Praise God for the 45 Bridge of Hope children that were sponsored at Acquire the Fire - San Antonio this weekend. It was a good weekend--complete with a nice little lesson about trusting God in the midst of unknowns. At 3:30 on Saturday afternoon, I knew that my volunteers would be leaving in 90 minutes and I would have the last six hours to handle two booths and tear-down by myself. In the midst of utter uncertainty, a local missions director called my cell phone. He said he was given my number and told to call me. So I told him what I needed and he came to help out. He was an awesome blessing from the moment he arrived at 4:30 until the last box of cards was counted and loaded up at 10:00. Praise God!

Roommate AJ's been sick again. I stopped by Blockbuster this evening to get her a free movie rental. I decided to pick up Much Ado about Nothing. I couldn't find it. So I checked with the employees and the computer database.

"What's it called? Much To do About Nothing?"
No. Much ado about nothing.
"Much Undo About Nothing"
No. Much ADO about nothing. a-d-o
"a - d - o. Is that one word or two?"
One word. Ado.
"Much ai-do about nothing?"
Much ado. a-d-o about nothing
"Much ado about nothing?"
Yes.
"That would be in the comedy section. But we don't carry that movie."

12 days until I leave for India. I called the passport center this morning and they said my passport should be in Friday or Monday. Then I still need to get my visa. Please pray!

I'm sitting in the lobby of my hotel in San Antonio. I flew down yesterday to represent GFA at an Acquire the Fire event here. I've got two wondeful volunteers helping me. I think we handed out about 150 free books yesterday. We're praying for 100 child sponsorships today. You can pray for us too.

My funny story from yesterday: I was moving a partially loaded pallet with a pallet jack and it got away from me...shoving me down the ramp in front of it and skewing out of control until it pinned me between it and a concrete wall! Praise God I wasn't hurt and God provided a large cowboy to take the pallet down the other two ramps for me. The only think hurt was my pride and vanity.

Ew! How am I going to live through today with grease stains on my good slacks?

Thanks for all your prayers. I got about 33 newsletters noted and signed on Tuesday morning. Another 30 finished Wednesday morning. And the last 160 were done Wednesday evening!

I skipped out early on the bridal shower tonight and am heading home to do laundry so I can be ready to leave for San Antonio about 6:45 tomorrow morning. I'm the only GFA staff member attending, so I have to train the local volunteers who will be helping me. This is new to me--I usually just work on computers, not train ministry volunteers. Prayers...

I'm still fighting a cold and my gums are irritated. I think they are getting better, but I can always use prayers.

I praise God for each of you!

My newsletter is finally printed, folded, and ready to be noted, stuffed, and sent out. But I worked on Auntie C's computer, had supper with Aunties C & J, and took time to walk and listen to a friend that needed an ear.

Up and at 'em---early tomorrow morning.

Please pray for my passport to arrive. Everyone else has theirs already.

I'm mentally and physically preparing myself for a busy week in the office as well as in the evenings...

Monday - work on mailing out 222 newsletters, get film on sale at CVS, pick up family pics at Costco.
Tuesday - Prayer Meeting
Wednesday - work on mailing out 222 newsletters/Bible study/exercise time/pack for weekend.
Thursday - EP's Bridal Shower
Friday AM - Leave for San Antonio's Acquire the Fire event.
Fri/Sat/Sun - San Antonio
Sunday PM - Net's birthday

Then... I only have one weekend before I have to be ready to go to India!

Sam and I went into the office this afternoon to work on setting up the new helpdesk software. We could use a lot of grace this next week as we get it up and running. We want to make sure that the office staff are getting their technology problems fixed and needs met so they can work effectively doing their part to advance the mission work on the field.

A lot of my supporters sent in their monthly financial gifts this week... I need to get thank you notes mailed out! I was startled to receive a gift from a lady who pledged to support me two and a half years ago and I hadn't heard from after the first two gifts. Her email changed. I was able to find out she had moved from Florida to Europe and hadn't heard from her since. Hopefully when I get her receipt and address information I'll know more about what's going on.

I just got over a three week cold last weekend. My glands are swollen again this weekend. Please pray that I don't get sick. (Guess I should go to bed, huh?)

How can I be praying for you? (Remember- don't leave your email address with your comment!)

I'm quite on the melancholy side tonight. (Not depressed, Mom. Just melancholy. There's a difference! Don't worry! I'll be fine tomorrow.) Despite my day starting at 5:45am, I was still late picking up my coworker and arriving at the office. SC alumni Amy T. stopped by for a late lunch and we spent way too long together (wonderful time!)... crunching my afternoon time. Sam was working on my new Palm, but it was having problems. I was getting a proposal for a training contract....but they didn't have my fax number. I tried to schedule a class for our print room manager to take...only to find out the company had cancelled the class for lack of interest.

