Through My Eyes: Missions, My Sponsor Child and Where I Want to Go

(Abby has recently started her own blog inspired by her love of writing this series. This blog was originally posted on Through My Eyes...)

Hey everybody! Today, I’m going to talk about what I have been thinking about doing with my life for quite a while. Missions is something that I used to look at and think “All the bug bites those people must get…” and I really never looked at the bigger picture. Last year at Bigstuf, I gave a bible to a little boy in Kenya named Bilha Njeri. That was when I first realized that missions were more than bug bites and living in a clay hut. Over the course of this past year, I have grown to love missions. I mean, at first I wasn’t like “Oh my gosh, I need to go save all the little children NOW!”  But now I’m definitely all about it.

I really started loving it about two or three months ago. One day, I was aimlessly walking down the hall at Bayshore when I came along this table with these pictures of kids on them. I look at each picture, seeing how old the kids are, where they live and stuff like that. So I venture back to my mothers desk and I say to her “Mom, I want one of those children.” On the way home, she goes “Call your nana, and maybe she will do the money part of everything.” So I call my Nana up and after various moments of explaining what it is and what I want, she agrees. That weekend, I make my sponsorship happen. I did it with One Child Matters and now, for 31 dollars a month, I sponsor Juana F. Reyes Fuentes, a 12 year old girl from Honduras. Juana lives with her parents and her four brothers and sister in a simple concrete blockhouse which lacks many amenities. Her father is a factory worker and their family appreciates what the Casa de los Ninos Child Development Center does for Juana. (I believe Casa de los Ninos is Children’s home in Spanish..) The place where Juana lives is in the community of La Joyada. In this agricultural region of southern Honduras, unemployment is very high. Malaria and worms often affect children, and medical treatment is expensive. Children have limited access to education and may be forced to work.

I cannot tell you how happy I was when we got her and Juana definitely means the world to me. I had to wait to get a packet to write Juana her first letter, and that took only forever…but when mom posted on my Facebook wall that my packet came while I was at Bigstuf, it only made my week so much better. Right when I got home, I made sure to write my letter perfectly. It took me almost 5-6 tries and several pieces of paper before I was confident enough to send it. I put the silliest picture of me and Lily, my dog, so that she could see me and put a smile on her face first thing, and the best picture of my family. I don’t know if she got my letter yet, but I hope Juana keeps it forever. I can’t wait for her first letter to me. I plan on writing her at least once a month, or however often I can. Really, Juana just boost my want to go places and meet kids in need.

This title also says where I want to go, right? What I have wanted to do since Bigstuf, is go to Uganda in Africa. Bigstuf this year really focused on missions, I feel, and Bob Goff made me want to go to Uganda. I want to go and help all the people and meet them and talk to them and its something I plan on paying for and doing before I turn 20. Yes. Before 20. I tell people this, and most of them are like “No, no! That’s dangerous!” but really, its just what I feel like I want to do. I feel like its what God wants me to do. I plan on asking for another child for Christmas, which is something I definitely want, and if that is my only Christmas present…I will think that it is the best Christmas present anyone has ever gotten me.

 

Through My Eyes…..God’s path is the one I am running down, and there is no way to stop me!!! 

Abby

Through my eyes: Bigstuf & Lake Aurora

Hey guys! I have had a FULL couple of weeks! This week is probably the first full week I have been home since my summer began. Today’s blog is going to be all about Bigstuf and camp at Lake Aurora!

So my first summer adventure I went on was Bigstuf! Bigstuf (if you don’t know and haven’t read any of my blogs before..) is a Christian  conference that is held in Daytona and Panama City for High School and Middle School students. Youth Groups from all over the country come to worship with the best of the best and listen to some of the most sought out speakers in America. This year was the 25^th Anniversary of Bigstuf!

