Welcome 2009!

I am beyond excited for 2009's arrival tonight. I have been anxiously awaiting for it to come since it Jan. 1 2008. The length of this past year has seemingly been way more than 365 days and I am more than ready to see it go. I will chalk this year up as one I would like to forget. I lost three loved ones this year and it seemed to just be a year of tragedy in our family.

There have been a few wonderful things that I want to take note of though...

In June, two of my sweet LifeGroup girls made important decisions. One of them was baptized at Summer Camp and one accepted Christ that same week. It was a time that I felt God's powerful movement that I had been missing in the first half of the year (not because he wasn't moving, just because I was not looking for him.)

In August, I got to go to Guatemala with our 20 of our students to do ministry to Guatemala City. I never thought Central America was a place that I had any desire or passion for. But I knew as soon as I stepped off the plane that I was going to love it. So many great things happened that week and I was so glad to have the privilege of watching our students step way, way out of their comfort zones and teach the Bible to kids their own age through an interpreter! It was a great trip!

September was the big one for me. For years I had been wanting to go with our church to South Africa. The word "excited" does not even capture a glimpse of how I felt leading up to it! I was so thankful that my friends and family supported me to go- financially, prayerfully- in every way! I learned so many new things about God and his love for people. I loved seeing how he works on the other side of the world just as well as here. Its one of those ideas that you always believe is true, but can't quite grasp until you experience it.

I am so thankful for those experiences that carried me though this "year to forget." I will miss Dad, Annabelle, and Grandma forever. I pray that God will allow our family to heal and make it through 2009 in one piece and that he will continue to bring moments and opportunities like the ones above.

See you never again, 2008. You will not be missed.

I have the cutest parents in the world.

John got his first iPod for Christmas and now he's hooked. We've had to shout at him all day because he walks aroud the house with it on all the time.

My brother got a wii for Christmas and this was my mom's first time to play. She did really well!
And here they are...the cutest parents in the world!

Home for the Holidays

Here are a few pics of our Christmas Eve Eve! It is so nice to come home to family!

Of course, the drive home is never too shabby....

Its so great to have my Uncle John up from FL to spend Christmas with us!

Cousin Jen and Austin- cute as a button as always!

Uncle Michael playing with Tonks.

Jen got attacked by Samson! I wish this picture wasn't blurry but its still hilarious!

John was helping mom with the baking and telling funny (John-) jokes, I'm sure!

Austin loves to swing!

THE END!

Merry Christmas Eve!

ICE Pics...

Here are the pics from ICE last night!


http://picasaweb.google.com/jaclynjoysmith/Christmas08#

Two Whole Weeks

I have 2 whole weeks off of work. I am so excited about this time. It has been a long, rough year that I have been trying to race through and the thought that nothing big stands between me and 2009 makes my heart joyful.

This 2 week break has already gotten off to a great start. I have spent lots of time Christmas shopping over the past 4 days and have completed all of it! I don't think I've ever been finished before Christmas Eve so I'm pretty proud of myself. I have realized this time around that I love shopping for people. I love the challenge of picking out the perfect gift for someone without having to be told what they want. I hate giving gift cards and I hate having to be told what to get someone. Asking someone what they want for Christmas is an absolute last resort and if I get to that point, I feel totally defeated.

This weekend also brought lots of time with friends, new and old. Tonight we went to Opryland's ICE to celebrate Arley's birthday, and then walked around Opryland Hotel. It was a great evening! Hopefully, I will get some pics up of that soon. I got a new camera today so expect LOTS of photos to start surfacing on here. :)

Tomorrow I head off to NC to spend Christmas with my family. I can't wait! Its been a couple of years since I have gotten to spend Christmas with my mom and I am looking forward to warm fires, lots of Christmas movies, baking yummies, and sing-alongs with my John and Uncle Michael.

Although, I usually don't agree with the song, I am feeling it tonight-- "Its the most wonderful time of the year!"

The best team in the nation!

Final score! 42-14.

Andrea is the best Tennessee fan I know. Maybe someday I will talk her into wearing some orange with that blue!

George wouldn't take a serious picture. This is the best we got! I love our matching Tebow jerseys!

I only hope that I can be as devoted as this lady 50 years from now.

I am so glad that George got to come over and go to the game with me! Our family raised us right!

The Infamous Baboons

Here are a few pics of the baboon getting out of the car (see a few posts below for the quick story)...

And then this is just a hilarious picture that we got of a sweet baboon family...just doing what they do...

Big Day

Today is a big day. There are 3 beginnings that have started for me today.

1. New Budget. My mom came to town this weekend and helped me figure out a new budgeting/saving system. This kind of stinks but eventually I want to be able to buy a home and all that great stuff that money gets you.

2. Back to the gym. I tend to gain some poundage during the summer and since summer is over (even though its still smouldering hot outside) its time to get it off.

3. Bible in 90 days. Amy-Jo started a few weeks ago and I start today. The whole Bible in 90 days. I am pretty excited about this but this might be the one I get behind on. So ask me about it to keep me accountable.

