remembering

my heart has been wrestling a lot with what to share. too many things that it has been difficult to place words down to even describe. i have been overwhelmed with God's goodness. past. present. and what is to come. when you recognize the very touch of God's hand. the guidance of His mighty staff. and the call of His voice. you then can say yes. YES! i am following the One who has gone before me. he has cut covenant with me. he has set before me the path to take. for he prepared this way for me to take long ago. it may look different to those around me. but this is the way i must go. i have to fulfill the assignment. the task given unto me.

i have been challenged lately to look back on my life. to find the stones of remembrance. to be reminded of my faithful God. whom i follow and serve. even to think upon significant moments of my life brings tears to my eyes. God has been so good. more than i deserve. His word is filled with promises. not just to be read and known. but to be proclaimed by His children. he has set us apart to be used by Him to further His kingdom.

one of my stones of remembrance is having the honor to visit the orphans and vulnerable children of Zambia, Africa. my time spent there is forever etched in my memory. i was not prepared for the impact it would have upon my life. God knew though. :) a little bit of life changing to say the least.

recalling the stories. the children. the people. the transformation. all of it stirs up such emotion in me. emotion that is full of joy from the Lord. just recently i have had 2 different family members (my 11 yr niece & cousin) interview me about my time in africa. they both are doing a project for school. i was honored to tell them stories once again. every story told. described. i relived. it felt as though i was just there yesterday. as i remembered. my heart got tender. tender because i saw the graciousness of God. His kindness. His love. His mercy. His redeeming power. i got to witness with my very own eyes. lives being radically transformed. what a privilege. All Glory is His!

i can see their faces now. full of love. full of joy. full of life. thank you Jesus for watching over them. thank you for making beauty out of the ashes.

to my zambian family...i will always carry you close to my heart. i am so thankful and grateful unto our God for allowing me to serve with you. thinking about you brings a smile to my face. love in my heart. and joy to my soul. you all have changed my life. thank you for letting God use you to make a difference in me. i praise the Lord for you all. i am humbled to tell the stories on this side of the world. may our living God be praised!

Life back in the States

I'm Back!!! I know it's been a little bit since I've been back on this side of the world, but it's been a bit crazy and I honestly have been a little out of it. Monday, August 4 is when I arrived back to the Lonestart State. I flew back with 3 other people...Brian, Bobby, and Cara (The 3 closest people to the front in the picture below). We were all craving a little Chickfila so we decided before we all split off to have one last meal together. It was soooo good!!

Our journey back was quite the journey to say the least...we departed from Lusaka at 2pm Sunday after noon and flew down to Johannesburg, South Africa for a 7 hour lay over. We all were trying to think of things to do so we ate an early dinner and then literally went to every shop in the airport. Once we finished we found a place to camp out for the next couple hours. I couldn't sit still and knowing I was about to sit in a 10+ hour plane ride I began walking around...soon after we made our way to our gate and got settled for the night. Our flight left Joburg at 11:30pm. All 4 of us sat together in the back of the plane and it we felt like we were in a love seat. Haha...not really but it was really fun to be sitting all together. The only negative part about that leg of the flight was there was so much turbulence that I could not fall asleep. The plane was constantly shaking thus no sleep at all. :(  We hit London about 8:30am the next morning and had to move quickly through the huge terminal to our next gate. We jumped on our last leg around 11am for another 10+ hour flight. We finally arrived back in Texas at 3:30pm! Home Sweet Home!

The hardest part about flying that many hours and adjusting to the time difference is that your body is fighting against you. I made myself stay up as long as I could and then crashed around 10:30pm...I didn't wake up until 1pm the next day...14 hrs of sleep! Praise the Lord! When I woke up I was so disoriented and didn't know where I was at first. I had to concentrate so hard on anything I did. My body has not gotten that much rest since before I left in May. Anyways, I was discussing with my Mom the next couple of days and I ended up going to get my hair cut that afternoon. Some advice I would give anyone coming back from spending longer than 1 month in a different country - Don't try to drive when you first get back!! I got on the road and was driving on the left side of the road!! Ahhh...I realized about a minute later that in the States we drive on the Right side...not the Left side as we did in Zambia. Hahaha...it was such a weird moment I had and I can't really describe it all. 

