Day in the Life of Emily Ruth

Thanksgiving Time!

2010-11-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

Day 4 In Flag

Well today started off the way we intended- we got up and had a great workout at the gym!

After workin up a good sweat (and burning off all those thanskgiving calories) we got all cleaned up to go get my hair cut!! After having a crazy small world experience at the hair cutting place, Abby and I then..yes, again-went shopping :) I couldnt resist not buying $10 jeans :)

After shopping we needed a bit of a boost so we went to good ol macy's to indulge in the infamous Macy's special!! YUM...after having a photo shoot in macy's we did a lil more shopping then went to sushi!!

Funny story about the picture at sushi- we were literally in the middle of praying for our meal and the waiter came over an interrupted us to take our picture- wow how rude! it turned out cute but still!!!

After sushi, we headed over to the Draper's to go love on a friend who needed some encouragement. After spending a few hours with her, we then headed back home to eat a home cooked meal and decorate for xmas :)

After decorating for xmas we were in desperate need for ice cream, so we go good ol TCBY, came home and watched 2 chick flicks haha

Man I have been having a blast! I cant believe I am leaving tomorrow :( Not to worry tho, I will be back in a month, for a month!

Thanksgiving Time!

2010-11-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

Day 3 Sister Downtime!

Well today Abby and I had aspirations to be productive, work out and go brave the crowds early in the morning- well we didn't leave the house until 9 am haha

We knew shopping was going to be on our agenda so our first stop was downtown. Unfortunately, we didnt find anything down there but we did get the opportunity to bless a homeless traveler with a good ol cup of hot chocolate and a pastry from Late for the Train. I read this verse today and God gave us the opportunity to be obedient:

If anyone has material possessions
and sees his brother in need
but has no pity on him,
how can the love of God be in him?
Dear children,
let us not love with words or tongue
but with actions and in truth.
(1 John 3:17-18)

After shopping for like 3 hours and coming away with only a pair of boots for Abby, we then went to the movies to go see "Love and other Drugs". We stuffed our faces with swedish fish, rasinettes and popcorn. The movie was cute but way too much nudity!!

So much for the productive day, but it was restful with no agenda! We are totally exhausted so its about bedtime! Tomorrow is get a good workout, get a haircut, spending sometime with a lady from church who's in need of encouraging girl time and more sister time! It feels like I have been home for a month! I love it!

Thanksgiving Time!

2010-11-25T23:46:00.000-08:00

Day 2 in Flagstaff

Well today was a total blast! It all started with a lovely 4 mile hike in Sedona. We got spend some sweet time with new friends eating and playing games.

Though it was a bit chilly in the canyon, we had a ton of fun taking advantage of photo opportunities!!

Today is all about being thankful and I am definitely thankful for an amazing family who God is continually working on in amazing ways! I was sooo encouraged to talk with Molly and the parents today- no doubt about it their lives are being changed this week and its so cool to hear!!

Abby and I were thankful to be taken in by some amazing people to spend thanksgiving! There was a ton of food, fellowship and laughter today and thats the best way to spend a holiday!

I am excited I still have 4 days with Abby! We may brave the crowd and shop early tomorrow!! Woohoo! Praise God for His faithfulness and His grace!

Game night was totally fun!!

Thanksgiving Time!

2010-11-25T06:58:00.000-08:00

First Day in AZ

I am so thankful to have the opportunity to come home and spend thanksgiving with Abby while the parents are out of the country! The flight to phoenix was great and I was happily greeted by Abby at the security check point! We then didn't delay to go eat a "healthy" meal at good ol In and Out- Yum! We then headed to the Anthem outlets to do some damage- and we sure did.

I must say our mom taught us well when shopping- we are ultra bargain shoppers :) With our bags full of new boots, sweaters and jeans, we then headed up the hill to be greeted with snow covered streets!

After doing some grocery shopping and some early thanksgiving cooking, Abby and I called it a night! It has been a blast getting some sweet one on one time with Ab, and I am looking forward to more!

Tomorrow we are going hiking in Sedona and spending sweet time fellowshipping with good friends! Lots of food and fun to look forward to! God is good and I am beyond thankful for all the blessing He has poured down on the Evans' Family :)

Road Trip to Flagstaff AZ!! Day 4

2009-12-19T21:43:00.000-08:00

Day 4- Shopping in Downtown Flag!

Our day started off early as Kendra and I went to step aer

obics at 8:15... holy cow what a fun class but man does it kick your butt!! After we burnt off some calories we were ready for a day of shopping and touring downtown flagstaff!!

Our first stop was to go see abby in the fun store she works in.. after trying on coats and clothes that we definitely couldnt afford we headed to the Old Town Shop- the greatest stores in downtown flag! We stopped into the candy shop so kendra could get some goodies for her family, and then we looked at all the fun clothes and jewelry in the Basement. All of this shopping tired us out, so we decided to refuel at the most amazing burger place called "diablo's burger"... a new lil hole in the wal organic burger place.. soo good!

After lunch, we headed over to Pulium Airport to ensure that we were present when Molly arrived in Flagstaff... to ensure this, we were there 30 minutes early :) To keep us entertained for a little while were the 2 cutest puppies waiting for their owner to come off of a plane. They were 8 weeks old and super cute! It makes me really want a puppy!!

The time finally came when Molly came off the plane and into our arms for a group hug (minus abby) it was a great reunion and kendra captured it :) It was so funny when Molly got off the plane she was wearing flip flops- in 20 degree weather! so she came inside without grabbing her carry on, so she decided to try to go back outside.. well the door said DO NOT ENTER, but that didnt stop her :-D she was then stopped by the cop and told that she was violating federal law!! All she wanted was her bag haha, so the cop had to grab it for her :)

After we picked Molly up our next stop was to go the most "flagstaffy" place- Macys coffee shop.. the place where the hippies hang out :) We wanted to surprise Abby because she thought Molly's flight was delayed, so we had Abby come to the coffee shop :) That was fun to see Abby walk in the door and take a double take on the brunette sitting at the bar!

We enjoyed our good flagstaff coffee and then headed back downtown to do some more shopping :) but first we had to get some pictures of the girls :)

Hhopping was successful and dad was smart by opting out on shopping and going home to start dinner (chicken enchiladas!!) So when we got home the house smelled delicious!!! We enjoyed our first family dinner together and then prepared ourselves for another night of fun games- "cien" and "scrabble slam"... lots of laughter occurred and it was amazing!

Its times like these that make my heart smile... all the good times we have together laughing and reminiscing on all the funny santa pictures, horrible outfits or haircuts we had... I am definitely blessed to have this amazing family! I am super excited to get some sweet time in with them! I think distance is the best thing because it truly reveals how much you appreciate the people who love you...even if they live miles away majority of the year!

Road Trip to Flagstaff AZ!! Day 3

2009-12-18T21:35:00.001-08:00

Day 3- Adventure to the Grand Canyon!

Today we headed 70 miles north to one of the 7 wonders of the world: THE GRAND CANYON!!

This was the first time Kendra had ever been to the grand canyon, so I had to make it the greatest experience ever... so i made her close her eyes as she walked to the edge of the grand canyon so that when she opened her eyes there was going to be some major shock value!

Like everyone who gazes at this amazing creation, you are pretty much speechless as you look on this gapping hole in the ground... it almost doesnt seem real... I love looking at it, even if it is the 100th time i have seen it :)

I must say, i love how small of a world this is- we met up with a friend of a friend of Kendra's who works up at the canyon! We chatted it up for a bit and then continued on our adventures to hike some of the grand canyon. I guess I didnt realize how much it snowed until we started hiking down the Bright Angel Trail and it was covered!! It was a pretty sweet experience walking along the snowy trails in the grand canyon!

We hiked for maybe half a mile or so and then turned back...we were ready for something warm to drink :) As we headed up the snowy terrain to reach the El Tovar Lodge, we would catch ourselves stopping and gazing at this magnificent creation that we couldnt even fathom... pretty cool :)

I think the snow made the effect of the whole trip 10 times better... it was gorgeous!

we headed back up to the El Tovar to take more pictures and fulfil our goal- smoke a cigar, in rocking chair at the Grand Canyon.. haha it was quite an experience (that was short lived haha) but hey now we can say we did it :)

After we drank our hot chocolate and smoked a little bit of the cigar we called it a day and headed home... we definitely took our fair share of pictures but there are too many to include for the day... plus pictures dont even do this glorious place justice!

The greatest part of the 1.5 hr long drive back home was the fact the peaks were in front of us the whole time and what a gorgeous sight that was!

What a great day it ended up being! We got back and had the best meal ever- creamed eggs on toast! Then we played a lot of games of Rummikub and Cien,.. way too much fun! Tomorrow we are going to get up and go to a step class (totally excited) then we are going shopping in downtown Flagstaff!! Man the Lord is good and I am so thankful for such an amazing roommate and friend to share my home with!!

Road Trip to Flagstaff AZ!! Day 2

2009-12-17T22:52:00.001-08:00

Day 2 of the Road Trip!!

Well today our plan was to get to Albuquerque and eat lunch with some cousins and get to Flagstaff by dinner which would total about 9 hrs driving time... we were definitely ready for the long trip once we got our starbucks to fuel us for the morning :)

The first stretch of the trip was going well- we were energized because of the coffee, singing to the music...it was great! however all that coffee got to us, so we had to stop somewhere and all that was available in the middle of nowhere New Mexico was this sketchy little place on the side of the road..

so thanks to the griswold instinct of "adventure (fill in the blank)" this became the new "adventure bathroom"... and when i say adventure bathroom i mean you have to pay $.25 to go haha.. it was pretty hilarious actually :)

Rright next to this ghetto pit stop was this awesome abandoned church, so kendra being the adventurous type decided we needed to go check it out... and we did and i am so glad we did! it was awesome- there were still pews in this place! we definitely had to take pictures at this place!

After our fun mini adventure, we continued on our way to the cousin's house for lunch!

As we headed west, Kendra definitely getting excited when she saw snow on the ground :)
By 1pm we finally got to my cousins house where we had a lovely home-cooked meal prepared for us-corn chowder, home made bread, fresh fruit... YUMMY!! It was so great seeing them and catching up on life, but sooner than we realized we were back on the road.. but first had to capture the kodak moment with the cousins :)the girls! kendra, me and Debbie
the cousins! me, Jonathan and debbie!
The first sign with Flagstaff of it.. 312 miles to go yippee!
Ok, so we were not too happy when we were 30 miles outside of Gallup (our next pit stop) when traffic was at a stand still.... set us back an hour...
however, when we asked the random truck driver next to us what was happening, he told us the sad news of a construction worker got hit by a truck and thats why there was traffic..we later found out he is miraculously still alive but in critical condition... After the minor delay in the trip we were back on the road and finally to good ol Gallup where we had to capture the... cultural experience that Gallup has to offer :)
This sign was in honor of our roommate stacy love :)
This was the lovely mural right outside of the bathrooms at the Gallup pit stop :)
And below is our interpretation of a modern day kokopeli hehe
Yeah we had way too much fun at the place :) but out journey had to continue- still 3 hrs to go!!!

it was unfortunate that it was already dark before the arizona border, so the beautiful mountains will be a surprise in the morning :) We got to my house just in time for a late supper- this yummy Italian sausage tortellini soup-yummy!! It was so nice to not only get to Flag safe and sound but give my family a big ol hug!

