in an intersting turn of events...

some big changes are happening here.
if you know me at all you know I HATE change.
or at least I used to- I used to freak out but surprisngly this time I am ok.

so here is the deal. you may or may not know but I have what is called a brother core, together with my core we are a family core. when i got here it was a 12 person family core. then one brother left so we had 11, then recently (like a week ago) one of my brothers got dismissed (hense the drama that was going on- long story)

so we had a 10 person family core, which is tiny. but we were close we ate most meals together, sat in church together, sat in class together.

well last night we got some news. Our brother core is no longer our brother core. since there were so few guys the HA thought it would be best if they got adopted into another core. so they have joined another core. and thier CA will now be an assistant to thier dorm director. but here is the catch. my first brothers NEW core already had two sister cores we couldn't be a third that would be chaos- so we were brother coreless.

so we have joined another family core. we now have a new sister core and a new brother core.
so all the girls in my room are devestated. i mean its a big change- they were a close family- they've been through a LOT together. and at first i was excited because i know a few of the guys in my new brother core-

but then i realized this is not ok. this is sad. we had so many plans as a family- my sisters are hurting, my brothers are upset, my brother core CA had to step down my CA has to open up to new people. what if the new brothers dont want us? what if they dont like us?

But at wed. night service me and God hashed it out. this is good. this is HIS plan. he planned this- there is a reason. These men that he has placed in our lives are going to help us. a lot of girls need healing because of skewed versions of "good guy friends" a lot of girls need pursuers- and spiritual brothers to be the LEADERS.

these guys have big shoes to fill we LOVED our brothers- but i think if they step up to the challenge of our emotional, dramatic core- they will grow and we will grow. the sister core can learn from us too- and we from them. they don't have a very united family and ours was closer than close so we are going to bring unity to them.

so there are good things- yes i am sad- yes it is WEIRD but its good. bring it on, God I;m ready. I came here to change right?

I got this email from my FIRST (not old) brother Brandon I will share a few parts with you.

Mary: Well… You’ve been thrown a something nasty girl. You as a January are going to be an ACA to a sister core that has been literally turned upside-down. If it couldn’t have gotten worse, it just did. Mary you have been a joy to be around these past few months. I’ve loved having you as a sister and you make me smile every time I see you. Mary, God has a plan through this to grow you in ways you couldn’t begin to imagine. This is going to prepare you for something HUGE God is calling you to, for God has called you to greatness.
(ACA is the LEADER of the room and due to past events everyone in my room is going to be on probation so i have to take the baton...)

Also… if you sisters fall off the face of the earth, because this brother core’s amazing… I guess that’s awesome (because we won’t have to kill them), but I can’t loose my sisters completely. I can’t cover up the moments we’ve shared. I love you girls.

But… God has a plan… God has a plan…choose to get better…not bitter.

MUCH LOVE!!!!!!!!
-Brandon.


precious right? so- here we go. I'm ready Lord.

UPG LTE

Meet Kawkway- 16 years old, pregnant, Buddist. She lives in the country of 'Back 40'. Her father is the leader of her tribe, two Buddist munks live with her but she doesn't like them because they can't talk to her or accept anything from her. She worships Buddah, fire, water, trees, stars, and is a firm beliver in reincarnation.

One day a group of strangers comes to her village. They don't look or dress like they and they can't talk to her, but they are nice and she likes them.

Her Father and Mother need Kawkway to find a husband because she is pregnant so they give her to the leader of the strangers, Skylar. Having no idea what is going on Skylar joins KayKway as they dance around the fire, and they are married, except Skylar won't bow to the fire god, none of the strangers will. They won't worship the star gods, or Buddah instead they "crucify" eachother and play music in a forgein tongue.

The next morning Kawkay and her friends take the girl strangers to get water from the water god. They take the long way so they can stop and get flowers for thier god as a gift. On the way the strangers talk about how they only have one really big god, the village girls do not understand. The girls live in fear of thier gods, if they do not worhsip them and give them gifts they will strike them down or curse their people.

The girls refuse to bow down to the water god, they say thier god will be sad if they bow down. They tell Kawkway thier god loves them, she doesn't understand her gods are angry and don't love her. The village girls fear the water god will strike down the strangers but they insist thier god is bigger and will protect them. The village girls make the strangers walk 5 steps behind them so they don't get struck by lightning when they do.

All the tribes of the "back 40" are called to a meeting. The government is there. they tell KawKway and her people about the strangers. They tell us they are liars, that they lied to come here, they said they wanted to come so they could take our culture with them, instead they have been trying to change us to all be the same. They tell us the strangers are Americans who kill thier babies and make their 16 year olds work for McDonalds.

