"...a Bogu je sve moguće!" ~Mateju 19:26

My Fall Semester

2008-12-26T23:29:00.006-06:00

This semester has gone by so quickly! I can't believe that it is nearly January... sorry I have not kept up with posting pics on here. A lot has been going on in my life since August and I would love to share my pictures and stories with y'all. So here we go (they are in resverse order)...

My Sunday School class went out to eat at a Japanese steak house after church for Christmas party early in December. Here we all are as the chef prepares our food:

This is my wonderful brother (Witt) and sister (Brittney)

my Sunday School Class

This is the halftime performance at my school's (UAB) football game:

Here is Rebekah (my roommate) and me at the football game:
During the fall here in the States visiting big farms is popular. Every year we go the Old Baker Farm and hang out there on a Friday night with friends. We go on a hay ride to the big pumpkin patch where we get to pick a pumpkin of our own choice. We also roast hotdogs, make smores, and enjoy the campfire. These are some of my friends in the pumpkin patch:

and this me and my roommate(Rebekah) on the hay ride

Back in October, I was able to run my first 5K with my mom. It was the Race for the Cure (for breast cancer) Here we are after the race.

Before school started back I was able to spend time with my horses and enjoy my time at home with my family.

My brother, dad, and I went target shooting one Sunday afternoon. They were sighting there guns and I was just having fun ;)

I went with some friends to the mountains for a weekend get-away from school. We did a lot of hiking and even went swimming but must I say the water was freezing cold! Here is my sister and I at the waterfall:

Summer Days

2008-08-22T22:15:00.001-05:00

South Carolina

2008-08-22T22:03:00.002-05:00

My brother and I beautiful sunset
my daddy
my family
on the pier

We Love You, Zack and Josh!!!

2008-05-13T23:33:00.004-05:00

Tonight we had a going away party for two good friends that I have grown up with in my church. Zack and Josh will be leaving Monday for basic training. They are going into the marines. We will miss them very much!!

Zack and Josh

Me and my sister with Zack and Josh. They are such good guys and friends :)
my brother and Josh
the cake... it was an American flag, but this is after part of it has already been eaten... oh well
last pictures together
Bandit really likes Zack!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-13T23:22:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday was Mother's Day. It is a special day that we honor our wonderful mothers. All my grandparents were able to come up to our house this year. We went to church together. Then came home, ate a delicous lunch, and relaxed the rest of the afternoon.

My mom and her mother

Me, Brittney, Witt, Memaw(my dad's mom), Daddy
PapaCha(my mom's father), Witt, MamaRue(my mom's mother), me, Mama, Brittney
MamaRue
PapaCha

more horse riding :-)

2008-04-28T18:21:00.002-05:00

Two of my friends came down Sunday afternoon to ride my horses. It was absolutely beautiful outside and we had a good time too!

Riding 4-wheelers

2008-04-19T19:56:00.004-05:00

Today I rode 4-wheelers for the first time since I hurt my hand last May before going to Serbia. We had a great time and God kept us all safe- no injuries this time!

Even though it rained last night and left some good mud puddles, the dust will still awful. Being the leader was the best, because you left the dust for everyone else to go through and we each had our fair share of doing do. Yet, my eyes are still hurting so bad right now. The good mud puddles. It was my brother's mission to sling as much mud as he could on us, but we enjoyed splashing through the big ones too :-)Witt, Josh, & Andy
We were definitely covered in dust and mud from head to toe.

Me & Andy

My Amazing Brother!

2008-04-18T10:01:00.003-05:00

me and my brother, Witt, fishing at the creek my brother's big truck! he even lets me drive it sometimes :)
Celebrating our birthdays together since I was not at home for mine. (Witt turned 17 on April 1st, and I turned 20 on March 8th)
Brittney, Mama, & Daddy eating out for Witt's birthday.
Witt- the birthday boy!

Junior & Bandit

2008-03-30T15:41:00.002-05:00

When I come home on the weekends, I enjoy spending time outside with my horses and dog. This was such a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

I had to hold Bandit, because she kept sliding off Junior's back.
loving my big boy :)

Mission Trip to Baltimore, Maryland

2008-03-30T15:10:00.007-05:00

On March 7th, I left with 25 other college students for an all night drive by bus (13 hours) to Baltimore, Maryland. We worked at The Seventh Baptist Church for a week... painting, painting, and even more painitng... well, it was a never ending task.

