Spain - From Next Semester to Next Week

It's actually happening. One week from now I will be on a plain with 47 other college students on our way to Spain (if you're not sure what I'm talking about, see my Spain/Choir Tour post).

I am beyond blessed and excited to say that by the abundant prayers and generous help of many along with an unaccounted for scholarship, I have been funded for my trip to Spain next week! I owe many great thanks to all who have been praying with me through this journey, and of course to God for working everything out according to His sovereignty.

Going into the semester I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up with the intense pace of the choir and learning the music for the tour in time. However, I am happy to say that with help from some friends and many hours in the practice rooms, Chorale has become one of my greatest stress relievers. I have learned so much and although I have so, so, much to still learn in the realm of singing in music I am beyond enthusiastic to keep pressing forward. I also count the relationships I am forming within this musical family very precious.

It's hard to believe we will leave so soon, and I ask that you would keep the team in prayer. As would be expected from a group of this size, there are many who have never flown and/or have not yet been overseas. Further, there is a lot going on in Spain politically right now and although our immediate safety is not expected to be endangered, complications could arise (check the news or contact me if you desire more info). I also ask for prayer for guidance and boldness among the team, as well as for God to work in the hearts of the Spaniards we come into contact with; for perhaps we were meant to go to Spain to proclaim the Gospel at such a time as this. Lastly. but certainly not of least importance, I ask you would keep those who are organizing the tour in prayer - both on the Spain and stateside end. There is so much weighing on them and I fear people get so caught up in the people performing to think of those or arranged for them to even come.

I will likely not be bringing my laptop to Spain, so I encourage you to connect on Facebook and/or Instagram for brief updates throughout the trip (if wifi allows). My hope is to have an update of the trip up within a few weeks of return. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, it actually means a lot! As always, feel free to contact me anytime. Have a blessed day!

Contact:
elli5255@lbc.edu

Sophomore Year Underway

As I sit here pondering how to bridge the time gap between my last update and now, I can't help but think of how fast time has flown. It seems as though it were only last week when I set out to Ocean City with some glorious international students that I had the privilege to befriend, and just yesterday when I clocked out for the last time at my summer job. It almost feels like I blinked while packing my car to return to my home away from home at Lancaster Bible College, and when I opened my eyes I was six weeks into my sophomore year. However, even as I write this, memories of the time in between flood my mind and reminded me that this is not the case - and thankfully so.

So, what happened in the time in between?
After returning a week early for work (Public/Campus Safty), classes flew into full swing in late August. I dove into what would come to be at the same time the most overwhelming and intriguing class load yet. From learning about my personal leadership styles in my leadership class to the fascinating background of the New and Old Testament in NT 1 and OT 1; form learning to study music and pushing my voice to things I never knew I was capable to the insightful perspectives on the Christian Narrative - I have certainly been kept busy. However, I have enjoyed every moment (or at lest been grateful in hindsight).

This semester for my missions class I am taking Discipleship and Evangelism, which has been both wonderfully insightful and heart-poundingly intimadating. As one would gather from the name, we are both learning to effectively evangelize and actually going out and doing so - which is admittedly not something I had previously done all too often. We have gone on a few outreach trips already, and still have more planned. It has been vary insightful to see how different people respond to the offer of prayer and the gospel. Although many people turned us away, we were blessed with a few conversations with people who beyond our expectations opened their homes for us to come and share with them - all glory to God for their repetitiveness. Outright sharing my faith or offering to pray with people is still not something that comes easily to me, and I will always have things to learn, though I none the less I look forward to putting what I have learned into regular practice; for how can they believe in a God of whom they have never heard? (Romans 10:14).

What interesting things have I been up to this semester aside from classwork?
Well, I've started helping with a youth group at the mother church of the church plant I have been attending since last year (One City Church). I help lead a small group of high-school girls and absolutely love it. There's something about pouring into others that seems to give more energy then coffee (or perhaps its the fact that they have so much energy that if overflows to me). I'm also apart of two choirs at LBC. One is Chapel Guild, which is the gospel choir that I was in last year; the other is the LBC Chorale, which is their more classical choir I just joined this year and am going to Spain with (see next blog post for an update on Spain). I'm pretty sure they are a large part of why my stress level if half of what it was last year.

I'm greatly looking forward to whats in store for the rest of the semester, and I encourage you to keep a lookout for future updates on my upcoming trip to Spain, college in general, and some opportunities in the works that I am beyond excited about. As always, feel free to contact me anytime (and I will try my utmost to get back to you) and I greatly thank you for your time and interest!

Contact:
elli5255@lbc.edu