In other news, Debo stopped by the office today and told me that she misses South Africa today. I do too. In fact, I have missed it every day since I've been home. Here is a series of sweet photos that Patty Taylor took on the last day of VBS at Red Hill. That sweet boy I'm holding is Eldridge and is absolutely precious. We were dancing to "Outrigger Island."

Pray for Eldridge and his 2 siblings, Jeremiah and Jo-Anna today.

I'm home...

Unfortunately. If I could, I would get back on a plane right now. I miss it terribly and I've only been back for 6 hours. Here is a picture of Donovan that I mentioned earlier and that is Mzo behind him in the Hawaiian shirt.

Obviously thats a hula skirt on his head. :) I have realized that I am a terrible photographer because pretty much every picture I took is blurry. Good thing Bobby is compiling everyone's pictures for us all. Surely there will be great ones from that that I will add on here soon.

Hermanus was fun but I would have rather spent those 2 days at Red Hill playing football with the kids. I truly believe I will be there again soon.

I am fighting some pretty bad jet lag and swollen feet right now. Its only 5 pm here in Nashville and I want so badly to crawl into bed-- its midnight in Cape Town! So thats one way you can pray for me these next couple of days. Also, please pray that I don't go into that post-mission trip depression. I always have a hard time adjusting back to the 'real world.' One thought that brings me peace about being back, is believing that God will allow me to return to that place and those people that I now completely love.

Zebras, baboons, and some others

Yesterday after our final day of VBS (more on that later), we gathered up the whole team and went to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope- the southwestern most point in South Africa. It was BEAUTIFUL! Whitney and I hiked all the way up there- Bob would have been so proud! :) On our way back, we saw a zebra!! I finally felt like I was really in Africa. There was some other animal out there too but I can't remember what it was called. Maybe it was an antelope? We had been hearing all along that there are tons of baboons out here but hadn't seen any until we were pulling out of the park. We had stopped to watch them for a minute but as we were beginning to pull away, a baboon went up to the car behind us and jumped in their open window!! It was seriously the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life! We got some good pictures. As depressing as yesterday could have been, it chalked up to be a pretty awesome day.

Today, half of our team leaves to come back to Nashville and half of us are heading over to Hermanus for some whale watching. Most of you know how excited I was about shark diving...I have decided not to do it. I was talking to this guy the other day who had just done it and said that he was sick from start to finish. He said it was the most miserable day of his life. And since I get pretty motion sick just driving around some curves, I decided I would rather not waste my last day in South Africa being sick. So I am going to sit myself on a beach somewhere and just enjoy the day and reflect on the trip. Sounds pretty wonderful to me.

Please be praying for our team that is heading home today...and for those that have decided to go through with the shark diving. :) They'll need it.

my cup runneth over

I am so overwhelmed with the thoughts and feelings I have at this point in the trip. We just finished our 4th day of VBS and I feel like today was the day that I got fully invested in the children. I am already nervous about tomorrow and saying goodbye to the sweet faces I have grown to love this week. I have always been someone that gets easily attached. Sometimes I wonder why I put myself through this kind of thing so often.

There is one boy in particular (there always is with me) that I have grown especially fond of. His name is Donovan and I absolutely love him. He is 9 years old and speaks just enough English to whisper to me "what is it?" when we are going through the Bible story review and he is trying to get me to cheat and give him the answer in secret so he can get some candy. This boy is a monkey!! He jumps on me and within 2 seconds is twisting his body all around my head and flipping off. He is there every morning waiting on us to arrive and peaks in the broken window of the church waiting for us to let him in once we get set-up. I hate seeing him out there so this morning I snuck out there to play some baseball with him using a stick and a cushie ball. If I were going to sneak a child home, it would be Donovan.

Another person I can't wait to tell you all about is Mzo. He is one of the LifeSkills Educators that works in Red Hill full time that has been working with us this week. His story is amazing and his heart is solid gold. He is the nephew of the pastor that was shot and killed about 9 months ago at the church in Masi. Mzo was on the 2nd row that day. He now lives with his aunt and helps care for his cousins. His heart is in Red Hill though, and he hopes to move there at the beginning of January. Pray for him.

I have countless stories and people to tell you about. I am so thankful that God brought me here and I pray that he brings me back. Soon.

Love to you all.

Beach Time

This picture was taken a few days ago out on the beach that the Team House sits on. Look at how huge everything is out here! The sky, the mountains...its all so beautiful. We've all commented several times about how hard it is to understand how people don't believe in God when he has made such amazing things.

My favorite new people!

The internet here is capped, so this is the only photo I have been able to upload. At least its a good one! This is the gang that I have gotten to know and love on this trip! Taken on top of Table Mountain.

Please be praying tomorrow (Wednesday)...actually you need to be praying in your sleep on Tuesday night because that is when we will be sharing the plan on salvation at the 4 different townships here in Cape Town. We will be meeting in our small groups around 11 am which is 4 am your time. I lead the group of 10 and older kids and today there were 22 of them. I am really excited about what God is going to do tomorrow!