I didn't have much time to adjust until I was off to Branson, MO with my family for the weekend. We left Thursday morning and got back late Monday night. It was the first time to see one of my sisters and her family since April. It was so fun to see them and talk about my time in Zambia. I also got to see some of my best friends that had been working at Kanakuk all summer...Nika and Bekah. It was refreshing to get to sit and hear how they were doing and get caught up on life. I hadn't seen them since October of last year. However, I was struggling to sleep every night. I was so tired, but when I would go to bed I would wake up 3-4 times a night wide awake. I also had the craziest dreams. It was really strange because I was having the reverse affect that usually happens when you first get to Zambia. This past Tuesday night was the first time I actually slept through the night. After a few restful nights I now feel rested! Praise the Lord!! I can function normally and think clearly!! :) 

Visiting Bekah at Kanakuk

Most of this week I have been running around trying to get things accomplished. It's crazy how you have to take care of so many things when you are out of the country for 3 months. One of those things is my Car!! I haven't driven my car since April and I had to get it inspected, serviced, and now I have to get NEW TIRES!! The joy of owning a car! Haha. In the midst of that, I have been able to rest and relax the past 2 days. It has been so refreshing to let myself stop and look back at the summer. God has brought me through so many things and allowed me to be part of such a bigger plan and purpose that only He could orchestrate. And I believe the journey is just beginning...

Thanks again for all your prayers as I was gone these 3 months. The time will be coming soon when I return to Zambia, but the Lord knows the timing and length of my stay. As for now, I am spending time with family and friends. The rest of the staff returns tomorrow and we all will be back in our offices in Irving, Tx  next week. Please pray for the many meetings that will be taking place in regards to all our new projects and even in regards to where the Lord wants each of us. I pray each of you are blessed! Thanks again!

Love to you all!

Joy

Leg # 2 Complete: I made it to Zambia!

Paige, Holly, and I arrived at the airport bright and early Tuesday morning at 6am...

Lusaka Airport...

Once we left the airport we headed over to Mulungushi Village where we live for the summer. Home Sweet Home!!

This is a picture of our Villa. 

Before we got too far in the day we went over to Arcades and exchanged money but also ate at La Mimosa's. It's a restaurant in town that is a common stop.

A little bit later we went out to see some of our kids in the community. Our first stop was to the LIFEWAY Homes in Chilenje. I got to see precious little Emma. She is doing well and reading soooo good! Below is a picture of us!

Then...we went over to the Kamanga CRC to see my precious kiddos!! Maggie and Susan have grown since the last time I saw them back in August. They both are doing well and seem happy! Maggie just ran and jumped into my arms!

Here is cute little Mags..

We took all the kids some Millimeal, cooking oil, a frozen chicken, milk, sugar, kapenta (little fish), tomatoes, cabbage, soap, washing powder, and some sweets!

Here is all of us!! 

(Left to Right)

Susan, Doreen (I'm holding her), Maggie, Peter, Junior, and Joseph

Our first day here was sooo great! It's very encouraging to see the kids that you love so much and to know that they remember you! I have loved being back already!! 

The final days...

WOW! I cannot even believe that I will be getting on a plane in just a few short days and moving to Zambia for 3 1/2 months. God has been so good in calming my heart and preparing me for what is to come. Thank you for praying for me as I embark on a new journey. Continue to be praying for every step to go smoothly from our travel, to opening the Tree of LIFE village, to sharing the gospel with those who have never heard.

Last weekend I drove down to Waco to spend time with some of my best friends...it is always so refreshing for my heart to be with them and I truly cherish our friendship as well as the time we get to spend together. All day Saturday I got to spend the day with one of my longest and dearest friends, Julie Anna Hammett (formerly Aboussie :) ). We ate lunch at Panera and then ventured over to the suspension bridge where we walked around by the river and just talked. We haven't been able to do that since before her wedding in January so it really was a blessing to get quality time with one of my best friends. Jules has been one to always listen, support, challenge, give advice, and simply knows where you are in life. She is a woman of encouragement and full of zeal. There is never a dull moment with her and we (as well as our families) have developed a deep bond between us that only gets stronger as the years go by. We have been friends for now 17 years!!!

