What a Difference a Year Can Make...

Yesterday was our church's last day to meet in Lake Highlands High School, so we had a clean up day. We cleaned everything they would possibly let us. Being that I am the accountant, my job was to watch the offering boxes that were sitting out in the lobby while everyone else cleaned. I was a little bummed about my job for the day, but it really ended up being a GREAT morning. I started sitting in my chair reading a book, but ended up getting to chat with people all morning as they walked to and from their cleaning stations. It hit me later yesterday as I was sitting thinking about the morning, that God has brought me SO far in the last year. A year ago, I would have been terrified to sit in that lobby. I would have been worried what people thought of me and if they were wondering what I was doing sitting there.

I also realized that God has answered my prayer, beyond my expectations, for a bigger community of friends here in Dallas. It was truly amazing. He has provided new friends for me in Student Ministries, with the girls at work, and from my Brazil trip. It was refreshing to me to look at all the people that God has placed in my life since I started working at Watermark last year.

Not that working here has been perfect, it's a job, it's definitely not perfect. But working here, first of all, has allowed me to slow down my life enough to see some of the things that God really wanted to change about me. He has let me see more of who I am in Him, and in doing that, a lot of my insecurity has been stripped away. He allowed me to see my need for community, and provided in amazing ways. It's like I'm comfortable with who I am for the first time in a long time.

I'm not sure any of that makes sense, but it has been so amazing to see what God can do when I open myself up to His plans for me, and stop trying to control my life on my own. He is good!

I love my Mac!

I've been playing with my computer, and I made a video with some of my Brazil pictures. Here it is....just for fun :)

More than Words...

That's how I feel about my trip to the Amazon. I'm not sure I could ever fully put into words the way God worked in my heart and the things that He did in those 9 days. It was really an amazing time, and the things that I brought back with me are too many to count.

The highlight of my trip was getting to lead two little girls to the Lord. These girls have a really intense home life, and would have been impossible to leave them there not knowing that they had Jesus. Here's a picture of us praying with the girls and then with them after we prayed:

I was on the VBS team for the week. For anyone that really knows me, they know that I could not have been happier than to be put on that team. It was such a great experience for me, different than any other time I've gotten to work with kids. It was more than just running around the village & playing with them. It was being bold with them, and sharing Christ, and really letting them know that God loved them. It was really a special time. Here's a picture of our VBS team....they were so much fun to work with!

Back: Kenny, me, Katy, Bridget, Front: Jen, Deny, Lisa, Clauder, Beth

This trip has reminded me that I need to be bold with my faith not only on the Amazon, but right here where I live. I was also reminded there of how alive I feel when I am doing missions. I love serving God's people in the nations. I'd like to think that I will end up doing work like this more long term sometime in the future.

I'm so thankful for all of you who supported me through prayer and with your resources. This trip wouldn't have been possible and wouldn't have been such a growing experience without you.

I really wish that I had more energy to write more about the trip, but I'm pretty spent after going straight back to work this week. Here's the link to all of my pictures http://picasaweb.google.com/sarah.d.welch/Brazil2007.

Ready or not...

I'm headed for Brazil in the morning! I can't believe it's here. It really snuck up on me! The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. I worked Connection with our junior high kids last week. We stayed at a hotel & put on a day camp for these apartment kids. It was SO fun, and such an awesome experience to watch my girls get their hands dirty & serve. Really, really amazing! Here's a couple of pictures from the week:

SarahBeth & I made shirts - we were the crafts leaders :)

My sweet Maddie helping the girls with crafts
Me & Sweet Tori!
Spencer, SarahBeth & I won a ball at Dave & Busters. We took it to the apartment complex the next day and it was deflated within about 10 minutes!

I'll update when I get back from Brazil!