Knee Deep Flood!!

Yesterday, I laughed harder than I have laughed in my entire life. My friend Shannon from Milledgeville was in London so she came into Hertford for the day. It had been raining all day yesterday so there were a couple flood zones throughout Hertford. Anyway, Michael was driving me & jack and shannon back from the office and we decided to go a back way to avoid traffic.  We came around a turn and saw a HUGE flood area ahead and jack kept saying we weren't going to make it but Michael decided to drive through it anyway. Once we got about halfway through the miniature lake, all the lights on the dash lit up and Michaels car died!!!

It's pitch black outside. There are 4 of us squeezed inside the small british car along with laptops, cameras, and a flippin keyboard.... and we are stuck in a 3 feet deep pool of water. We opened the door and the water was seriously an inch from pouring in! Shannon, Jack, and I had to get out and push the car through freezing cold disgusting flood water and into an area that wasnt flooded!! We were laughing HYSTERICALLY!! And we laughed, and laughed... and laughed some more. Poor Shannon had to take a 45 minute train ride with her jeans wet up to her knees.

Okay, maybe you had to be there... but at least this provides a funny visual?

I'm trying to make the best of my last few days here but I can't wait to see my family, my friends, and my chicken fajita quesadilla from la parilla.

LOVE.

You Never Let Go!

Whenever I smell Abercrombie 8 perfume, it brings me back to middle school summer camps when my best friend, Whitley, and I would share the top bunk every year and that's all I could smell every night before we went to sleep!! Have you ever smelled a certain scent that brought you back to a place or memory as if it happened just yesterday? 

I experienced one of those huge flashback moments on Sunday night. The Hunter's had a night of worship and prayer at their house for Young Adults ages 18-25. At first everyone was just sitting around chatting and sipping tea (YES!) and eating yummy desserts, and then we played a get to know each other game. Now it was time to worship. We sang a few oldies but goodies... God of Wonders and Indescribable. It was cool to sing songs I haven't sung in a couple years and be reminded of their sweet truths.

Then, for the 3rd song we sang was You Never Let Go. I was INSTANTLY brought back to the memories of Hertfest. It was if I was still sitting in the second row, 3rd chair from the left, at the United Reform Church on July 31st in Hertford. If you were one of the England team members or one of the British Hertfest people that were there that day, I know you could never forget that day! The day we saw a glimpse of heaven. The day that the sun shone so bright through the stain glass windows you could feel the heat on your face! I pray that you can revisit that memory and see the "light that is coming for the heart that holds on!"

Go sing an old song, but listen with a different set of ears.

I'm coming home in 1o days! LOVE.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

This week is off to a great start! We had a leadership meeting yesterday, the chemistry between the leaders is so great. It makes a huge difference when everyone works together so well. I spent today with the Scarfe family and my friends Matt & Tom from Richard Hale School. After a long day around Hertford and Stevenage, we headed back to our homes! On the way  home it started snow flurrying for a couple minutes and it was great!

Then about 30 minutes later, giant snowflakes started pouring out of the sky nonstop! I called Jack and his sisters and we decided it was definitely time to bundle up and play in the snow. Coming from the South, I have never seen so much snow in my life. In a matter of minutes, kids from all over the neighborhood came to join us in the snowball throwing, snowman making, snow angel creating festivities! Then Michael decided to come play with us and we got the wonderful idea to obliterate him with snowballs all at once. So after a couple hours in the winter wonderland we all piled in the Hunters living room for hot chocolate and sweets! It was really cool to see the house being used as a place of ministry. We sat around and laughed and talked and it was the perfect ending to the perfect day.

Earlier this week I was reading in Captivating about receiving gifts from God personally for our hearts. I prayed yesterday to experience God's love first hand, a kiss form my heavenly father so to speak. "He has already given me all of creation to speak of His great glory and love, and he had given me the word of God in all its depth and beauty, and here I was, asking for more. And God loved it. He is ready and willing to reveal his heart to us again and again." Tonight I got God's gift, His kiss. 5 hours of fluffy snowflakes falling from the crisp october sky. The rolling hills are covered with a blanket of beautiful, pure white snow and I had the time of my life rejoicing and playing in this wonderful gift!! :)

Life is good...

It has been a great week so far! I was able to spend last weekend with one of my dearest friends, Becky Turner. We went into London on Saturday and had a blast together! We got to see a show, my first show ever :)

Campaigners Bible Study on Monday nights keeps getting better and better. I love being able to connect with people from Younglife more than once a week. We had Younglife Club tonight, and needless to say it was ROCKIN! It's crazy how all the leaders are from such different parts of the world. From England, to New Zealand, to South Africa, to Scotland, to America... we are so diverse. I think it's really cool how we all have a different reason for showing up on Thursday nights but we all have one thing in common, we have a passion for these teenagers.