Tomorrow is where the true adventure begins...we will get back into the car and head 70 miles up to go see the magnificent GRAND CANYON!!! We are goin to do a little bit of sight seeing, hiking and...well it will be shared tomorrow! Good night!

Road Trip to Flagstaff AZ!! Day 1

2009-12-17T05:45:00.000-08:00

Road Trip to Flagstaff- DAY 1

Well, praise the Lord, finals are over and the time has finally come! Kendra and I have been roommates all 4 yrs and I have yet to take her to my home...but have no fear, the opportunity finally presented itself in our senior year!!

December 16th, Kendra and I left Big D to head west on a great adventure riding in "Gretta the Jetta". Our plan was to drive to Amarillo the first day, then knock out the rest the next day. The car was successfully packed (by 3 girls) sheep and all :)

We headed north up to Oklahoma City, but our trip didnt progress quickly due to a couple of stops :) We didnt get to far because we ate at Logans restaraunt (merely because we had a gift card we wanted to use)- but we were fueled by our steak salads- YUM!

our next stop was to go see Kathy's puppy Tex and let him out (and to play with him a bit :) ) So that was another pit stop we made before we really hit the road... we were tempted to take the puppy with us but figured that probably wouldnt be a good idea... we gave the puppy a kiss goodbye and finally hit the road for Amarillo!

The first stretch of our trip was going to take 7.5 hrs, but with our Ipods fully loaded and fun road trip gifts to open, we were set!! Good convos and duets were the entertainment for the night! We ate at good ol McDonalds and got to the hotel in Amarillo safely (a few hours later than we expected), but hey, we made it and thats the most important thing!

Plan for tomorrow:

-Drive half way to Albuquerque to eat lunch with some awesome relatives (yeah for home cooked meals!)

-drive the last 5 hrs to good ol, snow covered mountains flagstaff and spend some sweet time with the family!!

More adventures to come but thus far its 2 thumbs up :)

Life of a Cowgirl

2009-05-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

DAY 1

Well I arrived in Springfield, MO Thursday afternoon to find my Papaw Olson waiting for me in the baggage area. One of my favorite things about being around him is his height :-D it is because of him that I am so tall!! Well, small world (like usual), as I was waiting for my bags, a girl started to walk up to me. I had to take a double take to see that it was Lori Milton, a good friend from Flagstaff in the Springfield airport! Who knew?! I just love how small this world is! She was in missouri for the month of june to do a summer camp! Too cool!

Papaw and I headed to his farm, but first had to stop at a feed store to pick up some supplies. He surprised me by buying me my own cowgirl hat!! He had finished my cowgirl look- i had the boots, the belt buckle and now the hat... the trip was now allowed to continue :) We picked up some supplies, got a quick bite to eat, bought some groceries and drove the 100 miles to the farm. Exhausted from the long day, I slept til we got to his place.

Then low and behold we arrived to the Fingal Farm...sweet and tucked away just like I remembered it, but this time there were sheep in the pasture, two new dogs, 5 new kittens and a llama. We got started right away with feeding of the animals. I got to feed the sheep who were hilarious to listen too. I never realized how noisy they were! Papaw was able to catch a lamb for me so I could hold it and get a picture with it :)

We then headed to where Louie the guard llama was pinned. He is in charge of the adolesent ewes. Supposedly this is not a nice llama, but when you have food in a bucket he doesn't think you are too bad. I fed the llama then headed up the porch where the kittens were. These are definitely the cutest things! So little, only 3 weeks old! So I sat there for a while just loving on these sweet kittens!After petting on the kittens, I needed to go see my horse Olly. O what a beauty he is! I was excited because the next day we were gonna give him a bath and saddle him up to ride! The day had gone so well the whole time! Papaw and I made a delicious steak dinner, put on a movie and called it a night.

DAY 2Day 2 started a little later which was amazing because I got to finally sleep in! We ate some breakfast, lathered on our spf 100 sunscreen and headed out for a day of fun on the farm. We went and fed the sheep and then harnessed up Olly to get a bath. I forget how big and strong those animals are, but with just a rope or a bridal, they are so under control-very cool!! We bathed Olly up (which im not sure how keen he was on that event), picked off a ton of ticks which totally grossed me out, brushed him and let him dry. One cool thing I learned today was how to clean out a horse's hoof. That was something I had never done before- I must say a little scary, but he behaved and stood there like nothing was happening (however this is because his face was stuffed in a bucket of grain :) ) After we got Olly all cleaned up we stuck the saddle on him.

Now Olly had not been ridden since I was there the last time, and that was over 2 years ago. So, this horse was none to thrilled to have someone sitting on his back. However, whether he liked it or not, we did it anyways. Papaw rode him first, then I walked him around for a while-no trotting for me! Once I got the horse ridding in that I wanted, we cleaned up and headed to town to run a few errands. You know I just love how the Lord works. He really does allow us to go through trials so that we can encourage and comfort those who end up going through the same stuff. One of Papaw's neighbors just had a stroke last week, and so we were headed to go visit her in the hospital. Come to find out this woman had the same kind of stroke grandma judy had! So I was able to talk with the lady and her family and understand all the things that she had gone through or was going through. Man, what an awesome family! This woman looked great and was recovery quickly and her reason for feeling good: PRAYER! Why or how you couldnt believe that prayer is not only powerful but effective is beyond me. Papaw and I spent a good hour in there talking with the family. Papaw is surrounded by some pretty awesome people, coincidence? I think NOT. After our errands were run in town we headed back home to get some dinner started. Another steak dinner was on the table and it was delicious. I then proceeded to ask Papaw a list of questions pertaining to his childhood, genealogy etc. His background is amazing, and I loved hearing all of the stories from back then. I am taking these questions and asking them to all my other close relatives, because you never know when they will be gone and what a shame to have all of this neat history and memories to be wasted and never recorded! So the questions and answering will continue tomorrow.

Although going to bed a little discouraged, I need to know and trust that God is still in control. As my friend told me "pray and that's it". So that is what I will do. As I lay my head to rest tonight, I will pray. Pray that the Lord will continue to soften the heart, that opportunities to be bold will present themselves in the Lord's perfect time, and that I can approach the throne of grace with confidence! Lord, I do thank you for being faithful, and I do trust that you cause all things to work out for the good of those who love you!

Looking forward to another day on the farm being a cowgirl!

Life is Fragile, His Grace is Enough, Prayers Work

2009-05-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

PRAYER WORKS

Well im sitting in Grandma Judy's room on my last full day here. It has been amazing seeing her improvement over the days!! She really is a miracle!! God has answered so many of our prayers so quickly and I couldnt be more thankful!! She is talking a lot better, a lot clearer. She is able to somewhat stand and sit with little help of others. She is eating on her own. The Lord is truly healing her body and I think the coolest thing is that the doctors dont understand how- but I know- GOD IS MORE POWERFUL THAN A STROKE!! I cant tell my friends thank you enough for the prayers and support yall have given in this situation!!!!

Man the verse in James 5:16 "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" has been so evident over this whole semeste- I swear the Lord never seizes to amaze me.

After lent, I felt convicted that I wasnt praying for others as much as I should have. My eyes were opened to the realization that it's not about me and how fulfilling it is to put my focus on others. Getting on my knees and lifting up those who I love and care about was such an awesome escape... A couple nights were spent sitting on a picnic table, listening to music, prayin and crying...what a release it was to lay everything at His feet- health, school, internships, uncertainties with summer plans and life, friends and family in need of a change of heart...everything... and each time I felt like the burdens, hurts and doubts were lifted.

I never would have thought of myself as a prayer warrior, but its always something to strive after! I have seen the power of prayer and it makes my faith so much stronger.. the Lord is so gracious and so faithful and when I see huge prayers answered it makes me want to pray even harder.... nothing is impossible for God and it has been proven time and time again... PRAYER WORKS :)

Life is Fragile, Grace is Enough and Prayer Works.. part 1

2009-05-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

I had heard the saying life is fragile, but it wasn’t until this semester it truly hit me how precious and fragile life really is. It’s so easy for us to go through the motions of everyday and miss out on some amazing opportunities as well as blessings that are right in front of us. How often do you tell your parents thank you for all the sacrifices they’ve made for you? How often do you give one of those hugs where you don’t let go until the hurt is gone? How often do you tell the ones you love, that you actually love them? How often do you take the time to help out a complete stranger? All of these things have been coming up lately and I wasn’t sure why. The idea of me being a selfish 20 year old came up quite often too. I kept pushing these whispers and thoughts away and kept on with my busy life. It wasn’t until there were a couple of unexpected deaths in families of friends of mine that this idea of life being fragile became real again. Death stings for sure, it’s never an easy thing to grasp or deal with. However, the only way to really get through those times is holding onto the Truth we believe in our hearts- and that is God is sovereign, He is in control and His glory will shine, even in the dark times. So, watching my friends hurt made me really take a step back to see all the people in my life that I needed to reach out to. I needed to encourage those who were hurting, those who were succeeding and those who were stuck in a rut. As I was doing this, the Lord turned the tables a bit.

An unexpected phone call came about my grandma last Friday. My dad said she had a stroke and that was all we knew. It’s one of those phone calls where your knees give out, your heart pounds and tears start to stream down your face. It’s almost this feeling of being helpless because you can’t be there with her in the hospital, you can’t give your mom a hug…all you can do is go to battle-pray and pray hard. God is a God of comfort and He who promised is faithful…so that’s what I held onto and I prayed. The Lord has done some major miracles the past 48 hours and has answered some major prayers. My grandma had a Hemorrhagic stroke at about midnight Thursday but wasn’t found until 11am the next day. This would normally cause some major damage with victims of a stroke of this severity. However, she is awake, alert, sitting up, talking, eating and even joking around! I’m sorry but the only way to explain that is GOD did it! Her speech is still slurred, her right side is weak and there is a lot of rehab to be done, but she is improving every day. I believe with my whole heart that things don’t happen by accident- that this was no surprise to God and that He is going to use this hard situation in a huge way!! The Lord was gracious in allowing me a free week to come up and spend it with her in the hospital.

Ya, it’s hard seeing her in this state, but it’s a chance for me to shower God’s love, encouragement and joy on not only her, but my uncle, mom and whomever else I come in contact with. I’m done being a luke-warm Christian- I am going to live a life that truly reflects Christ wherever I go. I want people to see me and see my heart for the Lord just seeping out of my pores. I am excited to see what opportunities pop up this week as I’m here. Lord, hide me behind the cross so that you are seen!! more about Grace and Prayer later :)

In the Morning, Give Me Jesus

2009-02-22T06:08:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I've written :-/ Lots of things have been going on lately. My day usually consists of wake up, quiet time with the Lord, class, chapel, class, practice, internship. So my days are very packed, and I am daily tested- I am I going to try to make it through by my own strength or His? This definitely determines if the day goes well or not :)

There have been a lot of things on my plate lately which has caused me to be not only physically tired, but mentally and spiritually. I still havent grasped the concept of "giving it to God", but its a slow proccess. This poem I got in my daily devotional email, and it is exactly what I am going through! I know these things: I know the truth, I know God has made me just right, I know He has a plan and purpose for me... so why can't I grasp these things in my mind?

