Stella's Voice And A Chance At $1 Million Dollars

A few friends and I are going to be JUMPING on a new TV show, Dare Me For Charity, for a chance to win $1 MILLION for the non-profit organization, Stella's Voice, on July 23rd.

My friend Courtney blogged about it last month, (you should go check her blog out @ http://courtneybrookepatterson.blogspot.com/)

"At the end of this school year, a TV show called Dare Me For Charity was brought to our leadership team's attention. To briefly explain the gist: teams are formed for different charities, and the teams will perform different stunts to try to win money for those charities. Pretty cool, right? Stella's Voice has a team, and we will be participating in Nashville, TN. The first round is jumping off of a platform onto an inflatable "pillow" (as I've been calling it). Each team member is able to choose how high the platform will rise, so everyone does not have to jump off at the highest point. All of the footage from each team member is added together in order to calculate one score for each team. This will determine who moves onto the second round, which is the first round to be on the TV show, Dare Me For Charity."

 Why Stella's Voice? What makes them worth my time and travel? Let me tell you what they do and how they need $1 million dollars...

In Moldova, orphanages are filled with girls and boys who will be turned out on the streets at the age of 16 with $30 and a bus ticket. 99.9% of the time, these children are sold into the sex trade. Stella's Voice builds homes called "Stella's Houses" for these at risk children. When they leave the orphanages, Stella's Voice takes them in. There they are saved from their once certain future of being trafficked. Stella's Voice has even made a church in one of the homes, allowing the girls and boys to worship and learn about God.

The problem is, Stella's Voice can't take in every girl and boy leaving the orphanages. And with Moldova wanting to join the Russians in their government type, it endangers the orphanages, forcing them to close. Stella's Voice can only take in a few children at a time. They need funds to buy more land, build more homes, and furnish them. $1 million could help with these needs.

We are currently in 2nd place on the leader board in Nashville. We need more jumpers to secure a 1st place position. Anyone from ages 10+ can jump with us!
All you need to do is pay $15 for 3 jumps. You can register here: http://dareme4charity.com/campaign/1270

If you don't want to jump, at least tell someone you know who might! We need all the help and prayer we can get!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJ8XdsCutOxDS-6C_UNstg

Happy Father's Day, Bruce

God has blessed me with an amazing father. Yes, he's my stepdad, but I love him like he has been my dad since I was born. Let me tell you about him...

Bruce is your average Army guy, except he was a Ranger. He has stories that he doesn't mind telling anyone, like times he's knocked people out when he was younger. He's constantly working on a project for me, my mom, or my grandmother. He can fix doors, boat docks, lay floors, paint, and build anything out of wood. Literally just about anything. Anyone who knows Bruce knows he's good at that, but what they don't always see is his heart.

He is one of the most godly men I have ever met in my life. He reads the Bible and lives it. The Gospel can be summed up into one word. Love. And that's what he does. He loves strangers and will help anyone in need. He loves God with all of his heart and mind. My mom comes in second, then his children, grandchildren, mother, and the rest of the family.

Sometimes, well, most of the time, when we're talking, Bruce will turn the conversation into a deep, theological conversation about Jesus. It can get annoying time to time when we were originally talking about something as simple as the weather, but I can only hope to marry a man that constantly thinks about God. If you think Bruce only talks about carpentry, you don't know him like I do.

Something I'll never forget is his letters he'd write to me during my senior year of high school. He'd leave early in the morning to go to Tuscaloosa and leave a letter in the driver's seat of my car. He'd write about how much he loved me and my mom, how he was proud of me, how me cared for us. He said he thanked God everyday for placing us in his life. He'd also write Bible verses to encourage me in anything I was going through. I got to the point where I'd have to read them after school to keep my makeup on that morning. Those letters will always mean so much to me.

I hope and pray I marry a man with the heart of my dad, Bruce. God knows I'm not going to date a man Bruce doesn't approve of.

So this is my way of saying Happy Father's Day, Bruce. I love you so much. God could not have blessed me more when he gave us you. I'm so proud to call you my dad.

And Happy Father's Day to all of the other father figures I have been blessed with. There's too many to name, and I wouldn't want to leave anyone out. I love you all.

Happy Father's Day, everybody.

My Wild Weekend

If you know me, you know I enjoy the outdoors. I like to hunt, fish, camp, & do nearly everything outside. I mainly hunt deer & turkey. Wild hogs though, was a 1st for me Saturday morning.

The day started when I woke up at 4:00 AM. I met the group I was hunting with in Fitzpatrick, AL around 5:00 AM.

We got the dogs ready, putting their protective collars and vests on, and loaded up the 4-wheelers.

Something was missing that I was used to though. A gun.

We only hunted with dogs and knives.

You feel a whole lot more extreme when you hunt with a knife. The dogs would hold the hog down by the throat, someone would hold the back legs, and someone stuck the knife behind the hog's shoulder, into the heart.