The Seventh Baptist Church (over 200 years old)

me painitng in the foyerJenny and Michael scraping off old paint Rachel and Sally painting the sanctuary
Teresa working in the kitchen
Jessica painting with the windows with her tiny brush
Me, Sybil, and Savanah painting the big foyer

Hvala!

2008-03-15T22:59:00.003-05:00

Hvala for all the birthday wishes that y'all sent my way. Each card, email, and text message is greatly appreciated!! I am so happy to have such wonderful friends who still remember me all the way in Serbia :-) I have been gone to the past week on a mission trip and prior to that I had a very busy week with test and papers due. Therefore, I have not been able to write each of you like I want to, but I did want to take a minute to share some pictures of my trip and tell you all thank-you! I love y'all and I think its also extra special that my birthday is the same day as Women's Day.

Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

2008-01-19T15:43:00.000-06:00

This morning it snowed at my house!! It has been about seven years since it has snowed in Alabama, so I was very excited to see it and had fun playing in it too! Just wanted to share some pictures with all of you...

our house covered in snow

view from our back porch

Me and Candie Out in the snow with all my horses
the barn
all the horses... it was the first time for three of them to see snow

my little snowman

my attempt at a snow angel- the snow was starting to melt and it was just ice My sister and I tried to sled, but there just wasn't enough snow.

Oh well, we had a good time anyway :-) the horses were curious about the sleds and they followed us around (also notice that most of the snow is now gone... it was sad that it didn't stay long, but we had fun while it lasted)
Y'all probably get way more snow in Serbia during one winter than we do in ten years, but for Alabama the inch we got today was amazing!

"Govori snegu: Padni na zemlju; i daždu sitnom i daždu silnom." ~Jov 37:6

Srećan Božić

2007-12-30T23:03:00.000-06:00

My Family

(Mama, Witt, Brittney, Daddy, Me) All of us grandchildren with our grandmother.

God has blessed us so much!! I had a wonderful Christmas and truly enjoyed spending time with all my family and eating lots of good food.

"Jer Bogu tako omile svet da je i Sina svog Jedinorodnog dao, da nijedan koji Ga veruje ne pogine, nego da ima život večni." ~Jovan 3:16

From the last two months

2007-12-24T16:02:00.000-06:00

Time goes by so fast… I know is has been forever and I am not going to say that I will do better on updating my profile, because as you see I have not.
I first want to thank all of you for the emails and cards that you send me! I love reading each of them, and it is so good to hear how all of you are doing in Cacak. I miss being over there so much, but I know that one day I will come back and I am so excited about it.
So what have I been doing the past two months? Well, just the usual for me- school, work, riding my horses, and spending time with my family.
I had a good semester in school. The first week of December all I did was study, because we were taking our final exams. I did well on all of my exams, and now I am finished with school until January 7th. I will be able to be at home for three weeks, and I am enjoying every moment of it. We celebrate Christmas tomorrow (December 25), so we have been busy visiting all of my family, baking cookies, eating lots of good food, and spending time with my friends. As I help my mom decorate, wrap gifts, and cook, I think about Cacak and the different things y'all do for Christmas. I know that Christmas is not until January, but I remember all of the traditions we shared with each other in English Club. We had a wonderful time! My family and friends also enjoy hearing about how you celebrate Christmas differently in Serbia. I tell them so many stories :-)

My cousin, Hannah, likes to ride on my back backwards. She is so cute.

This is my class at work dressed up like Inidans for Thanksgiving. We had a good time singing songs and eating our turkey and dressing.

Eating at Olive Garden with my roommates. It is always good to go eat a good supper and take a break from studying.
Candie and Junior- my new horses I got after Thanksgiving.

"A Bog nade da ispuni vas svake radosti i mira u veri, da imate izobilje u nadi silom Duha Svetog." ~Rimljanima 15:13

Jako mi nedostajes i volim te!

I know it's been awhile... I'm sorry!

