We finish up our last summit of the year this Sunday here in Union, KY! This year has flown bye. I feel like we just got on the road a month ago or something. I guess I'm just getting older.

Speaking of older I'll be 22 in less than a month! Now that's crazy! If you'd asked me a few years ago what I thought I'd be doing with my life at 22 it probably wouldn't have been this! Haha, but I would trade what the Lord has done in my life for anything!

I think I've been in like three or four different churches since my last post. Let's see I've been to Spring Hill, FL, Thomasville, GA, Peoria, IL, Manassas, VA, Prior Lake, MN, and here in KY. Along with a number of others states along the way. (I guess I was wrong about 3 or 4 churches...:)) The Lord has done some amazing things in each of the churches. So many people hungry for the truth and in need of refreshing. Spring Hill was an honest church full of deep issues but people humble enough to admit them and seeking the Lord for wisdom on how to deal with them. Thomasville was a 4-day conference a quick drop of the power of the gospel through the teaching of Steven Canfield. Peoria was a Presbyterian church, only the second one Life Action had ever been to. One of our best summits. The largest crowd full of people eager to return to there first love. Also a very giving church, we received our largest offering there. Which was a huge blessing for our ministry during these tough times. Manassas, was a different summit because our leadership Steve Canfield & Steven Canfield were gone and we had some fill in speakers. I had the opportunity to go to Washington, DC. Which was a lot of fun. Minnesota was a beautiful state and a good summit. The church was interesting, one church, two campuses. We had to set up and tear time I think around 15 times. We had our end of the year party with the team and got to go to the Mall of America! And last but not least KY. This church loves Life Action and has been eager to have and serve us which has been such a blessing. We went to the Creation Museum the other day. Such an amazing place. If you have the chance go! As you can see the Lord is at work. I wish I had time to tell you all that the Lord has done in each one of these churches. He is so faithful and His word is alive and transforming lives!

As an update on the home front. My family is finally moving into our new home this weekend. Please be in prayer that the Lord will continue to pour His grace on my family as the economy has hit our home pretty hard. He is faithful and His grace is sufficient.

Next I'm headed to camp for a couple of weeks and then I'm flying home June 13th for my summer break. Thank you for your prayers and support!

Serving Him

FL, Trips and Ministry Update

Hello Friends!

My how time flies! The Lord has been so faithful this year! Since Christmas break and coming back on the road the Lord has been teaching me a lot and showing me how He is faithful in my life and He will provide! I've been making a list of needs the Lord has provided for me recently and it is truly mind boggling. I am so thankful for His provision and care for the details of my life.

So much has happened recently it's hard to keep track! I am currently in Spring Hill, FL for our 3rd Summit of this year! Crazy! This church has had Life Action twice previously but are still hungry to hear from the Lord. I have been praying through some of the prayer cards and people are very specific and carry many burdens and struggles. Several marriages on the brink of divorce and people concerned for unsaved love ones. The issues people face are far beyond anything I've ever dealt with and I praise God but also seek wisdom as to how to encourage people through it all. I know through what issues I've gone through that His grace is sufficient and "there is not pit to deep that He is not deeper still."

I have again had the privilege to minister to the teens this year. Last summit I had the opportunity to teach the 'modesty session' for the teen girls! I really really enjoyed it! The girls were pretty attentive and I think really understood what I was saying. The time flew by though! I had so much I wanted to say! Oh well Lord knows what they needed to hear!

Last summit we were in Douglas, GA about 4 hours from my home. My family is in the process of moving and I had been praying about how I might could get home to help and nothing seemed to be working out. I found out that we had the third week of our summit off so I talked to my parents and figured out that I could ride a bus. So, the plan was the leave Monday morning @ like 5:30 in order to get to the bus station in time. Well, Sunday night after service I just happened to be talking to a couple in the church and for some reason I told them my plans for going home and that I was going to be helping my parents out for the week and all. Less than 5 mins after finishing that conversation with them, the man come up to me and asked me if I would rather drive a truck up to Atlanta? I was dumbfounded and said sure! So, they brought this super sweet Ford F150 Crew cab truck, filled up, handed me the keys and gave me gas money for the trip home!! What a blessing! I was able to help my family out and drive back Friday to meet up with the team!

We had to let Life Action know of our plans for next year a couple of weeks ago. As of right now, I am planning on returning for my fourth year! Hard to believe I've been here this long! I have a peace about returning and know this is where the Lord has me. Although, it seems every year as soon as I make the commitment to return for another I am overwhelmed with a feeling of discontentment. It's hard to explain but I've realized this year it's just attacks from the enemy in feeding me lies. Please pray that God will give me grace to be content here and to love and minister the people around me. It's battle and I have to be on guard!

Thank you for you prayers and support. I know I would not have made it this far without you! The Lord is faithful and I prayer His blessings on you!

Mandy

Pictures

So, I'm finally able to upload some pictures! Enjoy!



Blue Team '08 - '09



Meredith and I in Chicago. One a day a group of us took a day trip there.



Our friend Nishelle (in the red) came to visit!



One day I decided to make a pumpkin milkshake...soooo good!



In Mississippi a guy in the church took us four wheeling!



Some of us girls enjoying the outdoors!



Meredith and I at our team Christmas party



Some of us girls looking fine!



The guys decided to wear old Christmas Sweaters and slick back their hair...I'm not gonna lie I've never seen the guys look so bad!



