Farmers Market Adventures & Metropolis Ramblings

Happy Sunday everyone!

As many of you may know, I love farmers markets. I pretty much think they are the most economical, wonderful way to get amazing produce. Some people shop them for reduced "carbon footprint" and others shop them in order to get local stuff. I agree with both-but I love the thrill of the hunt. Yesterday the roomie and I headed downtown (a most confusing area) to reap the benefits of the Dallas Farmers Market (dallasfarmersmarket.org). I have researched this place since I knew that I was coming to this wonderful southwestern metropolis.

Anyway, what did I find?? Wonderful amounts of tomatoes, peppers, all types of lettuce, fresh meat, and amazing fruits. I pretty much could have squealed over all the beautiful colors...and the prices! Due to the fact that I have been to the grocery store ALOT since moving, I didn't really need much, but I settled for berries, asparagus, and herb plants.

Needless to say this was quite a nutty nutrition gal sort of adventure. Anyway, I am starting my dietetic internship tomorrow. Though it will be strange to enter the "real world", I am so grateful that I am almost a registered dietitian. My whole move and the doors that open here are only God's grace. For that I am grateful.

Much Needed Update-New Adventures in the Big D!

Greetings Folks!

I am all settled in a wonderful apartment in the metropolis of Dallas. Thanks to my parents and brother who were super helpful during the whole moving process-a huge task!

God has provided an AMAZING roommate-joyful & full of faith. I am so appreciative & excited.

My dream of living in a thriving and bustling city is certainly coming true. Today was my first day at the hospital where I did alot of preliminary stuff-paperwork, etc. Working in a hospital with over 800 beds (huge) promises to be a great but huge learning experience. I get a whole week before I officially start so the roommate and I are off to adventure, try churches, etc.

Thank you to everyone who has been so kind to pray, text, Facebook, and think of me during this time! More to come from the Lonestar state!

Ministry, Mudlick, and Moving

I could start by the generic usual "it's been a great week..." which it has, but a week of decisions, change, and realizations. I love the people of Appalachia, the work we do, and the change I see in those who come for a week of training here. I sincerely doubt that my life will ever be this simple again-I mean that in a very good way. This summer has been no frills, no nonsense, but a summer of purpose: to serve and love people the way Christ intended.

Along this journey, I feel that God has shown me the reality of ministry...the good, the bad, and the ugly. (Yes, ugly does occur) What do these elements mean??

Good: God equips everyone with many different gifts...from administration to music, serving, and the ability to work with all groups of people. For the first time in my personal life, I have seen thirty staff members come to Appalachia with diverse backgrounds, ideas, and talents. We have an excellent band, leaders for all areas of ministry from construction to kids, and support personnel. Therefore, my eyes have been opened. God's providence has once again proven true and a great team has been born. Additionally, in the ministry we see many wonderful things happen: people come to know Christ, lives impacted in Appalachia by the ministry teams, and our fellow servant leaders as we learn to walk closer to Christ (and we mature!)

Bad: Sometimes ministry allows you to get so wrapped up in perfection, performance, and numbers that you forget your purpose...to exalt and share Christ. Often little intereferences come in from attitude to lack of planning-all of which can cause frustration.

Ugly: People will criticize you and desire to revamp your ministry. Literally, instead of people encouraging you, they desire to tear you down...from the style of worship to the food. It is generally selfish stuff that you encounter: personal preferences, "the way we do things"..., and mostly ideas that people conjure up from their own minds (not from God's). Please note that this is not frustration post but one of reality.

Though I often believe that I will continue to serve God in some type of established ministry (not sure about the mission field yet), I am so thankful that this summer has taught me these important lessons. What you see at your church, your youth camp, and your mission trip requires much work, prayer, and Jesus seeking time-if not, something is probably wrong.

Anyway, those are the ramblings from my summer of ministry-to God be the glory!

I am pleased to announce a follow-up to my Mudlick post from a couple of weeks ago. I now have pictures and personal testimony...Mudlick is unique. A sort of Christian commune started in the 1960's, this church looks like a house. In fact, it was for quite awhile. Families lived and worshiped in this place...and when a house burned, the foundation was literally used as a basketball goal-pretty cool. One of the most beautiful countrysides I have ever seen, this community does not have visitors...from very curvy roads to beautiful fields-what a treat! Pictures to come-ASAP!

On moving, I am set to head out to the Big D and move-in August 1st. God provided a great place for me to live-so thankful! I will send out change of address cards upon arrival!

Please pray for this ministry as we enter the 7th week of working with our students and adults. May we keep our eyes on Jesus-the only sustainer and lead with integrity.

Taco Tuesdays

We have embarked on week 6 of BCM 2009. Many lessons have been learned, many suggestions have been made, and God has been so faithful-in countless ways.