Living with the Hunter's has been such a pleasure. They treat me like family! I have become a huge fan of Chinese Food Sundays and I love more than anything when we all pile on the couch and gather around the laptop to watch the latest downloaded iTunes episode of Survivor! It hasn't even been 3 weeks and I can easily call this place home.

When I was preparing to come over here, one of my biggest prayers was that "While I'm in England, I want all of me to be in England." I didn't want to have a dislocated heart for things going on back at home. When I have to get on that plane and head back to Atlanta, it's safe to say that a huge part of me will still be in Hertford, perhaps with the parts of my heart I left here in August.

There must be something in the water, I love this place.

I love/miss/can't wait to catch up with all of you!

-Stephanie

I lift You high, and bow down low...

I AM SO HAPPY!!! The Hunters are amazing. Beth Ann is teaching me her ways to master the kitchen and Michael has put me to work at the Younglife office.

Learning to develop a servants heart has been the most humbling experience and my prayer is just to decrease so He may increase! God is doing so much here and the Hunters are a family that truly practices what they preach. The way they live love toward one another, toward me, toward  the teenagers of this town, and toward the people that they pass walking down the street is jaw dropping.

It has been wonderful to reconnect with friends from the past two summers, it's funny how I can feel so close to people that live 4000 miles away from me.

Zoe & Me in downtown Hertford! :)

Miss you guys, but loving every minute of this journey.

love always,

Stephanie

"Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." -Habakkuk 1:5

what a day!

This week has been so beautiful. The weather has been perfect! The combination of the leaves changing colors, the rolling hills of beautiful england, and the bright sunshine is jaw dropping. No picture could do justice to all the magnificent things I saw in the English countryside today. 

Isn't it MARVELOUS! This is in Cambridgeshire.

Beth Ann is in Hungary  at a Women's Conference for Younglife so I have gotten the chance to spend a lot of time with Maddie and Mckenna. I definitely have so much more respect for mothers after playing mom for a couple days! Last night was the Younglife committee meeting and boy, was it intense! The first couple hours of the meeting were pretty tedious and you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Finally one of the men on the committee suggested that we just pray because we had reached such a stalemate in the decision making. I am just in awe of the power of prayer, we came to an answer minutes after praying. It was so humbling to watch the Lord move in such an intimate way.

Now for today! Kelly & I planned to spend the day shopping and eating yummy food in Cambridge. About 30 minutes into our trip, we were driving down a beautiful road in the middle of nowhere on the countryside when a man driving a big BMW failed to yield and drove right into the side of our car. I've never been in a car accident in america, yet me and Kelly get into a smashing one (literally!) my 4th day in the country! (Side note, Kelly is the perfect driver and it was 100% the other guy's fault.) The wreck was serious, no doubt.. but we miraculously walked away with out a scratch. The front end was smashed in, yet the 4 feet of panel where Kelly was sitting remained untouched. We had to wait about an hour and a half for the tow truck to come. But we decided to make the best of it. We got a blanket out of the car and laid it in the grass and relished in the beautiful day. We sat there and prayed and thanked God for his undeniable protection and for bringing us to a point where we had to just stop and take a breath, and breathe Him in!

Kelly & me waiting for the tow truck

Kelly said, "I believe it takes a lot more faith to say that it wasn't God that created all of this wonder and beauty." That hit me so hard, because honestly I think it's true! I will never forget the most beautiful day of my life. And I spent it with an incredible friend and our wonderful maker.

Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

love you miss you,

stephanie

Finally Here!

My flight went wonderful and we even landed 45 minutes early! Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement. Today was such a beautiful day. I arrived at the Hunter's house around 1 and we had a relaxing day to help adjust to jet-lag. Younglife Club is tomorrow and I am SO excited to see everyone!

I love you and miss you all, but it's bedtime for me.

-Stephanie

Take off!

A common theme for this trip seems to be to expect the unexpected. I found myself talking to a friend complaining that "everything that could have possibly gone wrong, has gone wrong, and in the worst way!" In reality all I was concerned with was the destination rather than the process. All the little mishaps and change of plans moments were God ordained life lessons.

Amidst the rescheduling of flights, refusal of a visa, wrong addresses, and utter chaos... I have been able to experience God's provision and faithfulness in a way I never imagined possible. I am getting on a plane at 10:20 tonight and I will be living with the Hunters until November 14th. Rather than working as a Younglife Intern, I will simply be a volunteer serving.

So many people have been a part of making this call to England a reality whether it be support money, skymiles, calling delta for me, words of encouragement, or holding me accountable... none of this would be possible with out you guys. I love you all.

I will be sure to write as soon as I get to London!

Love,
Stephanie

"make of me, Your hands and feet. Lord I want to be, to the people around me, what You want to be, to the people around me." -prayer of st. francis

God's plan, Not Mine...

I am about to make an incredibly long story mind-blowingly short.

Day one... I had a standby ticket to fly delta, I have a visa on the way.

A week and a half later... My ticket fell through and how in the world am I going to come up with $850 in such a short amount of time? Visa still on the way...