2007-10-16T19:43:00.000-05:00

Hello to all my dear friends in Cacak that I miss so much!! I love you all and I'm sorry that it has been so long since I've written on my blog. (I'm going to try to do better updating...) School is going good this semester. I like my classes and they are not too hard. It just seems that the reading is endless and that I'll never get it all done. Work is what keeps me so busy right now! When I'm not at school, it always seems that I'm working. I enjoy my job and the kids, but some days become very long and tiring. In addition to school and work, I spend as much time as I can with my family, friends, and horses.

UAB v. Tulane

(American Football) me and Jenny at the game me and Teresa at the game riding horses with my mom
me and Diana
Diana's so pretty :)
Me and Little Man on the move...

Moja Porodica!

2007-09-04T22:48:00.000-05:00

My family went to Florida for the weekend. God blessed us with a great trip and beautiful weather!

Daddy

MamaWitt (my brother) and Brittney (my sister)

"Evo dan, koji stvori Gospod! Radujmo se i veselimo se u nj!"

~Psalmi 118:24

"This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad today!"

~Psalm 118:24

2007-08-26T22:30:00.000-05:00

At Work: Brayden, Halie, Elizabeth and Hudson acting silly.

George making an airplane from play-dough.

Elizabeth and her play-dough pizza.

At home with my horses:

Me, Crackers, and Little Man; Crackers is the little kitten that showed up at our house while I was in Serbia. He is so sweet.

Little Man and Dianna

Hello from Alabama!

2007-08-18T16:07:00.000-05:00

Hello to all my friends in Čačak! First of all I want to thank you for my amazing summer. It was a wonderful experience and each of you made it that way. I think about y'all a lot and all the good times we had together at English Club, softball practices, the Morava river, the hospital, your homes, Bible Study, football games, and so many other things I was able to be apart of. My family and friends have enjoyed hearing all about my trip and seeing my pictures.
I made it home safely; however, it was a long trip. I missed my flight in Washington due to the number of people trying to get through customs and security. It was so crowded. I was able to catch a later flight and finally made it home around 1:00 Saturday morning (Aug. 4). My family was so happy to see me, and I was glad to see them too. Since then I have been busy visiting all my family, and this past Moday I started working back at the same day care I was before I left for Serbia. I am teaching a four-year old class this year. They are a lot of fun, but keep me going!

Brittney's, my sister's, birthday was August 8th. We went down to the beach (Gulf Shores, AL) together for a few days (Aug. 9- Aug. 11). I enjoyed spending time with her. Below are a few pictures from our trip:

I miss you all and pray for each of you everyday!

Counting Down the Days

2007-07-28T11:42:00.000-05:00

Taking the time to sit down and write has not been a top priority of mine the past couple weeks, so I'm very sorry to have you wondering what is happening over here. For the most part all things are going good... I finished therapy Monday. I had an additonal 5 days since the last time I updated, and I truly believe it was from God. He has had me at the hospital since June 15th. After much prayer and looking back now, I know my ministry there was not finished on July 16th like I thought it would be. God had different plans and wanted me there until July 23rd. I praise Him for the opportunties I had to share with all those I met about God's amazing love and continue to pray for each one of them daily. This past week was my last week to teach and the last week of classes for the summer. I had a fun week teaching, but it's been hard knowing it was my last week. The days have been hot here- in the 100s- so attendance was low, but for the faithful ones who always come I enjoyed just talking with them in English. It so neat how many of them knew no or little English prior to English CLub and now (with the help of all the Serbian they've taught me too) we are able to understand each other and carry on conversations. It's so amazing! I love them all and will miss them dearly. So with all that said and trying to realize that this time next week I'll be at home in Sylacauga, AL it's hard to say that I'm doing very well right now. God has been giving me the strength that I need to continue on with each day, because I've been torn between two completely opposite emotions of my desire to see my family and friends back in the States and the longing I have to stay here. I will dearly miss the friendships I've made with so many Serbs, the missionary families, and my teammates. I feel like I can call Cacak home now, too. I absolutely love it here and God has greatly blessed me. I cannot write much more at this time. I know that I will start tearing up. My emotions are broken between two places I can now call home. But beyond any feelings I have for anyone or any place, I have to remember that God is the one who brought me here. I have been able to serve him for two months overseas- a desire of mine for many years. Now, as the time for me to leave approaches, I have to remember that He is still at work the next five days I have here in Cacak and has more in store for when I get back to Alabama. I just have to keep following and be faithful to wherever he calls me.