The first hog we got (the one I killed), ran into a swamp. The water was knee deep, and it wouldn't surprise me if a moccasin was near by. Or an alligator, if they're around there. The last hog we got that morning ran into a briar patch from Hades. We all walked about 2 miles by the end of the hunt, but it felt like 5.

It was a challenge, and I can't wait to go and do it all again!

Here's some pictures from the hunt! (all on Facebook)

A Precious Gift, Water

While in Costa Rica, to get clean water we walked down two muddy, slippery, hills, came back up the hills, then purified it in our water bottles. The water purifier we all shared costs around $250 U.S. dollars.

The pastor of the church in Alta Mira, the village we went to, got water this way (without the purifier) for 13 years. Women and children carried heavy water jugs up and down hills every day to cook with, clean with, and drink. Think about just how much you use water on a daily basis. Then imagine having to carry that water up steep, slippery hills, about three times a day.

After we finished the water pump in Alta Mira, the pastor and his wife were indescribably grateful. Tears of happiness were shed. After 13 years, they finally had water access to the church and their home.

After you experience that, and see just how precious water is, it makes you have a different perspective.
I read an article one day where a pastor was describing what had happened while he was in Africa. His mission team was building a well in a village where they walked 2 miles a day just to get fresh water. After completing the well, the people of the village were not only able to get clean water, but they were able to produce crops and raise healthy livestock.

The leader of the village said to the pastor, "Your God has done great things for us through this well. For this, we want Him as our God."
A VILLAGE CAME TO KNOW CHRIST THROUGH WATER. If that's not cool, I don't know what is.

Costa Rica changed the way I view a lot of things. Water being #1. We simply walk into our kitchens in America, turn a knob, and clear gold comes out. We only see it as plain, tasteless water.

Take a moment next time you turn on a faucet to think how blessed we are in America. Even more blessed to have CLEAN water.

You can give someone water who needs it. Visit www.charitywater.org to read testimonies and  donate.

Costa Rica Changed Us

Two weeks ago, Southside Baptist Church's college ministry went to the village of Alta Mira with Praying Pelican Missions. There we successfully constructed a water pump that brought water from the jungle to the church. After 13 years of carrying jugs up slippery, muddy hills, the church and the pastor's family finally had water! Girls did women's and children's ministry. We washed the women's feet, symbolizing Jesus' love for his disciples. We taught the children stories from the Bible through skits and games. They had Skittles for the first time and shared them with each other, despite loving them so much and having so few.

Costa Rica was an eye opening experience. To see people have little, and be so happy, makes you think about how spoiled we really are. God worked in incredible ways in the village and with our team. Many memories were made that I'll always remember. I'm thankful for the opportunity to have served. And thank you everyone who helped me go there! Here are some pictures from the trip!

Saying goodbye to America!

Travelin' to Paso Canoas, Costa Rica!

How we slept in Paso Canoas. ENO hammocks became the official hammock of Costa Rica.

The trek up the mountain! If it weren't for the horses carrying the girls' backpacks, we wouldn't have made it up as quick as we did! 1 hour & 41 minutes!

When we got to the village, the kids started playing with us immediately! Here's Jenna & Jacob playing jump rope & Kaitlyn talking to the kids.

Oh the bathrooms... A smell I'll never forget.

A panoramic view of how we slept in the village. We all strung up our hammocks in the house & church.

 The kids learned the story of Jonah & the whale, "went fishing" & caught Skittles, & colored pictures of the whale.

Having fun with balloons

panoramic view of the school room

Painting the girls' nails! They loved it!

We washed the women's feet & painted their toenails. They never get pampered, so it was nice to be able to love on them.

Never thought I'd be playing guitar in Costa Rica! We sang Amazing Grace & Our God (in English). Even though they had no idea what we were saying, the pastor complimented me. It felt great! My country twang came out strong singing Our God though, haha!

We played soccer with the local men from the village. It was awesome to sit on hill watching the game, look up, & see the ocean. It was a view I'll never forget.

One of the best things in the village! Costa Rican coffee!

The view was amazing walking back down the mountain! I look like a true hiker here.

The team! Will, Kaitlyn, Jenna, Hannah P., Jake, Megan, Robby, Andrew, Andy, me, Hannah M., Katie, Warener, & Edwin!

 Adios, Costa Rica! You forever changed us!

About "Beauty from Ashes"

To whom it may concern, I created a blog. Everyone was doing it, so I thought I'd jump in. Not sure how much I'll actually post, but Beauty from Ashes will be here. The title of this blog comes from something my Bible study teacher said once. "God can turn ashes into beauty..." It stuck with me since. It comes from Isaiah 61.

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to build up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of the spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

Isaiah 61:1-3  

"Beauty from Ashes" has become my life saying. It has encouraged me in my life, and I hope it encourages others. My only goal for this blog is to glorify Christ. What I will post or say, who knows! But what ever it be, let it glorify God.