A wave of encouragement has come to "Hannah's Manna" cafe this week. I am pleased to work alongside 3 wonderful ladies from East Tennessee and one from Illinois. This week Ms. Rita has come in & shared her caring and beautiful heart with me. Born and raised in Germany, Rita met her husband in the 1950's during a military conflict in her country (he was in the US service). Little did she know that God would bring her to the beautiful Smokey Mountains to raise her family. Few people have reminded of me of my granny (who passed away in March of 2002), but Ms. Rita has loved me and has treated me much like a granddaughter-what a sweet encouragement! So far we have succeeded in barbequing our 245 pieces of chicken-I even got to connect with a student during grilling-what a great opportunity!~

Today we are making the famous Tuesday Mexican dinner. At this point of the summer I am simply sitting back and working alongside my kitchen help-God has allowed me to learn SO MUCH that will truly help me in my career and home life.

Seasons of Life, The Big D, and Encouragement

My blogging life has been on hold while my parents and brother have been spending the week here at Big Creek. Lots of great things have happened since last week! First, I am so thankful for the encouragement and support that I have received from the "home" church, Eastanallee. From their visit this past week to all the encouragrams from the college/career group, I have felt so loved and cared for-thank you so much!

Today we are all taking a break-Kevin closed Big Creek for the 4th of July and sent us home until tomorrow. This has allowed for a wonderful time of reflection over the amazing events that have taken place thus far.

What was this past week like??? Well, first I must thank my parents who gave up a week of normal life, school, and career to help me feed ~210 people. A week like this requires being in the kitchen from 5AM-7:30PM...with few hours to sleep or do much else. They supported me, had lots of patience, and were highly attentive and willing to do anything I asked. It was also a joy to share time, laughs, and worship with my parents.

This week we clearly saw God in so many ways. First, this week God sent multiple encouragers to influence both the staff and then the entire camp. Encouragement is truly contagious...that is definitely what we saw across the week. Something that is so cool about Big Creek is the diverse groups that God brings to us...from all across the United States. Mr. Dan from Oklahoma helped me and the parentals every morning with breakfast. He brought a group of students that blessed us in their love, their enthusiasm, and the fact that many of the students had never been out of Oklahoma.

Our Macon, Georgia group was led by Billy. Mr. Billy was a constant, minute by minute encourager. He just started this church in January-but what an awesome group that he brought. Even when they were on post-dinner dish duty they were happy. (WOW!) Also, a wonderful group from Knoxville did many encouraging things...especially mopping the entire kitchen/serving area floor to perfection.

Please pray for the upcoming week. We are still trying new methods of reaching the children of several different areas. Also, maintaining relationships formed with our homeowners that we ministered to is key!

In my "post-Big Creek" news...my new roomie is heading to the Big D this week to check out grad school and apartments. Pray that we get a great place to live with good neighbors. I also officially have paperwork started with my dietetic internship...God is amazing. This summer I have seen that each of our gifts, talents, and desires can be ministry. Even a girl with a heart for cooking, nutrition, and working with people can fit! In this way, I am praying that God continues to show me what career path/specialty of food and dietetics that I should go toward. My internship allows me to work with adults and children in ALL medical areas-pretty cool. So far I have truly enjoyed pediatrics and adolescent counseling. Missions and malnutrition also go "hand-in-hand"...so that may be a future venture. Anyway, I simply want to run with my mat and love others with the love of Christ.

Cup of Joe + Big Creek Celebrity

Good Tuesday!

We have officially made it to week 4 of our summer adventure. This week is especially exciting because our group from the Nashville area brought us a whole shopping bag of various Starbucks coffee. (I consider this a gift from God-no kidding)

What is the latest news here at Big Creek?? Lots of awesome stuff going on here! Last night 3 homeowners that we have worked with recently came to our worship service. It is so cool that we can connect with people in such a short period of time (typically 2-3 days tops)! Please do not think that we simply have the goal of bringing them here for numbers sake...we want to love these people, share Jesus with them, and share community with them. James and Will (the guys they have worked with) did an awesome job-I am so proud of these guys for leading in such a Godly way with integrity, generosity, and example!

In food news-I made this strawberry danish stuff from leftover pancakes (as the crust) with a cream cheese, sugar, and strawberry mixture topping. Pretty yummy for breakfast. Growing up my mom always challenged us to be frugal and stretch food to its farthest potential. Little did she know that I would be cooking here at Big Creek Mission. Pictured below is my attempt at using my resources: Big Creek Breakfast Cass(erole).

