It's hard to believe we have less than two weeks until we pack up everything and hit the road for our first half of the travel year! I think I can speak for the whole team in saying we are anticipating great things this year. I am especially excited to see how God works in my life and changes me to be more like Him this year. Looking back on this past year it's easy to pick out areas I've grown already or need to work on now, just from seeing the ways I react in different situations. There's nothing like making mistakes to show you just how much you need to change. I'm just thankful I don't have to do it alone. 

So, this past week we added something new to the schedule...SIGN LANGUAGE. Wednesday afternoon our sign language instructor, Shannon, and her daughter, Sarah, arrived at the camp. We started lessons right away that evening. Since we had already practically learned one song in ASL, it wasn't long before we had another under our belts. Shannon and Sarah have continued to teach us every day and we are currently learning our fourth song using sign language. The sign language is one of my favorite aspects of the ministry and I can't wait to see how God uses these songs to draw people to Himself. Along with starting sign language this past week, we also had our first speeches on the schedule. I didn't forget my name, so that's a step in the right direction. :)

Friday night we took a turn from our normal routines and had a little time to rest and relax. The guys of the team and some of the male leadership went on a camping trip for the night, while the girls ordered Chinese take-out and watched Anne of Green Gables. Pretty much polar opposites, right? We definitely all enjoyed having some time to spend with eachother and get away from the schedule. Saturday morning the girls got to spend some more time together by going shopping and to a local coffee shop. The guys got back from their trip by early afternoon and we all enjoyed having the rest of the day free until our sign language class that night. 

Now we're wrapping up week 3 of training camp and we're getting closer and closer to the community concert (the 11th at 7:00pm! Be there!). Please continue to pray for us as we prepare for life on the road. Here are some specific  areas that we would appreciate you keeping in your mind and prayers:

-That we would maintain a spirit of excellence in everything we do; whether it's in rehearsal, classes, free time, or ministry. 

-Finances for the team members and the ministry in general as we get ready to get back on the road and add travelling expenses into the mix. 

-Unity for the team throughout this entire year. We all know that there will be quarrels in a group of 18+ young adults, but there doesn't need to be gossip. Pray that we would have the maturity to go to eachother personally instead of going to everyone else if a probleem arises. 

-That we would each have personal goals that we are checking up on regularly but also that our team would remember the goal and that we would work together to achieve it.

Thank you all so much for your prayers, love, and support.

Don't forget: This Friday at 7:00pm come to 

Mt. Lou San Bible Camp

2200 Blue Mountain Parkway

Harrisburg, PA

17112,

for the concert introducing the new team and giving a ministry update to the community!

In Christ, 

Anna

Well, week 2 of training camp is wrapping up this weekend and I can't believe how quickly it went. For the most part it looked basically the same as the first week with the exception of the board coming for meetings Thursday night through this afternoon. Classes and rehearsals went on like usual and we have now learned around 13 songs. We learned our first song using sign language this week as well, which is one of my favorite parts about the ministry. This week we sang for an audience, of more than just a few, for the first time on Thursday night when we sang a few songs for the ministry's board of directors. We also got to meet the board and get to know them a little bit throughout the few days they were here. It was a blessing to hear the advice and encouragement that they had for us as we prepare for this coming year as well as for everything else God has planned for each of us. 

Something God has been teaching me for the past few weeks has been in the area of trusting and depending on Him. I like to fix things. Or at least try. I don't like having to admit that I can't do or fix something. Obviously, this gets in the way when I am trying to rely on God for, well, anything. In K.P. Yohannan's "The Road to Reality" one of the chapters was on the faith, (or lack thereof) of Christian's today. That led into the problem that many people have of thinking that God needs our help to fulfill His plans and purpose. "We can't wait for God, so we do things our way" and "...so it is with all the problems of our flesh; how often do they create more problems than the one we intended them to cure" are two quotes that stuck out to me. God doesn't need my help. He wants me to be ready and willing to submit to His leading because, let's be honest, His plans are SO much better than any I could dream up. When I try to step in and give my input or take the reigns, I just end up making a mess of things. 

