Churches and Pranks :)

Life seems to be moving more quickly than I can keep up with! Since returning to Indiana from Mississippi, I have spoken in two more churches, my home church and Milan Wesleyan Church. It was a blessing to be with both church families. I have also been in the schools regularly as usual along with spending a lot of time with the students from The Grounds youth ministry. I am really enjoying this particular group of kids and their sense of humor. They enjoy pranking me on pretty much a weekly basis. Today, we had an outreach at my home church. We basically threw a huge block party with free food, games, and prizes for the community. It was a huge success, and several of our youth showed up to help. One of the games for the little kids was a kiddie pool filled with water where they could select a duck from the water and win a prize. After the day became pretty hot, the kids decided it was way better to just go swimming in the pool. Probably a dozen or more little kids were sitting in the water at any given point, tracking in and out of it and doing the normal things little kids do when they go swimming. At the end of the party, boys from The Grounds decided it would be really funny to add some ice water to the mix and dump the whole kiddie pool over my head... Talk about gross... I love working with teenagers. :) I can't wait to tell prank stories from New Zealand!

Tomorrow I'm off to yet another church to cast a vision for the ministry in New Zealand. This week is the last week of school, so I'll get my final days of subbing in before adjusting to a new summer schedule of dedicating more time to phone calls and traveling. Please keep praying for more fruitful connections with churches and individuals who are called to join the team!

Marion, Easter, Mississippi

The past couple weeks have blurred past me in a quick whirlwind! The 15th, 16th, and 17th I spoke at Marion First Church of God for their annual Faith Promise weekend! We had a great time together! The Holy Spirit really moved people during the weekend meetings, and I was able to reconnect with several of my friends and former students! The fellowship was incredible--I am so thankful for the Body of Christ! I stayed with a couple that I had lived with for a summer during college. They became like family to me that summer, so it was great to live with them for a few days again. :) The church family was so welcoming, plus I was able to spend some time on the IWU campus again, reconnecting with the faculty and friends who are still on campus or in the area. God's provision, as always, blew my mind. I am so excited to welcome First Church to my monthly supporting financial team!

Last week was spent at the local high school! I enjoyed a week of relationship-building since I subbed for the same teacher all week. Good Friday, The Grounds held a bonfire and service at our pastor's house. Despite the predicted rain, God gave us a dry, beautiful night to focus in on the cross and take communion together. It was incredible. This Easter, I was able to be at my home church for the first time in six years (being on staff at churches doesn't usually permit an Easter vacation). My family had a wonderful lunch together as well. However, the weekend was a bit difficult because a member of my extended family passed away earlier in the week. The visitation was Easter Sunday and the funeral Monday. I appreciate your prayers for my family members who are hurting right now. Monday I taught again at the high school, and that night I preached at Uncommon student ministries in Owensville, Indiana. The Grounds leadership and students were there for a combined service with Dayspring Community Church's youth ministry (Uncommon). Their students performed a percussion special and drama for us along with leading us in a sweet time of worship. It was a great night. The next day, I headed to Mississippi!

I am currently sitting in my favorite coffee house in the Jackson metropolitan area, catching up with email and phone calls, spending some time with Jesus, and finishing up my online class for Global Partners. Tonight I will visit my "kids" at Wired Student Ministries, tomorrow is graduation practice, Friday the senior banquet, Saturday graduation! (I have to give a short speech at graduation--pray for me!) After graduation, the Faith Promise weekend at Olde Towne Community Church will kick off! My parents will be down here Friday through Sunday to be a part of these weekend events with me. It will be a busy and great time! Next week, I will stick around for a few days to finish connecting with people before I head back to Indiana.

Thank you again for all your prayers!

In Him,
Amber Janelle

Prayer for Christchurch

Please keep praying for NZ. Christchurch continues to suffer daily aftershocks from the quake. Tonight they had one of a 5.3 magnitude that initially knocked out power for 20,000 homes and businesses. Power has been restored, but this country is really still struggling from the effects of the terrible quake in February

Church, church, and more church!

It has been a week of CHURCH! :) I spent last weekend at Wesleyan churches in Evansville and French Lick. It was a great Sunday of meeting some awesome people, and I am excited about our future partnerships for the advancement of the Kingdom. This week, my home church was in revival, and I was blessed to be able to house our music ministers who just happened to be some of my best friends from my youth group days. We had an incredible time together, catching up, laughing, and even doing some music together for old times' sake. Tuesday night, the kids from The Grounds came to the revival service and then to my house after for a movie and food. Tonight I am staying with friends in Salem, Indiana before sharing at their church in the morning. Yay for a house with wifi! :)

It has been a blessed week even though it has been extremely busy. I subbed three days again at the high school and am still loving every minute of it. I was also able to reconnect with some friends and hear awesome testimonies of how God is working in their lives. God is good, and I am learning to trust Him for my future testimony of being funded to go to New Zealand. Please pray for me as I try to re-evaluate the support-raising process to determine how I can be a better steward of my time and resources. New Zealand is beckoning me to come--and I want to get over there!!!!

