Graduation Day - Pictures with Staff

Graduation Day!

My husband and I had the awesome privilege to be at Angie's graduation. We are so thankful that the LORD provided for us to be at this beautiful event. What a blessing!

Graduation Day!

Final's Week

Hello one and all, this is Angie's Mom.

I haven't kept up this blog like I had in the past. Things around here have been a little "off" to say the least.

Angie's third year was also not the same as the previous two years. Hence, there wasn't a continual updating of things happening.

The first six months of her third year were spent as an Intern. I'm sure when Angie comes home she will have lots of stories to tell you all about these six months. I know that she was stretched and stretched and stretched...all to God's glory and her growth and maturity - praise be to God!

It almost seems surreal to imagine this three year journey coming to an end. But that is just what is happening now. This week is Final's week. This will be Angie's last year of doing final - wow! There is excitement as she glances at the finish line, however, there is also that proverbial question, "what is next?"

For now, I just ask that you pray for all the students so that finals are not as nerve wreaking and that they enjoy this last lap of the year.

We will see what happens next...

Coming Home for Christmas

Angie will be coming home for Christmas Break on the 17th - YAY!!!

Please pray for traveling grace; good weather; no flight delays; no quizziness...thank you.

School Year Has Started

Monday, August 30th - Students Arrive

Tuesday, August 31st - Student Registration

Wednesday, September 1st - Student Orientation

Thursday, September 2nd - Classes Begin

Classes are now in their full swing. Angie is now interning/serving in the kitchen. Please keep all the students in prayer. Many will be missing home, having to readjust and adjust to a totally different pace in their lives.

This year's school theme is PRAYER.

There is excitement in the air and an anticipation of what the LORD will do this year. He has proven Himself faithful in the past and He will continue to be faithful now and in the future.

Prayer Request

Internship continues...

Have some prayers requests:

~for unity

~adjustment

~loneliness

~love for one another

~street witnessing

~Teen Center

~for endurace and perseverace amidst onslaught of attacks from the enemy

Thank you!

Internship - Week Two

This week had more housecleaning.

On Monday the team visited a Senior Center/Home. They enjoyed a good time with the people there. Angie enjoyed it.

Thursday's street witnessing was canceled due to severe rain. The team was discouraged because they could not go share the LORD with others.

Friday was the Teen Center...please continue to pray for this.

Internship - Week One

Hi this is Angie's Mom. Here is an update:

The week started with housekeeping duties and having to climb three sets of stairs to get to her room. Lots of exercise.

On Thursday the team went street witnessing. God was amazing and showed up at each conversation. Angie was challenged by having to interpret for someone from English to Spanish - God was amazing and Angie was so challenged and encouraged.

On Friday the team went to a Teen Center. They did a skit and sharing for the teens who showed up. Please keep this outreach in prayer.

Busy week, but very good.

Back in Pennsylvania

Hi everyone, it is Angie's Mom.

Angie is back in Pennsylvania. She left last night and arrived this morning. Thank you all for your prayers, the flight was good with no problems...Thank you Jesus!

She is all settled in and ready to begin her six month internship.

Some of the things she will be doing are (taken from the schools website):

"The intern’s work at Mount Zion International School of Ministry consists of maintenance, office, nursery, housekeeping and kitchen work. They are very involved in outreaches to the surrounding communities, which includes nursing homes, a local hospital, and a prison ministry, as well as ministering to youth, children, and homeless in the inner-city of Harrisburg, PA."

For now this is all I have. Please pray for them all. Lots of adjustments for all. Thank you so much for your prayers.

Who God is in my Life… (Part 2)

This is a part of my testimony of what God has been in my life these past 2 years that I have already been at Mt. Zion.
I am going to share with you some ways that God has been real with me through my struggles at Mt. Zion. I pray that this ministers to you in knowing the fact that we serve the same living God and HE could be all that you want Him to be if you only let go and let Him do the work that He desires to do in your heart as well as in your life.