Then they bring out two of thier soilders who had been 'saved' by the Americans. They beat them in front of the tribes, they are traitors. They kill the wife as the husband watches then beat him to death. Next the Tribal Leader of Back 40 speaks to the people. He tells us the American's 'Jesus' is a liar and only brings divison. they bring outa native girl who has been converted- she never told because she was afraid. her brother can not believe his sister would betray him and their country like that. The Government handed him a gun- he shoots his sister than turns the gun on himself.

All this information confuses KawKway. Later that day KawKway loses her baby. She assumes it is Skylar that killed her baby because he tried to bring her Jesus that poisoned her baby.

The American girls try to explain that Jesus does love her and he has a plan for her life because he loves her. The government comes by the camp- and hear the name of Jesus and take away her friends to jail. They returned later- but she doesn't know what to think of them because the Government convinced her that they were liars.

A few hours later KawKway's dad- Ratiti comes running back to camp screaming because he was blind! All the village people pray to Buddah and the fire god- but still he screams with pain. The Americans lay hands on Ratiti and pray to Jesus and he can see. KawKway's father now loves Jesus and tries to get her to believe. But the Government loves her- they gave her candy and a ride to water- they wouldn't lie to her. Jesus made her people kill each other- Jesus killed her baby.

The government hears that Ratiti has been healed, they are not happy. They make her village walk down to another village where a solider lies dead on the side of the road "YOU WANT TO SEE? SEE WHAT 'JESUS' DID!! JESUS KILLS! JESUS KILLS!" the solider screams! The village people start screaming "WHO pulled the trigger!?!? it was you! it wasn't Jesus!" Another solider pulls up. sees what happens and begins to cry "SHE WAS MY BEST FRIEND!!" "WHY WHY! Why did she have to die? she didn't!! SHE DIDN'T!" KawKway's American friends arrive they start yelling to the solider- 'it doesn't have to be like this!! she didnt have to die, it doesn't always have to be like this!!"

---SO pretty intense right!?! Well Hi I'm KawKway- at least that is the character I played this weekend. We had the Unreached People Group LTE this weekend. I didn't think it would be so intense- it was. It was all very real. It was really hard to pretend like I didn't know Jesus and that I hated him- but at the same time I realized so many people live this way. All over the world people live in fear of their false gods- or satan- that's horrible. and the government- i mean it was heart breaking.

Sorry Sorry Let's update you.

Sorry I have neglected you all for so long.
I am very busy and starting to get a social life. Which is good, I think.

So here’s the skinny. I went to the Dallas Battle Cry last weekend. I have never been to one and since that is what I do I thought I should probably see what happens. Well I thought it went really well. It was really humbling to be able to witness such a holy moment. When hundreds of teenagers and adults went forward and accepted Christ or recommitted, it was amazing. All of all hard work I do, or the slow boring work, or getting up at 4:30 to run was all worth it.

Not to say it went off perfectly there is a lot of apathy in Dallas, well in America but you know what I mean. People were talking the whole time. But the positives were it was sold out, over sold, packed out. The hallways were a mess- it caused drama but at the same time it was really cool to see. So it was good the worship (led by Unhindered) was really good. Leeland was amazing, Jeremy Camp, Lecrae (a Christian rap artist, so good) and the Newboys, who have a new lead singer (Michael Tate from DC Talk) I’ll be honest- it was awful. But I mean, he tried?

So I got to hang out with people other than my family core and get to know the people I work with which was really nice. I learned patience- again- of course. I need more of it.

Since I’ve been back- I’ve had a lot of opportunities to go off campus lately which has been really fun. I went to Gateway Church in Dallas where Kari Jobe hails from, and then Battle Cry, and Sonic I love me some Sonic.

This week has been a really really hard week for my family core. On Sunday we found out that one of the guys in my family core’s father died. It was really hard on everyone. This kid is like the sweetest guy you will ever meet. His dad was his best friend, so not only did he lose his father but his best friend. And now has to be the male of the household to his mother and two sisters. But I hear he is doing great and the Lord has already taught him so much.

Then these past two days a lot of other drama has been going down, nothing I care to really talk about. But I would ask that you PRAY for my Family Core – that God would defend those who deserve to be defended and justice would be served. I know it sounds serious, and it kind of is. I had a breakdown yesterday But don’t worry I am fine- I will be fine. But my sisters are hurting and I am trying to be here for them. The Lord has given me peace and I know this will work out according to his plan and I have surrendered it to him and will walk by faith.

These next couple of weekends are going to be busy but I will try and keep people updated.

Also- I am going to NY in June on a mission’s trip- if you feel led to donate to help me go on this trip and help spread God’s hope and love to the hurting people of NY- let me know. But pray I get the funding. God has the money- so I don’t need to worry.
Thank you so much for praying for me and for caring enough to read this.
Until next time--