"I Know"

** I know He is the beginning, so why do I worry about the end?

** I know He is the creator, so why do I wonder who will destroy?

** I know He has forgiven me, so why can't I forgive myself?

** I know He is a healer, so why do I speak of sickness?

** I know He can do all things, so why do I say I can't?

** I know He will protect me, so why do I fear?

** I know He will supply all my needs, so why can't I wait?

** I know He is my strength and my salvation, so why do I feel weak?

** I know that everything and everyone has a season, so why when someone's season is over do I weep instead of rejoice?

** I know He is the right way, so why do I go the wrong way?

** I know He is the light, so why do I choose to walk in darkness?

** I know that whatever I ask of GOD, GOD will give me, so why am I scared to ask?

** I know tomorrow is not promised, so why do I put off for tomorrow what I can do today?

** I know that the truth shall make me free, so why do I continue to lie?

** I know He gives us revelation, knowledge and understanding, so why do I lean on my own understanding?

** I know I should live in the spirit as well as walk in the spirit, so why do I choose to live in the spirit but walk in the flesh?

** I know that when praises go up, blessings come down, so why do I refuse to praise Him?

** I know I am saved, so why do I refuse the word He has given me?

** I know He has a plan for me, so why am I rushing it because

** I am eager to do His will, when it is His time not my time?

On a lighter note, we had a winter ball this past Friday (48th floor, Empire Room), and I am pretty sure that it was the funnest dance I've been too. No, I didnt have a date, but the group of people I went with were amazing! There were 4 guys and 5 girls and we just rotated with everyone. The only bummer was the fact that I was taller than all the guys (figures haha) But it was a blast! I am so glad we went!

Power Made Perfect in our Weakness...

2009-02-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

February 7 11:46pm

I must say, this has definitely been a roller coaster of a week. My emotions and moods and thoughts have been all over the place. I have felt sad,overwhelmed, overjoyed, shocked, thankful, humbled, strengthened, hopeless, hopeful....the list could go on, but one thing remains to be true- He was there, every minute of ever day...through every tear and every bit of laughter.

Why is it that one minute I can have all the faith in the world and not be fearful of the unknowns, and man the next fall flat on my face and wonder if there is any hope? I guess sometimes those questions will never be answered, and I will continue to ride this roller coaster we call life.

One thing I know is certain is that "He who promised is faithful" Heb. 10:23, and He has proven that time and time again. I know these trials are only going to make me stronger, its whether I choose to ground myself into His truth every morning and cling to His promises...

I went on a run this evening, already exhausted from a long day of touring people around campus... I put on my calm playlist and started to run. As I started running, the words of each song penetrated my heart in a way that I knew it was the Lord speaking to me... it was encouraging and reassuring that things were going to be ok...He was right here with me every step of the way... some of the different song lyrics that stuck out are:

*"its ok, answer me with silence, its ok if you dont say a word, you're testing me to trust you'll be faithful in this quiet, so ok answer me with silence"

*"to say goodbye to all the things that i thought i loved but never needed- to lose myself and just believe- to reach for hope but not a reason....and id give my life, to spend one day with you, to see through the rain and know the skies are blue"

*"'cause ill be by your side wherever you have fallen....my hands are holding you"

*"pour out your mercy, clear this busy mind, your love is like eating a slice of pie...it is like honey on my tongue, so pour out your mercy clear this busy mind- your words are a lamp unto my feet, when i walk down these dark and lonely streets- you are all i need"

*"hope is strength to walk alone...hope ill be waiting, and ill be holding onto- im never knowing, so ill be holding onto hope"

there are just a few of the songs that really hit home tonight... i had a great talk with God out in the grass, under the stars (well the 3 i could see). It was great, very humbling and once again laid everything at His feet.

I must say, I am blessed to have the most amazing family and friends in my life who are supportive, encouraging and so loving... and I have realized I dont thank you enough... so thank you from the bottom of my heart! I wouldnt be who I am today without you :)

Up at midnight but class at 8 am...

2009-01-28T22:06:00.000-08:00

I should be in bed...

Well this week has flown by! I cant believe its already Thursday! Its been a great week with surprises around every corner. I have class in 8 hrs, but I cant seem to go to sleep, too many things on my mind I guess. warning: This will be random

Let's see first, I must comment on my global marketing class. One word: LEGIT! Man our teacher is hard core- I know I am going to learn a lot and definitely be challenged (which is what I need!) We have no text book, but we are required to read about a book every week- now Emily does not read like that unless the book is about vampires or some sappy romance...unfortunately these books wont have those characteristics, but they will be about business and that should keep my attention :) I am excited to see what I will take away from this class!

Next, so I was looking forward to some interviews this week for potential summer internships... going into them I prayed, and prayed hard. I am done with living my life according to me, satisfying MY desires...no! things are changing and now I am laying everything at His feet and praying for His guidance and peace- this includes career, relationships whatever! I am confident the Lord already has some sweet job/internship for me for this summer, it is just going to take some work on my part to search those out and simply have faith. So, the internship I thought my be a for sure didn't happen, but I was so encouraged by what the woman said to me and she gave me some great alternative options. So, what i am thinking at this point, if not this amazing one, God has something else amazing for me- no worries. So now its onto the next contact, the next person i can get to know and some more doors of opportunity for the Lord to open- man life is exciting!

I have been very blessed to have the past few days pretty much free due to icy weather conditions. No practice for the past 3 days! I have had some time to do some shopping (getting new business clothes is way too fun!) I have spent some quality time with people in my life who bless me in so many ways! I am so amazed by God and how perfect He does things. He totally puts the exact people in your life at the perfect time, for the perfect reason (understanding that reason sometimes is the tricky part). I need to be a better friend and invest in their lives as much as they do in mine!

I love how small of a world this is. I went out to sushi with some friends the other night and overheard the waitresses talking about some kind of fruit. One mentioned that it tasted like Rambutan and so I instantly butted into their conversation. The girl was actually from Bandung Indonesia and had met the family that works in Molly's school who were from Texas! I knew them too..wow what a small world- I love it when God does that!

Today I went to Panera to read the rest of my text book for my spring internship. While I was there God totally reminded me the simplicity of life and how much joy it should be. I guess getting older, you just get stressed out about dumb things and you forget about how good life is. I was sitting on the comfy chairs by the fire when this family sits at the table next to me. The kids sat at a separate table than the parents-the typical set up when the parents dont want to deal with the kiddos. I was watching the kids and it was just funny remembering how fun it was to be that young and not really have a care in the world. They were laughing about who knows what, but that totally changed my attitude for the rest of the time there. It was a nice reminder to just be happy. Focus on the good things of the day, of all the ways the Lord has blessed me...when you count your blessings, all the "bad things" dont even matter.

While at Panera I was also reading my daily walk bible. Good challenge for the day:

Take 10 words to capture the most important thought on your mind right now

* "the unknowns of the future cause me no fear "

Last random thought for the night. I went to church tonight to watch Fireproof with a group of people. Can i just say this was absolutely amazing! It was such a powerful movie that totally proves the importance of 1. having Christ in your life 2. that your relationships must be based on Christ 3. love is a choice not a feeling.... great, clean, moving movie that i definitely recommend to everyone!

Alright that's all for tonight, I think I'll be able to sleep now :)

Reflection of the First Week Back at School

2009-01-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

One week of school down 15 more to go :-D

Looking back on the first week I think one word to describe it would be "Encouraged". Man I am so encouraged! Although there are a lot of unknowns concerning the summer, this semester's internship, and life in general- I am so encouraged by the Lord and the amazing ways He works. I have been doing really good with spending time in the Word thanks to the Daily Walk Bible- a day-by-day read (in theory so i can read the bible in one year!) I have gained so much understanding and appreciation for God's Word and its so cool to see how applicable the Word is to my life's experiences! So that has been really neat to see god speak to me through His Word. It was my roommate's birthday this weekend, so we had a surprise party for her on Friday and then had a girls day out on Saturday- nails and shopping it was great!
We have acquired a new decoration for our apartment to help remind us to focus on our studies...haha its kinda the running joke in the house :

This week I will start back up with soccer training and I am really excited about that. I have really gained a passion for weight training so practice wont be a burden, rather an escape! I am going to have my first meeting for my internship for the spring this week to talk about all the details- and I am so excited about the fact that I will be working on the 20th floor of a high-rise in downtown Dallas!! Yup, the Lord is so good.
I heard a really neat quote by Jim Elliot today, and I really want it to be the cry of my heart as well as every follower of Christ:

“Father, make of me a crisis woman. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.”

After A Few Days in Class

2009-01-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

Well, class started on Tues, but my week started off amazing when i got the opportunity to go to a free Phil Wickham concert at school on Monday evening. Wow! His lyrics really hit home to me that night and really set the week on a good note- helped me get my focus on the Lord. I want to post some lyrics of a song of his just because they are constantly my prayer.. soo good :)

Grace
The sky is grey and the light is far
The sea is a rage within my heart
I turn my sight to the crashing waves
I cry in the night just to be saved
I need eyes to be my guide
I need a voice that’s louder than mine
I need hope I need You
Cause I can’t do this alone
Grace I call Your name
Oh won’t Your smile fall over me
I’m cracked and dry on hands and knees
Oh sweet grace rain down on me
I need You grace
I pray for dawn a new day to live
I pray for mercy only Jesus gives
Though darkness falls and a million cry
I believe over all there’s a greater light shining for us
Come down and save me

Man, God is so good and I am reminded of his amazing mercies and grace every day! I love my classes so far- promotional strategies is going to so fun, Hebrews will be awesome, Spanish went really well today I understood her when she spoke in Spanish :) Um Economics is interesting...so things are great! I am really looking forward to what this semester has to hold and what I am going to learn.

Today's chapel was so powerful. Dr. Cook talked about his journey with Leukemia and how he was so encouraged by Ann Graham Lotz thing "Give me Jesus"...we turned down the lights and listened to it..and wow!
I encourage you to listen to it, close your eyes and take in every description of who Jesus is- one is bound to hit home. Not gonna lie, I shed some tears.... so now every morning I am going to say
JUST GIVE ME JESUS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVGIoeuC_uo

back in dallas

2009-01-18T21:58:00.001-08:00

January 18 Back at DBU

Its kinda sad that I got to spend a whole 24 hours with my family before I headed back to Dallas. However, it was the best 24 hours- lots of bonding (including sushi with dad!) I won't see them until school gets out, and then who knows how much time I will have with them this summer since I am planning on staying in Dallas for the summer. O well, the time I had with them was a total blessing!!

Well I just got back to DBU late Saturday evening. I am definitely experiencing jet lag and its pretty rough! I had no idea what to expect with jetlag, but its definitely not fun. Im kinda crabby and really tired! I have yet to take a nap during the day and drink coffee so that my body can readjust naturally :-/ So I have kept myself busy and awake with working out, playing volleyball and watching movies with the roommates. School doesn't start until Tuesday, so I still have one more day to rest. So it will consist of shopping for groceries, a new phone and random school stuff. I am really looking forward to this semester and what it has in store.

I am taking some pretty exciting classes like global marketing, promotional strategies and Hebrews! I am also doing an internship with Buckner International!! So there are a lot of unknowns concerning this semester, but I have no doubt that God is going to do some awesome things and He is going to be there every step of the way- in the good times and bad.