So, this week has been a lot of learning, praying, journalling, and refocusing.

 Please continue to join me in praying for the team as we keep preparing for the travel year for the next few weeks. Also, if you are local we have a community concert coming up on September 11th!! 

Thank you again for your prayers and support! I wouldn't be here without you.

Hello Everyone!

As most of you know, I've recently started my second year on Encounter Revival Ministries. We are just finishing up week 1 of training camp for the new year and it's going well so far. 

This past week we've already started learning 6 songs, a few of which I've been wanting to learn ever since first hearing about the team. We will continue learning songs for the remainder of the 5 weeks of training camp as well as continuing throughout the entire year. 

Classes are already well under way as well. We've started making our way through K.P. Yohannan's "The Road to Reality" with worksheets for every chapter to make sure we are reading with comprehension. One quote that Yohannan made from another author is: "If self is on the throne, the Christ is on the cross. If Christ is on the throne, then self is on the cross." K.P. then goes on to say "Accepting death to my ego is the only way to manifest the life of Christ. Putting my 'self' to death is the only way to exchange my life for His." 

Along with classes leading us through "The Road to Reality" we also have classes covering the topic of Life Management. Ardy Parlin (the founder and director of the ministry) defines life management as this: "Personal development and control that leads to productivity and effectiveness." So, our life management class covers many different aspects of life, all of which are extremely helpful for young adults to hear and learn. 

All year long the importance of time management will be stressed as well. Ardy's definition of this topic is: "The discipline to carefully plan and invest each moment for productivity, accomplishment, and effectiveness." This topic is one that all of the team members and myself (along with everybody else in the world) are always practicing, whether we realize it or not. How we choose to spend our time is what makes up our lives, and every choice takes up time. 

We've also begun classes introducing us to our kids and teens ministries as well as our drama ministry. I will get more into that when our training in those areas is more in depth. Speech class is beginning this next week! Those of you who know me well know that this class is in no way a strong point of mine. But this year is all about getting out of my comfort zone, so here goes! 

For those of you who aren't familiar with the team's schedule, here's a rough sketch of a day here at our home base during training camp.

7:00 - out of bed, clean dorm

8:15 - breakfast

8:45-9:45 - personal quiet time 

9:45-12:00 - classes

12:00 - lunch

12:45-3:45 - rehearsal

3:45-4:30 - children/teen ministries

4:30-5:30 - free time/study time

5:30 - supper

7:00 - "The Road to Reality" class

8:30-10:00 - fellowship/study time

10:00 - either dorm devotions or team prayer 

11:00 - lights out

Now, obviously this schedule is rough and every day is not exactly the same; but this does give you an idea of what a normal day looks like for us. 

Now, as we prepare for another full week ahead, I would appreciate it if you would keep us in your prayers in the following ways:

#1- Focus. It's extremely easy to get into a routine when you're living day-to-day by a schedule. Please pray that we would stay enthusiastic and alert in classes and rehearsal so we can best learn as we prepare for being on the road. It's also extremely easy to get distracted whether it's by people or situations. It's so, so easy to let your mind wander while sitting in class or going over the same part in rehearsal. Please pray that our minds and hearts would be focused on why we are here: to serve and learn more about God. 

#2 - Finances. This is the hardest time of the year for the ministry financially. Getting a group of 20+ people onto the road is not cheap, so please be in prayer as each of us works to raise our finances for the year. If you don't know, each team member will raise around a total of $5,400 by the end of the year. Our training camp fee of $850, book fee of $150, monthly fee of $200, and missions trip fee of around $2,000.

Thank you all for your prayers and thank you for those of you that have supported me. I wouldn't be here without you. I hope this helped to give you a brief glimpse of our lives during training camp!

In Christ,
Anna

Hello again, everybody!

