San Antonio, Here I Come!

My letter from UTHSCSA came today! I got accepted to their nursing program which means that I'll be moving to San Antonio in the fall. Crazy...I never thought it would happen.

I left school around noon today to go pick up lunch for everyone and decided to stop by and check the mail. Sure enough...my letter was there! As I opened my letter, the Chris Tomlin song "God of This City" started playing on my iPod. Let me back-track for a second....back in February I went to the Passion Conference in Dallas. During one of the worship services, "God of This City" was played over us as we prayed for our campuses. I did pray for A&M and College Station, but my heart and mind kept wandering to San Antonio and the ministry with the Somalis there. I couldn't get them off of my heart and mind. Then throughout the semester, I went to SA for various reasons, and "God of This City" always played on my iPod. It became my prayer for the city, and it got me excited to be a part of what God is doing there. Having that song play as I opened my acceptance letter was just a sweet moment for me and the Lord knowing that I am walking in obedience to Him and am following His lead.

Does everything make sense right now?...no, absolutely not! Am I scared to move that far away? Yes, I am. Do I know and trust that God provides if I follow Him in obedience? YES, YES, YES! I can't wait to be a part of what God is doing in San Antonio!

Lots of emotions, but overall I am excited!

Waiting...

I called UTHSC-San Antonio again today. I'm pretty sure the lady is sick and tired of hearing my voice. She said the letters were mailed yesterday. So, I guess that means....SOON I should know. Tomorrow maybe?!?

Reunited...at LAST!

Delightful! That's the best word I can use to describe Thursday evening....although it still doesn't say it all. Brynn and I went to dinner and just had fun catching up on the last two years of each other's lives. Three hours was definitely not enough time to completely catch up, but it was totally worth every minute of it. I just love this girl! One of my favorite things about Brynn is her heart to serve the Lord. It is so evident in everything she says and does. Because of that, I really enjoyed getting to hear how the Lord is impacting the nations through her.

Another one of my favorite things about Brynn is her fun-loving spirit! I laughed more during those three hours than I have in a long time. When I picked Brynn up, I asked her what she wanted to do. We decided on dinner and then sweet tea at Chick-fil-a. Does that surprise anyone?!?! The whole time in China I talked about craving sweet tea, and she had never had any before. I would have been a horrible friend/Texan if I didn't take her to get some good 'ole sweet tea! So...this is a classic Brynn/Katie picture. Sorry it's so blurry. It was one of the many "car pictures" we took driving around Houston trying to find a Chick-fil-a. [I'm pretty sure it was right before our N*Sync jam session!!] We FINALLY found a Chick-fil-a...in Atascocita! A little bit out of the way, but it was totally worth it! The before sweet tea pic....oh the anticipation!
And she finally tries it...SUCCESS! Brynn loved it!

This is me (obviously)...really excited that she loves sweet tea now...just like me! She finally understood why I kept talking about it in China! This is just a sampling of the pics we took. The people in Chick-fil-A thought we were crazy! Oh but it was fun!

Brynn- thanks for letting me come and hang out with you. It was so so so much fun....just DELIGHTFUL! You are one amazing friend, and I am so thankful for your friendship. Love you!

Update on Nursing School

I found out today that San Antonio has made their decision and should be sending letters out at the end of the week...too bad they wouldn't tell me over the phone if I was accepted. Oh well, I guess I just have to keep waiting.

Miss Brynn!

Tomorrow is going to be one exciting day! I have been looking forward to it all week. I'm leaving work early and driving to Houston to see Brynn. Brynn was one of my teammates to China in the summer of 2006. We had an instant bond that grew into an incredible friendship during our time in China.

I got a text from Brynn bright and early last Thursday morning saying she was in "my state". Side note: Everyone from my team that summer really enjoyed picking on me because I was a "typical southern belle" (so they say!) and the only one on my team from Texas. They started calling me Texas, and it caught on with the kids. So to some of my students the first summer, I was known as "Miss Texas". Anyways...Brynn was flying to Nicaragua to lead a missions team, and she is flying back into Houston tomorrow. Amazingly enough, she has almost a 5 HOUR LAYOVER before flying back to Oregon!! I decided to take off work early and meet up with her since I haven't seen her since our time together in China.