I will definitely keep the blog going this semester, just because it help me remember the awesome ways the Lord works and keeps others updated on the Life of Emily Ruth :)

Last leg of the trip LA-Flag

2009-01-16T15:04:00.000-08:00

January 15 Last Leg

Flying from korea to tokyo was quick and I saw the most beautiful thing- I think this picture says it all (Mount Fuji in Japan) Well the trip was almost over when I finally reached LA at 7:25 am. I headed to customs to be legally allowed to enter the states when I successfully got in the slowest line EVER. It seriously took 45 minutes when it should have taken maybe 20. Again, when you ask for patience, God gives you situations like that. To add the annoyance, I almost got my phone taken away by the security haha. I totally forgot that when you get off the plane from traveling internationally, you aren't supposed to use your phone. Well someone from DBU had called me and suddenly the security guy yelled at me telling me to get off the phone- I was totally shocked that I didnt know how to explain myself to the person on the phone and when the security guy started walking toward me I just hung up. Oops. Well after waiting in line for forever, I got through customs and headed outside. I kept forgetting where I was (maybe the lack of sleep was starting to effect my though process). I was super excited to have a 7 hour layover because I finally had the opportunity to spend time with a former eagle- Ana aka OC!!! She's from the OC and because of the horrible snow storms she was unable to come out and visit me- but now I got to visit her! She came and picked me up and thats when the adventure began!

I had told her I had a few hours to kill and just to keep me busy- well she took those words and did exactly that! We first hit up a mexican restaurant to get a breakfast burrito (that weighed like a pound!), then we drove to her school and checked out her dorm room, then we drove to downtown disneyland to get a caramel apple and play around in the disney store. We tried on all the funny hats and I bought a few souvenirs.

We then left downtown disney and headed to find a coffee bean. We grabbed some coffee (to help keep me awake because I hadn't gotten a bit of sleep for 24 hours!) and headed towards the beaches. I saw Long Beach and Huntington Beach- they were beautiful and I got a full tour of southern cali within 4 hrs. We wanted to get a picture at a beach and stick our toes in the water before I had to be back to the airport, so Ana parked the car on the side of the road, we ran to the beach, snapped a few pictures and I picked up a few sea shells and hopped back into the car. We were able to get all of these fun random things done and it was a blast. I was just expecting to grab a bite to eat with Ana and that would be it, but she totally blessed me and took me everywhere! It was so nice to finally reunite with an eagle!We got back to the airport just in time for me to check in and have a few minutes before I got on the plane. Once I got to my gate, jet lag hit hard. I was struggling to keep my eyes open, but I knew I could hold on until I got on the plane. Once I sat in my seat I passed out and woke up when we were flying over Sedona. The trip from LA to Flag was quick and a total relief when we landed. We got there earlier than expected, so I didnt have a warm welcome from the parents (which was ok). They arrived a few minutes after I grabbed my luggage. I then shared everything about the trip- I showed some pictures, gave them their little goodies- it was great! We went out to dinner and had an awesome time talking about life- Im not even sure Indonesia came up, but it was really neat to open up and talk about things that arent a typical dinner meal topic. God's presence was at the table that night and it was awesome (even a little emotional, so weird!)

So ya the first night back was good, very overwhelming. I had no idea what to expect when it came to jet lag, so I was in for a treat :) I eventually called it a night by midnight. I am still hoping for some time to reflect and be alone, but I am not sure that is gonna happen unfortunately :( Thank you Lord, for you are good and your love endures forever. I am so thankful that you never fail me and that you never leave my side. This verse gave me some comfort when I was on the plane thinking about life and it was kinda interesting that it was the verse on the wall at Molly's school :) lamentations 3:21-24

Evans' Sisters Adventures Day 13...flying back home

2009-01-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

January 15 Flying Home

Well I am sitting in the Korean airport kind of in a daze- one, I didnt sleep very well from Jakarta to Seoul...two, the fact that I just spent the last 2 weeks in Indonesia. Huh, what an amazing experience- its almost like it never happened! People kept asking me what was my favorite part, but every day was awesome! I had the best cultural experience- I really dont think I missed out on anything (well maybe eating durian but who wants to do that?!) I got to do everything including eating on the ground with my hands, hiking to gorgeous waterfalls, visiting some islands and live right where the people did, eat some crazy fruit, see my life flash before my eyes in ridiculously crazy Bandung traffic, ride on the back of a bike with 3 different guys (ok 2 of them I paid and one was a friend of Molly's), learn a few words in Indonesian, speak to students about how amazing our God is, get a cream bath, getting stared at wherever I went...the list could go on. It was amazing! I am still gonna have to do some more reflecting on what God was teaching me and what I am going to take away from this trip...but that will take time. Well my last day at school was yesterday and it went really well- I had the chance to speak at the middle school chapel- I was just doing the same thing as I had been doing the rest of the week- share my testimony. This one went a little different than I expected. I did well speaking to the other classes, confident and not emotional, but this time I cried. I dont know why I get emotional about sharing my story sometimes and other times it doesnt even faze me? I think it hits me how fortunate I am to be where I am at and the Lord just needs to humble me...and I think shedding a few tears got the kids attention and made it more personal. After chapel was over, Molly and I ate hot pink chicken for the last time together. I was then roped into playing soccer with Molly's kids at recess. Part of me was not wanting to get sweaty and muddy, but once I got out there and started playing, I had a blast. After recess was over, I got to read Molly's class (man did I feel like a teacher then!)
Good-byes are never easy, and with the Evans' Family they are guaranteed to produce tears. I really was sad having to leave Molly. We finally had the opportunity to bond and have some one-on-one time! I really thank God for allowing us to have such a good time together and I am looking forward to seeing her during the summer. I am so proud of her and all she is doing in Indonesia- the Lord is totally at work!

My flight didnt leave unil 9:55pm, and I got to the airport at 5. The check-out counters dont open until 2 hrs before you board, so I had some time to kill. I was told to find the massage places and pamper myself- and oh did I search for those:) I found this little booth that said "foot reflexology" and so I took the chance and agreed to an hour. Well some of the massage was very relaxing and it felt good, but a lot of it hurt! All the pounding and kneading... I had some good laughs, but I am not too sure I will do it again :-D After my massage, I had about another hour so I went to find a bite to eat. I sat on a stool next to this really friendly Indonesian guy who spoke English. We started talking and realized that we were on the same flight to Korea. I was relieved to know there would be a familiar face on the plane and he could speak the language! After checking our bags, we got separated. I knew I would see him eventually, so I ended up going to the gate to watch Indonesian soap operas. About 30 minutes before we boarded my friend showed up. We started talking and he mentioned that he was Muslim. I then jumped on that opportunity and drilled him with questions. I had asked him what he thought about Christians, what his prayer rituals meant, if he believed in grace...He then asked me what I believed in...it was such a cool conversation and God totally put words in my mouth. Our conversation soon ended unfortunately when we started to board. I didnt see him again, but the gospel was shared and I made a new friend. God is so cool, and I am so thankful He gave me an awareness and boldness to talk to him!

Boarding the plane I was slightly nervous because it was pouring, lightening and thundering outside. The weather didnt stop us from taking off, and soon we were in the air. I dozed off, but didnt have a very restful flight- good thing I have 13 more hours to try to sleep :) I have been bumming around the Korean airport and I even ran into my old friend Pearl that I had met a couple weeks ago. It was really fun to reunite and she even gave me a Korean gift :)

God is good, I pray for more opportunities to be bold, and I am ready to be home.

Evans' Sisters Adventures Day 12

2009-01-13T06:03:00.000-08:00

Last Days in Indonesia :'( January 13

Wow, I cant believe that the 2 weeks has already come and gone so quickly! I have had so many memories that I hope to never forget... but its not over just yet, one more half day at school then its fly away in a plane back to america-33 hrs :)Today went well. I hitched a ride with a man on a motor bike to get the school- I had to do it before I left...it only cost me $.40! He was generous and drove slower than usual :)

Today, I had taken on another job and I got to do the lower elementary kids chapel, and thanks to this summer and teaching kids the bible, I was somewhat prepared. I was going to talk on the reasons why God deserves the glory. I gave them 5 reasons and put a story from the bible with each one.

He deserves the glory because:

1. He created us

2. He can do awesome things

3. He changes us

4. He saves us from our sin

5. He can use us!

I was expecting for the stories to take up more time, but no I was done within maybe 30 minutes and chapel lasted 50 minutes! We sang some songs like "Who's the king of the Jungle" and "My God is so big"...but unfortunately with the attention span of a 3-5 year old, they were done. We did sing "Father Abraham" and that was hilarious and the kids thought so too. So ya that chapel might have felt like a bust, but God is always at work and I need to remember its not my job to impact the lives of everyone let alone anyone, thats up to God.

I then had the afternoon off until 2:30 when I was scheduled to talk about DBU to the high schoolers. It rained cats and dogs all afternoon, so instead of going on a run, I packed then watched a chick flick. Though I love chick flicks and love living vicariously through the characters' unrealistic love lives, I have realized that is not a good thing for my heart. I get these pictures in my mind that love is so easy and so predictable, but that's not the case. I had made it a new years resolution to guard my heart, and I am afraid watching chick flicks like "The Family Stone" probably doesnt help much. I am really going to work on keeping God my number one and not letting someone let alone anything distract me from my number one priority: growing in my relationship with Christ!

This is going to be an interesting semester to look forward- a lot of changes and a lot of challenges expected, so staying focused is key!

Ok, so back to today- I went and spoke to the high schoolers about DBU. That was so much fun- man if DBU wanted someone to go to international schools and talk about DBU I would be the first to raise my hand! I loved it and it went so well!

The rain fortunately stopped, so it allowed me to go for a run. I was a little bit more brave and ran outside of Molly's neighborhood today. Man the stares you get here if you are white, its funny, but kinda gets old after a while...maybe it was because I was singing along with my music-so what ;)

The same student that brought the sushi yesterday wanted to bless us again with amazing Korean food! What a blessing that was because the gas wasnt working for the stove, so we werent sure what we were going to eat for dinner- man God is so good and is always faithful to provide!

The rest of the evening was filled with packing and talking. Not much of an eventful night, but I think I have had plenty to make up for it. It is kinda weird knowing I leave tomorrow. Molly wont be coming with me to the airport in Jakarta, so maybe that will help make the goodbye easier. I have been thinking about the questions "what am I going to take away from this trip? What has God taught me through this experience? and Am I changed?" These questions will be reflected upon while I am on the plane for 33hrs.

Tomorrow I will be speaking in the middle school chapel, and then I hop on a shuttle to head to the airport! The Lord is so good and if I could say one thing it would be I am so super blessed to have had the opportunity to come here and experience everything I did and I give all the credit to the Lord because He totally orchestrated this whole entire trip!

Evans' Sisters Adventures Day 11

2009-01-12T06:19:00.000-08:00

January 12 Ms. Evans the Art Teacher?

So I think I am off on the day counting, but you get the gist :) Today was amazing! I was ready to speak in all the classes (of course after God had to do some major humbling!) I had a nice 30 minute walk to school because all the teachers in the house got to school by like 6am! It was a nice walk and I arrived at school when all the other kids were, so I felt like I was back in elementary school again. I sat through some of the bible teaching in Molly's class, then I headed to Mr. Durham' s bible class. I had 9-12 graders to speak to for the next 4 periods. At first I was nervous trying to remember what each grade was learning and how I was going to relate it to them, but then it dawned on me, "you know what Emily, everything revolves around the fact that God is at work wherever, and whoever God wants to touch today, He is going to...so dont worry, just share what has gone on in the past 3 years or so in you life."

