Skit

I played a Pakistani an slave girl who was bought by an American Missionary.

My lines:

"Come in, Come in...sit down. Hi, welcome to Pakistan. My name is Rebina. I work here in the brick kilns...I'm a slave. I have to be quiet so my Muslim master doesn't hear me, if he knew you were here he might get angry and beat me...so stay quiet...ok..."

"I heard you wanted to know about me...well...I come here to the brick kilns when I was 10...my family sold me into slavery because they had a debt that needed to be paid. This kind of thing happens allot in my country. Many people are very poor here. So I work here from sunrise to sunset every day of the week, making bricks. It gets so hot some times. My slave master pays me a very small amount of money. But even if I worked here my whole life I would never have enough money to pay my debt to him. I'm stuck...The only way I could ever be free is if someone paid my debt for me...but that never happens...at least I've never seen it..."

"Shhhhh!! my slave master is coming I can't talk anymore...I'm sorry I have to go!"

"Hey...hey...I have something to tell you! While I was working, my master came to me and said that some people wanted to talk to me. So I went and a man from America named Pastor Steve interviewed me and started asking me questions about my life and what its like to be a slave and after I told him my story he said something to me that I've never heard before. He told me about a man named Jesus who came to set me free...At first I didn't understand but he told me He died for me and for my sin so that In my heart I could be set free. He told me how this Saviour loves me so much and that He wants to be my father, friend and deliverer...I've never known someone who cares about me like this before. So I asked Jesus to come into my heart and be my Lord and Saviour. I'm a Christian now. I've never felt such a peace before."

"This can't be true! This can't be true! I must be dreaming! I'm free! I'm free! I have to tell everyone I'm free! I'm free!

(I enjoyed playing Rebina, even thought it was a stretching process it was worth it.--Angie)

Pictures from Second Year

Class of 2011
Anna, Me, Miriam
My classmates at 2010 Graduation

Miriam, Geri, Me

at Time Square Church

Me, Alyssa (my first year roommate), Geri at Christmas Fellowship (2009)

Finals - Second Year

Please pray for the students as they are taking finals this week.

Things are winding down...

This is Missions week at Mt. Zion. The students get to hear from different missionaries - they will get encouraged, exhorted and challenged. The theme is "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"

On Saturday (4/3) Angie will be involved in a skit. She is going to be portraying a Pakistan slave girl who is freed by an American Missionary for one thousand dollars...please pray for her and the rest of the skit.

Deadlines, deadlines...

Deadlines, projects, tests, meetings - yes, this year is drawing to a close, but not without its flurry of activity, excitement and stress.

Monday (3/22) Angie had to teach - this is her Teaching Class. In this "assignment" she had to prepare a lesson - she chose "The Battle Belongs to the LORD". She is graded on the lesson preparation, use of the whiteboard and over-head projector. It's as if she is the teacher of this class.

Thursday (3/25) it was her Preaching Class. In this class she speaks as if she is giving a sermon. Her topic was "Love One Another".

Last I spoke to her, it was raining with thunder and lighting - nothing compared to California.

Keep praying for them all. As the students get to the end of the year there is lots of weariness and need of an extra boost to finish strong.

The Latest...

On Tuesday (3/9) the students of Mt. Zion, once again, visited Time Square Church in New York. Angie said that they were refreshed and that the presence of the Holy Spirit was so AMAZING!!!

Now back to school to finish this year well...

There is much activity and excitement at Mt. Zion. The students are in a flurry as the year draws to its end. The end is in the horizon, but before then many, many deadlines. In the Pastoral Ministries Class they put on mock funerals, weddings, communions, baptisms - all to prepare them for ministry. The students had to write a eulogy and next week, they each will read them to their class as if they were really giving a eulogy for someone. Tomorrow they will be putting on two mock weddings - Angie will be a bridesmaid in one of them...there is excitement and nerves. For her Preaching Class she will have to give another teaching on March 22nd. However, she had to turn in all her points on March 4th and March 15th she will have to turn in the entire study - wow!

Angie says she is physically tired, but it is GOOD!!!

Internship

Mt. Zion is a buzz with excitement. All the second year students have found out where they will be going for their six month internship at the beginning of their third year.

Angie called me and I could tell something special was going on. She had told me not to ask her anymore, so I was dying to ask her, but was respecting her request. She finally said, "Well, aren't you going to ask me if I know where I am going for my internship?" I said, "You told me not to ask." "I did???" She then proceeded to tell me where...

Ready...

PENNSYLVANIA!!!!! --- she will be staying on at the school to fulfill her internship there. At first, she had been disappointed that God did not send her to Colombia or Guatemala. However, she soon realized that, that was not God's plan and that God had another plan for her. She is full of excitement and relived to finally know. I am excited for her...I would be either way, though.

Today I also found out that there is a group on Facebook for those moms who have kids at Mt. Zion, past, present and future. So if you read this Blog and are are interested in joining, go to FB and look up Mt. Zion Moms.

Mid-Terms

Today begin mid-terms at Mt. Zion. Please pray for all the students to have the energy and perseverance to complete all the tasks ahead.

It has been snowing in Pennsylvania. In fact, the students were do to go on their scheduled shopping trip, but was cancelled because they were snowed in. Some students are getting "cabin fever"...they are missing their walks on the field.

I spoke to Angie yesterday and she want to thank everyone for your prayers. Her teaching on Thursday went "better than the first time."