Me, Shelly, Dragana, and Mirela
Tamara, Marija, Me, and Shelly
Me, Dragica, and Dragana
Me and Snezana
Mirjiana, Renata, Me, Dusica

2007-07-14T07:29:00.002-05:00

Wow! Little did I realize when I came to Serbia that for what seemed to be about half my stay here I would be at the hospital each day. Monday will be my last day there, and I have mixed feelings about it. I am so thankful my finger has most of its abilities back, and I praise God for healing my hand. However, its the people that I will truly miss. I thank Him so much for the compassionate friends, therapists, and doctors that have helped me in this healing process. They have all been so kind to me! Being there for three weeks, they got used to me coming each day at 12:30 and they recognized me. Whether I know their names or not, I remember their faces and pray for them daily. All of them were so friendly and tried to speak to me in English- like "Hello!" "How are you?" and "Bye". Part of my heart will always be with these people, because I have been able to see God use my accident to share with others about the comfort and love that He has provided me with through this entire experience of which at first I thought was just a burden and now I see it as a blessing. He is God though and with Him all things are possible (Matt. 19:26)!

Jelena and Me at the hospital Friday.

Jula, Me and Jelena

2007-07-07T15:35:00.001-05:00

Our Adventure:
Budva, Montenegro

Ivana, Bojana, Bozana~ These three sisters made my trip so wonderful. They took Shelly and me on a walk around Budva Thursday night, and I just enjoyed talking to all of them and being around their kind hearts.

Shelly and me on the beach.

It's all of us again!

2007-06-28T09:32:00.000-05:00

As I was spending time alone with God, He really just spoke to me through the this week, "Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say." Exodus 4:12 It has reassured me that God is never going to leave me and on top of it all He will be the one giving me the words to say. I should never worry about what others think, because when God provides the time, he will also give me wisdom in what to say. This week I have been able to share what God means to me with some people here. I try to explain that He is the one who comforts, strengthens, and loves me so much and I want other people to feel that same love that God has filled my life with. It's been such an encouragement to see God touching my life and the friends I have made here! He is so good!!

I have really enjoyed my weekend. It was so much fun and I got to see many different things here in Serbia. Saturday morning Mirela, Dragana, and Jovana took us on a road trip and we had an absolutely wonderful time! The first thing we did after our two hour bus ride was climb up this hill that was very steep to the Wooden Village at the top. Coming down was more difficult than the hike up and next time I will not wear flip flops. However, Dragana did teach us a trick on coming down - walk down sideways - and it worked.

My class last Friday. We have a break this week and they all talked about how much they will miss it. I know I'm going to miss spending time with them too. They are so nice and teach me as much Serbian as I teach them English. It's been fun.

One of the many pictures from our train ride. I think it was a little over two hours. We went through many tunnels and all throughout the mountains. I just loved seeing the beautiful countryside of Serbia. It was gorgeous!

Sunday morning at the "Funny Boat Race" in Kraljevo. It was nothing that I expected it to be, but I'm glad I went for the experience and really enjoyed my time there. To sum up the event in a few words, it would be a party on the river with thousands of people just having a good time.

Yes, it was cold at the start of our day Sunday.

Snezana, me, Katarina, and Mirela waiting for the rafts to come down the river. We would ride the bus ahead of the rafts, then wait to watch come by.

There were all sorts of rafts. On this one, they were roasting a pig.

Today, Nemanja wanted a picture us together. He wanted all to know back home that I'll be better when I get back. My hand is so much better, but I still have to work it a lot and some days are more painful than others. I have seven more days of therapy; then I'll be on my own.

just a few new pics

2007-06-21T08:12:00.000-05:00

Dragana teaching us how to cook a Serbian dish. It was very good!

My favorite place at the river to spend time alone with God.

These are my teammates: Jacob, Me, Shelly, and Damian

Morning English Club :)

Ratko, Gordana, Jennifer, Me, Shelly

My physical therapist, Nemanja, has even started coming to English Club.

These are just a few more pics. I know everyone enjoys seeing them. The past few days have gone well!