Well that is exactly what I did, and it was so cool! I had about 45 minutes to talk and took up 30 sharing my story, so it left 15 minutes or so for questions. It was really neat to see the kids interact and show me that they were actually paying attention. God is so good!

After the class talks it was lunch time, so Molly had ordered us some spicy food that came wrapped in a leaf. It had started raining so I was going to catch a ride with one of the administration people but had to wait for 45 until they came back. In the meantime, I headed over to the 1st grade class to read a book "The Rotten Redheaded Older Brother" (haha how cute!) So that was a blast reading to these little kids.

After leaving that class I ran into Charity, the school principal, who looked very frazzled. She then had a light bulb come on over her head as she explained her dilemma "we need an art teacher sub-would you do it for me? 7th and 8th period?"

I never would have guessed the possibility of me teaching would EVER come up, but it did and it was a blast! I had an 8th grade class and a 6th grade class! The lesson was pretty much draw a picture...how hard could that be?

So yup, I not only was a guest speaker today, I was also Ms. Evans the art sub haha....

It was really neat to see the 6th graders draw a picture of an attribute of God. Im not sure at that age I would have been able to think about that, but these kids impressed me!

So that was my first day back at school, and it was a total blast and God took total control! When I got home, one of Molly's Korean students brought by some homemade sushi-im pretty sure that made my whole day! YUM

Tomorrow I get to be the guest speaker with the little elementary kids, lead worship with them, and then share to the high schoolers about DBU. I am really looking forward to both things, kinda extremes, but man these kids definitely have faith like a child and I should learn from them :) Pray the Lord gives me some ideas to keep the little guys entertained for 50 minutes!

Evans' Sisters Adventures Day 10

2009-01-12T00:42:00.000-08:00

January 11 Old Rugged Cross

Man, what a day. Molly and I got to sing "The Old Rugged Cross" at church which was a sweet last minute deal. The message was great talking about our identity in Christ and the difference between living a life pleasing God and trusting God. It was a great reminder that life isnt all about pleasing God and doing things for Him, its all about trusting. The pastor reminded us of the old hymn trust and obey-and it is such a simple concept!

"Trust and obey for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey"

After Church we grabbed a quick bite to eat-soup (in a bag) to go and rice (in paper), and had a meeting with a group of students planning on visiting the islands in the spring. They were learning how to ask people questions to get to know them, so I was the guinea pig they practiced on! It then poured the rest of the afternoon. I let Molly have the afternoon off otherwise she would kill me, so I went home to work on my talks. That didnt go very well seeing as I broke down last night trying to prepare 4 "mini sermons" with my own words and strength. What was I thinking- that I could prepare these things on my own? Man, do I struggle with pride and God is constantly having to humble me...you would think I would learn after the 50th time, but no :) It was actually exactly what I needed for me to remember why I was here in Indonesia and what a cool opportunity it was for me to speak to these kids about what the Lord has done in my life. After talking with Molly, shedding some tears and laying it at His feet, I was able to sleep. It's interesting to see the Lord totally humble me when I am preparing for a talk about being humbled...hmmm God is so good :) Tomorrow will be a day full of talks and I am looking forward to it.

Evans' Sisters Adventures Day 10

2009-01-11T02:07:00.001-08:00

January 10 Thrilling Day of Adventures!

Well I started off my Saturday thinking it was going to be a pretty uneventful day, but man was I completely wrong! The day started off slow with a rainy morning, watching Gilmore Girls, going for a run and thinking about preparing for speeches. Around 2pm Molly and I decided to head out to Bandung to get some more shopping out of the way (school supplies and other gifts for back home)before the birthday dinner. Now, Molly had never driven to Bandung by herself let alone with a passenger on the motor bike- the other day was the furthest she had driven!Again, we broke another record and headed to Bandung on the motor bike-yikes. I think I have talked to God more on a motor bike than on any other type of transportation! Molly did a great job, it was the other crazy drivers around us that I was worried about! After about 45 minutes of driving, we finally arrived to the mall where we were gonna get some shopping done. This parking lot was ridiculous (as you can see from the picture!) Bikes were literally packed in there like sardines! Our shopping trip was successful (especially when I bartered for a bracelet with an indonesia with the only number I knew and got the cheaper price!), but the challenge was getting it back home with all our stuff- I stuffed all of my goodies in my purse, and with one hand held on for dear life and the other I held a bag of school supplies for Molly. After our shopping adventure, we headed up the hill to go eat at a Mediterranean restaurant for one of the Emily's birthdays. The food was good and it was fun meeting more of the teachers Molly teaches with. After dinner we headed up the hill more to find a restaurant that had a beautiful view of the city. We ate dessert there (which was delicious) and drank these ginger tea drinks (not my cup of tea, a lil too spicy for me). Now, after dessert was when the real adventure began. I (as well as molly) was a little nervous driving back with molly in the dark. Aaron, one of the guy teachers, offered to drive me back. O man was that beyond thrilling! All the girls gave me one bit of advice: "Just hold on, he goes fast"...well they weren't lying haha... I really think I saw my life flash before my eyes once (ok maybe there's a bit of exaggeration there) but I did see headlights a couple of times as if we were playing chicken. I kept thinking to myself "is this really happening? Am I really driving on the back of a motor bike in Indonesia with this guy I just met today?" and the answer? HAHA YES IM NOT DREAMING AND ITS AMAZING! It was definitely thrilling (a bit scary) but I'll cross that off on my list of things to do before I die: ride on the back of a speeding motor bike in Indonesia. We got back to the house safe and sound as well as the others, so that was relievingThe rest of the night was Gilmore Girls..man what a day!

Evans' Sisters Adventures Day 9

2009-01-09T17:07:00.001-08:00

Jan 10- Day 9

Singing in the Rain, Just Singing in the Rain, What a Glorious Feeling Im Happy Again...

Well I woke up this morning debating on whether I wanted to go for a run or not. (Although the answer was an obvious "yes you need to") but the Lord answered my dilemma...its raining today, so i guess there is no run for me :)

Well yesterday was pretty eventful-less (is that a word?) All day I was in a hotel working on some stuff (or at least tried to get things done), and Molly was at school finishing up report cards etc. We got back to her house to practice Old Rugged Cross that we are singing at church on sunday! (that went well and it will be in honor of Tita :) ) We then ate some lasagna and watched Gilmore Girls (surprised?) O the one cool thing that happened as the fact that they had a praying mantis in their house! It was such a weird looking creature (maybe it was God's little reminder to pray more?)

Um, I met the rest of Molly's roommates! Now there are 3 Emily's in this house, kinda confusing I must say :) But its fun to be in a full house!

Today is one of the Emily's birthday so we are going to celebrate later this afternoon. Nothing huge planned for today just get a few more things done on the to-do list. Preparing for all of my talks has been a little overwhelming to tell you the truth- I have about 30 minutes to talk and when I get nervous I tend to talk really fast. So why am I nervous about sharing my testimony-my own story? I dont know, maybe its the enemy trying to discourage me from revealing the amazing ways God works through trials to these students. So if you get the chance say a lil prayer- that God would speak through me, that I wouldnt get nervous (or emotional) and that the words would just come to me while I prepare :)

Drinking Cat Poop Coffee (like on the bucket list) for breakfast and eating cereal! what a great start to a great day!

Praying for another blessed day in Indonesia!

Evans' Sisters Adventures Day 5-8 continued

2009-01-09T04:01:00.000-08:00

January 9 Batam Continued
The day ended up being fairly productive, so I will continue with my reflections of Batam. The next morning we woke up and had breakfast (again on the floor so fun!). Right off the bat I was asked to share my story to the family. It ended up going well and they were able to understand and responded in a good way. We then had a 2 hour conversation that revolved around the Kingdom - it was really interesting to see how they responded and answered our questions. We ended up packing up and going back on the boat to head back to Batam. It was sad to leave this family, but I am confident knowing that He is at work! Our day had only begun when once we got back to Batam. We "mandi" (showered in Indonesian) then went and got cream baths! Wow, for $3 for practically an hour long head massage with avocado cream that turns your hair into silk, not bad at all! We then headed to a hole in the wall to eat and then went bowling!Bowling was so much fun- not to brag but I got 5 strikes in a row! Who knew that would get you a free game :) After bowling we then headed over to the Arcade to play some basketball, air hockey and DDR. I definitely got owned on the DDR! We had a blast, it was like we were kids again! We then decided to get a movie and head back to the house and eat pizza! Pizza, movie and ice cream was a great end to our fun-filled day!

The next day we had to say our goodbyes and get on a plane back to Jakarta. It was sad to say bye to people I had only known for 48 hours, but they were such a blessing! I hope to cross paths with them again soon!

Molly and I were able to find a shuttle back to Bandung, got back to the house and watched some more Gilmore Girls (onto season 4!). Amazing mini vacation for sure and I am so blessed to have had the chance to go! It was an amazing cultural experience for sure and hope to do it again! Oh exciting news, I am learning a few words in Indonesian and I even dreamed in Indonesian the other day (even tho I had no idea what was being said!) haha kinda fun! More later

Evans' Sisters Adventures Day 5-8

2009-01-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

January 9....Man Where Do I Begin?

The trip to Batam was amazing. I have used that word way too much but I dont know how else to describe my experiences here! I am sitting on a balcony of the hotel near Molly's house and the view is breath-taking. Im here because the Internet works and I have a long list of things to do:

1. prepare DBU presentation for monday

2. prepare speech on testimony (wed)

3. prepare speech for bible classes (tues?)

4. read my text book that i have barely cracked open :-/

5. do my blog

6. spend some time with my Lord

Wow, a lot to do but i have all day to get it done :)

So first I will reflect on the past few days while in Batam. The trip to Batam was a quick flight and was happily greeted by one of Molly's friends. She took us to lunch where we had avocado drinks! She was really sweet and informed me of a lot of do's and donts while we were there in Batam and on the island. We met up with the other girl that was going to the island with us and went to dinner. That evening we talked about the trip and what to expect, where we were with the Lord at the time. When it came time for me to share I got really emotional.. It is so humbling to me to know that the Lord wants to use me and my story to touch the lives of others. I tend to take for granted the amazing things the Lord has done for me through out my life and that all hit me that night. Knowing that I was going to meet the same family Molly met back in April, who heard my testimony was hard to believe. The fact that we were getting to go was a total God thing, so I was interested to see how the Lord was going to work! We prayed for the trip and called it a night. The next day we headed to a harbor and got on a wooden boat to head to the islands. That was definitely one of the coolest things ever! We got to see the skyline of Singapore, have the ocean water spray in our faces....it was awesome! After about a 45 minute boat ride we reached our destination! It was the coolest sight, these houses were built over the water! It was so interesting! It was so cute when we saw these little boys floating in a bucket in the water! We walked to the huge pink and purple house that we were going to stay in. On the way to the house we were definitely stared at. Im not sure the people there saw too many white people. We got to the house and were warmly welcomed by the family! Now these women like to eat and talk. So they had us sit down and we started to eat! We ate deep fried banana, deep fried banana bread and cookies :) We napped for a little bit and then walked around the island to hang out with the people.
We played some volleyball with the women on the island, made a kid cried just because we were white people :-D I played some soccer with a group of boys. That was an interesting experience because I dont think women really play soccer, so when I went out onto the field, they were a little hesitant. I scored a few goals and saved a few, so I think by the end they accepted me :)
After walking around the island, it was time for dinner. One of the donts here in Indonesia is dont use your left hand to do anything (and that includes eating). In this house, we ate on the floor and ate with our hands! It was so much fun- sorry mom but I just left all my manners back in the US because burping meant your were satisfied haha and we got to eat with our hands! It was a great cultural experience and I might try to bring it back to the states!

