mentors had the chance to break the fast of Ramadan with some Muslim friends earlier this week in the local mosque and were amazed to see God working in many of the Muslim men they encountered. They had the chance to talk about their Christian beliefs right there in the mosque! They are hopefully returning both Wednesday and Thursday this week, and I would like if everybody could please lift them up at the same time... it will be about 1:00 p.m. American Central time. Please pray that the Lord will provide words and opportunites for the men sharing, and for the men receiving to feel burdened and to open their ears and hearts and minds.

God is sooooo good, all the time!

Life's Really Rough in Spain

...okay, so life's actually really great here. This week was really productive and encouraging! The Lord's been working crazy all over the place. He's so good.
Started language class this week, and so I feel like my Spanish is coming along a little bit. There are times when I can't even come close to say what I want, but at the really important times, the words just come spilling out, and somehow the Lord lets the other person understand my gibberish. :)
David and I made a couple new friends, Josu [Yo-soo] and Jonny. I was just reading on the Plaza de Mayor, and Josu came up and asked me if he could borrow a pen... and we started talking (all the Lord's words, not mine!), a little about God, a little about sports and the university, etc. It was really great, and they both speak some English, which helps. David and I have gotten to hang out with them a few times. Yesterday we went to the pool and then played some basketball... yeah, really rough life. :)
When we got to the gym, we ran into our friend Nacho, who we had played ball with only once the week before, and we recognized each other AND remembered each other's name! so that was really encouraging. We all played some three on three, and once again, the Lord gave me all sorts of words, and they just came pouring out... mostly just basketball talk, but I feel like there are really some relationships being built there.
I have been trying all week, and finally got ahold of Luisi [Loo-ee-see] on the phone today. I was nervous about trying to talk on the phone to her, because I was afraid I wouldn't have the words (you'd think I'd learn to stop worrying! haha) and no gesturing help on the phone, but the conversation went really smoothly! and she's planning on going to La Dia de las Iglesias (the day of the churches- just all the area Protestant churches getting together) tomorrow with us, so I am very excited to get to hang out with her! Hopefully we'll get to have some chill girl time later this week, too.
Thank you so much for all your prayers; they have definitely been felt! The Lord is doing amazing things, and the only culture shock I've really had is that there is no Kraft macaroni and cheese here... :) Please continue to pray for these relationships and for our team, that we will look to God first always, for His will, His opportunities, and His words!

I'll try to post some pictures next time, when I'm winning the battle against my internet. :)
With love.

Caceres!

Wow, wow, wow. Where to start? I meant to update before this, my apologies.

When we arrived in Europe, we went straight to orientation in London. There all 18 of us spent four days with some wonderful IMB staff who prepared us spiritually, emotionally, and even physically! for our upcoming adventures. (I'm sure we must have been exhausting to them, so thank you to them for all their hard work.) We all bonded very quickly, which we discovered was so easy when you have the Lord in common in your lives! And its wonderful to know that we are all supporting each other and praying for one another even while we're in different countries in Europe. (There are people in Wales, London, Paris, Malta, Portugal, and us here in Spain.)

As of today, my teammate David Schild and I have been in Caceres, Spain for exactly one week. We are settled in a "residencia," which is... hard to explain. Sort of like a dorm, sort of like a hotel. Perhaps most like a boarding house. Our housemother, Cristina, cooks for us and does our laundry (!) and they change our sheets, etc. When all the students arrive, there will only be about 12 people living in the building together. But we all have our own private rooms, no roommates. It's a very homey setting, and I like it a lot.

David and I have had time to explore the city a little bit and get acquainted with some of the main streets and supermarkets and local ice cream stores :) so we are feeling at home. We got to play some basketball with a variety of people on Tuesday night, and it was so much fun and felt so good. I love that sports are the same in every language. I feel like that is a wonderful ministry.

Today we attended church at the church plant with our ISC team members and our supervisors Chris and Cathie Smith, their kids, and a number of nationals. I was excited to meet a girl, Luisi, who is about my age, who recently began attending the church, and she would like to hang out soon!

Tomorrow we start language class for four weeks, and I am very excited to improve my Spanish!

Please be praying for: Chris and Cathie, David, and the rest of our team; other people living in the residencia, that we can begin building strong relationships; our language class, that the learning will come quickly and smoothly, and will stick; Luisi, specifically, as she learns more about her Savior; and the other Hands-On adventurers in other European countries. Also, that the Lord would provide very specific opportunities, and that our words and actions would be not ours, but His alone.

Love to all.

Is it time for Spain yet?

YES! It's time for Spain! I leave tomorrow... well, today! My flight leaves Tulsa at 10:30 a.m., layover in Chicago, then leave there at 5:30. I'm pretty much a plane sleeper, so when I wake up, I'll be in London!

All Europe Hands-On team members will spend four days in London for orientation, and then David Schild(fellow Caceres team member) and I will be flying from London to Madrid, arriving next Sunday. I can't wait!

Thank you, again, everyone, for your prayers, donations, and support. Everyone today at church was so encouraging. God is so good.

Please keep everyone in your prayers as we travel, and Terry (orientation director) during this week which is probably craziness for him. Also, pray that God will prepare our hearts that we may easily share His word and open our hearts to one another so our Caceres team can work hard together!

Love and hugs!

"God Has Lots of Money!"

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Spain is where God wants me for the next four months. He has opened so many doors that it just amazes me.

His latest work: my part of the Hands-On funding is due tomorrow, and for the last couple of months, I have to admit, I have been a little bit stressed about being able to come up with enough. I have been saving as much as possible from waiting tables, but the plans to run a basketball camp fell through, and that left a hole in my budgeting.

My mom told me about an incident where brother's college roommate, Kossi, was encouraging a ministry group struggling financially, and one of his comments had been "God has lots of money!" And while it was meant to lighten the mood whenever Mom would say it to me... its so true! She called me a few days ago and told me that the mission committee at my home church in Bartlesville was able to donate a very generous amount to my Spain trip. I was so excited about that! It really took some stress off of me.

Then yesterday I received an email letting me know the amount of money that has been donated just since I mailed out the letters a few weeks ago... and it was SO overwhelming! Everyone has been so generous. I know I shouldn't have been worried in the first place, because God is SO good.

Thank you, everyone, for your prayers and gifts. It means more to me than you know.

Praise be to Him!

Preparing for Spain!

Hey everybody! This is my very first blog and my very first post, so please bear with me! Hopefully they'll get a little more savvy as time goes on.

I am headed for Spain, leaving August 17th at 10:30 a.m. from the Tulsa airport. I am so very excited, but also a tiny bit nervous. I would really appreciate everyone's prayers especially these next six months or so, as our team prepares, travels, and gets things going!

I am one of two Hands-On team members, and there are three Journeyman who will be in the same location while I am there as well. We all hope to just be able to spread the joy of the Lord to the people of Spain through our love and actions!

Please pray specifically for 1) the people of Spain, that they will be open to hearing His word, 2) our team and supervisors, that God's love will flow through us and that we will be spiritually fed, too, 3) the IMB staff and everyone who has helped financially to give us these opportunities.

I'll try to keep this updated, so be sure to check back periodically!

Much love.