My Daddy!

I found this picture tonight and it made me smile. Cause it's my Daddy and I love him! That and in 9 days when he tells me he can be at the airport in two hours I can tell him ok, cause I'll be at ATL airport in two hours!!! YEA!!! I love you guys and I'll see you soon!

~Stella

Thanksgiving in Wales

Yesterday was a lot of fun. I went to morning worship, it was our first Sunday back in the church building. GBC is 140 years old as of yesterday. The building hasn't been there 140 years, the church body has been worshipping together for 140 years. It was pretty cool how God worked out all the construction going on, everything was finished enough that they could celebrate their anniversary in their building.

After the service Robert and I went back to our houses and got the ingredients for our desserts and met back at the church to cook them. Welsh cookers (ovens) are stupid. Not really but the one Robert tried to use wasn't working properly. When everything was finally cooked we got on the bus with Josh in tow and headed to Rob and Jenny's house. We were the last ones in, but I was just glad that we made it at all. All the local IMB people, their children, Jeff, Josh, Robert, and me were all there. We were getting together to celebrate Thanksgiving.

I didn't think it would even come close to Thanksgiving back home, but as usual I was wrong. There were 19 of us all together. We all sat down together at this huge table (ok so it was a big table and another normal sized table pushed together. And a little table were the four eldest of the 7 kids sat.) and had a Thanksgiving feast that rivals any I've had before. It was great! Having a Thanksgiving celebration with 19 Christians is the coolest way to spend Thanksgiving. It's such a God thing when that happens. You spend most of your time talking about God, even if you don't plan to. Oh, and I almost forgot. Our Grandmother Ann (she's the older lady from AL that makes us sweet tea!) read us the Thanksgiving story. After all the food some people sat around talking, some played snooker (sorta like pool), and me and all the 7 kids watched Veggie Tales! What more could anyone ask for!

While we were eating I felt I was in a movie. If you've ever seen a film that had a bunch of people sitting down for a meal you know what I'm talking about. Everyone's eating and talking, and they always show that one person that just starts looking around at everyone enjoying themselves and that person starts smiling to themself. Well, that was me. It was just so cool to feel like I was a part of this big family. I did miss my blood related family, but this was a great substitute. It was a very surreal moment.

Alright you guys I'm off to do my 1000 word paper on The Purpose Driven Life! Only 11 more days till I'm back State side! I love you all!!!

~Stella

November 24, 2005

Happy Thanksgiving! Love you guys! Only 15 more days!!

~Stella
Ps. Mom and Valerie call me back! My phone was being stupid when you called!

hmm...Home?

It's funny how I've used the word home lately. A couple of weeks ago I was on the phone with Robert and I said I was on my way home....and then I corrected myself and said that I was on my way to Andy and Sharon's house. Is their house home to me? On here I've said I'll be home in no time, or I'll be home in X amount of days. Home then is referring to where? The States, Jacksonville, or Dadeville.?! Some people say that home is where your heart is. Ok what if you're heart is in different places at the same time? While I'm in Wales my heart has been in at least three different places. When I'm focused on people and things here, Wales is home. Other times when I'm talking about leaving here home is just a place in the states. When I get to thinking about school and stuff Jacksonville is home. When I'm thinking about my family, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, Dadeville is home. I say I'm going home on December 9th. But I don't know where that is other than to say I'll be in the States.



This really bares no importance on anything, it was just a thought I had. Maybe it's because my home is really in Heaven and nowhere else. We are told not to store up treasures on earth because it is not our home. Does anyone else ever ponder these things or am I the only weird one? Well only 17 more days till I'm in the States! I love you and miss you all!

~Stella

Homework day!

.......BCM @ JSU... I miss you guys!!

Since all I'll be doing today is classwork, a meeting with Fred (minister), and then ending with St. David's Praise practice, I thought I'd fill you in on what happened last Thursday. I just copied and pasted the following from Jeff's blog :

Thursday just seem like the longest day of the week. Its hard to think that it was only yesterday morning that I went to Glenwood for class. Yesterday we started on the 3rd work book. It is mostly about British child protection laws and risk laws, its not nearly as interesting as the psychology stuff has been. After class Robert, Stella, Josh and I were going to grab some food but decided to stop into Starbucks for a cup of coffee. We went and set down upstairs and realized after a few minutes that the 3 kids sitting just across from us were reading the "Purpose Driven Life" we started talking to them and found out that all 3 were 16, 2 were Christians, Luke and Becca, and their friend Glen wasn't sure because he finds it hard to believe the things that science can't prove.. we spent about two hours talking to them, answering questions for Glen and enjoying the fellowship of other Christians. It is amazing how God puts us together to glorify Him. We ended up giving Glen a copy of "The Purpose Driven Life" and "The Case for Christ" because he wanted to read more but didn't want to buy books. After we left Starbucks we went and ate some dinner and then killed time until we went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter. Stella was excited to get to go and its fun to say I saw it before anyone back home. It was really just a fun night to spend time with each other and laugh and talk with a movie at the end.
Please continue to keep Rob in your prayers as he struggles with the pain in his back and has to look at surgery options on how to fix it. Also please pray for Glen as he asks questions of his friends, that God can open his heart to things that he can't understand.
Jeff
Song of the day "That's how the Story Goes" by Third Day

I love you guys! And I'll see you in just 18 more days! Have a great day and find a way to pass on God's love to people you see today!

~Stella

What a day!