Another really fun thing was the women in the house only wear Moo-Moos, so we got to wear them too! What attractive pieces of clothing :) So we ate with our hands on the floor wearing moo-moos! After dinner we watched a hilarious movie that reminded me of the 3 stooges but in Indonesia with english subtitles (haha hilarious!). The heat on the island really effected my health , so it made me really tired so I had to go to bed early. I ended the evening a little discouraged because I didnt have a chance to share with the family yet, but I knew God was still in control so I had to trust him...

More about Batam later- I must be productive and get some of my speeches done!

Evans' Sisters Adventures Day 4

2009-01-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

Day4 Hiking to the Waterfall Well today was soo fun! We went to church, walked around Molly's' old neighborhood, and then went to the tea room for lunch and saw the biggest spider in the world! After lunch we met up with a family from England who was going to take us hiking. They have 3 kids- 2 boys and a girl. I really think I could watch this family all day long- why?

1. they have the coolest accents ever

2. we actually had English tea time with cake

3. they have 2 red headed boys who I really think could be my long lost brothers :)

We headed up to the waterfall after a game of soccer out on the pitch :-D The hike was absolutely gorgeous! The trail we hiked on must have been a couple inches wide with water crest fields on with side of us. After about 30 minutes of hiking, we reached the waterfall! O wow it was beautiful! The pool of water was too deep, so we weren't allowed to swim, but I think I could just sit there forever- it was so peaceful! I climbed around on the rocks with the kids for a while, got too much sun probably and just sat in awe of God and His amazing creation. It was getting late and we were scheduled to make pizza for dinner! So we headed back to the house to do some cooking. I helped Suzanne with the pizza, then we enjoyed dinner listening to theological explanations of different bible translations and the importance of taking Greek...very intriguing I must say! Dinner was delicious, but it was getting late, so we all headed back to Kota Baru.

I will definitely be off the grid for the next 3 days due to the lack of Internet on the remote islands!!! I cannot get over the fact that going on this trip is 110% a God thing so therefore God is going to be doing some CRAZY things..so I would totally appreciate your prayers as my sister and I head out at 6 am to catch a plane to Batam, spend the next few days with people sharing the Gospel through our love.... I will definitely have pictures and some crazy stories...so stay tuned and be prayin... sorry to say, but I dont really miss the USA, but my sister says that I'm experiencing the "honeymoon" stage... o well I am enjoying it to the fullest!!!

I'll write in a few days.

Evans' Sisters Adventures Day 3

2009-01-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

Day 3 Hello Mista

Well today started off a little later due to living vicariously through the Gilmore Girls :) After we unglued ourselves from the TV, our adventure began. Today was the day that I would put my life on the line for the joy of riding on a motor bike in Indonesia!! Molly had never gone very far with a passenger, so this was a first for her as well. I'm not sure I've ever prayed so much while driving in my life haha.... but dont worry we survived and it ended up being the funnest thing ever! The traffic here is unbelievably crazy, but Molly did a great job and we didn't die :)

We ended up getting Molly a new red helmet (so cute), shopped some more (surprised?) bought some fun toys for the kids on the island, bought some ant infested Rabutan and headed back home. I was able to breath a sigh of relief once we pulled up safely into the driveway.

We took another Gilmore Girl break before we went back into town for manicures and pedicures. The spa trip ended up taking 2 hours (big feet and hands take a longer time I guess :) ) bad idea tho- we were going to be hiking the next day...oops. O well, every girl needs to be pampered once in a while right!? After the pampering was over, we went to one of Molly's favorite restaurants for hot pink chicken and noodles. The evening ended with some more Gilmore Girls, then we crashed. (I think Molly's goal is to finish the whole set of Gilmore Girls before school starts again...maybe by season 6 I'll be able to follow) We had a great time today traveling around on a motor bike, taking pictures with rabutan, being called "mista" by all of the people here and visiting Molly's school...it was an awesome day! Tomorrow is looking very exciting- its the day we go to church and go for the waterfall hike!

Thank you Lord for another great day and most of all keeping us safe!

Evans' Sisters Adventures Day 2

2009-01-02T17:02:00.000-08:00

January 2 Have you seen Dave?!

The day started off bright and early 5:30 am thanks to jet lag. I decided that I wasn't able to force myself back to sleep, so I went outside to spend some quality with my Lord. During my quiet time, I made a list of new years resolutions that I am determined to follow this year!

Resolutions for 2009

1. Read the Word and have solitude daily!
2. Live in the Light- walk the talk

3. Be more organized!

4. Guard my heart and let God be my #1

5. Pray for my friends more!

6. Be proactive and work on time management

7. Make the most of each day since tomorrow isn't promised!

Once Molly woke up a couple hours later, we spent some

time eating breakfast, talking and just chilling. Once we were finally up and moving and dressed, we walked to the bus stop to head to Bandung for the day. The public transportation here is definitely not made for tall people if you know what I mean :)

The trip to Bandung lasted for about 30 minutes when we had to hop out of the bus when we stopped at a light, walked a little ways up a hill until we grabbed an angkot- the funniest looking van that was more like a clown car-fit as many people as you can :)

We finally reached out destination- THE OUTLETS! And o man, these outlets were crazy! It was crawling with people, and at one point I lost molly in the flood of Asians! It was a little claustrophobic with hundreds of people rifling through the piles of clothes, but it sure was worth the good deals we found! After we hit up 3 outlet stores we were exhausted and ready for some food. We ate some good ol Italiano food- calzones and ravioli with some exotic fruit iced tea. After we refueled our bodies with some nourishment, we were ready to brave the busy streets of Bandung to find some more deals.

While we were digging through all of the clothes in the mall, Molly and I really got a kick out of all the funny T-shirts that were $2 a piece. We ended up getting a few, but we got some good laughs out of the bad English translation :)

We were finally all shopped out by 5pm, so we got back on an angkot and headed to a family's house for dinner and games. The family is from Canada, so they have really cool accents :) We ate a traditional Indonesian meal called Soto Iyam (kind of like chicken noodle soup)

After dinner I finally got the chance to play the infamous game "settlers"! accompanied with cake :) Once the evening was over, we got a cab and headed back to the house. It was overall a very successful day!

Tomorrow we plan on staying in Kota Baru to take a tour on Molly's bike to go see the town and school, get cream baths (cant't wait!) eat some weird fruit and probably watch some more Gilmore Girls :) The Lord is good and I am really looking forward to the amazing ways He is going to work in the next few days.

Evans' Sisters Adventures- Day1

2009-01-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

January 1, 2009 Happy New Year!

*Well I got into Jakarta Indonesia safe and sound. After getting a visa and picking up my bags, I finally found Molly. Man was it a sweet reunion :) We hoped into a Blue Bird Taxi to go find the guest house in downtown Jakarta. I must say, Molly is definitely Indonesian! She has totally picked up the language its awesome!! After driving around for a while through the crazy amounts of people on motor bikes, we found our little guest house. Molly opened up her Christmas gifts and then we crashed.

*The next morning, they had breakfast ready for us- the craziest looking fruit ever called Rabutan, eggs, toast and banana bread. After breakfast we headed out to ride the train to Bandung. The 3 hour long train ride was so beautiful! I tried to take pictures, but a picture wouldn't be able to capture the breath-taking land of Indonesia. I was so tired from the jet lag, but I wasn't going to sleep through this trip like normal. Man did that pay off, this place is amazing!

There were a ton of rice fields, villages, jungle like vegetation and I even saw a water buffalo :) Molly and I enjoyed catching up about some of life and enjoyed a bottle carbonated iced tea and coke zero.

*Finally, the 3 hour trip was over and we arrived safely to Bandung! Molly was a little nervous when it came to finding a taxi to take us to Kota Baru (the taxi services can be a little sketchy :) ) but the Lord was good and allowed us to find a guy who bartered with Molly for a decent price. We got to Molly's house and I met her roommate Emily-great name I know :).

*I then ate some Indonesian left overs. I tried to take a nap before we watched Christmas Vacation, but it was too hot in the room, so I decided to go for a run in the neighborhood. That was an experience, because all of the neighbors were shocked to see a giant white girl running in their neighborhood :-D The neighborhood wasn't very big, so I was running in circles. Every time I passed these little girls they got all excited, and then there were these two boys on bikes that followed me for a good 10 minutes-I think they mistaken me for Molly.

*After my run in the super humid weather, I got all cleaned up and watched the best movie ever with the sis- Christmas Vacation. 5 minutes into the movie I passed out- bad idea! I was so tired when we went to dinner. Thankfully they have coca cola, so I woke up :) Me and a group of Molly's friends went to an Indian restaurant for dinner. The food was delicious (even if it was green) It was nice meeting the people that Molly works with- they are all very real people with awesome stories of how they came to work over here. It is so cool to see how the Lord prompts people to go places and man when you listen to Him and obey-He can do some amazing things with you!

*After dinner we headed back to the house and put on some good ol Gilmore Girls. That was the end of day 1 in Bandung. Tomorrow we have some outlet shopping planned, grocery shopping and possibly making some crafts. The days ahead are looking very good, so I can't wait. I am definitely going to make the most of every opportunity TODAY because tomorrow is not promised! Happy New Years..stay tuned to more Evans' sisters adventures :)

Sizzling Bowl of Dol-Sot Bibimbap

2008-12-30T19:08:00.000-08:00

Well, first time traveling over seas alone is going well so far. Left Flagstaff at 6pm, got to LA around 7. I am definitely a fan of airports and riding on planes! I just love seeing all the different types of people and meeting people with some awesome life experiences! My trip of meeitng neat people started on the first flight to LA. The guy I sat next too worked for a company that did all the visual effects for Shrek, Star Wars and Indiana Jones!! When I arrived in LA I had about 5 hours to kill. So I ate a $10 airport salad in a little cafe, watched soccer, and talked on the phone with friends until I had to board the plane. Seeing as this is my first time traveling into Asia, I really wasnt sure what I was gettting myself into. Instead of going through a gate to get on the plane like normal, they cram as many people as they can on buses and bus you to your plane far away from your gate! It was awesome! Then you get on the plane and all of the flight attendants are all dressed up in their matching hair-dos and outfits.

The flight to Seoul Korea wasn't as bad as I had expected it to be. It was a 14 hour flight, but because it left LA at midnight, I was able to sleep most of the way! Watched a few movies, and talked with the people sitting next to me headed to the Philipines!

Getting into Korea, I started to get nervous, because I had to goto baggage claim to pick up my bags and re-check in. After figuring out where to go and exchanging American dollars for Rupiah, I went to go check in. Man you dont realize how freakishly tall you are until you go to an Asian country. I am pretty sure they were all thinking I was some giant haha, it was great :)

Once safely pass security check points, I was free to roam-for the next 9 hours. The airport here is like a mall- fancy stores everywhere you go! As I was walking around like a lost American (which I definitely was) I found this cute little booth that had a very intriging sign "free event- experience true korean tradition. The girl who worked the booth wore traditional clothes. She spoke broken English, but was so sweet. I ended up making both of the crafts, and established a nice little conversation partner. She taught me some Korean and I helped her with her English. I think she told me her name 5 times and I still couldnt say it. She said it meant Pearl, so I told her that was her new "American name " :)

My next adventure in the Korean airport was finding something to eat for lunch. I had asked Pearl where I should go, and she wrote it down in Korean on a piece of paper and I went searching. I ordered my first adventure meal of the trip....

