Catching Up on Life after New Tribes

As most of you probably know, I moved to the hillbilly state of Missouri after I graduated :) The focus of my first year out of Bible College was to be: To work and save up for college again the next year, Get really involved in a Church that had ministry opportunities and a solid group of believers I could grow close to and have fellowship with, Actively live out all that I had learned in school and continue to stay faithful in my pursuing a closer relationship with my Savior! Since growing up at the New Tribes campus, I had seen many of my friends and fellow believers leave their love and zeal for walking with the Lord at the graduation door... this always saddened me and I was determined to be different!
Well, this last year and a half or so has definitely been an interesting adventure! It hasn't always been easy, in fact - sometimes just plain miserable! I've had ups & downs along the way and to be honest, I'm just NOW actually starting to feel like I'm getting into a comfortable familiarity. God has definitely continued to work in my life over this time, faithful as He always is... growing me to put my complete trust and satisfaction in Him rather than people, my plans, and life circumstances! I'd like to share some of the ways God has shown His faithfulness to me, because First and Foremost : God truly does deserve our Praises, even when WE think everything is going wrong; and secondly, because I know many of you may have had the same struggle of leaving the "new tribes safe bubble" and learning to live in the real world this past year... I'm there with you and here to encourage you that God is still good :)
God blessed me with a job, literally the day I moved down here... I started out cleaning camp cabins, hotel rooms, and even mansion style condos down here at the lake! It was very good pay, but very hard labor! I only planned on it being a transition job until I could find something with more of a stable schedule, and God answered my prayers in a very timely manner! Within the first month I got hired at a restaurant called Bandana's BBQ as a full-time waitress :) So my first goal on my "To-Do List" was in action... I could now start saving for college and other life expenses! I was able to live in my parents fully finished basement with my sister, which only required me to pay a small amount of rent for electricity and utilities. Other than the monthly fees of phone bills, groceries/toiletries, and car maintnance, I was pretty much free from the bulk of life's financial obligations... so, I decided now was the perfect time to get braces! I had wanted to get them for a while, but couldn't afford them and God opened the perfect opportunity! The orthodontist down here gave me AMAZING deal after amazing deal... if I would have followed through with getting them the year before in Wisconsin when the opportunity arose, I wouldn't have saved the $2,000 +  that I did in getting them when I did! :)  God is so good and perfect in His timing... not only did I save financially, I also only had to have them on 11 months, which was a year and a few months earlier than what the other orthodontists had told me! I feel very, very blessed to see it all work out and thankful that God allowed me to get something I've had my heart set on for years now! As for the college I had my hopes set on since I was 13...God had other plans for me! It was definitely hard letting go of my plans - some by choice, others not - but God knows better and He can see the future when I can't!! Thank goodness for that :) I was put on a waiting list for College of the Ozarks, but because of the economy, even people in close relationship with the advisory couldn't pull strings for me. Since C of O is a work program, its hard to qualify...and usually missionary kids are first pick, but because of the economy's situation with education and finances, they are now targeting missionary kids that have had no other education outside of high school, meaning... 2 years of Bible School made me not qualify! I could take the chance of re-applying in another year, but there would still be no quarantee of me getting accepted and I would have spent another year just working and not getting closer to my goal of future missions... so I decided to still continue my education at a community college here in Osage Beach! God again opened an amazing door for me and I'm so excited to be walking through it! I'm starting up my classes this coming Monday with half of its expenses completely covered by my financial aid! :) God is sooo good and faithful to provide financially... even though work has slowed down now that the summer tourists have left, God is continually challenging me to rest in Him and trust that He's carrying me and working for my best!!
My second goal was getting involved in a solid church here, and God blessed me beyond measure! Calvary Chapel was the first church I tried upon moving here and I was instantly hooked! I had been praying that God would provide me with a church that 1. Have solid doctrine teaching, 2. Some kind of Children's Ministry available, 3. a Women's Bible Study, 4. College group, 5. and preferribly a band that I could enjoy during worship.... I'm happy to say, that morning God matched every single one of those desires! So after attending a few weeks I asked to meet with the pastor and right away he helped me get involved :)  I started out helping with the nursery/toddlers and soon after transferred into team teaching with 2 other girls, a Sunday School class for the 6-8 year olds! The kids in my class have blessed me more than I can even express... not only have I fallen in love with each and every one of them, God has used them to continually challenge and encourage me! Their little minds retain so much and it has really allowed me to put into teaching practice the things I've learned from school :) Not only that, a few months after Christmas the worship leader and pastor approached me about joining the worship team! So after a trial period of practicing, I was officially accepted into the team and that has just been another completely amazing blessing in my life! It has really been a way for me to get to know more people in the church and build some strong relationships with those on the team :) Come November 1st, a few of us from the team are getting the opportunity to go to a Worship Conference with Calvary Chapel in California!! Yay... not only will this be an awesome time to connect and grow with others from Calvary's all over the US involved in worship, but I also get to see my Grandma for two days after the conference! God truly does continue to remind me of all the things He has done, and is still doing in my life!! :)
As for the third goal, actively living out my faith... I won't say that I've been completely consistent! I've gone through droughts and stumbled along a little when it comes to staying faithful at diligently studying God's Word, but I can see how God consistently brings me back to being more hungry for Him and His Holy Scriptures!!! I started up a Bible study a while back with some new believers at my work... I'm leading them through the book of Romans - I know, big task - but it truly has been awesome! We are taking it extremely slow and I can't be more thankful for Ernie's notes to help me along the way, hehe :)  and even though we had to take a short break during the summer since all of our schedules at work seemed to take up all our free time, but each girl was begging me to start it up again and I'm overjoyed to say we finally did now that our schedules are evening out again! I've seen these girls lives be challenged in very real ways, and it blesses my heart to see their desire to know God more and actually be convicted by the way they live, desiring to change for the glory of God!! This study, along with teaching sunday school, as well as other studies & personal reading I am doing in my own time, have helped keep me accountable and growing in my walk! Of course practical life situations are always a key to growth, and God has difenitely used them as well!
So to end this first post... I just want to say Thank You to all! Those friends that have stayed in contact, I've very blessed to have you in my life and know that each one of you has been a huge part in my challenging and growth this past year out of school! For those of you that I didn't keep in very good communication with, I'm so sorry... do forgive me! However, know that I am still very grateful for you, your prayers, and I hope that this can be a way that we will be able to stay in better touch! :)