God continues to mold and shape. Angie says that God has been giving her His heart for the lost, especially those in our family that are not saved.

They will find out at the end of February, beginning of March where the LORD will have them to go for their internship. She is praying specifically for Columbia or Guatemala or wherever God directs.

Update

I finally spoke to Angie. The phone log keeps getting filled before she can put her name on it, hence the lack of communication. She, however, continues to send me beautiful encouraging cards. I love getting a card with love and exhortation from my daughter!

Angie is doing really well. Praying for where God will send her for her internship. She will be teaching again this Thursday (2/4) - please continue to pray for her. Her topic is, "Falling Madly in Love with Jesus" - wish I could be sitting in that classroom.

Thank you so much for all your prayers for her and our family.

Back at Pennsylvania

After an incredible time of Christmas Vacation, Angie is back at Mt. Zion. She, once again, had some medical issues while home. At a family get together we laughed and joked about her body falling apart once she gets to California - Angie wasn't amused.

In it all, Angie knows that she is the LORD's, body, mind, soul and spirit. That whatever happens, it is for His glory and honor.

She left yesterday. She had flight delays, got sick on the second plane (she gets motion sickness), and had a loooooooooong lay over in Washington D.C. When I last spoke to her she was not feeling too good, but we once again laughed and said, "This is just another bump in the road. Man this road is really bumpy." She was probably not going to arrive at the school until around 11:00pm or later. I had no way of getting in contact with her or the school, but God gave me peace.

This morning I called the school and they verified that Angie was at the school and in class. I am so thankful for this.

So, as you can see, Angie's second year/second semester is starting out with a bang. This can only mean God is at work and will be glorified. Can't wait to see what He has in store for Angie.

Once again, thank you so much for your continual prayers.

Fun Times

Some Pictures of Fall 2009

The day I preached - December 10, 2009.

Filled with Thanksgiving

Just spoke to Angie. She is so blessed and full of thanksgiving. She had to do her public speaking assignment - teach in front of class. She says she felt God's presence and the Holy Spirit empowering her and lifting her to a place that was incredible. She says that when she first started it was kind of stuttering and slow, but then when the Holy Spirit took over there was such incredible ease and flow in her words. She was encouraged and her faith is revived. She is glad it is behind her, but is praising God for the boldness and empowerment to get this task done.

Thank you all for your prayers. Continue to pray for next weeks finals.

Pray...

Please continue to pray for Angie. My mother, Angie's grandmother, has gone to heaven. The following two weeks were going to be hard enough with finals and everything, but now with this she is really sad. Tomorrow she has to stand in front of the class and teach - please lift her up.

Fall in Mt. Zion

Change of season and change of weather - it all comes with the territory. The students at Mt. Zion have passed through the middle point of this semester and are now heading for the finish line. At this point, though, there is weariness, tiredness, discouragement, home sickness - Please pray that everyone at Mt. Zion would be uplifted and refreshed so that they can all finish with enthusiasm and joy. Also, this week will be Thanksgiving, however, not many of the students get to be home with their families, hence there is loneliness and sadness. Please pray that they would enjoy Thanksgiving with an attitude of gratefulness and joy, in spite of being away from home. Pray for those families that this will be their first Thanksgiving without their son or their daughter. Thank you all for your continual prayers and visits to this Blog.

God's Provision

The LORD has provided for Angie to come home for Christmas Break - THANK YOU JESUS! You can read how it happened by going to my personal blog.

Phone Call

(I wanted to repost this note for those that are new to the Blog. Angie has no internet, no computer, no cell-phone. The main way she communicates with us is by snail-mail. She does get a 30 minute call, if she can get on the calling log before all the spots are taken. The calling spots are few. In addition to the few calling spots they have to fit their 30 minute call into their full schedule, which consists of school, ministry, chores and jobs. They also have a curfew of 10pm. One of the reasons we began this Blog was so that we could keep family and friends abreast of all she is up to, since she doesn’t have all the means of communication that we are all privileged to be able to freely use. Hence, one of the reasons I get so excited when “I hear her voice”, is because I do not hear it all the time. I treasure the time I can speak with her, the 30 minutes are just not enough. However, I am so very thankful for them.)

Today I finally heard from Angie – yey!!! She said, “Thank you all for your prayers. I really felt them. We are now finished with mid-terms. I believe that because of all the prayer, I was calm and at peace. I actually had a confidence, in the LORD, that I haven’t had before. So, thank you very much for all your prayers. I am sure glad that is over.” Once mid-terms were done they immediately went into the next phase of work - she had to prepare a Lesson Plan and turn it in today. She felt led to prepare her lesson plan on “The Battle of the Mind”. Her three points were discouragement, deceit, despair. O, yeah, and that Satan is a liar and a loser. She was really encouraged by preparing it. The song that she has in her heart right now is The Battle Belongs to the LORD. This week she will be working on three teaching outlines that are due October 29th…please pray. She is also preparing to teach on December 10th…please pray. She is very excited because this week they get to go visit Time Square Church in New York. They get to be part of the Tuesday service. Their trip will be October 27th. Please pray for good weather; no snow; and that they will be blessed.

She sounded so good…thank you Jesus!

Mid-Terms

This week Mt. Zion has mid-terms. Please pray for all the students. That they would trust the LORD to bring to remembrance all that they have diligently studied. That they would rest in God's grace and power. That they would know that all things do work together for good. Pray for restful nights.