After that, I headed over to Johanna's apartment to stay the night with her. I had the priviledge of discipling Johanna my Senior year (her sophomore year) of college. It was and is a friendship that I cherish and will always continue to have. She and I have a unique friendship and it's as if we are sisters. We have walked through many seasons of life together and I am so blessed to have her in my life. She as grown so much and I am amazed at her wisdom, courage, joy, and discernment. She is a little sister who always wants to be in "the know" about things. I can't believe she is about to graduate and begin a new chapter in her life. We woke up the next morning and went to church at Antioch, grabbed a quick lunch and said our goodbyes.

After church, I ran over to Common Grounds (a famous coffee stop in Waco) to see Kaitlyn. She is another girl I discipled my Senior year of college. She is a junior now, but I still feel like she is a freshman. We sat at Common Grounds and really got to hear how each other was doing. Kaitlyn has become a woman of depth and one who is so intentional. When we get time together there is no messing around, but only authenticity. We chatted for awhile and then I saw a few other friends as they were stopping in to get a caffeine fix for studying. I always love coming back through Waco because it not only brings back such great memories but it allows me to see so many people I cherish and love so much!

Spending time with those girls encouraged my heart so much! Knowing they are supporting me 100% and praying for me every step of the way is more than I could ask for. I love you each and I am so thankful for how God has blessed me through you! I can't wait to hear what God does in your life over the next few weeks and months!

Thanks again to all of you!! So many of y'all have played such a significant part in my life. I know that the days, weeks, and months ahead of me will be filled with challenges, joys, decisions, opportunities, trials, triumphants, prayers, and victories.

As you all know by now, I leave Sunday, May 3 at 5:30pm from DFW. I fly to London with a 12 hour lay over and then straight south to Lusaka, Zambia. I'll hopefully post one more time before I leave.

Let the adventure begin... :)

Love you all!

Joy

Hustle and Bustle

Well life has not slowed down a bit! I have only 9 days until I head off to Zambia for 3 1/2 months. That is just crazy!!! I have been trying to work diligently in getting things done at work, but also trying to spend time with friends. Which I did have some of my closest friends come in town last weekend. It was so great to see both Stephanie and Garrett (I hadn't seen them since their wedding the beginning of March) and get to have some great fellowship with two of my favorite people. They came in on Friday afternoon and they took me out for a late birthday dinner at Cozymels (it has become of my favorite places to eat as well as a tradition when we all get together). Saturday morning we cooked breakfast and just got to talk about what we were learning about the Lord. We then packed up and went out to the lake that is near my house. We played a little football and then got to just sit by ourselves with the Lord. (Much needed by all of us!) That night we went to church at The Village and then hit up Starbucks on the way home. It was a great end to the night to sit and talk to one of my best friends about how we are both doing in the season and transition that we are in. I guess it's always a good conversation when there are both tears and laughter!! ha. Sunday we headed over to the last Camp LIFE meeting in Dallas. It was so fun to be with so many people who are coming to Zambia this summer. You could definitely feel the excitement from everyone there!

That about does it for this week. Everything is in full speed ahead! My packing has begun and my last minute trips to stores are in progress. I am heading to Waco on Saturday to several of my best friends before I leave. It's very bitter sweet, but I am so ready to be back in Zambia.

Please be praying for my health to stay up, for wisdom and discernment in making decisions, for the Lord to really use the gifts and passions in me to love on HIS kids, and for the Lord to reveal HIMSELF in new ways! It is a big summer ahead and I need all the prayers I can get.

Hope you all are doing well.

Serving HIM,
Joy

A Day at the Lake & there after...

I have been meaning to post for so long and the days have just slipped by so quick. Anyways, last Sunday, March 15 was a much needed day of rest for me...SOOO I took the day and went to a lake and spent time with the Lord!! It was by far the best day I have had in a long time. I had my backpack packed with my Bible, journal, and food. I was set! ha..but seriously, I got to walk around, sit by the lake, listen to worship music and just enjoy being outside! The Lord revealed so much to me in the hours that I spent there...and just as the scripture says..."He will wash you with the water of His word...(Eph. 5:26 paraphrased)" and that is exactly what I felt the Lord was doing that day...