This year’s theme for Bigstuf was Reality. We learned many things from various speakers. Jon Marc Comer was a preacher from Portland who talked about being followers of God and how to face reality with our faith. Jon Acuff, who is the blogger (like me!) of Stuff Christians Like, talked about our voice of fear. Bob Goff, the author of the book Love Does, talked about how your dreams can become a reality. He told a story about how he asked his kids a question. “What would you do if you had one minute with a world leader.” One of his kids says “Invite him to a slumber party!” I don’t know about you, but a slumber party sounds ridiculous. Bob goes on and he talks about how they mailed every single world leader on this earth and they end up getting 29 yeses to go to the slumber party. Bob and his kids travel around the world meeting all these world leaders and how his kids interviewed every single world leader. At the end of each interview, his kids would give the world leader the key to their house. The whole time I was thinking “This dude is nuts! He is craaaaaazy!” But Bob Goff had some pretty cool stories.                                      

Now the worship was pretty amazing. Phil Wickham was the worship leader again this year. We got to have Rend Collective lead worship, David Crowder was there (And I didn’t know he was as southern as he actually is…he is pretty southern.) and he was awesome!!

Ok, the Skit Guys were hilarious. Let me tell you, I haven’t laughed so hard in my life…they do half improv, half script. I would look them up if I were you. On YouTube. Right now. The two skits I recommend you watching is Little Billy: Zaccheaus and Hurting Help Line. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. I promise you will not be wasting your time.

One person is planning on giving their life to Christ, and I know I have said it a million times, but my good friend and fellow writer Bryce Buckland is doing that in a few months. So yay! Thank you Phil Wickham…your singing did the trick.  

Ok! So the Sunday after Bigstuf (So like 2 days..) I went to go Transform my self at Lake Aurora. I have gone for 7 years and every year, I always make new friends and learn new things. This year, we learned about sin, mercy, service, and sacrifice. It was a good week and even though I am not really a minimalist, I can survive. It’s a good camp, so if you don’t go, your missing out! That’s all for now!

And I am serious about the Skit Guys thing. You will be hooked.

Through My Eyes….Bigstuf and Lake Aurora are the places to be this summer and all the summers for the rest of my life (well….until I age out any ways..) 

Abby

Through my eyes...hobbies

Wow…I haven’t written a blog in a while! School is great so far!

Now, the title is my hobbies, right? So let me tell you some hobbies of mine……

1. Writing

2. Reading

3. Socializing

4. Learning

Writing is so great. I have been writing since the 2^nd grade. My teachers have been amazed at my writing skills. There are so many great writers in this world that I admire. In fact, Bethany Jett just finished a book! I would love to write a book some day. What kind? Well, I don’t know. Maybe teen novels….those appeal to me.

Reading…..ah, reading. I have always loved to read. I love reading stories and the stories just make a movie in my head. I see everything happening to ME (not the character) as I go. Especially stories with a great deal of suspense. Suspense captures me and drags me on the end of a line. I hate it, but I love it at the same time in a book.

Socializing is my absolute favorite. I love to talk…it’s a fact. I can basically strike up a convo about nothing with someone and talk for hours. I love people. I am a big socialite, as Justin says. I love to talk and be seen.

Learning is a big one too. I love learning about the past. As a PK, I know that there is so much more to learn about the Bible – even if you are experienced. Recently, our youth group went over the story about how Jesus heals the man who has demons and sends the demons into the pigs! I thought I knew everything about the story. I learned so much about that story, I thought it was totally different! 

Through My Eyes…..I love writing, reading, socializing, and learning. 

Abby!

Through my eyes...

Being Christian….

A new school year has brought many new challenges. 6^th grade is a whole new ball game. Switching classes, 5 different teachers, new curriculum….its all different! But luckily, I have all the classes with my friends and that’s all I could ask for.

One obstacle I had to get past was that I had to make new friends. At school, I am a very open person. I try to be open about my religion also, talking about God in certain classes if I can. That lets people know that I am a Christian. I sometimes get made fun of for being so open about it. Those guys, yes, are my friends, but they just don’t get it. Many of you have seen on Facebook that my friend, Summer, is Greek. She is very, very proud of that. But, she doesn’t believe in God. She told me her mom was a Christian, but stopped believing when her mom got married to her dad, who is from the island of Crete in Greece. My goal this school year is to show her how much I care about her by showing her the love of Jesus. Starting with Facebook. I want her to choose to love God. And I am going to help, in any way I can.

Through my eyes……….People should love God no matter what country they are from!

Abby

Through My Eyes...hanging with the Jetts!