Here is the whole team at our Christmas Party at the Lodge

Merry Christmas

So, I'm not as good at keeping this thing up as I would have hoped. I'm sorry for all two of you that read this! I'm kidding!

Another year half way done. Crazy. This year I think has flown by faster than any other year and I have no idea why. About half the team is new, so it's seemed to take longer adjusting to new people and letting them learn the ropes and how things are done on the road. But within the last month or so the team has really started to jell, which was an answer to prayer. We pray as a team a lot, when we arrive in the mornings, before meals and before service. But in the last month or so we started praying for an alotted time during the day and it was amazing to see how the team really started to connect more after that. There is definitly power in prayer!

This has been a really good year. God has really used this team to challenge me in a whole new way. I've been challenged more this year to make my faith my own and pursue my relatonship with Christ in a deeper way. I know I say that every year but it's so true and each year more real in it's own way.

I really wanted to post some pictures but we've been having internet issues and it's not allowing me to upload them. But I will try to post some soon. Have a Merry Christmas!

Update #2

Since my last post a lot has happened including finishing my first triathlon! I came in third place in the female category! I really enjoyed doing it! Just a few months ago I would never have thought that I would even WANT to do a triathlon let alone do it. I think it's just evidence of the Lord's work in my life and the fact that He CAN change us! Ha, or maybe I'm just turning over a new leaf.


We are about to wrap up summit #2. I feel like we've been on the road forever! Or maybe I'm just feeling three years worth of traveling. The Lord has been so faithful. I am so thankful for His unconditional love and His faithfulness to my life and not leaving me where I'm at but continually pruning me and drawing me to Himself.


The first summit of the year was in Northport, AL. About 10 minutes from the University of AL. The summit went really well considering it was our first one and half the team is new! It takes time to adjust to how a summit works, what we do day in and day out and all that it takes to get things rolling. As a revival based ministry we know we do not bring revival to a church. Despite all our hard work and preparation revival happens when God shows up. Which is the most rewarding thing about our ministry! While in Alabama many people confessed areas of bitterness and issues of clearing there conscience with people they had wronged. It was so neat just to see the joy on there faces as they experience the freedom from bondage.

We will be wrapping up our current summit on Sunday here in Cayce, SC. This church has been one of the best churches because they have fed us so good! We eat lunch and dinner at church just about everyday so you can imagine with all the churches we've been in how many different (or the same) meals we've had and how many paper plates, plastic silverware, and plastic cups we've used. So, when a church brings out real dishes you can know it's gonna leave a lasting impression! Not to mention the foods been amazing!

A lot has happened this last year in my life but the Lord has been faithful and drawn me closer than I could ever have imagined. As the Lord continues to uproot my life I'm reminded that the hard times bring us together in a way that comfort and convenience never could. I'm trusting in Him knowing that He has far greater plans than I could ever dream. In this time He is revealing His word to me and opening my spiritual eyes to be more like Him.

Please continue to pray that I will be faithful to do what He has called me to do. That I will serve Him not man. That I will love as God loves.

Things have been busy here at camp. I've been working on team clothing the last couple of weeks. I've been to the mall so many times people recognize me and I've had to explain what we do four or five times! It's been lots of fun and I've managed to stay happily busy. So, I finally recieved a copy of our teams schedule for the year...and here it is.

Sept. 7-21 --Northport, AL
Sept. 28- Oct. 12 -- Cayce, SC
Octr. 19- Nov. 2 -- Brandon, MS
Nov. 9- 23 -- Ferguson, MO

This is the schedule for the first half of the year. I will update in time as the positions fill. Well, life calls. Thanks for your prayers!

summer

Wow, so much has happened since my last post. I made it here to camp and had two amazing weeks of Family Camp. Both weeks I was family assisant. My first week I had a five year old little boy that was so cute. I really got attatched.

My second week I had four kids 15,13,11, & 8. I've never had teens so I was a little nervous but it was actually a lot of fun and so much easier since they can do everything themselves! They have a competition here at camp called the W.H.A.T competition. It's like a knock off of Survivor with multiple teams and each day we have challenges and two each teams get eliminated each day til the last day when two teams go head to head for the final challenge. My team older camp girls and a guy from my team decided to enter into the challenge and were very pleasantly surprised to be runners up!

This summer seems to be the summer of weddings. I can't even count on my hands how many people I know that were getting married or already have. This last year on the road there were three engaged couples on the team all of which got married this summer. I was able to attend two of them. Jayson and Majenta were married in Indiana and Steven Canfield did the service.

I flew out to California last Tuesday for Ross & Kyrsten's wedding. I was able to help with some of the photography among other things. It was a ton of fun! I was able to go to LA and see the Pacific coast! I saw the Walk of Fame, drove down Sunset Blvd. and saw the beautiful sights of southern California, definitly a place I would like to visit again!

I'm back at camp now. We have started staff training and all the new team members have come. It's crazy having to start all over and get to know a whole new group of people that I get to travel with for the year. I think it's going to be a good year. I've been busy helping with team clothing and whatever else I can find to do! Please be praying for our new team that we will grow together in unity and love for one another. This coming week is Revival week. Which is at time that Life Action and all the staff Pause and get refreshed though teaching, worship and prayer. It should be a good week. Thanks for your prayers and support!