1. As I was sitting by the lake I ended up reading Psalm 23:1..."The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want" or another version says, "I have all that I need"...and I came to a much deeper understanding of such a simple verse that I have known for a so long. We all know that we should not be in want because of who the Lord is to us and what He provides for us, but do we trust Him enough to give us what we need and not necessarily what we want? The is the first thing that God challenged me with...'Do you trust me enough with what I am giving you is what you need right now in your life?'

Its definitely a daily choice that we all face...

2. The second thing that I came to realize was when I was walking around this lake. I had not been out there so I was just exploring all these trails while listening to music and the song "Acres of Hope" by Shane and Shane came on. It's basically illustrating how the Lord pursues us and is leading us to a place that draws us closer to Him. He must draw us out of where we are in order to go to a place that He longs for us to be...fully in His Presence.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

He will allure her

He will pursue her

And call her out

To wilderness with flowers in His hand

She is responding

Beat up and hurting

Deserving death

But offerings of life are found instead

*Chorus*

She will sing

She will sing

Oh, to You

She will sing as in the days of youth

As You lead her away

To valleys low

To acres of hope

Acres of hope

Here in the valley

Walk close beside me

Don’t look back

For love is growing vineyards up ahead

You have called me master

And though you’re in the dark here

Call me friend

And call me lover and marry me for good

(Chorus)

How the story ends is

Love and tenderness in Him

Not safe, but worth it

So the valley's up ahead

Or the ones we live

We'll sing together

We'll sing together

This is the scripture that inspired the song:

“Lord, sustain me in the valley. Give me ears to hear

Your sweet tender voice and lead me in to

acres of hope in this dry and weary land.”

"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. ‘In that day,’ declares the LORD,’you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master. (Hosea 2:14-16)

That day at the lake was the beginning of such a great week of realizing the beautiful pursuit Jesus has for us! For so long I have known that, but it's another thing to receive it and begin to give more of yourself to the Lord. My time in the Word has been so much richer and I long for that time to just sit and quiet my spirit in the presence of the Lord! I pray that each of you take time to let your mind, heart, and spirit rest in this crazy and busy lifestyle we all live in!

Some other highlights of last week...

• I went to lunch with some of my dear Kamp friends from the past several years...Jrob, Kelly Adams, and Liz Norris...it was so fun to get to fellowship with those who you have served along in ministry together! There is just nothing quite like it!
• I headed down to Waco on Sunday to see a few of my closest friends..Johanna Scanio (and all of her roommates!) and Kaitlyn Amos. We went to church that morning at Antioch and then hit up a few of my favorite stops: Food for Thought and Common Grounds. It was so great to see all of them! It's refreshing to be around friends who just get you and who mean so much to you!

This week...

• I have hit the 40 day mark until I embark on an incredible 3 month stint in Zambia! I believe God is going to do so much and reveal more things this year than ever! Please cover the months of May, June, July, and part of August in prayer!
• 1 Year ago from today, March 24 2008, my Dad was diagnosed with Stage 3 Esophogeal Cancer and for 8 months he has been cancer free!! Praise God! He is doing okay, but really needing to gain some weight. He is at his lowest weight since surgery back in July, which puts him below 150 lbs. Please keep praying for his strength to return and energy levels to come back!

I know this is long-winded but I had a lot to write about. I am going to have to get better at this as time gets closer to when I leave, but especially when I am over in Zambia. Thanks again for keeping up with what is going on. I hope you all are doing well!

Serving HIM Alone,

Joy

Simply Humbled

I can't believe another week has come and gone! I feel like they just keep going faster and funny enough, I need them to slow down!! Has anyone every wished that you could press the pause button on your life?? I have thought that many times, but I guess the Lord wants us to learn to adjust with each passing moment. I don't have much exciting news, but I did want to share something you...On Friday, it finally hit me...

I leave for Zambia, Africa in 10 weeks! In the past when I would think about how long until I would leave, I would usually get overwhelmed with all the tasks and "to dos" that I would need to get done. However, it was completely different yesterday...

