The Beginning of Year 2

Here's an update and a couple of pictures from the beginning month of Trek-X.  We've been in Nashville for about a month and half now.  Things seem to finally be settling down into a routine.  Our discipleship classes have been very consistent, but the missions side of the program is just now really taking shape.  Our group number has grown to eleven so getting everyone placed in an area in which they can consistently serve has just taken time.  Meanwhile, we've been able to catch up with some old friends and are planning on continuing to invest in those relationships as well as new ones.  We're still focused on the Burmese refugees of Nashville this year.  There's a couple of pictures below of one of our visits where we actually met all new refugees except for the host lady, Lulu.  We are looking at how exactly we want to approach the First Priority club this year at Overton High School.  You can definitely be praying for how that'll take place, as well as my role in it.  Autumn has a few girls that she can disciple, but I'm praying/looking for a guy I can take under my wing like we see throughout the Bible (Paul/Timothy, Moses/Joshua, etc).  Anyway, be in prayer for that please.  So yeah, here's my requests.

• Burmese Refugees/other refugees
• Students at Overton High School
• Bible memorization
• Unity, Integrity, Humility, & Vulnerability for the Trek-X group
• and... our trip to the Dominican Republic & Haiti. (Sept. 27th-Oct. 4th)
• also, pray for me as I just found out I got a job in an after school mentorship program.  Pray that I'll be able to take advantage of this opportunity to 1. Minister to the kids in this program and 2. Earn some finances that'll help with the costs of living in Nashville/doing Trek-X.
• & finally... pray that my personal pursuit of the Lord will be holy, pure, and acceptable in His eyes

There will be further updates later. Thanks for the prayers. Really, thank you.  They are extremely wanted, and needed as God advances His gospel through broken people like you and me. Thanks.

By the way, if there's any questions about the pictures, feel free to ask.

For His Name's Sake

"Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; 

and deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, for Your name's sake!" 

Psalm 79:9

Cooking a Guatemalan recipe I learned this summer :) 

Reuniting with old friends 

10 buggies worth of household items and
food for newly arriving refugees 

Downtown Nashville 

Burmese salad dish and their staple food...grapes. Yum. 

Chicken noodle soup Burmese style 

Fellowship with friends..new and old, Burmese and American 

Praise the Lord for the friends He places in our lives.
Pray for these new friends, some of which are lost. 

Many of you received a support letter from me about a year ago explaining Trek-X and all that it entails. I shared my financial and prayer needs and how the Lord was leading me to this journey with Him. O how the Lord has molded me and shaped me since then! We are about one month into my second year at Trek-X. (Meaning after this year in Nashville, I’ll be going overseas for TWO YEARS! It’s still very unreal to me.) Last year, we met every morning to read the Word, pray together, and memorize scripture. Through this I really came to know and love the power and life that the Word of God holds. As believers, we NEED it. (Matthew 4:4) We also met a couple of afternoons a week to learn about theology, world religions, servant leadership, etc. Then we invested in local ministry opportunities around Nashville. We met with Burmese refugees, adopted a Burmese family, and began forming a Christian campus club at Overton High School. The Lord really opened my eyes to the world around me. In the middle of all of this, I also completed my first year of online college! This summer, I was able to lead a few mission trips in Guatemala. As I encountered both physical and spiritual poverty, I learned to rely on the Lord in a whole new way. 

As this second year of Trek-X begins, my mind is completely overwhelmed with all of the changes about to take 

place in my life. I will graduate from Mississippi State in May and I’ll be making all of the preparations to move to another country in August. As of right now, we aren’t sure where we will be spending our 2 years of advanced training, but we will know sometime this fall! Anyways, I am writing not only to update you, but to ask you to join me in prayer. Some specific prayer requests are: 

• For me to push forward in my schoolwork as I am growing weary and can’t wait to be done! I want to glorify the Lord in ALL that I do…even school. (Colossians 3:23-24) 
• For me to really invest in the relationships the Lord has given me in Nashville, such as our Burmese friends, the students at Overton, friends at church, neighbors at our apartment complex, etc. I hope to display the love of Christ to them. (1 Corinthians 13) 
• For unity among all of us Trek-Xers. There are 11 of us now and I ask that you pray that we would be one body with the goal of proclaiming Christ. 
• For wisdom and discernment as we pray and decide the country in which we will serve. 
• For the Lord’s continued faithfulness in providing for me financially. 

Also, a special prayer request: We leave tomorrow morning for the Dominican Republic and Haiti for a week!! 

Please pray for us September 27-October 4. Pray for the Lord to go before us and prepare the hearts of those we will encounter. Pray for hearts to awaken to the Truth this week. Pray for God's will. And pray for safety. Thank you all so much.