Camp is well under way and I thought that it was probably about time I give you all an update on how everything is going. We just finished our first week of teen camp this morning after our previous three weeks of junior camp. You might expect me to tell you about what I've experienced as a counselor this summer and that's what I would've been telling you if things hadn't changed. Let me explain. I returned from spring break fully expecting to be a counselor at Mt. Lou San Bible Camp this summer, only that's not what God had planned. I was approached by the camp director immediately following my return and was asked to instead help train and supervise the operational staff girls and work in the kitchen alongside them. If I was needed as a counselor, I would do so but otherwise that is the role that I would be fulfiling. Let me back up a little bit though.

In the summer's of 2012 and '13 I worked at this camp as a member of the operational staff, working in the kitchen and cleaning the buildings on the property. So of course when I was asked to work with the girls who would be in the place that I used to be in, I was beyond excited. 

I'm going to be honest, it was hard at first-and still is sometimes. I went from being with the team 24/7 to barely seeing them. From being with my best friends all the time to just watching them from the kitchen as they had completely different responsibilites and schedules than me. After the first few days of feeling completely out of the loop I finally realized the immensity of this opportunity. I thought of the women who had been "op-staff mom" when I was on op staff and the ways that they had influenced my life and realized that that was me now. That's the role that I was placed in for the summer and golly, did I want to do it right. So, that's been what I've been trying to do this summer. To not only be my girl's supervisor, but also be their friend as I try to help them fulfill their roles to the very best of their ability. God has stretched me beyond what I thought I could handle. He's put me in situations that I never imagined I would be in and taught me to simply rely on Him to give me the words to say. He's been teaching me compassion the most, I think. Trying to see things from other's points of view and give them the benefit of the doubt even when I want to believe something completely different. Now that I've briefly gone over what I've been up to and what God's been teaching me, I wanted to give you an update on what I will be doing this coming fall. 

This spring I thought I knew what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. I was going to come home and save up for a degree in interior design. Well, God had other plans for me (like usual). He soon took away the peace that I had about this coming year and gave me a longing to return to the team for a second year. Well, I called God crazy for a few weeks. Saying that I couldn't come back, that I didn't have the finances. It wasn't long before God put someone in my life to tell me that my reasoning was foolish. So, I started praying about it and everybody and their mother started telling me that I should return for a second year. Was it a sign? I wasn't convinced. So, God proved Himself yet again. That same person who told me that my reasoning was foolish told me that they would like to help me finacially if I felt like God was leading me to return to the team. So, I called my parents and talked to them about everything. They promised to pray about my future with me and give me an answer within the next few days. Well those days felt like an eternity. But it wasn't long before mom and dad gave me their full support and I talked to our director, Ardy, and told him that I'd changed my mind and that he would have to put up with me for another year if he would take me back. So, here I sit with our last concert exactly two weeks from now and a new team beginning two weeks after that. God is so good. As I look towards the beginning of a new year and a new team a few prayer requests come to mind. Please join me in praying for these specific things as the other team members and I begin to prepare for this next year.

#1- each team member is responsible for raising $1,000 in training camp fees which includes team outfits, books, equipment, food, lodging and other needs. Please pray with me as I wait for God to provide in this area. I know that He would not have called me to return for a second year if He did not intend to provide the funds necessary.

#2- specifically for the returning team members...all of the new members are going to be watching us and looking to us to reflect the ministry and be an example to follow as they get used to everything. So just pray that we would realize the responsibility placed on us and begin doing everything with a spirit of excellence if we are not already.

#3- that God would prepare the hearts of all of the team members for what we will be learning and that we will be open to change.

Thank you all for your prayers, support and involvement in my time on Encounter. I wouldn't be here without you all.

In Christ,
Anna
{Joshua 1:9}

Hello again everybody!