Tori

Overwhelmed & Refreshed

2007-06-19T01:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a real struggle for me. I felt overwhemled everywhere, but last night God renewed my spirit and I'm ready today with God by my side!! I went to "physical therapy" for my first time yesterday, and I'll have to continue for ten days. This time I wasn't as nervous about going to the hospital. I think partially because I'd been Friday and seen what it was like. Dragana went with me again, along with Becky and Shelly. We all went in the room together. Dragana sat by me, Becky and Shelly stood to the side. The physical therapist was so kind and I truly couldn't have asked God to provide a better one for me. He worked my hand gently, even though it did hurt- well physical therapy's not suppose to feel good. Like I said, he was so sweet and told me that it would have to hurt to get better and that he would have it better by the time I go back to America. The really amazing part was the doors it opened for the English Club. Nemanja, the physical therapist, was asking why I was here, did I like it in Serbia, and so forth (the usual questions that everyone asks). As Dragana was explaining it all to him, the next thing I know there were doctors and nurses just coming in wondering about everything. Probably having all of three of us Americans in there brought some curiosity too. When everyone started coming in asking questions and talking in Serbian is when I became a little uncomfortable. I felt to be the center of attention and didn't have a clue on what anyone was saying. I was just overwhelmed. Nemanja worked with my hand for about thirty minutes. Then he took me into this room with like this heating machine. I can't really explain it, but I'll have to tell y'all about it later. It was an awkward experience in itself. While we were in there, some more people asked Dragana about the English Club too. It was funny, because Dragana said the whole hospital will be there tonight...
And guess what my physical therapist and two other nurses came and one even brought her son last night to English Club! Wow! at the ways of ministering to others through my hurt hand. God knew what he was doing all along! But it's not all it seems- because once again, inside I was hurting and feeling overwhelmed. Along with the three nurses, I had five other new students to come to my class. People kept coming in and I don't think we could have tried to fit in another chair. I really had no where to move. I had a total of thirteen students. It was very crowded, and like you know there is no AC in most places- we just open the windows, so it was extremely hot. Being the introvert that I am, I really just wanted to leave. It was amazing to see how God had brought so many people to the English Club, but I was just like why are they all in my class? I really struggled teaching last night, but I still think everyone enjoyed it.
After English Club I was just wanting to talk to Mama and cry. And that's what I did. I went over to Julie and Karl's and called her. It's always comforting to talk to my mama and I just prayed that I would just have a peace about everything and for God to wrap me up in his arms. May I say he did just that! On my way home, my spirit was just refreshed and felt God's presence around me.

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!
Tori

What A Wonderful Week!

2007-06-15T14:27:00.000-05:00

This is probably one of my favorite places in Cacak- the river! It's a beautiful view all around and a great place to walk.

This morning at the hospital with Dragana (for my hand). I don't know how I could've done it without her and Becky! They truly comforted me, because I was quiet nervous this morning going to a foreign hospital. May I say God opened my eyes to a whole new perspective and it was an experience that I'll never forget. We are so blessed to have the healthcare that we have in the U.S. and take so much for granted.

The Intermediate English Class
(Bozdar, Deyan, Shelly-the teacher, Dragana, Marko, Velizar)

The Beginner Class
(Renata, Tanja, Me- the teacher, Snezana, Nebojsha, Maya, Ratko, Deucia, Mira)

I know- kinda of strange, but let me say the food here is amazing!!! This was the leftovers and so far this has been my favorite place to eat. It was even traditional Serbian food. Yummy!

It's already Friday night? I can't believe it. This week has been absolutely AMAZING... God has been with me every moment of the day and has blessed me indeed! First of all, I want to say that I have absolutely fell in love with teaching English here in Cacak. I have really enjoyed this week. Tonight at the end of class, they gave me this huge candy bar and told me that they love me as their teacher. It just topped off my wonderful week and was God's way of showing the influence that I have in their lives.

