Just sitting here thinking about some things that are my favorites...
~the smell of fresh strawberries
~the smell of freshly cut grass
~the sound of the lawnmower
~the sound/smell of rain
~rainy days when you can watch old movies
~old movies
~ new movies
~99 cent theatres
~ hugs
~tomatoes from my Grandparents garden
~SNOW!
~Snow days
~hammocks
~candles
~shopping
~craft stuff
~the little kids in the preschool class
~pictures- old, new, taking them, scrapbooking
~reading
~the bookstore (not the library because I don't like giving the books back)
~Friday nights
~Vacations with my family
~hanging out with my nieces
~purple
~my family
and much much more... but thats it for now :)

I've been thinking about doing a blog lately. I'm not exactly sure why, but when I was thinking about it, I remembered that I had this one from my summer missions days, so I didn't think there was any need to change anything, so here I am, back after three years. ALOT has changed since the summer of '06. I graduated, got a job, and got married. It's crazy how so much can change in such a short period of time. Right now, I love life. I have a wonderful husband, an adorable dog, a good job, and am going to an AMAZING church. It's so funny how you plan out your life, when you're going to do things etc., and it just completely changes. Sometimes you accept those changes, other times you don't. I don't think that I thought I would be in Florence at this point in my life. I didn't really think I'd be married, and I have no idea where I thought I would be living.
This morning Kristina and I went to the Harvest Hope food bank to work with some wonderful people from my school. On the way there, I started thinking about how 3 or 4 years ago I wouldn't have pictured myself where I am now. But, God in is wisdom, has put me exactly where I need to be. Yes, I would love to have my parents closer (which I do pray that they are able to be closer to both my sister and I), and I would love to be closer to my brother and sister-in-law. But even though I'm not as close to them as I would like to be, God has given me even more family through Blake. Not only do I have family, I have amazing friends. Friends that I never realized how wonderful they are.

"Some experiences are aptly called epiphanies, God pulling back the curtain a bit and letting us see the Shekinah glory of our blessings. We must thank God when we have eyes to see. We are what we are because of those who have taught us to hear beyond the cacophony of evil, to hear and see the epiphanies, the burning bushes of our lives.We all just need to listen closer."

My Dad wrote that in a letter. This floored me. First of all, its eloquent. Second of all, it even more so confirmed that I am priveleged to be the daughter of a man that hungers for more of God every second of his life. Most of all, it makes me thankful. Thankful that when I fall, when I stumble, when I am blind to the beauties of what God has all around me, that he sends something, someone, or some experience to show me that HE IS.
He's given me parents, a husband, and friends that have helped me "hear beyond the cacophony of evil". But more than that, he shows me everyday that He is in control, beautiful, majestic, undeniable, all encompassing, strong, loving, intricate, and indescribable. God is totally in control. The world seems like its going crazy sometimes with sickness, death, pain, loss, and overall hurt. Some say they don't understand why God would allow things like that. I most certainly don't understand why, but after reading the above quote, and seeing the people at the food bank today, it makes me wonder if sometimes bad has to happen so we can see the good. Not so the good can happen, but so we can SEE the good. You never realize how important someone is until their gone. You never realize how much you love sleep until you can't. You don't realize how much you love the warmth until its cold. You don't realize how many times God protects you until you escape from danger. I know that God is in control. I know that He works things out for His will. I know that He's a perfect gentlemen, and He won't make us follow Him. I know these things in my heart, but sometimes I either forget them or I choose not to "remember" them. Every day, God uses something to help reiterate these things to me. I hope that He never stops showing me that He is not only in control, but He knows what is best. I guess its why we need to have "faith like a child". It scares me that I want to take things into my own hands. I want to do it myself, and then ask for help once I've messed it up. I pray that I can let go of the controls and let Him guide and lead. It's amazing how much smoother things seem to go when He's in control. Not that you don't have to work, or that there aren't difficult times, but you know that He's in control and not you. I pray that I remember that when the difficult times come.
Ok, a lot of this has been me typing my thoughts, and stream of consciousness. If anybody has read it, then thank you for your brave attempts at sorting through my random thoughts ;). If I write anymore, hopefully they won't been this long :). I'm heading to bed now. I'm excited about tomorrow. First of all IT'S EASTER SUNDAY!!!! I have the privelege of being in a country that allows me to go and celebrate that Jesus ROSE!!!! Secondly, I'm uberly excited about the fact that many many many people go to church on Easter that don't usually go. I hope and pray that some thing "clicks" tomorrow!!!!
Good night all!!! :)