3 days later... God showed me that he puts different authorities in our life for a reason, TO LISTEN TO THEM! Until I was willing to submit to my authority and give God control of the entire situation, he put it on pause. Upon letting go of "Stephanie's plans," the Lord blessed me with 100,000 skymiles from my small group leader, Carla Thompson! Literally 2 hours after I surrendered to God's will, He blessed me with a plane ticket. Talk about God's Provision!

3 more days later... The UPS store calls me to tell me that they put the wrong address on my package and that my Visa application and passport have been floating around the US Postal service for the past 2 weeks! My. heart. broke. I was so angry in that moment. The simple error of the boy putting 345 North Avenue on the package instead of 845 North Avenue has completely re-routed my trip. That is when I had to take a step back... who's trip? My trip? No. This trip should have nothing to do with me, but rather what God is using me for. It could be two days, two weeks, two years for me to understand why I wasn't supposed to get on the plane tomorrow, but even if I never know why, I am 100% that God put this kink in the plan for a reason and all I can do is trust him.

This has been quite the roller-coaster. I have learned life lessons in the last 2 weeks and I haven't even gotten to England yet!

The UPS Store paid to overnight ship my application to the British Embassy in New York and as soon as I get it back, I hope to get on a plane to London!

A dear friend pointed out Hebrews 11 to me and how it directly relates to what I am going through. Read it if you get a chance. To sum it up, I'll put it this way...

I don't yet have in hand what was promised, but I'm still believing.

and...

Even though I have had ample opportunity to return to "the old country" I am after a far better country than that... HEAVEN COUNTRY!

I hope there is a smile plastered across your face right now, because we love a GOD WHO IS SO GOOD!!

I love you all,

Stephanie

Psalm 145:3 "Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom."

What's Going On?!

Hey friends and family!

I am so excited to be able to keep you all filled in on the marvelous things God has done and continues to do with my heart! I am boarding a flight to London on Saturday September 20, at 10:20PM and I will be returning to the states on December 13th.

I didn't just wake up and say, "Hey, I feel like going to London this semester." In fact, the last 4 weeks of my life have consisted of moments of surrender, divine appointments, asking tough questions, and making even more difficult decisions, letting go of my selfish ambitions and honestly refusing to follow my own agenda. 

For those of you that aren't interested in reading this whole spiel, I will sum it up for you. I left school because God called me to do something greater right now and I am embarking on what I am sure will be one of the most humbling, life changing, spiritual journeys I will ever take.

Now for the unabridged version:

I was enrolled at GCSU in Milledgeville for Fall 2008, which would have been my freshman semester, and this had been my plan majority of my senior year. I had the world at my fingertips; housing, a meal plan, awesome campus ministry, great friends, and a perfectly matched roommate. Everything was the way it was supposed to be! Now REWIND! 

During the latter part of July and the beginning of August, I spent 10 days in the town of Hertford, England with a team of 25 other Americans from North Metro Church. We were part of a weeklong event known as "Hertfest" in which all the churches of the town come together to focus on outreach and acts of love and service toward the entire town! God truly used the people of Hertford to minister to our hearts even though we were silly enough to have the mindset that we were the ones doing the ministering. The last night in England, our team had a life-changing time of fellowship and worship and we each surrendered our "rights" or things we thought we were entitled to.

We focused on the calling of the first Disciples, Simon and Andrew in Mark chapter one. Jesus told them "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.' At once they left their nets and followed him." (17-18) They dropped their way of LIFE to follow Jesus. In the society we live in, we read that and think to ourselves, "so what, they tossed their nets into the lake... no big deal." Guess what?... HUGE DEAL. The desire of my heart in that very moment was to honestly throw all my selfish desires and plans into the lake. 

Upon returning home, I was instantly sucked back into the world of Stephanie and making sure I got what I wanted. Move in day was getting closer and my college experience was about to begin. The Lord often times gave me subtle nudges with an uneasiness about going to school in Milledgeville, but I was just ready to get the show on the road! My 3rd day at school I experienced a huge moment in my faith. God stripped me of everything. He ripped my chest open. He took a tiny promise I made to myself to surrender my rights, and he molded it into an entire change of heart! I experienced God so intimately in that moment, I knew what had to be done. I went to the registrars office with my wonderful supporting friends and I withdrew from college!

It's crazy, absolutely ludicrous! But God called me to leave Milledgeville and return home. I left the very next day with an unreal peace about everything. Being at a place where I have nothing to fall back on has proven to be one of the strongest moments in my walk. I had nothing to lean on and in those moments all I could do is give everything to God.

I prayed that doors would be opened and that God would continue to reveal His plan and purpose for my coming home. Within a week I was given the opportunity to go on staff with YoungLife Ministries in Hertford, England. 

God is so huge and I am privileged to be a minute part of the beautiful masterpiece He is restoring, HIS KINGDOM.

Pray for my visa to get back soon :)

I can't wait to share this journey with you all,

Stephanie