My day ended... but I still hadn't written my newsletter. So instead of going climbing with Lei (which I wanted to do since I had been trying to spend time with her all month!), I wrote my newsletter. Finished the rough draft at 8:45. Got home, ate supper, and dwadled so I still didn't have time to go climbing with Lei. (I would have had time if I would have made a fast turn around.)

Pastor's been talking at church about making wise use of our financial resources so that when God wants us to be a part of missions or a special project, we'll have the finances on hand. I've been trying to apply the same thing to my life in time. Organizing my time so that if something comes up I need to do (spend time with someone), my life will be in order and I'll be able to do that.

I thought I was getting better. ButI still flunked today.

I was a little startled this morning when I glanced out of the office window and saw a truck and trailer with the Texas Baptist Men logo emblazoned clearly on the side. The Texas Baptist Men (TBM) name became familiar to me when they decided to work hand in hand with GFA during the tsunami relief efforts. They worked hand in hand with our native missionaries in devastated Sri Lanka and even now are working to rebuild [checks internet]... AH! I can't publish that.

So why were they at the GFA office today? We weren't exactly a disaster site. Then again, maybe we are. My question was answered about an hour later when our Development Coordinator stopped in our office. "The Texas Baptist Men are fixing lunch for our office staff today from 11:30 to 1:30. If anyone is available to eat now, we going to gather and pray." We gathered and prayed, I collected my bread bowl and beef and vegetable stew and dessert, and I sat down to visit with ones of the wives on the TBM team.

Lunch. An act of kindness that meant the world to our GFA staff. Most of us had never met these people. And we may never again. But today's act, reaching out in love, has cemented us together and encouraged both teams of people to continue on in the battle.

GFA Core Value #10: Working in partnership with the Body of Christ.

Today is a special day... it's the day before my mother's birthday. Oh, and Valentine's Day. Two of my roommates suprised me with mylar balloons--one had a teddy bear giving me a hug (ooh) and the other balloon said "you're my hero" (That thought is a little scary.).

More importantly, we purchased helpdesk software today. As I was speaking to the software creator, Scott, on the phone, we were talking about return on investment and the purpose of helpdesk software. Scott was talking about businesses and how the software helps them track and use their time and technology more efficiently so they can be more profitable and make more money. Then, knowing what our organization does, he tried to backtrack: "But, I mean, of course, um, you guys aren't interested in the money. But the software would still work."

I corrected him. We are still interested in tracking and using our time and technology effeciently. We still have a bottom line. It's just a little different. Instead of saving time and money to make more money, we're trying to save time and money to use in reaching more souls.

We got a phone call today while I was at church that six of our seminary students in India were abducted and badly beaten this morning. They were involved in their regular weekly outreach time--preaching, praying, and distributing Gospel literature--when they shoved into taxis and taken to a secluded location where "there were no less than five to six people beating each brother." Stop by the website to read the full story and PLEASE PRAY!

It was a beautiful day today with temperatures in the70's. We purchased a volleyball and about 14 of us GFA staff had a great time this afternoon playing volleyball. We paused between games to pray for the seminary students. Most of the seminary students, just like you and I, like to set aside time to play volleyball once in a while as a reprieve from their work.

Tomorrow... the start of a new and glorious week!

I got up this morning about 10:00am. AJ and I fetched doughnuts for Lei (who was already at the office working) and for SE. I cleaned my room and decided to take a nap about 1:00. JD called me about 4:00, waking me up. I worked on cleaning my room--trying to figure out where to set up my new (free) stereo system and what I did with the brackets for my bookcase. I got my closet cleaned... now I just need to finish off my room.

This evening was quiet. I had an opportunity (or two) to go watch a movie and eat pizza, but it was nice just to be at home with a quiet house. Down time is good. So no, I didn't get film developed and I didn't shop for a new backpack and I didn't really fellowship with anyone, but I did manage to sleep more hours than I was awake. And I think I needed that.

Well, Eric spent Wednesday AM working with Auntie G's laptop and email. Finally found the problem in our server. He created a workaround and we'll get her laptop upgraded when she returns from the conference in Asia. Outlook 2003 here we come.

