Back to the real world of work

Yes I'm back to school. I'm taking a lot of fun classes. I love Fiber Arts and I'm enjoying printmaking. It's really differnt working in 2-D again, but I"m ejoying it. This is my last semester before my show. It's also my last semester of German(hopefully). So now if I don't post for awhile you'll all know why. But the good news is that it is possible to get in touch with me now that I have a cell:)

One more.

Fur Christmas and A Happy New Year(Late)

I have had a great time being at home with my family. We have had lots to do and enjoyed a lot of family time doing it. All the tasks are so demanding. We are required to sleep in and stay up late, go to basketball games(my two younger brothers are amazing and are starters together), then we have to go play in the snow a little and of coarse play with my nephew and niece, Sorren and Chloe : ) It's been really fun.
The house was really full for Christmas. My mom's parents and her sister's family came to celebrate with us, as well as my sister-in-law Nichole's family. Mom is the best cook ever and made 20 baby hens so we all got our own bird(the kids thought that was the coolest (as well as the adults)).
I think one of the highlights for my cousins was going sledding for the first time. They loved it. It was hard getting them off the hill and into the van.
It seemed like it took hours of joy opening all the presents. The family started calling it the fur Christmas because I made all the girls fur wraps. It was pretty funny watching their faces, some were really excited and others weren't to sure about putting something that felt like a long hair cat around their neck(Chloe is warming up to the idea).
Well after Christmas and after the house emptied a little( and mom started making hills of food instead of Mountains) came New Years. The family did something they had never done before. About 8 years ago I went tubing and thought the boys would love it, as well as mom and dad. So we headed off to Montage Mountain. Now I'm not talking about tubing, I"m talking about TUBING. Yeah, with a lift and everything. It was great. We all slid down the chutes together and then were dragged back up while sitting pleasantly on our tubs(I think Dad might have enjoyed being dragged up almost more than going down:) I have to admit Dad it was a great feature.
So now I only have one more week with the family:( Dad has been helping me with some art projects. Oh, I forgot something. Mom and I took a day trip to Philly and went to the Art Museum. We met my good friend from school, Louisa, and had a great time discovering great art in the museum. One of my favorite exibitions was a collection of Laughin's photography. It was very intereting. If you ever get a chance check it out.

Happy New Year All!
p.s. enjoy the fur pictures.

Finally a word from the fly

I've been busy at school studying my brains out. But it was worth it when I got my grades back today. My favorite class was metal casting. I think I've found my new art love. It is one of the best things ever. I can't wait for my show now. I'm planning on having a lot of bronze in it. The process is amazing(long too). I spent a lot of time getting ready for the pours. I now own the smallest pair of steel toed boots that can be bought at Wal*Mart. Not only do I love the process but I love all the metaphors in the Bible about metal. They have really started to make sense while watching the metal go through all the processes in my pieces. Also I've really enjoyed coming up with the subjects for my work this semester. I spent so much time on my ideas that it was really relaxing just thinking about them while I worked on the manual labor.
I didn't spend all the time in the lab. I also was able to be very involved in an extension and apply some of the lessons learned to real life. I love going to a hospital every Sunday and singing to the patients. When I first started going I thought it would be encouraging for the patients. But the more I went I realized how much I needed these times to work on my own life and be encouraged by the patients. The Lord saved one man and many more are still searching. The extension grew this semester from 25 to 50. Yep I'm pretty sure we doubled. It's been really great watching other students get involved and come to love it as much as I do.
Well that's some of the highlights. I'll have to cover some more while I'm home on break.

Back in the USA

Well I"m back. I've been in 10 countries, 1 hospital, dozens of churches, around 40 beds, driven 10000 miles, my hair is a lot longer and I'm still white as ever. It's been a great trip.
I really learned a lot this summer about the Lord leading his children. I wasn't going to go on this trip and two months before the team left everything changed and I got on the team. I'm so thankful for the Lord's goodness in leting me travel with the BJU Muiscal Mission Team again. The second time around I learned a lot more. Not that it was always a different lesson but that the lesson was more clear the second time around. I'm excited to see what the Lord has planned out for my life. He has really burdened me for the need to go and tell others of His saving grace. I'm excited to see where He will lead me.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers for me. The Lord kept me safe and gave me several oppertunities to witness to people. My last oppertunity was on a park bench. Please pray for a man from Africa that is living in Switzerland. He was a soccer player, but hurt his leg and cannot play right now. He had several questions about my beliefs and why I would come over to Europe for a summer just tell others about them. He understands the gospel but is just not ready to give up this world. Please pray for his salvation. I gave him some liturature to take with him.
Also pray for a woman that is newly saved and does not have any support or christian friends. She needs real strength to be faithful.
I could go on with many more. Pray for the Christians in Europe that they will stay faithful and keep serving the Lord and have a good testimony.
I"m really excited to see what the Lord does and how He leads me. I'm praying about going back for full time service. We'll see what the Lord has. One of the main lessons I learned this summer is that He always has a plan for our lives and He will show it in His perfect timing. I was really having trouble understanding why I was so sick in Slovakia. It turned out to be one of the best growing times for me all summer. I really learned a lot about prayer and the ministry of prayer for the team. So even that was what was appointed for me at that time(Job).
Have a great rest of the summer.
Gracen

Deutchland

Hallo All! What a great time in Germany. Our services have been going really well. Its been really great to go back and see old friends and meet knew ones. We just finished our visit at the Guetli in Swizterland. Such a wonderful time. We did a weekend conference on the Love of God. I was incharge of all the kids all day Saturday. It was so much fun. I made a lot of little friends(one little girl was even a great artist). She told me that she would make bible verse posters for next year. Wow its been a long time since Ive blogged. I dont know what all to tell you. We onlsy have 18 days left. I cant believe that Im that close to the end.
I was able to witness to two older woman at a nursing home last week in germany. In Germany the people go to the nursing homes when they are younger so its easier to find someone to talk to. Please pray for these two woman. They are very confussed with all different religions. Thank you for your prayers. I hope to have more time to tell you all about my trip and how the Lord has been changing me.
love,
Gracen

Feeling GOOD

I'm feeling so much better today! So tomorrow I'm going to rejoin the team. The Waite family and I are going to leave early and catch up with them in Trencianske Teplice, Slovakia. It will be good to get back into the ministry and with the team again. It sure has been nice to have such a great place to get well. The Lord was really good in providing a great missionary family for me to stay with. I've also brushed up on my chess skills a little with 8 year old David Waite. I think he's liked having someone that was availible to play too. It was also nice to have a couple days of family time and feel normal. I even got to give Vivian, who's two, a bath. Fun times. Thank you for your prayers. I've prayed for many of you as I've been laying in bed a lot lately.