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

Learning to Rely on God - His Way (Health Testimony)

It's been a lot harder than I thought it would be, trying to put my thoughts into words. I've spent a good bit of time trying to craft the lessons I've learned through some trials I faced over this past semester into a testimony intriguing enough to read. But now I'm throwing those drafts away and I'm just going to be as straightforward and real as I can be - no matter how cliche it is.

This past semester God decided it was time I learned to truly rely on Him in all things - not just in the financial and protection realm. To administer this lesson, a few things I have long taken for granted that are crucial for "normal" (and especially college) life were unexpectedly and (medically) unexplainedly taken from me. Namely, my overall physical strength and health, mental clarity and academic ability, and most of my people skills. I quickly went from daily runs and frequent walks to barely being physically able to walk across campus; and from never submitting an assignment less than 12 hours early and never missing a class, to extreme brain fog and lack of ability to focus on homework or lectures, causing me to push deadlines. The gaps where these "normal" functions had been where seeming filled with anxiety of not knowing what was happening, and fear of losing the GPA I worked so hard for, or my friends, because I suddenly couldn't even process sound or movement in the dining hall - let alone unfamiliar activities or places.

For weeks I tried to hide everything that was happening behind smiles, laughter, and the excuse of stress or poor diet as I was certain that it would only last a little longer and I would be fine, but things only got worse. Before long I could hardly even fake being ok. I found myself running out of straws to grasp at to answer the ever present "what's wrong?" question, with deadlines and finals quickly approaching, and drowning in anxious thoughts that people had dubbed me a total mess and were avoiding me.

It took until one day when it felt like I had hit rock bottom (though it was actually just the floor, because my legs decided standing was overrated) for me to finally realize that I was never going to get any better trying to do so on my own. So, still on the floor lacking the strength to stand, I asked for forgiveness for trying to make it on my own and finally surrendered to what He still had in store for that season.

To this day my flesh still wishes that the learning requirements were satisfied that day and that I was able to jump up and go run two miles, however, that was far from the case, and looking back the rest of me is joyous for it being so. For had I been healed instantly, I would not have had to truly "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10) because knowing myself, I would not have been still. And had I not have had to go to my professors explaining why my assignments weren't done on time or have to make special arrangements for exam taking that I would never have considered before because I felt I was too good, I would have lost a valuable and needed lesson on staying humble. I would also not be able to say that there is absolutely nothing aside from God that gave me strength to make it through the rest of the semester, or even a single day (literally); or that because of the grace of my professors, I was able to save my GPA and keep all A's. For I have no doubt that had I continued foolishly thinking I'd be alright on my own, I would have either failed all my classes or had to drop out entirely. So yes, I would say I learned a lot from this season of my life. And though at the time it seemed like the worst thing, I'm now glad for the lessons I have learned from it.

Now I know at lest some of you may wounder if I ever found out what was wrong/if I got better, and the answer to both would be "kind of". I've had a lot of testing done this summer, however, the only thing that has shown up doesn't quite fit all my symptoms. I have however, found some relief in a natural supplement company, called Plexus, and am able to function enough to work full time and do some fun things in my "spare time". None the less, I have still not quite regained my full normal strength or energy and would greatly appreciate your prayers.

Thank you for your time and interest, and as always, feel free to contact me anytime!

Contact:
elli5255@lbc.edu

Welcome to my Blog (Grand Re-Interduction)

As you can probably see from looking, I made this blog in January to post regular updates on, however, this is only my second post. I would like to offer my apologies for not keeping up as I had hoped thus far. None the less, from here on out I hope to be posting at least monthly, though ideally it will be every week or two (I'm also now expecting offers for accountability on keeping up haha).

For the many of you who have never been to my blog before or herd me mention it, this is ware I'll be posting most of my updates, prayer requests, and other relevant things as I journey though college and beyond in preparation for the mission field. In addition to this blog, I now send out physical prayer/update letters twice a year (once after each semester) to anyone who desires to join my growing "prayer support group" and remain updated with a hard copy. I would love to have you journey with me down the road to the missions field, and if you so desire, I invite you to join my mailing list to receive my letters and also to subscribe to this blog to make sure you don't miss anything in between! (This past semester's/current letter will be going out this week, however, no matter when you read this, its never to late to be added to my mailing list)!

I am very open if there is ever a particular thing you would like to see an update posted about (favorite class, missions plans for the coming year, community involvement, what I do with "free time", etc), and invited you to contact me with it if there ever is. Sometimes a given topic or question is just what's needed to get my gears turning! Also, I would like you to feel as involved with me on this journey as possible, rather than just informed, so feel free to email me at any time with questions or to catch up.

Thank you for your time and interest in my journey, I greatly appreciate it! Stay tuned for an update on my freshman year at Lancaster Bible College coming up in the next day or two. I will also be sharing my testimony from a major health battle I fought this past semester soon!

Contact info:
elli5255@lbc.edu

Ready or Not, this Semester's Taking Off

It almost feels strange, to sit at my desk typing on my laptop in my dorm room for the first time in almost a month; to finally see the faces of those who have become close to me throughout the past semester; to know that before I know it I'll be once again knee deep in assignments and papers - but loving every moment of it. Lancaster Bible College, it's good to be back.

Much has happened over break, and as many of you are aware it was a ruff decision deciding to come back, but none the less, here I am. I thank you to those who were praying for me.

Today LBC kicked off the semester with their annual MLK service day, and classes will resume tomorrow, the 17th. Though my credit load is the same as last semester, my courses are much more involved and syllabus shock is setting in, reminding me that learning to better manege time is of high impotence, and that though doing well is necessary, everything does not have to be perfect.

I ask for your continued prayer for guidance and wisdom, and specifically for an interview I have tomorrow for an on campus job. Though adding a job to my already busy schedule is not ideal in my opinion, having it will greatly help and I really hope it will work out.

I greatly look forward to seeing what this semester holds, and thank you for your time and interest in staying in the loop :)