I had this beautiful rush of joy, humility, love, and encouragement. I am about to leave the states and go love these children in Zambia without reservation. I have been behind a desk for several months now, but soon I will be walking the streets with the poor, orphans, widows, and those stricken with diseases. I will have the incredible privilege of sharing the hope of salvation and love of Christ to these battered, bruised, hopeless and lifeless people. As I was thinking about this yesterday, all I could say was, "WOW! I really get to do this? How do I, of all people, get to do this?"

Sometimes it's difficult to imagine the other side of things when you get overwhelmed with all the other demands and tasks. When you want to be somewhere else, it's hard to be content in the meantime. God has stretched and challenged me with that very lesson almost every day over the past months. What's amazing about what the Lord does is that He is perfect in His timing! He knows our desires and longings and during the waiting period, He is at work preparing us for what is to come even though we may be blind to it. And then when He has prepared us, He will send us! :) How amazing is that?!

I am moved beyond words in how the Lord is allowing me to be apart of what He is doing on the other side of the world. I want to tell all of you..THANK YOU! Thank you for praying, for encouraging me, for walking alongside of me, for financially supporting me, and for letting the Lord use you! I wish I could express to you all how much you mean to me and how much God has used you already in my life! I pray that God would reward each of you for every prayer prayed, for every dollar donated, and for every time you remember what God is doing through the ministry I work for. What a true blessing you all have been!

"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world,
and all who live in it; for He founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.
Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in HIS holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol...
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God His Savior
Such is the generation of those who seek Him,
who seek Your face, O God of Jacob."
Psalm 24:1-6

I hope you all are doing well!

Seeking Jesus more and more,
Joy

Oh Happy Day

What a whirlwind it has been....

My weekend in Arkansas was so much fun! I just loved going up there to not only help work on wedding stuff with Stephanie, but to see some of my dearest friends!! It really was refreshing for my heart to have such intentional conversations about life and what we are learning from the Lord. I praise God for the sweet friends I have up there! (You all know who you are :) ) Anyways, I ran around with Stephanie all day Friday getting little things for her wedding in 3 weeks. We went out to dinner that night with Garrett (Stephanie's Fiancee) to one of my favorite places : Cozymels. Saturday and Sunday were filled with working on some things for her reception and then her two showers! After a fun-filled weekend, I jumped back into my car and got back home extremely late, but it was worth it. It's moments like that where the trip was long, but I got to spend some great quality time with those I just love! 

This week at work has been quite the week! I am almost done with another project that consists of getting all the Christmas Letters and pictures, that were taken at our Christmas Party that we had in Zambia, together and out in the mail to all our sponsors. It's been fun to see their cute little faces and read their letters. On top of that, I have had some NEW information come my way about me being in Zambia this year. The first thing that I can share with you is that my departure date has bumped up almost 2 weeks!! AHH...just thinking about leaving a lot earlier is so fun, but I have so much to do by then! So that means instead of leaving May 15 I am NOW leaving May 3 !! That is less than 3 months!! Oh my goodness!!! 

Anyways, I hope you all have a great weekend! Enjoy it with your Valentine...I mean only if you have one. Haha... I am not sure if you have traditions, but my family has had traditions for Valentine's Day for as long as I can remember. One of my favorites is...we bake the best red velvet cake ever! :) (If you have been around to taste it, then you know what I mean!) I still try to do that no matter where I am or who I'm with. 

Be Blessed!

Resting in Him,

Joy

First Ever Christmas in Zambia...

Okay...Here is the most precious video I have wanted you all to see. Our staff in Zambia put this together for me! Maggie and Susan, as well as 3 other kids, were just gifts from the Lord that I got to love on last summer. I can't wait to see them in a 100 days!! 

Enjoy....

WHAT A WEEKEND...

So...lets just say that God is soo good!! My weekend was filled with so many great things that just thinking about it makes me excited!! This weekend was Baylor's Homecoming and every year there are lots of activities going on...Pigskin, Bonfire, Parade, and the game. Along with the activities, so many alumni come back in to have reunions and boy did I have them...