I can't wait...infact, I'm so excited I probably won't be able to sleep. Who knows what we will do during that time, but I am hoping to take her around and give her a little taste of "my state".

Miss Brynn...I'm coming to see ya!! Love you!

Missing China

Missing China today...

...and wishing I was there!

Gotta love eating Old Friend Noodles with old friends!

1st day back in China---Summer 2007

The Beginning of the End

Today began "the beginning of the end". I don't like to refer to it as that, but there just doesn't seem to be any other way to say it. The semester is coming to a close so quickly. I'm not exactly sure when it is over, but I do know that it is soon. Normally, I am excited about this time of year because it brings about a break from the ordinary. This time its different because at the end of the summer, I won't be returning to Aggieland. As this semester comes to a close, so does my time here in Aggieland....I'm excited about the change, but I am also sad that I have to leave. I decided today that I am going to make the most out of these last few weeks....savor every moment and enjoy every friendship.

"The Beginning of the End" started with our last bible study. When we started meeting back in September, I was completely unaware of all the blessings that it would bring. I began looking forward to 5pm on Sunday nights more than I ever have before. We opened the Word together...we fellowshiped together...we broke bread together...we prayed together. Does it get any better than that? Oh ya....we sure did laugh a lot too! I know that I walked away from this bible study with friendships and memories that will last for a long time! Each of these girls encouraged me and challenged me in my faith. I am going to miss them like crazy!

I love you girls! Thanks so much for the blessing that you have been this year!

Summer Plans

I have been thinking a lot this week about my summer plans...or rather the lack thereof. It's weird (and hard) that I won't be going back to the place I love so much. Summer 2006 and 2007 were two of the best summers of my life. I felt so at home in China...like I really belonged there. My heart is in China, and it aches to go back. But even more than I want to be in China, I want to be where the Lord is leading me. Eventhough it would be easy to jump on a plane and head back, my heart knows that God has different plans for this summer. Do I know what those are? Nope. Am I anxious not knowing what this summer holds for me? Yep. But do I know and trust that my Jesus has it all under control? Most definitely!

My prayer and hope is that someone...even just one person will go to China in my place this summer. I pray that they will go with the mindset of showing Christ to a people who are dying to know HIM! Their hearts are ready...God is already at work.

The Lord put a sweet girl in my bible study this year who also has a heart for China. This is her summer to go...and I am so excited! I am praying that she will pick up where I left off (hopefully with the same kiddos!). What a blessing to be able to send her!!

I am not physically going to China this summer, but my heart is there! I wait anxiously for the day I get to return. The wait literally makes my heart ache...but I know that what God is doing is completely worth the wait. The simple fact that God isn't sending me to China this summer lets me rest in knowing that He has something DIFFERENT in store. Who knows what it is, but I sure am excited to find out!

Summer Plans (cont.)

I made this slideshow shortly after I returned from China last summer. Until this week, I hadn't watched it in several months. This is what got me really thinking about this summer.

Just Because...

....this pic makes me smile!

I hope it made you smile today, too! Have an incredible weekend.

Accepted!

Tuesday afternoon I came home to a letter in the mail from UT Houston School of Nursing. I got accepted into their accelerated program that starts in the middle of May. There were over 600 applicants and 40 were selected for this particular program. Now, UT Houston isn't my first choice...I am still waiting to hear from San Antonio. I called the nursing school at San Antonio today, and our letters should be out in two weeks. I told them that I needed to know fairly quickly so I know whether or not to accept my spot in Houston. The lady from San Antonio told me that I could call next week and find out about my acceptance from them. So sometime next week (or the following week at the latest), I should know where I will be going to nursing school. Although UT Houston isn't my first choice, acceptance to that program is still a blessing because it means I will be going to nursing school SOMEWHERE! Keep praying for San Antonio!