Hey Everybody!!! Sorry its taken me so long to write... but these past few weeks have been crazy... crazy but AWESOME!!! So the last time I wrote we were in Union headed to the big ole town of Florence, SC. Well we got there on Fathers day that night went to see this youth choir from Dunwoody, GA and let me tell you... they were GREAT... they actually had some of the best singers that I have heard in a while... especially to be as young as they were... and the funny thing about the choir was that we were in Union and were staying at the same hotel as they were, and then found out that they were going to Florence the same day we were... and we were able to go and see them... so it was just a weird coincidence. So then in Florence we worked with two different churches. With one church we did a Backyard Bible club for them for three days... and what was neat was that some of the people that lived in the neighborhood had never met each other and because we had the backyard bible club they got to meet each other, and seemed to really like hanging out w/each other... so it was great for the kids and for the adults. When we ended the whole thing on Wed. we had a block party for them and shared the gospel. It was a whole new experience there b/c as Audrey and I were sharing the gospel it was thundering and lightening all around us... and as I was praying the prayer of salvation with them the rest of the team was frantically trying to get all of the stuff in the van... and in the middle of all of that... one little girl got saved.... which was SOOOO COOL... I mean can you imagine being able to say that you got saved outside in the middle of the beginning of the rainstorm. And just to let everybody know... it was not raining yet when we were praying with them... God held the rain off until just the right time... b/c right after we got into our cars to go eat w/a bunch of FMU people it started raining. So we got the kids home just in time. But neway... then on Tuesday and Wed. morning of that week we painted faces during the Free movie that the Julia (one of the theatres in Florence) was having for the kids. We got to tell a bunch of children and parents about one of the churches we were working with that has their services in the same movie theatre... which is pretty neat. So then the last part of the week... Thursday thru Sat. we did a VBS at one of the sites the church has. So on Saturday... we shared the gospel with the kids at the VBS and SIX kids got saved. So then the next day... after going to church in the rain... and then having a scare with our van (it wouldn't crank up in the CVS parking lot)... we headed out to the big town of St. George, SC.
So we get to St. George and that day we met the people that we were going to be working with the rest of the week. They were Mrs. Brenda and then the summer missionaries that were working with her... they are Ethan, Paul, Courtney, Bekah, and Jessica. So Ethan, Courtney, Bekah, and Jessica are all Sojourners... they are high school students that are doing summer missions and let me tell you... they definitely do not act like they are in high school... and are definitely some of the coolest people I have ever met. I really admire them a lot because when I was in their position in High School... I would have never given up either a big chunk or my entire summer to do missions... but they have come from all over the country... and I mean all over the country to South Carolina... to do missions... and let me tell you... they sure do work. Oh... and not to forget Paul in all of this... he is awesome too... he works with them doing mission work... he is actually from South Carolina and is going to school in Hungary which I also think is very cool... especially since he was teaching first grade for four years and then decided he was being led to go to this school... to learn more about the Bible... which I don't know if I would have the courage to go away from my family and friends to another country... that is completely foreign to go and learn more about my faith. So if you get my drift... I absolutely love their whole group... so neway... the whole week we did three things. In the morning from 9-12 we did the Arctic Edge VBS at Old St. George Baptist Church... and then we ate lunch... then went and did a Backyard bible club at a place called Cedarwood from 2-4 and then we would get all our stuff together and go to do another Arctic Edge VBS 45 min. away in Knightsville and did that from 6-8:30. So the whole week in St. George was definitely one of the busiest and most tiring weeks... but the kids we worked with were soooo awesome... and then the missions team was great... that I personally didn't notice until we got to Chad and Anna's house on Sunday how tired I really was. There was one day that some members of the team and I were not in a very good mood... we were tired... and yeah... you know how you just have some moments where your not in that great of a mood? Well this day was one of them... and seriously... we pulled up in Cedarwood that afternoon... and let me tell you... and soon we pulled up the kids ran up to the van... and as soon as we got out... they were hugging us and trying to get us to give them piggy back rides... I dont know how to explain it... but I know that I pulled up into that parking lot in a not so great mood... and I left that place feeling so AWESOME!!! I dont know why... I think it is just that those kids are sooo loving... and yeah their loud... and sometimes they don't listen... but they are sooo looking for someone to pay attention to them... and just the little things you do for them brings a smile to their face... and one little girl kept her hand on my shoulder all that day... and kept calling me her friend... just b/c I had let her cry on my shoulder the day before... just the little things are appreciated sooo much... and all I can say was that was one of the best experiences of my life... was just to work with those kids. And then to go to the church that night and see one of the best little kids in the whole entire world... Marcus... do the motions to the arctic edge theme song... and the rest of our (mine and Jessica's) 6 and under group just sing their heart out... it was sooo GREAT. And then in the mornings I worked with the 5th thru 9th graders... which was an intersting age group to combine... but they were GREAT too. They were soo funny and just liked to joke around... but then they would suprise you... like 3 of the kids in our (Paul, Courtney, and my) room raised their hand to pray for the pastor... and missionaries... and to hear them pray... completely unafraid of how they might get teased or anything like that... just to hear the beautiful prayers that came out of their mouths... if that had been the only good thing about that week... the whole week of working would have been worth it. So that was just a little bit of the mission work we did that week. Lets just say that the week was not all work... we did have our share of fun... even if it was at Wal-Mart trying to find die at 9 at night when some of us are wet from a water fight that Jessica : ) started... or when we were in the van coming back from eating chinese food at like 9:30 or 10:00 and singing Carrie Underwood and Grease and oldies songs all the way back... or dropping someone off at the house and then the girls on the team riding off in the van... just to be scared half to death when we realized that Ethan had been in the back of the van the whole time... or when we played the wonderful Wal-Mart hide and seek game that Paul introduced us to... or eating cow food in the morning and laughing the entire time we were eating it......... those are just a few of the long list of AWESOME things that stick out about that week. And then the saddest day of the whole week was that Sunday when we had to leave. Let me tell you... after working with the same kids at the 2 churches and at Cedarwood... and then leaving the people that you would have never imagined you would have gotten to be friends with so quickly... and everybody crying... it was definitely hard. And then Mandy had to bring up the fact that if it was that hard to leave them... how hard was it going to be at the end of this summer when we had to say goodbye to the teammates we've lived with and gotten so close to over the past 10 weeks... which was even more sad. So all in all... I would def. say that the St. George week was the best week we've had... or I've had at least... and I just want to thank the people there (the summer missionaries) for making it sooo great... because ya'll are AWESOME people... and no matter what you go through this summer... God is using you, and ya'll are touching soooo many kids lives and making a HUGE impact on them. I'll miss you guys... and hopefully we'll get to see each other before the end of this week.... and I'll def. be prayin for you. So anyway... I guess since this has been probably the longest blog I have ever typed I won't write about the past week... I'll save that for later.
But what I will say is please pray for us as a team... that these last 3 weeks will be awesome... that we will continue to have team unity, and our strength will hold up... and also that we will stay focused... up until the last day... on doing what God has planned for us to do... and also... pray for a friends mom... she just got into a wreck and she can't feel anything from the waste down... so just pray for her and her whole family. Also pray for the FORTY FIVE kids that have gotten saved this summer... yeah you read it right...45 kids have come to Christ this summer... so pray for them and for the rest of the children and youth that we're going to be coming in contact with for the rest of the summer.
Ok well, if you're reading this... it means you are an awesome person for reading this really loooong blog... and it means that I'm done with the blog... cause we're getting up early tomorrow b/c we have a VBS at 9... so I love you guys... and thanks for hanging in there and reading about what God has been doing in my life and in SC these past couple of weeks. I'll write more later...
Love ya,
Heather-Grace... or H-Gizzle : )