Thursday afternoon I drove down to Waco and I met up with one of my dearest friends, Kaitlyn Amos. I had the privilege of discipling her throughout my senior year of college. We attended Pigskin that night with her family and roommates. (To those who don't know what Pigskin is..it's basically a mini-Broadway show that Greek organizations actually perform in the Spring..called "Sing" and the top 8 acts out of 20 will perform again during Homecoming). It's a really big deal and I was involved in as many performences as possible! Haha..I'm sure you can imagine... I'm not a singer or dancer, but being able to do all of that with some of your greatest friends is so much fun!! Anyways, Kaitlyn and I watched all the performances and then headed back to her place.*Kaitlyn and I at Pigskin

During the day on Friday, I had lunch with Kaitlyn before she left for her soccer game in Austin. Later on I would meet up with my old roommates! Chelsea, Amber, Garland and I all lived together our Senior year. (Chelsea, Amber and I lived together for 3 years and Garland and I lived together for 2 years but all four of us lived together for 1). Anyways, I met them at our favorite Italian restaurant called Baris. It's a little hole in the wall!

*Chelsea, Me, Garland, and Amber at Baris!

My heart was so refreshed with being able to spend time with them. It's not that often that just us 4 girls can sit around and catch up. After we ate dinner we headed over to the Bonfire on campus. It is another Baylor Tradition...As we walked around we saw so many people we knew and again it was so great to get to see them all!! Chelsea, Amber and Garland all headed to Pigskin that night and I stayed around talking to some Chi Omegas in the show. I love getting to just talk with girls who I spent time with during college. Friday night I stayed at Johanna's house, another girl who I discipled throughout college.

*Johanna and I at the bonfire!

Saturday morning was the Homecoming breakfast for Chi Omega. All of the current members and Alumni get to have some time together in the morning reminiscing on memories. I loved this!! A lot of my favorite people were all in the same room for the first time in a while. Some of those I saw included: Paige Baten-Locke and her daughter Katie-Leigh Baten (I met them in Zambia - picture below), Audra Peterson, Carly Christensen, Jerica Olson, Taylor Gift, Lauren Sherman, LM Hudson, my roommates of course, and many more...*Paige, Katie-Leigh, and I at the Chi Omega Breakfast Saturday Morning
(I met Paige and Katie-Leigh in Zambia this summer. We became so close throughout our time there.)

Once the breakfast was over, Chelsea, Amber and I headed over to the middle of campus to watch the parade. We had a good time sitting on the side of the road watching all the floats come by...
*Chels, Garland, Me and Amber at the parade!

Once the parade ended we grabbed one last meal together and then went our separate ways. On my way out of town I stopped by one of my favorite places...'Food for Thought' and said bye to Kaitlyn then off to Starbucks for a pick-me-up drink...just when I thought my weekend couldn't not have gotten better, the Lord blow me away at what would unfold...

*Kaitlyn and I at 'Food for Thought'

As I was waiting on my drink to be made in Starbucks I noticed an African American standing behind the counter and something inside of me told me to ask him where he was from. To make this long story short...this guy's name is Zaccheaus and he is from Lusaka, Zambia!!! I could not believe!! I got so excited that people started looking at me in Starbucks. I did not care...clearly...because I just met a ZAMBIAN!! I mean I thought I had to go to Zambia to hang out with Zambians but I guess you just have to go to your nearest Starbucks...haha..anyways, we sat for about 30 minutes before he invited me to come to his house and get 2 cd's that him and his group that he travels with made. I went over to the host family's house that he lives with and met another Zambian, named Alan. Their host Mom was there as well. Another fun aspect is that Nancy's daughter, Amanda, went to Camp LIFE!! Crazy of how small the world is!! So for the next hour and a half I hung out with them at their house. My heart was so happy to just spend time with those from the country I love!! I am hoping to see them again soon!! : )

*My two NEW Zambian friends in America!! (Alan, Me, and Zaccheaus)

So that was my crazy, busy, fun-filled weekend with so many great people!! Oh and I also went home to see my parents on Saturday. They are doing well! It was really great for me to see them too! Keep praying for my Dad to gain weight...he's down a few more pounds this week! :(

I am so thankful for everyone who I got to see and spend time with!! On another note, please be praying for me this week. I am working on about 4 - 5 projects at work and it's slightly overwhelming! Things are going great though...God is moving, Kids are being loved on, and souls are being saved!! Thanks again for all of your prayers! Love you all!

Loving Jesus,
Joy