I wasn't exactly sure what I had just ordered, but I wasn't going to be a whimp. When the buzzer went off for me to pick up my food, I came to the counter to receive my sizzling rock bowl of mystery food! To my surprise, it was all delicious! Seaweed soup (tasted like miso soup) some type of hardboiled egg, kimche, some pickled things and rice and egg...it was so cool because the bowl was so hot it was still cooking the food (ended up cooking the raw egg on top). So after my first adventure meal I survived! I also had an adventure drink- corn iced tea... not too back kind of tastes like cereal haha

I have about one more hour to go until I get on the plane to Indonesia! I can't wait to see what crazy adventures are to come!!

Preparing for Indonesia

2008-12-28T16:28:00.001-08:00

Well, I got home from school 2 weeks ago Wednesday. Left for Colorado last Monday. Just got back late last night, and leave for Indonesia for the next 2 weeks tomorrow at 5pm. Wow, and they call this Christmas break :) Actually this break has gone pretty well so far. Colorado was gorgeous! Since my mom is an adventure seeker, we took every mountain pass we could-risking the lives of all of us and adding like 10 hrs to our trip, but after it was over, it was definitely worth it (well the times that I was actually awake in the car :))

The time in Colorado was nice, but slightly stressful. You know when you ask God for patience, instead of just handing you patience (which would be way too easy and we would never learn) He gives you situations in order for you to work on your Patience-well that was what this week was all about. This break taught me a lot about my self and how I need to love and see all people just the way the Lord sees them.

I wasn't able to get alone time like I was hoping for, but I have a 36hr long trip to Indo to look forward to- I will be all alone, lots of down time, and in countries where I can't speak their language. Yeah, I'm thinking God and I will be having a lot of time together and I can't wait!

Here is what my schedule looks like while I am in Indonesia:

- December 31st-arrive late so we are staying at a guest house in Jakarta

-January 4th- Waterfall hike with the Crowthers

-January 5th-8th- Batam trip (total God thing that we are going!!)

-January 9th- Aaron, Emma and Jennie get in on this day, not sure what we're going to do

- January 10th- Emily's birthday, not sure what we're going to do

- January 11th- Church, Sea tribe meeting, Bandung feasting

- January 12th- 13th- School starts, you can hang out with me, hang out in PE, talk to some high school students

- January 14th- speak in Middle School chapel and then head out in the afternoon to take you back to Jakarta (you might end up going back by yourself, not sure...)

So ya the trip will be quick, but I can't wait to go! I am really looking forward to seeing Molly and growing closer to her!!I am pretty nervous about traveling so far, but man the Lord is going to be with me every step of the way, so why should I be afraid? Pray for safe travel and a blessed time with my sister and the people of Indonesia!!

Christmas in Colorado- Georgetown

2008-12-25T10:26:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Well it has been an eventful few days. We headed to Georgetown yesterday to tour around the town and check into our Victorian bed and breakfast The All Aboard Inn.

When we were walking downtown, it definitely felt like Christmas wintry weather-it had to have been below freezing! Georgetown is a little historical town nestled in the mountains near Denver. Our bed and breakfast was built in 1880, so you can get the idea of the town we were staying in.

After we were done shopping, we headed to find a bite to eat at a local sandwich shop and then checked into our cozy new home. The lady that owns this house has the cutest and biggest dog ever- he's an English mastiff named Maynard . Abby and I are plotting a way to take the dog home with us, but we aren't sure the parents would be fans of that and it would be a little difficult to hide him :)

Later in the evening, we headed up to winterpark to watch the Christmas Torchlight service. It was an awesome performance of skiers and snowboarders carrying torches down the mountain, with Christmas music playing and fireworks! :) Abby and I, however, were wimps and stayed inside during the whole performance because it was so cold! After the torchlight parade, everyone headed inside the lodge for a church service. The place was packed out and the gospel was shared! Winterpark was beautiful, so we took advantage of the scenery and took some pictures.

We got back to our house and did our usual family tradition- open up all the presents :-D As the years go by, the amount of presents decreases, but the love and time together is much more appreciated. Only getting the chance to see my family 2-3 times a year, I embrace the time I have with them-even if we make each other crazy!

Today we are going to do a little bit more of adventure driving to make my mom happy (my poor dad hates heights and he is the one driving up in the mountains-guess that's what true love is :) ) We will probably eat somewhere fancy and just chill! Thank the Lord for family and friends-but most of all a Savior to redeem this sinful world!

Christmas in Colorado

2008-12-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the Evans' hit the road for Denver Colorado to spend Christmas with Grandma Judy. With any trip with the Evans family, something has to go wrong :) Well, we chose the best time to travel-right when the storms hit :) The roads were pretty icy and there was a ton of snow, but the Element did a good job in the snow with the skills of our expert snow driver (aka dad).

We were able to get to Grand Junction safe and sound for the evening. I got to see my long lost friend Tyler, so that was awesome! The only way to get to Denver from Grand Junction is driving through Vail Pass- well because of the freak snow storms, Vail Pass was closed for the evening and beginning of this morning. We prayed hard and hoped that when we reached the pass that it would be open. Thank the Lord, the weather settled down, and the pass opened.

We then started our adventure- driving through Vail Pass with the snowy icy road conditions. Chains were required for commercial vehicles, so along the road, there were semis lined up putting on chains. Although the roads were a little scary, the country was breath-taking! The usual 3 hour trip from Grand Junction to Denver soon turned into a 5 hour trip. We finally reached our destination earlier afternoon and met up with Grandma Judy.

Tomorrow we will head west to Georgetown for the next few days to spend Christmas in a victorian bed and breakfast :) Thank you Lord for getting us here safe with no troubles!!

Back in Flag (for a few days)

2008-12-20T21:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I arrived back in Flag late Wednesday night. The two hour long trip up the mountain was slow going and it felt longer than normal. The roads were pretty sketchy because it had been snowing so much this week, that the schools had snow days every day and finals got cancelled. So I came home to a foot and a half of snow! It was beautiful!!

The past few days haven't been too eventful:

~had doctor appointment in phoenix Friday, and it was very encouraging! The MS has not progressed for the second year in a row-PRAISE THE LORD. It is so cool to see the Lord provide strength and good health these past 3 years of being diagnosed now! This should give me more confidence in the amazing thing the Lord can do-yet I am human and I can quickly forget the miracles...

~Spent the day delivering food gifts to friends Saturday then watched Twilight for the 2nd time

~Spending lots of quality time catching up with the parents and sister.

~Grandparents are driving through Sunday, so we will get the chance to spend some time with them as well as shower them with God's love!!!

~Lots to look forward to in the future-
*lots of opportunities for internships this summer-I just have to wait for doors to be opened. *Internship in the spring with Buckner International
*Trip to Indonesia
*Trip to Peru at spring break

**so my schedule is slightly crazy the next month, so I have decided to "go off the grid"...meaning spend time with my family and God! Take advantage of the cool places I get to go, people I get to be around- I am going to simplify my life and get away from the every day distractions of life (cell, facebook etc) I will keep this blog updated, but other than that, Emily is going to take some time off from the busy world! This is gonna be a test of self control, but I really want to be receptive to the Lord and what He is trying to teach me this break! I am really looking forward to quality time with the family and some awesome solitude with my Lord!

Merry Christmas ♥ Em

I'll be home for Christmas

2008-12-16T09:33:00.001-08:00

Well, this has been the craziest, most frustrating, exciting, challenging, thrilling semester of my life... I still need some more time to reflect on all that has happened, but I can conclude that I wouldnt trade it for the world. I have learned a ton of life lessons, I have grown so much spiritually and most of all am more confident in the Lord and His faithfulness because of this semester.... I think I have finally grasped the idea of surrendering and listening to the Lord's voice. I have not mastered it in any degree, but I have learned that when my eyes are focused on Him, it's much easier to hear His voice over all the distractions of life. More about this semester once finals are done...

The thought of going home is so exciting. Living away from home has been an awesome experience so far- I have come to really appreciate my parents and everything that they have done for me and what they are doing for me now! When I dont have my clothes washed, a nice warm home-cooked on the table and love and support right there, it makes me thank the Lord for when I get the chance to have that when I go home! Man I am blessed :)

Although I will only be in Flagstaff for maybe a week total, I am taking full advantage of family time. I am most looking forward to seeing the snow covered mountains, more than 3 stars, my friends that I can pick up where we left off and most of all my family!!!

Plans for the month-long Christmas break? All I can say is the Lord is good:

*In Flag for a few days (like 3-4)

*Drive up to Colorado to spend time in the mountains with the family and grandma-guarenteed white christmas (4-5 days)

*get back to flag and a few days later I fly to Indonesia (12/29-1-15) to go visit molly!! God is so faithful to provide and I cant wait to see how the trip goes and what crazy Evans' sister adventures I'll have!!!

*get back to the states (1/15)and the next day i fly back to dallas....(1/17)

as you can see not much of a break, but this break is gonna rock! Goal for the break- take full advantage of time with my family and grow in my relationship with the Lord :)

the blog will be updated while in Indo (or at least that is the plan!)

Life With Multiple Sclerosis part 4

2008-12-04T17:27:00.000-08:00

So God is good and that's all I have to say. For someone with a chronic disease of the nervous system that causes weakness and fatigue (affecting mostly my legs) I am so blessed-blessed with an amazing family, school and amazing friends. Also I am super blessed to still be able to play soccer at the collegiate level! My freshman year I started and played every game in the goal. I had a couple days where I thought "Lord, I don't have enough strength to play 90 minutes" but then He would step in and shut-outs would happen. After a pretty successful first year getting 4th place in NCCAA national tournament, something awesome and unexpected happened. It was a few days before I was flying home for Christmas break when my coach called me into his office. He sat me down and informed me that I had been awarded with the NSCAA All America Goalkeeper! What?! Me, a weak, unfaithful, undeserving soccer player from Flagstaff, AZ, an All-American award? Wow, again the only one I could thank and give praise to was the Lord-no where else!

I knew that I had to use this amazing honor to glorify God, and man did I have a ton of opportunities to do so. I live in a pretty liberal town back home, but when they wanted to interview me about my All-American award, I knew I was going to get to share my testimony as well! The article came out and God definitely got all the glory! (the article)http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2007/01/29/news/sports/20070129_sports_28.txt

This year, I got the opportunity to play forward, a position that requires a lot more running than what I am used to. In a few games I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make it, but then again the Lord proved me wrong and I was able to get through the games as well as score my 1st collegiate goal- man nothing is impossible for my God!!!

The Lord continues to put people in my life that I have been able to minister to using my testimony, people who encourage me, challenge me and I couldn't be more thankful for those people! I love having the opportunity to share my story, because it is proof that the Lord is always there by our side even in the storms, that He does answer prayer, that He IS our strength when we are weak. I am very excited as well as fearful to what the future looks like for me. I know the Lord has a plan for my life and that He is going to use it to His glory!! So whether I am still walking in 20 years or in a wheelchair- no matter the case I will still praise the name of the Lord and live to bring Him glory in everything I do!!