Our God is so good!
Tori

Thank You

2007-06-14T05:32:00.000-05:00

"Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ.." (Phil. 1:3-5) I couldn't explain the way I feel about y'all any better than what Paul states in Philippians. I was struggling last time I posted and as I look back over the last few days, I see the way God has answered all those who are(and I know are continuing to) praying for me. Thank you so much!!
Teaching this week has been awesome! The students have been enjoying class and come back each day. It really makes me happy to see them so eager to learn English and already I'm getting to know some of them closer and build realtionships. In the morning, I only have two people, Ratko and Snezana, to come; however, I absolutely love working with them. As I teach them, they also work with me and teach me some Serbian. So I've made some progress this week and not afraid to use the words I know. It would be great for you lift both of them up in prayer this week. Ratko is at the crossroads of having a personal relationship with Jesus, but struggling with a few things. Snezana just started coming to the English Club for the first time this summer and I hope to build a freindship with her. I know it's already starting :) She's so sweet! The night class that I teach is the same as the morning and more people come to it. This week I've had around seven- oh and Ratko and Snezana come to both. They're so eager to learn. - It's been wonderful working with them too. It's totally different teaching adults, but just the week I've come to enjoy it. Thank-you God!! I finish class each day with so much joy! It's truly been an answer to prayer. ~ Vidimo se kasnije. (see you later)

For His Glory!!!
Tori

The First Few Days...

2007-06-08T13:26:00.000-05:00

(It's so good that I know how to add pictures now. Thank-you so much Jennifer!) (1) The view from our apt window. We're up five stories and the mountains are very beautiful. (2) Cacak's football team, Angel Warriors; we got to watch them play Sunday afternoon. (3) Just a horse and buggy that I saw on the way to the English Club yesterday morning. (4) Visit at Dragana's house ~ Dragana, Mirela, Dragana's mother, and me. (5) Becky and the girls in the dance class.
I'm so glad that I'll be able to share pictures with y'all now. Please be sure to check out Tim and Jennifer's blog, too. They've been here since October 2006.

First of all, I would like to ask especially for your prayers right now. Last night and today's been a spiritual struggle along with adjusting/fitting in with their social culture. This week we've had "orientation" each morning at the English Club, just telling us about each part of the team (sports, English Club, servanthood). Monday everybody gave their testimonies about how they came to Serbia. It was really awesome to see how God works in each other lives and led us all to the same place to serve Him. Shelly and I have been working on preparing lessons for English Club every afternoon. Next week will be the start of the summer classes and I'll start off teaching beginners all by myself, so yet again another prayer request. I'm a little nervous, because they'll be adults as well. Tuesday, we had Serbian lesson with Mirela and no I haven't quiet got any of it down yet. Yesterday, was our first "full" day. We were busy. After orientation, Karl, Jacob and Damian cut grass while me and Shelly picked up the grass. It was at our apt building, and we had a good time getting to know our landlord and his son, Marco. Dragana invited Becky, Jennifer, Shelly and me over to her house yesterday afternoon- Samantha even came too. Dragana's family is so sweet and reminded me a lot of home with all her family around. When we left Dragana's, Becky took us to a friend of hers dance studio and we were able to watch the girls practice for the performance on Saturday. Then we went to Mirela's and spent the rest of our night there, before heading back to our apt. Mirela wants us to feel at home when we're at her house and is just so friendly too. Today we past out fliers for the English Club in the Center and that's about all.
It takes awhile for me to type all this and I never have a lot of extra time, so I'll have more stories to share when I get home than I could ever post here. Just look forward to them- God is definately at work here in Cacak!
I love y'all and miss you too!!
Tori

Zdravo

2007-06-05T08:16:00.000-05:00

I made it to Serbia! Getting here was a little difficult. I was delayed in Birmingham before I ever left. So my tickets were rearranged. I wasn't able to meet my team in Munich. In the Frankfurt airport I had trouble getting my boarding pass, but God sent "an angel" my way. A nice German man helped me after his shift was over to go through security and get my ticket quicker. I was able to get my boarding pass and made the flight on time. However, after we boarded the plane we sat there for an hour and a half because too many planes needed to depart. I made it to Belgrade about 6:00 and met up with my team.

Sunday we ate lunch at the Sharpe's, went grocery shopping, and watched a football game. The people here are very friendly and willing to help. I've enjoyed my time here so far and can't wait to see the way God will work in the lives of the Serbs.

Volim Te (Love you),
Tori

P.S. I am typing this for Tori because of her finger. Sorry for the mistakes. Just imagine her sweet voice as you read this. Becky

It's Here!