oh I need to give you my joke of the blog...
So what do you get when u mix a cow and a motorcycle?

A COWasaki... hehehe : )

P.S. Sorry if some stuff isn't spelled right... it's really late... and the spell check isn't working : )

Me at a Block Party in Florence... with my new sunglasses... their stunna shades arent they? : )Playing with the parachute last friday at the hotel... if you want to know more about the people in this pic... read my last blog.



Kids raising their hands to accept Christ!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





Helping lead the worship rally for a church in Aiken, SC.
The team with Buffalo Baptist youth group... one of the many we worked with in Union, SC
Sharing the gospel with kids in good 'ole Union!!! : )
Me and one of my teammates... Audrey and I .... believe me... we were sitting in the parking lot of Mickey d's.

So hey everybody!!! Well all I have to say is that God has been working like crazy in Union county. We have seen 27 kids come to Christ within two weeks. I have seen how God uses the smallest things like balloon animals and face painting to reach the hearts of kids and their parents. I have been burnt by the sun, run my knee into the trailer hitch of a truck, and been peed on by a little boy, and let me tell you, i have had a BLAST doing it. I have had the privelege of sharing the gospel during the large group gathering... and God has just put words into my mouth and every single time I see kids raise their hands to accept Christ, I am suprised and overjoyed. I dont know why I'm suprised, but I am... and its one of the best suprises ever!!! You know how you feel when your suprised by a really awesome gift? Thats the kind of suprised I get every time I see kids raise their hands. And the most unbelievable thing happened last night. The people that own the hotel are Indians and are some of the best people!!! Also the ladies that work at the front desk and the housekeeping ladies have been sooo nice to us and have just made us feel so at home. I was a little apprehensive about staying 14 days in a hotel, but my teammates and they have helped it seem not even like a hotel. But that is not the unbelievable thing that happened. God has had this in the works for a while. ohk... u know how i said that the owners of the hotel were Indian, well this week their family has come into town for a wedding... and im not just talking about a few people... I'm talking about a lot of family members. Well Audrey felt like last week that if we had time we should see if they would let us have a block party at the hotel for them and their kids. Well we asked them... they said yes... and they said they'd put it up on the sign on the road... and get this... they even said we could share the gospel while we were doing it!!! Sharing the gospel with all of these children that are of the Hindu belief was one of the most scary and best moments of my life!!! I didnt want to mess the opportunity up that God had put in front of us... and I was sooo scared that I wouldnt say what He wanted me too... but God just put the words into my mouth once again. Last night was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen in my life because they were all in their wedding outfits which were absolutely GORGEOUS... and we were able to give them balloon animals and do face painting and sno-kones, and play games and do salvation bracelets and share the gospel with them. I really can't explain the experience on here. So... I guess you would say that my experience here in Union county has been completely unbelievable!!! The churches were wonderful... and so were the youth pastors and the youth that we worked with. I dont know if I will ever see any of these youth again... but if ya'll read this... you have been awesome and I have enjoyed workin with ya'll at the block parties and also hanging out w/ya'll... you're FANTASTIC people!!! Well for prayer requests... just pray for the kids that have accepted Christ these past few weeks... and also for every child and Youth group that we have worked with... also for the strength of the team and for the places we will be working later this summer. Ohhk... well i could keep going forever about these past two weeks... and I might write more about it later... but im gonna head out now... so Ill talk to all of ya'll later!!!