We had such a great day yesterday! We acted like total tourist and it was FUN! We saw Bristol, Bath, and Stonehenge. The picture below is a picture of the Bath Abbey taken by Jeff, at my demand. LOL anyway, more on the trip later! I love you guys! Only 19 more days till I'm home, and I can't wait!!!!

~Stella

Ps. I changed my mind. If you want to hear all about it click on the Robert's journal link!

Three words for you........

STONEHENGE AND ME (us) !!

~Stella

Haaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyy!!!!!!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire totally rocked! And I got to see it before you did........ HAHAHA (evil laugh)!! That's what you get for getting to read the latest book before I could! :P

That is all!

~Stella

Ps. I love and miss you all! Only 21 more days till I'm home!!!!!!!

Picture of the day!

This is right before the Wales vs. Fujii rugby match.

ONLY 24 MORE DAYS!!!!

Love you all!

~stella

Host Church

.................................... LIGHTSHIP 2000 ..................................................
................................... JoHanna .......................................

This is a picture of JoHanna, she's 2 1/2 now. No I didn't take this picture Allan did. It's from this summer.

The pictures I took at Cardiff Castle are up now. It's only one roll, I still have some more to get developed.

I can't wait to see you guys and tell you some of the awesome things God's revealed to me this weekend. Last night we met on the Light ship (the ship pictured above) and had our evening service. We were afraid that no one was going to show up, but 30 people came. That's the most people I've seen at one of their evening worship services yet! And God showed out!! He's on the verge of blessing this part of His church more than they can even fathom. They just have to take that one step further in faith. His blessing in right there for them. They just have to reach out and claim it! I've seen the strides this body of believers has made just in the short time I've been here, and it's really inspiring. I'm very excited that I got to be here and help them move that one step closer to God. Please continue to pray for Grangetown Baptist! Pray for some youth leaders to step forward. Pray for the leaders that they have right now, that they would always seek God and His direction. And pray for the unity of the church, they are getting closer and closer everyday. This weekend God started with getting all (most) of the women united. Pray that these women of God will be shining examples to their husbands and other men in the church. I pray that these women will be the ones that unite their church. Father, don't let that fire you put in them this weekend die out. Father, let them spur one another on everyday. Replace the gossip that was there with prayers for each other. Bless Your church!

~Stella

Home for the weekend.

Chris and Veronica Jackie and Alan

I've been staying with Jackie and Alan since Thursday night. It feels as though I've come home for the weekend after being away at University. Last night I went to the Wales vs. Fuji Rugby match! It was SO much fun. Wales won 11 to 10. Today I went to a ladies meeting called "Are you a Martha or a Mary?" I thought it was just going to be a meeting where they listed all the traits of Martha, then all the traits of Mary, then told us which we were and how to balance it better. Boy was I wrong. God showed up and really showed out today. Sue from my cell group (at Andy and Sharon's) gave her life to Christ today! No matter what now I'll see Sue again whether it's this side of Heaven or in Heaven! Please pray for her. She's pregnant right now, also pray for her husband who doesn't know Christ. His name is Mark. God really spoke to me today and released a lot of baggage I've been carrying around for a while. I feel so much better now! He's given me joy, real joy again!! God so totally rocks!!! If you don't know Him, I need to introduce you to Him, because He is the greatest thing in my life! His love is sooo.....sooo....great is not a strong enough word....truly awe-some! I can't put into words how free I feel right now. If you feel like something's missing from your life, it's God. God is the only one who can fill that God size hole in your life. He accepts all kinds into His family. Being a child of God is so great! I want you all to be with me in Heaven, it's going to be the greatest place ever in the history of God! I love you all very much!!

~Stella

Hmmmmm..........?

I don't know much of anything right now. I'm taking a break from finishing up some homework right now. My brain is fried! I just don't know why this is so hard to do. Most of it was done already, it was just refining it. Homework that you've already done once before, is hard to motivate yourself to do it again. Oh well, on a happy note, as of right now this very second I only have 29 days left! I just can't tell you all how much I have missed you. It feels like I've been gone since July. In the three weeks I was in the states it never felt like I was home. I ready to be home. I'm not going to stop the work I'm doing here by any means. I'm just going to really enjoy being home for longer than three weeks. I love you all!!

~Stella

T-minus 31 days and counting!

I can't believe how fast time has gone by. I admit that some days felt like they lasted for a year, but overall time has flown. I only have 31 days and only 5 more "classes!" That's just crazy. I hope all of you have had a great semester. I have learned so much that I could never type it all here. When I get back we will have much to talk about if you want to know about my time here. I love and miss you all!

~Stella

The ones I'm missing the most right now this second!!

The look?

Have you seen this face before? According to Robert it's the look. Dunt dunt dunnnn......

Have you seen her?

I love and miss you very much, Jessica!!!

Coming home early.

I'm going to come home the same day that Robert does.

I typed a blog and told it to post and it all disappeared, so apparently I wasn't suppose to say those things so I'll just say....... pray. Pray for my grandmother and all of us Connect students. If you would like to receive the prayer letter we make send me an email at stella879@gmail.com and I'll send it to you.

I love you all and miss you all very much! No fear, I'll return in six weeks!

~Stella

TN or not to TN??

That's the question. Go home early and go on the spots trip to TN or stay and not go on spots to TN. I don't know. What I do know is that I'm very tired now so I'm going to go to sleep. Please pray for me and whether or not I should go to TN. I love you guys very much!!

~Stella