1. He is my strength- (Psalms 73:25-26 and Isaiah 40:31).
Through my 1st year more so than my 2nd year God truly was my strength to keep on going and not give up. My 1st year I had constantly thought about giving up the whole thing because I was struggling a lot and I didn’t think I could make it through another day. Those thoughts now that I know were from the enemy trying to get me out of Mt. Zion for knew what the fruit I was going to have by growing more intimately with my love for the Lord. Every time those thoughts would come into my mind about giving up I had those 2 scripture verses that I had mentioned above. And Psalms 73:25-26 is a worship song that we had sung constantly. It goes as it says but I will share with you the verses in how we had done it as song it goes like this:
“Whom have I in heaven but You? There is none upon the earth that I desire besides You. My heart and my flesh many times they fail but there is one truth that always will prevail.
Chorus- God is the strength of my heart, God is the strength of my heart, and God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever and ever.” It was a beautiful song…its funny because my roommate whenever I was having a hard day and I would totally tell her what was going in my life that I was struggling with she would always encourage me by singing and reminding me that song and she still does till this day! J I had truly learned to totally rely the Lord’s strength to carry me through. I haven’t arrived yet, but I am still growing and learning in Him like we all are!

2. He is my Friend that sticks closer than a brother. He was and still is always there right by my side. He will never leave me alone, amen! J
Song of Solomon 5:16- His mouth is sweet: yea He is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is my Friend.
Word study “Friend” it means companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover and neighbor.
In my 1sy year I also struggled with a lot of loneliness for I barely or did not know anybody at all except for my roommate. I was very shy and timid but the Lord finally had to break that through me and did a work in me. But even when I had made friends and finally felt comfortable around them especially with my roommate. She and I became really close when we were struggling with the same issues. Even since then I felt lonely and that is when the Lord told me to come unto Him and lean on Him. For He is the only one that will fulfill the loneliness in my heart. Yes, a friend might fulfill it or satisfy it for a while but the Lord showed me and told me that He is the only one that will be able to be that friend. Who won’t turn your back on you or talk behind your back or even betray you. No, I won’ do that to you for I have been in the same situation and I do not like to see your heart broken. This is what my Friend up above in the heavens said to me. He is the Best Friend that I ever had in this world. He is the only that I will need for He is the one that satisfies, amen! J
3. He is my Comfort!
I experience Him being my comforter when my grandparents passed away. I don’t have a verse or word study for this one but umm it was a really tough experience. It was so weird because the Lord prepared me for it. The reason I say that because this all happened after I flew back for Christmas break when I saw them. I remember very clearly with my grandma (dad’s mom) how the last time I saw her before I flew to Mt. Zion was when I said my good byes she held me a long time. She cried and I got teary eye for she did not want to let me go, and I knew she was crying. It was hard to have seen my grandma cry for I hadn’t seen her cry before. Of course when we got back home I cried with my mom. But anyways, when I arrived back I had sensed that something big was going to happen. Sure enough I got the call saying that my grandpa had first of all passed away. I was already having a hard morning that day and it was worse when my mom told me the news over the phone about my grandpa. It really shocked me I thought I was going to pass out because it was unexpected but then I just started to cry on the phone with my mom when she told me. I cried a lot through that time had a lot of questions in my mind that I asked God why?
But He was so good to me because through out all of my doubts and questions He still carried me through that time as well as the others when they passed away. For He is a good and faithful/loving God who cares for His children. I couldn’t have don’t it without my sisters there encouraging me and comforting me through prayer. I knew that my parents and other family members and friends were praying for me through these hard times. I appreciate their prayers. It was a comfort knowing that some family and friends were praying for me. I thank God for them every day, seriously!


Ok I think that is all that I will share with you. There is so much more that I think I could write a book! LoL! But God has been and is continuing to do a work in my heart and life that I am so grateful and thankful for. Like I said before He could do the same for you as well if you only let Him in and do it. Yes, it is hard for it is a deep work that He does within you heart, but in the end you will see the fruit. And then you will realize in your heart and mind that it is all for the good…it is also worth it all.
Remember what God has called you too He will see you through, amen!
My next blog may be on one of my sermons that I had to preach for that is one of my requirements! I pray that this all made sense and I hope it ministered to you to see what kind of God we serve which is a living God, amen! J
Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read what the Lord has done in my life! God bless and I encourage you to follow the Lord wholeheartedly with all your heart, for He is worth it all!