2007-05-31T14:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I went to back to Birmingham to get a few last minute items. One of those being take-out menus. (Becky, the English Club coordinator in Cacak, asked me to pick up a few, because we're going to teach a unit on food.) Little did I realize the ministry opportunity I would have in asking for take-out menus. There were a few awkward places, but for the most part the people were friendly and even some would ask me questions. I had the opportunity to share where and why I was going, allowing God to speak through my few words and show them His love. On my way home, I thought about our amazing Lord. In gathering resources for my trip, He was at work in the lives of those whom I simply asked, "May I have a take-out menu?"

As for today... Well it has actually come time for me to finish packing my bags, spend one more night with my family, and wait for the incredible things that I will see God do this summer. Yes, my stomach is a little uneasy with navigating my way through the airports and traveling all by myself. As well as not knowing exactly what to expect of my summer. But like always I find comfort through God's words. In Isaiah 42:16, God says, "I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them and rugged into plains. These are the things I will do, and I will not leave them undone." We can't dwell in our past nor can we dwell about our future. When we choose to follow God, there will be times we have to trust him with our everything and keep our faith that He is the one leading us.

I appreciate everyone who has lifted me up in prayer already!! and ask for you to continue to do so throughout the summer. Know that y'all are in my prayers too!! For I know God will be at work in Alabama just as much as He will be in Serbia.

I'm going to miss y'all!

Tori

Oh and about my hand, I went to the doctor this morning. It's only been a little over a week, but he said it was healing good. Fortunately, the swelling has gone down a bit, so it doesn't look so awful anymore. It's still sore and my finger has about five weeks left to heal completely. I will have to see a doctor in Serbia, but just to get x-rays and make sure everything still doing well.

God is in Control

2007-05-23T14:11:00.000-05:00

We will not always understand why things happen when they do, but we do have to keep our faith in God and remember that HE is in control of all things!

Sunday afternoon I rode 4-wheelers with several of my friends that I will miss this summer. We were just discussing plans for supper and decided to go on one more trail before heading home. It was then, as we were all starting off, that the 4-wheeler behind us hit ours and I was unfortunately holding on to the back bar. All I saw at first was my ring all disfigured and flattened; immediately I thought I had lost my finger. I was in so much pain and I don't remember all that went on, but I do know God provided me with much comfort and gave the guys strength to do what they had to do even though it was hurting me- especially to Joey when I just told him to my pull my ring off because I knew we had no other choice at that point. Thankfully, I only broke one finger and just damaged the tissue really bad. However, it's my right hand and I can't really use it now due to all of the soreness and swelling (it looks so nasty). Therefore it's been very difficult for me to deal with my injury and being patient enough to just use my left, which is so SLOW!

Trying to get my mind off all the pain, as we were on our way to the hospital, I began to look at the ways God was at work through the whole stituation and what to praise him for...

1. we were in the middle of the woods and our phones didn't pick up well, but where the accident happened we had phone service

2. we actually had a cooler with ice

3. I was able to stay calm and really didn't ever cry until I saw Mama at the hospital

4. God was right there with us!

I don't know why God allowed this to happen to me right now as I'm getting ready to leave home for nine weeks and serve Him in Serbia. I just ask for you to pray not only for my healing, but also for my spirit not to become so depressed over it all- that's really what I've been struggling with. God allowed this to happen for a reason and I've got to remember that He's in control and will continue to take care of me. For he told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness."

Serving in Serbia

2007-05-23T13:28:00.000-05:00

In a little over a week (June 1st to be exact), I'll be leaving to serve God in Serbia for nine weeks! While I'm gone, I will post updates with the ways God will be working in both the Serbs and my life! I'm very excited and can't wait to be apart of the ministry already taking place in Serbia. Knowing that going to Serbia is part of God's will for my life and resting assured that He will always be with me, there's still part of me that's scared. As I've been reading through Jeremiah, God has comforted me through Jeremiah 1:7-8 "Don't say, 'I'm too young,' for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!" We serve an AMAZING God, who cares so much about each one of us!
Please keep all of us student missionaries in your prayers, as we're able to go to the ends of the earth and share the love of Jesus with other this summer!
I love you all! Tori