Summer is already almost over! (Well, for me anyway.) This past week was a little thing I like to call VBS. I have been going to VBS since I was really little. I even have a certificate from when I was only a few months old saying I went to VBS! My summer has been great, starting with BigStuf and I’m ending it with a week of Lake Aurora with my best friend, Miya. 

A few days ago, Bethany Jett invited me over to her house for wings. I said yes. (Of course, I couldn’t pass on wings…) It was basically my first time going over to Bethany’s house as a “Youth Groupie.” I went over there, and I thought it was going to be a lot of people. I walked in and Jedidiah and Josiah were eating while watching Jeremy play Lego Batman on this gigantic screen TV. The Jett boys are all boy...all I can say. They are probably the cutest, squirmiest kids on the planet. So, since Sean, Kagan, and Justin were playing video games, I took the opportunity to play with them. Jedidiah and I played for a while, then Jeremy came in, and little Josey walked in, too. I walked out when Bethany put the kids to bed. Justin, Sean, and Kagan went to get the wings when Janine walked in. Bethany, Natalie, and I were playing a game of Hand and Foot. We squeezed Janine in and played for about another 15 minutes. When the wings came, they were in a big tin basket, almost the length of an oven. They were pretty good wings! We watched a show called Psych. It’s about this dude who pretends to be psychic to solve crimes for the local police. I stayed till about 11 p.m. I had a lot of fun, so I hope I can go over again.

Through my eyes…..I loved going over to the Jett’s house.

                                                                      Abby J

Through My Eyes...Appetites

At BigStuf, one of the discussions with Andy Stanley was about appetites. Appetites are something that all of us deal with. Appetites, yes, can be for food, or it can be for many other things (being the best at everything, love, friends, ect.) Andy says that (and I quote) appetites will “determine the direction and quality of your life. In fact, it will determine the quality and direction of your life even more than your theology.” Of course, I think he has a point. I think that appetites are for something that we desire so much, but it often spins slowly out of control. Andy talks about how we should take control of your appetites because if you don’t rule them, they will rule you. Appetites are desires. I know this is a short blog, but it gives you a whole lot to think about. What are your appetites? Are they controling you? The live stream is still up if you want to check it out.

Through my eyes...appetites are something you can rule or else they will rule you. 

Abby B.

Through my eyes...BigStuf

BigStuf. It’s what the teens rave about year after year. Now, I understand completely why. BigStuf is an amazing conference/camp that can really change your heart, soul, and mind. It was my introduction into the Full Student Ministry program and what an intro it was!

Many speakers presented different views on many different topics that I haven’t thought about. Many testimonies were given and in the end, it showed me how God worked through each of those people in their problems. Andy Stanly gave me an understanding on how we as teens and adolescents get to get life right the first time. Judah Smith asked the question Is Jesus enough? and put it into a funny (yet serious) conversation. He explained that Jesus will satisfy all needs in life. Pattie Mallette (Justin Beiber’s mom) gave a fantastic testimony about her various problems. The organization, To Write Love on Her Arms talked about Renee, 25, who went through depression, self injury, and other problems, but God helped her through it. Singers like Phil Wickham, Mac Powell of Third Day, Mike Donehey of Tenth Avenue North, Aaron Shust, Natalie Grant, Trevor Morgan, Rend Collective, Shane & Shane, and Laura Story took the stage and worshiped with us.

BigStuf has connections with many organizations that help people all over the world. The 410 Bridge, a organization created by BigsStuf, sends Bibles to kids in Kenya. I was able to donate a Bible to a little boy named Bilha Njeri. I took a picture with a note written in his native language, Swahili. The picture of me is in the Bible I sent him.

Group time allowed our youth group to talk about what the speakers said. Justin asked us various questions like what would you want your future self to tell you now? or what would you tell your younger self? This was a time for us to talk and bond as a group.
Through my eyes...BigStuf is an AMAZING experience for everyone……students AND sponsers. There are still some livestreams up! Wanna be a sponser next year?

Abby B.

Through my eyes...

I’ve wanted to join Justin and Bethany Jett’s crew for a long time as Justin will tell you. Now that I am in 6th grade, I have officially crossed the border into the youth group. Through my eyes will be a way for you to experience the wonders of NBCC’s Full Student Ministry as I do.

Through my eyes...the life of a preacher’s kid new to Full Student Ministry! I'm excited...I hope you are, too!

Abby B.