It's been awhile since my last blog entry and so much has happened since then. The most important thing that happened was, of course, AFRICA. On April 20 we piled onto our bus at 8:45am and started the drive to the Washington Dulles airport followed by our trailer, jam-packed with 52 suitcases less than half of which were our personal bags- the remaining were filled with things we would be giving away. We boarded our first plane that afternoon and started the long trip over. We had three flights in total with layovers in Amsterdam (this layover was 14 hours long) and Nairobi, Kenya before our final landing in Lusaka, Zambia on April 22. Once in Lusaka we had a 6 hour bus ride to the lodge where we would stay in Luanshya. We arrived at the lodge around 6:45pm, exhausted and honestly smelling terrible, but we were finally there. 

I can't go into detail about every single thing that we did while in Africa or we'd be here all day, but I am going to share with you the people and experiences that were the most memorable and impacting to me. 

On April 24 the U.S and African teams split up into two buses and headed to a school. When my bus pulled into the "driveway" the kids came running from the school building shouting "You are welcome! You are welcome!" They gathered around the bus as we drove to the back of the school and grabbed our hands through the windows. As we got out of the bus they started singing a song and running around shaking our hands or just grabbing a hand and holding on. 

Later that day we got to give every student a new pair of shoes, a dress or pair of shorts, candy, a backpack filled with school supplies and a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. I was on the crew that helped the kids find a pair of shoes that fit them and let me tell you, reality hit. I got to help put dozens of filthy feet into shoes, possibly for the first time in these kids lives. So often I take my many pairs of shoes for granted and these kids, they had nothing. 

April 25 was the day we went to the farm and the day I met Betha. She was maybe 4 years old, sitting

 alone far away from a group of team members and kids. I took some kids along who were attached to

 me for awhile and we went over to her. She couldn't understand English so I took her and the other 

three kids and we went and sat under a tree. After a while Betha was the only one still sitting by me so I just stood in the shade and held her. I knew she couldn't understand English but I knew how to say "I love you" in Bemba, so I said "nalikutemwa" to her because it was all that I could do. She stared back at me and said the Bemba greeting "mulishani" aka "how are you?" to me. Eventually it was time for her to eat lunch with the other kids and I had to go eat with the team, when I put her 

down and walked away I felt like I was leaving part of my heart behind me. 

April 27 I got my African name: Chimwemwe (Chee-mway-mway) which means joy or laughter. 

We saw a green mamba on one of the pastors bikes and we lost power that night at the lodge. We also found out that $5,100 had been raised for every pastor at the pastors conference to get a study bible in their language as well as enough money being raised for every African team member to get a bike. 

During the second day of the pastors conference on April 28 an invitation was made to the pastors to come to the front of the church and pray as the team sang. So many pastors came forward that they 

had to move the chairs to make more room, they knelt on the ground and prayed - some out loud 

others in their hearts. That same day we also got the opportunity to do one of our dramas for the pastors with an African team member translating for each of us. It was an incredible feeling teaching the African team and knowing that we were leaving something behind for them to continue to pass on. 

April 29 we had a youth conference for which each of us team members were in charge of having an impact group on the subject of having quiet time. God worked it just so that I ended up being able to share salvation with them based on the verse Titus 2:11. It was definitely a God thing because at the beginning I had just been going through the motions until I asked for one of the girls to share a favorite verse for us to pick apart and she said Titus 2:11. I read the verse and just stared at my bible for a few seconds, prayed and plunged in. God proved Himself a much better speaker than me that 

day and praise Him for that! 

We went to a hospital on April 30 and it turned out to be the most emotionally exhausting day of all. We were brought to a room with a tiny, tiny baby boy wrapped up and laying in a cardboard box. He had been found three days earlier, about to be fed to the pigs. That's what they do here when they 

don't want or can't take care of their babies. We got to give baby clothes to desperate mothers who just wanted something - even if all we had left to give was a dress for their little boy. Later that day we were driving through a village on the way to a nursing home when a huge crowd of kids started running around the bus as we drove. One little boy grabbed my hand as we drove and he ran as fast as he could to keep up with us. He came and shoved another little boy who had grabbed my hand out of the way at one point. After we finished at the nursing home he was waiting on the side of the road as we drove through the village and as soon as he saw me at the window he came and grabbed my hand again until we were about to drive out of his village. 