Getting Ready for Internship (prayer request)

So as my classmates and myself are getting ready to prepare for internship I ask that you would keep us in your prayers as we enter into a new different chapter/season in our lives. I would especially ask you to keep praying for the ones that are preparing already to go to overseas they fly out either on May 30th or 31st. Pray for God's traveling mercies, God's provsion for them, and for any fears plus doubts that they may be having in their minds this weeks as they prepare themselves too...thank you I would really appreciate as we come together and pray for my classmates. We will all be separated for 6 months and we all Lord willing will get back together again and finish off our 3rd year in Janurary 2nd! :)
Now I will leave you off the places and my classmates names in where they are going too so that way you would keep them in prayer! Thank you!

These are my classmates names who are going to

Ireland-Allix, Julie, Hannah M, Fatou, Matt, and A.J.

The ones who are going to

Guatemala-Abigail, Joy, Zach and Ian

For Colombia there is only one of my classmates that is going but she is like other staff members going with her so she is not alone and her name is Miriam.

Thank you for your prayers...I really appreciate them! :)

Testimony - Part I

Hi my name is Angie.

I am actually the one who is writing this down and not my mom. You see most of you do know this already that while I am gone to Pennsylvania my mom is the one who keeps up with my blog and gives people (like family and friends) updates on how I am doing while I attend Mt. Zion International School of Ministry. I thank you mom for keeping up with this blog. I love you! J

I am back home now for a couple of weeks because on June 13th that is when I go back to Mt. Zion to do my internship there for 6 months. I am very excited that I get the opportunity to stay there at the school. For I love it there. The campus is so beautiful the spiritual atmosphere is great, the staff and Sister Catherine they are all beautiful people!

I have grown to love and appreciate all of them especially Sister Catherine (she is the president of the school). I am very thankful and blessed that I will have the privileged to do my internship there at Mt. Zion.

I have been at Mt. Zion for the past 2 years now and the Lord has done a work in my heart and life. It wasn’t easy but let me say that the fruit of it afterwards is totally worth it all. I had started going to Mt. Zion in August of 2008 or 2009 not quite sure…it is a 3 year school.

It has truly been a journey and a learning process in this season of my life that God chose to take me on. I don’t regret it at all for what God has called you too, He will see you through it!

Mt Zion has been teaching me a lot in biblical theology. We also go to outreaches like Kid’s Club, the elderly homes, or the teen’s ministry which is called Wake Up. There are also other ministries there which I can’t recall at the moment. We just go out and minister unto them in particular groups. It is a lot of work but a lot of fun as well!

While in the midst of class and ministry I am also falling in love with the Lord. Learning the freedom that I have in Him. Recognizing and maturing in my position in Him. The authority and confidence I have in Christ. Just to let u know that I haven’t arrived yet there is still more work that God has to do in me. This is a school of where you learn theology but at the same time you learn and grow, knowing who you are in Christ, hearing His voice more and stronger than any other voices that may come in.

Intimacy is one of the words you will hear A LOT at the school for that is Sister Catherine and the staff plus teachers heart’s desire for us as individuals to have an intimate relationship with the Lord. For He is first of all your Lord, Master, King and Husband so why shouldn’t we as His children have an intimate relationship with Him? Something to think about.

I can with confidence and say that I have an intimate relationship with my Lord. He has become my everything and my all in all. Even though the journey is hard at times I know I count it all things loss for the sake of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord.

Now I am going to leave this blog and another blog to share more of what God has done in my 1st and 2nd year at Mt. Zion International School of Ministry.

For He has done many great things the Lord has put it on my heart to share with all of you who do read my blog so that way He alone could be glorified in and through my life, amen!

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.