Worship on the other side of the world

Good morning!

We had a great Sunday here yesterday worshipping with the congregations at both Fish Hoek Baptist and Masi yesterday. And let me tell you- I was blown away by the the passion they have for the Lord. Fish Hoek was pretty similar to how our church services go...with one exception- the way they pray for each other! I was so inspired by how they care for their church members there and specifically how John Thomas has such a deep involvement in the people he leads. So much so, that he actually named someone out from stage for not having been there in 6 months!! It was funny to us, because it sounded like he was calling them out for skipping church but he knew they had been sick or dealing with something so he was really just expressing praise that they made it there. And of course listening to his accent (and even Bill Bedi's and Shane Osuna's impersonation of his accent) is always a joy! :)

After worship at Fish Hoek, we sprinted over to Masi to experience worship with them. And that is an experience I will never forget!! Through my time in Guatemala and here, I have begun loving worship in other languages! I sometimes forget that God doesn't just speak English :) Never have I seen people worship the Lord so unhinderedly (not sure if thats a word but give me a break.) The choir was not there yesterday but for those of you who have been over here before and are thinking that we missed out-- no worries-- the congregation held their own! One of my favorite things about our time there was watching these 2 little girls that were in front of me, probably only 2 years old, imitate their parents worship. They were dancing in the aisles and singing right along with everyone. I pray that our parents in America would learn to teach their children how to worship "unhinderedly." I began thinking about what it would be like if we didn't have standards in worship. If my soul couldn't contain the joy that the Lord has given me, how would I express my worship to him? If I didn't care about what other people were thinking, would I be doing a conga line down the church aisles and burst out in any song that Lord placed on my heart? I don't think I've ever been to a church in America where the pews would be big enough for that. We've talked a little the past few days about how we always seem to walk away with more blessings from these kinds of trips that we may be dishing out. My worship time yesterday with my brothers and sisters in Christ from around the globe, will surely be a moment I will never forget.

After church, we had lunch over at John Thomas's house in Muizemburg (I'm sure I just completrely butchered that.) His house is absolutely amazing, with a view unlike one I've ever seen from a home. And they're selling it...hmm. Mom, John...feel like moving to South Africa?? You guys would LOVE the ministries over here. Just sayin'. :)

We went to the market yesterday afternoon to get a few goodies. Then dinner at McDonalds. Last night we spent some time doing last minute prep for VBS that starts today!! I am so excited to finally see the faces I've been praying for for so long. As beautiful as this country is, I have a feeling the kids I will meet today will be even more beautiful! I will be working with 10-14 year olds, and my team members, Dora and Matthew, will each have groups of the younger ones. Mzo, our LifeSkills Educator that works in Red Hill regularly, has asked specifically that we pray for the families in Red Hill. He asked that we pray for a revival there. I am going to be intentional about talking with the parents I meet. Pray that we represent Christ well this week.

Love and miss you all!

I'm here!

SO- after over 20 hours on a plane, we got to Cape Town yesterday around 5ish pm...which is 10 am your time. Remember that you all are 7 hours behind us (mom, that makes you 6 hours). The flights were fine- lots of good stories from that. I saw an attempted robbery right before our fuel stop in Dakar, Senegal!

Only a few minutes to update- they just rang the lunch bell! BUT this is most definitely the most beautiful place I've ever been! Hopefully I will be able to get on later tonight and add some pictures. Please be praying for my new friend Mzo. He will be partnering with my team at our VBS location, Red Hill.

Love you all!

Leaving on a jet plane

Tomorrow morning at 11:30 am, my plane will take off to head on my long anticipated journey to Cape Town, South Africa. When I started working at Brentwood Baptist, I learned about our church's great partnership with John Thomas and Living Hope. And here I am, 2.5 years later, finally getting to go on my first trip to this great place. Here is a link to our church's mission's website that tell of this partnership...

http://www.brentwoodmissions.com/news_detail.php?news_id=41

There are about 30 people on our team. Some people will be doing construction tasks, others will be doing a retreat for the healthcare workers at Living Hope, and the team I am on will be doing VBS in several of the local townships. I will be in a place called Red Hill with 2 other team members. They have told us that there could be 200-400 children at each location. WOW! 200-400 kids with 3 of us?? Thats not quite the 5:1 ratio I was used to while working M-Fuge! I really have no idea what to expect!

Please pray for our team in these ways:

-Pray for safe travel. We fly from Nashville to New York and then New York to Cape Town (20 hour flight!) with a fuel stop in somewhere in West Africa.
-Pray for our health.
-Pray that I have a peace about teaching the VBS curriculum. I've got teaching students down pat, but its been a while since I've worked with kids! Lets hope its like riding a bike :)
-Pray that our team is united. With lots of different ministry tasks going on, I am praying that there is no division among the team and that we are all willing to help wherever the need is.

Hopefully I will be able to update you all and post some pictures! Thank you for your prayers and support!

"I thank my God everytime I remember you." Phil. 1:3