On May 1 and 2 we worked on teaching the African team a few of our songs and they taught us a few of theirs in return which we sang with them before we said our final goodbye that night. We left that night to travel to Livingstone for our two day vacation before heading home. The Zambezi (our hotel) was absolute paradise and Victoria falls was breathtaking. We saw baboons, zebras, giraffes, impalas and a crocodile sunbathing while we were there. The zebras basically lived at the hotel and the baboons were about 5 inches away from my foot at one point, the giraffes and impalas we had to search for awhile to see but we found them eventually. If you ever have the opportunity to go to Victoria falls I would advise you go for the sunrise, gorgeous and a great start to any day. 

We headed back to the U.S on May 5 and arrived home (at the camp) again at 8:30pm on May 6. 

I had the hardest time deciding what I had to cut back on and what I needed to expand on in this blog but like I said, these are the experiences that shaped me the most. 

A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible, not just for me but all of my fellow team members as well. I will have these experiences with me always and the lessons I learned from them. Thank you again. 

In Christ, 

Anna 

{Joshua 1:9} 

Good morning everyone!

Today we are heading to Watsontown, PA for our last church of the travel year. We will have meetings at a few local churches over the summer but this is the last church where we will stay in host homes. 

This past week and a half we have been back at our home base in Harrisburg, PA and have been enjoying some time to rest and recouperate as well as doing a lot of preparation for Africa (9 DAYS!!). Easter Sunday we had a morning meeting at a local church where they fed the team (and any team members families) an Easter lunch. Monday morning we resumed our usual schedule with classes and rehearsal and then the girls began sorting and packing suitcases for Africa while the guys did some outside work projects. The rest of the week has been pretty normal but with more of a focus on Africa than before. One of the Sundays while we are in Zambia the team is going to be split in half and we will have services at two different locations at the same time. Because of that the team has been split in two so that we can rehearse our songs with half of the team members and so that we can make any adjustments necessary. So, some days we have regular rehearsal, some we have split groups where one group sings one song and the next group sings the same song etc. Along with those rehearsals we have also had rehearsals to go over traditional hymns that we will be singing in the churches as well as rehearsals for kids songs so that we have a long list of songs for when we are with the children. Upon arrival back at the camp we all received our financial statements and I was completely surprised when I saw what God has provided in the last few weeks. I often wonder how I can be so faithless when I have God on my side. How can I continue to wonder if He'll provide when He already has so many times before? I've noticed that whenever I am worried or anxious about finances or the future, that's not usually when God provides a miracle. But it's when I have given my situation over to Him and find complete peace in His promises that He shows me again how great and faithful He is. 

Along with the regular schedule and some time for rest and preparation for Africa we have also had a lot of time to get outside and play some sports again. We played volleyball multiple times, soccer once and then some of the team played basketball and ultimate frisbee on other days. After being on the road for 11 weeks it has been wonderful to be able to be active again. 

Please continue to pray for the team as we get ready for Africa. Pray that we would not miss any opportunites while we are there to serve God and that we would not take this trip for granted by any means.  Also, there are still ssome team members who are waiting for finances for Africa as well as spending money for souveniers while we are there. If you would like to give towards a team member who is still in need of finances you can go to Encounter's website: encounterrevival.org  or send your gift to: 

Mt. Lou San Bible Camp

2200 Blue Mountain Parkway

Harrisburg, PA

17112

with specific instructions that you want your gift to go towards whichever team members are in financial need. 

This is a great opportunity to get involved in the lives of young people who are impacting others in AFRICA and I ask that you at least pray about it to see if this is an area that God would like for you to get involved. 

Thank you all for your prayers, support, and birthday wishes! It was a great one! 

In Christ,

Anna

P.s. If you are interested, there are numerous videos of this years team as well as previous Encounter teams on Youtube under Encounter Revival Ministries.

Hey Everyone! 

