First off I really need to apologize for my lack of communicating to you what I have been doing for this entire year! I have been having some trouble with my Mac and getting it to send my newsletters. I have them made, but my server has been acting up. So this newsletter will be long with all my newsletters from then, but I hope this will be able to catch you all up with what I have been doing these past 5 months! You will definitely the process of my journey change a lot too, (:
January:
Since back in Garden Valley, it has been non stop moving. Coming back to the Honor Academy this semester, I have been placed in higher leadership than a usual undergrad. Currently I am an Assistant Core Advisor in my core, Team Captain for the Lansing, Michigan Acquire the Fire and Assistant to the producers of Potter’s Desire dance team. I knew over break that I would be really busy and I thought that I was ready for it. By the second week into January, I was full of stress and worry. I tried to do this all on my own. I put other priorities first before putting the Lord first.
“The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.”
Proverbs 11:25
This scripture isn’t saying that the Lord fills us when were empty, but that He will continue to have an overflow of refreshment so that some of that overflow can be poured into others. But if you’re not having that time with the Lord and you don’t seek Him daily, you can shrivel up like a plant without any water and it’ll be harder to pour into people when you have nothing left for yourself. It was a tough lesson learned, but the Lord has brought me through it.
During the first week of Gauntlet, we got to have a January named Abigail Hall in our room for the week. During that week, I got to experience gauntlet week different than my own personal gauntlet. It really was a good reminder to look back on how the Lord has moved me since my arrival week.
Core Rollouts
After Gauntlet week, we all found our permanent cores for the next 7 months of our internship. Abigail got placed into another core and we got Samantha Marie Madison, or Sammie, placed in our core. She is such a sweet heart! She is very athletic, funny, and kind. She really has opened up to us and it has been nothing but good memories with her.
During the second week with Sammie, the August in the core got to roll out our core name, Simply Love, to Sammie. This core is really near and dear to my heart. Right now, I am praying whether to stay a second year or not at the Honor Academy. As of right now, I have not a clue what the Lord has in store for me. I do know that I more than likely will be going to Core Advisor roads, which is a week for undergrads to be tested and facilitated to see if they have the responsibility and heart to be a Graduate Intern. Being able to roll out core gave me a true experience for what it could be like in the future. I also have a love for our core name, Simply Love. Being able to show Sammie our heart as to what it truly means to be Simply Love, really showed me how much depth there was in a core name. It was a night that won’t be forgotten any time soon.
Potter’s Desire
The very next week, I got to participate in setting up and being on the judging panel for the auditions for Potter’s Desire. It was so awesome to see so many people with different backgrounds and different passions each tell a story with their solos. From dancing since they were 3 to never setting foot in a studio, each person had something to say through their movementAfter we had posted up the new family to the dance team, we all started practice right away. Currently, we are working on 2 performances this coming up weekend [February 5th & 6th]. We will be performing 3 different pieces over the weekend. On Friday, we will be heading to Dallas to perform 2 modern pieces. The first piece is the 20 minutes piece that we have already performed before. However, most of leads have graduated and are no longer on the dance team and we have newer members. So we had quick auditions and I actually got the main role as Valerie Henderson, a young girl that grew up with an abusive father and now has a ministry called “Roadblock Ministries.” I am very honored to be playing such an impacting role. Our other piece is a Woman at the Well piece. We have 7 young women portraying a woman in prostitution and we have a man playing Jesus. Through all the brokenness and hopelessness, we find Jesus and that living water that will fulfill us forever. It is really dear to one of our producers heart, because he is called to work in that ministry.
February:
Fasting Life Transforming Event
On February 10th to the 13th, I got to enter my second Fasting Life Transforming Event. I really had no idea what to expect going into it. Right now, the August interns are starting to seek the Lord on finding direction as to whether or not to stay a second year or not. Many people asked me what were my plans after my internship & ask of right now I am praying and seeking the Lord. I want to have an open heart to what He has for me and seek how I can serve Him. The weekend was tough mentally, spiritually, & physically. I wanted to eat and I was light headed and there were times that I wanted to give up. I also felt spiritually dry & that I couldn’t physically feel His presence. But that became my problem. I learned that I cannot base how I feel the Lord on how I’m feeling emotionally, but to remember that He is always faithful. And with what is to come this August, I am learning to be patient and being still to here His voice.
“Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage. And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord.”
--Psalm 27:14
“Seek His face, not His hands” is what my brother Core Advisor told us before we go into His hands. Delight in Him & He will give you the desires of your heart.
Wisdom of Women
Since the Fasting LTE, my Core Advisor has really encouraged me to seek older women. It has really been a challenge for me because of fear I have had in my life, but right now I am so thankful that she pushed me out of my comfort zone. Being able to sit down with women and see their hearts really has shown me to break those chains that the devil had me on for far too long. In my Risen Women class, Katie Luce says “Rise Women will be generationally connected, reaching up to older women who have gone before them for wisdom & guidance and reaching down to the next generation to provide Godly example and encouragement.” It’s been great to be able to embrace that statement now.