Help Me Believe

I usually don't put posts like this on my blog, but for some reason I just felt like I needed to post this one. This past week or so has been difficult. I am learning to trust and lean on my Jesus like I never have before.

Last Tuesday was All Women's Breakaway. I look forward to this specific Breakaway every year, but for some reason I was debating on going. I had a softball game that was over 15 minutes before Breakaway started which would give me a perfect excuse (so I thought) not to go. As I debated whether or not I should go, I felt a tug in my heart that I needed to go. So somewhat grudgingly (and stinky!), I went. During worship, the Lord started dealing with my heart over some recurring issues and decisions that need to be made. I began praying over these things and trying to make sense of everything that was being brought to light. Then...just like God likes to do with me, He spoke to me through this song that Donna Stuart (the worship leader for the evening/wife to Breakaway director) wrote a few months back. It's called "Help Me Believe". Here are the lyrics...I wanted to put the song on here too, but I couldn't figure that one out.

All that I've done and all that's been done to me
Drove nails through Your hands hard and fast to the tree
and the lies that I live and the shame in my story
You covered with blood for Your name and Your glory, Lord

CHORUS:
Jesus help me believe
Jesus help me receive
This girl You've created You have redeemed
Lord help me believe this Lord help me receive
This daughter You rescued
You have washed her clean

So I raise outstretched arms with my knees to the earth
and I bow low my heart for in You is my worth
and I SHOUT from this mountain great joy in my soul
HALLELUJAH KING JESUS in You I am whole

CHORUS

And when I am tempted to believe something less
I run to Your Word... embracing forgiveness
Thank You for loving and thank You for healing me

CHORUS

I love the 2nd verse when it says, "I bow low my heart for in YOU is my worth" and "HALLEUJAH KING JESUS in YOU I am whole". Praise Him for those truths! Now my prayer is just like this song, "Jesus, help me believe/Jesus, help me receive" the truth...not the lies that are thrown at me!

Just thought I would share...

Special Olympics

o-o-0-0-O-O-O-O-OOOOOOLYMPICS!!! That is our cheer to get all of the Chinese kids excited about the Olympic games. Did it work?!? Sometimes, but thats beside the point. The point is....I had that cheer stuck in my head all day yesterday!! Why you ask?!? Well, it's because I spent my Saturday helping out at Special Olympics. I have volunteered before, but this year was so much more fun. It makes it about 100X better when you actually KNOW the kids competing. I only had one of my kiddos compete, but he did AWESOME....one gold medal and one ribbon! Way to go! I didn't take many pics yesterday, but I am getting more on a CD sometime soon. So for now, enjoy this one!

PS...Can I just say that I love, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my job and the people I work with?!?!? I am going to miss them all so much next year!

A Snapshot of My Week

What a week!! I have been more busy this week than I have been in such a long time, but for the most part it was a good week.

First highlight of the week:

My brother called on Monday and made a somewhat "surprise" visit to CS. He came to show me his new dog, Luke. Well, actually his registered name is Lucas Spindletop Geyser....which is why I will stick to calling him Luke! Luke is a 2 year old Black Lab. Welcome to the family, Luke!

Isn't he a doll?!? I sure think so!!

Second highlight of my week:

Babysitting these two precious girls! For the past two years, I have gotten to hang out with these two girls while their mom and dad were busy. So much fun!!! I went out there on Wednesday night and we played hard. I'm so sad that they are moving to Florida at the end of the summer. :( I sure am going to miss them.

Another highlight (but no pictures):
I help coach a 14 & under girls softball team, and they won their first game on Tuesday night.
Way to go, Racers! Hopefully we will have many more this season.

My Student...

Right before school was out this afternoon, we took one of my students to the ER. I went with him and sat in the ER with him for a few hours to help keep him calm. Please be lifting him up in prayer tonight. I can't disclose a name or what happened, but this guy needs more prayers than you know! He has a really rough life. Tomorrow he is scheduled for surgery at 8am. I will be praying...will you join me?!?