20%, Earthquake Update, and Teenagers!!!!

This week I officially reached the 20% mark on Faith Promise!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!! I am a fifth of the way there! :) This is a small milestone and a huge one all at the same time! I love reaching goals, and this was the first one! I have lots of churches scheduled still in the future and just started another mass mailer to churches in neighboring districts and states, so please continue to pray for God to send supporters!

Also, please do not forget New Zealand in your prayers in light of the Christ Church earthquake. There is still so much to be done, and the country is still hurting tremendously in the wake of such a tragedy. My good friend Stephenie Garey just returned to the Auckland area after serving in Christ Church with the Salvation Army. Another GP missionary, Rob Reynolds, is there currently. Steph just reported, "Being in a disaster zone for a week is an indescribable experience. Going door to door, asking to people if their needs are met & how they are coping- wow- I saw so much: destruction, loss, sadness, and tears. YET, I also saw rebuilding, strength, resilience, and HOPE. ...I am amazed at what the Salvation Army is doing- the compassion & organization- what an honor to join with them. It is a long, difficult road for the Cantabrians. Be encouraged that as the city rebuilds, a Christian organization is helping lay that foundation by supporting the community tangibly, emotionally & spiritually in this secular environment." Please keep the prayer coming New Zealand's way!

It has been three weeks of TEENAGERS! I love teenagers, have I ever mentioned that before? :) Two weeks ago, I subbed four of five days. The first two were spent with 5th, 6th, and 8th graders at a Christian school, and the last two were with high school students. I LOVE TEACHING! :) The next week, I was blessed to go with my good friend and fellow youth pastor, Beth Brown, to take some awesome students to an event in Minneapolis. We had an incredible time that involved a LOT of slap-happy moments. The night before the trip, Pastor Beth and I both only got four or less hours of sleep. We were up for almost 24 hours that day... The trip home was the same, and we drove through the night. I got home at 5:30 in the morning feeling like I'd been hit by a really big truck!!!! It was such a great time though. God really encouraged me through the messages, and the students we took were able to encounter God in a pretty powerful way. I started this week by subbing again at the high school.

Last night at The Grounds, four students made spiritual commitments in my living room!!! Two put their faith in Christ, and two others were seeking God for a renewal of joy and love in their walk with Him. It was so encouraging! To think, I initially said I did not want to be in youth ministry while I was home... This journey to New Zealand is involving a lot I didn't expect, but God is so good. I sense Him preparing me in ways I didn't realize I needed preparation! I am so thankful for His presence and work along the way. This weekend I have a double-header; I will be speaking at a church in Evansville in the morning and a church in French Lick at night. Please pray for God to work!

In His Love, Amber

Life in the Fast Lane! :)

Life has been busy in a good way lately! Substitute teaching has turned into almost a full-time job. I LOVE IT! I get to spend 8 hours a day with teenagers! I have always enjoyed teaching, and I jump at any opportunity to be around students outside the church. It is such a blessing to build relationships with students, teachers, and staff in the schools. Some of my students have a hard time remembering my last name and have nicknamed me "Liverpool." This was a common nickname from some of my students in youth ministry, so I feel right at home.

I have been in three awesome churches the last three weekends. All of them were unique and beautiful portrayals of the Body of Christ. Greenwood Wesleyan is a beautifully diverse congregation with a sweet, welcoming spirit. I discovered upon arrival that the pastor's daughter was one of my "camp kids" back in the day. Of course, she has her own "kids" now as she is almost finished with a degree and has already done her student teaching. The reunion was sweet, and I loved this congregation. On a Sunday night, I was able to visit Clarks Chapel General Baptist Church in Oakland City. Their church family was so enjoyable, and their pastor was one of the best Southern Gospel singers I have ever heard! Finally, this past weekend was spent with Northside Wesleyan Church in Terre Haute. The pastor's family and I had some connections and really enjoyed getting to know one another. The church family reminded me of my home church growing up. We had a GREAT time together. Some of their youth were brave enough to sample Vegemite, and it started a trend at the carry-in lunch. I really enjoyed all the puckered faces and cries for a drink of something to help wash it down. On the financial front, after turning in some faith promises I received this weekend, I should reach the goal point of 20%! I'm excited, because I needed to reach that percentage in order to attend Missionary Training Institute in June. I am rejoicing over a small victory!

This week I also was able to visit some friends during my travels since the schools here are on spring break. I got to spend some quality time with some of my former students who are now young adults and good friends along with visiting a couple I lived with years ago. The fellowship was sweet. After youth group tonight, I have to get to bed early since I am going with a great youth pastor friend and some of her students to a youth conference in Minnesota. I'm excited for the fellowship and the chance to soak up some good worship/rock concerts!!!

Ignite Youth Camp Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3Yvdf46t7M
Check out this awesome video from the combined Wesleyan and Nazarene Ignite Youth Camp 20011 in New Zealand!!!! A lot of my friends are in this video... I so wish I could've been there!