Snow, Traveling, Ignite, and More!

This past weekend I was finally able to make it up to Michiana Community Church of God in Granger, Indiana. Our date had been postponed because of lake effect snow (22 inches of it!), but this week they only had "flurries." Their flurries would equal total shut down in Mississippi, but travel went smoothly. :) My time up near the Michigan border was SO enjoyable. The pastor and his wife are long-time friends of mine, and we enjoyed catching up and sharing about God's faithfulness with one another. Their hospitality was SUCH a blessing. The congregation was beautiful, giving, and supportive. It is so awesome to have them on the team. Here are some of my observations from the weekend:

1. A G.P.S. seriously makes my life easier.
2. Home-made pizza is the bomb! (Thanks, Marcia!)
3. Coffee tables and stool-chairs around a sanctuary are fun and build community!
4. Interview-style presentations are way less exhausting than giving monologues. :)
5. It's encouraging to see the majority of a congregation show up to church when there's snow on the ground.
6. I am learning more about the Holy Spirit everywhere I turn, and this weekend was no exception. Once my thoughts are more developed, I will blog them.

As to news on the other side of the world, Ignite recently took place in New Zealand. Ignite is the annual youth conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in NZ. Several of my friends were deeply involved in making the event happen. The Enemy fought hard... to the point of keeping the speaker, my good friend Josh, from being able to fly over from the States due to weather conditions. A lot of last minute planning had to be done for the services, and as my best friend Joanne put it, it seemed like everything that could have went wrong did. However, the leadership team recognized that God wanted to work, and HE DID! More teens than ever attended, and the testimony is that God transformed lives in a powerful way! I will get more details once I am able to have a phone date with Joanne. Below is a picture of the camp sign where the conference is held. (I am the donkey haha). Hopefully I will be back there in time for next year's Ignite.


This week I sent out probably a hundred church packets in the mail along with visiting some churches to drop off packets in my local area. Please keep praying for God to send opportunities to share! The next three weekends it looks like I will be in churches in Princeton or neighboring towns, so the travel will be minimal. Also, please pray that paperwork will be processed quickly in regard to my substitute teaching application. Thanks so much for going on this journey with me!

In His Love,
Amber Janelle