Video from Henry's Ark

See other blog below for more Henry's Ark photos.

Fun with Carly

This past Friday evening, Mike and I got to enjoy spending some time with our young friend Carly. We picked her up at school and went to Aldi's to get some fresh vegetables, fruits, and crackers, and headed out to Henry's Ark over in Prospect Kentucky. This is a personally owned zoo that has a variety of animals that you can pet and feed. Many of these animals have been rescued from less than favorable situations, so many of them have weird oddities to them, but they are all very friendly and they love it when you have good food to give them. I have added some pictures at the bottom of the post for you to enjoy.

Besides going to pet and see the animals, we really had an enjoyable time getting to talk with Carly and catch up on what all she has been doing lately. After the zoo we went out to dinner and then to a bonfire to hang out for a while.

Mike and I both are very blessed by the time we get to spend with our high schoolers at church, and really enjoy getting to have special time with them outside of church. For you high schoolers reading my posts.........we'd like to spend time with you too! It is hard to get to know all of you at church but any of you who want to hang out with us outside of church, just let us know. We'd love to find things that you like to do and spend time with you as well.

Enjoy the animal pictures below! Oh, and by the way.......Carly and Mike seem to think that the ostriches want to attach, but as you can see by the picture towards the bottom, they really just want some crackers and some love!

R.E.C.

Just after I got home from Guatemala at the end of January, I got a call from a dear friend, the one who taught me how to play drums many years ago. He said that his wife was in charge of the music team for the upcoming R.E.C. and wanted to know if I wanted to play drums on the team. I immediately answered yes, because it was something that I had hoped to get to do one day.

The R.E.C. stands for Residents Encounter Christ (as you might have figured out based on the picture at the top of the page.) It is a 4 day weekend of a group of people going into a prision or jail, and teaching them about who Christ is, what He has done for them, and how they can have a relationship with Him. Or, for those residents who are already Christians, it is a chance to further their relationship with Him. It includes a large team of people. Some will give talks, some will be leaders of small groups of residents to guide discussion, some will be there just to care for any needs during the weekend, and some (us) will be there to lead them in times of praise and worship, and just plain fun with music! For those readers who might not know, I am a drummer, so I am the one on the team who gets to make all the noise!

The whole team has been working hard for this upcoming REC weekend, but things have not gone most smoothly. We were supposed to have one of our all day team meetings on the weekend of the big snow, so we had to reschedule that for last weekend. Being that it was Easter weekend, not everyone was able to attend. However, that was only a small thing.

The REC weekend was supposed to be on April 10-13th but since that is Thunder weekend, the captain at the jail postponed our visit because he said it will be too busy of a weekend, and they will have all of the officers out, and will be making a bunch of arrests probably and just don't have time to allow us in there. So, they rescheduled it...............for Derby Weekend!! We now have some of our workers that cannot make it because they cannot get off of work that weekend. We do have one woman who has Derby Tickets, and is going to give them up so she can work the REC! Now that is dedication! How awesome!

Anyway, I just hope and pray that our new scheduled date does not get cancelled once again, and that we are able to get into the jail. Not only because everyone has worked hard and prepared for this but because it is so important for the RESIDENTS TO ENCOUNTER CHRIST!!

March Snow!

I just wanted to post some pictures of the snow at our place. It was beautiful. This was the first big snow since we have been in our new home, and we really enjoyed it. It happened to be on one of my four day weekends, so I was able to enjoy the snow instead of having to get out in it to go to work.

Godly Desires?

Have you ever really wanted something, and you pray and pray about it, but it never happens, and you just have to wonder why? Well, I am sure that happens a lot, but a lot of times if you step back and really look at what you are asking God for, maybe it is not so much in His plan, and there is your reason for not getting it. Maybe you are wanting "things", or to look good or something that is not Godly. But, what about those things that seem like they have to be part of his plan, but yet He seems to be saying no to them? Why would the desire continue to be so strong in your heart and mind, if it is not what He is planning for you? I have...since I was a teenager...had a desire to adopt a kid, or kids. Here I am...in my thirtys and it has not happened. And now, in addition to that, I have developed a desire to be a foster parent, yet I don't feel that I can do that unless I can be a stay at home mom, in order to be really fair to the kids. And to top it off, now that I have been to Guatemala, I have a huge burden on my heart for the people of that country, and I want to do more for them. However,it seems that a person has to have money to really be able to do things like that. So.......why are these things, adoption, fostering, and the people of Guatemala, on my heart so heavy, but I am not in a position to do anything about them? It is really hard..........some days harder than others. I mean, it gets me so upset some days, that it gets almost to the point of depression. I feel that I have an empty part of my heart. I feel that my desires are Godly desires, so I cannot understand why God does not seem to make a way for them, or at least one of them, to happen. I have even stepped back and examined my motives for my desires, and I cannot find anything wrong them them. I just have such a desire to help, to love, and to provide for these particular groups of people. Because of these desires, I often feel "incomplete" in my heart. So....I just wanted to share. It really does get me down sometimes, and sometimes sharing things like this can help a person deal with them better. My prayer is that God will either put us in a position to do some of the things that my heart desires, that like I said, I feel are very Godly desires, or that He will ease those desires of my heart so that I don't feel so empty not being able to fulfill them.

Guatemala Presentation

Dear Family and Friends,
Thank you so much for your support of my mission trip to Guatemala, whether it was financial, prayer, encouragement, or other means. I feel that the trip was a huge success as well as a huge blessing. I want to share my experience with you all, so you are invited to a presentation that I will give on Saturday evening, March 15, 2008. I will have pizza for anyone who wants to join me for dinner at 6pm, and then the presentation will start at around 6:30-6:45. I will plan for the evening to end by 8pm. It will be at my church, Greenville Christian Church. I ask that you please let me know if you are going to be there for the pizza dinner. I want to be sure to have enough food to go around. Also, I do not have child care planned, but if that is your reason for not being able to attend, please let me know and I will arrange child care. Please send me an email at amym1130@aol.com and let me know if you will be there, and if you need directions I can give them to you at that time. I do hope to see you all there, and look forward to being able to personally thank you for your support as well as share my amazing experience with you.
Thanks again and I hope to see you there!!
Amy

Yes, I did actually come home....

I am home....but part of my heart was left in Guatemala. I am sorry it has been so long since I have posted a message. It is so hard........almost exhausting...to talk about my experience.....not because it was a bad thing, but becasue it was a wonderful thing. When I start to talk about it, I just get so wound up and it wears me out! ha!

The pictures above are but a very few of what I have. I cannot post them all on here, but hopefully, at least those of you who live near me, will get the opportunity to see as many of them as you want to see.



The pictures are in no particular order, but as you can see, I did and experienced a wide range of things. We spent time in a very nice orphanage, where the kids are well cared for, yet they have no family, and hope to be adopted. We also spent time in the Guatemalan ghetto, the Limonada, where there are familes, but they don't have much of anything, as well as the dump, where people live, and many do not know where their next meal will come from. We also went to a boys home, where they boys seem to be well cared for, yet they dont have the love of a family that we all cherish, and there are so many of them, with so few caregivers, and we also went way out into the country side where there was a mudslide a few years back, where they live in extreme poverty, yet the families are together. So, there are so many extremes here, and it all really shows us here in the States how very rich and blessed we are..........and extra blessed are those of us who do have loving familes and/or church familes and friends to love us.



Anyone who wants to see more pictures or see videos, I am more than happy to share them. I do plan to have an evening, probably at church, where I will give a presentation, but I am also happy to get with anyone in an individual basis as well.