Operation Collision
This past week and next week, the Acquire the Fire call center has been placed in an over week. We are now working 40 hours this next week and are really pushing to reach a broken generation. God is doing some awesome things for the Lansing, Michigan team. He has done nothing but blessed our phone calls with divine appointments. I love encouraging each of the youth pastors I talk to and especially praying for them. Hearing praise reports from everyone is so wonderful!
March:
Unreached People Group
A few weeks later, the internship got to experience another Life Transforming Event, called the unreached people group or UPG. During this weekend, we got experience the life of role playing as a tribe or missionary group. During the weekend, the missionaries would set out to find their tribe and adapt to their lifestyle while preaching the gospel to them in the same way. I was chosen to be a tribal person and I was part of the Kui tribe. The Kui tribe believed in worshiping spirits and it was really hard. The Kui tribe is a real tribe in Magnolia and having to bow down to things like fire and tree and the sun was all so weird to me. But to the Kui, it is an everyday lifestyle. It was a really fun LTE and it really gave me some insight for what is to come for me in Panama.
Core Advisor Roads
This next section of my newsletter is probably one of my favorite times during my whole entire internship here at the Honor Academy and that is roads.
To back track all the way to December, when I was home for break. I was asked a lot a questions as to what my plans were for August after I graduated the Honor Academy. Well since then, I have done a lot of praying and fasting over what I should do for my next step. At the end of March and beginning of April, I pursued to be a Graduate Intern at the Honor Academy as a Core Advisor.
The Honor Academy has second year options for an interns to consider after graduation and undergrad year. There are options like a Management Associate, where you are trained in the business area of the ministry. The Ministry Team, who puts on all the Acquire the Fire events for a year and live on a bus for that time of the ATF events. Also the Core Advisor, which is the mentoring area. I have a Core Advisor right now named Courtney Fricke. During this year she has met with me weekly and she pursued me and challenges my growth here at the Honor Academy. We have had many laughs, tears, trials and memories during this year.
So during this week, I pursued being a Core Advisor by going down CA roads. During this week you have tasks, assignments, and nightly events that you do with the current Core Advisors. During the day you are facilitated by Core Advisors where they test you on memorization, pressure of being a CA and your heart as to why you want to be a CA. During roads, the Lord really showed a lot to me on fear that I have on my life. During that week, the leadership puts in you tests that you will fail, but in the end they what to see what are you putting your hope in. Am I putting my hope in my own strength or in the Lord, because even though I will fail, He will never fail me.
“There fore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”
Hebrews 10:35-39
That week was one of the hardest weeks of my internship, but in the end I became more dependent on His strength, rather than my own. I am so thankful for the Truth that was poured into my life every single day.
A week later, I found out that I was accepted to be a 2011-2012 core advisor. I probably will never forgot the huge amount of butterflies that I had in my stomach while I was on my way to my Dorm Directors office to find out. After she had told me, I just put my face in my hand and cried. When I looked up, I saw Courtney, my core advisor, scream “Congratulations!” Since then, I have signed my commitment paper and I am committed to stay another year to be a Core Advisor for the incoming August class and current January class. I am very excited and very nervous. I know that I will fail as a core advisor, but His love never fails.
April:Easter in New Orleans
Lansing, Acquire the Fire
Last week, I got to finally embark on a bus to Lansing, Michigan. The event I have been calling for 8 months had finally came and I couldn’t wait to finally experience this event. There were many days were I didn’t want to go into work and call youth pastors. And there were days were I was able to minister to youth pastors and give them a message of hope. Well I journeyed to Lansing on Wednesday morning and set off to a weekend I wouldn’t forget.
We started early on Thursday and started to set up for the event. We made 7,000 lanyards and wrist bands and got everything all ready to go. Then on Friday morning was the day I was so excited to come. I got to meet youth pastors that I have been calling for months and teens ready to be impacted by the Lord. Friday night was so moving when all the kids got to come down to the alter and lay down a letter they wrote to the Lord. The Lord put a young girl on my heart to go and pray for her. When I went to her, she said her named was Kara. Kara was with 2 other friends. Kara’s brother had committed suicide the day before the event. My heart just dropped when she told me and I just held her hand as we prayed. Her grip on my hand became tighter and tighter and when we were done, she gave me the biggest hug her tiny body could give. That is the reason I called for 8 months. For young ladies and gentlemen like Kara, that need restoration from the collisions they’ve been in. On Saturday, I got to sit with my youth group in the dramas and videos, but never got a chance to really worship until Saturday night when my manager took me aside to just be refreshed in the Lord. The worship was set for 1 hour and we ended up worshipping for 2 full hours. My manager and I sat there and she said to me, “Abigail, you did this. You made this happen. Don’t you ever underestimate the impact you can make. You are a mighty warrior.” I just fell to my knees and worshipped God, feeling so humbled. I am 18 years old, and I helped put on an event that 7,000 young lives were changed at. I truly was able to experience 1 Timothy 4:14.
So as you all can see, I have done quite a bit with Teen Mania! The journey is still going fast and faster! However, I cannot thank you for all of the prayers and financial support you have given me! You have truly been such a wonderful blessing!
Sincerely,
Abigail Marie
