Lillie ~ Highlights and Changes {Blessing}

I had hope to catch everyone on up on all the latest starting chronologically with March where I left off but now have decided to just group some of the highlights in posts for individual family members.  I am starting with Lillie since her changes and highlights are major in her life.  Also, because she is so much on my heart.

To start with, Lillie is now an official high school graduate!!  Way to go girl!!  She graduated in May and celebrated the event with a graduation party with one of her best friends, Brittney Chatham, who also graduated in May.  Lil and Brittney have been friends since back in the California days.  I think they were about six or seven when they first became friends.  Very sweet. 

It was a western theme event...complete with BBQ, hay bales, bandanna's, cowboy boots & hats. There was lots of great food, fabulous fellowship, Plasmacar races, volleyball, ping pong ball spoon game, and LOTS of rain!  As a matter of fact, the rain showed up before we could fit in the group photo (so sad), fireworks, and a marshmallow roast.  Regardless, we were blessed to have lots of friends and family in attendance and a good time was had by all.

Ping Pong Ball Spoon Game...Lots of fun!

 Lillie has also been blessed to attend three of the ATI Regional Conferences serving with the Children's Institute teams.  This took her (along with Dennah, who served on the Pre-Excel teams) to Texas, Tennessee and California.  They both enjoyed working with the children and serving & traveling with friends.



Dee (Pre-Excel) and Lil (CI) at Big Sandy, TX



David Fagala and Lillie serving on the CI Team at Big Sandy, TX



Dee, Lil, David, Hannah, Abbie & Caleb in route to Nashville



Lillie with her CI Team in Nashville, TN



Dee and Lil enjoying the sights after the serving at the Sacramento ATI Conference

In between conferences, Lillie was able to fit in a trip east to participate in a Journey to the Heart opportunity.  She was blessed by her team, the beautiful surroundings, and her time alone with God. 





While on her Journey, Lillie was approached by Mr. Bill Gothard to become part of an international woman's One Accord Power Team that will be based at Headquarters (just outside Chicago).  This team will be part of a group that will be traveling to Peru, Romania and the Philippines speaking with government officials to promote the ministry and invest in lives of the people in those countries.  (Let me interject with a bit of background here...For three months prior, we had been praying about what God would want Lillie to do after she graduated.  She knew that she wanted to serve the Lord, stay busy, travel and be useful.  She was having trouble discerning what direction the Lord wanted her to go.  She had been praying about teaching English as a second language in China (TESOL), working with the In the Gap program in OKC, or possibly serving at home and working on photography.  We kept thinking that Journey would be a perfect time for her to truly get alone with God to pray about His will for this season of her life.  We also talked about God making known to her possible opportunities that we hadn't thought about.  That was sure right!  This ministry opportunity was one we had never heard of or could have made happen without the hand of God intervening.)  After much prayer, Lillie decided that God's hand was in this and that she needed to take Mr. Gothard up on his offer.  She feels that this is God's will for her life and she needs to follow in the path He has set before her...even if she will miss being home, being with her family and friends, and will totally be out of her comfort zone. 

On Friday, Lillie boarded a plane headed for Chicago to serve with the IBLP ministry for an indefinite period of time.  She is very excited to see what the Lord has in store for her.  This is a HUGE step of faith for a girl who just a year ago would NEVER have considered an opportunity like this! 

Lil is doing great at HQ.  She enjoys the people there, working with the staff, team meetings, her roommate & teammates, and her job.  When not training with her team, she is working in the IBLP Publications Department handling the phone orders and questions.  God is really stretching this girl...she hasn't been one to like to talk a lot on the phone in the past but at least her computer skills are coming in handy! The plan is for Lil to train with her team until August 16th, when she will meet up with our family in California.  After some family time at the beach, she will be traveling to Oklahoma with us to help drive cars back.  At the beginning of September, she will return to Headquarters to continue training with her team until they go to Romania the end of September.  In October, she will fly to Texas to meet up with our family for Family Camp for a week.  Lord willing, she will then return again to Headquarters to prepare for the next trip.  She really doesn't know how long the Lord will keep her at Headquarters. She has given this all to the God and trusts that she won't stay one minute longer than He wills or leave one minute before He desires her to do so.  She has a peace that she is in the center of God's will and this is where she wants to stay!

We do miss Lil, but she has left us something to remind us of her.  This is Jack, Lillie's beloved baby Boa Constrictor.  He was a gift from a friend and Lillie is so happy to have him!  And because we love Lillie, we are now the proud caretakers of Jack until she returns or can convince her roommate that living with a snake would be lots of fun.  I am actually growing fond of the little guy!  Isn't he cute?!  I think he is smiling in this photo.

We are all very happy for Lillie and God working in her life.  This major change is truly a blessing for Lil, although it is a "bump" in our lives because we have to go without her being around which causes us to miss her.  It is especially a "bump" to Dennah who misses her special sister and best friend. In the meantime, we will continue to hold Lillie up in prayer and look forward to seeing her in a month.

Lillie...May God continue to bless, guide and keep you precious girl, all for His glory and your good.  We are so proud of you!  We LOVE you dearly and MISS you a ton! BIG hug! ~Mama