I'm finally here!?!?!?!?!

I arrived in the Wisconsin Dells yesterday afternoon and got moved in to our cramped, but cozy, cabin. I can't believe how fast the two weeks went by that I had between school and yesterday, although I spent half of them in a line at the fertilizer plant. I'm not quite ready to face the summer and all the sweltering, humid weather. Today, though, was not one of those days. It is very dreary and rainy outside, which makes me want to crawl back in bed and take a nap. Thankfully we didn't have to work outside today, otherwise it would have been miserable. The trip out here was about a sixish hour drive that got really long and tiring. It helped that we formed a caravan of sorts, especially when someone ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere!

One of the emails that I received yesterday that I didn't have a chance to look at until today, was a devotional about worrying, scripture Philippians 4:4, 6-7, and it talked about chickens and how peacefully they will hang upside-down, alive -- by the feet! -- while being toted anywhere. I have never seen it, but I imagine it's a sight to see. Another thing that it mentioned was that "Paul sandwiches the command to not be anxious with directives to rejoice always and give thanks. It is then, he says, that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds. That transcending of our understanding reminds me a little bit of the chicken's trance. Not that we should shut off our mind and emotions, but rather give them over to the worship of our faithful, loving Father." That is one thing that I am going to have to work on this summer: not worrying about things that I don't have control of, which is pretty much my whole life since God should be the director, and I should just be the instrument.

My family tries to have devotions together as a family at breakfast every morning, and the scripture for yesterday was the Matthew passage about worrying. The reminder yesterday morning and then the email today was really what I needed to think about as I go into this summer experience. No matter what I think is going to happen, no matter what my expectations are, no matter what goes wrong or what I feel uncomfortable about, I need to trust God that it is in His plan for my life and that He will see me through it.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

18. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20. and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." - Matthew 28:18-20

To an extent, this is what I'll be doing this summer, through interacting with international students and local people in the Dells. As the date gets closer, I find that I am becoming increasingly more nervous about it (being away from family and home), yet excited (seeing new scenery and experiencing something different). One thing that comes to mind with the nervousness is a plaque that my dad made when he was in high school. It's hanging on the wall in our kitchen and says, "Faith is walking to the edge of all the light you have and taking one more step." Right now, I have the faith to walk where it's light, where I'm comfortable, but I haven't taken that last step into the shadows or darkness, where God can use my light. I need to continually trust and rely on Him to bring me safely through everything that I encounter, whether it's something I'm comfortable with or not.

An update on Dells: Recently we received our housing arrangements and team assignments. I have been in contact with my teammates and they seem like wonderful, energetic ladies of God. Please continue to pray for the students who haven't reached their fund-raising goal yet, and for everyone that we will encounter on our trip. Please ask the Holy Spirit to move in the international students that we will be working with, that He will prepare their hearts and minds to be open, questioning, and receptive to the gospel. 

Thank you so much for your support and prayers.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

God Is Absolutely Amazing

Today, I have reached and surpassed my goal of $2400! God is truly amazing and has blessed me abundantly! I have no idea how to thank everyone adequately. It's almost too much to comprehend. Proverbs 3:5-6 says: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." When I started this fund-raising project, I trusted God with coming up with the money, but not totally. I figured that I would probably have to chip in myself or ask my parents for an extra donation. I believed that it could be done, but I didn't have the faith to back it up. From now on, I am praying that I will never doubt the power of God, of His mighty hand working in all things. 

Thank you to everyone who gave financially, and those who are praying, please keep praying that God will keep challenging me, but more importantly that He will work in the hearts of those who I will come in contact with this summer.

Thursday, March 31, 2001

Dear Friends,

Several months ago when I heard about a summer training program opportunity in the Wisconsin Dells, I really did not think much of it. I thought that I would be staffing at a Christian camp near my home that I had counseled at the past couple of summers and did not really want to change my plans. The program kept coming up in my mind and in other areas of my life, and as I thought and prayed about my summer more, I concluded that God wanted me to stretch my boundaries more and at least apply for the program, so I did. One of the main reasons why I chose to apply was that I knew the program would help me grow in my faith, just like staffing at camp, but also strengthen my trust in God to provide for my needs. It would also provide me with opportunities to share my faith and walk with God with others, as well as put me in situations where I needed to rely on God for wisdom and strength.

Well, God has graciously provided me a unique opportunity to join several other students from across the Upper Midwest for a spiritual development program facilitated by The Navigators, an interdenominational Christian organization (www.navigators.org). It is called The Dells STP! This Summer Training Program (STP) will be located in the Wisconsin Dells, WI. It is a unique and exciting opportunity for me to intentionally focus on training and growth in Christ.

Much of my growth will happen in a “team” context, where 3-4 students will be together with a student team leader. We will live together, work together, study the Bible together, minister together, etc. We will also have the opportunity to live and work alongside people in the community of the Wisconsin Dells. All summer I will be rubbing shoulders with those who don’t know Christ in central Wisconsin and seeking to learn how to impact them for Christ. Did you know that 4,000+ international students from around the globe come to work at the Wisconsin Dells, WI each summer?! This will give me a unique & exciting opportunity to have a “missions experience” in the context of this training program, and to touch the nations! I believe this experience will prove invaluable to me as I return for my junior year at South Dakota State University. I hope to be better equipped in the fall semester to reflect the light of Christ to my fellow students.

The reason I am sharing this opportunity with you is that I would love for you to consider partnering with me in prayer and finances. This money will help to pay for my training program fee, and my room and board.

I am asking God to surround me with a team of people who will each pray for me and financially contribute anywhere from $25 to $500. My need for this Navigator Summer Training Program is $2,400. If 50 people each partnered with me for $50, that would be more than enough to meet my financial need for the summer! Will you pray about partnering with me for my growth in Christ this summer for $50? I would be deeply grateful. Even if you do not partner financially with me, please pray for me and the other students and staff that we will grow in faith and wisdom, but more importantly for the people we will come in contact with that they will be open to the Word of God. Thank you for considering this. I look forward to hearing from you.

Serving Christ with you,

Tiffany Davis

 

P.S. If you would like a commitment card and response envelope, let me know. If the Lord leads you to give, please respond by April 30th, and make all checks payable to “The Navigators”. You can also give online at http://www.navigators.org/us/support (search for “davis”) All gifts are tax deductible. Thank you. Please note: Contributions are solicited with the understanding that the donee organization has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds.