I made it to Germany! I'm dealing with a bit of jet-lag, but I'm here, and I have to say it feels a bit surreal. :)

Thanks so much for praying! My flights/connections were all smooth...although for some reason, carrying a guitar AND a laptop made me look suspicious and so I got to be "randomly" selected in both Philadelphia and Frankfurt for a more thorough check of my belongings. Oh well. The really cool thing that happened was that (long story short) I ended up shipping my extra bags through Lufthansa Cargo which cost me 1/3 of what I was planning on spending for extra baggage! That was a huge provision from the Lord! They'll arrive on Monday.

This weekend we're just resting and visiting with friends, and next week I guess we'll begin the process of finding an apartment for me. It looks like that will have to be the very first thing I do because in order to have a cell phone contract or register for a visa, I need to have an address. There are a few options to look into, and I've been advised to really take my time with deciding on the right place for me because it's a pain to move again.

I'll definitely keep you posted! Thanks again for praying for me and supporting me in this transition and ministry! It means so much to know you all stand behind me in this!

This week, amid all the boxes and piles of "stuff" that I have to sort through and pack, I find myself overwhelmed--not just by all the details I need to attend to on my list of lists--but by the incredible grace of God in my life. A year ago, I looked at the task of raising support to go to Germany and thought, "How in the world?!?!". Now I'm standing here looking back saying, "Oh." It is the Lord Who not only calls us and guides us, but also constantly confirms that calling and provides for our very basic needs. He is the One Who makes good on His promises every time, and He has certainly done that for me. If you haven't been to my website recently or haven't noticed, the "Support thermometer" to the right is now completely maxed!! That means that, as promised, the Lord has provided completely for my needs to go to Germany!! I still find myself scratching my head sometimes wondering how in the world I got here, or how it could be possible that He would choose me for this ministry in the first place, but He has. So I stand in His grace. There is no other explanation.

Certainly grace is something I'm going to need a lot of in the coming weeks. I'm leaving for Germany 9 days from today, and I have an incredible amount of preparations to do before I go. I did get a new video camera recently, so perhaps I can find the time to post a couple videos of the process. :) Thanks for all your prayers for me during this transition!

Also, don't forget that this Sunday evening is my Commissioning Service at my church. It will be held at 6:30pm, Sunday, December 7, 2008 at Calvary Monument Bible Church in Paradise, PA. Everyone is invited, so if you're free and would like to attend, please do! It will be one of the last times I get to connect with people before heading off to Germany, so I'd love to see you there!

Well, after meeting with the guys from FIM this week and debriefing about my time of support raising, I got the green light to go ahead and purchase my ticket to Germany. I called the travel agent on the drive home. So, it's official--my departure date is set for Thursday, December 11, 2008!! Even though I still need about 9% of my monthly support (approx. $350/mo.), I bought my ticket on faith that the remaining balance will be pledged by the time I leave. I can't believe the time for me to leave has finally arrived!! It's been nearly two years since I began this process of moving forward in what I believe to be God's call on my life, and it's so exciting for me to be in this place now of seeing it all come together.

Another important date to remember is Sunday, December 7, 2008. For one, it's Pearl Harbor Day...and for two, it's the date for my Commissioning service at my church, Calvary Monument Bible Church. If you're in the area, and interested in attending that, I would love to see you. There will be a reception after the service which will give me an opportunity to connect with people one last time before taking off. Just click on that event in my calendar to right for more details.

There is an aspect of being in full-time ministry that is very difficult for me to swallow sometimes. Being in full-time ministry is a lot about "giving"...your time and energy, your gifts and abilities, etc. However, being called to full-time ministry is also a lot about "receiving" and that's the part that gets me sometimes. I stumble over it because I don't always know how to do it gracefully. It's one thing to give and not expect receive anything in return, but it's an entirely different thing for me to receive and not be expected to give something in return. MAN, that's hard!! I am learning though, and certainly raising support to go to Germany has helped with that learning curve.

This weekend I was given a wonderful gift that I will cherish for a long time to come. On Sunday, I was invited to give a concert at Bethany Grace Fellowship Church in East Earl, PA, and because it was one of the last opportunities I would have to give such a concert before I leave for Germany, we decided to make this my "farewell concert". Tina Lapp joined me for half of it and I can't tell you how wonderful it was for me to sing with her again. She and I sang together for about 6 years after I graduated from college in 1998, and I have to tell you, I have missed those days. But what I have found to be true whenever Tina and I sing together is that even though we haven't sang for years, it's as though we can just pick right back up where we left off...it was like that all week during rehearsals and it was like that during the concert itself. I love it! The years of singing with Tina, the recordings, the traveling (and audio logs!) and the friendship are all precious, precious gifts that I will hold near and dear to my heart as I move into this next leg of my journey.

Last week I had the opportunity to stop in at WJTL 90.3 and chat with Lisa Landis on the Get Up and Go Show. I got to talk about my upcoming "Farewell Concert" this Sunday, as well as my move to Germany and all that I'll be doing over there. Eddie Daniels filmed the interview, so now I get to share a couple clips from my time there. Thanks Lisa and Eddie! I had a great time with you guys!

The Interview:

Singing "This Road":

Speaking of Farewell Concert, if you're free and would like to come out, it's this Sunday night, October 26, at Bethany Grace Fellowship in East Earl. Check out my schedule to the right for more details about that. I'm so excited...absolutely THRILLED...that Tina is going to be joining me for part of it. It's so rare that we get to sing together anymore, so I'm really looking forward to this. So come out and join us for really great evening of music!

Well, vacation was everything that I was hoping it would be...lots of rest, lots of laughter, and great big breath of fresh air in the great outdoors with great friends. I didn't realize how much I needed a break until I got there. It took several days for me to actually unwind before I was able to completely relax, but once I did, it was worth it. The Northwest Territories are so wild and untouched...simply beautiful. And the Canadian Rockies in Alberta stir my heart with awe and wonder in a way that few places do. Of course, I can't fail to mention that I even got to view a bit of the Perseid's meteor shower on the edge of a lake, surrounded by mountains and friends in a place with VERY little light pollution. I was in heaven. :::sigh:::

Now, I'm back to reality, and an exciting reality at that! The past couple weeks I've been preparing for upcoming ministry, scheduling music and speaking engagements, and spending some time back in the studio. Off and on over the past several months (whenever I've had a few consecutive days free here and there) I've made the trip out to Columbus, OH to work on recording some songs for a 5-6 song EP that I'm hoping to release before I leave for Germany. Most of the recording is complete, so basically all that's left is the mixing, mastering and duplication. I'll be sure to keep you posted on the progress.

As far as Germany is concerned, at this point I have only 25% more of my monthly support to raise before I can book my ticket, pack my bags, and head out. I can hardly believe that I'm this close to finally going, and at the same time, that last 25% feels like a vast chasm between here and there. Recently, I've been reading The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer. It has been challenging, convicting, and comforting all rolled into one. At times, his insight and description of God's attributes have left me speechless, and most often I find myself taking a deep breath and simply relaxing in the unwavering sovereignty of God, especially now in regards to His timing for these plans in my life.

I've been so encouraged over that past several months by the wave of interest and support that I've been receiving for the ministry that God has called me to in Germany. I've so much enjoyed the chance to travel and meet so many wonderful people along the way!! These months have seen thousands of miles on my car, hundreds of great conversations, dozens of concerts and ministry opportunities, and now one very tired woman! So, it's time for a break and some replenishing. My mind and my body and my heart are all screaming out for a break, and since I haven't been able to figure out how to silence those screams, I've decided to give in and get away for a bit. I've been given the wonderful gift of Buddy Passes for a flight to Calgary, Alberta, (thanks, Lesli!!!) which I'm going to "cash in" this Sunday and spend time with some dear friends exploring the Northwest Territories and the Canadian Rockies. :::sigh:::

"The Three Sisters"

I can assure you, there will be more photos to come, as well as videos that you can view on either my YouTube or my Facebook page. Thanks for stopping by! See ya around!

Well, I'm still here in the states, for one thing. A lot of people have been asking me recently, "So when ARE you leaving for Germany?" Originally, my plan was to be there by April or May, but at this point, it looks more like October or November. As much as I'm anxious to get to Germany and get settled into my new life there, I can see the Lord's timing in having me wait and so I rest in that. I moved out of my apartment in Strasburg, as you know, and I'm currently living with a couple from my church. Bob & Emmajane Denlinger have been kind enough to take me on as their house guest for a few months and let me occupy a couple rooms in their house with my stuff. It's been a necessary transition for me, albeit emotional in leaving my apartment of 9 1/2 years, and it is one step closer to my move across the Atlantic.

The past several months have been FULL for me. I've had numerous opportunities to minister at churches, a prison, and a ministry in northern Vermont for troubled teenagers. I've so much enjoyed the privilege of meeting new people and I love being able to talk about the redemption and healing that the Lord has done in my life and the ways that He is moving me forward into this new 'leg' of my journey with Him.

At this point, about 60% of my needed monthly support has been raised, as well as approximately 70% of my outgoing expenses. I'm so encouraged by this, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the Lord will bring in the rest. On that note, if you think your church might be interested in having me come to sing and/or share about the ministry I'm going to be involved with in Germany, let me know and we'll set something up. You can also click on the "Ministry Profile" tab above--it gives information about what I'll be doing as well as ways that you can partner with me.

My song, Lonely Days, has been selected as one of Indieheaven's Top 20 songs for this month. That means two things:

1...It is on the Top 20 Radio chart at Indieheaven for the month of May (www.indieheaven.com/radio)

and

2...you can go to the Radio chart and rate it...every day, if you like...so that it moves up the chart. If it's one of the top 10 at the end of the month, then it will automatically stay on the chart for the next month.

Thanks for listening and voting.