It looks like I've got a couple weeks to catch up on! I didn't have wifi at my host home or the church the past few weeks so I wasn't able to blog at all. Three weeks ago we were in Asbury, West Virginia for the week. The church was right across the road from a beautiful mountain which we actually all hiked up one day during the week! On Wednesday we went to two different schools for chapels and ministered there. At one of the schools a teacher came up afterwards and told us that she was a sign language interpreter and she loved our sign language songs. It made me realize that you never know when something you do is touching someone, and they don't always tell you; you just have to go by faith. That week we finished learning "Beulah Land" and sang it for the first time, which the church loved since it was actually written right in that area of West Virginia. It was a great week and we made some wonderful memories.

Two weeks ago we were in Beckley, West Virginia for the week at a church that the ministry had never been to. On Monday we were able to go to Appalachian Bible College for a few classes with the students before and after having chapel where we sang a couple of songs. One of the classes we went to was actually their chorale class and so after singing a few songs WITH them we then sang a few of our songs FOR them. Afterwards they had a few of their groups sing for us and one of them was extremely memorable, it was an a cappella song and I think it was called "Shut de' door?" That's really just a guess, I don't really know for sure. :) Anyways, it was really neat and they had beautiful voices. On Wednesday we went to the school again and picked up a few of their staff members before driving to the New River Gorge and hiking up to the lookout point. The past few weeks and the hikes we've taken have definitely given me a deeper appreciation and love for the outdoors and the beauty of creation. There's nothing like standing on top of a mountain and looking out over everything. I was blessed with the most incredible host family in Beckley. If any of you know my sister Kailyn and her husband Cameron then you basically know what my host parents were like. They had three precious sons that I just fell in love with and it was a little bit like being home again. One of the most rewarding things of being on Encounter is getting to know so many people around the U.S. I never would have met all of these people and I never would've learned from them. One of my favorite things in host homes is when the host parents sit down and tell you their stories. Whether it's their testimony, their love story (my personal favorite), their struggles, or the lessons that they've learned from life experiences. One of the days we had a youth event for the afternoon where some people played basketball and then we all played dodgeball until dinner. Friday afternoon we went to a school where they have an after-school program where they try to teach the truths of God's Word to kids who probably won't hear it anywhere else. We helped the teachers and leaders with the kids, sang some songs, played games and had a chapel with them. I was so blessed by the kids in kids klub this week. They were excited to learn and were the most involved group that I've ever seen. I was so encouraged to see their hearts for God. One night one little boy closed in prayer and I wish I could've recorded it. The prayers of children always touch my heart but this little boy was so sincere and so open and honest that it just made me so excited to see that there are kids out there that are going to lead the next generation. There are kids out there that will stand for what's right after we're gone. 

Then this Saturday-Wednesday we were in Rustburg, Virginia for just a half-week. Sunday afternoon almost the entire team went over to the pastor's house and ate fried chicken, played lacrosse (well, the guys did), slept, and watched the March Madness game. I basically just slept. :) I had the awesome opportunity to see my cousin two times while we were in Virginia and catch up with her. It was such a blessing to see a part of home again. Saturday night we played wii sports and just dance with our host family, which was a complete blast. :) We finally had a pretty normal schedule during the day on Monday-Wednesday with classes and rehearsal again. Thursday morning (today) we are traveling back home to Harrisburg, PA for almost the rest of the time until we leave for Africa on April 20th. There is just one half-week that we will be at a church about an hour and a half away, but the rest of the time we will be at our home base again. Currently we are at the side of the road waiting for triple A to come and fix a blown tire on the bus. We were looking at arriving at around 4, but seeing as it's 3:15 and we are 3 hours from the camp (from a normal car's point of view, not a big caravan) we are looking at being there around 8 tonight. But it's been an adventure for our last long road trip of the year and something we won't forget. :) 

Please continue to pray as the ministry still needs some finances to cover some areas of ministry while we are in Africa and a few of us are still raising the funds to cover our trips. 

Thank you all for your continued prayer and support! This year continues to be an incredible experience and blessing to me. 

In Christ,

Anna