What is this made of??? Leftover hashbrowns & fries, slightly browned rolls, leftover sausage, mustard, cream cheese, eggs, milk. Yum. A staffer favorite! Simply layer the potatoes, bread, and meat. Then pour the creamy egg mixture on top. Bake @ 350 for ~20-30. Top with cheese

Yesterday I had the privelege of riding around with our video guy Tony. He occasionally lets me catch a ride to the hills and hollows where our ministries are taking place. Below are a few pics of the day! On every adventure I go on, I love the road signs and random stuff I learn. One big thing about the hollows is the interesting way everything is spelled...never can know exactly how the natives pronounce it. I pretty much love Kentucky though-the mountains, the simplicity, and the fact that we can share Jesus and His hope with people through relationship. Yesterday on the journey that Tony and I took (to Yeaddis, KY) we visited a roofing site...where a widow lived. It was pretty cool to see the team working so diligently. However, I won't lie-I was super pumped about visiting the lady. I pretty much wish I could go to all the construction sites and connect with the families. Anyway, this particular home was one of fairly simple repair. Jacob's team was making excellent progress and I had to see what I had heard of the night before. This widow was in her late 80's and had lost her husband in March. Married almost 65 years, she was very eager to show off her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. Wow. She also had this super feisty dog who doesn't like men. Hm. Anyway, we bonded and I immediately saw her loneliness. Sometimes I forget that having someone to talk to is half the battle in older age. Anyway, I promised her a visit again soon...so I am taking the kitchen ladies to visit tomorrow! Please pray that we would not overwhelm her but simply love her and care for her. In James 1:27, the Bible says "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." Since March and my stay in the Tijuana Christian Mission, this verse has been very near to my heart. I love being a part of what God loves & commands for us to do. I think the coolest part is coming out of my works-based faith ideas. My adventures this past year have focused on relationship building...sometimes this is painful, discouraging, and frustrating. However, in the case of the orphans and widows, the Lord has broken my heart for His people. May I not be about what I can do-but what God provides and allows. Please pray for my team tomorrow (Friday) as we go visit!

Also, I would like to share that I now have a facebook group in honor of the kitchen called "Let's Give it Up for Hannah". Mostly humorous-but the other staffers are jealous. God has brought some great students into the kitchen to hangout. I am so thankful!

It's a Beautiful Thing

Happy Father's Day!! Yesterday, after waking up to clean at bit here at the Big Creek Mission, myself and two leadership assistants (temporary interns) went down to Knoxville. Both SLA's had served their terms and I was attending a wedding near the mountains. It was fairly weird to go back to a large city-multiple food, grocery, and entertainment options. Anyway, this day was all about the wonderful relationship of one of my nearest Nutrition friends, Sarah. I met Sarah the first day of my sophomore year. We spent hours studying, talking, sharing life stories, and working in class daily. Her new husband Matt is one of the best guys I know-a very loving and gentle soul. Sarah had asked us (Laura, Heather, and myself) to serve as program attendents-a job we really had fun with.

Sarah and Matt choose beautiful strings to play numerous songs from "Amazing Grace" to "Canon in D". Their day was focused on Christ, His love, and the love that they share. It was absolutely precious! Additionally, I got to spend time with some of my best friends from college. Heather (in the middle) and I maintain a very close relationship and Laura (very left) is moving near the Big D in the fall-so exciting!!!

To top off the day, I spent time with my Bible study from college. I had walked life with these beautiful girls for three years-we have shared many tears, laughs, a wedding, and lots of other excitement. God truly blessed us in bringing us together to walk life. Second Thessalonians 1:3 "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other." We all know that God is growing us, moving us, and shaping us. I wish all of them the best as we move and change in life!

Week 3 was full of excitement, Jesus, and work. We were priveleged to have many students from Ohio, Kansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Daycamps continued to have more children. Friday, our local daycamps came for Carnival Day here at Big Creek. We had all sorts of exciting messy games-a slide filled with spaghetti noodles at the bottom, face painting, and lots of other excitement. This week I really felt more exhausted than usual-but I learned to have more dependence on Jesus. God brought a wonderful group of women to help me in the kitchen also. I had the pleasure of working with a former social working (with mean grilling skills), a teacher who grew up as a missionary kid in Mexico City, an RN (also the youth leader's wife), and the associational secretary (who is a great organizer)! What fun & blessings! Thank you all for ALL of your work-it blessed 230 people!

God continually teaches all of us things-we must take the time to listen and learn about Him. Kevin is teaching from John all of this summer. People often think that we (staffers) get tired of hearing the same sermons each week. However, I have learned something new every week. In John 5, Jesus has just performed a miracle. A man who was sick for 38 years is approached by Jesus for healing but he makes excuses. Eventually Jesus cures this sick man and tells him "pick up your mat and walk". (verse 8) This man walks but with much opposition. Too many people are upset about the legalism that ensues-the Jews tell this man (who was just healed) that it is sinful for him to work (walk with his mat) on the Sabbath. However, Jesus encourages Him to walk on. Eventually, the Jews try to use this as evidence against Jesus in His last days. Anyway, I wonder if I am aware of areas that I don't pick up my own mat?? How many excuses do I make to Christ?? Am I willing to take a challenge and follow Him-even when it gets really uncomfortable?