Thursday mornings we do IT training right after our staff prayer meeting (8-9am). This morning was training our Palm users on using Documents to Go software. I got the training equipment packed and got up to my desk about 9:15... just in time for IT prayer time. I checked my email quickly and headed down the hall to the "studio" to get my visa pictures taken by TD. From there I headed to a meeting with the team that is preparing for India. We spent a little bit of time discussing questions and packing and most of the time praying together. Left the meeting and headed back to the studio to get my prayer card pictures taken. Stopped back by my office to check my email, took a helpdesk call, and then it was time for lunch. Spent the afternoon researching new software for our US office and updating the website list of where our staff speakers will be sharing . Also got an email from my local church saying that they will be financially covering more than a third of the cost for my India trip. PTL!

Tonight was TR's birthday get-together at the Korean leader's home. We ate pizza and potato cakes, chocolate cake and ice cream. We played games...and music... and had a lot of fun. Piano and guitar, from jazz to Gershwin, from worship choruses to hymns, it was a great night.

"Everybody ought to know... everybody out to know... who Jesus is."

P.S. Mom, I got my package in the mail today.

At 8:59pm, as prayer ended, I thought to myself: "I am tired. My head and nose is stopped up. Or running. Or both. I think I will go to bed. I will not stop and talk to anyone. I will go to bed."

Wouldn't you know that Auntie G's email chose tonight to have problems! I spent about 2 hours at Bro. KP's and Auntie's house working on her laptop and talking with Grande technicians, but to no avail. So we forwarded the important emails to another account and sent them from there. You can pray for Auntie as she is preparing to go to Asia for a conference in two days and these emails are an important part of the preparation.

Now I have the laptop to take to the office early. NOW it's time to shower and head to bed.

A-a-a-a-choo!

It was a rough morning, but praise God for His grace. This afternoon was much better.

SE and AJ and myself took AJ's car to get new tires this evening. Too bad we got there after the tire store closed. So we took an hour and a half to eat supper instead. We had some excellent conversation. I left there and spent an hour and a half with JD. We talked and played Nertz. Leaving JD's, I headed to Joanna's house where we played round-the-world ping pong with Joanna's family and several other young adults. It was indeed an evening of socializing.

Projects at the office tomorrow include researching bugzilla, creating documentation for using Documents to Go, adding the Fullfillment Page to GFAnet, and cleaning out the HelpDesk tasklist.

Yes... yes it is 1:20 in the morning. My alarm has just gone off and I'm getting ready to go get SE from the airport. Her flight back from Calif. was delayed.... YAWN! That sleep was tasting good!

We arrived back this afternoon about 1:30 from Acquire the Fire (ATF) Houston. I was hoping to blog during our time there, but alas, facilities were not available. We set up our booth Friday afternoon and ate an early supper with members of the ATF ministry team. I really enjoyed Caleb and Jared and Megan and others at the table where I sat. I was amazed at how easily we interacted... until the guys pulled out tubes of mascara and began applying makeup. I quickly realized the truth. I had picked the table with the ATF drama team!

The event was full of 6,000 teenagers and youth leaders from all walks of life. There was a group of young Marines, country boys with their boleros, grew-up-in-church kids, Goths and Goth-wanna-bes, stereotypical homeschoolers, self-proclaimed teenage homosexuals, bored teenie-boppers, and many, many who had a heart to follow after God.

We saw 60 child sponsorship packets picked up by teenagers, youth groups, and families. You can pray for the people who saw the presentation about the Bridge of Hope program and even now are going back to their churches and youth groups to pray about sponsoring a child.

Pray for me too. I continually find myself a difficult person for others to teach. I'm not unteachable, I just have a lot of stubbornness and pride that get in my way.

This is it. I'm off this morning to Houston for the Acquire the Fire event. Three of us staff members are attending this one to work the GFA booth where we'll have child sponsorhip opportunities. Thousands of young teens, lots of noise and teaching, and an amazing time. Pray for my health (my throat is sore and I'm fighting a cold), for the hearts of the youth to be opened, and for God to lead the right people to the GFA booth to sponsor children. Pray for my ears too. Jen says I'll need ear plugs.

I have been exhausted this week. For reasons unknown, I have been tired. I've been sleeping 7-8 hours at night and taking hour long naps during the day and still dragging. That's one reason I haven't posted. I'm too eager to go to sleep at night. I'm not the only one. I can name 7-8 other people at the ministry who are also sleeping more than usual and still exhausted. Our HR director, my coordinator, the gift entry staff, two of the mail room staff.

One of our staff members was diagnosed last week with vertigo. Another staff member went to the hospital last week with side pain and ended up having her gall bladder removed. CE just got word today that her younger sister is dying of cancer and has no more than a few weeks to live. Rach's dad collapsed last weekend with a mini stroke. CT's aunt died over the weekend.

It seems that there is a lot of heartache and problems for it just to be coincidence. You can pray for all of us as we fight spiritual wars and persevere in our work at the office.