Life With Multiple Sclerosis part 3

2008-11-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

After I was diagnosed I knew my life never would be the same. I was going to have to make some changes in my life. One area was having to be on medicine. In order to slow the progression of the disease, the doctor put me on the newest medicine called Avonex. This meant that I had to give myself a shot in the leg once a week. The shot is intramuscular, so it is about an inch and a quarter- no fun! Even though getting a shot now twice a week, the medicine is working and my body is a responder to it. Like this past year the disease didn't even progress!

The area where things changed was my physical condition. I had to do a lot of research on what MS actually was and how it was going to affect my life. The definition of MS is a chronic, potentially debilitating disease that affects your central nervous system- it causes various symptoms such as weakness, loss of muscle coordination, vision problems, tinglyness, numbness, fatigue and potential wheelchair bound. Major temperature changes, not enough sleep, stress are just a few things that can trigger "bad days". I knew that the heat was going to be an issue now that I was headed to Texas to play soccer. I knew that going to college, I probably wasn't going to be getting the amount of sleep I needed and stress was inevitable.

However, I knew that I was supposed to be going to DBU, so the Lord was going to provide me everything I needed to get through practices, games, school and all the stress that comes with life, so I didn't have to worry.

There have been a lot of confirmations from God that DBU is where I need to be. When I was diagnosed, I was fearful in letting my coach know. After a lot of prayer, my coach emailed me back and instead of telling me that they didn't want me (which is what I was expecting) he told me that I had a teammate (becca) that had MS, and that he already knew all about it and that I had nothing to worry about. Can you say TOTAL GOD THING! What are the chances? I can only point it back to the Lord-and that would continue throughout my college years....

me and Becca -->

Life With Multiple Sclerosis part 2

2008-11-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

So after my sophomore year, I didnt have any reoccurring symptoms- praise the Lord! I was feeling good and thought that I wouldnt ahve to worry about it again. However, my health took a major turn that would change my life forever. It was October of my senior year when I signed with the DBU women's soccer team. I was really looking forward to being done with high school and going away for college.

My high school soccer season began and things were looking good! It wasn't until Decmeber when I started feeling sick. One day we were running sprints, like normal, but this day was more difficult than normal. I wasnt able to finish the sprints and it came to the point when I literally fell over. This was so unusual that my mom took me to the doctor- we thought it could be anemia or mono. After the blood tests came back negative, the doctors figured I should get an MRI due to my previous neurological history.

Going into the MRI I wasnt nervous because it never dawned on me that there could be something wrong with me. A couple night after I got the MRI done, my parents sat me down on the couch with tears streaming down their face. They broke the devistating news to me- I felt empty and fearful. I remembered my friend's mom had MS and she was in a wheelchair-that really scared me! However, that same moment DBU's theme verse Jeremiah 29:11 came into mind "For I know the plans I have for you Emily, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future!" Although the fear of the future-whether I could still play college soccer, if I could live a normal life-God's peace totally came over me and from there He was going to do some pretty amazing things....

Life With Multiple Sclerosis part 1

2008-11-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

It all started when I was a sophomore in high school. I was going to soccer practice like I always did, but this day was different. My skin was all tingly on my stomach, like when your foot falls asleep. The next day the tinglyness moved to my hands and feet. My mom was concerned with what was happening, so we went to the doctor to get some blood work done. When the blood tests came back, they were all normal. The tinglyness was still everywhere, so my doctor wanted me to get an MRI to see if that would answer any questions. Well, the MRI came back and it did answer our questions. The doctor found inflammation of my myelin-the layer that surrounds the axons in your spinal cord diagnosing me with Transverse myelitis. They were afraid that if I dove wrong while playing keeper that I could possibly paralyze myself, so I had to stop playing soccer. This was definitely devastating because soccer was my life, and now it was taken away. This news made me have to look to the Lord for comfort and peace. My faith definitely grew the next few months. After a lot of prayer, 3 months later I got another MRI and the inflammation was gone! It was a miracle! I was able to play soccer again! I had no idea that my life would be changed forever 2 years later...

Why DBU?

2008-11-04T06:16:00.000-08:00

Everytime I tell people I am from AZ, they ask "what brought you to Texas? Why here?" My answer? The only logical way I can put it is God totally lead me here! I was looking to go to a Christian college with a soccer program. I looked all over the country because I needed to get out of AZ. I looked in Tennessee, Iowa, Arkansas and Texas. After visiting all of the colleges, I felt that DBU was the place for me. I had this peace that transcended all understanding. I was really excited when I signed with DBU- I was going to live in a big city, I was going to be free, I was going to get a texas twang! After 3 years here, I have been to the city maybe 6 times, soccer has kept me pretty busy, and unfortunately I haven't aquired a texas twang, yet :)

The other neat part about coming to Texas is that I have had the chance to reconnect with my extended family. My first thanksgiving away from home was spent with 30 family members that I hadn't seen since 6th grade!

It is so neat to see how perfect DBU is for me. Although Jeremiah 29:11 is somewhat cliche, that is what I live by. The Lord definitely has a plan for my life and it is evident since I have been at DBU. Everthing has fallen into place so nicely there is no other explaination than God has His hand all over it! I am so excited to see what other amazing things the Lord is going to do with me while I am at DBU. I have no idea where He is going to take me after college, but I can say with confidence that He has a plan and those plans will not be thwarted!

Adventures of Summer '08 Part 3- Chicago Illinois

2008-10-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

After the amazing trip to Brazil, the men's and women's teams headed back to good ol Wheaton, IL to get started with our four weeks of kids camps. Each week was in a different place through out chicago and wisconsin. The best part about the different weeks was that we got to stay in homes of different families.

Along with staying with families, we also got to tour Chicago- navy pier, sears tower and Lake Michigan! We also had a different group of kids that we taught not only soccer skills, but also share the gospel!Although the kids were cute, this summer definitely confirmed that I am not meant to work with them in a career :)

This is one of the houses that I got to stay in downtown chicago!

I spent my 20th birthday in chicago, so all the girls went out to dinner!

We spent the 4th of July in Chicago as well, so here are some girls watching the fireworks!

Reflecting on all of my adventures this summer, all I can say is I AM BLESSED! I am so blessed to have had this amazing opportunity this summer. My life was definitely changed this summer and I will never forget what I learned and the people I met!

Adventures of Summer '08 Part 1- Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

2008-10-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, its been a while since I've updated! Well, I will begin back with the adventures of my summer! After the week in Goiania, we met back up with the boys in Rio De Janeiro.

In Rio, we got to visit "Ciudad De Deus" (City of God). This is one of the most dangerous places in Rio, but with God's protection we were safe. We got to play with the kids at one of the local schools as well as share the Gospel to them :)

After going to the City of God, we visited Villa De Conquista- one of the poorest places I have ever seen. The most amazing part was that the people living there still had smiles on their faces! We played soccer with the kids and shared the Gospel

One of the coolest things we got to do while in Rio, was that we go to attend a professional soccer game! The place was packed and the game was awesome!

We also go to go to the Christ statue that over looked the city of Rio De Janeiro! It was such an amazing statue as well as view!

These were just a few amazing experiences that I had while in Brazil! I think that part of my heart is still left in Brazil and I hope that some day I will be able to return. Going to Brazil was definitely a life changing experience that I hope to never forget :)

Craziest Game Ever Played!

2008-09-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the interruption of adventures of summer part 2, but I have to share the craziest soccer game I have ever played in!

This past weekend we traveled to Odessa to play UTPB, a team that we have beat before. Well this game definitely didn't go the way we expected. We weren't playing very well and only scored one goal in the first half. We got a talking to during half-time and we had 45 minutes to prove to our coach that we wanted to win.

During this time, I was wondering if I was going to play in goal 2nd half. I asked coach hoping she would say " ya put your gloves on" but instead she said " you might have to put on a jersey and play on the field". Oh, forgot a minor detail: we had 3 girls on the bench who were injured so our bench was very small even before the game started.

So now me, never playing on the field except in the goal, finally had the amazing chance to get to play on the field.

By the time I got out onto the field to play forward, the score was 2-0 us. UTPB ended up scoring to make it 2-1. Fifteen minuted before the game was over, one of our forwards went in for a tackle and suddenly broke her ankle! It happened so fast, and me along with everyone else on the field suddenly saw her ankle not going in the right direction! After the paramedics took her off the field we started up the game again. (we found out she broke her tibia and tore ligaments-she's getting surgery this week) UTPB ended up scoring to tie it up. We scored, and they scored right after. Two minuted before the game ended we scored again! The end score was 4-3! This was definitely the craziest game I've ever played in- and the coolest thing is that the Lord was there by our sides the whole time, He gave us the strength and perseverance to push through adversity! The Lord is good and it is so fun when you give it all to God where He takes you in life! For me, that could be playing forward :)

Adventures of Summer '08 Part 1- Goiana, Brazil

2008-09-11T09:18:00.001-07:00

This summer I had the privilege to be a part of the Chicago Eagles 2008 Soccer Academy. The Chicago Eagles is a sports ministry organization that gives both men and women college athletes the opportunity to not only play for a team in the summer, but also a chance to use their God-given talents to glorify the Lord and bless the lives of others. The academy is 2 months of kids soccer camps, a two week mission trip, sports ministry training and league matches.

This summer both teams got to go on a mission trip to Brazil for two weeks. The men's team went to Teresopolis for the first week and the women got to go to Goiania. While in Goiania the women got to love on the kids at Projecto Crecer- a place for kids to have the opportunity to learn, play soccer and most importantly hear the Gospel.

We also got to help out a women named Ana from the local church and build her a wall for her home. This woman had 8 children, no money , but faith and joy that was amazing despite her circumstances. It was so humbling building this wall, and it blessed our group as much as it blessed her!

Another awesome thing we got to do was attend an Athetas De Critso meeting. This is similar to FCA (fellowship of Christian Athletes) but for professional athletes. It was so neat to not only meet professional soccer players, but ones that were totally on fire for Christ. These type of men will definitely impact Brazil because people in South America really look up to athletes and if the athletes are Christian-man! Singing "Shout to the Lord" in both Portuguese and English was also amazing!

More of "adventures of summer '08" to be continued

Mini Introduction

2008-08-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

*My name is Emily and I am from Flagstaff, AZ. I am a junior at Dallas Baptist University where I am pursuing a degree in Marketing with a minor in spanish. I am also the goalkeeper for the DBU women's soccer program.

*Most importantly I am a follower of Christ! I strive to live a life that reflects Christ on and off the soccer field everyday. I believe that the Lord has a plan for my life and that He is in total control. Although there may be trials and obstacles, I know that the Lord will never leave my side! "If God is for me, who can be against me?" Romans 8:31 <><

*I come from an amazing family of five. I have two sisters who I admire and cherish very much! My oldest sister is a 4th grade teacher over in Indonesia following the Lord's calling on her life. My little sister is a freshman in college who is blessed with amazing guitar skills (I hope to see her turn famous someday!) And my parents, well they're amazing! My dad is a banker and my mom is an accountant and both of them are the perfect example of supportive, loving Christ following parents :)

This blog will be a way for my friends and family to stay updated on the life of Emily Ruth :)