Another joke for you:
Why did the elephant cross the road????
It was the chickens day off.... : )

Heather-Grace

So guess what everybody???? I have now officially learned how to spin plates, do rope tricks, face paint, and do balloon animals!!! So I personally think that is really cool... and if you're like my niece and u want to know why I have learned that on my mission trip it is simple. Its a way to get kids attention... and let me tell you... today... we got kids attention. Ohhk... let me start from the beginning... on Thursday, May 25 four people came together and met each other for the first time... well sort of. Mandy, Michael, and I knew each other... but we didnt know the future drivers for our team whose names are Hot dog and Corn dog... hahahaha... ohhk... sorry inside joke of the team. So neway... their names are Rachel and Audrey. Let me tell you... we have figured out that God has a sense of humor. Because He specifically picked the five of us to come on this trip... and we all have completely different personalities... but we all mesh SOOOO well together. So after we had our training at Camp LaVida we headed off to good ole Aiken, SC. We worked at Cornerstone Baptist Church on the bypass in Aiken and helped them with their Vacation Bible School which was the Club VBS Space Quest. This past week was one of the best weeks EVER!!! The people at Cornerstone opened their arms up to us and completly spoiled us!!! Audrey and I stayed with the Scarbourough's... Mandy and Rachel stayed with the Winn's and Michael stayed with the Edgar's. We ate at their houses every night... which was wonderful... and listened to their hilarious stories about their vacations, and learned how to play one of the BEST games ever... its called Farkle. Everybody at FMU... Mandy and Michael and I are gonna teach ya'll how to play it when we get back... cause its GREAT!!! So last week we went to McDonalds once and did Balloon animals and face painting... and then went to the mall and gave out sno-kones and balloon animals and did face painting. Lets just say I made so many Balloon animals that my finger was blue at the end of the day. The actual VBS at the church was great also. Every day the number of kids we had their increased and all of them were wonderful and I'm going to miss them!!! To sum it all up... During church yesterday Mandy and I cried like crazy because we knew we were going to miss everybody at the church... so all in all our first week on the Missions trip was great!!
So yesterday we got in the van and headed on up to Union... where we are now... and where we will be for the next 13 days. We have had an awesome two days working with the people at Buffalo Baptist church. Yesterday we went to theirBible shool with them and sat in their teen class and then played games with them... which was hilarious... cause not only were the games fun... but it was freezing and drizzling outside. Then today we did two block parties. We did one this morning and then one tonight and I think we had about 35 kids total to show up to both of them. The youth at Buffalo helped us with both of them... and both of them were a HUGE success. Then tonight after the block party we ate pizza and went swimming with the youth... and froze... but we had a blast!!!
So all in all I would say these past few days have been very successful. I think that God has planted so many seeds in peoples hearts... and I'm a little sad that I'm not going to be there to see them grow, but I do know that they are going to grow... and I'm so excited that God used us and is using us to do His work. So lets see... some prayer requests are for the Safety of the whole teams... for our energy level to stay up and also for our health. Also pray for all of the children we are going to come in contact with this summer... that God will prepare their hearts and open their minds. Another one is pray for the Churches we will be working with here in Union. Also please pray for the Cornerstone Church in Aiken. Just pray for them that their ministry will flourish because they are a wonderful church with wonderful people!!!
Ohhk... well thats it for now... hopefully ill be on here again with some updates pretty soon... I'll talk to ya'll later!!! : )

quick joke for ya'll... What is a Space Squirrels favorite food????????????

An Astrounut!!!!!